Both are Foxes Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Breaking Up

Ye Yin's eyes were full of suspicion. "Is that what you were hiding from me?"

"Yes, I was hiding Zhuo Ran's history. Zhuo Ran……" Du Luo stopped.

"You can't tell me?"

"Well, telling you will do no harm. At least you will stop bugging me. Zhuo Ran came from the Hidden Valley." Du Luo muttered.

"Hidden Valley? One of the greatest mysteries in the world that even martial artists fear?"

Du Luo nodded. "Mm. The Hidden Valley sect has always been mysterious. All of its disciples are outstanding. Some even become government officials to a.s.sist the emperor, others, merchants to make money for Hidden Valley. Naturally, there are those who practice medicine, and even more who wander throughout the world. But no matter the disciple, once they leave the valley, people chase after them feverishly. Currently, the lord of Hidden Valley has four disciples in total. Amongst the four, Zhuo Ran is the second disciple and has studied the ancient valley's medicine."

"Why is this such a secret?" Ye Yin asked, confused.

"Didn't I tell you all disciples of Hidden Valley are highly sought after? Even emperors would want a Hidden Valley's disciple to a.s.sist them, so the disciples hide their ident.i.ties. Under such circ.u.mstances, Zhuo Ran's ident.i.ty is of course a secret!"

Ye Yin frowned, not accepting this explanation. "It was just this? Mr. Zhuo does not seem out of the ordinary besides his medicinal expertise."

"That is because he has not fully learned everything from the valley yet. He has only studied medicine in the valley, and you are not familiar with him either. How do you know if practicing medicine is the only thing he is good at? The most powerful disciple is the lord's first disciple, he is a true genius, he…" Du Luo suddenly broke off. Ye Yin raised a brow. "What about him? Is he powerful?"

Du Luo smiled profoundly. "Little Qi, don't think you're the only smart person, that everyone else is dumb. In this world, there are many foxes. You are a small fox, but there are old foxes, and foxes that have even become divine! So never look down on others!"

"I have never looked down on others. I also know that there are many dangerous foxes around me, like Nangong Piaoran. But no one can predict the future. Who has fallen who's trap is uncertain!"

Du Luo shook his head, sighing in his heart. Birds of a feather flock together. People attract those similar to themselves!

As Ye Yin listened to Du Luo's explanation, he had been watching Du Luo's expression closely. Du Luo had remained undisturbed, but he kept feeling that Du Luo was hinting at something. Although he still felt Du Luo was hiding something, he could not do anything about it. In any case, Du Luo would never harm him, so he would let him be! There was a more pressing matter at hand.

"Brother Du, can you do something for me?" Ye Yin bit his lip, looking at Du Luo with a little uncertainty.

Seeing Ye Yin's cautious appearance, Du Luo softened. He laughed. "Is it for West Zhi?"

Ye Yin nodded. Du Luo sighed. "Were you afraid I would be angry? Dummy, you're working so hard for your dream, why would I not help you? I'm your friend! So tell me, what is it?"

"I want you to use my authority as master of Fusheng to undercut West Zhi merchants. With the power of the West Zhi government, I will give you anything you need. Also, my sixth brother is a senior member of the Merchant League, and Fusheng is one of its members. I want you to utilize this so that no West Zhi merchant can do business with other countries easily."

"Use the Merchant League to force them incapable of trading with other countries? Isn't that a little difficult?" Du Luo was slightly confused.

"No. As long as you use your advantage properly, it will be simple. West Zhi has been in turmoil for so long, senior members of the Merchant League have disapproved of adding West Zhi merchants into the league, which is why none have not been added. They already have trouble trading with other countries. I want you to get in touch with my brother and us his influence to thoroughly stop the greedy West Zhi merchants from trading with other countries. I want to turn over all crafty merchants to the authorities, hmph! I want them to willingly hand over all their money for the country."

*?? Do I detect a new strain of communism?? Jkjk

Du Luo nodded, understanding immediately, then said, "But aren't you afraid that your brother will find out you are alive? Or do you plan on telling him you are?"

Ye Yin shook his head. "No, don't let him know I am alive. Sixth brother has never known that 'Fusheng' was created by me, he has always thought you were the master of Fusheng, so if you contact him, he will not be suspicious." Sighing lightly, Ye Yin said a little sadly, "I have no other choice. I actually did not want to use sixth brother's connections the most, but now…"

To divert Ye Yin from his sorrow, Du Luo changed the topic. "Why did you quickly think to deal with the merchants?"

