Chapter 150
The Gu family has built a strong foothold in the treacherous waters of Haidu over many years. Their decision-making is mature and their methods sophisticated, making them difficult to shake. Although the patriarch is suspicious, he is by no means incompetent. The eldest son of the Gu family is exceptionally talented, composed, and a qualified successor.
Revenge from enemies, unequal distribution of profits, and embezzlement by subordinates... Lu Jiu considered many possible reasons why the Gu family might be targeted and destroyed, but to no avail.
It wasn't until the Gu family was robbed and killed by the Luofutu gang, including collateral relatives and servants, and then burned to the ground in a raging fire, that he collapsed into a chair during the subsequent investigation, dejected and enlightened.
The Gu family did nothing wrong; it was simply a series of unforeseen events and circumstances that made them victims of the power struggles among those in power. And Luo Futu, who had established a connection with the Gu family early on, merely happened to serve as a tool to eliminate dissidents.
...
The "yin" in Hongyin Ancient Town actually refers to the poppy.
In the back mountain of Lü Jiu's village, every April when the warm spring arrives, a special smell will spread. Some people find it fragrant and sweet, while others find it pungent and unpleasant. Lü Jiu is the latter.
As a child, he often saw villagers, drawn by the scent, staring blankly like bewitched ghosts, rushing to the back mountain. Hoes and carrying poles would be tossed aside, and they would lie down among the strangely beautiful flowers, stretching out their tongues to lick the juice overflowing from the split fruit. Within fifteen minutes, their pupils would dilate, they would laugh inexplicably, unconsciously pull at their collars, as if unbearably hot, and writhe and writh in the mud.
If someone rolled too far and crushed the flowers, his father would come out fiercely with a carrying pole wrapped with barbed wire to drive them away.
That scene was reflected in the eyes of Lü Jiu, who was still a young child, and the whole world seemed to have become a distorted vortex.
In the center of the vortex, there was his father, who was furious; there were villagers, who were scrambling around naked, muttering to themselves and lost in ecstasy; and there was also a flower thief, who was tumbling and crawling.
With a thud, the flower thief tripped and fell, knocking over the bouquet and bringing out roots covered in soil.
The large, beautiful flowers had thin, slender roots that clung to the villagers' skin like serrations. Their pale, sickly skin made the flowers appear even more vibrant, as if the roots of the flowers had burrowed into their flesh and bones, greedily sucking away their life force.
So the flowers were nourished and in the blink of an eye, they covered the entire hillside.
Behind the village, there is a river. In the warm spring, the ice melts, the river flows swiftly, and boats travel very fast.
Under the village chief's command and Lü Jiu's father's supervision, the villagers would gradually load the flowers onto boats, transporting them down the mountainside along the river to the neighboring town where Luofu Pagoda was located. After being secretly processed, the flowers would be secretly shipped to all corners of the country via a network of waterways. Whether for sale for profit or for the purpose of harming people, this practice developed alongside the town's human trafficking, forming a vast, sinful, far-reaching, and deeply harmful industry.
...
The room, with only the two of them, was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
As the man in front of me breathed rapidly, the air seemed to become heavy and stagnant, making it hard to breathe.
Lu Jiu knelt at the feet of Cen's uncle, his usually smiling lips pressed into a tight line, his head bowed, his fingers unconsciously gripping the hem of his clothes.
He thought he would feel ashamed when he revealed his true identity, but in reality, his mind went blank the moment he decided to utter the first word.
He couldn't tell if it was shame or something else; he only heard his heart pounding wildly in his chest. Every word was difficult to utter, requiring all his strength, his nails digging deep into his flesh, just to force himself to speak clearly and completely.
He could no longer control his tone, and he was even more afraid to see what terrifying expression his uncle, Cen, would have. His words were as mechanical as if he were reporting a mission, and he seemed to have lost his soul.
After he finished speaking, Uncle Cen remained silent.
Everything happened suddenly for him.
