Finest Servant

Chapter 555 The Potent Elixir

Lin Wanrong jumped down from the carriage, his forehead drenched in sweat. His entire body was soaked through. There's truth to the saying that appearances can be deceiving. This girl's cunning and shrewdness were unparalleled. Not only among the Turkic people but even within the entire realm of Great Hua, there were only a few who could match her wits—especially considering she was still but a young Turkic maiden. If allowed to grow, who could be her equal in time?

Thinking about last night, her face a complex mix of anger, humiliation, and hesitance, Lin Wanrong couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. ‘Spending all my time hunting geese, only for the goslings to blind me. Turns out she was toying with me all along last night.’

He had to admit that when it came to acting, she far outshone him, validating the old saying that women are naturally good actors.

He now had a feeling of respectful fear toward her. Neither could he kill her nor touch her; she was truly a hot potato. He could only hope that Li Wuling would wake up soon, freeing him from this young maiden's threats and allowing him to live in peace.

The golden blade she'd given him was still in his hands, and he examined it carefully. The curved blade glinted in the light, its scabbard inlaid with incredibly beautiful pearls. At the center of the blade was a dark green agate stone, sparkling brilliantly.

‘Such a beautiful blade, too beautiful to be used for killing,’ he sighed as he caressed it. It undoubtedly represented her identity. Yet, she was as pure as a blank page at times and cunning like a fox at others. Trying to get her to reveal anything? Not a chance!

"Brother Hu!" Lin Wanrong pondered for a moment before vigorously waving his hand at Hu Bugui, who was triumphantly returning in the distance.

Old Hu held a plump wild rabbit, boasting to everyone as he rode on his horse. The rabbit had been shot through the head with an arrow—a clean and ruthless shot. Gao Qiu was puffing his beard and glaring beside him, clearly disgruntled.

Walking over, Hu Bugui tossed the juicy wild rabbit onto the ground, laughing, "It's not easy to find such a large rabbit in early spring, and even harder to hit it! Tonight, I can prepare a feast for the General!"

Gao Qiu who was following him retorted, "What do you mean it's hard to hit? If it weren't for you, Old Hu, blocking my view while on your horse, tonight it would've been me offering a feast to Brother Lin!"

"Thank you both for your kindness," Lin Wanrong replied warmly, shaking his head. "Such fine game should be reserved for our injured comrades. They need nourishment more than I do. Brother Hu, there's an important task I need you to handle."

"Please give your orders, General!" Seeing Lin Wanrong's serious expression, Hu Bugui immediately responded with a salute.

Lin Wanrong nodded and slowly handed over the exquisite blade to Hu Bugui, "Brother Hu, take this."

"Huh? Isn't this Yueya'er's knife?" Gao Qiu exclaimed in surprise from the side.

The blade appeared delicate and gorgeous, but it was surprisingly heavy. Hu Bugui carefully held it and looked at Lin Wanrong, puzzled, "General, what task do you wish for me to perform? Is it related to this golden blade?"

Lin Wanrong smiled, his eyes falling on the blade in his hand. "This golden blade is closely related to our situation. Brothers, you've likely guessed that Yujia holds an unusually important position in the Turkic Khanate. However, just how important, none of us really know."

The identity of Yujia had always been the most perplexing issue for the three of them. Hearing Lin Wanrong mention it again, the two men held their breaths, attentively awaiting what he had to say next.

"From my interactions with Yujia, I have a feeling she may be the most intelligent and wise woman in the Turkic Khanate. As the old saying goes, 'If you walk with the tiger and don't lie down, you'll end up being eaten.' To say she is a fierce tigress would not be an exaggeration. To be honest, I don't have much confidence in dealing with her." Lin Wanrong chuckled, his thoughts drifting to Yujia's eyes—sometimes pure, sometimes seductive, and always captivating. He shook his head in exasperation.

