One person: I, Daoist Master, am a cultivator of immortality!

After Sun Yao finished speaking, he got up and walked outside. Chen Yulou and Hong Guniang didn't hesitate for a moment and followed him. Now they were in the same boat, so naturally they had to advance and retreat together. Before long, they arrived at the hotel where the Duan family father and son special envoys were staying.

"This must be Commander Duan's special envoy. I've heard so much about you!"

"Not at all, you are far superior to me. At such a young age, you dared to infiltrate the enemy camp alone and behead Zuo Qianzhi right there in his mansion. Even in ancient times, you would be a brave warrior who could take the head of a general from among ten thousand soldiers. How could I, a mere special envoy, compare to you? However, no matter how despicable Zuo Qianzhi is, he is still a member of my Xiang Army. It would be inappropriate for you to bypass us and handle this privately!"

As the special envoy spoke, his tone changed. What had been a gentle spring breeze turned as cold as a winter wind.

"This is exactly what I'm going to talk about next, but it's a big deal and not something you, as a special envoy, can decide on your own. I know you have Marshal Duan's phone number, and I hope you can call him so I can speak with him personally."

"You? I'm afraid that's inappropriate."

"What's wrong with it? Is it my fault, or is it the tens of thousands of troops that have taken over Shacheng? I advise the special envoy to think carefully before saying those two words, after all, I have more than just these tens of thousands of troops behind me."

After Sun Yao finished speaking, a commotion of footsteps could be heard outside the hotel. The special envoy hurried to the window and looked down to see that the entire hotel was surrounded by unidentified soldiers armed to the teeth.

"Are you threatening me?!"

“Wrong. I just want to discuss a deal with Commander Duan, and you’re not qualified to be our messenger. Call Commander Duan now. Remember, my words are no longer requests, but demands.” Sun Yao’s tone was no longer as calm as before, and when he said the word “demand,” it carried a commanding tone.

The special envoy glanced at Zhang Qishan standing to the side out of the corner of his eye. Zhang Qishan noticed his gaze but shook his head at the special envoy. The special envoy was initially startled by this, then turned to look at the telephone on the table. He sighed, sat down on the sofa, picked up the phone, and began dialing.

The call connected in just two or three minutes. After the special envoy briefly explained the situation to Duan Shuai, he handed the receiver to Sun Yao.

"Hello, this is Duan Shuai."

"Hello, I wonder what kind of deal you want to discuss with me, young sir. Even the special envoy I personally appointed said you are not qualified to be a messenger."

"What I want to talk about is the position of Governor-General of Huguang, which is also Marshal Duan's backup plan."

"Oh? Young sir, do you know that I am the current Governor-General of Huguang? You wish to discuss my position with me over the phone?"

"Commander Duan, let's be frank. The position of Governor-General of Zhili is about to become vacant, and both you and the warlords of the Zhili and Fengtian cliques want to compete for it. They have the advantage of territory, while your advantage lies in military strength. However, if you take all your troops there, the rear will be left vulnerable to being stolen. But if you don't take them all there, you won't have any advantage to compete with the warlords of the Zhili and Fengtian cliques."

"Where did you get the news?"

"I won't go into where I got this information, but I can assure you of its accuracy. You need to think this through. The information you have might be available to other warlord factions as well. At that time, you might not only be competing for this position with the Zhili and Fengtian cliques, but there will also be others involved. Whether it's them coming to Beijing to compete with you for the Zhili governorship, or seizing your Xiang Army's territory after you leave, it will be a major threat."

"what do you mean?"

"Before you and your son go to Zhili, arrange for one of my men to become the Governor-General of Huguang. We will not only eliminate your worries but also provide you with funds to solve your military expenses. What does Commander Duan think of this deal?"

"Is it really that good? And it solves all your worries? I think you just want a legitimate excuse to compete for the position of Governor-General of Huguang." A young voice interrupted them as they were talking.

"If that's what you mean, Commander Duan, I won't deny it. But if you don't benefit from this land of Huguang, someone else will. I can give you a way out and also provide you with money, so why not?"

After hearing Sun Yao's words, there was a brief silence on the other end of the phone. About 10 minutes later, a voice came from the other end.

"Alright, I will appoint your man as Governor-General of Huguang before I go to Zhili. However, whether you can hold onto this position depends on how strong your man is. But I want to make one thing clear in advance: don't try to trick me out of the position of Governor-General of Huguang with a paltry sum of money."

"Don't worry, within three days I will provide you with a military allowance that will satisfy you."

After finishing his sentence, Sun Yao hung up the phone and turned to look at Chen Yulou beside him. Having received a signal from Sun Yao, Chen Yulou understood and left. As for Sun Yao, after saying goodbye to the special envoy, he also left.

At a tea stall outside the inn, Chen Yulou and Sun Yao, who had just left the inn, picked up their teacups and began to drink tea. "Young Taoist Master, aren't you afraid that the man surnamed Duan will try to extort you?"

"I'm actually afraid he won't speak up. Once he does, things will be much easier to discuss. I said I'd give him a satisfactory amount of military funds, but in reality, the exact amount is up to me. Even if Old Duan demands an exorbitant amount, what harm is there in giving it to him? As long as we have the Huguang region in our hands, if he fails, we can crush him and he won't be able to come back. At that point, controlling the Duan family will be a piece of cake. Don't get caught up in immediate gains; think about long-term development. After taking over Huguang, we'll have a foundation for development. Then, we can use it to conquer the world. 'When Suzhou and Huguang are prosperous, the whole country is prosperous' isn't just an empty phrase. With grain comes manpower, and with money comes an army."

"However, the Duan family has been in the position of Governor-General of Huguang for more than 10 years. It is simply impossible for us to remove the Duan family's influence in Huguang in just one or two years."

"You can rest assured about this. Once we take power, we don't need to eliminate the Duan family's influence. We just need to replace all the warlords in Huguang with our own people. When the Duan family enters Zhili, they will definitely take their troops with them. Without the support of the Duan family, the remaining small warlords only have one or two regiments of troops. They can't even make a ripple."