Ultimate: Gangster Youth, starting with release from prison

"It's alright, Guan Yu. How is your injury?" Cao Cao asked with concern.

With a pale face, Guan Yu replied, "I'm fine. The priority is to save you all."

"Don't worry about getting better, we're fine," Lin Yu reassured him.

"Brother Liu, how much of a chance do you have?" Zhao Yun pressed.

"Don't worry, don't you trust me to handle things?" Lin Yu said confidently, which reassured Zhao Yun.

A few days later, the execution ground of Dong Han Academy was crowded with people. Dong Zhuo sat on the high ground, flanked by the school alliance commissioners who supervised the Heavenly Mandate Judgment Ceremony. The academy's defense team was on guard with wave guns, while the Five Tiger Generals and the students stood on the low ground.

The incense table on the high platform was covered with yellow silk, and inside a golden censer on it, three thick sticks of incense smoke curled upwards.

Li Ru and Mei Niang stood behind the table, presiding over the solemn ceremony, while Cao Cao and Lin Yu stood on either side of the table, awaiting their fate.

Li Ru turned to look at Dong Zhuo, who nodded slightly. With tacit approval, Li Ru faced the crowd below the stage, his tone calm.

"Various matters. A few days ago, our respected principal Dong Zhuo was ambushed, and suspicion points to Cao Cao and Lin Yu on the left. Today, we offer this sacrifice to Heaven in order to ask Heaven to judge the guilt of the two."

The Five Tiger Generals looked cold as they listened to Li Ru's words. Zhang Fei whispered urgently to Zhao Yu.

"Old Zhao, how can we do this? Are we just going to stand by and watch our brother get punished? I'm going to storm the execution ground!"

"Yes, Dong Zhuo framed us like this, let's go straight to rescue them!"

Sun Shangxiang immediately stopped her upon hearing this.

"Your impulsiveness will only delay things for three days at most. I told you I had a plan to save one person, why were you so impulsive?"

Zhang Fei was not convinced.

"Saving one isn't enough! We must save both!"

Sun Shangxiang sighed:

"Don't force people to do things they can't. Save as many as you can, and then we'll think of another way."

Li Ru announced the start of the ceremony.

"We will perform the sacrificial ceremony in accordance with the 'divine will' clause, with oversight from the school alliance to ensure fairness. Draw lots, begin."

As the gong sounded, the master of ceremonies presented a container of divination sticks on a tray. Mei Niang picked up a slip of paper and showed it to everyone.

"These are life and death lotteries. One will live, the other will die. If you draw the life lot, you will be released immediately; otherwise, you will be executed. School rules are as solid as mountains, and no one can defy them."

Li Ru continued.

"It started as a school incident involving weapons."

"The guard!"

"exist!"

"Bring the prisoner!"

The terrified students were brought before Li Ru, who spoke coldly to them.

"Are you scared? You're afraid of being drawn by lot after doing something wrong? Draw it now."

The student's hands trembled, sweat poured down his face, and he was finally forced to draw a lot. Li Ru examined it, then burst into laughter.

"Die, hahaha...drag him out and carry out the execution."

After the screams, the air grew even heavier. Li Ru looked at the two of them triumphantly.

"continue."

Mei Niang skillfully exchanged the lots, secretly sneering. Everything seemed fair, but in reality, it was all rigged behind the scenes.

Dong Zhuo watched everything unfold with satisfaction, while Li Ru urged him on.

"Please choose, both of you."

Lin Yu suggested that Cao Cao go first, but Cao Cao refused, unwilling to live alone. Dong Zhuo, on his high position, lost patience.

"Stop babbling. We're all going to die sooner or later. Hurry up, Cao Cao first."

Seeing that Cao Cao did not move, Dong Zhuo frowned.

"What are you hesitating for? Not smoking means you're admitting guilt and will be executed immediately."

Cao Cao had no choice but to step forward, and Li Ru whispered a warning in his ear.

"Don't try anything funny. If you guess wrong and disrupt the festival, you will both die."

