Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies

He stared at Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi and County Supervisor Yan Xushou, asking without doubt, "Lord Dou, Lord Yan, what do you think of my proposal? I'm truly pressed for time now."

At the moment, without a Prefectural Governor in Yongzhou, the two of them held the highest ranks.

In Xue Bai's view, these two should be the ones calling the shots, with everyone else following their lead.

Dou Wenxi stood tall and straight, with a righteous aura between his brows as he said, "Mr. Xue, stop harboring any foolish fantasies about this matter. If you want to kill or mutilate, just go ahead and do it."

Yan Xushou was also filled with righteous indignation, echoing, "Indeed, we would rather die than commit such acts of treachery and betrayal."

"Eh?"

Looking at the outraged expressions of the two men, Xue Bai was taken aback.

The turn of events was somewhat unexpected. He hadn't anticipated that Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi and County Supervisor Yan Xushou would show such integrity, which was far beyond his expectations.

In that case, he would need to waste some effort dealing with these ignorant fools.

At that moment, a commotion stirred among the crowd, and a man dressed in grey stepped forward.

He mustered his courage and exclaimed loudly, "My lords, this cannot be. Please forgive my bluntness, but if you must save Shen Qing, what place does that leave for the other brothers in the city? They came to you for safety, and if you cannot assure this, then why should they endure hardships with us?"

Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi and County Supervisor Yan Xushou wore looks of "difficulty," asking, "Is this what you all think?"

"Exactly. We hope that you will not stray from the right path and put us in danger for the sake of one person."

"Both lords, we should follow Lord Xue's advice quickly and distance ourselves from Shen Qing. As long as Old Xue is willing to show leniency and spare us, it gives everyone a better chance to survive."

One martial master after another stood up to "advise," making it even more difficult for Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou.

Dou Wenxi paused before finally making a tough decision, "The will of the people is hard to defy, hard to defy indeed. The current situation is beyond our control, and for the safety of the many, we have no choice but to compromise. Lord Shen, we are truly sorry."

He looked up, his gaze landing on Xue Bai, and said with a heavy, pained voice, "Alas, things have come to this. Though it is against our wishes, we have no choice but to consider the bigger picture. Lord Xue, the two of us are willing to cut ties with Shen Qing, hoping you will keep your promise and spare us a lifeline."

It was only at this moment that Xue Bai finally understood the game Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou were playing.

True veterans of the political arena, in their back and forth, they had managed to shake themselves free of blame.

At the same time, they had greatly undermined the effectiveness of the discord he had planned to sow.

In his original plan, if the people of Yongzhou, including Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou, were convinced to abandon Shen Qing, he needed only to give a few hints, and both the people of Yongzhou and other martial masters who had recently joined them would surely become disloyal.

If experts like Shen Qing could be cast aside by Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou, others would doubt their own loyalty if they were honest with themselves.

This alone would be enough to turn these people into a disjointed mess.

However, he hadn't expected that Dou Wenxi, Yan Xushou, and the others from Yongzhou, with their coordinated responses, would dissolve his strategy so easily.

Having to abandon Shen Qing for the safety of others was a different matter altogether out of necessity.

But it was better than nothing.

Xue Bai's lips curled into a satisfied smile. He nodded slowly and said, "As the young lord, I will indeed keep my word. As long as you do not side with Shen Qing, I will ensure your safety."

"That is good."

Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou turned to Shen Qing, "Lord Shen, we are truly sorry. We did not want it to be this way, but we must sacrifice you to save everyone."

Shen Qing, who was among the crowd, was amused by the poor acting of Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou.

He could see right through their little ruse.

Very well.

Now, without these burdens, he too could let loose and cause a great uproar.

Shen Qing laughed and said, "Those who do not share the same path cannot make plans together. My lord, I naturally have no objections to your choice, as long as you are happy."

Saying this, Shen Qing silently removed the treasure bow from his back.

Someone had blocked the power of a Shi family for them, which was great news; it could relieve a lot of pressure and allow them to stay away from danger and disputes.

The eldest son of the Xue Family, Xue Bai, stepped out from his sedan chair and looked towards the people of Yongzhou with a smile spreading across his face.

He stared intently at Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi and County Supervisor Yan Xushou, asking beyond doubt, "Lord Dou, Lord Yan, what are your thoughts on my proposal? My time is very pressing."

Without a Prefectural Governor, these two were the highest-ranking officials in Yongzhou.

In Xue Bai's eyes, these two should be the ones calling the shots, with the others following their lead.

Dou Wenxi stood tall and upright, his face exuding righteousness as he said, "Mr. Xue, you should abandon such wishful thinking. If you want to kill or maim, just come at me boldly."

Yan Xushou also spoke indignantly, "Exactly, we would rather die than commit such acts of betrayal and abandonment."

"Eh?"

Xue Bai's face showed surprise at their angry demeanor.

The turn of events was different from what he had expected; he had not anticipated that Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi and County Supervisor Yan Xushou would show such backbone, which greatly surprised him.

In that case, he would have to take some measures to deal with these ignorant fools.
Continue your journey on empire

Just then, there was a commotion in the crowd and a man dressed in a grey short robe stepped forward.

He mustered his courage and shouted, "Sirs, this cannot be done. Forgive my frankness, but if you insist on protecting Shen Qing, then what about your brothers in the city? They came to you for safety, and if you can't assure them of this, why should they suffer hardships alongside us?"

Prefecture Chief Dou Wenxi and County Supervisor Yan Xushou showed signs of distress, "Do all of you think this way?"

"Indeed, we plead with you, lords, not to take the wrong path. To put us in danger for one man is not worth it."

"Both sirs, we should do as Lord Xue advises and draw a clear line with Shen Qing quickly. As long as Lord Xue can spare us, it gives everyone a better chance to survive."

One martial master after another stood up to "advise," making it even more difficult for Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou.

Dou Wenxi paused, and finally, with a heavy heart, said, "The will of the people is difficult to defy. The current situation is beyond our control. For the sake of the safety of the many, we must compromise. Lord Shen, I am sorry."

He looked up at Xue Bai, his voice heavy with pain, "Alas, with things as they stand, though it is against our will, we must consider the greater good. Lord Xue, the two of us are willing to sever ties with Shen Qing, hoping you will keep your promise and provide us with a way out."

It was at this moment that Xue Bai finally understood the trick Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou were playing.

Truly old foxes of the officialdom, they managed, between their collaborations, to shake themselves free of blame.

At the same time, they also greatly diminished the effectiveness of the discord he had planned to sow among them.

In his plan, if the people of Yongzhou, including Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou, truly decided to give up on Shen Qing, just a few suggestive remarks from him would be enough to drive both the people of Yongzhou and any new martial masters who had joined their side apart.

If such martial masters as Shen Qing could be abandoned by Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou, others, upon introspection, wouldn't dare claim they wouldn't be discarded by them.

This alone would have been enough to reduce them to a disorganized mass.

But unexpectedly, Dou Wenxi and Yan Xushou, along with the others from Yongzhou, had sung in chorus and dissipated his ploy.

For the safety of the others, out of sheer helplessness, they had to give up Shen Qing, which was a different matter altogether.

But it was better than nothing.

A satisfied smile played upon Xue Bai's lips, and he nodded slowly, "This young lord will keep his word. As long as you do not associate yourselves with Shen Qing, I will ensure your safety."

"That's good."