Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 455 - 429: Changsun Bubai’s Meeting Gift

Chapter 455: Chapter 429: Changsun Bubai’s Meeting Gift

Changsun Bubai did not bring Zhang San to the Central Army’s main tent but instead to his own sleeping quarters.

Zhang San knew that if they had gone straight to the Central Army’s main tent, it would have been to discuss official business.

But being taken to the sleeping quarters first meant Changsun Bubai was looking to woo him over. Even if it wasn’t wooing, it was still a gesture full of goodwill.

After entering the sleeping tent, the Deputy General went to stand guard at the entrance. Changsun Bubai asked Zhang San to sit next to him, both of them seated on the platform with a small square table in the middle.

"I’ve long heard of your great reputation, Zhang San, and you’ve certainly got skills! They say that heroes are young, so why aren’t my three sons as talented as you? You truly deserve your renown for reducing Zheng Poyue, one of the Four Young Masters of the Capital, to a disheveled state and sending him back to start over as a pawn!"

Speaking thus, Changsun Bubai took out a scroll from the Storage Ring and placed it on the small square table.

Zhang San saw the name "Peng Hu" on the outside of the scroll but had no idea who this person was.

Changsun Bubai continued, "Recently, Peng Hu sent people to patrol the south, and it was right in the southern area of my Lingwu Army’s jurisdiction. Setting aside that he is under Mei Fei’s command and his area doesn’t fall under my purview, even if it did, patrols should be sent to the north! By sending people to the south, he’s obviously looking for someone or waiting for someone."

"Later, I found out that he has a good friend in the army, which happens to be Zheng Poyue, who came to the military for experience a few years ago."

"So, upon investigation, I discovered he sent several squads, including one of twenty men who have been out of contact since last night."

"I suspect that these men were meant to find you, and now, they’re probably all dead, right?"

Zhang San did not speak because he still wasn’t clear on what Changsun Bubai meant.

Then, Changsun Wuji said with a laugh, "But rest assured, I will take care of this matter for you. Consider it a welcome gift from me."

At this moment, Zhang San understood why Changsun Wuji had brought him to the sleeping quarters to discuss this matter.

If he hadn’t passed the test of his three sons today, then in Changsun Bubai’s eyes, his skills would have been just average.

In which case, what was now a welcome gift would have been a threat instead.

But he had proven his skills, so Changsun Bubai was willing to offer the thing he had prepared as a welcome gift to win favor with Zhang San.

"Thank you, Military Envoy Changsun. Here, take a look at this."

Zhang San said, taking out his Feng Chengying and showing it to Changsun Bubai.

Changsun Bubai saw the Heavenly Punishment Sect assassins killing twenty soldiers while sparing Zhang San. He was initially stunned but then he understood everything.

The suspicion surrounding Zhang San’s connection to the Heavenly Punishment Sect already existed.

Plus, he had the identity of the Military Chief from the Town Martial Office.

On the surface, he was being hunted by the Heavenly Punishment Sect, and the twenty soldiers died protecting him from the Demon Cult Followers, which seemed plausible.

But in reality, it was likely that Zhang San had arranged for the Heavenly Punishment Sect to kill these twenty men, thus keeping his hands clean.

This Zhang San sure had tricks up his sleeve!

"So, how would you like to handle this matter, Zhang San?"

With a grieving face, Zhang San sighed deeply and said, "Those twenty soldiers were patrolling the south side when they encountered me. They saved me and died for me. My heart aches for them!"

Changsun Bubai remained quiet, silently watching Zhang San’s performance.

"I would like to ask for your help to report this matter upwards and then properly compensate their families. I, Zhang San, am also willing to contribute money, even though... I don’t have any."

No money, then what’s the point of mentioning it! Changsun Bubai had thought Zhang San wanted to spend some money for the sake of appearances.

He hadn’t expected it to be purely for appearances, not spending a single penny!

"Alright then, I shall immediately send someone to retrieve their bodies, bring them back, and give them a proper burial. Then I will apply for compensation for them."

Zhang San suddenly thought of something and said, "Military Envoy Changsun, I think there’s no need for your side to apply for the compensation. After all, these were General Peng Hu’s men, so it would be better for him to apply."

"Besides, my relationship with Zheng Poyue is very good, we’re even life-and-death brothers! Really, true brothers in life and death. A friend of a friend is a friend, right? Now that I’ve met a friend, how could I not bring him a gift."

At first, Changsun Bubai was curious about the difference between himself applying for compensation for the twenty soldiers and Peng Hu applying for his own men.

Even, his doing it would get approved more quickly.

But after hearing the latter part of Zhang San’s words, Changsun Bubai realized what was happening.

This kid had just arrived in the army and had already learned to set traps for others using military law.

But it made sense, as the guy supposedly was the prime disciple of Pharaoh. If nothing interfered, this kid was likely to be the future leader of Legalism, controlling the entire sect.

Legalists are best at manipulating rules, after all.

It sounded as if he were plotting against someone, while making it seem like the two were great friends.

Realizing this, Changsun Bubai couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Zhang San also joined in the laughter with Changsun Bubai.

Changsun Bubai saw through Zhang San’s cunning plans but said nothing, just smiled, as if to say, "I see what you did there, but I won’t call you out."

Zhang San also realized that Changsun Bubai had seen through his thoughts and acknowledged that this person was no simple character, so he joined in with a laugh, as if to show how innocent his laughter was.

However, at that moment, Changsun Bubai was internally addressing Zhang San: Little Fox! Looking harmless, yet so crafty!

Similarly, Zhang San, while laughing heartily on the surface, was also silently saying to himself: Old Fox! You don’t say anything, yet you’ve understood everything!

The Deputy General outside had no idea what had just transpired inside, only later hearing the laughter coming from within.

Every time their own Military Envoy laughed like this, it usually meant someone was about to be unlucky.

Last time, it was Mei Fei who got schemed against when the 50,000 taels of gold meant for the military’s expenses were mistakenly sent to the hands of Military Envoy Changsun, yet the matter couldn’t be spoken about publicly.

This time, with their own Military Envoy laughing in such a way, could it be that another fortune was about to come their way?