Chapter 501: Hand It Over or Not

Chapter 501 To Surrender or Not to Surrender

The passes block the two hearts in suspense,

What bold heart would try to draw the Milky Way?

A bloodied blade never turned to tillage,

The lament of heroes parting from fate and peril.

The cold, mournful tone stretched the final “hardship” into an agonizingly long note,

Which bled into the faint, lingering strings of a lute as it soared to its peak,

Exploding alongside the sharp clang of bullet meeting steel.

The circular gun barrel carved a terrifying arc through the air,

Its chilled gleam like a crescent moon, descending upon Lu Yuzhang’s chest.

Thud!

The spear plunged deep into the earth, its unyielding force shaking the Lu family manor,

Branches trembling, ripples spreading across the pond,

Dust and stone billowing into the air.

A bloodstained white robe drifted through the haze,

Beneath the disheveled hair, Lu Yuzhang’s eyes burned cold and resolute,

His index finger pressed to the trigger of the “Dark Chamber” in the hidden room,

Draining the magazine completely.

Smoke, light, explosion, and eerie whispers.

Under the blessings of Confucian arts “Archery” and “Calculation,”

Each bullet Lu Yuzhang fired struck true at Li Zhen’s frantic sprint.

The bullets imbued with special effects were even more troublesome—

Though their power was modest, they clung with unnatural tenacity.

Li Zhen, momentum halted, jammed the gun’s muzzle into the base of a towering stone grotto,

His muscles taut as he heaved upward with all his might.

The mountain rock cleaved the sky, its crash a thunderous roar.

“Be vigilant, yet unafraid!”

Lu Yuzhang’s black hair whipped wildly in the wind, his tall frame upright,

He opened fire with the “Vigilance Alone” rifle!

Boom!

The gunfire roared like cannons, instantly drowning the surrounding chaos of footsteps and shouts.

Bullets, extracted from the gun, coiled within a fist-sized black aura,

Creating ripples in the air, shattering the incoming stone grotto into a storm of debris,

Revealing the pair of ferocious eyes that followed closely behind.

Boom!

Another shot rang out, its bullet aimed at Li Zhen’s brow,

Deflected by the rising muzzle flash.

The transformed bullet casing hit the ground, crushed by advancing footsteps.

Clad in a robe stained by the cracked earth, the Confucian scholar pressed forward,

His two specially crafted firearms—forged by the third son of the Black Order—

Spewing forth a terrifying barrage, their bullets igniting fires that soared skyward,

Their shockwaves sweeping across the battlefield.

Yet even this could not halt the ghostly silhouette of the “Flame-Wielding Warrior,”

Who darted closer with eerie, flickering movements.

Click-clack.

The sound of the striking pin echoed faintly amid the rolling gunfire.

Lu Yuzhang’s wrist twitched subtly, the empty magazine fell from his gun,

The barrel dipped low, and from the wide sleeves of his robe, magazines flew out,

Landing precisely into ammunition pouches.

But in that fleeting moment of respite, a razor-sharp gunshot

Like a prowling leopard, sank into Lu Yuzhang’s left arm.

Brutal and lethal.

*Pop!*

His arm flew off, yet the “Vigilance Alone” gun still pointed skyward,

Exploding a massive crater in the jade-lined well adorned with intricate carvings.

Armless but unbroken, Lu Yuzhang’s face bore no trace of pain,

His right hand gripping the “Dark Chamber,” barrel aimed at the contemptuous face inches from his own.

Before his finger could pull the trigger, a bone-deep agony tore through his chest,

The sound of bones splintering echoed in his mind like a cacophony.

“If it were a direct duel, he’d never have matched the martial arts order.”

Suspended midair, Lu Yuzhang’s mouth leaked blood, yet a twisted smile curled his lips.

He never intended to settle the duel with Li Zhen—

This brief resistance had already proven his loyalty and worth.

The rest would be handled by others.