Having not seen his nephew for many days, he rushed over to see him with great joy, only to be told by Lü Jiu that he had a secret to discuss and asked him to dismiss everyone else, leaving only the two of them.
Once everyone had left and it was clear that no one was eavesdropping, Lü Jiu suddenly knelt down before him, startling him.
Confused and shocked, he rushed forward to help her up, never imagining that he would hear such a terrible secret.
Lu Jiu continued numbly, "I have no intention of bothering you. It's just... I have now broken ties with Luofutu. In order to keep the secret, they will definitely move their base or kill me to eliminate any future trouble."
"If it's the latter, that's fine. But if it's the former, given the resources of the mastermind behind Luofutu, trying to capture them after they retreat is nothing short of a pipe dream. Even I spent eight years undercover under Luofutu before I could roughly figure out their methods. Not to mention that after this incident, they will definitely be more vigilant."
Lu Jiu said in a low voice, "I have united many like-minded people, but compared with the power that Luofutu has cultivated for many years, we are still somewhat inadequate. During my stay at the Cen family, I observed that the Cen family members are mostly loyal and righteous, and their family tradition is self-disciplined, respectful, and virtuous. Their ancestors were pillars of the state, serving their lord faithfully and recovering lost territories. Their successors uphold the legacy of their ancestors and possess the spirit of national heroes. I earnestly request..."
Uncle Cen suddenly slammed his hand on the table, interrupting him: "Enough! Stop putting on airs with me! If you hadn't fallen out with that bastard surnamed Luo, and they hadn't wanted to kill you to silence you, would you have told the truth? Stop trying to intimidate me with your righteous indignation! Huh!?"
Cen's uncle gritted his teeth and asked coldly, "Have you revealed anything to anyone about your mother... about what my sister has gone through all these years? How much do the old man and the others know?"
"..." Lu Jiu said in a hoarse voice, "They are getting old now, and with my grandmother, the old lady's heart is not very good. I didn't dare to tell them, and I haven't mentioned it to anyone else. But how long will Luofutu keep it a secret... I don't know."
A large shadow fell over Lü Jiu from above.
Lu Jiu could almost feel that Cen's uncle's gaze had lost its warmth and was now coldly scrutinizing him.
He suppressed the throbbing pain in his heart, took the pistol from his waist, raised both hands to the front of the other man, and said with difficulty, "I know you must hate me very much, and I know that I am guilty. Even if you kill me now, I will have no complaints."
"But if no one goes to stop it at the Luofu Temple, more people will be persecuted and suffer unbearable pain. Many innocent families will be torn apart, and it may even shake the foundation of the country."
"Do you want to see someone suffer the same pain and misfortune as your sister? Don't you want to pay for your crimes with your own blood, to kill your enemies and appease the spirits of the dead?"
Uncle Cen was deeply hurt by these veiled words. He pointed at him, his face pale and his finger trembling with anger: "Lu Jiu, Captain Lu, Chief Detective Lu!"
He sneered: "Just as I thought, just as everyone says, you're all smooth talkers, every word carefully chosen, easily finding someone's weaknesses—do you think the Cen family can't deal with Luofutu without you?"
Lu Jiu suddenly raised his head, staring intently at that hateful face, closed his eyes, and kowtowed several times: "Believe me, I didn't mean that! If I really had ulterior motives, I wouldn't be kneeling before you now, nor would I have covered this up so thoroughly. Given the Cen family's previous attitude, if I wanted to mobilize an army to avenge my adoptive father's family, would you disagree?"
He said hoarsely, “But the Luofu Temple is full of bloodthirsty and brutal desperados, and that drug den has been entrenched in the area for many years, becoming a local tyrant. Eradicating it would be extremely dangerous. I know you know about this and will definitely seek revenge for your sister, but if you encounter danger because of this, what will happen to the old master and madam? They only have you left as their son! Can you bear to let them experience the pain of losing a child again?”
