Seeing that Qiao Shui was obviously dying, Li Gongde seemed to want to satisfy his curiosity before he died. He sighed inwardly and told Qiao Shui the whole story without hiding anything.
"Are you really Li Gongde?" Qiao Shui frowned.
His original body lost a leg on the execution ground because of Li Gongde... Although his tolerance for pain is far beyond that of ordinary people, the pain is real after all.
"The you in Caishikou is fake, and the you sitting here, are you real or fake?" His expression was a little cold, and he was obviously wary of Li Gongde.
However, his body was now at the end of its strength. Although his expression was cold and there was a hint of murderous aura emanating from him, he was actually not a threat. It was even unclear whether he could even lift the sword.
In Li Gongde's eyes, this forced threat was like a dying tiger with its fangs and claws bared. It did not scare him, but only made him feel uneasy.
"Don't be anxious, Brother Qiao Shui. You are almost dying. Why would I lie to a dead person?" Li Gongde said sympathetically.
Qiao Shui:
"In fact, this was all the King of Qin's idea." Li Gongde raised his hands in surrender to show that he had no ill intentions:
"He used me as bait to lure the Qiao family into Daqinfu City and catch them all in one fell swoop."
"But I, Li Gongde, am a wealthy man in Zhongzhou after all. Looking at the entire Jiuzhou, I am also a well-known figure. Naturally, I can't just kill him casually."
"So he found someone with a similar body shape to me, and used the immortal way's talisman to cover himself up, so that he could look like me."
"To show his sincerity and to demonstrate his integrity, King Qin imprisoned me in this palace and also left me a water mirror spell, allowing me to take a glimpse of the current situation at the execution ground."
Qiao Mu secretly complained: If the King of Qin really regarded you as an important figure, he would never think of using you as bait.
But he didn't make any move to refute.
He realized something belatedly: Li Gongde also saw Qiao Mu cutting off one of his legs at the execution ground through the water mirror technique. And the body of "Qiao Shui" was also dying because of breaking into the Qin Palace.
Li Gongde probably felt somewhat guilty in his heart, so in front of the dying "Qiao Shui", he seemed to let down his usual guard and said some inside stories that he shouldn't have said.
"So the identity of a dying person can be used to extract information?" Qiao Mu suddenly understood when he thought of this.
Li Gongde conspired with the King of Qin to trick him into giving away his body... Whether he did it intentionally or not, it was an established fact that Qiao Mu had practiced hard in his dream for five years in order to show up.
It is impossible to say that he was not angry and was not on guard against Li Gongde.
So he had an idea and immediately started to act in front of Li Gongde with a clear conscience, preparing to ask some questions before he died.
"Cough cough." Qiao Shui's face turned pale and he vomited several mouthfuls of blood. There were even some fragments of internal organs in the blood. His body was tilted and he almost fell to the ground.
Li Gongde was quick-witted and quickly helped him sit on another armchair next to him.
"Why are you helping me?" Qiao Shui blew his beard and glared:
"I, Qiao Shui, broke into the Prince Qin's mansion and now have one foot in the underworld."
"My eldest brother Qiao Zhui (three-tone) was robbed from the execution ground and lost a leg."
"Now I know that this was just a scam conspired by you and the King of Qin... cough cough." He kept coughing up blood, and the blood spurted everywhere like it was free.
"Li Gongde!" Qiao Shui's eyes widened, and he raised his hand to grab Li Gongde's wrist, leaving a bloody mark on his wrist:
"As you wish, I am about to die. I have only one wish before I die..."
Li Gongde said seriously, "What's your last wish?"
My last wish before I die is to KFCV me 50... Qiao Mu gasped, his breath gradually weakened, but he still opened his eyes and hoarsely said:
"Even if I die, I want to die clearly and be a clear-headed ghost!"
"Li Gongde! Tell me, was the death of our brothers in vain? Did you conspire with the King of Qin to deceive me?"
"Who on earth is Li Gongde, the human stick in Caishikou?"
Being sincere when talking to someone you just met is a suicide skill, but Qiao Shui's skill with the double BUFFs of "dying" and "last wish" is a super sure kill.
"Brother Qiao Shui, don't get excited..." Li Gongde wiped his sweat, he was also a little anxious.
"I didn't lie to you. I don't know who 'Li Gongde' in Caishikou is. I think he is an innocent person arranged by the King of Qin..."
He spread his hands, somewhat helpless.
"Really?" Qiao Mu frowned:
"But you, Li Gongde, also behave strangely. As a wealthy man in Zhongzhou, you often give away money and provide porridge to refugees, doing good deeds and accumulating virtue. The people call you Li the Great Good Man."