For the Lu family’s private guards had arrived.

*Pop!*

The gunshot pierced a roadblock soldier’s skull,

Its trajectory swift as a blade slicing through flesh.

The soldier, still breathing, lay face-down, eyes wide with horror,

Staring at the weapon heart that rolled from his hand,

Watching it crushed beneath the advancing boots.

“Surround him! Kill him!”

Beyond the surge of soldiers, Lu Siyi stepped forward,

His father’s son, cold and lethal, yet his eyes gleamed with excitement.

In his gaze, Li Zhen’s lone charge against the fortress was merely a gift laid at his door.

That was all.

No tally marked—Lu Yuzhang was still alive.

Li Zhen furrowed his brow, drawing in a breath, his inner energy surging,

He exhaled, spoke aloud:

“Shaken Lu!”

A force from the genetic core erupted,

The private soldiers rushing forward froze mid-motion.

At that instant, Li Zhen’s left foot stepped forward, spine slightly bent,

Pushing off the ground, he arched his back, unleashing a brutal gunshot,

Its black flame sweeping through the crowd.

Limbs severed and burned, their stench of charred flesh mingling,

Footsteps trampled the spilled white blood into a boiling mess.

The Lu family’s guards, mostly soldiers of the “Order of Arms,”

Were not a product of Confucian and military orders merging seamlessly—

The military order’s low barrier and affordability drew many.

Most crucially, Confucian orders could manipulate the military’s mindset

Through the “Divine Arts,” ensuring loyalty.

Though this made their tactics one-dimensional,

And their ranks low, relying on mass infantry to crush foes.

Yet with sufficient “Weapon Hearts” and Black Order equipment,

They could quickly muster formidable forces.

And since adapting other orders’ genetics was nearly impossible in Confucian ranks,

With exorbitant training costs, using them as expendables was folly.

Those marked by the seal would lose the chance to shatter the martial order,

But such considerations were irrelevant to the Lu family’s agenda.

“Loyalty,” the word sufficed to outweigh all.

“Six Arts’ Harmony, rally the army!”

Lu Siyi, a commander among Confucian scholars,

Issued orders with a booming voice at the front lines.

Hum.

The dull thrum of weapon hearts pulsed from each soldier’s chest,

Interwoven into a solemn, ancient drumbeat,

Neutralizing Li Zhen’s “Shaken Lu” might.

Not only that—this grand harmony of music and order

Pierced into Li Zhen’s mind like invisible hands,

Tugging at his resolve to press forward,

Instilling a desperate, hopeless urge to surrender.

“My ancestor Lin Chong, I’ve taken up arms as a common soldier here,

Guarding the army’s supplies in this fortress city.

Alas, the memories of my past pierce me to the bone!”

At that moment, a melodious voice rang out,

Like a sudden crescendo in the midst of the martial music,

Striking the drum’s rhythm with metallic clangs,

Dispelling all negative forces upon Li Zhen.

The King of Wu’s song—never sung in vain!

“Filled with rage, I ask the heavens,

When will the passes and mountains return to peace?”

A long, soaring note seemed to pierce the sky.

Li Zhen’s body erupted in black flames,

His feral spirit, unique to the lone “Four Great Warriors,”

Unleashed like a dam breaking, surging forward a thousand miles.

Ahead, a soldier of the “Fifth Division” activated overclocking,

Roaring forward with thunderous might,

Like a beast blocking the path, or a vanguard,

A great sword flashing, cleaving toward Li Zhen’s skull.

Li Jun stepped forward, his long spear thrusting and pressing, shattering his opponent along with man and blade into fragments.

“When will the moon, missing from the heavens, gather again?”

His armored fingers clutched the spear piercing the opponent’s side, black flames leaping and clinging, turning the foe into a human torch.

The synthetic flesh of the soldier was scorched to nothing, yet the dark metallic skeleton still strained forward—only to be cut down by the sweeping gun barrel, scattering into pieces across the ground.

