With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 154, Lu Xun Avenges His Great Revenge

Lu Bu's eyes burned with a fierce fighting spirit, causing the Yuan soldiers who were trying to resist to gasp in shock.

Yuan Bing was filled with wails of agony, and people kept falling down. Those who wanted to escape wished they had more legs. In no time, the ground was covered with corpses.

Limbs and pieces of flesh flew everywhere, and a severed arm flew a long way and hit Yuan Shu in the face, scaring Yuan Shu so much that he cried out and his heart almost burst on the spot.

Lu Xun watched quietly from the woods. Seeing Lü Bu's incredible bravery, galloping across the land as if it were empty, he couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. "With such a fierce general in Your Majesty's hands, how can you not turn the tide of the war, how can you not control Cao Cao?"

Lu Bu charged forward on his horse, killing men and horses alike. Yuan's soldiers howled in terror, their courage shattered. Lu Bu used his absolute martial prowess to utterly intimidate and crush the enemy.

In no time, no one dared to resist Lü Bu anymore. Some dropped their weapons and knelt on the ground, while others ran away as fast as they could, leaving Yuan Shu behind.

Lu Bu was very satisfied. He waved his hand behind him, and Lu Xun led his men out of the woods.

Lu Bu pointed his halberd at Yuan Shu and said to Lu Xun, "Since His Majesty has agreed to let you personally kill your enemy, this opportunity is now yours."

Lu Xun nodded to Lü Bu, "Thank you."

Then, Lu Xun drew his sword and spurred his horse to chase after Yuan Shu.

Just as Yuan Yao was about to stop him, Lü Bu swiftly grabbed a bow and arrow, drew the bow, and with a thud, the arrow struck Yuan Yao squarely in the heart.

Yuan Yao stared in horror, never dreaming that he would die at the hands of his former father-in-law.

Lu Bu shook his head in disappointment and sneered, "Luckily, I didn't marry my daughter to him. He's far inferior to His Majesty."

Yuan Shu's cousin, Yuan Yin, was so frightened that he dared not move. Lü Bu's performance terrified him, and he no longer dared to resist.

Yuan Shu's wives and children dared not approach. Lu Bu, mounted on his horse, coldly surveyed them. Anyone who dared to make a move would be killed on the spot.

Yuan Shu scrambled to his feet, but Lu Xun's cold gaze locked onto him. The sound of hooves suddenly drew closer, and Yuan Shu hadn't run far before he collapsed to the ground.

Lu Xun leaped off his horse, and at the same time, a flash of cold light appeared as his long sword pierced straight towards Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu instinctively dodged to the side, rolling on the ground to narrowly avoid the attack.

However, Lu Xun was incredibly fast. Just as Yuan Shu dodged one sword strike, a second one followed like a shadow, closing in once more.

Yuan Shu was indulging in pleasure all day long, wasting his time on women. His former skills were almost gone. He barely managed to dodge a few times before Lu Xun stabbed him with a sword.

The long sword pierced his body, straight to his heart, and blood gushed out immediately.

Lu Xun remained expressionless as he pushed Yuan Shu forward. Yuan Shu's face contorted in pain, and he cried out in agony.

"Who...who exactly are you?" Yuan Shu didn't recognize Lu Xun. He stared wide-eyed and asked.

"I am a descendant of Lu Kang from Lujiang. Before you die, remember my name: Lu Xun, Lu Boyan!"

All the hatred that had been building up inside him came together at this moment, and a hint of madness suddenly appeared in Lu Xun's cold eyes.

He suddenly drew his longsword, then quickly turned around, the merciless blade swiftly slicing across Yuan Shu's neck.

A human head flew up and then landed on the ground.

Yuan Shu stared wide-eyed in astonishment until his death; he never imagined he would die at the hands of Lu Kang's descendants.

Staring at Yuan Shu's head for a long time, Lu Xun really wanted to shout and tell the dead members of the Lu family that their great revenge had been taken!
Afterwards, Lu Xun wrapped Yuan Shu's head in a bundle.

Lü Bu quickly found the Imperial Seal of the State among Yuan Shu's family members.

Lu Xun walked up to Lü Bu and whispered a few words, which startled Lü Bu.

"What? Why not take the imperial seal back to Xuchang?"

Lu Xun said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "The Imperial Seal is dead, and it will return to His Majesty's side sooner or later. Marquis Wen, the mission to kill Yuan Shu has been completed. Next, let's go to Mangdang Mountain."

"Go to Mangdang Mountain?" Lu Bu was a little stunned. Lu Xun didn't explain much, only saying that it was His Majesty's order.

Lu Bu had no choice but to comply, and the troops immediately changed direction, arriving at Mangdang Mountain a few days later.

…………

Mangdang Mountain!
Recently, a group of thieves suddenly appeared, took over the mountain, robbed and plundered, and made a fortune!

As Lu Xun traveled, he inquired about the situation and soon found out that Zhang Fei had indeed come here and settled down.

According to the description given by the woodcutter who was chopping wood nearby, the appearance was exactly the same. There are not many people in the world who have such a fierce appearance with a leopard's head and bulging eyes.

