Chapter Ninety-Seven: The Recruitment Envoy

The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion is an immensely mysterious force. It is an undeniable fact that although the pavilion rarely shows itself in this mortal world, any single piece of news it releases is enough to stir up massive turmoil throughout the Great Tang.

"Who has arrived?"

Yanhong's tone at this moment was exceptionally serious. Li Zisheng could clearly perceive the tension hidden within her heart.

Observing Yanhong, Li Zisheng had already managed to ascertain precisely where her bottom line lay.

"Mistress, I would like to ask you to kill someone. If you kill this person, I will naturally tell you everything I know about the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion. If, however, you have no desire to know, I shall never utter a single word regarding the pavilion. The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion is the only pathway to breaking free from the fate of being a mere chess piece."

Li Zisheng spoke sheer nonsense off the top of his head, yet his words were a mixture of half-truths and falsehoods, making it impossible for Yanhong to distinguish the critical details.

"Young Master Li is a close relative of Grand Councilor Zhang, holding powers that can shake the entire Great Tang. Who on earth is so audacious as to disregard Grand Councilor Zhang's face and dare to displease Young Master Li?"

"Mistress is a woman of straightforward words, and I certainly will not conceal anything. Is this proposal acceptable to you or not?"

Li Zisheng put on an expression as if he had no intention of wasting any more time.

Yet the more he acted this way, the more convinced Yanhong became that Li Zisheng was speaking the truth. This person must have caused Li Zisheng immense displeasure, but due to his own status and standing, it was inconvenient for him to take action personally, which was why he sought her help. If that were the case, this presented a fine opportunity to cultivate a good relationship with Li Zisheng. She wondered if that little vixen Linger had also caught wind of this situation.

"I wonder who exactly this person is that Young Master Li speaks of? How could they be so utterly reckless?"

"It is none other than Deng Qing."

"What? Deng Qing?"

"Well, Mistress, is there a difficulty?"

"No, Young Master Li, aren't you just putting this humble servant on the spot? That scoundrel Deng Qing is an utterly ferocious fiend."

"Oh? Has Mistress had dealings with this person before?"

"To be frank with Young Master Li, although Deng Qing is a crude man, he possesses a subtle mind beneath his rough exterior. He can truly be considered a hero of his generation."

"A hero of his generation?"

This left Li Zisheng somewhat perplexed. It was not as though he had never crossed paths with Deng Qing; while Deng Qing possessed a certain degree of cunning and ambition, he was by no means worthy of being called a hero. Why on earth did Yanhong hold such an exceptionally high opinion of him?

"Since Mistress holds Deng Qing in such high regard, from my perspective, he is nothing more than a petty scumbag unworthy of standing upon a grand stage."

Naturally, Li Zisheng was not going to offer any favorable evaluation of Deng Qing. The man had nearly cost him his life; it would be a miracle if he could muster any pleasant expressions toward him.

"Young Master Li is still young, so it is quite natural that you do not know. A few years ago, Deng Qing served as a Recruitment Envoy."

"A Recruitment Envoy?"

This was the first time Li Zisheng had ever heard of such a thing, even the very title itself was entirely unfamiliar. He had never encountered any historical records of anyone holding this position.

"It is completely normal that Young Master Li has not heard of it. This title of Recruitment Envoy refers to an underground organization, a covert agency within the Great Tang. Every person selected as a Recruitment Envoy can be called a dragon among men, a rare and exceptional talent. However, the selection process for these envoys is extraordinarily rigorous, far exceeding the difficulty of the current imperial examinations for selecting officials."

"What? You mean it surpasses the difficulty of modern official selections? Could it truly be that stringent?"

Li Zisheng was quite familiar with the way officialdom operated in the Great Tang. Official posts were scarce, whereas scholars taking the imperial examinations were numerous. Every year, without substantial connections, even the top-ranking scholar in the exams found it difficult to secure a direct appointment, often having to wait several years before the Ministry of Personnel distributed a few idle, minor posts to finally assume office. Consequently, waiting several years after the exams and accumulating seniority made obtaining an official post within the Great Tang a very arduous endeavor.

For Yanhong to claim that the difficulty of entering the ranks of Recruitment Envoys far exceeded that of securing an official position in the imperial court sounded truly terrifying.

"Then how on earth did Deng Qing manage to get selected?"

"Deng Qing relied on sheer ruthlessness. Back then, the Deng family held immense influence, and Deng Qing was merely an inconspicuous young master within the household. Who would have thought that after mysteriously vanishing for a period of time, both his temperament and capabilities underwent a drastic transformation. Upon returning, he sought a military position through his family elders and, relying on just a few irregular troops, single-handedly wiped out the notorious bandits of the Three Camps and Sixteen Strongholds who had been running rampant at the time. Following that, his military rank soared step by step. Afterward, he achieved repeated military merits, truly earning the title of an ambitious hero. As for how he was selected to become a Recruitment Envoy, I heard it was decided by the higher-ups within the organization itself; the specific details remain unclear to me. However, I must ask, how did Deng Qing offend Young Master Li to the point of driving you to eliminate him so desperately?"

"Because of his actions, my family elders specifically instructed me to come here to Lingzhou to investigate."

Li Zisheng once again spoke only half his words and stopped, leaving the rest for Yanhong to imagine and interpret.

"What? Deng Qing is actually this audacious? To dare to oppose Grand Councilor Zhang—he truly deserves to die."

Yanhong made her intentions of currying favor with Li Zisheng blatantly obvious.

Li Zisheng could naturally feel it.

"Then I leave this matter in Mistress's hands."

"Young Master Li is being too distant. Just call me Sister Yanhong. Now, what about the matter concerning the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion?"

Yanhong did not continue further, but her meaning was exceedingly clear: she had agreed to Young Master Li's request, and naturally, Li Zisheng needed to fulfill his end of the bargain by telling her about the pavilion.

"Sister Yanhong, if business were conducted in such a manner, I would certainly be at a severe loss. However, Sister Yanhong, I would never let you suffer unfairly. The Heavenly Secrets Pavilion has indeed dispatched a major figure this time, and the purpose of this person is to seek a fated individual. This fated individual holds the key to a matter of great magnitude. If Sister Yanhong can deploy her forces in advance, you will undoubtedly win the favor of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, and it may not be impossible to realize your deepest ambitions."

"A fated individual?"

Yanhong fell into deep contemplation. She truly knew nothing of this matter, nor could she verify its truth. Yet, since Li Zisheng spoke with such absolute conviction, perhaps the story was not entirely false. If it ultimately proved to be a lie, she would tear Li Zisheng into a thousand pieces, even if he were a scion of Grand Councilor Zhang.

"Very well, Young Master Li, I thank you for your good intentions. Deng Qing still holds great utility at present and cannot be executed just yet. In a few months' time, I will undoubtedly present Deng Qing's head to you on a silver platter, and I shall not break my promise. But when that time comes, I also hope Young Master Li can introduce me to the members of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion to lend me a helping hand."

"Agreed."

Li Zisheng readily consented.

Having obtained what she wanted, Yanhong no longer mentioned the nineteen layers of hell, and departed with a graceful and unhurried demeanor.