Chapter 1914: Reason or Madness

When Situ He re-examined the Black-Armored Army's conquest routes with his current understanding, he realized that every location must have had Yangshan personnel beforehand. After all, the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce was ubiquitous.

He pressed a finger to his temple and told the guards beside him, "Go to the Yangshan branch in Ju City and find Jiang Lishui. If he's not found, I will seal off all Yangshan branches under my command!" The guards left immediately to carry out his order.

The Ju City branch had been undergoing renovations for the past two days. He sent someone to summon Jiang Lishui, but the reply was that Manager Jiang was out on official business.

"Not here? Heh, he's probably hiding from me, isn't he?"

The threat quickly had its effect. By afternoon, Jiang Lishui arrived with the guards.

"Marshal Situ!" Jiang Lishui bowed deeply, his face wreathed in smiles, never failing to show proper deference. He was a businessman, after all, and harmony brought prosperity. But Situ He was utterly irritated by his fake smile, wishing he could drag him out and give him fifty lashes.

"He Xiao is the Great Emperor of Nine Hells, and the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce secretly harbors the Black-Armored Legion. When did your master plan to inform me of this?"

Situ He launched his accusation directly. Jiang Lishui quickly replied, "Oh, our master has profound strategies that ordinary people cannot fathom. I myself only received his message the day before yesterday and was utterly astonished."

Situ He sneered, "The day before yesterday?"

"How could such a grand enterprise be widely publicized by our master in advance?" Jiang Lishui protested, "Our master employs at least a hundred managers like me. We usually focus solely on our business dealings and never get involved in military affairs."

He Lingchuan's subordinates were diverse, each with distinct roles and clear divisions of labor. Jiang Lishui's Yangshan branch genuinely focused only on trade, not on military matters.

Of course, Situ He didn't believe him. The Yangshan Chamber of Commerce had originally established Ju City as its central-western base in Flashgold. He Xiao's key lieutenants, Ding Zuodong and Guan Ke, among others, had all operated from there. He now realized that these important figures had gradually disappeared at some point. Looking back, He Xiao must have deliberately relocated his core personnel to prevent them from being wiped out by the allied forces in one sweep. How many people could possibly be left at the Ju City branch now?

Jiang Lishui rummaged around in his robe for a moment before producing a red-headed letter, which he presented with both hands. "This is a letter from our master to Marshal Situ," he announced.

Situ He snatched it, tore it open, and the first few words he saw were:

"Brother Situ, please be understanding."

In the letter, He Lingchuan stated that he had no intention of deceiving him, but the matter was of such monumental importance that he dared not reveal divine secrets before its completion.

"Divine secrets?" Situ He scoffed, then continued reading.

"Flashgold has known no peace for eight hundred years. Living beings suffer day and night; the present world is like a purgatory. How tragic and lamentable! The Sky Demons incite war, extract nightmarish essence, and allow their minions to feast on the life force of others, harming all beings to enrich themselves. They are detestable and deserve to be slain! I believe Flashgold's only path to salvation is to expel evil and unite good, to repel the Sky Demons, thus safeguarding livelihoods, calming hearts, fulfilling the people's aspirations, and promoting their welfare. The Black-Armored Army and Yangshan were born out of this necessity, in due course and at the opportune moment."

"'Expel evil and unite good?' So the actions of the Black-Armored Army and the strategies of the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce are manifestations of these two principles?"

As Situ He read this, his anger was tinged with a secret unease. He Xiao had actually aimed his spear directly at the Sky Demons, setting the goal to "repel the Sky Demons"! Was he merely spouting grand rhetoric and lofty ideals, or did he genuinely believe this? The former implied reason; the latter, madness.

"Brother Situ, your ambition and talent are great, and your concern for the people's welfare is clear. The allied forces have accumulated immeasurable merit by resisting the Sky Demon's minions and preserving local peace. I sincerely invite you, Brother Situ, and the allied forces, to join us in resisting the Sky Demons, eliminating wickedness, and forging a path to survival for the billions of beings in Flashgold."

Finally, He Lingchuan stated that he would return to Ju City within three months to discuss grand plans with Situ He.

Upon reading the last word, Situ He nearly ripped the letter to shreds. "Madman! Delusional fool!" he seethed. He looked at the seemingly sincere Jiang Lishui before him, his anger flaring. "Guards!" he bellowed.

Two guards appeared at once. Situ He pointed at Jiang Lishui, several thoughts flashing through his mind before he finally commanded, "Take him to the North Garden for detainment!"

"Marshal Situ—" Jiang Lishui was dragged away before he could utter another word. Only then did Situ He pick up the letter, rereading it several times, his expression growing increasingly grave.

In the evening, a personal guard reported that the leaders of the allied forces had arrived at Yaopo, requesting an audience. What was inevitable had finally arrived. Situ He sighed, grabbed the cup from the table, drained the cold tea, and strode out.

Meanwhile, Jiang Lishui had been thrown into a small annex in the North Garden of Situ Manor, right next to the woodshed, a place rarely frequented. The guards tossed him into the courtyard, closed the gate, and left him alone. Jiang Lishui pressed his ear to the door and listened for a long while, only returning inside to find and light a candle after confirming that two guards were standing outside. He then pulled out another letter from his robe, lit it, and watched it burn.

He Lingchuan had actually sent two letters. If Situ He knew he was the Great Emperor of Nine Hells, Jiang Lishui was to hand over the red-headed letter. If Situ He did not know, Jiang Lishui would present the other letter, which contained a different narrative. He Lingchuan had anticipated that the first scenario was more likely. He had also informed Jiang Lishui that Situ He would not take his life; indeed, being detained might even protect his personal safety.

That evening, the allied army commanders converged at Yaopo. The various factions had all been alarmed by the Black-Armored Army's recent movements, prompting them to convene and strategize a countermeasure. King Poliu's special envoy was the second prince, and he brought fresh, startling news:

"The latest update is that the Black-Armored Army from the west has already captured Dazhu Pass."

Everyone was astonished. "Didn't they just conquer the state of Peng?!"

Dazhu Pass was over three hundred li from Peng's border. Could the Black-Armored Army fly to cover such a distance in just two days?

"The Black-Armored Army is spreading like wildfire, moving erratically everywhere. Moreover, with the current intelligence chaos, no one knows exactly how many Black-Armored divisions there are!" Prince Poliu stated with a grim expression. "The division that broke through Dazhu Pass may not even be the one that came from Peng."

A murmur of discussion spread through the room. Conquering a city in a day and dismantling three strongholds in a single night—the Black-Armored Army's speed of action was unprecedented. In stark contrast, their seven great factions had besieged Bixia from spring until the following spring without achieving complete success. The comparison filled them with even greater apprehension.

General Piyun of the Teng state then spoke. "After the fall of Peng, it's said that Yangshan took charge of civil affairs and even transported food and supplies to Xun City. Marshal Situ, have you received any information regarding the exact relationship between the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce and the Black-Armored Army?"

No sooner had he finished than the envoy from the Kan tribe interjected, "The rumors about the Dragon God, the Black-Armored Army, and the Great Emperor of Nine Hells all originated from Julu Port. It now appears that these were deliberately spread."

While they weren't entirely certain, reflecting on the current situation made it seem plausible. Everyone present murmured their agreement.

"The Situ family was the first to establish contact with the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce, and it was your father and you who introduced this chamber into allied territory," the Pei state envoy stated bluntly. "Marshal Situ, can you enlighten us?"