Killing Monks

For two nights in a row, Lu Fei slept soundly.

There was no more firelight in my dream, nor was there that obsessive figure.

Until the night of the third day.

The familiar flames reignited, licking at the boundless darkness. The man stood in the fire, one hand gripping a knife, the other holding a seal, his eyes bloodshot.

"Restore the nation! The Great Song Dynasty!"

"Restore the nation! Resurrect!"

He didn't say "revival," he said "restoration of the nation."

Lu Fei stopped and stared at the figure.

"it is good."

The man was taken aback.

"To restore the kingdom," Lu Fei said calmly, "where's the capital?"

The figure opened its mouth, but before it could utter a sound, Lu Fei continued speaking to himself.

"Oh, I forgot. You've squandered all of the Song Dynasty's resources."

The figure was struck as if by lightning, and the flames around it momentarily stopped.

Lu Fei took a step forward, the firelight reflecting off his face, flickering on and off.

He declared, "If I were to take the 'Ball-Playing Scholar' examination, I would surely be the top scholar!"

These are words that Lu Zhu once said. Lu Zhu did not study or read books since childhood. Instead, he liked cockfighting, goose gambling, horseback riding and archery, Go, and gambling. His best skill was playing polo.

This is what he once said, meaning that if the imperial examination were a competition of playing ball, he would definitely be the top scholar!

The figure remained standing still.

Lu Fei then said, "Polo is used to select officials, and betting on the three rivers is done by striking the ball!"

This was another absurd thing that Lu Zhu did.

At that time, the rebel army was about to reach the capital, and Lu Zhu wanted to flee to Xichuan and needed to select someone to serve as the military governor of Xichuan.

Lu Zhu disregarded talent and political achievements, and directly organized a polo match!

Whoever wins becomes the official!

This is the story of "Betting on the Three Rivers by Hitting the Ball".

"Such a thing is rare, even throughout history!" Lu Fei said with a sneer.

He has been catching up on history these past few days and only now realized how absurd his ancestor was.

Now, these absurd ancestors lost the Song Dynasty themselves, and now they want them to restore it?

Damn it, they've really given him the time of day!

He continued to recount Lu Zhu's past, such as recognizing eunuchs as "fathers" and entrusting them with the promotion and demotion of officials, the mobilization of troops, and the sale of official positions.

When the border fell, the people fled, and the army was short of food, Lu Zhu played polo, gambled on geese, and had fun with the concubines in the palace!

"You think you're showing backbone? That's when the capital will fall!"

"In the end, you set yourself on fire."

Lu Fei's voice was like a knife, piercing Lu Zhu's heart.

"Who are you trying to impress by shouting about restoring your kingdom?"

"Do you think that anyone in this world has the right to talk about restoring the country?"

"Only you, there isn't one."

The flames surrounding the figure trembled violently, as if they were about to go out at any moment.

After a long while, the flames surged again!

This time, it was an overwhelming hatred.

"It's all those treacherous officials who have ruined me!" he roared, his face twisted like a demon. "If they had done their best, how could the Song Dynasty have come to this?! Everyone in the world is a treacherous official!"

Lu Fei looked at him, his eyes filled with pity, not anger.

"They eat the king's food and share his worries. They may also bear some responsibility for the downfall of the country."

"But they changed dynasties and still remained subjects. What about you?"

"You are the emperor. This world originally belonged to you."

"The Song Dynasty has fallen, and instead of taking the main responsibility, you keep pointing fingers at the dead and cursing them."

He paused, his voice very soft.

"With such incompetent people, it's no wonder the Song Dynasty perished."

The figure froze.

The flames around it went out first, leaving only a dark humanoid outline.

Then, boom!

The flames reignited, fiercer and more intense than before, almost burning through the dream world.

"I'm going to kill you!!"

He raised his knife and rushed towards Lu Fei.

"I'll kill you!!"

Lu Fei remained motionless, simply watching him quietly.

The blade stopped just three inches from his forehead.