“Six Arts’ Joy, charge into battle!”

Lu Siyi’s mustache bristled with fury, his arm raised in a thunderous shout.

The private soldiers branded with Lu’s seal, disregarding rank, surged into hyper-speed, a flood of motion.

The soldiers on the periphery, unafraid of friendly fire, fired their rocket-propelled spears, each explosion a thunderous boom.

In the distance, Lu Yuzhang clutched his severed arm, rising slowly from the rubble of a ruined building, staring at the figure barreling toward him with a faint, familiar smile.

“When will the heavens again let me raise my sword of three feet?”

The crushing pressure did not break Li Jun—it only fanned the flames of his savage, bloodied fury, like wood feeding a fire.

His rifle butt struck ice-blue light, scattering steel shards into a cacophony of screams.

Li Jun twisted his spear technique, the black flames coiling around the shaft suddenly boiling, spiraling like a dark cyclone.

Wu Fu arched his back, thrusting his arm, the armor plates tightening, concentrating all force into his elbow.

Fourth-grade strike, city-shattering!

The roar of the blow echoed like a tiger’s cry, sweeping all who dared oppose it into void.

In an instant, the shadow of death clutched Lu Yuzhang’s skin, pores bursting with cold sweat, dripping down his brow.

Lu Yuzhang let out a low growl, commanding the fear in his genes to release his frozen body.

But it was too late.

*Thwack!*

The spear pierced the robes of the scholar-soldier, driving him into the earth.

Flames erupted, the body convulsing, its screams tearing through the air.

At that moment, the song of the war god Ma Wang soared to its peak:

“Sweep away the villains in the halls, spread my heart wide—why does the sky’s face heap sorrow and resentment?”

The phrases “Gu Wine Pass,” “Snow Blade Dragon Spring,” “Hall’s Might,” “Lonely Resentment” struck at the heart.

The screeching mechanized sounds, solemn court music, blood spattering from wounds, sweat from muscles, the curses of nobles, the laughter of lone warriors—everywhere in the golden mansions, souls wailed in anguish.

“Kill! Keep killing!”

Lu Siyi’s arm swept downward, his face, turned away from his father’s, bore a flicker of satisfaction.

Li Jun gripped a private soldier’s face with five fingers, hoisting his body and swinging it, crashing toward the still-screaming Lu Yuzhang.

Not yet dead? Then this isn’t over.

*Schlick!*

A tearing sound reached his ears—Li Jun’s weapon went limp. He looked down: only a blood-mangled skull remained, its tail end still fused to a curved steel spine.

The rest of the body had scattered into nowhere.

Li Jun, his black robes stained white with blood, tossed the useless “skull-sword” aside.

His eyes, like a tiger’s, scanned the five-zhang radius—only a sea of blood and bones remained.

He scoffed, planted his foot, and vanished before Lu Yuzhang.

“Li Jun, I’ve given you ample opportunity—are you not satisfied yet?”

His voice boomed through Lu’s top floor. An arrow flew, striking Li Jun’s head.

*Clang!*

Li Jun spread his fingers, gripping the steel arrow, its force pushing his feet sideways.

The arrowheads’ cold glint clashed with icy resolve, bricks churning, blood dripping.

Exhausted arrows fell with a clatter. Li Jun lifted his gaze to the distant Lu family patriarch, holding a giant bow taller than a man, lips parting.

“Not enough.”

*Thud!*

Li Jun materialized in a blur, crushing Lu Yuzhang’s skull into pulp beneath his boot.

Only then did fatigue etch itself into Li Jun’s face, yet he still raised his flaming spear.

He hoisted it to shoulder height, pointed it at Lu Ning:

“The winds have blown, the tiles have cracked—this is the world’s way. Why must the heavens still show dominance over a poor man? If you show no mercy, I will avenge this injustice!”

