World’s End: My Keyword is One More Than Others

Du Laoda's invitation was something no one could refuse.

Zhang Yizhi pursed his lips, "Du Ge, what about Shi Pingchuan?"

"Are you doubting the abilities of the second place?" Du Ge glanced at him and said, "Yizhi, do you know why Shi Pingchuan is second, but you remain unknown?"

"Why?" Zhang Yizhi instinctively asked.

"A prime minister seems to have a high status, and working with him can amplify your effectiveness. But don't forget, Shi Pingchuan's position is high, and he has many people at his disposal." Du Ge smiled, "Following him may look like cooperation, but in reality, it's obedience. He gives orders, and you execute them. Even if he doesn't use you, he can replace you with someone else. Think about it carefully, isn't that the case?"

"..." Zhang Yizhi's expression stiffened.

"It's different with me. I'm in dire need of people. As long as you accomplish something, I'll promote you, just like Huangfu Yue, Gao Yanping, Huangfu Xing, and Gou Heyu... their names are now widely known."

Du Ge continued, "This time, we're going to fight Cao Lin. Your job is to lure Cao Lin to Yangjiang, and I'll take care of him. This will be a perfect collaboration. I've already thought of the promotional phrase: 'Zhang Yizhi's clever strategy lured the enemy, and He Xu bravely captured Cao Lin.' Your reputation will spread far and wide."

Zhang Yizhi was moved by Du Ge's words. He licked his lips again, "Is that possible? Cao Lin won't kill me, will he?"

"Yizhi, you know me." Du Ge reached out and patted Zhang Yizhi's shoulder, "Think about the outcomes of those who followed me, and then think about the outcomes of those who opposed me. Believe in yourself, and believe in me."

Those words seemed to inject infinite confidence into Zhang Yizhi. He straightened up abruptly, "Du Ge, I'll follow your plan."

"Plan? It's called cooperation." Du Ge smiled, "And from now on, call me Imperial Teacher."

"Understood." Zhang Yizhi nodded, looking at Du Ge, "Imperial Teacher, can I know what your attribute is?"

Du Ge glanced back at Luo Shuang, then pulled out a vine whip from his back, smiling, "Torture."

"Torture?"

Zhang Yizhi's eyes widened, involuntarily looking at the words written on the whip: "Beat the foolish king above, punish the treacherous ministers below." He was filled with endless confusion.

He couldn't understand how Du Ge used torture to create such a stir and even achieved first place. Both he and Shi Pingchuan had speculated that Du Ge possessed a keyword related to transformation.

"Yes, torture. So, if I use the whip on you, don't hold a grudge. It's how I increase my attribute." Du Ge looked at Zhang Yizhi, speaking earnestly, "Just cooperate with me when the time comes."

"Got it." Zhang Yizhi smiled, "If the Imperial Teacher swings the whip from above, I'll raise my head; if the Imperial Teacher swings from behind, I'll bend over; if the Imperial Teacher swings from below, I'll lift my feet..."

When he was with Shi Pingchuan, he was always on edge, feeling surrounded by danger. But deciding to follow Du Ge, his mood brightened, and even his personality became more lively.

As for being whipped?

Alien Star warriors had tough skin and strong recovery abilities. A few hits were no different from mosquito bites.

"Exactly, that's the spirit. I knew you understood cooperation!" Du Ge raised an eyebrow, "But that's not enough. True cooperation means you understand who to reprimand or hit with just a glance from me. When I say to kill someone, you should know if I mean it or if I'm just scaring them. Every word I say should have an echo, every action a response..."

Luo Shuang's eyes widened as she watched Du Ge with the King-Beating Whip, lost in thought.

"..." Zhang Yizhi was stunned.

"Yizhi, there's no rush. This kind of cooperation takes time to develop into perfect synergy." Du Ge smiled, "The urgent matter now is to deal with Cao Lin's army."

As he spoke, he moved to the map, pointing to the widest part of the river, "I plan to set the battle at Yangjiang. You go meet Cao Lin, and no matter what reason you use, lure him here..."