Upon arriving at the foot of the mountain, Lu Xun encountered several patrolling soldiers. Upon seeing a large number of government troops, they assumed the mountain stronghold was about to be attacked and were quite frightened.

Lu Xun stopped one of his henchmen and asked him to pass on a message that Lü Bu was requesting an audience.

Zhang Fei was drinking on the mountain, his face flushed and his body swaying slightly. When he heard that Lü Bu had arrived, he was genuinely taken aback. "Lü Bu? Why is he here? Could it be that he's here to seize my Mangdang Mountain?"

Having drunk quite a bit of wine, Zhang Fei was a little tipsy. He hurriedly led his men down the mountain. Upon meeting them, Lü Bu was both amused and exasperated. "It hasn't been that long since we last met, Zhang Yide, and you've already become a mountain king!"

Zhang Fei snorted irritably, "Shut up, what are you doing here?"

Before Lü Bu could speak, Lu Xun stepped forward a few paces and said, "General Zhang, His Majesty sent us."

"Your Majesty?" Zhang Fei hiccuped and asked hurriedly, "Your Majesty actually knew I was here? How is my second brother? How is my eldest brother?"

Lu Xun smiled and said, "This is not the place to talk. General Zhang, why don't you invite us up the mountain for a chat?"

Zhang Fei was very concerned about the safety of Guan Yu and Liu Bei, so he hurriedly brought Lü Bu and Lu Xun up the mountain.

Upon arriving at the mountain stronghold, Zhang Fei dismissed everyone and rushed to Lu Xun, urging, "Tell me quickly, how is my second brother?"

Lu Xun knew he was short-tempered and didn't want to keep him in suspense, so he quickly said, "General Zhang, don't worry, General Guan is safe and sound. Moreover, His Majesty sent me here specifically to tell you about your uncle's whereabouts."

Zhang Fei stared wide-eyed in surprise, “Your Majesty is so capable! Not only did you guess that I was in Mangdang Mountain, but you also found out my brother’s whereabouts.” Lu Xun smiled, “Your Majesty is proficient in divination, there is no doubt about that. Liu Bei is currently with Yuan Shao in Hebei. General Zhang should hurry to Hebei to meet him.”

Zhang Fei was overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear, rubbing his hands together incessantly. "That's great! I'll go meet up with my brother right away."

Without further ado, Zhang Fei was about to leave when Lu Xun grabbed him, handed him a letter, and also took out the imperial seal and gave it to him.

"Take these two items with you to Hebei. Remember, one is a personal letter from His Majesty to the Imperial Uncle, and the other is the Imperial Seal. I believe His Majesty will be going to Guandu soon. Tell the Imperial Uncle that the Imperial Seal is a national treasure and is only being lent to him. It must be returned to the court after Yuan Shao's death."

Not only Zhang Fei was puzzled, but Lü Bu also frowned. "What exactly does Your Majesty mean? Is such a treasure to be offered to Yuan Shao?"

Lu Xun nodded and said, "Even if Yuan Shao treats you as an honored guest when you go to Hebei, it will be difficult to gain his trust. With this treasure, you will be even more powerful and more likely to be trusted by Yuan Shao. You can become His Majesty's inside man and help the court deal with Yuan Shao. In the future, when Hebei is pacified, you will also be able to make outstanding contributions."

Zhang Fei finally understood and nodded vigorously, "That's excellent, I'll head to Hebei immediately."

Zhang Fei hurriedly packed up, and was about to leave when he stopped, shaking his big head with some reluctance. "But what will happen to this stronghold if I leave? Besides, I also kidnapped a woman, and we were planning to marry her. I can't just abandon her like this, can I?"

Lu Xun said, "You don't need to worry about the stronghold anymore. From now on, I will stay in Mangdang Mountain and take charge of everything here."

Lu Bu looked at Lu Xun in surprise, feeling like his brain was about to give out.

The emperor not only guessed that Zhang Fei was here, but also gave Lu Xun a task in advance, asking him to stay in Mangdang Mountain.

"As for women? What kind of women did you steal?"

Lu Xun, who was already eighteen years old, was calm and decisive in handling matters. He had a vague feeling that she was definitely not an ordinary woman.

"Hahaha."

Zhang Fei was somewhat smug. He laughed loudly for a while before saying, "I, Old Zhang, am quite lucky. I snatched Xiahou Yuan's niece. She is a good girl from a good family, with excellent looks and a status that matches me. I was just about to marry her when you all arrived."

"Xiahou Yuan's niece?"

Lu Xun frowned and shook his head. "His Majesty has just eased tensions with Cao Cao, and the matter of the hunting trip at Xutian has been temporarily put behind us. But at this critical juncture, you have taken Xiahou Yuan's niece. If he finds out, it will inevitably implicate His Majesty."

"Why would His Majesty be implicated?" Zhang Fei stared wide-eyed, utterly bewildered.

Lu Xun sighed softly and explained, "Liu, Guan, and Zhang are as close as one. Your eldest brother is the Imperial Uncle, and your second brother is also loyal to His Majesty. Think about it yourself. You stole Xiahou Yuan's niece. If Xiahou Yuan finds out, won't he hold His Majesty accountable for this?"