The echo lingered, followed by a long, rumbling exhale.

“Damn it, it’s fucking awesome!”

Ma Wang’s song erupted into a roaring laugh, his banditry blazing into the sky.

Lu Yuzhang’s adopted son, slaughtered in his own courtyard, left Lu Ning speechless, his face ashen.

More crucially, at the last moment, he had dared not stop the reckless warrior’s killing blow—only letting him retreat a few paces, leaving a few drops of blood.

If this were to spread… where would his face go?

“Si Yi.”

“My son is here.”

Lu Siyi bowed, his back now a dense wall of soldiers, the Lu family’s private army, slaughtered by Li Jun, pressing close.

In the distance, a tide of footsteps rose, relentless.

The Lu clan’s forces in Liaodong numbered over a thousand—how many could one warrior kill?

“A single spearman against my Lu clan? Pah.”

Lu Siyi’s heart chilled with scorn, his face a mask of disdain, waiting for his father’s command to unleash the army and devour Li Jun’s bones.

But before he could act, no voice came.

Lu Siyi looked up, confusion etching his face—Lu Ning’s eyes were pale with terror, his pupils wide with a fear Siyi had never seen.

“What happened?”

*【The entire Lu family in Huafu County was slaughtered; Lu clan’s private army leader Wu Jie was killed in battle.】*

*【Liaodong Jianzhou County’s Han family suffered unknown attacks, casualties heavy—request support from the patriarch.】*

*【Liaodong Liyang County’s Shen family suffered unknown attacks, casualties heavy—request support from the patriarch.】*

In the shadows unseen by others, crimson words drifted before Lu Ning’s eyes.

The previous message wasn’t particularly important to Lu Ning.

It was just a minor tax rebellion; he could always recruit more men if he was willing to pay the price.

But this latest incident was a fatal blow that truly threatened the Lu family’s position in Liaodong.

An unknown attack? Could it be Li Jun’s accomplices?

Impossible. Lu Ning immediately dismissed the thought.

After all, Liaodong Province governed six prefectures, a vast territory with great distances between them.

How could these bandits have the ability to send people to attack each prefecture and force each family to urgently seek help from themselves?

If it wasn’t them, who else would suddenly attack us at this time?

And the most chilling thing for Lu Ning was that he had not sensed any wind or movement beforehand.

When did Liaodong Province become so infiltrated and riddled with holes?

Is this still my Lu family’s Liaodong?!

“Since the culprit who persecuted you, the Japanese Zone’s Imperial Guards, Lu Yuzhang, has been punished, let today’s matter end here, shall it not?”

As soon as Lu Ning uttered the first word, Lu Siyi had already raised his arm, and the private soldiers around him were stirring with malice.

But when he finished speaking, the top of the Lu clan was suddenly filled with silence.

Lu Siyi’s expression was stiff, but his mind was racing, trying to understand why his father’s attitude had changed so abruptly.

“Want to stop? Fine.”

Li Jun shook his gun barrel. “He also has blood on his hands from the Japanese Zone’s Imperial Guards. Hand him over.”

The gun barrel pointed directly at Lu Siyi.

A chill ran from his tailbone to his head, but the angry roar that followed behind him suddenly warmed Lu Siyi’s heart.

“He is my only son, Lu Ning, and the future master of the Lu clan. Li Jun, don’t push your luck!”

“Don’t want to? Then keep going! Let’s see if your Lu clan falls first or if I, Li Jun, die first!”

Li Jun’s strength aroused Lu Ning’s suspicions. Did the other party also know about the attacks on the prefectures?

“Inviting wolves to devour tigers, using your own life to help others’ plans—what are you doing it for?”

Lu Ning squeezed out the words almost through his teeth.

Li Jun just sneered. “I’ll ask you one question: hand him over or not!”

“Hand over.”

Lu Siyi turned back in confusion, only to see a dark gun barrel pointed at his face.

“Dad?”

Bang!