The Flawed Plan
"Hen Feng? Is that you brother Feng?" Lu Shen called for the spearman as soon as he can see him clearly.
One man equals of a thousand soldiers, it is "The Ultimate Warrior"; Hen Feng. It was a name often heard in stories. If not because of the show he puts earlier, they might have a hard time believing it is him.
Hen Feng's name along with how powerful the people come with him is a great blow for those opposing them. With Mo Ji's death, a lot of them already lost their will to fight. The situation has turn around in such a short amount of time.
Liu Kaxing and his friends are no longer in danger, as these new people coming to save them, or him to be exact. Two men take him back, out of the fighting zone. One of them is a middle age man and the leader of his helper. Liu Kaxing recognizes him as Captain Zhen Hao, a military man that close to his father. He also knows the younger man as one of Captain Zhen trusted man.
Few more bouts, and Fu Manqing orders to retreat. He is not going to endanger himself. The only reason he dares to show up before, is because they were fully controlling the situation. With most of his people gone, all he can do is running behind his subordinate. There is only one person dares to slow down and protect him, Gan Li.
"Step aside! You have no chance to win, just leave and let your master responsible for his action. We do not want to kill needlessly." Zhen Hao cut off Fu Manqing, along with Hen Feng at his side.
Face to face with Hen Feng, Gan Li doesn't cower a little bit. He stands in front of Fu Manqing, clapping both of his hand.
"I cannot just leave my master, or my own reputation will be ruined. I understand your enmity. My master did try to kill your young master, but please keep in mind that we didn't knew his identity before. My master here still is the son of Mayor Fu of Meifong City. Even though yours have a higher status, please consider the impact if you kill him. Peace just come to our land, it is still so fragile. Your action might shatter it down." Gan Li is not only skilled in fighting, but also skilled in his words.
Hen Feng is ready to strike any second, but Zhen Hao stops him. Gan Li immediately escorts Fu Manqing away, even then the desire in his eyes still obvious for others to see. He wants a fight, craved for one. But in the end, he chooses to pick the more logical option. The battle is lost, there is no reason to keep fighting.
Zhen Hao was sent here by Liu Kaxing's father, but he cannot bring his army to the conflicted area such as Meifong City. That is why he chooses to hire outside help. With his own connection and Liu family's fortune, he is able to hire the best help there is.
Liu Kaxing immediately asks Zhen Hao, as to how did he know that he will be there.
"A beggar sect member told your father. He specifically said that you are in danger and required immediate help. He exactly directed me to this inn and not Meifong City. In fact, one of them just came here to inform us that you are in danger on your way here. Ah! There he is." Fat Hao is the person Zhen Hao pointed at.
"You! So, it is you after all. What the meaning of this? You want us to save her, then you sold us to the Fu, but you also asking his father to save us. What do you really want?"
Hu Gang is the first person to react. He wants to pound him for the truth, but has lost all his strength to fight.
"I understand! You are selling information to all parties, aren't you? You sold information to us, to the Crimson Tiger, but also to the Fu Family, and lastly to my master. Your master Li Han, it has to be his doing. Only he can think such devious plans, that greedy bastard!" Hai Zhen also cannot hide his anger.
"Wait, wait! Li Han is no longer a member of the Beggar Sect, it was Big Head that giving your information to the Fu Family, not him." Fat Hao trying to defending Li Han from Hai Zhen's accusation.
"You dirty liar! You lied to us before, and now you want us to believe you? How convenient, the only information that against us is not sold by him, while all those benefit us are his doing." Hai Zhen doesn't believe him as easily, he takes a step forward in menacing manner.
"Stop it, Fat Hao!" Li Han just regain his consciousness and join the conversation right away.
"It is true Big Head was the one telling the Fu Family, but it was me that gave him that information, so that he will tell the Fu Family about this."
The hall gone chaos as soon as Li Han showed up. Zhen Hao silenced them out, and giving Li Han the chance to explain himself.
"My Lord, before I explain myself, please be considerate about Big Head. He is a good man. A little lazy perhaps, but he meant no harm. When he brought that information, his only intention was to report a crime, maybe receiving a little reward for it. Afterall, he was oblivious about Lu Lin situation with Fu Manqing." Li Han seriously explaining it, unlike his playful manner Liu Kaxing always see.
"Secondly is that everything my friend said before was a truth, sure there is part of information he kept for himself, but in the end unlike myself, he is a very bad liar. I am the one, that trained him to pick which part of information he should share, and which he should kept to himself, as the mean to mold people perception towards that information.
