"Three plans—upper, middle, and lower?"
Monk Shang was surprised. He tidied his appearance, sat straighter, and said, "Please elaborate, Mister Gongyang."
"The first, the superior plan..." Gongyang Yi paced a few steps and said solemnly, "is to abdicate as Alliance Leader. Let Yao Dang of Mount Siming become the Alliance Leader, and reassign the forces of the Eighteen Rebel Kings.
"Since Mount Siming wishes to speak of loyalty, let them... With Mount Siming’s strength, even if they usurped the title and became Alliance Leader, would they dare to pluck the King of Law’s whiskers?"
When Eight-Armed Dharma King Monk Shang heard this, a flicker of disappointment showed deep in his eyes. He then asked urgently, "And the moderate and inferior plans?"
How would the heroes of the world view him if he relinquished the position of Alliance Leader?
Certainly, relinquishing the Alliance Leader position would allow him to avoid an empty title and reconsolidate Heyang Mountain’s power, but he was unwilling to suffer public humiliation by admitting his shortcomings. It was akin to an Emperor refusing to issue an edict of self-reproach. Doing so would inevitably damage his prestige and tear away the facade of his divine right to rule. An Emperor with an ancestral legacy might still rely on the people’s respect for his forebears to earn their trust once. But Monk Shang had built his foundation through his own struggles; he lacked such confidence...
"As for the moderate and inferior plans..." Gongyang Yi sighed. The superior plan is often the pinnacle of a strategist’s wisdom. The King of Law’s rejection of it was, to some extent, a rejection of me. However, he was not disheartened. When he had proposed the Three Plans, he had never expected Monk Shang to adopt the superior one directly. The superior plan was too perilous. He had only proposed it to lay the groundwork for the moderate and inferior ones.
"The moderate plan..." Gongyang Yi continued, "is to elevate the Sea King to the position of Righteous Emperor. He claims lineage from the former dynasty. Even if this is false, why not play along and support him as our leader? The King of Law can then be appointed Grand Marshal of the Army and reorganize the soldiers and horses... At this moment, the Sea King has lost his soldiers and horses. He is a plaything in the King of Law’s hands and cannot cause trouble."
Gongyang Yi shook his Feather Fan. Both my superior and moderate plans aim to have Monk Shang relinquish his position as Alliance Leader of the Eighteen Rebel Kings. The only difference is that the superior plan directly passes the hot potato of Alliance Leader to Mount Siming, while this moderate plan, by honoring the Sea King as Righteous Emperor, intends to establish a new framework outside the system of the Eighteen Rebel Kings.
Currently, the conflict between Monk Shang and the other rebels stems from Monk Shang having absorbed their soldiers and horses, leading these rebels to unite with Mount Siming to pressure him... Although the Alliance Leader holds a grand title, within this system, Monk Shang’s status is still equal to that of the other rebels. However, by elevating the Sea King to Righteous Emperor under the pretext of restoring the former dynasty... the Sea King would have the legitimacy, and Monk Shang the actual power. The conflict would resolve itself. The Sea King’s righteous cause would become Monk Shang’s fig leaf.
"Impossible!" Monk Shang retorted. "That worthless Sea King, how could he be Righteous Emperor!"
Monk Shang could see the advantages of establishing an alternative system. Yet, seeing himself as the ’incarnation of the Bright King,’ how could he condescend to serve under the Sea King as a mere Grand Marshal of the Army? It’s always easier said than done. Such is the way of the world.
Seeing Monk Shang reject his first two strategies, Gongyang Yi remained unperturbed. He mused for a moment, then said, "The third strategy is the inferior one, but the King of Law may find it usable."
"Please, explain it in detail, Mister Gongyang," Monk Shang urged, maintaining his posture of deference to a wise man.
"The inferior plan, well... it’s not complicated," Gongyang Yi began. "As Alliance Leader, you would appoint Yao Dang as Deputy Alliance Leader. Then, you and Yao Dang would jointly deliberate on how to redistribute troops to the rebels who have lost theirs. If too many are allocated, the King of Law will not agree; if too few, Yao Dang will bear the blame... This method is merely a stopgap, a way to temporarily defer the rebels’ demands. Once some time has passed and the King of Law has reorganized his forces, why would he need to concern himself with these disempowered feudal lords..."
