Rise of The Demon General

Chapter 298: Chapter 298. A Toast for the Future

In a small tea house at a checkpoint station outside Qishurg City, Amon and Sui Kui sat on a table on the upper floor. The place was empty except for them. Not because Amon booked the entire place but because the road this checkpoint station was on was only busy during a certain time of the year. During the current period, very few travelers passed through here.

”Fancy for you to pick this place to meet. You do know kingdom soldiers are stationed in that tower, don’t you?” Sui Kui asked Amon.

Amon chuckled. ”Then they won’t expect us to meet under their noses.”

”Your arrangement is tiring. Do you have to change the place we meet every single time? Can’t we just meet at a fixed but safe hideout?”

”There is never a guarantee for safety, especially when it comes to secret arrangements,” Amon said. ”By constantly changing places, we don’t leave a pattern for others to trace.”

”So troublesome,” Sui Kui complained.

”Better troublesome but safe,” Amon returned. ”Do you bring me a reply?”

Sui Kui brought a sealed letter and placed it on the table. Amon took the letter and stored it inside his space ring. He would read it later.

”The elders also asked me to express their gratitude,” Sui Kui said. ”They don’t know who you are, of course, as according to our arrangements, but they are convinced of your goodwill to their cause now. I still can’t believe the kingdom gave you control over one of the city gates. How did you achieve that?”

”I can ask you the same thing. How did you arrange the rebel I smuggled into the city to get close to the mayor?”

Sui Kui laughed at the response. ”I guess we both have our secrets,” he said.

Amon placed a bag filled with aer stones on the table before standing up. ”I will call you to meet again when I want to send a reply.”

”Next time, please choose a meeting place inside the city, will you? It is no fun traveling outside the city just for a brief meeting.”

Amon left without replying to his request.

*

A few days later, another shocking event occurred in Qishurg City. The Vice Mayor, who was a few days away from being signed into the office to replace the assassinated mayor, was apprehended by the kingdom. No broadcast was given about the reason. The kingdom simply stated that a new mayor would be elected among the available city officials.

While the city was puzzled by this series of events, Amon met Zhuan San inside his residence. Zhuan San served Amon tea similar to when he last visited.

”The kingdom is indebted to you,” Zhuan San told Amon. ”The intel you brought us allowed us to learn that the Vice Mayor is a rebel deeply undercover inside Qishurg City’s administration. He worked his way to gain the late mayor’s trust and was promoted to Vice Mayor last year. With the mayor being assassinated, he was poised to become the next mayor. If you hadn’t informed us, we would have had a rebel in charge of one of our major cities. That is a truly disturbing thought.”

”Take it as a repayment for having my back when my involvement with the underworld was discovered,” Amon replied.

”Still, I must wonder how you come to this intel. Do you mind sharing?” Zhuan San asked.

Amon smiled. ”Sorry. Let’s say I have a very shy source. If I told on him and he found out, he would leave. We may then lose the next vital information about the rebels when it happens.”

”What about the assassin? Do you have any intel about him?”

”I do. Unfortunately, it is not an intel you want to hear. The assassin has left this city.”

”Really? We doubled the security at the gates after the assassination. He could still slip through?”

Amon shrugged. ”He probably used the same trick as when he entered this city.”

Zhuan San silently played with the cup in his hand. After a while, he asked, ”You know, I’ve been thinking. The time when I grant you the authority over the Northern Gate. That could be a perfect time for a rebel assassin to slip inside the city.”

”If you had people watching that gate, which I’m sure you do, you should know I only let my people in. Anyone not wearing my signal ribbon was turned away to be checked at the other gates. It was easier for me to just let everyone in and be done with it, but I didn’t. I instructed my followers to only give admission to my people, so I don’t get blamed if there is an unwanted criminal inside the city.”

”Unless one of your people is the rebel assassin,” Zhuan San said.

”Are you implying I smuggled the assassin into the city intentionally?” Amon asked.

”I didn’t say that. I’m just pointing out the possibility of the rebel assassin disguised as one of your people. He could have seen the Northern Gate letting people with red ribbons enter. He moved away and lay in hiding for someone with a red ribbon to come by. He attacked that person and took the red ribbon for his ticket into the city.”

”That is not possible. I instructed my people to only wear the red ribbon once they were near the gate, so the assassin wouldn’t know who had the ribbon if he waited a distance away. If he waited near the gate, he couldn’t steal the ribbon without causing a commotion.”

When Zhuan San didn’t say anything, Amon added, ”If we are talking about someone smuggling unwanted people into the city, don’t forget about the Yan Clan. They smuggled the Highwaymen in. They could very well smuggle the rebel’s assassin in as well.”

”... They wouldn’t dare,” Zhuan San remarked.

”They are desperate after losing their underworld’s lackey. Desperate people take desperate measures,” Amon responded.

”Hm... You wouldn’t be playing two sides, would you?” Zhuan San asked.

”If you don’t trust me, let’s just end our cooperation here,” Amon replied.

”Haha! Of course not. I apologize, brother Lin Mo. Please forget my last words. Here, let me toast you,” Zhuan San lifted his cup.

Amon returned the gesture. After drinking the tea in his cup, he asked, ”What do you do with the vice mayor you have captured?”

”He is currently being interrogated,” Zhuan San answered. ”He is the one who sneaked the assassin close enough to murder the mayor. We are currently prying him for more information about the assassins and the rebels’ plan. With any luck, we might learn how the assassin entered and left the city undetected.”

Amon doubted that. This was because he knew the vice mayor didn’t know. The reason he knew was because the assassin hadn’t left the city. He had been captured by the Demon Gang. Amon kept tabs on the assassin after he smuggled the guy in. His agreement with Sui Kui was for the assassin to wait at least a month before acting. If the assassination occurred immediately after Amon was given the gate’s authority, it would be much harder for him to deny involvement.

Amon had already interrogated the assassin himself. He knew the assassin kept quiet about how he entered the city, so the vice mayor didn’t have this information. That’s why he let the vice mayor live and gave the vice mayor to Zhuan San to curry favor.

Although he helped the rebels by smuggling the assassin in, that was just to gain their trust. He never intended to let their plan of taking over the leadership of Qishurg City succeed. If they did, the city might be thrown into turmoil. He didn’t want that instability while he was studying at the Royal Academy. Hence, he foiled their plan after fulfilling his task for them.

Amon was indeed, as Zhuan San put it, playing two sides. It was a risky and bold move, but one that was necessary for his plan.

”Let’s talk about you,” Zhuan San changed the topic. ”You go through all the trouble to establish a place in the underworld, but now you can no longer step foot in it. Aren’t you frustrated that all your effort goes to waste?”

Amon chuckled. ”There is never a wasted effort,” Amon said. ”I told you before that the underworld is just a stage for me to build my force. The foundation is set. I no longer need to involve myself too much. This force will be our tool when we need to deal with something the kingdom is not willing to get implicated in.”

”The kingdom already has such a force,” Zhuan San said.

”The kingdom has, but you don’t. That is your entire reason for looking for allies, isn’t it? Because you lack them,” Amon returned.

Zhuan San chuckled. ”You are blunt, I give you that, but you are not wrong. In that case, I hope our cooperation can last for a long time and benefit each other in the future.”

He offered Amon another toast. Amon returned the gesture.