"What? That kid from the Dingtai Martial Arts Hall with the surname Zhao again?"
Lin Shiguo, who was drinking and having fun, flew into a rage upon hearing the news, kicking over the wine table in front of him.
The beautiful companions attending to him nearby couldn't dodge in time and ended up with bruised faces.
Yet even so, they didn't dare to move.
Having followed Lin Shiguo for a while, they naturally understood how violent this Deputy General Lin could be. Any slight misstep could lead to a beating at best, or death at worst, so even if blood flowed from their injuries, they didn't dare make a fuss.
At this moment, Lin Shiguo drew his sword, a murderous aura about him, and said, "Gather the soldiers immediately, and follow me to kill this Zhao until he's minced meat."
"Calm down, Deputy General."
Yuan Chenfeng, who was indulging with Lin Shiguo, quickly stood up to dissuade him.
Lin Shiguo gave him a sideways glance, "What? Are you pleading for that Zhao?"
"Of course not. I am completely loyal to the Commander and you, Deputy General. Heaven and earth can attest to that. Besides, I have an old grudge with the Dingtai Martial Arts Hall. I am eager for their demise, so how could I plead for them?" Yuan Chenfeng quickly explained.
"Then why stop me?"
"Deputy General, I am thinking of what's best for you. Though you are unparalleled in bravery, you are a leader on horseback, whereas this Zhao is a rogue from the Jianghu. If you take the troops there, you may not come out ahead."
"Are you joking? Do you mean I can't defeat him?" Lin Shiguo laughed in anger.
"That's not what I mean. It's just that if you mobilize the cavalry, it will certainly provoke resistance from these Martial Arts Halls, and casualties are inevitable, which would go against the Lord Commander's intention."
Lin Shiguo calmed down.
He, as the first Deputy General, was naturally well aware of Wei Hongbin's intentions.
To Wei Hongbin, these cavalrymen under his command were extremely valuable, the foundation of his future establishment, and could not afford any losses.
Especially if they were lost to a group of martial artists, Wei Hongbin would see it as not worthwhile.
That's why he had been holding back his forces.
But this didn't mean he did nothing. In fact, during this time, Wei Hongbin had secretly sent people to negotiate with many Martial Arts Halls, and the results were promising.
Many Martial Arts Halls had quietly changed their stance. Although they didn't dare to openly support him, they promised that if anything happened, they would stand on Wei Hongbin's side.
This clever method of dividing the martial artists' forces could dismantle more than half of their power in no time.
So at this crucial moment, Wei Hongbin would never agree to Lin Shiguo's reckless deployment of troops.
"This won't do, that won't do, do we have to endure it again this time?" Lin Shiguo said angrily.
Yuan Chenfeng chuckled.
"How could it be left unresolved, Deputy General? Didn't Captain Sun try to recruit Zhao Ya several times before? This time, we should let him handle this matter. If he manages to kill Zhao Ya, that'd be great, but if he continues to be lenient, you'll have a case to present in front of the Lord Commander."
Hearing this, Lin Shiguo's eyes lit up.
The conflict between him and Sun Yingkui had been intensifying, reaching an irreconcilable point.
If he could bring down Sun Yingkui through this matter, it would be perfect.
"Hahaha, I never expected a martial artist like you to be so cunningly ruthless, but I like it," Lin Shiguo "praised" Yuan Chenfeng, patting him on the shoulder.
Yuan Chenfeng felt no shame, only pride, smiling beamingly, "You flatter me, Deputy General, I'm just trying to help you resolve your worries."
"Good, you have potential. I'll definitely speak well of you in front of the Lord Commander."
Yuan Chenfeng was quite excited upon hearing these words and thanked him with folded hands, "Thank you for your support, Lord Commander."
Apart from the few times he delivered news, Yuan Chenfeng had never seen Wei Hongbin since entering the city.
For Yuan Chenfeng, whose thirst for power was growing, it was hard to accept.
After all, to succeed in the Commandery now, one must have Wei Hongbin's approval.
Although Lin Shiguo didn't have direct command over Sun Yingkui, being Wei Hongbin's close aide made such maneuvering very easy for him.
So it wasn't long before an order was delivered to Sun Yingkui, urging him to resolve the Zhao Ya matter within three days.
After receiving the order, Sun Yingkui stood motionless for a long time.
Although the order bore Wei Hongbin's seal, Sun Yingkui understood that it was likely Lin Shiguo's doing.
After all, the cavalry captain who died on the street that day was Lin Shiguo's man.
And his reason for doing this was simple: to make Sun Yingkui face a dilemma.
Either arrest Zhao Ya and bring him to justice, which would mean completely stifling Sun Yingkui's intention to peacefully resolve the conflict between the parties.
Or ignore the matter entirely, thus diminishing his standing in Wei Hongbin's eyes.
No matter what course of action he took, it was a no-win deadlock, truly ruthless.
Sun Yingkui sighed deeply, silently stowed away the document, and turned to leave.
Meanwhile, this turmoil continued to ferment. Though many dared not discuss it openly, privately, they all endorsed Zhao Ya's actions.
The reason being, Wei Hongbin's cavalry had recently become too rampant.
Robbing men, assaulting women, extorting merchants—epitomes of vice.
But because of their power, ordinary people dared not speak out.
In fact, even these once-mighty noble clans had to swallow their pride and endure.