Chapter 95 In your younger years, you served under the King of Qi, did you not?

"Lord Li."

"I’m not saying this to threaten you; I only want to show you my sincerity..."

"Lord Dong, I believe you."

"If you have something to say, please say it plainly. I, Li Yuanjing, am all ears."

Seeing that Li Yuanjing’s expression had turned unfriendly, Lord Dong panicked and was about to explain himself in haste, but Li Yuanjing cut him off directly and looked at him with great earnestness.

Deeply moved, Lord Dong hurriedly said, "Since Lord Li trusts me, Chen Dong, so much, what more is there for me to say?"

"Lord Li."

"As you must know, the other day, when our misunderstanding arose, I had men watching the outskirts of Spring Well Village."

Seeing Li Yuanjing nod, Lord Dong went on.

"It was then that my men discovered someone digging up the grave of your young concubine. There were six of them in all, and after they finished, they fled in the direction of Pei Manor."

"Lord Li, one of my men is very sharp. He trailed them the whole way and found that they ultimately entered Pei Manor."

"But as for who exactly stole it, I have wanted to investigate these past few days. Unfortunately, Pei Manor has essentially been sealed off lately, so it is not easy to get in. And besides, so many other things suddenly came up that I did not have my men continue the inquiry..."

When Lord Dong finished, he gave Li Yuanjing a deep bow, and his old eyes looked at him with utmost sincerity.

Li Yuanjing let out a long breath.

Though Lord Dong’s words were somewhat indirect, Li Yuanjing already understood exactly what he meant.

Lord Dong genuinely wanted to communicate with him, or rather, to make a deal.

As for Pei Manor...

All signs indicated that this seemingly unremarkable little village was probably far from simple.

Most importantly, Pei Manor did not even have a local gentry family...

"Thank you, Lord Dong, for this kind gesture. I, Li Yuanjing, shall remember it."

Li Yuanjing bowed deeply to Lord Dong in return.

Seeing that Li Yuanjing had changed his address from "you" to the more familiar form, Lord Dong was overjoyed. This meant Li Yuanjing had clearly understood as well and wanted to speak with him.

He quickly said, "Lord Li, you are too kind. Though we had misunderstandings before, it was never an unbridgeable rift. Once things are laid out in the open, everyone can feel at ease."

Li Yuanjing nodded emphatically.

"Lord Dong truly is a man of understanding. To make your acquaintance is Yuanjing’s fortune."

Seeing that they had already entered the rhythm of the exchange, Lord Dong no longer droned on. With a slightly bitter smile, he said, "Lord Li, do you know why I have recently been willing to risk mutual destruction and clash head-on with your Uncle Wang Youdao, even to the point of fighting until one of us must die?"

Seeing that Li Yuanjing was listening intently, Lord Dong could not help but shake his head and laugh.

"Lord Li, matters have reached this point, so I may as well tell you the truth. With your intelligence, you must have already realized that the Fragrant Worship Cult holds immense power throughout our surrounding counties and villages."

"Lord Li, I won’t hide it from you: I am also one of them."

Watching Lord Dong fix his gaze on his own eyes, Li Yuanjing smiled faintly and said calmly, "I had already guessed as much."

Lord Dong smiled.

"I knew it. This sort of thing could never be hidden from Lord Li’s eyes forever."

"But Lord Li, you are still young. Even with your wit, I am afraid you could not easily uncover every detail."

"Though I was born into the Fragrant Worship Cult, and though my father once held a rather high position within it, we were ultimately among the losers, even on the cult’s list of those to be killed at all costs."

"It was only because my father, in those days, staked the lives of more than a dozen members of our family that I have been able to keep my name concealed and live these stable, ordinary years."

"At this point..."

"Lord Li, can you now see why I am willing to fight Wang Youdao to the death?"

Li Yuanjing thought for a moment and said, "Lord Dong, could it be that my Uncle Wang Youdao has seen through your identity?"

"Haha."

Lord Dong suddenly burst out laughing.

"Lord Li truly is a scholar of great talent; you understand everything at once. But that is only one part of it. Lord Li, at this stage, I, Chen Dong, no longer need to hide anything."

