Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Chapter 1176 Two adulterers, the night is far from over.

"Xiao Yi."

In the darkness, a familiar call came from behind the empty street, and then a warhorse stopped behind Yan Qing's group. The torch flickered, making Xu Ning's fair, round face appear much darker.

"Captain Xu." Yan Qing quickly clasped his hands in greeting, then asked, "Are you here to see the master? He went to find General Bian."

Xu Ning was visibly taken aback, and touched his slightly oily chin: "I thought he would first go to the original mansion."

"He is going." Yan Qing's eyes were filled with anger. "But I advise him to go and report to General Bian first, so as not to cause trouble."

Xu Ning understood instantly. After thinking for a moment, he frowned and said, "It seems that people in the military wouldn't be harsh on someone for seeking revenge."

Yan Qing smiled and said, "We should at least give them a heads-up."

Xu Ning shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and simply dismounted and stood aside, chatting casually with Yan Qing.

Soldiers were marching around them and behind them. In the dead of night, civilians could hear the sounds outside. Since no Qi soldiers were shouting at night, they assumed it was the Song army mobilizing within the city and did not investigate further. They turned over, mumbled a few words, and went back to sleep.

The warhorse galloped all the way to the government office. Bian Xiang kicked off the horse and hurried inside. He could smell a strong stench of blood and turned to look at the corpse wrapped in a straw mat in a corner.

The guards who came forward bowed and said, "General." Seeing him looking in that direction, they turned to look and said, "Those are the two men who were just executed. His Majesty said they would be given a grand burial in the northern suburbs, and they are waiting for the coffins to be sent over."

"So that's how it is." Bian Xiang turned around, handed his sword to him, stepped into the hall, and seeing that everyone was there, quickly bowed to Lü Bu: "Your Majesty."

Lu Bu was sitting in his seat, reviewing the city's account books and documents, listening to Du Yun and Li Cheng recount the details of the city's events. When he entered, Lu Bu asked with some confusion, "Has something happened in the city?"

"No, no." Bian Xiang shook his head repeatedly, chuckled, and scratched his cheek with his thick index finger: "Isn't this a man from Daming Prefecture in the army? He has something to ask of me."

Du Yun, Li Cheng, and Li Shixiong's eyes lit up. They exchanged glances and listened quietly.

Lu Bu thought for a moment, then looked at him: "...That Yan Qing?"

The three people next to him looked confused. Who?
“No, it’s Lu Junyi.” Bian Xiang shook his head.

Two of the three looked enlightened, while Du Yun was still completely baffled.

Lu Bu thought for a moment, and seemed to vaguely remember him; he appeared to be a surrendered general from Hejian Prefecture: "Him? What happened to him?"

Bian Xiang hesitated for a moment: "Well, even a great man can have a wife who isn't virtuous... um... there are some things at home... um..."

Seeing Lü Bu frown and scratch his beard in frustration, he simply let loose and said, "He was the richest man in Daming Prefecture. His wife conspired with her lover to seize his property and then colluded with the garrison commander of Daming Prefecture to send him to prison to suffer. Now he has come back to seek revenge."

"Oh?"

Lu Bu glanced at Du Yun subconsciously, and the figure standing there turned green with anger. He quickly shook his head and said, "It's not me, it's Liang Shijie, the former garrison commander. This fellow went to Jiangling Prefecture as the prefect before His Majesty's arrival."

“Then I’ll remember this and we’ll talk about it later.” After saying that, Lü Bu nodded and looked at Bian Xiang: “Revenge is the best revenge, and grievance is the best grievance. Why is a warrior like him being so indecisive? Tell him to go home and settle things before coming back.”

"The Military and Political Affairs Department..."

"Get lost!" Lu Bu laughed and waved his hand.

"Alright!" Bian Xiang chuckled and clasped his hands in thanks. "This humble general thanks Your Majesty on his behalf." His imposing figure turned and walked away.

……

Dark clouds loomed overhead, and the army, initially rushing into the city under the torches, slowed down their pace.

