Unparalleled Evildoer

Chapter 2: The birth of evil spirits and the disease

Eight years ago, Na Lanxue gave birth to a son for Li Mu when she was only six months pregnant. When the son was born, he was very thin and not breathing. People thought that the son had died of premature birth. The weak Na Lanxue was unwilling to accept this and tried various methods to save the son but failed. After being sad for several hours, she arranged for someone to bury the son under Li Mu's persuasion.

The four servants wrapped the dead fetus, found a hillside, piled up wood, and were about to start a fire when a strong wind blew, leaves rustled, and six dark colorful lights flew in the night sky and circled in the air, frightening the servants so much that their hair stood on end and their legs went weak. They thought it was an evil spirit taking their lives, and they prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling with fear. They knelt for a long time, but the colorful lights did not dissipate, and became brighter and brighter, illuminating the entire hillside. When the four servants were in despair, the six colorful lights suddenly gathered together, flashed, and fell into the boy's mouth. The boy screamed "wow" and came back to life.

When the servants heard the baby crying, they still didn't dare to stand up. The baby cried for a long time. The crying was too harsh. Seeing that nothing was wrong, the servants plucked up their courage and went forward to check. When they saw the baby crying alive, they panicked and quickly ran back to the mansion holding the child.

When Lan Xue saw her son coming back to life, she cried with joy and asked the nurse to hold him close to her, watching him for most of the night. However, soon after the child was brought home, he began to foam at the mouth and his face turned blue. Several doctors were called in overnight to stabilize his weak breathing. However, the disease continued to recur frequently, and the cause could not be found. Every time, he was almost on the verge of death. Li Mu sought out famous doctors and even Yin-Yang masters and fortune tellers, but they were powerless. A wandering Taoist priest happened to pass by and observed the child. He was also puzzled and said, "There is no such person in the world, and there is no such child in General Li's destiny!"

Li Mu believed the Taoist's words and thought the child was unknown, so he named him Li Zhan. Due to years of war, Li Zhan's life was in danger and he could die at any time. His concern for Li Zhan faded. Even if he suddenly heard the news of Wu Zhan's death one day, he would be prepared and even forgot that he had this son.

From then on, Na Lanxue no longer followed Li Mu to fight. She stayed in Handan and never gave up. She searched for famous doctors in various countries and used many prescriptions and folk remedies to keep Li Zhan alive. Li Mu was generous and used all his salary to reward his soldiers and buy weapons and war horses. However, his family was poor. Na Lanxue spent her savings of many years and sold all her jewelry to treat her son.

Li Mu occasionally went home and met Li Zhan twice. The first time was when Li Zhan was five years old. He saw Li Zhan holding on to a stone bench in the courtyard, staggering to his feet, and said angrily: "I am a descendant of a general, but I gave birth to such a useless person. I am really ashamed of my ancestors!" After hearing this, Lan Xue secretly shed tears.

The second time was when Li Zhan was seven years old. She once asked about Li Zhan's study. Nalan Xue said happily: "Zhan is very smart and has a photographic memory!" Li Mu was delighted and went to see Li Zhan, thinking, "If I can't learn martial arts, it would be good to be a military strategist and make plans." So he tested Li Zhan on the contents of "The Art of War". Li Zhan answered word for word and was fluent. Li Mu was delighted and advised: "Don't memorize by rote and talk about war on paper!"

But unexpectedly, Li Zhan said in a childish voice: "I think the failure of the Battle of Changping was not due to Zhao Kuo. If Bai Qi went to fight for Zhao, he would also be defeated!"

After hearing this, Li Mu said "Oh", he did not expect that a seven-year-old child would have his own opinion. He asked with a smile: "Then where do you think the failure is?"

Li Zhan said: "Zhao Kuo did not advance rashly. The Qin army had traveled a long distance and although they showed weakness, their morale was bound to be low. The Zhao army pursued the victory and made a concerted effort. This was not wrong, but Bai Qi used only 5,000 cavalry to divide the 400,000-strong army into two parts and trapped the Zhao army. This should have been a move that was impossible, but it succeeded. Moreover, Changping was so close to Handan, but the food and grass were cut off. The main force of the Zhao army was without food for more than 40 days. This shows that Zhao lost psychologically and was afraid of the Qin army. If the soldiers did not dare to fight, how could they win?"

