Chapter 487

Hebei, Daming Prefecture.

The mansion of wealthy merchant Lu Junyi, with deep courtyards and grand halls, pavilions and towers, fully displayed the aura of opulence.

"Jade Kirin" Lu Junyi not only possessed vast wealth, but also possessed astonishing martial skill in spears, staffs, fists and feet, unmatched in Hebei; moreover, he was generous and righteous, giving wealth to friends, and his reputation in the jianghu was extremely high.

However, the Lu mansion of recent days was shrouded in a gloom of sorrow and misery.

Lu Junyi sat alone in the study, his brow filled with an unresolvable resentment and a hint of bewilderment.

Just a month ago, his most trusted steward Li Gu actually had an affair with his concubine Jia Shi, and colluded with the authorities to falsely accuse him of illicit contact with Liangshan bandits, intending rebellion!

Such a charge came so suddenly and deadly!

Although Lu Junyi conducted himself openly and honestly, having no prior dealings with Liangshan, under the forged 'evidence' meticulously crafted by Li Gu and Jia Shi, and the authorities' brutal torture, he found himself unable to defend, nearly losing his life in prison.

Though relying on family silver and bribes, as well as past official connections, he temporarily kept his life, being held under house arrest awaiting further judgment, but his reputation was ruined and more than half of his property had been confiscated.

"Li Gu… Jia Shi… you dog man and woman, how dare you harm me like this!"

Lu Junyi slammed his fist on the desk, and the hard pearwood surface actually cracked.

Besides the anger of betrayal, his heart also held a deep sorrow.

Considering Lu Junyi's conduct throughout his life, when had he ever owed anyone? Why did he end up like this?

That Liang Zhongshu of Daming Prefecture, who once received his gifts with a pleasant face, now turned so cruel and heartless!

This imperial court, this world!

Just as his emotions surged and his resentment could not be appeased, a faint sound of a stone striking came from outside the window.

Lu Junyi became alert, lowly shouting: "Who?"

A black shadow slipped in through the window like a civet cat, landing soundlessly, revealing superb lightness skill.

The visitor wore all-black nightclothes, a black cloth covering the face, only revealing a pair of eyes shining with sharp light.

"Sir Lu, there is no need to panic; I mean no harm."

The black-clad person's voice was deep, carrying a kind of convincing power.

"Sir, you suffer an unjust accusation and are imprisoned; do you know the cause?"

Lu Junyi snorted coldly: "Naturally it is that dog man and woman colluding with the authorities to frame me!"

The black-clad person slowly shook his head:

"Li Gu and Jia Shi are merely pawns pushed to the front; the true one who intends harm to Sir is Song Jiang on Liangshan, and the invisible black hand behind him."

"Song Jiang?" Lu Junyi startled, he had never met Song Jiang, where does the enmity come from?

"Sir, your fame is too great, your martial skill too high, your wealth too abundant."

The black-clad person's tone was calm, yet each word pierced the heart.

"Song Jiang wishes to firmly hold the position of Liangshan chief; he must widely recruit 'heroes' and also accumulate grain and funds. A person like Sir is exactly the target he urgently needs to recruit. Yet Sir lives comfortably in Daming, leading a prosperous life—how could he readily take to the mountains?"

"Thus they devised a vicious plot: first they sent smooth-talkers (namely Wu Yong, who once visited disguised as a fortune-teller) to approach Sir, using divination as a pretext to inscribe a hidden-head opposing poem in Sir's mansion, laying a trap. Then they bribed Li Gu and Jia Shi for inside-outside collusion, framing Sir and cutting off his retreat. Finally, Liangshan troops 'coincidentally' passed by, rescuing Sir 'from the sea of suffering', forcing him to have no choice but to go up the mountain and join. In this way, Sir's talents would be gained, both belonging to Liangshan, and Song Jiang would also earn ample reputation for 'righteousness'. This is a strategy that achieves multiple gains at once."

Lu Junyi listened, eyes wide open, his whole body turning cold.

He recalled the earlier strange-acting fortune-teller, combined with Li Gu and Jia Shi's sudden attack, and the authorities' unusually vigorous investigation… if these were linked together, they actually fit seamlessly!

"Villain! How dare you scheme against Lu!"

Lu Junyi exploded in anger, his chest surging with qi and blood; his hatred for Song Jiang, Wu Yong, and even the unseen 'black hand' he had never met instantly surpassed that for Li Gu and Jia Shi.

Being betrayed by petty people is certainly hateful, but to be so meticulously designed and toyed with in the palm of one's hand is an even greater shame and disgrace!

The black-clad person timely added:

"Sir, do you know what banner Song Jiang is flying under on Liangshan these days?"

Lu Junyi suppressed his anger: "I have heard it is 'Acting on Heaven's Behalf'?"

