“Xuan’er, could this be…”
Lu Jiahe couldn’t help but feel a bit conflicted when he heard Lu Xuan making a decision on his behalf.
The reason was that Xuan’er had used up too many personal favors for his own useless old father.
He had only just returned not long ago, and now he had to go and trouble the county magistrate, Ye Qingshan, again.
Although he, as a father, wasn’t much use, he couldn’t just keep letting his son worry about everything for him.
This was one of the main reasons why Lu Jiahe had been reluctant to speak up in the first place.
He knew he didn’t have that much influence to sway the county magistrate’s decision.
If he wanted to plead for leniency for Lu Yunfei, it would just end up causing trouble for his son indirectly.
But Lu Jiayong, who was standing nearby, reacted quite differently from Lu Jiahe.
The look of extreme grief on Lu Jiayong’s face vanished in an instant, replaced by an expression of wild joy.
With the guarantee from his nephew, Lu Xuan, it meant everything was settled.
As long as he could still have descendants, that was good. At least he wouldn’t be the sinner of the Lu family, ending their bloodline!
As for the punishment Lu Xuan mentioned at the end — cutting off relations with them — Lu Jiayong didn’t care about that either.
Anyway, since Lu Jiahe, his cousin, was here, he didn’t believe Lu Jiahe would really have the heart to cut ties with him.
“Thank you.”
Seeing that he had achieved his goal, Lu Jiayong gave his kneeling wife and daughter a look, wanting to leave quickly.
That unfilial son of his had coincidentally married a legitimate wife, but Lu Yunfei spent all his days fooling around, so he hadn’t left behind any offspring yet.
Now, she could finally be of use. It seemed he would have to pay more attention to this daughter-in-law from now on.
Their family had treated her poorly. Once this daughter-in-law became pregnant with Yunfei’s child, he would confirm her as the next matriarch of their branch of the family.
“Xiao Xuan, when will you go and tell the county magistrate about this? We should get it done as soon as possible to avoid any accidents.”
Before leaving, Lu Jiayong even had the nerve to shamelessly ask.
“You can go right now.”
?????
Lu Jiayong’s body stiffened. He had no idea what Lu Xuan meant by that.
Go right now? Really? When did you notify the county magistrate? We didn’t see you leave at all.
Lu Xuan didn’t say anything more. Ignoring Lu Jiayong, he walked over to where his father was standing.
Seeing this, Lu Jiayong could only force an awkward smile to hide his embarrassment. He didn’t dare ask any more questions and hurriedly left with his family.
However, what he didn’t know was that Lu Xuan had just released a wisp of his divine thought to notify Ye Qingshan!
Qingyun County Government Office!
At that moment, inside the county magistrate Ye Qingshan’s main meeting room, three people were discussing official business.
These three were the county magistrate Ye Qingshan, the典史 (Dian Shi – a minor official handling prisons and documents) Liang Shanhai, and the county’s chief constable Chen Shi. They were discussing recent county matters.
And the matter at hand was, naturally, the recent homicide case.
Ye Qingshan looked at Liang Shanhai, who was sitting nearby, and spoke calmly.
“Old Liang, has your brother-in-law said anything about this matter?”
Hearing this, Liang Shanhai’s expression darkened, as if he had thought of something unpleasant.
“Me? Ah!”
“Don’t worry, Old Ye. Everyone knows my brother-in-law’s character.”
“There’s no way he would plead for that little bastard.”
“I’m just worried that the trouble caused by that little wretch will end up tarnishing my brother-in-law’s reputation.”
When Liang Shanhai mentioned Lu Yunfei, his face turned gloomy, and he became extremely agitated.
The Lu family’s tradition had always been about being good people, saving lives and helping the wounded. How could they produce such a little bastard who treated human life like grass?
Just as Ye Qingshan was about to say something else, the door was pushed open by an invisible, large hand at that moment.
As a gentle breeze brushed across the faces of Ye Qingshan and the others, a wisp of purple energy floated up and down in the air.
“Huh?”
“What is this thing?”
Just as Ye Qingshan and the others became cautious, a voice suddenly echoed in the room!
“Magistrate Ye, it’s me!”
Ye Qingshan and the others were instantly shocked by this sudden voice.
They were, of course, very familiar with this voice.
Lu Xuan!
First-Row Cell, County Government Jail
Inside the jail, a young man of about seventeen or eighteen years old sat in a cell, a heavy set of cangue locked around his neck.
