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Chapter 1054: The Trio's Journey
🕑 Added 2024-11-14 13:03:07 +0000 UTCLu Xun, who had been wandering around Xuzhou with Lu Yu and Ma Zhong, had just received Liu Bei’s latest orders—to head to Ye City. Compared to Ma Zhong’s confusion about how the three of them, despite their disguised appearances and cautious behavior, were still easily located by Liu Bei, Lu Xun and Lu Yu remained calm. They knew very well that as long as they were within Liu Bei’s territory, it would be simple for him to find them.
"It seems like our trial has come to an end. How’s your work coming along?" Lu Xun asked Lu Yu after the messenger who delivered the orders left.
"Heh, don’t think I’ll lose to you," Lu Yu crossed his arms, raising his chin arrogantly. After traveling with Lu Xun for so long, he knew that pretending to be weak in front of Lu Xun was pointless.
"We have homework?!" Ma Zhong, who was carrying a large yellow bow on his back, exclaimed in distress. He had no idea there was such a thing.
"...," Lu Xun rubbed his ear as Ma Zhong's shouting felt like torture. "You’ve completed your task as well. Just go back and shoot General Xu once more. If you hit him this time, I bet you'll be promoted to a centurion." As he spoke, Lu Xun patted Ma Zhong on the back.
Over the past year, Ma Zhong had grown rapidly, as if he were on steroids. Now, both Lu Xun and Lu Yu had to pat him on the back to maintain the bond between them.
"I will definitely succeed!" Ma Zhong gripped his large yellow bow, his eyes burning with determination as he shouted energetically.
"Don’t worry, we’ll help you out. With our assistance, you’re sure to hit the target," Lu Yu added, also patting Ma Zhong on the back. He enjoyed helping out such an earnest person.
"Are we heading to Ye City now?" Ma Zhong asked, looking at Lu Xun and Lu Yu. Among the three, Ma Zhong usually didn’t have much say in decision-making. He fully admitted that compared to Lu Xun and Lu Yu, he often felt that his intelligence fell short.
"It seems that way. Besides, did you notice that the courier just now clearly expected us to return on our own? Otherwise, they would have provided us with horses," Lu Xun shrugged. "This was probably Lord Xuande’s specific instruction."
"So, does that mean there’s no rush when we get back?" Lu Yu raised his hand, noting that his once-chubby figure had slimmed down significantly after all their time traveling. His physique and demeanor were evolving in the direction of Jia Xu’s, much to his amusement.
"But if we take too long to return, I’ll be fine, but you definitely won’t," Lu Xun chuckled mischievously. Chen Xi was lenient in managing him, but Jia Xu had a knack for devising ‘special training’ for Lu Yu. If Lu Yu returned late, Jia Xu would happily add extra lessons.
"Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to tell my teacher that you’ve been admiring him for a long time. I’m sure you’ll get your fair share of trouble too," Lu Yu said nonchalantly. He had learned from experience that when dealing with someone like Lu Xun, if you couldn’t outsmart them, mutual suffering was the way to win. If both ended up in trouble, then he had won.
Lu Xun’s hand twitched, and without another word, he turned and started walking toward the main road. "I think I should hurry and submit my homework to Jia Xu. I’m sure a duplicate assignment would be quite amusing. I’ll go ahead."
Lu Yu’s face changed immediately. If he really turned in a duplicate assignment to Jia Xu, the latter wouldn’t care whether he had written it himself or not. If there was duplication, it would be considered his fault. If others could predict what he’d write, what use would he be?
Lu Yu had no intention of gambling on whether Lu Xun could guess what he was thinking. He had personally experienced how terrifyingly insightful Lu Xun could be. If Lu Xun really managed to predict his thoughts and crafted a duplicate, it wouldn’t be impossible.
"Lu Boyan, I swear, if you try to pull that off, I’ll retaliate! We’ll both end up submitting the same work! Don’t think I didn’t notice what you were looking at. If you push me, I’ll write down everything I’ve seen!" Lu Yu shouted as he chased after Lu Xun. Sometimes, the best way to deal with certain people wasn’t through schemes but direct confrontation!
"You two..." Ma Zhong muttered helplessly as he followed after them.
Ma Zhong felt like a bodyguard, mainly there to ensure these two stayed safe. After all, in this era where wild beasts outnumbered people, a sudden attack by one could easily take down Lu Xun and Lu Yu. With their current physical and mental states, they couldn’t defend themselves against such creatures.
The three of them, one chasing after the other, soon returned to the main road. They weren’t lacking money, and they had already seen enough of the area. Naturally, they planned to find a carriage and explore more on their way back.
Neither Chen Xi nor Jia Xu expected these two youngsters to fend for themselves completely. They simply wanted them to travel more, to broaden their horizons and understand the realities of life. In this era, to become truly capable individuals, one had to travel. Reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles were both essential. Whether it was to open one’s eyes or recognize the hardships of the common people, these experiences were indispensable.
"It looks like our luck’s not bad. We just ran into a carriage," Lu Yu said, spotting a carriage approaching on the horizon.
"But do you think they’ll let us hitch a ride?" Ma Zhong scratched his head, a question he had asked many times already.
"They will. As long as we don’t look suspicious, they’ll definitely let us on," Lu Yu reassured him, tugging at his clothes to straighten them. Given their age and appearance, they certainly didn’t resemble bandits.
"Master, there are three youths blocking the road ahead. They seem to want to ride in our carriage. Judging by their attire, they appear to be students from wealthy families on a study tour, though they’re a bit young," the coachman reported.
"If they’re headed in the same direction as us, let them on. They can ride in the back carriage," a calm voice responded from inside the carriage.
Before Lu Yu could even wave them down, the carriage had already stopped in front of the three of them. "Young masters, are you seeking a ride in our carriage?" the coachman asked.
"Yes, we are," Lu Xun replied, nodding. "The three of us are headed to Mount Tai." As he spoke, he handed over a string of coins. "We would appreciate your help."
"It seems we’re going the same way. You may ride in the back carriage. If we travel quickly, we should reach Mount Tai by tonight. As for the fare, my master says that since it’s fate that we’ve met, he’ll offer you a free ride," the coachman said with a gesture of invitation. Strangely, the master mentioned by the coachman didn’t say a word.
Though Lu Xun and Lu Yu were a bit curious, they didn’t press the matter. Since the other party had shown goodwill, there was no need to question it further. After bowing respectfully, they climbed into the back carriage, and soon the caravan was on the move again. Not long after, a three-hundred-strong cavalry unit began to follow in the same direction as the carriages.
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