Chapter 122: A Pledge of Allegiance

"Want to surrender?" Looking at the calm-faced man of nearly thirty years old before him, Liang Jing's tone carried an unquestionable and overbearing dominance.

"How did you know? Uh, ahem, no, well, it's..." Staring at this silver-clad, majestic, and intimidating iron tower of a man, Wu Yong was somewhat dazed and replied subconsciously. When he snapped out of it, he could no longer maintain his detached and calm expression.

Wu Yong thought to himself: *Damn it, this monster, how on earth did the butcher know? I originally wanted to project the image of a detached and aloof master to make him hold me in high regard and then negotiate a good price for my allegiance. Who would have thought that a mere four words from him would shatter my carefully laid plans and routines? I probably hold no weight in his eyes now.* Filled with stifled frustration, he could no longer keep up his facade of worldly detachment.

"That's acceptable! But I need some proof! A token of allegiance!" Knowing that the man before him possessed good abilities—and seeing from the mini-map that the other party had friendly inclinations—Liang Jing directly demanded in an overbearing, unquestionable, and pressuring tone. Since he had obtained the answer he wanted, he saw no need for further idle talk and straightaway stated his terms.

"What are your requirements?" Wu Yong exhaled, struggling to force himself to calm down. Facing this monster-like man, the pressure upon him was simply too immense; he could no longer remain as detached and indifferent as he usually appeared before others. His hitherto infallible telepathic ability had failed, his thoughts had been seen right through, and he had suffered consecutive setbacks when facing this man directly...

By now, Wu Yong had developed a deep sense of respect for Liang Jing and had correctly positioned himself. He completely lacked the aloof attitude he wore in front of others or figures like Political Commissar Gong and Tu the Turtle. He also understood that as a former enemy seeking to defect and gain Liang Jing's trust, he had to pay a price. Only by earning that trust could he hope to put his abilities to use and win the other man's regard.

Before any of that could happen, he needed to offer a token of allegiance!

Based on his observations of Liang Jing over this period, the man was indeed an excellent choice to follow: powerful, overbearing, protective of his own, and—well—not stupid either. He was worthy of being followed and invested in. As for playing the big boss himself, preferring to be the head of a chicken rather than the tail of a phoenix—he didn't even entertain such thoughts. He knew his own capabilities and lacked that kind of daring ambition. Serving as a strategist or a chief steward suited him just fine. Well, not a palace eunuch, of course.

"I want you to go and kill Political Commissar Gong!" Liang Jing's gaze suddenly turned razor-sharp, piercing directly into Wu Yong's eyes as a low voice sounded.

"Ah! No, choose something else. Anything but that—I neither want to nor can do such a thing." Stung by the sudden, piercing shift in Liang Jing's gaze, Wu Yong let out a cry before immediately reacting and shouting a refusal. He was no fool, nor did he wish to play the role of Lu Bu. He instantly realized that if he actually agreed to go back and find an opportunity to kill Political Commissar Gong, Liang Jing would likely strike him dead the very next moment.

"Why? Since you are defecting to me, it means you have serious disagreements and conflicts with Political Commissar Gong. What is so hard about getting rid of him?" Liang Jing did not seem surprised. He was merely probing; he knew the man was intelligent, yet he still wanted to test the waters and observe his reaction. Besides, Liang Jing certainly wouldn't want someone else to steal his kill and 'help' him exact revenge.

"Although Political Commissar Gong is no good man—selfish, sinister, and vicious to boot—he hasn't treated me too badly in the past. My decision to defect now is simply because I see that you are far superior and have a much brighter future. Naturally, another part of the reason is that so many people died in today's failure, and Political Commissar Gong will never let me off the hook. Breaking away from him is an absolute necessity!" Having said this, Wu Yong offered a subtle bit of flattery and cast a resentful glance at Liang Jing, as if to say, *Isn't all of this your fault? I'm purely being driven to this pass by you!*

"Oh? Anything other than killing Political Commissar Gong will be much harder, you know." That aggrieved, boudoir-widow look made even Liang Jing feel somewhat uncomfortable. "First, tell me about Political Commissar Gong's current situation and see what kind of forces he can still muster."

"Within this migrating crowd, there is only one regiment of private troops left. Of course, there are still two more regiments behind, holding off the pursuing monsters and providing protection. Political Commissar Gong can only command about half of the private troops from his regiment; the rest belong to Regiment Commander Zhang. However, Regiment Commander Zhang was injured as a result of one of Political Commissar Gong's sinister plots, and the five hundred or so private troops under his command are currently clearing the path ahead and fighting the monsters."

