Chapter 141: The Reversal

Walking in the lead, Luo Kui wore a subtle, imperceptible expression of strangeness on his face—a half-smile, brimming with an eerie quality. The only thing that remained unchanged was his steady and calm stride.

"Wait." What else could there be?

Luo Kui stopped in his tracks and looked back at him.

"What is it now?"

Lu Yunshu wore a look of intense vigilance, having already prepared to finish off his opponent at a moment's notice, cutting off any possibility of a comeback.

Maintaining his unruffled and composed demeanor, Luo Kui turned around and said, "Those relatives of yours were all ordered by me to be locked away in an extremely secluded place. Without my command, how could they possibly be sent out into the outside world?"

"Therefore, I need to send one of them ahead to deliver the message. What do you think of this arrangement?"

Lu Yunshu was taken aback. Although what the other man said sounded reasonable, no matter how he listened to it, he sensed an underlying oddness. It sounded entirely as though Luo Kui was brewing a new conspiracy.

Yet, refusing to let him pass according to Luo Kui's terms was equally unviable.

For a moment, Lu Yunshu found himself hesitating. If he denied the request, it would inevitably arouse the other's suspicion; if he agreed, wouldn't he simply be playing right into the open scheme of his adversary?

Even the few guards looked momentarily dazed, though they quickly returned to their normal expressions. Although they did not understand why Luo Kui would say such a thing, they knew there must be a specific purpose behind it.

Earlier, those relatives of Lu Yunshu had undeniably perished at their hands without exception. Where could they possibly be sent to give orders?

Even if Luo Kui had some stratagem in mind, they were completely kept in the dark.

Oh well, they would just take it one step at a time. They believed Luo Kui would naturally make arrangements hereafter; these were matters beyond their immediate concern.

Seeing Lu Yunshu narrow his eyes and furrow his brow, Luo Kui urged, "What is it? Could there still be some objection to this?"

Lu Yunshu was momentarily at a loss for words. After a moment of thought, he decided it wasn't a major issue. Even if they followed the other's suggestion, it would do no harm—it was merely letting a few guards slip away. No matter how much scheming they attempted, they would never succeed in their conspiracies. As long as Luo Kui remained in his grasp, he had nothing to fear. No matter what mishaps occurred, Luo Kui was his ultimate safeguard.

"Very well, you may leave. Lord Luo and I shall take our leave first." Lu Yunshu casually pointed at one of the guards and waved his hand, signaling his consent.

The designated guard was startled, but the moment he caught Luo Kui's eye once more, his resolve was made. At that instant, Lu Yunshu had his back turned to Luo Kui. In a mere flash, Luo Kui quietly launched his attack.

Lu Yunshu was shocked. The very second Luo Kui initiated the sneak attack, he reacted. Though he inwardly scoffed at the attempt, he dared not underestimate his opponent. Absolutely nothing could go wrong here; the moment he lost his bargaining chip, his fate could be easily imagined.

This turn of events came so abruptly that the surrounding guards were momentarily stunned, delaying their reaction by several breaths. By the time they intended to join the fray, they saw that Luo Kui's offensive had grown increasingly fierce, rivaling the skill of any one of them.

Lu Yunshu was caught completely off guard. Had he been prepared from the very beginning, he would never have allowed the other party to succeed.

By this point, how could they still fail to realize that their esteemed lord had all along been playing the pig to eat the tiger?

Moreover, Luo Kui had masked himself so thoroughly that even they, his closest personal guards, had never heard of him possessing such capability.

Ordinarily, Lu Yunshu might have fought Luo Kui to a standstill, but ever since he fell a step behind at the start, Luo Kui advanced methodically step by step, quickly turning the tide. With the subsequent intervention of the guards, in less than five breaths, Lu Yunshu was battered to the verge of total collapse.

"Despicable and shameless!"

"So you've been playing the weakling all along! Even those words you spoke earlier weren't meant to have him arrange for my relatives at all. Everything you did was merely to briefly numb me so you could smoothly break free from my control, and then instantly unleash your full strength to reverse the battle!"

"I have lost... and this defeat is not unjust."

Amidst Lu Yunshu's desolate expression, a heavy, burning rage was intertwined. The opponent was simply too cunning; from beginning to end, not a single true word had been spoken—it was all lies, leading him straight into a fatal trap.

"Pity that saying all this now is too late. The matter is already settled. I must admit, you are a very tenacious opponent. However, ginger is hottest when it's old—you have lost."

"There is something I am quite curious about. You stated earlier that you and Mulan had no illicit relations whatsoever, so why did she visit you every few days? Why did the two of you hide in the secret chamber? Tell me the whole story in detail," Luo Kui demanded with a darkened face.

It was better to clear the matter up. Although the outcome was already decided, he still preferred not to remain in the dark.

"Things are exactly as you thought. I only denied it flatly at first to appease your anger." Lu Yunshu glared at Luo Kui. Since the other wanted to know, he would certainly not let him have his way easily.

As for whether Luo Kui believed it or not, that was his concern; whether to speak or not was up to Lu Yunshu. At the very least, being able to disgust his enemy right before death would bring a great deal of gratification to his heart.

Luo Kui chuckled. "Hahaha, the more you say that, the more it proves things are not as you claim."

"Knowing you wouldn't talk, I never expected you to speak anyway."

"You all go back to the secret chamber, search carefully for anything suspicious, and bring everything back."

The lighting in the secret chamber was relatively dim, and coupled with the fact that he was frequently consumed by rage whenever he had the time, he had failed to notice those trivial details. Only now, recalling it in retrospect, did he feel as though he had missed something at the time.

"Understood!" Receiving their orders, the guards immediately rushed back to the secret chamber and began a meticulous sweep, leaving not even a single strand of hair unchecked.

With that, Luo Kui cast a sinister gaze upon Lu Yunshu and said coldly, "Then I will beat you to within an inch of your life first, and we can discuss the rest afterward."

The previous lesson had taught him a harsh truth: under no circumstances must he give the opponent any chance to catch their breath. Therefore, Luo Kui decided to reduce him to a half-dead state before considering anything else. Only then would Lu Yunshu essentially lose all capability to pose a threat.

Bang!

Luo Kui locked his eyes onto the other's figure. In the next instant, a fist shadow darted forward, landing heavily and unmistakably right against his chest.