Gongyang Yi slowly unveiled his strategy. The inferior plan held no great depth; it was simply a matter of stalling, using Mount Siming as a temporary shield.
"However..." Gongyang Yi sighed. "Given Yao Dang’s cautious nature, he is unlikely to travel to Heyang Mountain to ally with the King of Law and become Deputy Alliance Leader of the Eighteen Rebel Kings."
"Does Mister Gongyang have an ingenious solution?" Monk Shang asked, startled.
"We invite him with a token of utmost sincerity..." Gongyang Yi countered. "What does the King of Law treasure most?"
"That would be the Xuanji Temple’s defining cultivation method, the Eight-Armed Bright King Sutra," Monk Shang replied after a moment’s hesitation.
Besides the vast power of Heyang Mountain, his most precious possession was indeed the cultivation method he had stolen from Xuanji Temple when he defected. It was thanks to this art that he had cultivated both internally and externally, earning himself the title of Eight-Armed Dharma King.
"A mere cultivation method," Monk Shang declared, generously retrieving a human-skin-bound book from his waist and solemnly handing it to Gongyang Yi. "If it can resolve today’s crisis... what is there that cannot be sacrificed?"
Cultivation methods were precious, true... but it all depended on the comparison. He was currently vying for supremacy over the realm; compared to power, a cultivation method was of little consequence.
"I, Yi, am willing to undertake this journey for the King of Law," Gongyang Yi said, clasping his hands. "And persuade Yao Dang to ascend the mountain..."
"To have Mister Gongyang... is truly this king’s fortune!" Seeing Gongyang Yi’s willingness to brave such danger, Monk Shang was profoundly moved, his eyes welling with tears as he spoke from the depths of his heart.
Dressed in a white cloak, Gongyang Yi rode his horse to Tiger Soul River. He surveyed the encampment—the anti-cavalry barricades, the trenches, the patrolling Righteous Army—and then remarked to his men, "With King Xing Tian’s support, Mount Siming has been utterly transformed. Observe the camp’s positioning; it’s precisely one arrow’s flight in distance... And note the anti-cavalry barricades and trenches—all hallmarks of a skilled general! Look at the flags on these soldiers’ backs; those are signal flags... Few among the Eighteen Rebel Kings understand such things."
Accompanying Gongyang Yi on this perilous journey, besides his retinue of guards, was Wang Tong, one of Monk Shang’s trusted generals. Wang Tong was a valiant warrior with an impressive combat record, a tiger general under Monk Shang.
"Mister Gongyang, why must you extol their might and diminish our own morale!" Wang Tong grumbled, a note of resentment in his voice.
Even with his own discernment, he could see at a glance that Gongyang Yi’s assessment was accurate. Yet, Gongyang Yi’s current demeanor felt truly improper.
To everyone’s astonishment, however, Gongyang Yi—a man known for his high self-regard—acted out of character. He did not refute Wang Tong. Instead, with a shake of his Feather Fan and a faint smile, he urged his horse forward and rode into the Siming Mountain Stronghold.
「Half an hour later.」
Yangxin Pavilion, Tiger Soul River.
After the great battle two days prior, all forces of the Siming Mountain Stronghold had relocated to Tiger Soul River, abandoning their former encampment on Mount Siming. This was in accordance with King Xing Tian’s principle: Preserve the people and lose the land, and both people and land will ultimately be secured; preserve the land but lose the people, and both land and people will ultimately be lost.
Despite the move, the entire stronghold maintained the traditions of the Siming Mountain Stronghold. The King of Sorrow’s quarters were named Snow-Stepping Pavilion; the King of Might’s, Tiger Perch Hall; the Heavenly Kun King’s, Dual Hammer Camp; and Xu Xing’s own quarters were known as Yangxin Pavilion.
After being kept waiting on a cold bench in Yangxin Pavilion for half an hour, Gongyang Yi saw Xu Xing finally arrive. Far from showing any displeasure, Gongyang Yi’s face was wreathed in smiles, his demeanor one of utmost honor as he exclaimed, "To finally meet King Xing Tian today... I, Gongyang Yi, am not disappointed!"
Xu Xing took the main seat, casually sipped his freshly brewed tea, and then his tone turned cold. "Mister Gongyang... employing such a clumsy tactic to sow discord between me and Big Brother is hardly the conduct of a gentleman."