"In other words, Political Commissar Gong currently commands fewer than a hundred private troops. Apart from Gao Yaotai, he has three other awakened individuals under his command. Compared to everything else, these are not the main issues. What you need to watch out for is Political Commissar Gong himself. While he might not be great at commanding troops in battle, he is an absolute master of scheming, plotting, and playing petty political games. If he makes promises, he might just manage to rope in quite a few factions and personnel."

[...]

Knowing this was the moment to demonstrate his value to Liang Jing for the first time, Wu Yong spoke fluently without missing a beat, detailing the forces at Political Commissar Gong's disposal as well as the external factions he might be able to rope in.

"Oh?" Hearing mention of political scheming and underhanded plots instantly put Liang Jing in a foul mood. In his world, the things he detested most were precisely these. He simply categorized all these political tricks as the work of hypocrites. He preferred the straightforward path over winding detours; he liked directness, frankness, authenticity, and raw, direct power and strength.

As for those other factions trying to muscle their way in—Liang Jing's eyes turned frosty. Those people had better be smart, or he would not spare a single one of them.

"In that case, if you want to defect to my side, you must accomplish two tasks, which should be simple for you. First, find an opportunity to kill Tu the Turtle; second, help destroy the grain and weapon reserves!" Even though the mini-map allowed him to discern enemy and friendly relations, Liang Jing still wanted to be thorough. Tu the Turtle was the primary culprit behind this entire affair, and he certainly wouldn't let that person slip away.

"Very well!" Wu Yong felt his heart skip a beat. He hadn't expected the other party to be so ruthless, genuinely determined to fight this through to a bitter, mutual destruction. As Liang Jing gazed at him with detached indifference, Wu Yong felt as though his life could be snuffed out at any moment, and he knew he no longer had a choice.

[...]

Inside the spacious hall, candles were lit all around to banish the darkness of night. The interior was bustling with a continuous hum of discussion and debate.

"Everyone! I've called you all here today because there is a matter I wish to discuss and request your help with!" Thanks to the medicinal liquid provided by Professor Duan that afternoon, Political Commissar Gong's injuries had been stabilized and partially recovered. At this moment, he had been moved to sit in an armchair at the head of the room. He glanced at the somewhat wretched-looking man standing beside him, dressed in black samurai garb and standing around 180 centimeters tall, before sweeping his gaze over several individuals in the crowd. His flushed face was filled with excitement.

*Whoosh!*

The people in the hall, who had been eating, drinking, and chatting, instantly fell silent, halting their meals and conversations to look toward Political Commissar Gong at the head of the room. This person represented a faction of power and strength; he was one of the most influential figures among this crowd. Despite suffering a defeat today, no one dared to underestimate him.

"Ahem! I believe everyone here knows in your hearts why I called you together for this gathering today! That's right, it's because of Liang Jing!" The mere mention of Liang Jing stirred up Political Commissar Gong; he loathed the man to the core. Yet, he no longer harbored the panic he had felt when the news first broke this afternoon. He had regained his footing.

*Clatter!*

The crowd below instantly erupted into an uproar!

Just as expected, they had been summoned for the purpose of dealing with Liang Jing. The people below merely cast strange, sidelong glances at Political Commissar Gong. Not a single person took the initiative to speak up, offer help, or make any promises. For a moment, an awkward silence fell over the room. Several individuals in the crowd seemed on the verge of speaking, but seeing that Political Commissar Gong gave no further indication, and unwilling to stick their necks out first, they held their tongues.

The atmosphere turned eerily cold. All these factions had coordinated beforehand; none of them wanted to stick their noses into this messy business. Liang Jing was a monster whom even machine guns, bombs, and heavy artillery couldn't kill, and the military had suffered heavy casualties because of him. For them to get involved would be like feeding themselves to the wolves.

Some were even harboring schadenfreude, secretly clapping and cheering inside: *Serves you right for having this coming!* After all, many of these factions were at odds with the military. Although various powers were running amok nowadays and the authorities tacitly allowed it, they still had to mind the military's attitude. The army would never allow these factions to grow powerful enough to threaten them, which was why many of these groups had been suppressed, with several original major factions even wiped out by private troops. Consequently, none of the current factions exceeded three hundred members—barring a few specially favored ones with unique connections, which was simply how things worked in this country.

The magistrates were free to burn down houses, while the common people were forbidden even to light lamps. Therefore, seeing Political Commissar Gong battered, bruised, and suffering massive losses at Liang Jing's hands, these people were thrilled beyond measure. There was no way they would actively step in to help; if anything, they hoped the God of Slaughter, Liang Jing, would kick up an even bigger storm.

Although Political Commissar Gong had anticipated this outcome to some extent, he still found it utterly humiliating. Anger surged within him, turning his face as red as a monkey's backside.