Chapter 11: So That’s How It Is
The lotus leaves connecting to the sky are endlessly green, dragonflies skim the water as they fly over the branches!
On the cruise boats and small boats that sailed over to check the disturbance, people stared dumbfounded at this unforgettable scene—the two Earth Rank Grandmasters skimmed away stepping on lotus leaves. The setting sun shone from the west, the afterglow of the falling sun illuminating their entire bodies in gold, just like deities……
But the pursued Xiahou Lei was already suffering bitterly. Although the greatest ability of an Earth Rank Grandmaster is having opened the Ren and Du Meridians, with true qi endlessly surging in the body! Yet dashing across the lotus leaves, every instant required mobilizing all the true qi in his body, and still maintaining high speed to avoid being caught up, the consumption was simply too enormous!
Don’t be fooled by his extremely elegant movements; in reality, he was already at the end of his rope, the true qi generated in his body could no longer keep up with such terrifying consumption! And behind him, the enemy was drawing ever closer, he could even hear Lu Yun’s breathing sound clearly, it was only a matter of time before he was struck down by a fist!
At that moment, the expanse of green suddenly vanished. Unbeknownst to them, the two had reached the edge of the lotus cluster! Xiahou Lei had no ability like Lingbo Weibu; all his cultivation was used on stepping on the lotus leaves, he couldn’t even turn around……
In the space of a hair’s breadth, Xiahou Lei was utterly helpless. With a plop, he fell wretchedly into the water!
Catching sight in his peripheral vision of Lu Yun diving toward him like an osprey, Xiahou Lei didn’t even have the strength to resist and could only close his eyes and wail: “My life is over!”
At the critical moment of life and death, several whizzing sounds of arrows cutting through the air rang out. Xiahou Lei suddenly opened his eyes wide and saw several crossbow bolts fly past his scalp, shooting toward that death-bringing Yama!
Lu Yun’s body was mid-air, with no way to dodge. A short knife appeared in his hand, flicking away the incoming crossbow bolts!
But this time, he couldn’t leap forward anymore either and also fell into the water with a plop!
Xiahou Lei saw several fast boats speeding toward him, the official soldiers on the boats holding crossbows, continuously shooting toward his rear!
Xiahou Lei hurriedly swam desperately. When he struggled to the boat’s side, he saw the Wu Commandery Commandery Lieutenant who had been guarding outside his temporary headquarters reaching out a hand to him.
“This official arrived late for the rescue. Imperial Envoy Lord, you were frightened.”
Xiahou Lei boarded the boat in utter wretchedness, his entire body dripping wet, beard and hair dripping water, exactly like a drowned rat—where was there any trace of an Imperial Envoy’s dignity?
Lu Xin hurriedly removed his cape and gave it to the Imperial Envoy Lord to wipe himself. Xiahou Lei wiped his head while panting with lingering fear. Only after a good while did he recover his senses, and with an embarrassed expression, he thanked Lu Xin. “This……that……sigh, many thanks for saving my life.”
“Why does Imperial Envoy Lord give thanks? This official did not save you at all.” Lu Xin said flatly: “Today, this official and the others did not even appear.”
“Mm……” These words put Xiahou Lei greatly at ease. For the first time, he seriously sized up this perceptive Commandery Lieutenant. Pulling his hand and patting it hard, he said in a deep voice: “Rest assured, this Marquis will surely reward you handsomely!”
“As long as Imperial Envoy Lord is safe,” Lu Xin remained neither humble nor arrogant: “that is the best reward for this official.”
“Good! Good!” Seeing Lu Xin not arrogant despite favor, Xiahou Lei’s impression of him improved even more.
。
Beyond the official soldiers’ search range, a small boat drifted alone on the lake surface. The boatman wore a bamboo hat and sat at the bow fishing. Suddenly, the float moved, ripples spreading across the water!
In the center of the ripples, a head emerged from the water.
“Young Master!” The boatman was overjoyed instead of startled and hurriedly pulled the man onto the boat.
The boatman was naturally Uncle Bao coming to receive him, and the one-eyed dragon emerging from the water was none other than Lu Yun.
Uncle Bao was just about to speak when he saw Lu Yun trembling all over and waving at him, on the verge of collapse—where was there any of his previous majesty?
Uncle Bao hurriedly supported him into the cabin, helped him sit cross-legged, and let Lu Yun circulate qi with full power to resist the tsunami-like pain surging toward him!
To avoid disturbing Lu Yun, Uncle Bao retreated outside the cabin to guard him. In the blink of an eye, he saw Lu Yun collapse to the ground, his body curled up like a shrimp! Lu Yun’s forehead veins throbbed, hands clutching his chest, gripping his arms tightly, knuckles all turned white! Uncle Bao watched this scene with heartbreaking pain, truly worried he would tear off his own arms……
Fully half an hour later, Lu Yun finally calmed down. With effort, he removed his eyepatch, peeled off the mustache at his lips, and took off the wide robe with padded shoulders, revealing his true face.
