The Inverted Dragon's Scale

Chapter 370: Address him as Grandfather!

“Deep ice are three feet thick, snow covers thousands of miles.” Lu Xingkong placed a cup of tea in front of Li Muyang, and then made an invitation gesture with a smile on his face. “There is more snow that the previous year, the road back from Thousand Buddha temple must be difficult to travel through, right?”

“It wasn’t good.” Li Muyang was not at all surprised why the old man knew he had just returned from Thousand Buddha Temple; most likely that there is nothing in this whole city that can hide from his eyes and ears? “The wind was strong and the snow was heavy, the roads were submerged by the snow, we had to rely on the mounted scouts to investigate the road in front to continue traveling.”

Lu Xingkong nodded, “A timely snow promises a good harvest, it seems this year the farmers of West wind will have a good harvest.”

“I hope so,” Li Muyang said, nodding his head.

But inside he found it strange, Lu Xingkong is said to be occupied with numerous affairs everyday. He had high authority and high status and needed to deal with hundreds and thousands of documents daily, but he invited him over to chat.

It is said that each word from a very able person contains deeper meaning, could it be that he was conveying a certain intention that Li Muyang did not understand? Or has he already expressed his gratitude to Li Muyang but he couldn’t tell?

Lu Xingkong raised the cup, carefully tasting the tea, before he saying in a low voice, “This meeting should have happened earlier.”

Li Muyang smiled: “Elder Lu don’t be too polite, standing up against injustice is our bounden duty, I just did what I should do. Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu have thanked me already. Besides, my father and mother and my younger sister are all being taken care of by the Lu family, and without the help of the Lu family, they most likely would have encountered trouble, their life in danger. This kindness Muyang will remember forever, and never forget in my life.”

Lu Xingkong lifted his head to look at Li Muyang, with an attempt of a smile as he asked, “You truly are grateful to the Lu family?”

“It’s true.” Li Muyang had a solemn look on his face.

Lu Xingkong attentively gazed at Li Muyang, gently sighing inwardly.

“This is my grandson, the grandson that I sent away. The charcoal newborn baby who almost had no chance of surviving, has become the white-robed charming youngster in front———The heaven is playing a joke.”

Lu Xingkong looked at Li Muyang, smiled and said: “I hope there will be no regrets in the future.”

“How would there be regrets?” Li Muyang thought Lu Xingkong was doubting his sincerity.

He set down the teacup and moved to one side to kowtow deeply before Lu Xingkong.

Lu Xingkong calmly accepted the bow, “I am your elder, this bow I can accept it.”

Li Muyang not understanding his meaning, raised his head to say, “You’re an elder, and also saved my entire family, you naturally can accept it.”

After the kowtow, Li Muyang again returned kneeling on the praying mat, looking at Lu Xingkong as he said, “There’s something I don’t understand.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Why would Elder Lu protect my Li family?” Li Muyang asked.

“Why?” Lu Xingkong cast a suspicious look at Li Muyang, thinking that he might have realised something. But when he saw the calm look on his face, which did not seem like he knew the truth, he smiled and replied, “Do you know General Xu Da?”

“I didn’t know before, now I do.” Li Muyang said with a wry smile.

When he boarded the ship, he was just an ignorant student, and did not know that Xu Da, the criminal who had been arrested by the Chief of the Monitoring Division, was on board. He did not know Cui Zhaoren, who had been given an important job by the Emperor, and wanted to lead the flames of the war at the frontier station to the capital.

Through a coincidence, he and Cui Zhaoren clashed, and became possessed by that damn black dragon, thereby accidentally killing Cui Zhaoren——

Although Li Muyang was not willing to accept the accusation that he killed Cui Zhaoren, because at that time Li Muyang had not yet fused with the Tear of the Dragon king. It was because he lost his willpower that the black dragon could control his body to administer the killing.

Whether or not he wanted to admit it was not important, the people who fell into the river all saw that it was him who killed Cui Zhaoren.

In this way, the hatred of the Cui family fell upon Li Muyang. The anger of the imperial family also similarly fell onto Li Muyang.

But at such a critical time, Lu Xingkong was willing to stand out to protect the Li family, could there really be no hidden secret within this?

Li Muyang knew Xu Da, knew that it was because he had inadvertently saved Lu Xingkong’s subordinate General Xu Da that the Lu family returned the favour by forcibly protecting and providing the shelter for the Li family.

However, Li Muyang did not believe that things were so simple.

Li Muyang did not doubt Lu Xingkong’s iron-will and loyalty, also did not doubt the deep comradeship between him and the soldiers that fight with their life for him. But, in the final analysis, he was still a military personnel and a politician.

A person who was able to climb to this position, how would they not know the principle to couple strength with gentleness?

The Lu family had feuded with the Cui family for years, and were now competing heatedly for the position of Left minister.

The Lu family don’t have to give face to the Cui family; this is something that everyone could understand. After all, it was them who wanted to kill and commit evil first.