"To govern the world, one needs the Way and propriety." Lu Fei looked at the knife, raised his eyes to meet the fire's gaze, and said, "One should not kill out of anger or embarrassment."

"With your manner of resorting to violence when you can't win an argument, it's no wonder the Song Dynasty perished."

"I could do anything as simple as destroying a country!"

"Oh, so perhaps even if I were to become emperor anytime, the country wouldn't fall!"

The knife stopped in mid-air.

Not an inch further.

Because he was telling the truth.

He was such an incompetent and doomed ruler.

The flames began to dissipate.

The hideous figure, as if its bones had been removed, slowly collapsed into the sea of ​​fire.

As Lu Fei exited the dream, the man's last, unwilling roar still lingered in his ears. But that sound was already very distant and faint.

In a daze, a clear and melodious sound pierced my eardrums.

Lu Fei suddenly opened his eyes.

Direction towards the ancestral hall.

The sound of a sword ringing out.

He jumped up, hastily threw on a coat, and rushed out the door.

The night breeze was cool. The door to the ancestral hall was ajar, and a dim candlelight shone through.

Lu Daobei and Lu Chengming were taking the black knife out of the mercury box. In the candlelight, a crack appeared on the black knife.

"Patriarch...this..." Lu Chengming was somewhat taken aback.

Why did this black knife crack today?

Lu Fei said with a smile, "I've already found a way to deal with Black Knife!"

"Really?" A hint of joy flashed in Lu Chengming's and Lu Daobei's eyes.

For the Lu family, a complete black knife is a nightmare; a broken knife is a good knife!

When daytime came, Lu Fei went to ask Guang Yuan for advice on how to argue with people.

After Guangyuan gave him a personal lecture, Lu Fei realized that the monk had all sorts of strange and unusual ways of arguing with people.

There is even a five-character mantra: "Laugh, Urgent, Classic, Joy, Hemp".

These five words of truth made the lingering resentment within the black blade even more furious, and for several days it dared not come to find Lu Fei again.

Most importantly, as Guangyuan said, "Those old guys are just relying on their age to boast about how great they are. In reality, they are just heroes created by the times."

"When you're criticizing someone, remember to demystify them and treat them like an ordinary person! Don't look up to them with a sense of awe; look at them with the perspective of that time."

"That's called strategic contempt for the enemy!"

-----------------

Actually, Guangyuan had wanted to leave for a long time.

Lu Fei would hold a small banquet every three days and a large banquet every five days, trying every trick in the book to keep people here. Occasionally, Tang Shuangshuang would also come out to keep them company, pouring wine and serving dishes, being attentive and thoughtful.

Guangyuan tried to leave several times, but Lu Fei persuaded him to stay each time.

"What's the rush? Stay a few more days."

"We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Finish this meal, finish this meal."

This stay lasted for a month or so.

At noon that day, Guangyuan finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Lu Fei, I really have to go."

Chu Kuangjun nodded in agreement, a rare occurrence for him: "If this continues, I'll get fat too."

As he spoke, he looked down at his lower back. These days had indeed been comfortable, with wine and meat every day. But this wasn't the kind of life he longed for.

Lu Fei looked at Guangyuan, then at Chu Kuangjun, his eyes filled with reluctance.

"Where is the monk going? How will I find you afterward?"

He wanted to learn a few more moves. The five-word mantra was good, but what if the lingering resentment from his dream came back to cause trouble?

Guangyuan stood up and said, "I will write to you wherever I go."

Chu Kuangjun stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Me too."

Lu Fei fell silent.

He knew he couldn't keep him.

He also longed to roam the world, and to follow them to see how high the sky was and how far the land stretched.

But he is the head of the Lu family.

He felt a sense of responsibility.

He picked up a bowl of wine and stood up.

"Then I wish you both..." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two faces, and suddenly smiled.

"The world of martial arts is even more exciting. Take my share with you!"

Guangyuan picked up the bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

Chu Kuangjun tilted his head back and drank it all up.

The three of them looked at each other and smiled, then turned their bowls upside down.