The two older men exchanged surprised glances. If Lin Wanrong, a general who had seen it all, couldn't handle a young Turkic woman as innocent and beautiful as Yujia, then who could? Old Gao blinked and sincerely offered, "Brother Lin, I have some special elixirs in my private collection. Would you like to borrow some?"

Lin Wanrong burst into laughter. "Thank you for the kind offer, Old Gao. However, Yujia herself is an excellent physician. Her skill with medicines probably surpasses both of ours. We wouldn't want her to turn the tables on us by reversing the effects of some aphrodisiac, would we?"

Old Gao shuddered at the thought. "You're absolutely right, Brother Lin. Since Yueya'er was captured, has she ever shown a hint of fear? If it were so easy to drug her, she wouldn't be Yujia. We better not get counterattacked by her."

Hu Bugui nodded, his face filled with concern. "What the general says is correct. Turkic women are of strong character. If we force her into submission, she will fight to the death. At this stage, Little Li's life still depends on her medical skills. If she dies, neither of us will benefit. It's simply not worth it."

Old Gao sighed heavily and spoke in resignation, "So what can't we do, and what can we do? How should we deal with her then? Should we just let her push us around, Brother Lin?"

Lin Wanrong rolled his eyes. ‘What are you talking about? The only person who can bully me hasn't been born yet.’

"Thanks for your concern, Old Gao," Lin Wanrong chuckled a few times. "Actually, dealing with Yujia is quite simple. It's all a matter of cunning schemes and an eye for an eye. As they say, 'If a ruffian knows martial arts, no one can stand against him.' I humbly say, when it comes to cunning schemes, I'm an absolute master. She thinks she has something on me, but little does she know, I've already found her weakness. Heh heh!"

Seeing Lin Wanrong's signature roguish grin, Old Gao and Hu Bugui shivered in unison. As the saying went, 'If Brother Lin knows martial arts, even the ruffians can't stand against him!' Poor Yujia, she was in for some bad luck. Old Gao suddenly became enthusiastic. "Brother Lin, what's her weakness?!"

Lin Wanrong turned his back and walked a few steps away, speaking in a measured tone, "I believe both of you are as curious as I am about Yujia's status in the Turkic territories. Now we have a golden opportunity to see just how influential this mysterious 'Yueya'er' really is among the nomads. Brother Hu, you still have that Turkic warrior, Heliye, in your custody, don't you?"

Hu Bugui grinned, "As for the Yueya'er tribe, he is the only one alive now. We've had Heliye captive for a few days without food or water, yet his strength remains undiminished. Truly, he's a brave and robust man. I believe he deserves the title of 'The bravest warrior of the steppe.'"

"The bravest warrior of the steppe? Fascinating!" Lin Wanrong clapped his hands, laughing. "Such a warrior should not go to waste. Why not let him escape when no one is looking?"

"Let him escape?!" Hu Bugui was immediately alarmed. "General, how can that be? Heliye is not like any ordinary Turkic man. He has immense strength and can take on a hundred men single-handedly. Releasing him would be like letting a tiger back into the mountains! Who knows how many of our men will meet their end at his hands in the future?"

Lin Wanrong patted his shoulder and grinned slyly, "Don't worry, Brother Hu. Escaping is one thing, but where he can escape to is another matter entirely. As for you, Brother Gao, could you contribute some more of the precious medicines you have?"

"I'm out! I'm out! I've used them all!" Gao Qiu clutched his chest, yelling in a frantic manner.

Lin Wanrong eyed him from head to toe, "Really? That's too bad. I had planned to use this opportunity to conquer one or two nomadic tribes, march into Yiwu, and head straight for the Turkic royal court—what a shame, truly a shame."

Old Gao reluctantly pulled out a few small packets of paper from his bosom and said with a gloomy face, "Brother Lin, I don't have much left, so use it sparingly. I'll need it to interact with the heroines after the war!"

Old Gao really never forgets that matter, does he? Lin Wanrong waved his hand and chuckled, "Don't worry, Brother Gao. We won't need much. We only need Heliye to drop dead on the outskirts of the Ejina or Ha'er Helin tribes!"