Zhang Fei thought for a moment, opened his mouth, and was speechless.

Liu Bei was the emperor's uncle and a man of Liu Xie. Obviously, Zhang Fei was also on Liu Xie's side. Zhang Fei snatched Xiahou Yuan's niece. It would be strange if Xiahou Yuan wasn't angry. If he was angry, he would definitely move the capital to Liu Xie.

Zhang Fei was having a headache from thinking about it, and said unhappily, "I didn't expect there to be so many twists and turns, this is really troublesome."

Lu Bu snorted. He found it laughable that Zhang Fei would steal Xiahou Yuan's niece as his woman. He really didn't know what Zhang Fei was thinking.

Liu Bei and Zhang Fei were almost captured and killed by Cao Cao. They even went so far as to steal the enemy's niece as their wife. It's estimated that only Zhang Fei could have done something like that.

However, Zhang Fei was clearly very serious about this matter. After listening to Lu Xun's analysis, he still gritted his teeth and glared, full of resentment.

“I have indeed taken a liking to that woman. Xiahou Yuan is a descendant of Xiahou Ying, the Marquis of Ruyin, and can be considered a descendant of a prestigious family. Such a good match is perfect for me.”

Lu Xun's face darkened, and he said sternly, "Your Imperial Uncle is in Hebei, and his fate is uncertain. Why don't you hurry to join him? Put the matter of your children aside for now."

Zhang Fei was so anxious he kept stamping his feet. On one side was Liu Bei, who had just received the news, and on the other was the woman he had just snatched. He was really in a dilemma.

But it is clear that Liu Bei held a more important place in Zhang Fei's heart, without a doubt!

"Alright then, I'll head to Hebei now."

Lu Xun, still worried, reminded him again, "Remember, you stole the imperial seal. When you see Yuan Shao, don't reveal it."

"Don't worry!" Zhang Fei nodded, glanced back at the mountain stronghold behind him, stomped his foot again, and left reluctantly.

After Zhang Fei left, Lü Bu couldn't help but ask, "Boyan, you just said you were going to stay here, so what about me?"

Lu Xun smiled and said, "Lord Wen can take Yuan Shu's head back to report. You can leave all the people you recruited behind. I will train them."

"Leave all the people behind?" Lu Bu was taken aback again.

Lu Xun nodded. "Yes, this is what His Majesty instructed. Even if we bring these people back to Xuchang, they won't be of much help. They might even reveal that we've met Zhang Fei."

Lu Bu thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright then. Anyway, I was ordered to kill Yuan Shu. As long as I bring Yuan Shu's head back, the mission will be complete. As for the Imperial Seal, you gave it to Zhang Fei. Won't Cao Cao be suspicious?"

Lu Xun smiled slightly, having already prepared his explanation: "Just say that while you were chasing Yuan Shu, someone took advantage of the chaos and escaped with the Imperial Seal. Anyway, Lord Wen only brought three hundred men with him on this trip, so it's not surprising that someone escaped. As for Zhang Fei meeting Yuan Shao, he will say that he snatched the Imperial Seal from the escapee."

Lu Bu nodded. "In this way, the responsibility can be shifted to Cao Cao. After all, His Majesty has no troops at his disposal. When we came out, Cao Cao didn't send a single soldier to support us."

Lu Xun said, "That's right, Cao Cao won't pursue the matter. Whether or not the Imperial Seal exists, it won't affect Cao Cao much. Anyway, His Majesty is in Xuchang, which is a hundred or a thousand times more valuable than the Imperial Seal. But Yuan Shao has been longing for the Imperial Seal for a long time. If we give it to Yuan Shao, Liu Bei will be given an important position by Yuan Shao. This is a crucial step for His Majesty's important affairs."

Finally, Lü Bu handed over all the surrendered soldiers he had obtained from Yuan Shu to Lu Xun, and even left behind more than half of the three hundred men he had brought from Xudu.

The people that Lü Bu brought back were mostly Dong Cheng's old subordinates, and they were quite loyal.

Besides, they didn't go up the mountain with him, nor did they see Zhang Fei, so there was no need to worry about anything being leaked.

The whip cracks and the golden stomp sounds, as we return in triumph!
Lu Bu carried Yuan Shu's head and swaggered back to Xuchang.

Lu Bu's first priority was to report back to Liu Xie. Upon entering the city and inquiring, he learned that the emperor was at the Sikong Mansion. Filled with questions, Lu Bu went to the Sikong Mansion.

Before the guards could announce his arrival, Lü Bu walked straight in. From afar, he could hear laughter and cheerful chatter from the front hall, as well as the giggling of children.

When Lü Bu entered, he found Liu Xie talking to several children. One child was standing in front of him, and he was holding another in his arms. Not far away, Lady Ding was also chatting with her daughter, Princess Qinghe.

This is the benefit of Liu Xie marrying Cao Cao's daughter: he can come and go as he pleases at the Cao family's house, treating it as his own!

(End of this chapter)