Lu Junyi rode his horse with a happy expression, his eyes bloodshot, constantly increasing the horse's speed. Fortunately, there were no pedestrians at night, so he was not afraid of bumping into anyone as he rode on the street.

The city of Daming was unusually quiet at night, with only the occasional bark of a dog that would be silenced by a shout or curse.

He rode his horse to the familiar street corner, greeted Xu Ning, and then hurriedly said, "Come with me to the Lu residence," before spurring his horse into the darkness.

Yan Qing was overjoyed and waved his hand, saying, "Follow Commandant Lu."

Xu Ning mounted his horse beside him and said, "Mind if I come along and take a look?" He then flicked the reins, and his horse galloped off.

Yan Qing smiled wryly but didn't stop him. There were few people in the army who could have heart-to-heart talks with their master. Xu Ning was, after all, an old friend who had shared joys and sorrows with him. Besides, the only people in Daming Prefecture who probably didn't know about the Lu family's affairs were the newly arrived Qi soldiers. Letting him see it wouldn't hurt him.

Footsteps echoed through the streets and alleys as a group of people rushed to the former Lu residence. In the firelight, Lu Junyi, Yan Qing, and Xu Ning looked up.

Li House.

Two large, neatly written gilded characters were inscribed on the door plaque, radiating a golden glow in the torchlight.

giggle-

With his jaw clenched, Lu Junyi's facial muscles suddenly twitched uncontrollably, his cheeks flushed, and his eyes glared bloodshot.

"Adulterer—Adulteress!"

Four words were uttered through clenched teeth. Lu Junyi's hand, gripping the spear, turned white. He suddenly spurred his warhorse, and the iron spear in his hand shot out in the torchlight. The spearhead seemed to disappear from everyone's sight, and when it reappeared, it was already pressed against the door.

boom--

A loud bang echoed through the night sky, the door shrunk inwards abruptly, then bounced back, followed by a soft clicking sound.

Lights came on inside the mansion. "Who is it?" "What's that sound?" "Someone's knocking!" A cacophony of voices could be faintly heard.

Dede—

The warhorse was jolted back two steps, its tiger's mouth split open, and blood flowed out. Lu Junyi seemed not to feel it at all. His chest heaved on the horse, and he pulled the horse's head back a few steps, running back again in the eyes of those outside the door.

"Bah!"

The gun comes out like a dragon.

Thud, crack, crash—

The mansion gate collapsed backward, kicking up a cloud of dust. The two bolts drew an arc in the air, spun around, and landed on the ground, rolling a few times before stopping at the feet of a gatekeeper carrying a lantern.

"Who...who is it!" The man stared blankly at the door latch in front of his toes, then looked at the dark mass of figures holding torches outside. Before his brain could react, a warhorse stepped over the threshold, its hot breath blowing onto his face.

"Uh……"

The pungent smell of livestock filled the air, and the gatekeeper quickly took two steps back, frowned, and held up his lantern to smear the flames: "Which blind fool dares to come to the Li residence to seek death? Don't they know that my young master and Liang Zhong... slur... uh, uh... Lu... Lu..."

Under the dim light, a familiar face came into view, and the doorman felt as if his soul had left his body. He felt sweat pouring down his body, and two beads of sweat visibly rolled down his forehead.

"Speak," Lu Junyi said, looking down at him from his horse with a cold smile. "Weren't you speaking quite fluently just now?"

Inside the mansion, lights began to illuminate the various rooms. Two loud bangs gave everyone a bad feeling, and many strong servants came out carrying short sticks and wooden chairs.

Lu Junyi glanced at the shadowy figure in the distance under the lamplight, snorted, and raised his hand to strike the gatekeeper on the head with his spear.

click -

A muffled thud erupted, and the gatekeeper, propelled by his force, slumped to the side and crashed to the ground with a thud, dark red blood flowing from his eyes and nose.

The warhorse took a few steps forward and entered the spacious front yard, whereupon figures from outside poured in.