With only one person to poison, Gao Qiu suddenly felt less panicked, "Brother Lin, if you just want to kill this Heliye, why not do it with one stroke of the sword? Why waste my medicine?"

Lin Wanrong gritted his teeth and hummed, "If it was just about killing him, would I go through all this trouble? I want the fleeing Heliye to deliver a letter for me!"

"Have Heliye deliver a letter?" Gao Qiu and Hu Bugui were both stunned. The idea sounded like a fanciful tale. Heliye was one of the strongest warriors on the steppes; how could he ever become a messenger for them?

Lin Wanrong gave a subtle smile, offering no explanation. "Brother Gao, can you ensure that Heliye drops dead without any of the nomads seeing his face?"

"Of course," Gao puffed his chest and nodded repeatedly. "This is how I make my living!"

"Good," Lin Wanrong nodded, a glint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. "Brother Hu, when Heliye makes his escape, chase him down and shoot a few arrows into him. The more grievously he's injured, the better. When the time is right, and Heliye is at his last breath—" He paused, smiling subtly, and pointing to the blade in Hu Bugui's hand, "—then place this golden blade into his hands."

"What?!" Both Hu Bugui and his companion yelled, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets. "Leave it to him? How could that possibly work?"

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "What's there to worry about if we're leaving it to a dead Heliye? Furthermore, Brother Gao, you must write a blood letter in Heliye's name. Make the handwriting rough and scribbled, and the strokes blurry. Anyone who sees it should instantly realize it was written by Heliye on his deathbed."

The blood letter would naturally be in the Turkic language. Old Hu, being a military man, had handwriting that was not too dissimilar from Heliye's. It was fitting that he write it. Gao Qiu was puzzled by Lin Wanrong's intentions, but seeing his serious demeanor, they both nodded in agreement. "What should the blood letter say?"

Lin Wanrong paced a few steps, suddenly turning his head to look at Yujia who was lost in thought on the carriage. The Turkic maiden sensed Lin Wanrong's gaze and looked up, casting him a bewitching smile that outshone all flowers.

Lin Wanrong quickly lowered his gaze and chuckled, "The letter will say that the warriors of the Ha’er Helin and Ejina tribes fought a bloody battle against the people of Great Hua. Although the entire army was annihilated, the Great Hua also suffered heavy losses, with only a little over two thousand soldiers remaining!"

Hu Bugui had a sudden realization, "General, you're planning to create the illusion that Heliye made a daring breakout and risked his life to send this message, in order to lure out the nomadic tribes, correct? Heliye is indeed a valiant and fierce warrior, well-known on the plains. It would be logical for him to be the one to deliver the message. Moreover, his body full of battle wounds, as if he fought his way out and died outside the tribe, makes it even more convincing. This plan should work!"

"The nomads are not fools; this alone isn't secure enough," Lin Wanrong shook his head, "We need to add something more potent to drive them completely insane."

"What sort of potent addition?" Gao Qiu and Hu Bugui looked at each other, speaking in unison.

Lin Wanrong's eyes focused intently on the blade in Hu Bugui's hand. He grinned, "This golden blade is that potent addition! Imagine the majestic eagle of the plains, Heliye, holding this golden blade and the blood letter, traversing a thousand miles to seek aid. Ah, the thrill lies right here! Brother Hu, add one more sentence to that blood letter—"

"What sentence?"

Lin Wanrong paused slightly. Yujia, as if sensing something, looked up. With her enchanting, fresh and beautiful face, Lin Wanrong whistled and waved enthusiastically at the young girl, "Little sister Yujia, shall I find you some romantic companions? Do you prefer them chubby or skinny?"

Yujia was stunned, unable to react in time, as Lin Wanrong lowered his gaze, his eyes narrowing slightly, and spoke leisurely, "The last sentence, remember it well—By the order of the owner of this golden blade, whoever can personally rescue her shall be gifted this golden blade and share in the highest glory, sworn in the name of the god of the plains."

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