Private Army

Lu Gaosheng heard what Zhang San said and felt it was interesting. He asked, "Brother Zhang, the words 'rebel' cannot be spoken lightly. Aren't you afraid of having your family executed?"

What he said was startling, but Lu Gaosheng had a faint smile on his face and looked unconcerned.

Zhang San held up the letter. The content of the letter was simple. It was the route of an army's march, and also indicated the general's name and his direct troops.

Zhang San said directly, "Two thousand imperial guards of the Golden Armored Army from the capital city, plus the future Zhennan General Xu Guo. You have your eye on them. Isn't this rebelling?"

"Having my eye on them is rebelling?"

"Then what do you mean? Are you saying the person I should kill is not Xu Guo?"

Lu Gaosheng smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying.

But in fact, this question had an obvious answer. Because with Li Xing and the Twin Wolves working together, they were almost unrivaled under the earth realm.

Only the number one on the earth ranking Hei Shanhu, number two Hei Shanke, and Xu Guo and other top masters in the military could make Li Xing and the other two helpless.

Only these kinds of figures would make Lu Gaosheng go to such lengths to ask Zhang San for help.

Seeing that Lu Gaosheng did not admit it, Zhang San continued asking, "Wanting a general's head, if not rebelling, then please tell me, having a private army, does that count as rebelling?"

What!

Outside the door, Li Xing was shocked in his heart and thought, Impossible! How could the White Deer Army's spies put information about us into writing in a letter?

Lu Gaosheng's pupils constricted as he stared at Zhang San and asked, "What do you mean by this?"

Zhang San said, "Sir Lu is extremely intelligent, but don't treat others like fools. Even with me and them, just four peak earth realm masters, without an army's help, to kill such a master on par with the number one on the earth ranking in the hands of the two thousand elite imperial guards of the Capital City, isn't that too farfetched?"

Hearing this, Lu Gaosheng slowly revealed a smile.

Lu Gaosheng asked back, "Can I not use my own manor guards?"

Zhang San said, "If a thousand manor guards suddenly disappeared from the city, and Xu Guo was attacked outside the city, Sir Lu, you wouldn't be so stupid, would you?"

Lu Gaosheng laughed loudly.

He no longer continued to conceal it. He directly said, "Didn't I tell you before? Two secrets. I told you the first one last night, and now the second. Yes, I have a private army, and the number is not small. Of course, you will find out sooner or later when ambushing Xu Guo, so..."

As he spoke, Lu Gaosheng went to the inner room and took out a name list.

He handed it to Zhang San.

But this time, Zhang San was not able to easily take it.

Because Lu Gaosheng was holding onto the other end of the name list and did not let go.

Zhang San's eyebrows wrinkled slightly as he asked, "Sir Lu, what is your intention?"

Lu Gaosheng smiled and said, "Brother Zhang, it's time now. You should take off your disguise..."

Zhang San frowned. He thought, How does he know I've been in disguise this whole time?

Lu Gaosheng laughed and said, "Brother Zhang is very skilled. I also have capable people under me. They've been watching you for so long. If they still can't see through it, what use are they to me?"

Zhang San looked at the name list Lu Gaosheng handed over, thinking about the disguise on his face,

thinking about last night,

thinking about now,

thinking about every word...

But Zhang San laughed and said, "I understand now, Sir Lu. So this is the assurance you wanted."

Lu Gaosheng said, "Brother Zhang is indeed a wise man. That's right, I've told you my two biggest secrets that could lead to my family's execution. So you should also give me your secret. Just having the child is not enough."

Zhang San had been worried earlier that Lu Gaosheng would slip out of control while Zhang San was killing people. Lu Gaosheng might then go back on the deal and continue holding Wang Xiaoer hostage, even threatening him with Wang Xiaoer's life.

So Lu Gaosheng had provided the list of his maritime smuggling transactions and all kinds of guarantees.

But shouldn't Lu Gaosheng be worried that after Zhang San got Wang Xiaoer back, he would kill Lu Gaosheng?

Zhang San said, "You know my secret, I know your secret. Afterwards, we keep our mouths shut. Is that it?"

Lu Gaosheng smiled and said, "Shared interests mean we won't betray each other. Brother Zhang probably also doesn't want your portrait, along with the matters of 'Hei Shanke', 'Zhennan General', and 'Underworld Family' to spread everywhere in the jianghu. Moreover, your gang is currently still..."

Zhang San looked at the name list in his hand.

With a flick of his hand, Zhang San tore off his disguise.

Although disguise techniques were powerful, they were not completely flawless. At least many top masters and organizations had methods of discerning them.

But this was indeed the first time that Zhang San had revealed his ordinary, true face in front of outsiders.

Lu Gaosheng naturally loosened his grip, and the Bai Lu Army name list instantly fell into Zhang San's hands.

Zhang San glanced at the list. The numbers were great, but most crucial were the backgrounds and martial arts of the several leaders of the Bai Lu Army listed.

It also had Lu Gaosheng's personal seal stamped on it.

Of course Zhang San could discern if it was real.

It seemed that at least in terms of cooperative sincerity, Lu Gaosheng probably didn't have big issues.

Alright.

"The target has been determined. Next is the assignment of tasks," said Lu Gaosheng with a faint smile, just about to discuss matters next with everyone.

"No, wait Sir Lu..."

"What is it?"

"On your list it says fifty men per team, and there are profiles of only twenty leaders here. That means you have at most only a thousand private soldiers?"

Lu Gaosheng looked at Zhang San and discerned his doubts with one glance. But he laughed coldly and said, "Brother Zhang is clever. Think some more. Don't you already have evidence of my maritime smuggling for many years? With such huge transactions over so many years, where has the money gone?"

"Xu Guo is indeed a fierce veteran general, but is my battle tactics inferior to his?"

"The Golden Armored Guards have fine equipment and fierce fighting strength. Are my Bai Lu Army made of paper?"

"Who is strong and who is weak?"

"The things that determine victory and defeat are not so simple."

Lu Gaosheng suddenly stood up and shouted at Li Xing and Kill Wolf outside the door, "It seems our Brother Zhang is hesitating. What about you two? Are you afraid? Are you still willing to live and die for me, Lu Gaosheng?!"

Outside the door.

Li Xing and Kill Wolf knelt down on one knee without any hesitation.

"We vow to loyally serve you, sir!"

They lowered their heads, and there was not the slightest hesitation or fear in their words.

Zhang San watched the wildly laughing Lu Gaosheng and felt an inexplicable apprehension.

This man was perhaps even more dangerous than imagined.

After all, Wang Xiaoer was still in his hands.

Zhang San asked, "Speaking of which, Sir Lu, why do you want to kill Xu Guo? Are these two thousand troops escorting something?"

The news brought back by the Bai Lu Army didn't have any information about grain and fodder. Lu Gaosheng and Li Xing already knew what Xu Guo was escorting, so the Bai Lu Army naturally wouldn't say more.

Lu Gaosheng smiled faintly, thinking there was no harm in saying it was grain and fodder.

But...

Suddenly, that tranquil painting flitted across his mind.

Lu Gaosheng's eyebrows wrinkled slightly.

Finally he said, "This... after we get the goods, Brother Zhang can take a look with me then."