Then, supporting himself to stand, his knees buckled, and he hurriedly grabbed the cabin wall. He couldn’t help but give a bitter smile inwardly: at this moment, his body was completely drained inside, and within an hour, even a kitchen knife could take his life.
Lu Yun forced himself out of the cabin and saw that it was already dark outside.
Uncle Bao hurriedly helped him sit properly on the deck and sighed: “This Imperial Extreme Profound Cave Skill is truly devilishly strange!”
Lu Yun also sighed: “I originally wanted to go pick up sister and go home, but now everything is delayed……”
“Young Master!” Uncle Bao nearly fell headfirst into the water, exasperated: “I’m talking serious business with you!”
“Alright.” Lu Yun pressed his hands together, begging Uncle Bao to calm down, then said with a bitter smile: “Earth Rank Grandmasters truly live up to their reputation. Even past fifty and no longer at his peak, I still had to use eighty percent of my cultivation to defeat him……”
“Young Master! Stop speaking without pain in the waist while standing!” Uncle Bao said sourly: “The world is so vast, absolutely no more than fifty people can defeat Xiahou Lei. For Young Master at just sixteen to thoroughly defeat him is already unprecedented!”
“Uncle Bao, could you……” Lu Yun originally wanted to ask if Uncle Bao could defeat Xiahou Lei, but swallowed the words.
“Young Master, I know what you’re thinking.” Uncle Bao said seriously: “This subordinate’s kung fu should be evenly matched with Xiahou Lei’s. As for Young Master, you’re probably invincible below Heavenly Rank.” With Uncle Bao’s proud personality, for him to so tactfully admit inferiority to Lu Yun was already extremely rare.
Lu Yun was just about to be modest when Uncle Bao changed tack: “But Young Master, still don’t easily fight Earth Rankers. Just one Xiahou Lei has caused Young Master such severe backlash. What if someone else attacks Young Master at this time?”
Lu Yun’s expression also grew grave, nodding: “This is indeed a deadly problem.” He had felt that bone-marrow tearing pain the deepest. Lu Yun knew very well that without finding a way to crack it, he would eventually die from the backlash.
Seeing Lu Yun’s face stern, Uncle Bao hurriedly comforted: “There will be a solution……”
Lu Yun nodded, no longer brooding over solutions, and said softly to Uncle Bao: “I didn’t kill Xiahou Lei.”
Uncle Bao clearly already knew the result and sighed: “It’s all because Lu Xin came too fast, causing Young Master to fail at the last step.” Saying this, he revealed a terrifying smile: “But making the White Ape Society unable to eat and walk away is still worth the trip.”
After this battle, the White Ape Society would find it hard to escape involvement, and what awaited them was the Xiahou Clan’s thunderous wrath!
Who knew that after a moment of silence, Lu Yun said lowly to him: “It was I who had someone notify Father.”
“What?!” Uncle Bao was dumbfounded: “Young Master, why?!”
“Killing a mere Xiahou Lei wouldn’t shake the Xiahou Clan’s foundations.” Lu Yun slowly explained: “Moreover, judging from his unusual actions, the Xiahou Clan must have deeper plans this time. Better to not kill him and let them replan, but see what they really intend to do.”
“Then Young Master could have stayed silent and observed quietly!” Uncle Bao frowned deeply.
“That way, Father would still be stuck in this Wu Commandery for who knows how long……” Lu Yun shook his head, looking toward the Capital City in the North: “Better to use Xiahou Lei as a springboard for Father’s return to the capital.” Pausing, he said word by word: “This is truly the first step on our path of revenge!”
“That still requires Lu Xin to appreciate the favor!” Though he understood being trapped by West Lake could only waste away the years, unable to speak of revenge. Hearing Lu Yun’s words, Uncle Bao still felt a bit upset: “These years, that guy hasn’t lacked chances to transfer back to the capital. He is after all a Lu Family descendant; if he really wanted to return, he wouldn’t need others paving the way.”
“I will convince him.” Lu Yun said softly, but whether he could convince Lu Xin, he actually had no confidence. Because these years, Lu Xin hadn’t lacked opportunities to return to the capital, yet he had resolutely refused them all.
Putting aside this headache for now, Lu Yun said again: “Right, that Miss Qianqian seems to have some issue.”
“Her?” Uncle Bao was stunned for a moment, only reacting after a while, asking: “What issue?”
Lu Yun shook his head; for the moment, he couldn’t explain clearly either. But his intuition told him so……