Even with the heavy restraint, his expression was ferocious and twisted, and he kept hurling abuse.
“You corrupt officials! Let me go right now! My father won’t let you get away with this!”
“My father is Lu Jiahe’s cousin! You damn bastards, I’ll have you killed!”
“So what if I killed two lowly servant girls? I, your master, have plenty of money! Let me out right now!”
The two bailiffs guarding the outside of the cell were being cursed out fiercely by the young man inside, but they simply chose to ignore him.
“Ah, this little bastard does have some backing!”
“He killed two people, yet the county magistrate still hasn’t sentenced him to beheading!”
“Hey, hey, hey, Old Gong, be careful with your words.”
“These aren’t things we can discuss.”
“Besides, it’s nothing to be surprised about.”
“I’ve seen plenty of things like this before. When the previous county magistrate was here, there were even more outrageous cases.”
“Never mind, never mind. I’ve said too much.”
The bailiff suddenly realized he had been talking too much and quickly shut his mouth.
“This is the death cell where Lu Yunfei is held. You three, go inside.”
“Remember, don’t try anything funny. Also, I’ll be in charge of supervising you for this month.”
Just then, light footsteps echoed from the jail corridor, accompanied by a voice speaking.
Hearing the voice, the two bailiffs quickly stood up from their chairs and hurried over with small, shuffling steps.
“You two, come out with me. For the next month, you’ll just stand guard outside the door.”
“Yes, Chief!”
The two bailiffs quickly looked up and noticed that their boss now had three strangers with him — two women and one man.
All three were dressed in fine silks and satins, clearly wealthy and distinguished individuals.
Seeing this scene, the two bailiffs exchanged a knowing glance, their eyes showing an expression that said, “We knew it.”
They recognized the identity of the visitors at a glance — they were clearly closely related to Lu Yunfei, who was locked in the death cell.
And what Lu Yunfei said next precisely revealed who these people were.
“Father, Mother! You’ve finally come! Save me!”
“I’m suffering here! I want to get out! I want to kill these corrupt officials! I’ll kill them all!”
“Shut up, you beast!”
“I’m so sorry, gentlemen. I’ve failed to teach my son properly. Please forgive me.”
Lu Jiayong quickly saw the bailiffs’ expressions turning sour, so he immediately started yelling at Lu Yunfei inside the death cell.
The lead bailiff didn’t say anything more but silently left the place with the other two people.
Lu Yunfei, stuck inside the death cell, looked utterly confused. He couldn’t believe that his father, who had always indulged him since childhood, would one day actually curse him.
“Father! You cursed at me!”
“Mother! Look at Father! He cursed at me!”
Clang!
The iron lock on the cell door, opened by Lu Jiayong with a key, fell heavily to the ground.
“Beast!”
“You’ve completely disgraced me, Lu Jiayong!”
Smack!
Just as Lu Yunfei was wondering what was going on, Lu Jiayong quickly raised his right hand and delivered a heavy slap to Lu Yunfei’s face.
That single slap sent Lu Yunfei flying through the air, crashing against the hard stone wall.
“You listen to me, you beast! Within this month, you will produce an heir for our branch of the family!”
The heavy slap left Lu Yunfei dizzy, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
But as he regained his senses, he understood what his father meant.
Ignoring the burning pain on his face, Lu Yunfei’s expression turned panicked, and he spoke urgently.
“Father! What do you mean by that?”
“Didn’t you come to get me out?”
“Mother! Save me! I don’t want to die!”
“I won’t produce an heir! You have to get me out of here!”
For the first time, Lu Yunfei felt true fear. His father, who had always spoiled him, was actually willing to abandon him one day.
“Hmph, that’s not up to you!”
Lu Jiayong had long known that Lu Yunfei would refuse to cooperate, so he had already prepared certain things in advance.
Of course, he meant the Lu family’s unique medicinal formula — a potent tonic that could stir the deepest desires within a person.
As a member of the Lu family, Lu Jiayong was naturally well-versed in the secrets of the family’s medical arts.
As he spoke, Lu Jiayong reached into his robe and pulled out a small, delicate jade bottle.
“No! Father, I don’t want to! I don’t want to die!”
“I’ll never do it again, I swear! Please, save me!”
Lu Jiayong turned a blind eye to Lu Yunfei’s pleas. He poured a small, brown pill out of the jade bottle.
A leopard can’t change its spots.
