King of Sorrow and Heavenly Kun King couldn’t help but gasp.
They had nearly fallen into the trap and been wiped out by the official soldiers. Not only was the Righteous Army scheming against the official soldiers, but the official soldiers were also scheming against them, the Righteous Army.
"Fourth Brother, why didn’t you inform me of this plan sooner?"
"Just a little more, and I, your Big Brother, would have gone with those other rebels to plunder the Forbidden Army’s supplies."
Yao Dang frowned and asked, having regained his composure.
If not for his hesitation and waiting for Xu Xing’s counsel, he would likely be with those rebels now, foolishly rushing to the Forbidden Army Camp to loot it.
"Big Brother," Xu Xing began, shaking his head and pointing to a military map in the camp. "The situation on the battlefield is volatile and changes in an instant. It’s not something your younger brother can predict in every detail. As soon as today’s battle commenced, I ordered my men to gather intelligence on the Local Armies from all sectors. You see, they’ve all retreated without exception. There must be communication among these Local Armies, allowing us rebels to be drawn out..."
"They’re turning our own tactics against us. Wei Wentong was impeached and dismissed from his post. The Forbidden Army Generals haven’t experienced major combat and are ignorant of the true war situation. However, these local commanders, being on the front lines, must have become aware of our Righteous Army’s movements."
Hearing this, King of Sorrow Yao Dang understood. The former was divine, while the latter was human. What made Xu Xing more powerful than him was not innate ability, but meticulous observation. In fact, he admired Xu Xing’s current adaptation of the plan even more than his previous, seemingly flawless calculations.
"Moreover," Xu Xing continued, pointing to Heyang Mountain’s deployment on the map, "Big Brother, look at Heyang Mountain. After their raid, they’ve also made a temporary retreat. It seems Gongyang Yi also detected the unusual behavior of these Local Armies, so he advised Monk Shang to withdraw from the battlefield promptly. In this engagement, it appears the only victors... are us and Heyang Mountain."
Indeed, there was something else Xu Xing hadn’t mentioned. Within half an hour of the battle between the Righteous Army and the official soldiers, he had already formed some hypotheses about the official soldiers’ intentions. He hadn’t informed Yao Dang earlier, choosing to wait until Yao Dang was about to issue his command, for no other reason than to subtly undermine Yao Dang’s prestige. This would position Xu Xing more comfortably in the inevitable internal power struggles within the Mount Siming Righteous Army. Ever since leaving Heyang Mountain, he had sensed the undercurrent of suspicion towards him from the ranks of Mount Siming. Now that King of Sorrow Yao Dang had nearly made a critical error in judgment, some members of the Mount Siming Righteous Army, those not entirely loyal to Yao Dang, would inevitably lean more towards Xu Xing taking control. They believed that with him, they wouldn’t easily perish in future battles due to poor leadership decisions. Furthermore, King of Sorrow Yao Dang would also be more hesitant to "strip" him of his influence. After all... Mount Siming truly couldn’t afford to lose him.
"Where’s Second Brother?" Yao Dang asked, looking around. He suddenly realized King of Might was missing. He’d assumed King of Might had merely fallen behind, but half a day had passed, and King of Might still hadn’t appeared.
"Heavenly King," Silent, who was part of their retinue, stepped forward and replied at this moment. "King of Might took a different path after retreating from Daoliang Mountain."
"A different path?" Yao Dang felt as if struck by lightning. He collapsed onto the Tiger Skin Chair, utterly bewildered.
King of Might had been with him the longest. How could he... leave ? Mount Siming was clearly progressing favorably. Why would King of Might depart? Although he had stripped King of Might of his authority over Internal Affairs, transferring it to Xu Xing, he had also assigned King of Might command of two additional banners to placate him.
"What? My Second Brother left?" Heavenly Kun King was also aghast, grabbing Silent by the lapels. "You! Why didn’t you stop him?" he raged. "You just watched him leave? He must have suffered some grievance to leave like that! Why didn’t you prevent it?"
True, there had been considerable friction between him and King of Might. But... the bond of brotherhood was genuine. With King of Might now gone his own way, an acute emptiness settled in Heavenly Kun King’s heart.
"I shall take my leave for now." Xu Xing noticed Silent looking at him. A moment’s reflection told him King of Might’s departure was likely connected to him. Deciding not to remain and cause further discomfort, he clasped his hands in a bow and excused himself.
This time, Yao Dang did not ask him to stay.
Once only Yao Dang’s Trusted Aides remained in the tent, Silent finally spoke. "Young Master, King of Might left for one reason and one reason only: Xu Xing. Given time, all of Mount Siming will inevitably be seized by King Xing Tian. This is a truth plain for all to see."
King of Sorrow and Heavenly Kun King remained silent.
"Big Brother! This is my fault!" Heavenly Kun King reproached himself. "If Fourth Brother and I hadn’t become sworn brothers, perhaps Second Brother wouldn’t have been driven away."
If Xu Xing were merely a military adviser, like Gongyang Yi, it wouldn’t have made much difference. He wouldn’t hold any real power! However, once Xu Xing became King Xing Tian, it was clear the brothers in the Mountain Stronghold respected him more and more each day.
"Third Brother, don’t say that." King of Sorrow Yao Dang took a deep breath. "I know you meant well, Big Brother understands. It was just a misstep... I also had measures in mind to guard against Fourth Brother, but fate doesn’t always align with one’s plans."
He had believed that as long as Xu Xing didn’t command troops, he wouldn’t pose a threat. But he had overlooked the crucial factor of popular support and respect.
"Then, what should be done about Fourth Brother?" Heavenly Kun King posed the difficult question.
Since leaving Heyang Mountain, he too had been wrestling with this dilemma. Without Xu Xing, Mount Siming was doomed to fall sooner or later. Yet, by relying on Xu Xing, even if Xu Xing himself harbored no ambitions to consolidate power, it was becoming increasingly clear that the Three Great Kings would eventually be marginalized by him.
"Young Master," Silent interjected, "I heard King Xing Tian asked you to make inquiries about his wife?"
"Nonsense!" King of Sorrow Yao Dang erupted in fury. "A brother’s wife is sacrosanct! Fourth Brother hasn’t wronged us; how could we possibly wrong him? Must he be targeted with jealousy simply because he excels and strategizes brilliantly? Can Mount Siming truly not accommodate a man of talent?"
Pressed by Silent, Yao Dang was reminded of Xu Xing’s merits. After they became sworn brothers, Xu Xing had voluntarily relinquished military authority. Furthermore, in today’s crucial decision, he had saved my life. If I had foolishly blundered into the Local Armies’ encirclement, my chances of survival would have been slim indeed.
"We’ll take it one step at a time," Yao Dang finally declared. Am I already worrying about power struggles before even reaching that point? I am still the leader of Mount Siming. If he truly possesses such talent, what would be wrong with me abdicating in his favor? Mount Siming was built from such humble beginnings. If he remembers our old ties when that day comes, and grants me an Ennoblement with lands of my own, that would still be a gain for me.
Silent and Heavenly Kun King considered this and found it reasonable. They both nodded, their suspicions momentarily eased.
"As for Second Brother..." Yao Dang sat on the Tiger Skin Chair, rubbing his temples. "We will say that Second Brother was killed by the official soldiers during the battle. The entire army will observe mourning and hold a vigil for him for three days."
With that said, he gazed at the topographical map and muttered to himself, "Tiger Soul River, Tiger Soul River... Mount Siming... Is this truly destiny? King of Might’s nickname before the rebellion was Tiger Might. And now, Mount Siming has gained Xu Xing, its ’fourth Ming’..."