"Master." Yan Qing stepped in and called softly, standing beside the horse.

Xu Ning dismounted without a word, stood there holding his precious spear, and remained silent, as if he were more interested in watching a show than making a move.

Ahead, figures carrying things gradually approached. The noisy footsteps carried a tense atmosphere. They were not blind; the Qi soldiers holding knives and guns under the torchlight made them somewhat uneasy.

"Gentlemen, what brings you to my Li residence? You even kicked down the door. Who has offended you all..."

Li Gu jogged forward with a broad smile, squinting at the people over there. Visibility was poor in the darkness, and his eyesight had deteriorated in the past two years, so he couldn't make out the faces of the people on horseback for a moment, only seeing the gleam of the swords and spears reflected in the firelight.

Many of the servants who were originally from his household, especially those with sharp eyes, stood frozen as if struck by lightning. Panic spread across their faces as they pointed tremblingly at the figure on horseback and cried out, "Ah...ah..."

In Li Gu's vision, the blurry faces became clearer. The two figures on horseback and off the horse, surrounded by a group of soldiers, gave him a sense of familiarity. After running a few more steps, he suddenly heard a voice behind him: "Master Lu!" "Yan Xiaoyi!"

rustle--

His running stopped, and in the firelight, two blurry faces finally became clear. Li Gu's smile froze, his eyes widened, and a scream of "Run!" seemed to pierce his skull, yet his body remained frozen, trembling uncontrollably. "Li—Gu—"

Lu Junyi bit his gums until they bled, his usually wealthy-looking face contorted so much that it was unrecognizable: "Fine—fine!"

"Ah...ah!" Those words seemed to revive Li Gu, his knees buckling as he knelt down, looking up at the jade unicorn: "My...my lord, listen to me, she seduced me, I...I...I..."

The man on horseback was practically spitting fire in his eyes, and Li Gu's thoughts were almost completely shut out, leaving him utterly clueless about how to continue.

"You heartless bastard!"

Yan Qing was furious. Standing to the side, she pointed at Li Gu and said, "Back then, you were about to freeze to death on the street. It was your master who brought you back, gave you food and clothes, and found a doctor to treat you so that you could be saved. But you actually had evil intentions. You really deserve to die!"

"No, no, no, I didn't... I didn't..." Li Gu trembled all over, unable to utter a single coherent sentence.

"Hmph, ha—"

Immediately, Lu Junyi let out a strange laugh, jumped off his warhorse with his spear in hand, walked up to him, and suddenly kicked the man, sending him sprawling: "Where is that slut?"

Then he muttered to himself, "That's right, why would I ask you this when we're still in the room?"

Li Gu's heart pounded as he looked at him. He quietly moved his hands and feet backward, as if he could escape if he got further away from him.

After he had retreated three or five feet, Lu Junyi suddenly turned his head towards him, grinned, and his distorted face returned to its usual appearance. His tone was gentle: "Where are you going?"

Li Gu froze instantly, sitting there terrified and too scared to move.

Those who followed him out dared not even breathe, standing there with their heads down and heads hunched over.

A person's name, the shadow of a tree.

Even though some of them joined the household later, the name Lu Junyi was still frequently heard in Daming Prefecture, not to mention over there...

There is a knife.

sand--

With his combat boots on the ground, Lu Junyi walked up to Li Gu with his gun in hand. The head of the Li family, who was sitting there, uttered the word "Spare me..." and then suddenly thrust his gun downwards.

puff--

"what!"

Li Gu screamed in agony as he reached out with both hands to grab the spear shaft that had pierced his thigh, but his strength was no match for Lu Junyi's spear.

"Xiao Yi, clean this place up." A gentle voice came from Lu Junyi, who turned his head to look at the prodigal son behind him: "The mansion is dirty."

"Don't worry, Master." Yan Qing clasped his hands in a fist salute, glancing at the figure not far away: "Xiao Yi is here."

Lu Junyi nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly exerted force in his arm and strode away.

