Chapter Eighteen: The Youth Should Not Be Taken Lightly

Chen Tu's strike came without any warning.

Not even Cui Yunshen and the other two had anticipated his sudden ambush.

Gu Liubai still wore a faint smile on his face.

It seemed he hadn't expected it either.

Yet, as if by chance, his hand rose, meeting Chen Tu’s palm.

Clack!

The moment their palms met, a dull, heavy sound like hard objects striking thick wood echoed.

A dazzling spray of qi fragments, shimmering with a mysterious hue, radiated from the edges of their palms.

Gu Liubai’s face paled slightly, but his smile remained unchanged. “Brother Chen Tu, that was a bit underhanded, wasn’t it?”

Chen Tu grinned, his mouth twisting slightly. “Brother Fifteen isn’t just cunning with hundreds of schemes—his hands are tough too.”

Within his heart, a storm raged.

He knew that if he told Yin Shiniang or Old Dragon, they might not believe it: this boy not yet sixteen had already reached the seventh rank of cultivation.

Though he hadn’t exerted his full strength, the clash of their qi had revealed everything he needed to know about his opponent’s foundation.

His qi cultivation was at the same seventh rank as Chen Tu’s, only slightly lower by a small degree.

Unheard of.

Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, no record existed of such a young seventh-rank cultivator.

How was this even possible?

“My hands may be tough, but Brother Chen’s head is even harder,” Gu Liubai said mischievously, fixing him with a sharp look. “I told you not to follow me, but you wouldn’t listen. Remember this pain, and don’t blame me later.”

Chen Tu chuckled coldly, not bothering to spar with Gu Liubai’s words. “Do you think these two have spread the black eye disease throughout Ming Bai Slope?”

Gu Liubai replied calmly, “This black eye disease isn’t that troublesome. The outside air is cold and well-ventilated, so it’s hard to spread. It’s only when you’re face-to-face inside a place like this with those already infected that it becomes easy to catch. Just make sure your people avoid contact with them from now on.”

Chen Tu’s smile remained icy, but his voice grew serious. “If I catch this black eye disease and it flares up later, do I have to stay away from everyone too?”

“Unless you want Yin Shiniang to catch it, don’t speak to her face-to-face,” Gu Liubai said evenly. “Usually, it only manifests after five or six days. It’s not a big deal within those days.”

***

Chen Tu felt an uncontrollable urge to draw his blade.

“Do you want to live?” At this moment, Gu Liubai turned to Cui Yunshen and asked earnestly.

“Live?” Cui Yunshen’s face went deathly pale. Though it seemed he understood Gu Liubai’s meaning, his eyes were filled entirely with despair. “Who doesn’t want to live? But we can’t. We have families. If we help you, our families will suffer worse than death.”

Gu Liubai shook his head. “As long as you follow my plan, you will live well. Your families will live well too.”

Chen Tu’s expression darkened, silent.

Such words sounded like empty promises, yet coming from Gu Liubai, they carried a different weight altogether.

Cui Yunshen’s heart visibly wavered. He looked at Gu Liubai. “How can you help us?”

Gu Liubai explained, “Your master doesn’t just want to train a great swordsman; he also hopes to seize a chance to catch Han Yanqing, the western rebel, and gain benefits from the powerful figures in the west. Whether it’s embezzling military supplies or colluding with the Turks, both are grave crimes. Witchcraft and spreading plagues are strictly forbidden in Tang. Anyone who uses such sorcery to spread disease faces extermination of their entire family.”

Cui Yunshen asked, “You want to use those military bigwigs against him?”

“Your master knows well the gravity of spreading a plague, especially in this border region. If the disease accidentally spreads within the border troops, who would bear such responsibility?” Gu Liubai glanced at him. “Your master is probably young and arrogant, reckless in his actions, thinking he can suppress any problems. But his elders at home won’t see it that way. So he must be keeping this secret from them. If the military finds out, those elders will be furious, and his fate will be grim.”

Even Chen Tu noticed Gu Liubai was deliberately explaining in detail. Yet, Cui Yunshen’s despair did not lift. He shook his head again. “You still don’t understand their ways. Most likely, if they come to an agreement, we, our families, and everyone who knows about this will be silenced and vanish without a trace.”

“If you bypass me and do it yourselves, that would happen. But if I handle it, it won’t,” Gu Liubai smiled faintly. “Remember, I have another identity here. I’ve been acting as a covert agent for Liang Fengning for years. Naturally, I can ensure this matter reaches those big military figures in the north. They won’t miss a chance to extort a noble family. Plus, those northern officials have already been rotated back to Chang’an. They’re furious with those high-ranking nobles and will use this leverage to stir trouble in the capital. They won’t let it fade away easily.”