However, Lu Xingkong did not even give face to the Emperor. The West Wind Emperor Chu Xianda had repeatedly proposed the idea to punish the murderer Li Muyang for the crime of treason, but Lu Xingkong had forcibly went against the suggestion————

In the face of the joint attack from the Cui family and the Royal family, he still went with the risky move, which undoubtedly intensified the conflict. This seemed extremely irrational, and not in line with the interests of the Lu family.

But, Lu Xingkong still did it.

It must be said that Li Muyang had committed a huge crime.

Cui Zhaoren was not only the Cui Zhaoren of the Cui family, but also Cui Zhaoren of the West Wind Kingdom. He was a trusted aide of the West Wind Emperor as well as the chief of the Imperial Monitoring Division.

Such a person had been killed by Li Muyang. The incident had provoked much discussion, and for a long time remained a subject of discussion in Tiandu.

Li Shinian was living in Tiandu, therefore she naturally had to find out more about the situation.

When Li Muyang was far away in Starry Sky he had also heard some of the story, and then when he came back listened to Mother and Shinian retold the story from the beginning to end, he was even more shocked and got goose bumps all over. He could even be said as extremely lucky.

If the Lu family had not withstood this pressure, Li Muyang would be punished for the crime of treason. He would temporarily be safe by hiding in Starry Sky Academy, but his family would be treated as the family of a traitor———At that time, can he protect them? Who would dare to stand up to protect them?

It was precisely because of the extreme danger of the situation that Li Muyang began to think again, why did the Lu family did such a thing?

Just because he saved a General Xu Da?

Or rather, a General Xu Da was able to make the Lu family to not hesitate to tear the skin of the Cui family and arm wrestle with the Royal family? This was not the behaviour of a person that occupied a leading position.

“Xu Da comes from a humble family, and slowly climbed up the ranks to become a General. He used to be part of my vanguard, I don’t know how many swords and arrows had he blocked for me on the battlefield. I regard him as a son, and since you saved Xu Sa, you are the saviour of the Lu family. How could I not repay this kindness? How can I not do my best to protect the hero’s family?”

“Besides, your mother Luo Qi and Xiao Yu are close sisters. When she knew of your family’s situation, Xiao Yu travelled thousands of miles to Jiangnan to collect your family. Since they are Tiandu, we naturally have to thoroughly protect your family. Otherwise, what are the people of Tiandu going to think of our Lu family? What will people think of I, Lu Xingkong?”

“Is that really so?” Li Muyang said in his mind.

“What? You don’t believe me? Think I am plotting something else?” Lu Xingkong raised one brow, with a slightly displeased expression.

Li Muyang apologised at once, “Muyang did not mean this. Just—that such kindness, I do not know how to repay you. Because of what Muyang had done, I dragged the Lu family to such risky conditions. Muyang feels extremely guilty.”

“What is there to be guilty of?” Lu Xingkong laughed. “If you had done nothing, letting them slaughter a pillar of the country, is this a chivalrous action? Starry Sky had not taught you to behave like this, right?”

“Comradeship and loyalty come first, this is the meaning of Starry Sky Academy’s existence.” Li Muyang quickly explained for Starry Sky Academy. “I do not regret what I have done. If it happens again—I would still do the same.”

Although the last time he did not do it by myself, but the next time, Li Muyang most likely would not have a better choice. Under the intense situation where one must dies, in order to live, he had no choice but to be a murderer.

“If you don’t regret it, why should you feel guilty?” Lu Xingkong consoled him. “Because of this matter, you guys became implicated, the Lu and Li two families became one——this is not so bad, right?”

“It obviously is excellent.” Li Muyang smiled. For Lu Xingkong to put the Li family and the Lu family together was giving huge respect. There qwre only a few people in the Li family, how can it be compared to the thousand year old, powerful Lu family?

Besides, he still had to go to Starry Sky Academy to study, while studying, if his parents and sister were taken care of by the Lu family, they shouldn’t be in any danger. A thick thigh like the Lu family, if Li Muyang does not tightly hold onto that is simply not the style of Li Muyang, the ‘thigh holding maniac’.

With this thought, Li Muyang once again bowed with hands held in front to Lu Xingkong. “Then thank you Elder Lu.”

“Shinian affectionately calls me grandfather when he sees me.” Lu Xingkong raised the teacup to sip a mouthful, saying calmly.

He was just feeling sleepy and someone had handed him a pillow. Li Muyang was just thinking about how to close the relationship between the two families so that he could better hold onto the Lu family, the thick thigh, but he didn’t expect Li Shinian to have already done the work for him.

“Li Shinian is invincible.” Li Muyang cheered in his heart.

So, Li Muyang with a shy look on his voice and in an embarrassed voice said: “If Elder Lu does not mind, then I also have the thick skin to call you——Grandfather——”

Lu Xingkong’s expression went slightly stiff, the hold holding the teacup trembling gently, tea gradually dripping onto the desk.