Chapter 1012 I'm Actually Quite Humble
Wang Ji quickly sized up the young man before him. Dressed in the robes of a wandering hero, he wore a confident yet somewhat unsettling smile, and his steps were heavy, yet remarkably steady.
"Young hero, may I ask who you are?"
Li Daoxuan replied, "Who I am is not important. I am here to resolve this chaos."
Wang Ji countered, "As things stand, there's only one way to resolve this: pay them immediately. If you, young hero, possess immense wealth, you might be able to help."
Li Daoxuan questioned, "Pay them this time, then keep delaying the next, only for them to stir up trouble again in six months or a year?"
Wang Ji just stared, speechless.
A silence stretched between them, thick with awkwardness.
Wang Ji eventually managed, "Then tell me, how *do* you propose to solve it?"
Li Daoxuan declared, "I have only one condition: from now on, the Yinchuan region must manage its economy according to my methods. If Governor Wang agrees, I will immediately help you resolve this uprising. If you refuse... I will simply watch as they storm the city and claim your head, Governor."
Wang Ji was in no position to refuse. He decided internally, *I can agree now, then simply renege once he’s dealt with the mutiny.*
With that thought, Wang Ji stated, "Very well! I agree to your terms."
"It's good that Governor Wang has agreed."
Li Daoxuan chuckled, then, with a swift movement, suddenly leaped from the city battlements.
His jump startled Wang Ji profoundly.
*From such a high battlement, this man just leaped? Does he want to die?*
In fact, Wang Ji wasn't the only one who witnessed the jump.
Wang Ji's subordinates on the wall, and the border troops demanding their wages outside the city, all saw him leap.
Many cried out in astonishment, "Whoa, someone just jumped!"
Zhao Bazong from Dashapu fortress also saw it and involuntarily shook his head, thinking, *Did the high-ranking official from the city know his death was certain, and chose to jump to his demise?*
Just as this thought crossed his mind, he sensed something was off.
The figure plummeting through the air showed no sign of panic, no flailing limbs or desperate cries. Instead, he maintained an uncanny composure, his posture surprisingly graceful.
He plunged straight down from the city wall, landing directly on the ground outside with a resounding "thud," yet astonishingly, he remained perfectly upright.
The impact left a massive crater in the earthen ground, his feet sinking deep into the soil.
Zhao Bazong blurted, "What the hell? Was that even human?"
From the city battlements, Wang Ji, who had leaned out to watch, exclaimed in shock, "By the heavens! A man?"
*Any normal person jumping from that height without cushioning their fall would surely shatter their legs. Yet, this man stood firm, even creating a dent in the ground? By all that's holy, this is terrifying.*
With that single jump, Li Daoxuan stunned both sides into silence.
Displaying strength was the only way to gain leverage in negotiations.
Li Daoxuan knew his leverage was now secured.
He withdrew his feet from the crater, shook them, scattering clumps of mud in every direction, and then strode towards Zhao Bazong and his three thousand rebel troops.
The three thousand rebels couldn't help but collectively take half a step backward...
These were formidable border soldiers, yet they were visibly shaken by Li Daoxuan's aura.
Inside the city, Wang Ji, witnessing this sight, couldn't help but exult, *There's a chance! This man might actually be able to pacify these rebels.*
Li Daoxuan deliberately walked for a considerable distance before finally reaching Zhao Bazong, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Greetings! You must be Commander Zhao of Dashapu fortress, am I right? I heard your name mentioned by the commander at Dingbian fortress not long ago. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation as a formidable hero."
Zhao Bazong felt a flicker of unease within him, his gaze uncontrollably darting to Li Daoxuan's legs. He wondered, *How did this man jump from that height without breaking his legs?*
Li Daoxuan continued, "I imagine you've already guessed why I'm here. Stand down. Send your soldiers back to the fortress. Defend the frontier, and stop this unrest! If the Mongolians weren't relatively quiet recently, your rebellion would give them the perfect opportunity to invade, and that would lead to disaster."
Had Li Daoxuan not performed that astonishing leap earlier, Zhao Bazong would surely have drawn his blade and attacked by now. But the lingering power of that jump held him back. He merely snorted coldly and asked, "Go back to starve? We can defend the frontier, but you must at least give us something to eat, right?"
"Very well! I will provide." Li Daoxuan promised, "Not only will I give you food, I'll give you meat. I guarantee you'll have meat every day. How does that sound?"
His quick agreement, however, sounded almost too good to be true.
Zhao Bazong challenged, "It's not that simple! You say you'll provide, and you just can? Who are you? How can you guarantee this isn't just empty talk?"
Li Daoxuan swiftly switched his perspective, briefly focusing on the merchant caravan's embroidery work to confirm its distance, then just as quickly returned his gaze, a slight smile on his face. "Two days. Give me two days, and I will deliver the grain directly into your hands."
Zhao Bazong scoffed, "Do you take me for a three-year-old child? This is clearly a delaying tactic, using these two days to mobilize troops and encircle us, isn't it?"
"Of course not," Li Daoxuan chuckled. "If I wanted to annihilate you, I could do it right now. No need to wait two days."
Zhao Bazong's eyes widened.
Behind him, six of his generals simultaneously stepped forward, their expressions fierce.
Li Daoxuan's gaze swept over the group: Zhao Bazong and his six generals, a total of seven men. These were the core leaders of the rebel army.
He flashed his "uncanny valley" smile at the seven men. "I could kill all seven of you at any moment, but I haven't. Because I'm here to help *you*, not that man named Wang Ji back there... That's why I'm having a cordial discussion with you. As for delaying tactics, they're entirely unnecessary. If you don't believe me, then all seven of you, attack me at once."
Zhao Bazong stiffened.
The other six generals looked stunned.
Zhao Bazong snapped, "There's a limit to arrogance!"
The other six chimed in, "Are you looking for death?"
Li Daoxuan smiled. "Come on, then."
Zhao Bazong's jaw dropped.
The six generals stared, dumbfounded.
*Was this not enough arrogance? He's practically soaring with it!*
No man could endure such provocation, especially not these hardened border soldiers, men who had grown up living by the sword. If they dared not accept this challenge, they could forget about ever acting like leaders in front of their subordinates again.
Zhao Bazong growled, "You're asking for death yourself; don't blame us."
The other six generals echoed, "Have you prepared your last words?"
Li Daoxuan simply smiled. "Bring it on."
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