"I'm different. I'm just a worthless life; my death is nothing to me. If you're worried that I might cause trouble in the name of the Cen family after receiving help, you can send someone to accompany me and monitor me. As for the old master and madam, I haven't been here long and I'm not particularly close to them. It's good that I'm leaving now; it won't cause them too much grief for long. You can simply tell them that I'm just a despicable imposter who ran away after being discovered—"
“…Uncle.” Lu Jiu held back his tears and kowtowed to him several more times, his forehead red. “I saw with my own eyes my mother die in that place, countless people were tortured and died with their eyes wide open, and I have been manipulated and controlled by Luofu for many years. I often wake up in terror from nightmares and have never had a good night’s sleep. I must put an end to this matter. I shamelessly call you uncle one last time, please have mercy on me and grant my request!”
Uncle Cen remained silent, took two steps forward as if to say something, but suddenly felt dizzy and leaned back against the table, pinching his throbbing temples.
Lu Jiu was startled when he saw this and hurriedly reached out to help him, but was suddenly pushed away by Cen's uncle!
“My sister…” Uncle Cen paused, his face drained of color, and began to speak of something completely unrelated, muttering, “My sister was a peerless beauty, a renowned beauty in Xingzhou twenty years ago.”
"Her talent is no less than mine, no less than anyone else in the family. She learned poetry and literature at the age of seven, and at fifteen, she was able to navigate the business world with ease, holding her own against those shrewd old foxes. Her teacher praised her for her innate intelligence and worldly wisdom. She was proficient in music, etiquette, calligraphy, and finance, managing both internal and external affairs. If anything went wrong in business, she would always be able to turn the tide. If any family member encountered any mishap, they would ask her for help, and she would always be able to avert disaster."
"Countless young masters were infatuated with her, composing hundreds of poems and offering thousands of dollars, all just to win a smile from her. Matchmakers practically wore down the threshold of the Cen family to propose marriage. She didn't want to get married so early, didn't want to be confined to the deep courtyard, and wanted to see the world and experience all its wonders. We spoiled her and indulged her."
Uncle Cen lowered his head and looked at Lü Jiu: "And you..."
Hearing that his mother had once been such a brilliant and talented person, Lü Jiu's eyes welled up with tears. Being stared at by his uncle from the Cen family, he felt as if he were being inspected, his muscles tensed, and his heart jumped into his throat.
Uncle Cen: "Why did you come back?"
Lu Jiu felt as if he had been pierced by a thousand arrows, struck dumb, his face draining of all color. Tears welled in his red eyes, and he stammered, "I..."
Uncle Cen's face was filled with malice: "You're right, my sister was... by that guy, your father, what was his name again? Oh right, I remember now, Lü Tiezhu, ha—"
When he uttered those three words of a name, his tone was full of sarcasm. He said nothing, only a cold laugh conveyed his utter contempt.
Lu Jiu remained silent, his face pale. He heard Cen's uncle continue, "My sister was murdered by Lu Tiezhu and Luo Futu. This debt must be settled, settled clearly and plainly! I will personally dispatch the Xingzhou army to stand by and launch a rapid attack. You will come with me."
When Lü Jiu heard that he wanted to go personally, she was taken aback and said, "You're going? That place is dangerous, full of bandits! And you're making such a big fuss—"
"Afraid the old man and the others will find out?" Uncle Cen sneered, leaving with his first words before turning away, "Who do you think the former head of the Cen family and the matriarch are? You can't hide it from them!"
Four days later, the heavily armed Xingzhou army, aboard private ships, launched a surprise attack on the Luofutu's headquarters, which was hidden deep in the mountains and forests.
Because of the swift attack and the guidance and advice of Lü Jiu, who had already ascertained the terrain, Luofutu, who had returned to sell the stolen goods and transfer the valuables, was unable to evacuate in time and was blocked on the hill. Under the bombardment of artillery, they suffered repeated defeats.
The mountains were densely forested and covered with large swaths of poisonous poppies, making arson a risky endeavor. Lü Jiu volunteered to lead an elite force that circled around the back of the mountain and attacked from both sides via a rugged, narrow path, catching Luo Futu and his men completely off guard.
