The Inverted Dragon's Scale

Chapter 371: Bound together for good or ill!

After Li Muyang returned from the Thousand Buddha Temples, he had already changed his clothes and removed the makeup. After a hot bath, put on the one of the several sets of Chinese robes that Lady Gongsun had gave him, and accessorised with a jade pendant, he had became a graceful young master.

A young man of great radiance, bright and handsome.

Impressive in bearing, gentle and refined.

This was his grandson Li Muyang, this was the grandson Li Muyang that he sent away——

Lu Xingkong attentively gazed at Li Muyang for a very long time without saying a single word.

It was only after a good while that he lifted the cup of tea in front and drank it down in one gulp, bursting into loud laughter: “To have such a handsome grandson, the heaven really treats me well.”

Li Muyang responded with a foolish laugh, thinking that, ‘I just replied out of courtesy, is there a need to be this happy’?

Besides, don’t the old man already have a grandson? Could it be that he is not as good as me?

The thought of this possibility made Li Muyang laugh more happily.

“It must be so. How many of those hedonistic young masters of Tiandu are more outstanding than me? That Jade tree of the Song family Song Tingyun also is just so-so——haha haha haha——”

The smile on Lu Xingkong’s face gradually faded, as he looked at Li Muyang asking: “Li Muyang, what do you want?”

“What?” Li Muyang was taken aback for a moment, before he understood the implied meaning, waved his hand, saying: “Grandfather, you really need not thank me again. Uncle Lu and Aunt Gongsun have thanked me already, the clothes I’m wearing is giving to me from Aunt Gongsun, the jade accessory too, and also four beautiful servant girls——Aunt Gongsun has given me a lot of things, Grandfather really does not have to take this matter seriously. If you’re like that, you regard me as an outsider.”

Lu Xingkong burst out in a hearty laughed, looking at this honest grandson, “You saved her husband, she should treat you well. She can’t thank you enough.”

“It is too much, I feel flattered,” said Li Muyang, with a shy face.

“You haven’t answered my question yet. What do you want? Or what kind of person do you want to be in the future?” Lu Xingkong’s expression grew serious.

“Muyang has nothing to ask for. I only hope that my family is peaceful and happy.”

Back then he had hoped that his skin would turn white, he would be smarter, his talents would improve——and now he had it all. So there is no need to hope for other things, he simply wanted his family to be safe.

Having experienced life and death in the illusion, he even more understood the preciousness of life.

If he can live harmoniously and joyfully with his family like today, there was nothing happier than that.

“What if someone doesn’t want your family to be safe and happy?” Lu Xingkong suddenly asked.

Li Muyang’s eyes turned slightly fierce, “Grandfather, you mean?

“Such as the Cui family, such as the many subordinates of the Cui family, such as the many forces that have the same common goal as the Cui family——if the Lu family falls, how will your Li family stands by itself?” Lu Xingkong’s face was calm, but he had thrown out an extremely realistic and brutal question.

The Lu family was now under the attack of many parties, if the Lu family cannot withstand this onslaught, and collapses with a giant ‘bang’, what will happen? If someone came to cut our meat, if someone came to drink our blood, and some came to take our bones for soup——at that time, the Li family hiding at the foot of the Lu family, how will they protect themselves? “

Li Muyang’s expression looked grave as he answered: “Muyang had never thought of angering anyone, offending anyone, also do not have too much ambition and desire. I do not want for my name to be well known across the world, I do not want to split the land and be conferred a rank of nobility. The only thing I ask for is personal freedom and my family’s good health. But if anyone tries to harm my family, then Muyang naturally would rather die than submit and fight back at the risk of my life.”

“Rather die than submit and fight back at the risk of one’s life. For one’s family, that is the right thing to do.” Lu Xingkong said, smiling. “The world all say that I, Lu Xingkong is overbearing, and makes the Emperor a figure head. But in fact, all I ask for is nothing more than personal freedom and my family to be well. What else is there?”

Li Muyang gently knitted his brows in a frown, cautiously asked: “So, why does Grandfather not step back?”

“Step back?” Lu Xingkong snorted. “If I can step back, I would have long ago. If you take a step back, others will find you cowardly. If you take a step back, soon you will be forced to take two steps back, then three steps. When you can no longer moved back, then that is the time for them to take your life and harm your family. At that time, unarmed and defenceless, with no soldiers at your side, how do you protect yourself? How do you protect your family and friends?”

Lu Xingkong looked at Li Muyang and said, “The death of I, Lu Xingkong, is not to be regretted, but if I let the people of my clan be buried with me, it is not my wish. In that case, I will die with a remaining grievance. Moreover, now that I have walked to this step, standing at such a high position, there are numerous subordinates behind me and many followers. When the mighty tree falls, the crowd of monkeys that it has sheltered will scatter in every direction. If the monkeys scatter off, that is okay, but whether or not the soldiers that have fought hundreds of battles for the country will survive is uncertain. In that case, how can I step back? How do I dare to step back?”

Lu Xingkong looked at Li Muyang, saying: “General Xu Da, isn’t he an example? If you didn’t save him this time, I wouldn’t have been able to protect him, would he still be alive? His family, in the less serious case, the men will be sent to become slaves, women reduced into prostitution and female entertainers, and in the more serious case, the entire family beheaded. Is this a deserved retribution for a soldier that have fought hundreds of battle in the frontier region for the country?”

Li Muyang felt a shortness of breath.

He had no idea that his unintentional move had unexpectedly saved a General’s life, including his whole family.

It was no wonder that Grandfather Lu valued him that much, if this did not happen then this important general under him most likely would have been beheaded?

“Can only carry on forward?” Li Muyang looked at Lu Xingkong, asking aloud.

“Can only carry on forward, can only fight to the end.” Lu Xingkong said in a low and deep voice, his eyes resolute.

Li Muyang gently sighed, “Then, that will only create a knot with no solution to be untied.”

“There are hundreds of solutions to untying a knot, just that whoever unties it will die.” Lu Xingkong sighed. “For the family, I can only persevere to the end. If others charge at you with a knife, you would suddenly draw back, victory or defeat remains to be seen, life or death remains to be decided.”

“The Li family is in debt to the Lu family, and will still needs to be sheltered by the Lu family in the future. At this time the two should be as one, bound together for good or ill, one dies, all dies.” Li Muyang deliberated on his words. Although Father Li Yan was the Master of their family, but Li Muyang felt that he has grown up, there are some things that he should take responsibility now. “Is there anything I can do to help?”