Also, I already quit the beggar sect earlier today, so my action will not harm them in the future. As to why I did all those thing…" Li Han giving out a signal, so that Fat Hao giving Zhen Hao a package that he has been holding for a while.
"What is this?" Zhen Hao looking through the documents inside the bag given to him with interest.
"That is the proof of the evil deeds done by the Fu Family all over these years. Corruption, bribery, blackmailing, eliminating and torturing those whose opposed them." Li Han giving Zhen Hao time to analyze the documents, and turns to Liu Kaxing to continue his story.
"I was trying to get these documents when we rescuing Lu Lin before, but I was failed to get enough attention. There were still too many guards in the mansion. Later I learned about your identity from her, and that is how I created this plan. The hardest part of this plan is your safety, that is why I stall the fight so long, to make sure they arrive in time you get out of the city. I was worried when I heard you were stalled at the city gate. So, I gave this document to Fat Hao and rushed there. Luckily we managed to found Mo Ji's henchmen and able to tricked them."
"So, you are saying you are still worried about our life, how kind of you? But why do I have a hard time believing that?" Hai Zhen still angry about what happened and cut Li Han off.
"Maybe you misunderstand. I care about his life, not yours. If he died, our cause will go for nothing. Sure, Mayor Fu might get punished, but not for the thing we wanted. Our primary objective is not only Mayor Fu, but Bai Qianshu as well. Most of those evil deeds in the documents were ordered by Marquis Bai himself, sadly we couldn't find any proof to his involvement… Yet."
"They should be reaching this inn before their chasers able to meet them, we also have to be here already at that time. You are predicting… No, you are making all these happened by your own, is that what you are saying?" Hai Zhen still angry, but he knows better not to cut in when Zhen Hao already speaks.
"Yes."
A simple answer cannot represent how much he's been working for this to happen. Dispatching the right men to acquire the right information. How he managed that information and calculate the outcome.
There are too many variables he has to deal with his plans. The timing has to be perfect, if he waited too long, Fu Manqing might just give up to chase. He also had to do all that while planning to sneak inside the tiger's den himself.
"If there is any evidence against him, I can take this matter to the imperial court. However, you only have the proof against Mayor Fu, which is his subordinate. The thing about a marquis, is that they have their own freedom to control everything in their territory. Including punishing their own subordinate. This proof might be legit with further investigation, but nobody will take this case other than Bai Qianshu himself. A marquis is not someone you should take lightly, you shouldn't make accusation against him unless you have a sure proof of it." Zhen Hao bringing political matters that he himself doesn't showing his interest in this matter.
"He is guilty, I might not be able to gives you hard proof right now, but I am sure about it. The other two with me quit the Beggar Sect and risking their lives as well. They are not doing it just because I said so, but because they are Bai Qianshu's victims along with Fat Hao here." Li Han begins his argument.
"Marquis Bai is having a higher position then even I am. What make you so sure that I will not just sides with him and give all of you to him? It will be easier for me that way."
Despite his high military position as a captain, Zhen Hao cannot be compared with a Marquis, which is comparable to a general.
"I know you are an upright and honorable man, otherwise I would not get you to lead this rescue mission. I understand it is hard to bring powerful man as Bai Qianshu to justice. All I ask is for you to withhold a throughout investigation to this case, I am sure sooner or later you will find the connection to him." Li Han kneels in front of Zhen Hao, paying his respect to him.
This action makes Zhen Hao thinks about Li Han's request more seriously, but there is another thing getting his attention.
"You are the one having me to lead this rescue mission, how?"
"I kind of giving Lord Liu some hints, that's all. I can give the details later." Li Han hold out this piece of information, since he wants to have his request attended first.
"Hinting? To devise such elaborate plans and caring about those details, just how old are you?"
It is a fair question since Li Han is a teenager in every way you look at him. The time where other people starts to question their choices in life, unsure of anything they do. Li Han however is making a plan that so decisive and precise.
"Sir!" Before Zhen Hao giving his answer, one of his subordinates comes to interrupt.
"What is it?"
"Sir, Marquis Bai has arrived and wish to see you. He is waiting outside right now."
The room suddenly filled with awkwardness. Zhen Hao indeed sympathized with the person kneeling in front of him, but now Marquis Bai is looking for him. The Marquis still is a higher position than his, without a good reason Zhen Hao cannot just refuse to meet him.
"Tell Marquis Bai I will meet him shortly. Now I will have to postponed our meeting here. My men will show you to your room, feel free to order food here as well. I promise you, you will be safe here." It is the least Zhen Hao can offer to Li Han and the others.