The Xingzhou army pressed their advantage and engaged in fierce fighting on both sides. Both sides were bloodthirsty and fought to the death. A hail of bullets filled the sky, and screams and cries echoed through the heavens. Countless people were killed or wounded.
Having suffered a gunshot wound to his thigh and being unable to move easily, Luo Futu, under the cover of his men, struggled to turn westward along a secret path, preparing to retreat along the downstream river.
Unexpectedly, Lü Jiu quietly led half of his elite troops away from the main force and arrived at the riverbank early, waiting for him to walk into the trap.
Several elite archers had already laid an ambush in the jungle and on the mountainside, surrounding the area so that not even a bird could escape.
When Luofutu saw the small boats on the riverbank being violently destroyed and the boatmen being killed, he knew he had reached a dead end. Being bitten by the dog he had raised only made him more furious and ashamed.
He roared furiously, his eyes blazing with rage, "Shoot! Kill this bastard! Kill him!"
In an instant, bullets were fired simultaneously.
Several people were killed on Luofutu's side, and he used them as human shields. Using nearby debris as cover, and under the cover of gunfire, Lü Jiu circled around to Luofutu's side from the left, then raised his gun—
Luo Futu's men spotted him and opened fire in a panic. Almost simultaneously, Lü Jiu pulled the trigger, hitting him squarely in the head, and blood splattered out.
Luo Futu's last henchman fell, and Lü Jiu's right hand was also hit, causing him to lose his grip in excruciating pain. But in less than a hundredth of a second, he swiftly bent down, caught the gun falling from the sky with his left hand, and fired a shot at Luo Futu!
Luo Futu's body was completely hidden by the corpse, with only his shoulders and arms exposed for the purpose of firing the shot. Lu Jiu fired the shot hastily amidst the turbulence, and it hit Luo Futu's shoulder squarely!
Luo Futu cried out in pain, dropped his gun, and in a flash, he saw a figure rushing towards him without regard for his own life, his eyes fierce and bloodshot, the muzzle of the gun pressed hard against his forehead.
Luo Futu stared wide-eyed in fear: "You..."
Bang!
There was no blood.
The gun in Lü Jiu's hand suddenly went silent!
Instantly, Luo Futu's eyes flashed with wild joy. He swung his arm and knocked the spear out of Lü Jiu's hand. The two then engaged in a fierce battle, with mud and dust flying everywhere.
Luo Futu finally emerged from his bunker. A marksman was about to take aim when his comrade stopped him and whispered, "The governor gave strict orders earlier that Lü Jiu must be kept alive. Wait until they separate before firing to avoid accidentally injuring anyone."
Another person noticed that Lü Jiu's movements were not right and frowned: "Was he shot in the abdomen?"
Not only them, but Luo Futu also smelled a strong stench of blood on Lü Jiu. His forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his fierce attacks were powerless, clearly indicating that he was seriously injured and weak.
Luo Futu's eyes darted around, and he grinned maliciously at Lü Jiu, who was choking him, and said in a hoarse voice, "Do you think that killing me and destroying this place will be the end of it?"
Lu Jiu remained silent, his eyes bloodshot, veins bulging on the back of his hands, as he exerted force relentlessly.
Luo Futu was out of breath, his eyes rolling back, but he looked at him and smiled: "You, do you know how much you resemble me?"
"I was once taken in by the boss. The boss took me in and trained me. I taught you everything..."
“I killed the boss, but I was spared. You killed me, but you were spared.”
"Cough cough cough, Little Jiu'er, tell me, what do you most want to do to kill me?"
Don't listen, don't think.
Lu Jiu mentally rebuked himself, telling himself not to fall for Luo Futu's rhetoric, but when the latter uttered those words, he couldn't help but recall the tragic scenes he had witnessed.
Lu Jiu's bloodshot eyes stared straight ahead, brimming with hatred.
He thought...
He wanted to stuff the red poppy into Luofutu's mouth, to skin Luofutu alive, to pour boiling hot oil on him, and to chop off his limbs and mince him into mud to feed the dogs.