Li Mu always believed that Zhao Kuo's military strategy was inappropriate in the Battle of Changping, and that he had to defend against the Huns and did not have the opportunity to command that battle. When he heard Li Zhan say this, he said angrily: "What nonsense! When have my Zhao army soldiers ever been afraid of the Qin army? If it weren't for Zhao Kuo's improper command, how could we have destroyed my Zhao army of 400,000? How can you absolve a criminal of responsibility!" Na Lan Xue quickly winked at Li Zhan.

Li Zhan knelt on the ground tremblingly and whispered, "Father, calm down. I am just expressing my thoughts. The matter has passed and there is no value in our argument."

Li Mu was even more angry when he heard Li Zhan say this. He said, "You are a young boy, you are ignorant and you are twisting the facts. You must remember that the Battle of Changping was a shame for Zhao. As a Zhao citizen, you must always remember this shame. How can Zhao lose in the heart?"

Li Zhan said, "I won't tell you because I'm afraid that if I tell you, it will make my father angry."

Li Mu pointed at Li Zhan and said, "You evil creature, you must speak clearly!" After hearing this, Lan Xue wiped her tears.

Although Li Zhan was physically weak, he was disheartened when he heard the word "evil obstacle". He knew in his young heart that in his father's eyes, he would always be just an evil obstacle who would never be cared about. He mustered up his courage and said, "First, although the Zhao army is large, it is like a pile of loose sand, with low morale and lack of combat experience. Otherwise, how could the 400,000-strong army break through? Second, Zhao has no ministers with foresight and foresight. They cannot see the key to the problem and cannot offer suggestions. They are arguing endlessly about whether to fight or make peace. They are not fighting against the enemy, but fighting for power. How can such a country not be defeated? Third, the King of Zhao They failed to see that the Battle of Changping was a life-and-death battle for the two countries, and thought that they could fight or make peace. They even rushed Zhao Kuo to the battlefield without preparing all the food and grass. How could they not be defeated when the troops went ahead before the food and grass arrived? The whole country lost because of their mentality, and they put the responsibility on Zhao Kuo, who was brave and fearless and died on the battlefield. It is ridiculous. If Zhao Kuo led the Qin army and Bai Qi led the Zhao army, Bai Qi would definitely fail. The world's famous ministers and generals can shine in Qin, but they are buried in the six kingdoms. This shows that there is no wise monarch in the six kingdoms. The real sinner of the Battle of Changping is King Zhao!"

After hearing this, Li Mu drew his sword, pointed it at Li Zhan's throat, and cursed: "If you are really not my son, you will be a disloyal and unfilial bastard. I will get rid of you today!" Lan Xue rushed to Li Zhan and protected him. With tears streaming down her face, she begged: "Zhan'er is ignorant. Considering that it is not easy for me to raise him, I beg you to forgive me and let Zhan'er go. He is the lifeblood of the Li family!"

When Li Mu saw Lan Xue pleading for mercy, his heart softened. He put away his sword and said coldly: "I, Li Mu, don't have such a son. This is a good son you raised!" From then on, even if Li Mu returned to the mansion, he didn't want to see Li Zhan.

It was past the hour of Xu, and the shadows of the trees in the courtyard were scattered. Li Mu walked out of the study and wanted to go to Madam Wang, but he saw that the oil lamp in the main room had been extinguished. Instead, he saw that the lights in the wing room were still on. In fact, Li Mu originally wanted to go to Lan Xue's place to sleep and ask for the night-shining pearl, but the night-shining pearl had been sold to treat Li Zhan's illness. He was unhappy and changed his mind temporarily without telling Madam Wang. Now he stood in the courtyard, not knowing where to go. He thought, "Although I have received a lot of rewards over the years, I have never given her a single copper coin to support her and her son. She has suffered a lot. She had to sell the night-shining pearl and seek medical treatment. I secretly blame myself and feel ashamed to be a real man."

Just as he was about to walk towards the wing room, he saw that the lights in Li Zhong's house were still on. Thinking of his adopted son's injuries, he thought that twenty military sticks was too severe a punishment for him. He wondered if he could fight on the battlefield again in the future, so he slowly walked towards Li Zhong's house.

When he was almost at the door, he heard a child's voice coming from inside the house, "Father's actions today not only harmed my brother, but also increased Guo Kai's arrogance!" Li Mu stopped outside the house and listened quietly.

Li Zhong sighed and said, "It was my recklessness that harmed my adoptive father!" "Guo Kai was jealous of talented people and spread rumors and slanders, while King Zhao favors treacherous people. If we don't get rid of Guo Kai today, there will be trouble in the future. My brother was not reckless, but too hesitant." When Li Mu heard this, he knew that the child who was speaking must be Li Zhan.

