My son, how could you be Lü Bu?!

Chapter 20 The Wei Brothers

Shimen Ferry.

After collecting the remains and making general arrangements, Lü Ping changed his clothes, tidied his appearance, and hurried towards the ferry.

Everything was as usual.

Lu Ping merely inspected the returning caravans to check for any contraband among their goods, and then collected a cut from some of the caravans of acquaintances who were smuggling in their own goods.

Each time Lü Ping received a bribe, he felt a moment of joy.

As for feeling ashamed, he didn't feel any shame. After all, everyone in Shimen Ferry was accepting bribes, it was just a matter of how much they accepted. If he didn't accept bribes, his colleagues would suspect that he, Uncle Lü, was trying to reform himself.

Moreover, what does the tax revenue of the Han Dynasty have to do with him, a citizen of the Celestial Empire?

It was afternoon.

Lu Ping sat on one side, drinking water from a leather water bag, while Zhang Fan sat on the other side, telling Lu Ping some interesting stories that had recently happened inside and outside the city.

suddenly.

Outside Shimen Ferry, in addition to numerous merchant caravans, a large number of villagers also flocked in.

Among them were even quite a few young wandering swordsmen with swords at their waists, their eyes filled with excitement.

After inquiring with the servants at Shimen Ferry and learning that Lü Ping was there, the group of wandering knights rushed inside like madmen.

The servants at Shimen Ferry couldn't stop them no matter what they tried.

And then I saw this scene.

While drinking water, Lü Ping thought that he had been reported by the Xiongnu people because he hadn't had time to send them salted fish. He subconsciously put away the leather bag in his hand and prepared to get up and run away.

But... when I saw the excitement on the faces of these rangers...

Lu Ping was stunned for a moment, as if he realized something, and slowly put the leather water bag behind his back.

Zhang Fan and the group of minor officials were filled with doubt.

Lu Ping arrived at the outer perimeter of Shimen Ferry and stood in front of a group of villagers who had come to watch the spectacle.

"I heard you're looking for me?"

"May I ask?"

"So, you, sir, were acting out of revenge for a friend, and in a fit of rage, you and your eldest son killed more than a dozen Xianbei men, Lü Ping, the young master?"

Upon seeing Lü Ping emerge, the wandering knights were filled with excitement, and some even reached out and couldn't resist touching Lü Ping a couple of times.

This behavior left Lü Ping stunned, and he quickly took a few steps back.

Keep your distance from others.

"Indeed!"

Lü Ping nodded slightly.

Seeing Lü Ping nod, the group of wandering knights present became even more excited, and they began to talk all at once about their feelings when they heard about Lü Ping's deeds. They pulled Lü Ping and wanted to invite him to eat together.

Seeing such a lively scene.

Lu Ping was mentally prepared and remained calm.

The minor officials present, along with the other servants recruited by Shimen Ferry, were initially bewildered by the large crowd that had arrived. However... after listening to the hurried wandering knights' rambling explanations to Lü Ping, their gazes towards him changed instantly.

"Two against dozens, is that... something Lü Bo could do?"

"Isn't Uncle Lü already thirty? How come... he still looks like he's twenty, so vigorous?"

"Yes... wait a minute! Lu Bo just killed more than a dozen Xianbei people and drove away all the Xianbei who came to plunder. Isn't that a great achievement?"

"Yeah! Uncle Lü will most likely be transferred tomorrow, right?"

"..."

The group of minor officials gazed at Uncle Lü from afar, their faces filled with envy and admiration.

Zhang Fan, a man from Yanmen who had recently sent chickens to Lü Ping, stood a little further away. Looking at Lü Bo and listening to the stories told by the group of wandering knights, he seemed to recall something, but his eyes were filled with complex emotions as he sighed softly.

"Uncle Lü has quite the nerve..."

"If only Fan had such a bold spirit..."

Faced with the enthusiastic invitation from a group of wandering knights.

Lu Ping was extremely patient and did not immediately accept the invitation. Instead, he smiled and shook hands with each of them, asking their names and chatting about their family stories, while checking to see if there were any names or people he recognized.

Seeing that such a brave and valiant hero was so courteous and respectful, asking each of them their names, it was clear that he cared about them.

The rangers grew increasingly excited.

He wished he could immediately bow down and acknowledge Lü Ping as his elder brother.

only...

Before the wandering knights could get even more excited and do anything else, the exceptionally courteous and respectful elder brother, Lü Ping, suddenly had a stomachache and needed to go to the toilet.

Although the wandering knights were reluctant, they had no choice but to let Lü Ping return to Shimen Ferry.

When passing by Zhang Fan.

Lu Ping subtly gave him a wink.

Zhang Fan, being sensible, waited until Lü Ping had been inside the dry toilet for a while before heading towards it as well.

He had just entered the dry toilet.

Then he saw a scene that astonished him.

Lu Ping, who looked refined and scholarly, was sitting astride the earthen wall of the outhouse, trying to climb over to the outside.

"Uncle Lü, what is this...?" Zhang Fan was dumbfounded.

Lü Ping, however, was quite clear-headed. He smiled and turned to look at Zhang Fan.

