My son, how could you be Lü Bu?!

Chapter 40 Hidden Agent

"Cao Xing?"

"Where's Fengxian?!"

Lü Ping dismounted.

Standing in the outpost, he only glanced around briefly before realizing that it was already evening and the outpost was short of manpower.

Of the few remaining wandering knights.

Only Cao Xing could make him somewhat familiar with him.

Seeing that his own Uncle Lü had asked a question.

Cao Xing, whose face still held a hint of resentment because he couldn't leave with his elder brother Lü, took a deep breath and began to explain.

"Someone from the military just arrived."

"It seems that Shen Zhengnan has something to do and specially sent someone to invite you."

"Seeing that you weren't there, I told Brother Lü."

"Upon hearing this, Brother Lü was overjoyed. He summoned Cheng Lian and Wei Yue, who happened to be present, and together they took the soldier who had delivered the message with them."

"I returned late and missed it. I only heard from them that Brother Lü left a letter saying that he wanted to wait for you to return so that you could see it."

talking.

Cao Xing then took out a piece of yellowed paper from his bosom, written on Cai Lun paper and folded repeatedly—this was something Lu Ping had bought out of curiosity when he went to investigate the Zheng family's retinue last time.

He carefully handed it to Lü Ping.

Lü Ping took it and opened it.

After only a few glances, his brows furrowed slightly.

A moment of silence.

He suddenly looked up at Cao Xing in front of him, his voice making it impossible to discern his emotions.

"How long have they been gone?!"

"Which direction did they go? Cao Xing, do you know?"

Cao Xing was taken aback.

He reacted quickly, and an excited look immediately appeared on his face. He pointed in a direction leading to the city gate and said in a low voice.

"I know!"

"I just asked them!"

"We've only walked for less than an incense stick's time, heading that way, Uncle Lü, has something happened?! Should we go there too?!"

Hearing the two talking.

The group of wandering knights, who were still at their camp, some squatting and some standing, were all startled and looked up.

Lu Ping gripped the half-section of Cai Lun's paper in his hand, squeezing it so hard that it creaked and crumpled into a ball. With a little force, he tossed the paper ball towards the brazier used for lighting in the courtyard.

The paper ball burned quickly, emitting a wisp of smoke, and eventually turned into ashes.

He raised his hand to his sword, merely glancing indifferently at the assembled wandering swordsmen, and said softly.

"Those whose names are already on the recruitment roster, go back to your rooms and take your swords."

"The governor has given an order."

"The Zheng family of Jiuyuan committed multiple crimes, including setting up private markets, selling salt and iron to foreign tribes, colluding with bandits, robbing and burning government grain, and intercepting and killing officials."

"As a martial arts practitioner, I have an inescapable duty to uphold justice."

"Tonight."

"Suppress the Zheng family, burn down their private market, and leave no one alive."

His voice was indifferent, yet it carried a hint of menace.

The group of wandering knights were terrified upon hearing this.

Promises made in earnest!

Then, just a moment later.

The wandering knights filed out, following behind Lü Ping on his white horse, hurrying towards the Zheng family's residence in the city.

That night.

The sounds of battle erupted, amidst raging flames and thick smoke.

......

The next day, early morning.

Even though it hadn't rained, there were still quite a few water stains on the bluestone slabs, as if something was being washed away.

The air should have been fresh.

There was still a smell mixed with the odor of burning and blood.

A corner of the southern part of the city.

Another familiar banner with the character "募" (recruitment) was hung directly in front of the recruitment pavilion, fluttering in the morning breeze.

Lu Ping, dressed in a neat long robe and wearing a bronze seal and yellow ribbon at his waist, looked slightly tired at this moment.

He leaned against the table filled with bamboo slips, his eyes slightly narrowed, listening to the excited words of the minor officials beside him.

Have you heard?

"last night."

"The Zheng family, who controlled two or three neighborhoods in the west of the city, actually caught fire!"

"It's said... that the Zheng family, with over a hundred members, young and old, didn't escape at all!"

"and."

"What's even stranger is..."

"Even before the Zheng family's house caught fire, several markets outside the city, which the Zheng family had privately established to sell daily necessities to those foreigners, also caught fire simultaneously!"

"The Zheng family's hard work over generations, nearly a century of foundation, has been almost completely destroyed!"

"When I passed by this morning, I heard from my colleagues who were examining the bodies that, apart from the Zheng brothers, Zheng Yong and Zheng Xin, who happened to be out of town, almost none of the direct descendants of the Zheng family survived."

"You guys say..."

"Could the Zheng family have offended someone? Otherwise, why would such a strange thing happen—fires breaking out both inside and outside the city at the same time?!"

Listening to the words of this minor official.

The other three or five clerks all nodded in agreement, clearly quite agreeing.

"By the way, wasn't Taiyuan Prefecture transporting grain and fodder towards us a few days ago?"

One of the minor officials seemed to have thought of something and suddenly spoke up.

"The grain supplies were looted and burned by bandits from the Wula Mountains to the south."

"Do you think these two things might be related?"

"You mean..." The clerk who spoke first seemed to be deep in thought.

"Did the Zheng family offend this band of bandits? Did they manage to find out who their key members were, infiltrate the city, and commit murder and arson?!"