Lu Jiayong knew his son’s character all too well. There was no turning back for him now.
“It’s alright, Fei’er. This will all be over soon.”
“You’re just leaving a little earlier, that’s all. Your father doesn’t have many years left either. I’ll come to keep you company soon enough.”
……….
Lu Family Residence
Seeing Lu Xuan return, Lu Jiahe’s gloomy mood completely vanished.
“An’er, quickly have the servants prepare a feast. We need to welcome your elder brother back.”
“Yes, Father!”
After Lu Yun’an left, only Lu Xuan and Lu Jiahe remained in the main hall.
“Xuan’er, why are you back so suddenly? Is there something going on?”
Lu Jiahe looked at his son, who seemed like a changed person, and was greatly astonished.
The aura Lu Xuan carried gave Lu Jiahe a feeling completely different from the past.
It was as if he, an ordinary mortal, was standing before an untainted celestial being.
“Yes.”
“I did come back this time to discuss some things with you, Father.”
“For the coming period, I will be leaving Anzhou, Baidao Prefecture, to go to the Great Xia Celestial Capital.”
“What!”
“Xuan’er, why would you suddenly go to the Great Xia Celestial Capital?”
Lu Jiahe was startled by Lu Xuan’s words. He didn’t understand why his son would so suddenly need to go there.
That place was the center of the Great Xia Empire. Just thinking about the dangers and perils there made Lu Jiahe shudder with fear.
“The current Emperor has issued an imperial decree summoning me.”
Clang!
The crisp sound of shattering glass came from outside the door.
Lu Yun’an had personally walked in carrying two cups of tea when he overheard what Lu Xuan had just said.
This completely stunned him. He accidentally tilted his hands, spilling some tea.
The Emperor of the Great Xia Empire wanted to summon his elder brother?
This earth-shattering news was even more suffocating than him bumping into a ghost during the day.
Because, in the minds of people like Lu Jiahe, the Great Xia Emperor was the most revered existence in the empire, someone who only existed in legends and stories.
Who could have ever imagined that one day, Lu Xuan, a member of the Lu family, would be noticed by that supreme, untouchable being?
Lu Jiahe had no reason to doubt what Lu Xuan said.
So, after calming down for a long while, he suddenly remembered something and quickly stood up.
“Then Xuan’er, don’t waste any more time. You must leave immediately for the Celestial Capital to meet the Emperor!”
“We can’t keep His Majesty waiting!”
Lu Jiahe had originally wanted to ask Lu Xuan how many days he would stay at home, but the news that the Great Xia Emperor had summoned his son changed everything.
He couldn’t afford any delays. Lu Xuan had to leave for the Celestial Capital right away to have an audience with the Emperor.
“That’s right, Brother. An imperial summons is a huge matter. It can’t be delayed!”
Seeing their exaggerated reactions, Lu Xuan felt a bit speechless. Was being summoned by the Emperor really such a big deal?
Why were they getting so worked up?
It seemed that even though he had finally managed to come home, his father and brother were already eager to shoo him away.
Oh well, it’s fine. Lu Xuan had only come back to see his father anyway, and to leave behind a divine thought to protect him.
“Alright then, Father.”
“I came back this time because I’ve made some progress in my martial arts path. I’ll leave a protective force for you, and then I’ll leave immediately for the Celestial Capital to meet the Emperor.”
As Lu Xuan spoke, his divine palace within his mind trembled. Wisps of profound, mystical purple energy crackled and danced at his fingertips.
Then, those few strands of purple energy, as light as cooking smoke, seemed to lock onto Lu Jiahe. They slowly seeped into his body through the top of his head.
After Lu Xuan finished, his eyes, which had been glowing with a purple light, gradually dimmed and returned to normal.
Lu Jiahe, sitting in front of Lu Xuan, felt a strange, warm current flash briefly through his body.
“Xuan’er, is this the same kind of power you left here before?”
Lu Jiahe’s eyes were filled with wonder. His son’s abilities were becoming more and more like those of the celestial beings in myths.
Lu Yun’an, standing nearby, also looked envious.
Unfortunately, his own martial arts talent was too poor. He couldn’t hope to cultivate such magical power.
Moreover, his father had already decided that he would inherit the Lu family’s medical arts in the future.
“Yes, more or less.”
Lu Xuan didn’t explain further. He simply confirmed his father’s assumption.
Having done all this, it was time for Lu Xuan to leave.
