Chapter 158 - 115: There Will Be Retribution for Unkindness

Chapter 158: Chapter 115: There Will Be Retribution for Unkindness

The night was as black as ink, but the Lu Mansion was brightly lit.

Lu Jing’an supported his Third Aunt’s arm, feeling her faint tremors through his palm.

This woman, who was usually sharp and feisty, now had a face as pale as paper.

Her eyes were red and swollen, and she barely had the strength to stand, relying entirely on her nephew’s support.

"Third Aunt, please get some rest."

Lu Jing’an’s voice was steady. With a gentle but firm grip, he eased her down onto the soft couch.

His third aunt’s lips parted as if to speak, but only a stifled sob escaped.

Maids and older female servants who had been waiting nearby came forward on tiptoe, four of them each taking a corner of the couch.

They steadily carried his third aunt out of the study, heading toward the quiet room in the west wing.

The sound of their footsteps faded down the corridor, making the silence in the study feel even heavier.

Lu Jing’an turned and said to the old butler waiting outside the door, "Go and fetch Cui Medical Cultivator. Have them examine my third aunt carefully and prescribe something to calm her nerves."

The old butler bowed and acknowledged the order, taking two steps back before turning, his hurried steps quickly disappearing into the night.

With matters settled for the time being, Lu Jing’an turned back to face the two men inside the study.

Lu Huaiqian sat behind the Huanghuali Wood Writing Desk.

His fingers unconsciously stroked a cold Cyan Jade Paperweight.

The candlelight cast flickering shadows across his face,

etching his newly formed wrinkles ever deeper.

His second uncle, Lu Huaichuan, stood at the window with his back to the room.

Gazing out at the heavy darkness, his shoulders were ramrod straight.

"Father."

Lu Jing’an spoke, his voice exceptionally clear in the silence.

"Is there really no turning back from this?"

Lu Huaiqian looked up, his eyes bloodshot.

He slowly shook his head, each word seemingly forced through clenched teeth:

"Unless the Bai Family falls, your third uncle isn’t getting out."

"And the Hu Family is fanning the flames?" Lu Jing’an pressed, his gaze sharp.

Lu Huaiqian let out a cold laugh, one thick with an unshakeable chill:

"More than just fanning the flames.

Arrested today, sentenced the same day.

Such swift action... If the Hu Family hadn’t greased the wheels behind the scenes and sped up the process,

how would that even be possible?

The evidence and procedures were incomplete. How could it have gone through without the Hu Family’s approval?"

Lu Huaiqian paused, his voice dropping low:

"This is an overt scheme from the Hu Family.

They’re forcing us into a head-on collision with the Bai Family.

Ever since Bai Lang took charge of the Yin Mountain County Water Patrol Bureau,

our Lu Family has been avoiding a direct confrontation, playing it safe and steady, which has kept the Hu Family gasping for air.

Now that they’ve finally found an opportunity like this, do you think they’d ever let it go?"

The meaning was clear.

The Hu Family wanted to use Lu Huaisan’s life to force the Lu Family out into the open, to smash themselves against the iron wall that was the Bai Family.

Either the Lu Family would stand by and watch their third brother be executed by firing squad,

or the Lu Family would go all out and wage war against the Bai Family.

Either way, the Hu Family stood to reap the rewards.

"Big Brother!"

Lu Huaichuan spun around, his eyes red.

"I’ll send more men to the Bai Family, offer more silver!

Even if... even if we can just get the sentence changed to life in prison, we have to save his life first!"

Lu Huaiqian closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they held nothing but weary resolve:

"Go. Whatever price the Bai Family names, agree to it for now.

Keep them occupied. That will buy us time to maneuver."

Both brothers knew this was merely drinking poison to quench a thirst.

The Bai Family’s appetite was a bottomless pit, impossible to satisfy.

But for now, it was the only way to buy some time.

Lu Jing’an listened quietly without interrupting.

Only after his father and second uncle had finished did he cup his hands and say, "Father, Second Uncle, I have something to attend to. I’ll take my leave."

Lu Huaichuan immediately looked at him, his gaze filled with worry and warning:

"Jing’an! This is no small matter. You must not act rashly!

The Lu Family has endured for so long. We can wait a little longer.

As long as the green mountains are there, you’ll never lack for firewood. Remember that!"

Lu Jing’an’s expression was calm, but his tone was steady and firm. "Don’t worry, Second Uncle. I know what I’m doing."

Lu Huaichuan wanted to say more, but Lu Huaiqian waved a hand, cutting him off.

"Let Jing’an go. He has a plan."

Lu Jing’an bowed again and walked out of the study.

The door closed softly behind him, shutting out the heavy atmosphere within.

The lanterns in the corridor swayed gently in the night wind, stretching and shrinking Lu Jing’an’s shadow.

Instead of returning to his own small courtyard, Lu Jing’an headed straight for a side gate of the Lu Mansion.

His figure vanished into the thick darkness.

He was headed for the Canglan River.

The night wind carried the distinct, brackish scent of the River, and the crashing waves rumbled like distant thunder.

Lu Jing’an stood on a secluded, rocky shore by the River, surrounded by overgrown weeds and no sign of human life.

Lu Jing’an closed his eyes, and an invisible ripple quietly spread through his sea of consciousness.

’Cause and Effect with Sound!’

The moment the entry took effect,

every subtle sound and life signature within a five-hundred-meter radius was reflected in the lake of his mind.

The chirping of insects, the rustling of grass, the lapping of water, the indistinct chatter of people near a distant fishing light...

The only thing missing was any sign of unwanted observation.

’Safe enough.’

Lu Jing’an opened his eyes, stripped off his outer robe, and revealed the dark, close-fitting water-gear underneath.

Lu Jing’an took a step forward, his body sliding into the inky river water as silently as a gliding fish.

The moment he entered the water, four water-related entries activated simultaneously.

Water Bottom Ghost, King of Zeguo, Danger Perception, and Hydrological Control.

The instant he entered the water, Lu Jing’an’s body seemed to become a part of the current itself. All resistance vanished, and he could move freely.

Aided by King of Zeguo, the fish and shrimp in the water instinctively recoiled, clearing a path for him.

Hydrological Control, meanwhile, rendered the currents around Lu Jing’an incredibly placid, propelling him forward automatically.

With these four boons, Lu Jing’an’s speed underwater was actually faster than a galloping horse on land!