After a brief pause, seeing Cui Yunshen still hesitant, Gu Liubai continued: “I’m doing you a big favor, so I’ll have my conditions. I will ensure your safety and that of your families. As for silencing everyone who knows, your master can’t do it. He can’t kill me, and the Turks will know about this too.”

Chen Tu was completely speechless.

The more he dealt with Gu Liubai, the more he realized that while he himself had only one scheming mind, Gu Liubai had seven or eight hundred.

“If I’m not mistaken, the person behind this is probably at Lucao Station—the young man from the Xie family.”

Gu Liubai suddenly laughed. “Cui Yunshen, you probably know his character well. You’ve worried about what happens if he finds out, but have you considered that as long as you follow my plan, he won’t even know you caused the problem?”

Even the two who were already affected by the black eye disease, their minds foggy, sensed hope and muttered indistinctly.

Cui Yunshen’s mind was clear now. Hearing Gu Liubai’s words, he looked up in disbelief. Before he could speak, Gu Liubai added, “Your task is only to infect Yin Shiniang. I will have her and the others pretend to be ill, letting you succeed. Then, when the Turkic black riders come to investigate everyone at Ming Bai Slope and take you away, that will seem perfectly reasonable. Even the Turks don’t doubt my credibility—you should know I keep my word.”

Cui Yunshen trembled and immediately fell to his knees. “I’m willing to follow your instructions.”

…

***

When Gu Liubai stepped out of the warehouse, Chen Tu didn’t think about the disease he might catch. He only found the sunlight on the snow blindingly bright.

“Are you planning to trick these Turks?”

He lowered his voice and asked quietly.

“Of course not,” Gu Liubai said, glancing at him. “Cui Yunshen and I both said the Turks will know about this. Why? If you were handling this, would you do the same?”

Chen Tu frowned. “If it were me, I might. That way, if the Turks all fall ill, they won’t be a threat to us.”

Gu Liubai said, “If survival is all that matters, then the Turks aren’t enemies. Xie Wan actually wants the Turks to catch the disease. Doing this plays right into his hands. On his chessboard, trying to take out one or two pieces he places before you won’t win—you have to overturn the entire board.”

Chen Tu was taken aback. “He planned this from the start?”

Gu Liubai listened to the noises outside Ming Bai Slope and spoke slowly: “Such a huge risk must be matched by equally great benefits. The charge of spreading plague is enormous, and just training a great swordsman wouldn’t justify it. Completely wiping out these Turks would gain support from the northern border troops and earn military merits. If they can also seize the Turks’ wealth stored in some local banks and force the western defenders to cede part of their profits, that would be nearly perfect. If all goes well, you’ll also be conveniently removed afterward.”

Chen Tu frowned deeply. “Gu Fifteen, if you were Xie Wan, would you do this?”

Gu Liubai answered bluntly, “No. Climbing too fast, too quickly, is never good. Being in his position, it’s okay to move slowly. Missing some chances is fine; there will be others. But one must be steady and avoid reproach. Especially in the Tang Empire, you must abide by its rules.”

Chen Tu suddenly sneered, “Then, from the perspective of the Tang people, don’t you think eliminating these Turks is a good thing?”

Gu Liubai felt a chill down his neck and shrugged. “Where do you see the benefits of wiping out the Turks?”

Chen Tu glanced toward the distant mountains and said solemnly, “Naturally, to secure this trade route, so that the Sogdians, Arabs, and Uighurs, along with our Tang caravans, can travel freely and safely here.”

“Every Tang person in Chang’an would think the same,” Gu Liubai said with a mocking smile. “But do you really believe the route will be completely secure after wiping them out?”

Chen Tu replied, “How would I know? But for now, they seem to cause the most trouble.”

Gu Liubai frowned slightly. “Let me tell you: the Uighurs’ power is growing. Without the Arabs and Turks keeping them in check, they won’t just control this trade route; they could threaten the entire Tang Empire. In the north, a vast empire may rise.”

Chen Tu sneered coldly. “If the Uighurs truly threaten Tang, then we’ll just teach them a lesson.”

This was the typical thinking of a strong and prosperous Tang.

Gu Liubai looked at him coolly. “I’ve told you before—you’re too used to solving problems with killing. But in my view, killing whoever causes trouble never solves the problem. There will always be troublemakers on this route.”

Chen Tu sneered. “Fifteen, if not by killing, then how?”

“These Turks are trouble because they don’t follow the rules,” Gu Liubai said calmly. “If I can make them follow my rules, they won’t be trouble. Who wants to risk their life to get what they want? Who enjoys licking a blade’s edge or fighting every day?”