The iron spear pierced through the man's leg flesh, sliding him forward. Li Gu flailed his arms wildly on the ground, trying to stop himself: "Ah! Wait, no, ahhh—"

Blood flowed out, leaving a winding trail on the ground.

The servants stood there like quails, watching Lu Junyi drag the screaming Li Gu away, looking somewhat bewildered.

The torchlight drew nearer to the group, and the chaotic footsteps jolted those who were feeling uneasy back to reality, causing them to turn and look at the soldiers who were closing in.

"You...you, what are you going to do?"

"The master said the mansion is dirty." Yan Qing coldly glanced at the people, revealing a look of disgust, and waved his hand forward: "Clean them up."

The blade flashed, and screams of agony rang out.

Familiar houses, unfamiliar gardens, and unfamiliar trees.

A lot has changed... It seems the adulterous couple has replaced everything they could here.

Lu Junyi walked on expressionlessly, his hand holding the gun still steady. The screams below had decreased considerably. The people being dragged no longer had the strength to resist and were being dragged along, occasionally letting out a groan.

"It should be here."

Muttering to himself, Lu Junyi raised his foot and kicked.

bang——

The door to the house was wide open, revealing a golden screen standing in front of the bed, with tiny candle flames shining through the gaps on either side behind it.

"Ah!" the woman screamed, followed by a familiar voice asking tremulously, "Who...who is it? My lord?"

Lu Junyi raised an eyebrow, and just as a sinister smile appeared on his lips, a child's voice rang out: "Is it Daddy who's back?"

His smile froze abruptly. Lu Junyi glanced at Li Gu, his eyes bloodshot, almost completely obscuring the white of his vision. He twisted his wrist.

"what……"

He let out a soft cry of pain; Li Gu had been bleeding all the way here and simply didn't have the strength to utter another sound.

"Humph--"

Lu Junyi swung his arm, raising the spear and Li Gu off the spear.

wow-

A figure crashed heavily against the screen. "Ah!" A scream rang out, and the view was no longer obstructed. A woman holding a fat boy was curled up on the bed.

"My...my lord?"

The woman opened her eyes and saw Li Gu's familiar figure lying on the screen. She couldn't help but cry out and rushed down to help him, but the man on the screen was covered in blood, leaving her nowhere to touch him. Just as she was at a loss, she suddenly realized something was wrong and looked towards the door.

"Ah!" Upon seeing the familiar face, Madam Jia couldn't help but take a step back and plop down on the bed: "It's...it's you?!"

"What?" Lu Junyi walked in with a sinister grin, holding his spear upside down. "You're surprised to see me?"

"You, you stay away!" Madam Jia scrambled back onto the bed, screaming, "Let me tell you, we have a good relationship with the Garrison Command now. Don't think that just because you're a military officer you can do whatever you want. In this Great Song Dynasty..."

"This place is now under the Lü family name!" Lu Junyi suddenly raised his voice, looking at the woman with disgust: "The Qi army will enter the city tonight. This place is now Daming Prefecture of the Great Qi, no longer the territory of the Zhao Song Dynasty."

"How...how could this be?"

The woman froze abruptly. Beside her, the little boy got off the bed, ran a few steps, and shouted at Lu Junyi, "Don't bully your mother!"

"no, do not want!"

Jia's eyes widened suddenly, and she reached out to stop her son, only to see Lu Junyi sweep out a shot, and the small figure flew to the side of the house with a whoosh.

bang——

It crashed into the window.

pat-

It fell down.

"Child!" Jia cried out, her eyes wide, glaring angrily at the figure holding the gun: "You, surnamed Lu, you're not human!"

Lu Junyi looked at her and sneered, pointing his spear at her: "Don't be in such a hurry, the night is still long, I have plenty of time to deal with you two scoundrels!"

Jia's expression suddenly changed.

As the view receded into the distance, screams echoed continuously within the Lu residence, the stench of blood filling the air before gradually fading into silence.

Only from the master bedroom could one hear mournful screams.

　After slacking off on fishing, back to work...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)