Chapter Eighty-Five: Borrowing the Tiger's Might

"The Heavenly Secret Pavilion? How do you know of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion?"

"Oh, Sister Ling'er, surely you don't think Zisheng relies solely on your Three Flavors Pavilion to survive, do you?"

Li Zisheng showed Ling'er no mercy. This was a battle of wits, a test to see who would be the first to yield. Only by holding one's ground until the end could one hope to subdue the enemy without fighting and achieve one's own goals.

Li Zisheng’s attitude caught Ling'er off guard, leaving her momentarily speechless. She was stunned by his sudden display of steel; it was entirely unexpected.

"Zisheng, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion is ethereal and elusive. Do not mistake it for a backer; the arrogance of the Pavilion is something no one can command." Although Ling'er was speaking of another faction, the reverence in her tone was not feigned; it was etched plainly upon her face.

Li Zisheng noted this reaction, confirming in his mind that the status of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion must be transcendent within the Great Tang. Otherwise, a power as vast as the Three Flavors Pavilion would not hold it in such awe.

Li Zisheng felt a wave of relief. Since that was the case, he had successfully draped himself in the tiger skin of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.

"Zisheng, you still haven't told me how you know of the existence of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion?"

Ling'er’s voice was becoming somewhat hysterical, her words a frantic murmur. Li Zisheng knew his objective had been achieved; there was no need to rush what came next.

"Sister Ling'er, do not be anxious. My relationship with the Heavenly Secret Pavilion aside, I am not a person to be trifled with. You need not threaten me with my own safety."

Li Zisheng’s words were clear, but to Ling'er, they sounded like a blatant provocation of her own authority.

"Zisheng, those who know the times are heroes. Do not bring trouble upon yourself."

"Gao Lishi."

Li Zisheng spoke only these three words—a name. Yet, to Ling'er, the meaning shifted instantly. She was, of course, intimately familiar with the name, but how could Li Zisheng know it?

"What did you say?"

Ling'er’s tone was now marked by a trace of panic.

"Sister Ling'er, why the panic?" Li Zisheng teased deliberately, emphasizing the word "panic."

"Zisheng, let us speak plainly. Tell me, what are your conditions?" Ling'er seemed to have conceded. Li Zisheng, who could speak so knowingly of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion and Gao Lishi, was beyond her imagination; he was no longer someone she could manipulate at will.

Hearing her words, Li Zisheng did not assume she had truly surrendered; he was not so easily fooled.

"Sister Ling'er, there is no need to rush. The Great Tang is in a state of great upheaval, and I am well aware of it. If one wishes to be sheltered from the storm within this empire, one must seek a pillar of support; one cannot sail the boat alone, would you not agree? But to live in constant fear—that is not the style of a scholar like me. In the end, it is but a single life."

Li Zisheng’s words were brazen, hitting exactly at the core of Ling'er’s position.

"What is your meaning?" Ling'er asked.

"Sister Ling'er, you know that although the politics of the Great Tang are clear, the forces behind them are deeply intertwined and complex. Yet, one thing remains certain: the center of it all is still His Majesty. No matter how things change, they cannot depart from that center. Would you not agree?"

Li Zisheng smiled with an air of innocence. Ling'er found his demeanor difficult to fathom, but she was no simple woman herself.

"True, the factions of the Great Tang are indeed intertwined, but within that web, it would be as easy as turning over one's palm for the Three Flavors Pavilion to take the life of a little brat like you. Would you not agree?" Ling'er smiled brilliantly, though her eyes remained cold.

"For a faction to kill a small person is indeed simple, like a blade falling. But one must consider this: if this 'small person' becomes a key to a greater event, they become someone whom every faction wishes to kill, yet also someone every faction wishes to protect. Would you not agree?"

Li Zisheng did not yield an inch, countering her directly.

"But what if this small person has other attachments, and those attachments are held captive by a mysterious force? How then does this small person choose?"

Li Zisheng fell into deep thought. Ling'er had finally touched upon his greatest fear: his family. Though they were not his true kin, they were dearer to him than any blood relation. They were his greatest vulnerability. The thought that his special identity might bring them inexplicable harm was the one thing he could not bear.

"Sometimes, the more desperate the situation, the more unimaginable the power this small person can unleash. After all, those with nothing to lose have no fear of the barefooted."

Li Zisheng feigned a cold-heartedness he did not feel, his expression remaining light and indifferent.

"Very well, very well. I have underestimated this 'small person.' If the Three Flavors Pavilion were to cooperate with you, what would be the conditions? Wealth, status, delicacies—all are within reach, easily granted." Ling'er sighed with resignation as she looked at him.

"Nothing of the sort. Only the safety of my family. As for wealth, it is but passing clouds," Li Zisheng said calmly.

"The safety of your family? Is that the condition? Cooperating with our Three Flavors Pavilion for such a trivial matter... if that is all, then your commitment to this cooperation seems unreliable."

"It is enough."

"Truly enough? No other demands?"

"It is enough."

"Fine. Since that is the case, I can tell you why I came to Le City to face you." Ling'er finally relented. Li Zisheng’s expression remained unchanged, even though he knew he had successfully leveraged the names of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion and Gao Lishi.

The Heavenly Secret Pavilion was a mysterious organization, but Gao Lishi was a real official—a favorite of the Emperor. Li Zisheng had brought him up because of the name "Three Flavors Pavilion." He had read in history books that Gao Lishi came from the household of Wu Sansi, and his foster father was Gao Yanfu. There was a famous building in Wu Sansi’s estate called the "Three Flavors Pavilion," and Gao Lishi’s foster father had frequented it. When he first heard the name, he had suspected a connection. By mentioning it, he had gambled, and he was right—the Three Flavors Pavilion was indeed linked to Gao Lishi.