"It's not impossible!" The clerk who had just made the guess nodded emphatically in agreement.

Listening to these minor officials' seemingly serious analysis.

After toiling away in the city all night, Mr. Lü finally couldn't hold back any longer. He pointed to the increasingly long queue ahead and coughed twice.

The minor officials then realized what was happening, and they dispersed with laughter, going forward to greet the volunteers.

only...

For some reason, as they became busier...

The length of the recruitment line has not only not decreased, but has actually become longer.

"This is the line of people coming to apply for jobs."

"Why is it even longer than yesterday?"

"Was someone setting me up?"

Looking at the team that had come to apply, and the occasional words they uttered.

Lu Ping, who had been busy for a long time, felt that something was not quite right.

......

outside the city.

A vast estate.

Wang De, whose face was pale and who was extremely thin, had just woken up when he saw two men kneeling in front of his bed, their bodies covered in blood, their eyes filled with grief, and their heads pressed tightly to the ground.

He was only stunned for a moment.

He hurriedly went outside, dismissed his servants, then closed the door and screen. He then forcibly suppressed the anger in his words and shouted in a low voice at the Zheng Yong and Zheng Xin brothers on the ground.

"How dare you two come here?!"

"Didn't I tell you two to hide well and go as far away as you could?!"

"As long as you two aren't caught, Wang Yun has no witnesses. Even with that indictment, he can only argue with my uncle! He can't touch your family!"

Faced with Wang De's words.

The brothers Zheng Yong and Zheng Xin, lying on the ground, exchanged a glance, their grief intensifying.

Zheng Yong, with his extremely long eyes, spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Brother De..."

"My family... was surrounded last night by Prince Shi, Shen Pei, Shen Zhengnan, and the Lü family father and son. All 158 members of the clan perished!"

"Only my brother and I, with our men, hid in the market outside the city and managed to escape, so that we were able to see Brother De again."

Upon hearing this news...

Wang De was stunned, his face filled with disbelief.

"How is this possible!?"

"What on earth is this Prince Shi doing! With a great battle imminent, how could he be so irrational!"

Zheng Yong, whose eyes were extremely narrow, simply continued speaking.

"Neither of us knew."

"I came to see Brother De only to tell him this news before I leave."

It seemed as if he had thought of something.

Wang De suddenly looked down at Zheng Yong on the ground.

"What are you two doing?!"

"Or rather, what do you two need me to do?!"

A sinister glint suddenly appeared in Zheng Yong's eyes, and he said sternly.

"Among the bandits in the Wula Mountains to the south, there is one who used to be on good terms with my Zheng family, named Yu Du, who is willing to take us in."

"Yongyu took the remaining money, goods, and servants from his family, changed his name, and went into the mountains to become a bandit."

"only..."

"A blood feud must be avenged."

"I hope that Brother De will remember our past friendship and lend me a hand, and keep in touch with me by correspondence, informing me of the whereabouts of Wang Yun, the governor of Bingzhou, Shen Pei and Shen Zhengnan, as well as the Lü family father and son."

"If one day we avenge our great wrongs, we will never forget Brother De's kindness!"

talking.

Zheng Yong then kowtowed hard to the ground!

boom! boom! boom!

After a few sounds!

He smashed a small dent into the wooden floor, and tiny splinters pierced his forehead!

His forehead was split open! Blood gushed out! It even seeped into his eyes!

But he refused to close his eyes, staring intently at Wang De, whose eyes were bloodshot and filled with blood, making him look incredibly eerie.

And his younger brother.

Seeing his brother's miserable state.

His face was filled with grief, and he suddenly let out a wail. Then, he kowtowed hard to the ground!

After only a few hits, he broke his forehead.

Blood flowed.

In a short time.

Both men, their eyes bloodshot, stared intently at Wang De, the nephew of Wang Zhi, the governor of Wuyuan County, with a mixture of pleading and threats.

Subconsciously avoiding their gazes, Wang De remained silent for a moment before speaking in a somewhat hoarse voice.

"That's certainly possible."

"If one day the Lü family becomes powerful, De might have to flee into the mountains and seek refuge with your brothers."

"Conditions in the mountains are harsh, and those bandits are greedy and will need money. When you two go up the mountain later, tell my steward to take some extra money and goods from me."

"If you ever lack anything, write it down to De, and De will naturally have someone deliver it to you and me."

Upon hearing this...

The Zheng brothers looked even more grateful.

The two men let out a mournful cry and then kowtowed violently before Wang De.

"Thank you very much, Brother De!"

Having made his decision, Wang De closed his eyes slightly and accepted the bow from the two men.

That's all.

Seeing Wang De's appearance, the two said no more and did not want to stay any longer. They took a step and were about to escape.

only...

They could only walk a few steps.

Wang De seemed to suddenly remember something, and abruptly opened his eyes to look at the Zheng brothers.

"Zheng Yong".

"If you've changed your name, how would I know it's you?!"

"What's your bandit name?!"

Zheng Yong, with his narrow eyes, paused for a moment.

Without thinking, he blurted it out.

"That chief, Yu Du, has already made a marriage agreement with me!"

"Let's call him Sui Gu!"

That's all.

The Zheng brothers then walked out without stopping.

Wang De was left alone, his eyes filled with astonishment, muttering to himself.

"Sui Gu..."