"They can't be left alone!" Ye Yin said helplessly. "Money is inevitably needed to reconstruct the country, but West Zhi's treasury is empty. West Zhi is not actually poor, but because of the merchants, the country is poor. I need those leeches to release some blood."

"But aren't you afraid that major clans or merchant families will run?"

"Run?" Ye Yin smiled coldly. "Where could they run to? They can run, but they'll come back eventually. All their shops are in West Zhi, their bases are in West Zhi. Can they afford to abandon them?"

Du Luo shook his head. "You sneaky fox, sure are ruthless."

"If I'm not harsh enough, nothing can get done. West Zhi is a mess, raising it will not be easy!" Ye Yin frowned, then sighed. "Brother Du, I know now the situation is far more difficult than I originally antic.i.p.ated. Before, I was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with confidence, but now…"

"What? Did you lose some confidence?"

Ye Yin shook his head. "How could that be? Anything can be lost but self confidence. I need to rely on it to persevere! Though the path is difficult, I will persevere. Brother Du, don't think that just because I'm a girl that I will give up, anything a man can do, a girl can do, so I will definitely raise West Zhi!"

This was the first time Du Luo heard Ye Yin refer to himself as a girl since he had last seen him. He looked at Ye Yin a little piteously. "Little Qi, you have already done well. You are the strongest girl in the world."

Ye Yin laughed bitterly, disappointed. "Brother Du, my heart has shaken before. I am not as resolute as you think. When I planned to kill all the high ranking officers under Qi Chengfeng and Chu Feiye, I hesitated for a long time. It was more than ten lives, and killing them would bring their families misfortune, but what happened that night forced my hand. I could only ruthlessly order to kill them. That night, when I saw their corpses, I knew there was no way back, that I was on the road to kill even more people. I must walk steadfastly, step by step, with no hesitation, because the people I killed must be watching me from the underworld. If I cannot build a Zhi nation so powerful that no other countries will dare to covet it, the people below the earth will never forgive me."

Though he had a somewhat vacant expression, his eyes were exceptionally resolute. Du Luo smiled. This youth had been swayed before, but would never lose his way. He knew what he wanted. Even if the path there would be painful, he would still continue down the path without wavering.

"Little Qi, no matter what you do, I will always support you!"

Ye Yin smiled gratefully. Suddenly, his tone shifted. "Then brother Du, tell me how you and Aman are! The previous few times I asked, you would always dodge the question, but now, since you will always support me, why don't you tell me?"

Du Luo's expression flickered. "This is this, that is that. I was saying I will support what you want to do, I will support you when you create Zhi nation, what does that have to do with Aman?"

"How could it not be related to Aman?" Ye Yin said righteously. "Aman lent me some soldiers. Without her support, I wouldn't have been able to convince Zhu Ziliang, and I will rely on her to protect West Zhi in the future!"

Du Luo fell silent. After a while, he spoke. "Little Qi, did you sell me out for Zhi nation?"

"How can you say I sold you? I did use you to make a deal with Aman, but can you truly say she is not in your heart? I am saying this for you. Clearly, she is the one you love, but because of me, you shun her. I don't want to be the third wheel that breaks up a couple, so I am trying to give you guys the chance to make up, okay?"

Seeing Ye Yin so righteous, Du Luo laughed bitterly, then sighed. "Little Qi, I do like Aman, but we do not belong together!"

"Why?"

"You know that I am a natural wanderer, so I never stay in one place for long. But Aman wants me to stay with her clan and live with her. She is the Mong chief, she has her responsibilities and duties, but I cannot bear to be tied down in one place. She cannot leave her clan, and I cannot stay with her, so we do not belong together."

Ye Yin fell silent. Indeed, this was the biggest dilemma for Aman and Du Luo. They could not be together unless one of them gave up what was important to them. For Du Luo to give up traveling was impossible, but what about Aman? A person with such a strong sense of responsibility would never discard her clansmen for her own selfish desires, so Aman…

"Aman wanted you to stay with her in the northern territory?"

Du Luo nodded. Ye Yin then continued, "You did not reply, so Aman returned?"

"Yes. She said she could not selfishly abandon her people, and cursed me for being an inconsiderate, heartless man, so she does not want me anymore!"

Ye Yin gaped. "Sh-she said she doesn't want you anymore? How could that be? She really likes you."

Du Luo laughed. "Even deep love can fade over time, and ever since she became chief, she has become even more sensible. She will not act selfishly again, she has grown!"