"I suppose you have heard that I, Chen Dong, have more than a dozen foster sons, yet no child of my own?"

Seeing Li Yuanjing nod, Lord Dong let out a deep sigh and said, "If this had been a month earlier, it would have been no great matter even if I were exposed. The Fragrant Worship Cult may be formidable, but they still rely on me to forge their weapons, and I am not without backing. I do have some connections in the surrounding area. If it truly came to a fight to the death, they would not gain any advantage."

"But..."

Lord Dong shook his head with a rueful smile.

"Fate plays tricks on men. I had always thought I would be barren for life. The injury I suffered as a child was simply too severe."

"Who could have imagined!"

"A month ago, a traveling Daoist happened to pass through Big Ditch Village. I had not taken it seriously at first, but after that old Daoist cured more than a dozen villagers in succession, I began to take notice and asked him to examine me."

"Yet I never expected..."

"That old Daoist pointed out the root of my ailment at a glance. When I was sixteen, I fell into icy water while fleeing for my life and injured my lower back. From that time on, my ability to father children was damaged."

"I was overjoyed at once and immediately paid him a great sum to treat me."

"And that old Daoist did not disappoint me! In less than ten days, the masculine vitality I had not felt for more than ten years had actually returned!"

"And it was even better than I had hoped!"

"Most importantly, the old Daoist said that if I continued to recover for another two or three months, it might not be impossible for me to regain my fertility!"

Speaking of this, Lord Dong was visibly agitated. He gripped Li Yuanjing’s hand tightly and said, "Lord Li, do you know how desperately this old skeleton of mine longs for a son of my own to inherit my family’s fortune?"

By now, Li Yuanjing had clearly understood Lord Dong’s intentions and said, "So, Lord Dong, you want to live, to live well, and you also want revenge on those old enemies of yours in the Fragrant Worship Cult?"

"Exactly!"

Lord Dong was so excited that the veins on his forehead bulged repeatedly.

"Lord Li, when I was in my twenties and learned that I could not father children, I had already lost all hope. I was merely drifting through life. I forced myself to go on only for my father and mother!"

"But now!"

"Lord Li, I cannot remain a useless wreck. I must live, and I must live well!"

"If Lord Li can introduce me before the young lord, I, Chen Dong, will not tell a lie. I am willing to offer you half of my savings, three thousand taels of silver!"

"This is only the down payment!"

As he spoke, Lord Dong personally opened several large hemp sacks he had brought with him.

In an instant, a clatter of silver rang out, and silver pieces spilled across the ground like flowing water, dazzling the eye so much that it was hard to look away.

There had to be at least thirteen or fourteen hundred taels.

Seeing that Li Yuanjing was clearly stunned by the sight of the silver, Lord Dong’s confidence grew considerably as he straightened his chest and said, "Lord Li, this is my, Chen Dong’s, sincerity toward you!"

Li Yuanjing had recovered by then and suddenly laughed out loud.

"Lord Dong, as expected of one of the great powers of Wind County. Such boldness is truly impressive! Apart from admiration, I really have nothing more to say."

Lord Dong gave a sly grin.

"Then, Lord Li, would you be willing to help me with this matter?"

"I may be no great man, but I still have fifty or sixty elite hands under my command, all of them tough and capable fighters. The young lord is in need of men right now; taking in this old bone, which is familiar with the situation in Wind County, should not be a problem."

"And this would certainly count as your achievement as well, Lord Li. It would surely win you plenty of merit in the young lord’s eyes!"

"And once I have joined the young lord’s camp, I am willing to hand over the land around Big Ditch Village to you, Lord Li, along with several hundred mu of fields and many properties!"

"Lord Li, matters have come to this. If we, brothers that we are, fight, both sides will lose; only by joining hands can both of us profit..."

Yet though Lord Dong spoke with great fervor and no small amount of temptation, Li Yuanjing could not suppress a cold smile.

"Lord Dong, I have to say, your proposal truly moves me. But haven’t you forgotten to tell me one thing?"

"You served under the Prince of Qi’s army in your early years, didn’t you?"

"Uh, that..."