He wanted to make Luofutu suffer unbearable pain and die a terrible death. He wanted to whip Luofutu's corpse after his death and then grind his bones to dust.
Luo Futu met his eyes, as if reading his thoughts, and burst into maniacal laughter, declaring, "Little Jiu'er, you truly are my good child, you can definitely become the next Luo Futu!"
Lu Jiu's pupils constricted sharply, and his breathing froze.
Its shadow suddenly twisted in agony, its body swelled and grew larger, gradually covering the jungle and becoming taller than a building. Its tail and long fins pounded the ground frantically, convulsing and spasming, much like a stranded whale.
Taking advantage of Lü Jiu's momentary lapse in concentration, Luo Futu suddenly grabbed him by the neck and slammed him towards the riverbank.
Lu Jiu hastily clung to the riverbank, his fingers digging deep into the cold, filthy mud. Luo Futu forcefully pressed his head down, slapping it into the water, splashing up a large spray of water.
The foul-smelling river water rushed into Lü Jiu's mouth and nose, causing him to choke. The icy water rushed in, filling his airway. His vision blurred, and he felt dizzy. In the murky riverbed, he could vaguely make out a giant, writhing shadow.
The villages and towns were built along the river, which has many branches, and the water source is the source of life for the villagers.
However, no one approaches this downstream section of the river, because it is a place where corpses are disposed of and buried.
Aquatic plants grew rampant in the riverbed, and large and small skeletons were tangled together, forming an irregular mass. They were stuck in the rocks, constantly swaying with the turbulent undercurrent.
Most of the carcasses had been eaten by the fish, with only a small portion still containing flesh and blood, but they were swollen and white from being soaked in water.
Several pairs of pupil-less eye sockets lifted up to look at Lü Jiu. Only skeletal arms floated above, their fingers waving slightly, as if approaching him, or as if extending a silent invitation.
Lu Jiu's confused vision distorted once again.
He saw a giant shadow among the pile of corpses in the floating sac.
Nine-year-old Lü Jiu boarded a ship for the first time and hid in the cargo hold. In the dead of night, he was so cold that he couldn't sleep. He huddled in a corner, hugging his arms and shivering, when he unintentionally heard a long, ethereal cry from outside.
He turned his head in surprise and looked out the porthole at the shimmering sea. The pale, tranquil moonlight made the turbulent sea appear picturesque and serene.
He was awestruck to see a colossal creature leap out of the water to breathe, its immense size obscuring the sky and its unrestrained nature creating a surge of waves several meters high with a single leap.
The large ship he was on was rocked by the waves, and the crew and tourists were awakened and ran around in a panic on the deck corridor.
He exclaimed in surprise, his eyes widening as he pressed his face against the glass, his small hands resting on it. His eyes shone brightly, and in a daze, he mistook the enormous object for a deity, feeling a strong longing in his heart.
later.
When Lu Jiu was just over ten years old, he accidentally saw a report about a stranded whale in the newspaper and was shocked to discover that such a huge creature could also die.
later.
Twelve-year-old Lü Jiu was used to the screams of others.
Thirteen-year-old Lü Jiu was accustomed to death.
Lu Jiu, who joined the army at the age of fifteen, was accustomed to killing.
Sixteen-year-old Lü Jiu was used to treating human lives as ordinary numbers.
Later on.
Lu Jiu, who was not yet eighteen, was pushed into the water by Luofutu and was on the verge of suffocation. He vaguely saw a giant shadow squeeze into the river and could not get out no matter what he did.
It struggled frantically, but its fins got stuck on the jagged rocks, and it sank deeper and deeper into the narrow riverbed.
The giant shadow looked up and finally let out a desperate whale cry.
...
The program schedule at the Hongyin Theater suddenly started shaking and a flame ignited.
Under the scorching heat, the four large black characters "The Giant Shadow of the Wilderness" on the ticket melted like candles, revealing the true title of the play underneath.
Whales emerge from the sea, only to perish in the river.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com