nyslfriends Chapter 68: I endured it all so I could kill to my heart's content!
Chapter 68: I endured it all so I could kill to my heart's content!
An American-style Jeep arrogantly blocked the entrance to the Lu residence, its rear end belching black smoke that blackened half of the two stone lions at the gate.
A man in a crisp woolen military uniform, wearing white gloves and a Browning pistol tucked into his belt, jumped out of the car. But this man was not from Marshal Ma's mansion. Judging from his epaulets and his even more domineering demeanor, he was from the Fengtian clique under Commander Zhang.
In the main hall.
The tea was excellent, pre-rain Longjing, but the atmosphere for drinking it was so cold it felt like ice crystals were about to fall out.
Lu Cheng sat in the main seat, toying with two iron walnuts in his hands, without even lifting his eyelids.
The adjutant sitting opposite me was surnamed Wang. He had a pair of smiling tiger eyes and was holding a bright red invitation card with gold lettering. He was tapping the table with his fingers.
"Boss Lu, our division commander is truly sincere."
Lieutenant Wang spoke with a smile, his voice carrying an air of condescension and arrogance.
"I heard you showed off your amazing skills at Guanghe Tower, dodging foreign guns within five steps? Wow, that's incredible! Our division commander values talent and said that if you'd like to join our guard regiment as the chief instructor, the benefits are..."
Lieutenant Wang held up five fingers and shook them.
"Five times more than that bandit Ma Linyuan!"
"Moreover, in this city of Beiping, whether it's the underworld or the legitimate world, even the Japanese, they all have to go around you when they see your clothes."
Lu Cheng stopped picking up the walnuts.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes gleaming with a faint golden light, as if he were looking at a clown.
Commander Zhang?
Commander Zhang, who indulged his concubine Bai Feng, almost crushed him into a pulp in the play "Picking the Slippery Cart" because the slippery cart was filled with lead.
These warlords really don't learn their lesson.
Or rather, in their eyes, actors are just playthings. One minute they want to kill you, the next minute they see you're useful and throw you a bone and expect you to wag your tail.
"Lieutenant Wang."
Lu Cheng gave a cold smile, his tone as indifferent as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.
"Go back and tell Commander Zhang."
"I, Lu Cheng, have a poor appetite; I can't do this kind of thing where I have to force myself to live off a woman."
"Besides..."
Lu Cheng leaned forward slightly, and an invisible killing intent pressed down on him.
"I have always remembered the kindness of Aunt Bai in giving me those few 'iron chariots'. I dare not forget them, nor can I forget them."
"What? It's only been a few days, and Commander Zhang already thinks this score can be wiped clean?"
The smile on Wang's face froze.
He didn't expect this guy surnamed Lu to be so ungrateful, and he certainly didn't expect him to dare bring up Bai Feng's matter to his face.
"Boss Lu, you have to look forward."
Lieutenant Wang's smile vanished, his eyes turned sinister, and he stopped tapping the table, instead casually resting his fingers on the holster at his waist.
"The weather in Beiping can change in an instant."
"General Ma may seem to be enjoying great success now, but he's like a grasshopper in autumn; he won't be able to hop around for much longer."
"With the Zhili-Fengtian War imminent, Beiping will sooner or later fall to our Fengtian clique. By then, even Ma Linyuan himself will be in dire straits; how can he possibly protect you?"
This is a blatant threat.
It would also be considered a revelation of heavenly secrets.
It seems the situation in the north is even more serious than Lu Cheng had anticipated.
"That's a matter of national importance; it's none of my business as an opera singer."
Lu Cheng picked up his teacup, a gesture signifying that he was offering tea to the guest to see him off.
"All I know is that Qingyun Tea is not served to unwelcome guests."
Shunzi and Lu Feng had already been standing on either side. Upon hearing their master's words, they immediately stepped forward, glaring at him coldly.
Especially Lu Feng, although this wolf cub had just recovered from his injuries, the ferocity he exuded from his fight at Guanghe Tower made Deputy Wang's heart skip a beat.
Lieutenant Wang stood up, straightened his uniform, and looked coldly at Lu Cheng.
"Well done, what a man of integrity, Master Lu."
"However, there's something I need to remind you of."
When Lieutenant Wang reached the door, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and revealed a sinister smile.
"Grandmaster, being able to dodge bullets is a skill."
"But if you can dodge one, can you dodge ten?"
"You might be able to dodge one gun, but can you dodge the fire of several Maxim machine guns?"
"To put it another way..."
Wang's adjutant's gaze swept over Xiaodouzi, who was practicing martial arts in the courtyard, and Lu Laogen, who was sunbathing under the eaves.
"You have divine protection, but do your entire family in this house also have divine protection?"
"Boss Lu, don't push things to the limit. There's no one our Commander Zhang can't get. If he can't get them... then he'll destroy them."
After he finished speaking, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence.
