Chapter 34: Luo Yanqiu (Part 1)

Liu Yu’s meeting room was just an ordinary stilted bamboo building, unadorned. Yet when he saw her, even the building seemed to come alive.
What a strikingly beautiful man in women’s clothing.
The woman before him wore a conical hat covered in white gauze, appeared to be around twenty years old, dressed in snow-white attire, with a heroic bearing and an icy, indifferent expression—yet there was an air of inviolable sanctity about her.
Liu Yu couldn’t help but gaze at her longer. She was extremely beautiful, but what was even more remarkable was her cold elegance, along with a certain aura that made one feel compelled to respect her.
At her request, Liu Yu met her privately; there was no one else in the bamboo building. The woman then opened her folding fan and said indifferently, “Greetings, Commander Liu!”
Liu Yu was filled with curiosity about her arrival. “I’ve met you, miss. May I ask your name?”
The woman was generous. She gently fanned herself, her voice melodious: “My name is Luo Yanqiu.”
Liu Yu remembered this pleasant name. “I wonder what brings Miss Luo here?”
With the grace of a noblewoman, Luo Yanqiu got straight to the point. “I’ve come to ask Commander Liu for financial support.”
Liu Yu asked softly, “How much do you need? And what cause is it for?”
He now had considerable wealth. Since he wanted to establish a foundation in Shanxi, it wouldn’t hurt to donate a little money to improve the region.
A faint smile appeared on Luo Yanqiu’s lips. Though her expression remained cold, she was breathtakingly beautiful. “Just call me Sister Luo. I’d like four hundred and sixty rear-door rapid-fire guns from Commander Liu.”
“Four hundred and sixty?” Liu Yu was stunned. This was top-secret information within the Xiliu Camp, known to no more than twenty people—even many veterans of the camp were unaware of it. “How much financial support do you need?”
He thought Luo Yanqiu knew quite a bit about the Xiliu Camp and had come to demand money. He shook his head slightly, but Luo Yanqiu continued, fanning herself, “Just those four hundred and sixty rear-door rapid-fire guns.”
Then she took out a book from her silver-trimmed outfit. Liu Yu’s eyes narrowed as he caught a glimpse of her fair chest. She said, “Commander Liu is new to Shanxi and not very familiar with its geography and people. This is my contribution.”
Liu Yu took the manuscript from her delicate hands. The writing was graceful yet firm. The title was “A Brief Account of Shanxi in Northern China.” Upon closer inspection, it was indeed a description of Shanxi’s conditions.
Geographical information about mountains and forests could be easily obtained from local records, but this brief account surprised Liu Yu greatly.
He had been in Shanxi for over a day, yet he still didn’t know much about the region. He had long intended to investigate, but with the camp just established, he hadn’t had the time.
Though the manuscript was titled a brief account, it contained information he needed most—such as details about who the governor of Shanxi was, his habits, strengths, interests, the origins of certain officials, their hobbies, strengths and weaknesses, and their interpersonal relationships.

It detailed the information of sixty or seventy important officials in Shanxi Province. Liu Yu paid special attention to Ye Mengran, who was said to be in charge of pacifying the Xiliu Camp; he learned that Ye’s ancestors were also Chinese and had moved to Yue during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Ye himself was highly talented and bold, even having a concubine outside. All this information was undoubtedly the most valuable intelligence, priceless, and with it, one could say they had complete control over Shanxi Province. In another era, the Chinese Communist Army was skilled at gathering such intelligence, and their excellent intelligence work was a key factor in defeating stronger enemies. However, intelligence work in this era rarely reached such a level. Luo Yanqiu noticed the joy on Liu Yu’s face. Her voice was magnetic: “As a newcomer to Shanxi with limited staff and little time, I could only produce over ten thousand words—please forgive me, Commander.” “I must also thank you for your kindness,” Liu Yu continued flipping through the documents. They were truly rare. Even if copied from official archives, it would only include information like hometown, age, and background. But for Liu Yu, they became vivid individuals—their hobbies, families, strengths, weaknesses, and conflicts were all laid out before him. The report also included detailed geography, products, population statistics, and even military details, totaling tens of thousands of words. Liu Yu now had a nearly complete understanding of Shanxi. Although from a professional military perspective, the report had many flaws and couldn’t compare to specialized military records, its value was immeasurable. He nodded repeatedly, saying, “Thank you! Thank you so much!” He couldn’t bear to put down this fragrant report on Shanxi. After glancing at Luo Yanqiu, he asked, “I truly must thank you. With this, I’ve saved a year of work. I wonder how much effort you’ve put into this.” Luo Yanqiu was well aware of the tremendous manpower, resources, and effort involved in compiling this report. Waving her folding fan, she said, “It’s just a trivial matter.” Her expression remained indifferent yet not unfriendly, naturally inspiring goodwill: “Commander, here’s also a volume of the Heavenly Book I taught—please take a look.” Seeing that she didn’t mention the donation, Liu Yu happily accepted the Heavenly Book she took from her bosom, enjoying its unique fragrance. The book seemed to be handwritten, with the words “Wuwei Baocuan” written on the cover—likely written by Luo Yanqiu herself. Her voice was pleasant: “Brother Commander, this Heavenly Book hides endless merits. If you fast and do good deeds daily, reciting it a hundred times, you’ll enjoy infinite blessings in the future.” Liu Yu merely smiled. He had never believed in such supernatural things. No matter how appealing Luo Yanqiu’s words were, he simply wouldn’t believe. Luo Yanqiu, from some unknown underground sect, seemed determined to recruit him, but she had chosen the wrong person. Though time travel was incredible, he only believed in those who could break through darkness and bring light. As for what to do with Luo Yanqiu, Liu Yu was still undecided. He opened the book and was shocked upon reading the first page.