His hand was already exhausted. By now, after killing so many and using such force, his hand was starting to tremble slightly, and both his elbow and wrist were throbbing with intense pain.
But—
He had never felt so exhilarated!
Yes!
A man living in this world should live like this—freely and boldly.
If people want to kill him, why can’t he kill others?!
Why should he be the one who has to be the good guy?
If being good only means being trampled on, losing one’s family, being utterly destroyed— Then where is the justice in this world?
To h*ll with “repaying evil with good!”
He suddenly rediscovered the fighting spirit of his youth. He turned to Qi Yuan and asked, “The men they can send—this is probably all of them, right?”
So now, what would Lu Minghui do?
——
At the Lu residence, Lu Minghui had been sitting in his study the whole time.
Eldest Madam Lu pushed open the study door, burning with impatience as she rushed in, “How is it? Has any news come back?”
No one was more anxious than her.
If Lu Mingan returned, the events of those years would be exposed.
If the Eldest Princess found out that it had been Lu Minghui and the First Household who orchestrated things back then, wouldn’t that be the end of them?
She had finally enjoyed so many good years. She had her hand in everything, taking all the benefits—how could she possibly hand it all over now, when half her life had already passed and she was living comfortably?
Back when they were in Fujian, because the Second Household had a princess, the in-laws’ hearts had completely leaned toward them.
All the benefits had gone to the Second Household.
The princess didn’t have to follow any rules, didn’t need to do anything, yet all the advantages in the household belonged to her and her husband.
She had been crushed under this princess of a sister-in-law for so long she could barely lift her head.
After returning to the capital, with the Eldest Princess having lost her husband and son, retreating to Baiyun Temple in seclusion—only then did she realize there were so many good things to be had in this world.
Because Lu Mingan had “died,” Emperor Yongchang had taken extra care of the Lu family.
The Lu family was now flourishing.
Her daughter had also entered the palace as a companion to a princess.
Her son was now Qi Wang’s study companion.
The better their life became, the more she was willing to risk everything to protect it.
Lu Minghui’s head was splitting from the pain. Seeing Eldest Madam Lu still chattering incessantly, he finally snapped and roared, “Do you think this is like buying vegetables on the street? That just because you say so, it will happen?!”
Lu Mingan himself was a skilled fighter, not to mention the many guards left behind by Qi Zhen.
The total number of men Lu Minghui could deploy added up to only forty-six.
Those forty-six men—there was no guarantee they could even kill Lu Mingan.
Did she think he wasn’t worried?
Yet Eldest Madam Lu kept urging and pressuring him.
Seeing her husband equally irritable and angry, Eldest Madam Lu didn’t dare to push further. Biting her lip, she complained in a breathless whisper, “Just what is this man made of—why is he so d*mn hard to kill?”
It had been decades!
How was he still alive and able to come back?!
Lu Minghui’s face darkened, but he said nothing.
After a moment, the door was suddenly knocked. He immediately stood up. “Come in!”
The Lu family’s steward, Zhong Ming—who had also once followed Lu Minghui on the battlefield—carefully stepped in and quickly approached Lu Minghui. “Master, we failed.”
Failed?!
Lu Minghui slammed his palm on the table.
Eldest Madam Lu’s voice turned sharp and shrill. “What’s the point of feeding them? Year after year, we give them so much silver! They’re utterly useless!”
“Enough!” Lu Minghui was already furious. Hearing Eldest Madam Lu continue to rant, he grew even more agitated. “Do you want the whole world to know?!”
What was there for Eldest Madam Lu to be afraid of?
She had nothing to worry about.
She gave a cold snort and, with no restraint, said sharply, “As long as they’re not dead today, tomorrow someone from the palace will come to bring them back! Do you really think people won’t find out by then?!”
Overcome with fury, Eldest Madam Lu shouted in frustration, “Go tell Duke Chu’s household to think of a solution! This isn’t just our family’s problem! Do they think they can sit back and relax while we’re in trouble?!”
Lu Minghui completely ignored her.
He knew very well—Duke Chu’s household would never step in.
Because back then, the ones who took action were truly only the Lu family.
If the Lu family dared to drag Duke Chu’s household into this, Duke Chu would make sure the Lu family ended up even worse.
The candle flame in the room crackled, and the wax popped.
Without a trace of expression, Lu Minghui reached for his sword. “I’ll go.”
When he said this, Eldest Madam Lu finally panicked. “Why are you going?”
She had seen Lu Mingan’s skills in the past, and now that he was fueled by such deep hatred—Lu Minghui wanted to go himself?
She grabbed Lu Minghui’s sleeve in alarm.
But Lu Minghui shook her off without hesitation and said in a low voice, “It has to be me. I know his temperament best. I’ll talk to him properly—I’ll kneel and beg him.”
Lu Mingan had always been the most obedient, most considerate child in the family since he was young.
Back then, when the family was to marry into the royal family, the bride was originally meant for him.
But at that time, marrying a princess meant giving up an official career, so he had refused.
In the end, Lu Mingan married her instead.
Who would have thought the princess would later take him to Min territory? Min Wang didn’t care about court restrictions—of course he would elevate his own brother-in-law.
So Lu Mingan ended up making great military achievements and holding real power.
Now, if he went to plead with Lu Mingan, bringing up their dead parents, Lu Mingan would surely soften and lower his guard.
And then he could seize the chance to kill him.
Only that would completely eliminate future trouble.
Eldest Madam Lu was still worried but knew this was no longer something she could stop. She could only grit her teeth and say, “Then you must be careful. Once you see the opportunity—kill him!”
Kill the man who never should have come back.
Lu Minghui gave a small nod.
—
At this moment, Lu Mingan, Xiao Yunting, and Qi Yuan were already close to the capital.
When they reached Desheng Gate, Lu Mingan’s expression was complicated, his mood just as tangled.
He had once thought he would never have the chance to return in this lifetime.
But now—he was standing right here, alive and well.
He felt a bit uneasy. “The city gate won’t open until morning. When that happens…”
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow and smiled. “It won’t. Why would it wait until morning?”
As if to prove her words, the city gate at Desheng Gate actually opened just half an hour later.
Lu Mingan turned his head to look at Qi Yuan.
Xiao Yunting said in a low voice, “Money can make the devil grind your corn. Power works the same way.”
Qi Yuan lowered her voice and said, “The big fish is here.”
All the small fry were dead—it was time for the big fish to appear.
Lu Mingan closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. When he opened them, he saw a white horse galloping toward them.
The white horse was exceptionally fine—its appearance alone showed it was priceless.
A rider on such a horse certainly wouldn’t be an ordinary man.
Lu Mingan stared fixedly at the man on the horse, nearly forgetting to breathe.
Qi Yuan softly said at his side, “Your Grace, you can choose to let him miss us and wait until tomorrow morning to enter the city—or you can choose to chase him now. The choice is yours.”