"Now you're telling me that all this has nothing to do with you, that you're the innocent victim, and that the King of Qin did all the dirty work? You were just forced?"
These words seemed to stump Li Gongde, leaving him speechless for a moment.
But soon he pointed at Qiao Mu, who had lost a leg and was fighting with the King of Qin in the water mirror, and said something meaningful:
"I, Li Gongde, usually do good deeds and accumulate virtues. Naturally, there is a reason for that."
"Because... I don't want to be a good person." Li Gongde said deeply:
"In today's world, the fate of being a good person is like that of the Qiao family. They will be swept away by morality and justice and will not live long."
"Good deeds may not necessarily bring good results. On the contrary, they may expose your kindness and attract wolves to watch over you."
"To reveal one's kindness is to reveal one's weakness."
Qiao Shui's doubts deepened. If you don't want to be a good person, why are you doing good deeds and actively giving away money
Li Gongde seemed to see the doubts in Qiao Shui's heart and continued to explain:
"Brother Qiao Shui."
"You just said that I frequently give away money, and the people regard me as Li Dashanren. But when you first heard my name, Li Dashanren, did you really think that I was consistent in my appearance and my heart, and that I was a rare great philanthropist in the world?"
"Do you think in your heart... I, Li Gongde, am probably a hypocritical local rich man. Maybe I have done too many bad things in my daily life, so I believe in the saying of merit and reputation, so I built this memorial archway for myself."
Qiao Shui was speechless for a moment.
"I'm not saying that you are wrong to think this way." Li Gongde said:
"Many people think this way because there are indeed many rich people in this world who are not kind but pretend to be kind and generous."
"And I, Li Gongde... Brother Qiao Shui, don't look at me like that. I'm not a truly kind person."
"As the saying goes, a kind person cannot command an army, and a righteous person cannot raise money. I, Li Gongde, have become the second richest man in the imperial capital, so my hands must have been dirty a long time ago."
Li Gongde said calmly:
"The people think I'm a good man, and the more knowledgeable people think I'm a hypocritical rich man with a good reputation... And this is the image I need."
"It is said that Li Gongde is fond of doing good deeds. This is a weakness of mine that has been exposed to the public. With this weakness, no matter the Great Yan court, the Immortal Sect, or the King of Qin, they all think that I, Li Gongde, am nothing special and easy to deal with. This is considered showing weakness to the enemy."
The first level of his character is Mr. Li, a good man, and the second level of his character is a hypocritical rich man with a good reputation.
"If it weren't for these two layers of my personality, how could I, Li Gongde, live to this day with a fortune in a world surrounded by wolves?" Li Gongde chuckled.
Li Gongde is an actor with excellent acting skills.
On the surface, he was doing good deeds and accumulating virtue. In fact, he was really doing good deeds and accumulating virtue, and he succeeded in making the world think that he was a common hypocritical rich man.
"Are you tarnishing your own reputation?" Qiao Shui asked with a frown.
Li Gongde did not deny it and nodded:
"The world is a big dye vat. If you don't pollute yourself, how can you stay out of the mud without getting stained?"
"There are indeed people in this world who are untainted by the mud, just like the three hundred veterans who walked out of the desert, and the Qiao family who died one after another. But you are ultimately a minority among the minority, and there are not many of you in the entire Kyushu." Li Gongde said solemnly:
"I, Li Gongde, also admire such people, but I will not become such a person."
"He who stays out of the mud without getting stained cannot live long."
"I am dirty myself. I came out of the mud and am half stained. My hands are covered with filth, but I can do a little bit of practical work for the people who are struggling in this filthy world and make their lives a little better."
"But if I am asked to risk my life to save the people, like the Qiao family and the three hundred white-haired soldiers, I cannot do it."
In front of the dying Qiao Shui, Li Gongde behaved very frankly.
From his words, it is not difficult to see his admiration for the old soldier in the lonely city and the Qiao family. This may be one of the reasons why he released Qiao Mu in the first place.
But when they first met in the private residence, Li Gongde did not reveal his true feelings at all, and only acted frankly in front of the dying Qiao Shui.
"I don't want a good reputation, doing good deeds is enough, doing good deeds in my heart, and having no regrets, that's all."
At this point, Li Gongde once again looked at the trees on the execution ground in the water mirror, his eyes filled with emotion.
"Although I, Li Gongde, have the intention to do good deeds and accumulate virtue, before that, what I want to do is to protect my life and property."