The black-clad person snorted:

"On the surface it is so. In reality, his every thought is merely waiting for the imperial court's amnesty, to gain a title and blessings for his wife and offspring. To that end, he does not hesitate to suppress the 'Northward Aspiration' faction within the stronghold that aims to resist foreign invaders and revive the Chinese nation. If Sir were to go up the mountain now, he would merely be helping to boost that amnesty fervor, and might later become a pawn for him to curry favor with the court—none of which can be ruled out."

"Sir, with your abilities and passionate blood, would you really be willing to be used like this, and to keep company with those who only know internal strife and have no backbone?"

These words, like a heavy hammer, struck hard upon Lu Junyi's heart.

He was already utterly disappointed in the False Song court because of this wrongful imprisonment; if Liangshan were also of this sort, what would he gain by going there? Would he be joining the corrupt?

"Then… according to your opinion, what should I, Lu, do?" Lu Junyi asked in a hoarse voice. He had already vaguely guessed which faction this person belonged to, but since the other had not revealed his identity, he did not feel comfortable exposing it.

The black-clad person's gaze was burning:

"Liangshan, Sir, you probably still have to go."

Lu Junyi startled.

"Now Sir's retreat is cut off; there is no foothold left in Daming Prefecture. Though the world is vast, the only place that can accommodate Sir and contend with the forces behind Song Jiang appears, at present, to be Liangshan."

The black-clad person calmly analyzed.

"But Sir going up the mountain is not to rely on Song Jiang, but to have another plan."

"On Liangshan, it is not a monolith. The former troops of Chao Tianwang, such as Leopard Head Lin Chong and the Ruan Three Heroes, are all hot-blooded heroes whose hearts lean toward 'Northward Aspiration'. Sir going up the mountain can ally with them, giving mutual support."

"On the surface, feign compliance to preserve oneself; secretly, accumulate strength, awaiting the opportunity. When Song Jiang's falseness is exposed, or the stronghold undergoes change, Sir and Instructor Lin etc. could then take another course of action, not wasting Sir's abilities and the heroic reputation of the 'Jade Kirin'!"

Lu Junyi, hearing this, fell silent for a long while.

He was naturally high-spirited and proud, unwilling to be subordinate to others, especially after being schemed against.

But what the black-clad person said was indeed the only way to break the current impasse, and it also pointed out to him a potential road hidden within desperation.

He took a deep breath, his eyes rekindling with fighting spirit, and gave the black-clad person a solemn bow.

"Your guidance's grace, Lu Junyi keeps in mind! Should I ever have the chance, I will surely repay it!"

The black-clad person turned aside to avoid, speaking softly:

"Sir, take care. On Liangshan, someone will naturally contact you. Remember: endure, observe, unite with like-minded comrades."

Having said that, his form flickered and he vanished into the night outside the window, as if he had never appeared.

A few days later, just as the black-clothed man had predicted, the men Song Jiang sent—Shi Xiu, Yang Lin, and others—happened to pass through Daming Prefecture. Upon hearing of Lu Junyi's grievance, they plotted a disturbance at the prefecture, seized the execution ground, and rescued Lu Junyi.

Lu Junyi, "forced" to do so, followed Shi Xiu and the others to Mount Liang.

Along the way, he recalled the black-clothed man's words, seeing Shi Xiu and the others' admiration for Song Jiang, his hostility and vigilance toward Song Jiang grew stronger, and the gratitude he felt for being forcibly rescued faded somewhat.

Liangshanpo, Golden Sand Beach.

Song Jiang led the chieftains in personally greeting him, his attitude extremely warm and humble, saying, "Lu the Assistant Minister has suffered," as if none of this were his doing.

Lu Junyi looked at Song Jiang's seemingly sincere smile, but his heart was ice-cold.

Following the black-clothed man's advice, he put on a show of tearful gratitude and behaved appropriately, but when his gaze swept over the welcoming crowd, he deliberately lingered a moment on the known Northward Aspiration faction leaders—Lin Chong, Ruan Xiaoer, and others—giving a slight nod.

Lin Chong and the others saw that Lu Junyi's bearing was extraordinary; though he had faced great disaster, he showed no signs of dejection, and having also received some information secretly passed by Shi Dun, they understood he might not truly be loyal to Song Jiang, and they responded in kind with their gazes.

Song Jiang saw all this, merely thinking it was mutual admiration among heroes, and did not suspect anything deeply.

He was pleased with himself for successfully recruiting this "Jade Qilin," unaware that the one he had gone to great lengths to bring up the mountain was not a docile qilin but a bomb buried deep, ready to explode at any moment due to his resentment toward the False Song Imperial Court and his disgust with Song Jiang's hypocritical façade.

Lu Junyi went up the mountain, and Liangshan's strength greatly increased.

But the internal undercurrents, due to his arrival and his ambiguous attitude, became even more turbulent and complex.

The script the Iron Crow Army was pushing seemed to proceed smoothly, yet one of its key figures had already deviated from their intended course.