Li Zhong and Li Zhan had a harmonious relationship. Every time Li Zhong returned, he would visit Li Zhan and bring him some ancient books, telling him about the situation on the battlefield and the status of various countries.

Li Zhan knew about the outside world mostly from what Li Zhong told him. Li Zhan was weak and had to breathe for a long time after walking a distance. He could only stay at home every day and read some books. He had no energy to go out and play with children of the same age. His two sisters also ignored him as a useless man. Apart from his mother, Li Zhong was the person closest to him.

Li Zhong said with pain: "If it weren't for my adoptive father stopping me, I would have killed Zhao Cong tonight and died to atone for my crime!"

Li Zhan said: "Zhao Cong is nothing to be afraid of. Without Guo Kai, he would not dare to stir up trouble. Getting rid of Guo Kai is the key. If a treacherous minister can sit on the position of prime minister, the country will be destroyed. No matter how great your father's military exploits are, he can't beat Guo Kai's mouth. A treacherous minister accompanies a tyrant. Your father's move is like letting a tiger return to the mountain. His life is in danger."

When Li Mu heard this from outside, he became furious. He stomped the door to pieces and rushed into the house, shouting, "You bold evil creature, you are spreading rumors and bullying the emperor. I will kill you today!" He was about to slap the forehead of Li Zhan, an eight-year-old boy who was sitting on a chair beside the bed. Li Zhong saw Li Mu slapping Li Zhan next to him. If he hit him, his brain would be broken. He endured the pain and flew towards Li Mu, meeting Li Mu's palm. The palm hit Li Zhong's shoulder. With a 'crack' sound, the bone shattered. Li Zhong endured the severe pain and shouted, "Father, please calm down. It's my fault. I am a very talented boy. I will have great potential in the future. Please forgive me!" He used his other hand to hold Li Mu's waist tightly.

Li Mu saw that he had accidentally hit Li Zhong and was hugged by Li Zhong again, so he said angrily: "Let me go, I want to kill this evil beast. If I don't kill him today, he will surely be like Zhao Kuo, bringing disaster to the country and the people!" Li Zhong refused to let go.

Li Zhong begged: "Father, just kill me and forgive me, brother. It's all my fault. I deserve to die!"

Li Zhan stood up slightly, surprisingly calm, and said: "Brother, let him beat me to death. Anyway, I don't have much time to live. It's better to die early and be free than to live in suffering. If I wasn't afraid of making my mother sad, I would have died long ago. His behavior makes my mother even more sad."

Li Zhong shouted, "Shut up and apologize to your godfather!"

Upon hearing the noise, Na Lan Xue rushed over, hugged Li Zhan, and cried bitterly, "Hurry up and apologize to your father!" Mrs. Wang and some family members also rushed over to persuade them.

Li Zhan looked at his father with his clear eyes and said, "In your father's heart, just like my name, I will always be an evildoer who cannot go to the battlefield. Why don't you take me to the battlefield and kill me? I will also die on the battlefield, and I won't let you down in this life..."

Na Lan Xue covered Li Zhan's mouth and said, "Stop talking and kneel down!" Li Zhan knelt down.

After hearing this, Li Mu laughed wildly: "I, Li Mu, actually have such a rebellious son. God has been kind to me!" Suddenly he pointed at Li Zhan and shouted: "From now on, you are not allowed to have the surname Li anymore. Get out of this house!"

Na Lanxue wiped away her tears, stood up silently, and said in a deep voice: "My family and my tribesmen were all killed by you, where do you want my son to go?"

After hearing this, Li Mu said, "So you have always hated me in your heart, but you just said it out loud now."

Lan Xue snorted coldly, "If I hated you, you would have been killed by me long ago. How could I have given birth to a child for you? In this country where the strong prey on the weak, how can we, a small tribe, survive? It doesn't matter who destroys us. My father asked me to learn your Chinese culture and marry into a powerful country in order to survive. Before I even got married, you led your army to destroy me. What's the point of my revenge? Is the country important to a woman like me? I just want a happy family, raise children, and live my life like this. It's not that I hate you, it's that you can't let go of me, a foreigner."

After hearing this, Li Mu felt deeply guilty. Seeing Lan Xue holding Li Zhan and walking out, he said, "Come back. Where are you going?"

Na Lanxue said, "Although I have nowhere to go, I can't just watch you beat Zhan'er to death. You don't acknowledge that he is your flesh and blood, but he is my flesh and blood. As long as I live one more day, I will not let him die."

Li Zhan wiped his mother's tears and said, "Mother!" With a "wow" sound, he spat out blood...

(End of this chapter)