Du Ge's confidence infected Zhang Yizhi, sweeping away his doubts, "Alright, I'll make the trip. I'll risk my life to bring Cao Lin here."

"No need to risk your life. Think about how I usually handle things. Use your brain. You have skills and the status of the Minister's Mansion. It won't be hard to lure Cao Lin." Du Ge smiled, "If necessary, reveal your Heavenly Demon identity. As long as Cao Lin has any ideas, he won't harm you."

"Understood." Zhang Yizhi nodded heavily, "Du Ge, should I leave now?"

"The sooner, the better." Du Ge reached out and patted his shoulder again, "The outcome of this battle depends entirely on you. Success is the only option."

...

Zhang Yizhi left with Du Ge's blessing and mission.

Du Ge let out a sigh of relief, turning to the silent Luo Shuang, smiling, "Princess, if you have any questions, feel free to ask."

"Master, your real name is Du Ge, right?" Luo Shuang blinked and asked.

"Yes." Du Ge nodded.

"In your world, you must be a very capable person, right?" Luo Shuang asked again.

"More or less." Du Ge smiled modestly.

"So, there's no real celestial and demon war, right?" Luo Shuang asked, "You're just competing for rankings?"

"Yes, competing for rankings." Du Ge looked up at the sky, feeling desolate, "Celestial beings and demons are just embellishments for our identities. In the end, we're just a bunch of helpless troublemakers..."

"Master, you're not a troublemaker." Luo Shuang sensed Du Ge's desolation, stood up, and came to his side, blinking earnestly, "If it weren't for you, I would have died long ago. No matter what your true purpose is, you are my benefactor. If you want to compete for rankings, I'll cooperate with you wholeheartedly, even better than Zhang Yizhi."

"Cooperate with me?" Du Ge looked at Luo Shuang, who was trying to comfort him, and shook his head, "Ascending to the throne of Qingwu Kingdom would be the best cooperation."

"Master, by cooperation, I mean your whip can fall on me anytime, without any reason." Luo Shuang's face turned as red as an apple. She lowered her head, not daring to look at Du Ge, but her tone was firm, "My status is high enough. If torturing me can make you stronger, I'm willing to be tortured by you..."

"..."

Du Ge looked at Luo Shuang in shock.

What was going on?

Was her Stockholm syndrome getting worse?

What had she heard from his conversation with Zhang Yizhi?

This was going too far!

Thinking about his skill of influencing others, Du Ge couldn't help but shiver. He said seriously, "Princess, you don't need to do this. A ruler must always maintain their image. What would your ministers think if they saw you like this?"

"Master, I was wrong. Please punish me!" Luo Shuang gave Du Ge a sly look, quickly extending her hand, palm up, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

Damn!

Du Ge was stunned.

Damn it, if Zhang Yizhi had the princess's understanding, he would have mastered cooperation long ago. Why did it take more than a month without even breaking into the top ten?

Smack!

The whip landed on the princess's palm.

Du Ge said, "Princess, no matter what celestial beings or demons appear around you, remember to always stay true to yourself. Only then will you not be influenced by external factors and can truly protect and govern your kingdom."

Luo Shuang withdrew her hand and sighed, "So, Master, you will eventually leave, right?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Du Ge said, "Just like Leng Shi before. Before coming here, I didn't know what kind of body I would enter. After leaving, I don't know if this body will still belong to me!"

"..." Luo Shuang frowned, "Master, I don't understand."

"You don't need to understand. Even now, there are many things I don't understand." Du Ge looked at her, "Luo Shuang, if one day you ascend to the throne and still want to know the truth, I will tell you.

But doing so might bring disaster to your world, nullifying all our efforts. And by then, I might not be able to help you..."

"Okay." Luo Shuang interrupted him before he could finish, nodding seriously, "Master, you don't need to explain. I choose to know the truth, even if it brings disaster to the world. Although I don't know who your enemy is, I won't let you fight alone..."