[344] Cao Cao escaped a calamity, while Lin Yu found himself in a predicament.

Cao Cao had intended to expose the deception, but upon hearing this, he had no choice but to give up. He reached for the right lot, peeked at it from a corner, and then swallowed it.

Everyone was shocked, and Dong Zhuo roared in anger.

"You madman! Spit it out!"

Cao Cao responded calmly:

"I drew the lot, and I control it. Quickly turn to the other lot; if I live, I die; if I die, I live."

"The other side has no way to deal with this," Cao Cao said calmly.

"Hurry up and take it out, Li Ru."

Li Ru angrily revealed the death warrant, and Cao Cao laughed.

"See? I drew a 'life' lot—I should be released."

"freed!"

"freed!"

Cheers erupted, but Dong Zhuo waved his hand to stop them and announced...

"By the will of Heaven, Cao Cao is innocent."

Cheers erupted again, and Dong Zhuo sat down with a grim expression. Cao Cao smiled and embraced the Five Tiger Generals, while Dong Zhuo summoned Li Ru and Wu Zetian. The former bowed his head and whispered something.

"Hand Lin Yu over to me, and I'll make sure he's torn to pieces."

Dong Zhuo's gaze was sharp as a blade. Li Ru retreated in fear, while Mei Niang accepted the order with trepidation and gave Lin Yu a stern warning.

"Although Cao Cao did not break the law, he violated the rules. Lin Yu, do not repeat the same mistake, or you will be executed immediately."

Lin Yu didn't take it seriously and responded with a faint smile.

"Change the lotteries!" Li Ru shouted. The new lotteries were placed back inside, and he deliberately put them on the table, winking at Dong Zhuo. Mei Niang leaned closer and whispered.

"Is this time foolproof?"

“Both are fixed lots, handmade by me. It doesn’t matter which one he chooses,” Li Ru replied confidently.

"Lin Yu, it's your turn," Li Ru urged.

Lin Yu yawned and walked forward, glancing casually at the two lots.

"Wait a moment."

Sun Shangxiang stepped forward, and Li Ru questioned her sharply.

"Who are you, and why are you interfering with the ritual?"

Sun Shangxiang calmly introduced herself.

"I am Sun Shangxiang from Jiangdong High School, representing Sun Jian, the principal of the Jiangdong School Alliance, to oversee this ceremony."

Dong Zhuo reminded Li Ru and Mei Niang.

"She is very quick-witted and handles things carefully."

Li Ru accepted the order and remained very wary of Sun Shangxiang.

"Given your father's immense contributions to the Alliance, we will not pursue the matter further, but what is your purpose this time?"

Sun Shangxiang pointed to the fortune slips on the table, her words sharp and incisive.

"This time, we can't let it be like the previous two times, one life and one death, trying to fool everyone. If you cheat and both are death, we'll suffer in silence."

The students below echoed their sentiments, their enthusiasm running high.

"That's right, show your cards! Show your cards..."

Li Ru maintained his smile and patiently explained, "Dear students, please remember that according to the campus self-governance regulations, those who reveal their cards during the Heavenly Sacrifice Ceremony must sign a waiver of life and death. If the process is correct, the person revealing the card will be punished immediately."

Zhang Fei boldly replied, "I'm not afraid! Come on, I'll sign the waiver!"

Guan Yu quickly stopped Zhang Fei: "Third brother, be careful, there might be a trap. They might want to use the death pact to eliminate us one by one."

"We can't just watch our elder brother die!" Zhang Fei said anxiously.

"Not convinced...show your cards..."

The shouts rang out again, the source of which was unknown. Li Ru raised his voice: "If you don't quiet down, we will dispatch the security team to arrest the troublemakers in accordance with the campus emergency regulations!"

"If you're not convinced...show your hand..." The students ignored them and continued to shout.

At this moment, Sun Shangxiang took advantage of the chaos to take out an MP3 player from her pocket, and the sound was broadcast directly into the headphones of Li Ru and the others.

"Liu Bei, can you hear me?"