"The Qiao family is so righteous that they can challenge the King of Qin for a mere stranger, Li Gongde. I cannot compare to them."
Li Gongde doesn't want to be regarded as a good person by the world, because being a good person will lead to people pointing guns at him.
In his eyes, the Qiao brothers were brave men who knew that it was impossible to do something but still did it. They knew that the King of Qin had set a trap and that stepping on it would mean death, but they still dared to go on the stage and die.
"Don't be so sentimental." At this time Qiao Mu also said decisively:
"We two brothers are not here for you."
He stopped pretending and revealed his true colors.
"All I want is a simple thought. The King of Qin and I have had a grudge for a long time, and now I am going to kill someone just for myself, that's all."
"The King of Qin has already tied you up. Your life or death depends on his will. Not to mention me, even if the Martial Saint is still alive and wants to come and save you personally, I'm afraid he won't be able to do it."
"So this time I came here, I didn't have the intention of saving people, I only wanted to kill people."
If the King of Qin wanted to kill Li Gongde, given his character and means, Li Gongde's life or death would have been determined before his execution at Caishikou, and there would be absolutely no possibility of him being rescued.
Just like the innocent fat man whose name is unknown, he was chopped into a human stick by the King of Qin long before Qiao Mu entered the city. He was used as a tool for the "Bone-Eroding Fire Talisman" to launch a sneak attack, and even the gods could not save him.
If the Martial Saint comes to save me... Li Gongde's eyes flickered for a moment, and he continued:
"In other words, Brother Qiao Shui and his brother didn't come here to save me? They just wanted to kill King Qin?"
"That's right." Qiao Shui nodded in agreement.
Li Gongde's eyes fell on Qiao Mu, who had lost a leg in the water mirror, and he said quietly:
"If you say so, then so be it."
"But before you speak, Brother Qiao Shui, have you ever considered the feelings of your brother Qiao Wei?"
Qiao Shui wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Li Gongde waving his hand:
"I don't understand why Brother Qiao Shui doesn't want to admit it... But isn't what your Qiao family has been doing the same as what I, Li Gongde, have been doing?"
"The difference is that you, the Qiao family, have saved more people and done more great things. My little deed cannot be compared with that of the Qiao family..."
Li Gongde thought about this and a thought came to his mind: Is he ashamed to admit his righteous thoughts? Or is he like me, Li Gongde, thinking that this good reputation is useless and will only attract wolves to surround him and become a means for those with ulterior motives to exploit him
As he thought about it, he suddenly felt that the dying Qiao Shui in front of him seemed to have become a little taller.
"Brother Qiao Shui, why don't you hold on a little longer and stay alive? This world is difficult, and it's always good to have more people like Brother Qiao Shui." Li Gongde said:
"In fact, I have a magical pill that is very effective for internal and external injuries of the body."
Having said this, Li Gongde took out a brocade box from his arms.
It's not that he didn't want to take out the elixir earlier, but Qiao Shui had been obviously wary of him before. If he said he wanted to use the elixir to save him, he might be regarded as having bad intentions.
Secondly, the pill in his hand was really hard to believe.
When Qiao Shui opened the brocade box, he took a closer look and found that inside the box was a meat ball that was half the size of a fist
This mass of flesh is roughly spherical in shape, and its flesh and blood are like solidified fat. If you look closely, you can see that this mass of flesh is slowly expanding and contracting, as if a living thing is breathing.
Qiao Shui:
You call this a panacea for treating internal and external injuries
"This thing is called Lingrou Dan. Although it looks a little weird, it is indeed very effective." Li Gongde said deeply.
In fact, when Qiao Shui was released by him before, he was also unconscious and Li Gongde used a small amount of Lingrou Dan to promote the healing of his wounds.
Just looking at this Spirit and Flesh Pill, Qiao Shui suddenly felt that it looked familiar, and memories of his time in Nanzhou many years ago suddenly emerged in his mind:
"Wu Ji Hui?"
He raised his eyes and looked at Li Gongde in front of him.
This so-called spirit-flesh pill is clearly just a lump of flesh.
This should be the same kind of thing as the piece of flesh and blood that Wu Qizhen had left in his body.
Li Gongde was a little surprised, but he did not deny it in front of the dying Qiao Shui.
If he could save the dying Qiao Shui, then exposing the identity of Wu Ji Hui was an acceptable risk in his opinion.
Ever since the incident in the lonely desert city, the Qiao family's reputation in Zhongzhou has long surpassed that of Qiao Sen and his son in Nanzhou.