Chapter Seventeen: Fatal Temptation

  Facing Ma Haiqing's inquiry, Zhou Ke only said two words: "Western Xia!"

  These two words shocked both Ma Haiqing and the man in black beside him. After a while, Ma Haiqing finally said: "Indeed, General Zhou's talent cannot be underestimated, I admire it!"

  "I'm just guessing too, just like guessing that the black-clad person next to you is the murderer of Hong Yi and Little Mo. There's no evidence, it's just a guess!"

  At this time, the man in black had taken off his hat and also removed his mask. After seeing his true face, Zhou couldn't help but feel a deep sense of discomfort. It was a face that resembled a zombie, with no blood color at all, as if it were just a layer of skin stuck to his thin skeleton. This face was truly unforgettable, and looking at it for another second would make one's hair stand on end. No wonder he had been wearing the mask earlier.

  "This is my adopted son, Shen Han." Then Shen Han put the mask back on, as if he had just shown his true face to Zhou Ke out of sincerity.

  Zhou Ke wasn't a fool, he immediately understood the implication, but still asked: "What does 'Ma Da Shan Ren' mean?" He had gotten used to calling him that, and now that he suddenly knew he was the mastermind behind everything, he didn't know how to change his way of addressing him, so he continued to use the old term.

  Ma Haiqing was delighted to hear him say so, not because he liked to hear people praise his good deeds, but because he felt that Zhou Ke was not as rigid and unyielding as Qin Wei. He knew how to be flexible, which was exactly what Ma Haiqing wanted. So, Ma Haiqing smiled and said to Zhou Ke: "General Zhou, didn't you just say we weren't sincere enough? Now that you've seen my true face and Shen Han's true face, can't you see our sincerity?"

  "But as Ma Daxian said, there are still a few things I don't understand."

  "You said it, I know everything and will speak without reserve!"

  "Was Hong Yi's trip to the Shaanxi military camp arranged by you?"

  "Yes, it was I who made him offer his family's heirloom painting to get close to Mr. Hao."

  "Was it just for him to copy the map of Shaanxi's military deployment?"

  "General Zhou is indeed a talent! In just a few short days, the case was solved and such achievements were obtained. Even that person knows about it now. Yes, I did instruct him to do so, but before he could accomplish it, another opportunity arose - Duke Cui of the capital wants to recommend him to the imperial palace. And so my appetite has grown by one circle - not just the deployment map of Shaanxi's troops, but that of the entire nation!"

  Ah! Zhou couldn't help but be shocked. "He went to the capital eight years ago, and it turned out he was going for the national military deployment map! Did he get his hands on it?"

  "Yes, eight years haven't been wasted on me after all!"

  "He met with Xiao Mozi just to pass on the troop deployment map to you through him?"

  "That's right!"

  "Why did you want to kill him?"

  "He asked for 100,000 taels of gold as payment! But when I was looking at the military deployment map, I found that Shaanxi's was missing! Later, he actually raised the price again, saying that the military deployment map of Shaanxi was in his hands and had been drawn eight years ago! Shaanxi is a crucial place for fighting against Western Xia, without the map of Shaanxi, others would be useless! This Hong Yi opened his mouth wide, asking me to pay another 500,000 silver tickets. I agreed on the surface and made an appointment with him, but the one who went to get the map was not me, it was Shen Han! After getting the map of Shaanxi, Hong Yi disappeared forever from this world! My original 100,000 taels of gold, as well as the later 500,000 silver tickets, all returned to my hands, haha!"

  "What about Little Mozi?"

  "What's he good for? He can't even get things done, what's the point of keeping him?"

  "He knew too much!"

  "General Zhou, I am not the kind of person who burns bridges after crossing them. When you came to my house to investigate, that little Mo kid gave a reason on the spur of the moment, and I sent someone to search Hong Yi's house thoroughly. As it turned out, Hong Yi didn't even have a single painting at home. Helpless, I had to find someone else to paint one, which ended up causing more trouble. After Hong Yi died, that little Mo kid was actually afraid, and I noticed his change, but didn't expose him. One day, he ran away and was followed by Shen Han, who killed him with a single knife. I treated him quite well usually, even saving his life, and his death was entirely his own doing. If he had stayed obediently in the Ma household, maybe now he would still be enjoying good food and drink."

  "Do you think Xiao Mozi's death was entirely his own fault?"

  "General Zhou, a wise man knows the right moment to act! I see you're a man of great character, that's why I'm telling you all this. You're intelligent, so surely you understand my intentions, come and help me. Do you want to be just a deputy general for your whole life?"

  "You say that, you must have investigated me thoroughly! I was born in a poor family, my parents died early, and at the age of ten, I had already experienced all the bitterness of life. Later, I was fortunate to be taken in by a performing artist and learned some martial arts. I didn't want to spend my whole life as a performer, being looked at like a monkey, so I escaped and joined the army. Because I performed well in a competition, I was noticed by Qin Xiang's camp and promoted from an ordinary soldier all the way up. The Qin Xiang camp is like my second family, how could I betray them for you? Besides, you chose Western Xia, isn't that asking me to betray the court?"

  "General Zhou, it's not me saying this to you, but you've lived for nearly thirty years now, how come you still haven't figured things out? The imperial court? What has the imperial court ever given you? When you were begging on the streets or performing acrobatics, did the imperial court take care of you? Now you're following Qin Wei, and while he's got a good reputation for being strict and principled, he's still just a deputy commander. With his abilities, that's already the highest position he'll ever reach. You may have been promoted by him, but it was also your own hard work and luck that brought you here. What has Qin Wei done for you? What can he do for you? He's only holding you back from a bright future! If you come help me, I guarantee you'll have one success after another, rising through the ranks step by step! Even an ordinary painter like Hong Yi, I was able to make him famous overnight. You should believe in my abilities!"

  Seeing Zhou's silence, Ma Haiqing thought that this matter would succeed and still needed to push the waves. He continued: "General Zhou, I won't promise you anything for now, but what I can offer you at present is 100,000 taels of gold and a marriage with Lord Hu."

  "Lord Hu?"

  "It's just Hu Xingying! He has a daughter who is about to be brought from the capital to Shaanxi. I'm very familiar with Lord Hu, and if I suggest it to the general, I'm sure there won't be any problem on his end. Becoming the son-in-law of the commander of the Xingying army would be the first step towards success, and with the 100,000 gold I'll provide as assistance, plus having me and Western Xia as a backing, what's there to fear that things won't go well?"

  "This..."

  "General, don't hesitate anymore. It's also fate that brought us together. Are you going to watch everything that could be yours slip away? General, you're a wise man, and actually, I don't need to say more. You'll make the right choice."

  Fame and wealth, many people can't put them down and are bound by them for life. Having experienced the coldness and warmth of human relationships since childhood, Zhou Ke, with his ambitious heart, would never be content to be just a deputy general for his entire life. Ma Haiqing's intention in letting Shen Han investigate Hu Yong and Zhou Ke's weaknesses was precisely this. He knew that Zhou Ke had great ambitions and wanted to succeed too much, so using the path of advancement to tempt him was the best way, especially when paired with wealth and beautiful women, it would be hard for Zhou Ke not to fall into it.

  Zhou Ke said to Ma Haiqing: "I'll go back and think about it for a few days, I will definitely give the great benefactor an explanation." After finishing speaking, he turned around and left.

  Shen Han looked at Zhou Ke's departing back and said, "Father, are you just going to let him leave like that? Aren't you afraid he'll go back and report to Qin Wei, and then we'll be in trouble?"

  "Haha, he won't, absolutely won't!"