Shunzi and Lu Feng were already bloodthirsty; they would tear this man to pieces at their master's command.
Lieutenant Wang clearly realized he had misspoke, but the words were already out and couldn't be taken back; he couldn't afford to lose face. He had seen too many situations like this; if he showed any weakness, he would face certain death today.
He stared intently at Lu Cheng, cold sweat trickling down his temples and into his collar, making him feel sticky and uncomfortable.
He was gambling, gambling that Lu Cheng wouldn't dare to completely break off relations now, gambling that Lu Cheng was still considering this family.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Every second felt like an eternity.
Just when Lieutenant Wang thought he was going to die on the spot, the golden light in Lu Cheng's eyes gradually faded, and the suffocating murderous aura also dissipated.
"see a visitor out."
Lu Cheng uttered two words calmly and picked up his teacup.
Lieutenant Wang was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed surged into his heart.
You wouldn't dare kill me!
He was indeed too afraid to make a move now!
In that instant, it was as if Lieutenant Wang had just returned from the brink of death. His legs were still cramping, but he forced himself to straighten his collar, trying to strike a victorious pose. However, his pale face and flustered steps betrayed him.
"Hmph... Boss Lu is a smart man, I hope he stays smart forever."
After uttering these polite words, Lieutenant Wang practically fled the main hall.
It wasn't until he got into the jeep and heard the roar of the engine that Lieutenant Wang realized his back was already soaked with sweat, and his hands gripping the car door were still trembling uncontrollably.
"Drive! Drive now!" he roared angrily, wanting nothing more than to get away from that terrifying man as quickly as possible.
……
Inside the main hall.
The jeep roared away, leaving a yard full of exhaust fumes.
The iron walnut in Lu Cheng's hand cracked into dust with a "crack".
The powder dripped through his fingers, and Lu Cheng's face was ten times more gloomy than when he was facing Deputy Wang.
If he hadn't forcibly suppressed his murderous intent, that Lieutenant Wang would have been a corpse long ago.
But he can't.
Killing an adjutant is easy, like crushing an ant.
But killing people now would give Commander Zhang an excuse to immediately mobilize troops to encircle and suppress them. The Qingyun Squad, and myself right now, are not ready.
It's not that we're afraid to kill, it's just that the time isn't right yet.
"Endure for a moment, so that you can kill with gusto."
Lu Cheng closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and suppressed all the anger surging in his chest.
When he opened his eyes again, the last trace of warmth in them had completely frozen.
"Since you don't follow the rules, don't blame me for being uncivilized."
Commander Zhang is no match for Marshal Ma.
General Ma came from humble beginnings and valued loyalty and brotherhood.
Commander Zhang is a graduate of a regular military academy; he is ruthless and vicious, and believes in eliminating problems completely.
This time, refusing the offer meant a complete breakdown in relations.
Besides, although what Lieutenant Wang said was harsh, it was the truth.
He has mastered the hidden power and possesses the "Fiery Eyes of Truth," so he fears no one in a one-on-one fight.
But if Commander Zhang really gets angry and sends troops to surround and suppress them, or carries out an assassination, Lu Cheng might be able to escape, but the entire Qingyun troupe would suffer.
There's no such thing as being able to guard against thieves for a thousand days if you're a thief for a thousand days.
To break this deadlock, we must take the initiative!
"Bai Feng, Commander Zhang..."
Lu Cheng closed his eyes, and the layout of the Marshal's Mansion, a deep and secluded courtyard, and the strict guards with sentries every three or five steps appeared in his mind.
With his current skill level, although he could force his way in, it would be difficult to do so without anyone noticing.
Especially in those high-walled, deep courtyards, if you don't have superb light-foot skills, once you're discovered, you'll be shot to death.
He's missing something.
Movement technique!
This is what is known in the martial arts world as "lightness skill".
Lu Cheng stood up and took a few steps around the room.
His footwork was very steady, and he landed silently, which was a manifestation of his subtle control over internal energy.
But this is only "light," not "fast," nor "deceptive."
His current skill lies in his unparalleled ability to wage positional warfare with solid tactics and direct confrontation.
But to move like a ghost through high walls and amidst gunfire, like a gecko slithering along a wall, like a swallow skimming the water…
He's still a bit lacking.
"It seems we need to find a way to improve this 'movement technique'."
Lu Cheng's gaze fell on the pile of scripts in the corner that hadn't been organized yet.
The rewards given by the system are based on the performance.
To acquire top-tier movement skills, you must perform a play that showcases your exceptional movement techniques!
Lu Cheng walked over and flipped through the yellowed scripts.
"The Three Heroes and Five Gallants"? Bai Yutang is indeed good at agility, but that play focuses on swordsmanship.
"Yan Qing Fights in the Arena"? That's just boxing and kicking.
Sudden.
Lu Cheng's finger stopped on a thin folding book.
The cover has four characters written on it... [Shi Qian Steals the Armor]!