Chapter 22 Jiao Ting: Madmen! They are all madmen!

"Ah, this..."

Jiao Ting's face turned pale. He had been drifting from place to place, unable to find a master, and now, just as he had found his organization, was he to be cast aside already?

Of course, this was also a test from Cai Fu. If one did not pass the test, how could one be considered a brother?

Cai Fu no longer looked at him, telling Lu Junyi with righteous indignation, "Second brother, rest assured, big brother will take care of this for you! Your master also taught me martial arts; I count as half a disciple to the old gentleman! As for this traitor to the sect who stole the secret manual and wounded the old master Zhou, I will not let him off either!"

"Many thanks, big brother!" Lu Junyi felt his blood boil. Although he felt a bit uneasy hearing Jiao Ting say that Zengtou City had five or six thousand soldiers, Cai Fu was his backbone. With Cai Fu giving the word, Lu Junyi felt reassured.

As for Cai Qing and Yan Qing, Cai Qing would naturally follow Cai Fu, and Yan Qing would certainly follow Lu Junyi. That left Jiao Ting in a bind.

Honestly, Jiao Ting really wanted to follow a big shot. Having drifted for so many years, losing face across Hebei and Shandong, he had never once thought of striking out on his own. Take "Little Tyrant" Zhou Tong, for example—he couldn't defeat anyone with a reputation in the martial world, yet wasn't he still ruling Taohua Mountain?

Jiao Ting was just like that by nature. Like Lu Junyi, regardless of how great his skills were, he was not the type to achieve things on his own. Cai Fu, though a hidden dragon, had made his name in one battle at Daming Prefecture, and it was only a matter of time before his fame spread. Such a massive event would eventually reach every corner of the land, and when that time came, Cai Fu would truly be a dragon soaring through the heavens!

Moreover, with a powerhouse like Lu Junyi under his command, Cai Fu could occupy any mountain and rule as king. This was the absolute best time to latch onto Cai Fu's coattails. Jiao Ting had managed to grab hold, only to have them slip away.

He was truly unwilling to let go, but what could he do? Cai Fu actually wanted to take down Shi Wengong! And he even wanted to take down all of Zengtou City along with him!

Madmen! They were all madmen!

Cai Fu and Lu Junyi talked fervently, drinking wine and eating meat with gusto, while Jiao Ting felt as if he were outside the scene. For some reason, he envied them: Cai Fu acted as soon as he spoke, and Lu Junyi followed without hesitation! Although they seemed like lunatics, he thought to himself, "I really want to join them..."

That night, as usual, the brothers Cai Fu and Cai Qing slept foot-to-foot. Lu Junyi and Yan Qing shared a room, while Jiao Ting slept alone. In the dead of night, Lu Junyi threw a robe over his shoulders and went to Cai Fu's room to pay a visit.

"Big brother, I can't sleep..."

Cai Fu’s mouth twitched imperceptibly. "What’s the matter? You want to sleep with your big brother tonight?"

"I do, actually..." Lu Junyi sat on the edge of the bed, his face full of apology. "Big brother, I’ve caused you trouble..."

"What kind of nonsense is that!" Cai Fu sat up and threw an arm around his shoulder. "You and I are brothers who have faced life and death together; what do you mean by causing me trouble? Say that again, and your big brother will slap you silly!"

"Big brother, I..." Lu Junyi was moved to tears. "It’s just that you already had your plans, and now you’ve disrupted them for my sake..."

"What of it? Plans can never keep up with changes." Cai Fu patted Lu Junyi’s shoulder. "One simply adjusts the plan according to the changes. Besides, going to Zengtou City first might not be a worse plan after all..."

Lu Junyi took this as Cai Fu comforting him and said gratefully, "Thank you, big brother!"

"Thank your head, we are brothers!" Cai Fu gave the back of Lu Junyi’s head a playful smack.

"Yes!" Lu Junyi took the blow, but his heart felt remarkably settled. "I will do whatever you say, big brother!"

"That’s the spirit!" Cai Fu lay back down, signaled for Cai Qing to scoot over, and gestured to Lu Junyi. "Come up and lie down, we’ll talk about the details."

Lu Junyi climbed onto the bed, sandwiching Cai Fu between himself and Cai Qing. "Big brother, Jiao Ting said that Zengtou City has five or six thousand troops. I fear it won't be easy to kill Shi Wengong..."

"There were tens of thousands of government troops in Daming Prefecture!" Cai Fu chuckled. "And didn't we capture Liang Zhongshu?"

"That's right!" Lu Junyi slapped his thigh. Because he was physically strong but simple-minded, he was accustomed to solving problems with his fists. But last time, Cai Fu had opened his eyes—brains were even more useful than fists! Unfortunately, his own brain became muddled whenever he thought too much; fortunately, his big brother’s brain remained clear.

"Big brother, what should we do?" Lu Junyi asked. Cai Fu rubbed his thigh and asked Cai Qing instead, "Brother, what do you think?"

In truth, Cai Qing had a brain as well. In the original story, when Cai Fu received five hundred taels of gold from Li Gu and then another thousand from Chai Jin, he didn't know what to do and consulted Cai Qing. The original Cai Fu kept nothing from him, and he followed Cai Qing's advice to the letter. Although the advice wasn't brilliant, it had at least preserved their lives.

The reason Cai Qing had been speaking less lately was simply that his brother, Cai Fu, had been performing too brilliantly. If one brother was too dazzling, the other had to live in his shadow... unless the younger brother could be even more dazzling, but clearly, Cai Qing’s mind could not compare to the transmigrator Cai Fu.

However, in Cai Fu's eyes, while Cai Qing lacked great wisdom, he still had his share of cleverness. He might not match the likes of "Star of Wisdom" Wu Yong or "Divine Strategist" Zhu Wu, but he was a perfect replacement for "Iron Flute" Le He. As the saying goes, "To fight a tiger, one needs a brother." Cai Qing was the person Cai Fu trusted most after his transmigration. Instead of letting him fade into the background as in the original story, why not cultivate him into a useful talent?

That was why Cai Fu asked him, and Cai Qing nearly wept: his brother had finally asked for his opinion again! Because Cai Fu had been so radiant since his arrival, Cai Qing felt he could no longer keep up with his brother’s pace. He had tried hard to follow, but felt the distance growing ever wider. Thankfully, his brother had finally looked back at him.

"Brother, in my opinion..." Cai Qing's mind raced. "Zengtou City is well-fortified and heavily guarded; it should be taken by wit, not by brute force!"

Even though it was a truism, Cai Fu nodded with a smile, encouraging Cai Qing to think more. "Well said."

Encouraged by his brother, Cai Qing grew more confident. "Little brother has an unrefined idea... Two big brothers, we should do this, and that... then draw the snake out of its hole, luring Shi Wengong out of Zengtou City..."

"How do we lure him?" Lu Junyi asked.

"Appeal to his desires!" Cai Qing had been a minor jailer for years and understood human nature well. "A man who practices martial arts loves nothing more than divine weapons and fine steeds! If we do this, and that... Shi Wengong will surely be lured out of Zengtou City!"

"Brilliant!" Cai Fu gave a thumbs up.

Cai Fu first affirmed Cai Qing’s suggestion, then patched the loopholes in his strategy, and even Lu Junyi offered his own suggestions. As the old saying goes, three cobblers with their wits combined equal Zhuge Liang. The three of them talked by candlelight and hammered out a foolproof plan. Cai Qing was full of joy, and Lu Junyi felt a great sense of participation; he was so satisfied that he didn't even notice the smell of Cai Fu’s feet.