"Brother Fan, you've seen the people here. If I stayed at our ferry, I reckon I wouldn't get anything done all day."

"Besides, I have things to do later, so I really can't stay any longer."

"I'll have to trouble Brother Fan to clean up the mess for me."

"Tell them I'm constipated and can't come out. Tell them to come to my village on their day off, and I'll throw a grand banquet for them."

That's all.

Before Zhang Fan could react, Lü Ping leaped over the wall, circled around a large area, and ran towards his village.

Before long, they disappeared from Zhang Fan's sight.

Seeing how reckless and unruly Lü Ping was.

Zhang Fan was both amused and exasperated, but could only rack his brains, trying to figure out how to clean up Lü Ping's mess.

And in Shimen Ferry.

Seeing that Lu Bo had been in the toilet for so long and hadn't come out yet, some of the villagers and wandering knights who were waiting became a little anxious. They urged the minor officials to go and check on how Lu Ping was doing in the toilet.

The lower-ranking officials wore bitter smiles.

They were pushing and shoving each other.

One of the young officials entered and was stunned when he saw Zhang Fan alone inside.

"Zhang Fan, where is Lü Bo?"

"They've already left," Zhang Fan said with a bitter smile.

Upon hearing this, the minor official was utterly shocked.

"He's gone! Where's the door now? Where did he leave from?!"

Zhang Fan didn't speak, but simply pointed to the earthen wall where there were still a few footprints.

"What should we do? There are still so many people outside."

"What can we do? Just drag it out." Zhang Fan shook his head helplessly.

"Once we estimate that Uncle Lü has arrived home, we will tell them that Uncle Lü has already gone back and that they can go find him."

The minor official remained silent for a moment, then could only sigh and nod slowly.

In silence.

He looked around and, seeing no one was around, asked in a low voice out of curiosity:

"Fan-ge'er, tell me, is what happened today true or false?"

"Is Lu Bo really that amazing?!"

"We eat and drink together all the time, how come I didn't notice?"

As he spoke, a hint of annoyance appeared on his face.

"If I had known Uncle Lü was so capable, I would have tried to befriend him better, and brought him more food regularly..."

"How could this be fake?" Zhang Fan glanced at him and said irritably.

"Have you forgotten that a while ago, someone caused trouble at our ferry crossing, and Lu Boyi subdued that person?"

"If Lü Bo could easily subdue those burly soldiers, let alone the malnourished, emaciated Xianbei people, he could probably cut one down with a single stroke!"

"That's right, how come I didn't remember!" The clerk paused for a moment, then suddenly realized.

"It's all thanks to Fan-ge'er's keen observation! I was wondering why you'd been chatting with Uncle Lü every day these past few days! Turns out you already figured out Uncle Lü wasn't an ordinary person!"

"You gave Uncle Lü a chicken a few days ago, didn't you?!"

"Tomorrow, I'll also send one to Uncle Lü, so he'll know I'm not a stingy person!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow.

He smiled without saying a word.

The two endured the stench and stayed in the dry toilet.

Judging from the time, Lü Ping had probably already left Shimen Ferry.

Zhang Fan then took a deep breath.

He mustered his courage and strode toward the large group of wandering knights who were still crowding around Shimen Ferry, eagerly waiting.

Meanwhile, the minor official who had been talking about befriending Lü Ping looked out at the large group of wandering knights.

He hesitated for a moment.

He stayed in the outhouse, intending to stay a little longer before going out.

.......

Lu Ping jogged as fast as he could, heading towards his own courtyard.

along the way.

He also encountered many villagers and wandering knights who admired his reputation and traveled together toward Shimen Ferry.

Even... quite a few people stopped him and asked him where Lü Ping was.

"Then Young Master Lü should be at Shimen Ferry!"

Taking advantage of the fact that these people didn't recognize him, Lü Ping shamelessly pointed behind him.

He easily shook off the group of wandering knights whose reputation he admired.

Once you've gained fame, the first step is to win people's hearts.

Lu Ping believed that he had done enough for today. He had taken hands to ask everyone's name, chatted about everyday things, and even arranged a dinner with Zhang Fan. He had done more than enough.

If only we could have done more.

That would probably make the authorities suspect that you're planning a rebellion.

Considering this, and fearing that the Xiongnu people waiting for the final payment might come directly to his home, and that the Xiongnu might cause trouble if they encountered the wandering knights who came looking for him, Lü Ping decided to run away and flee towards his home.

I'm not home yet.

From afar, Lü Ping could see that his own courtyard was full of people, and not only his own courtyard, but the entire village was practically packed with people.

I'm not kidding.

Lu Ping had lived in this village for so long, but this was the first time he had ever seen so many people.

However, thanks to the fact that these wandering knights did not recognize him, Lü Ping easily approached his own courtyard.

Before even stepping into their own courtyard.

He then heard bursts of cheers.

"Where did the cheers come from?" Lü Ping frowned slightly.

"Could it be... that these wandering knights encountered Urhan, who had come to collect a debt? And they mistook Urhan for a Xianbei and killed him?!"

Thinking about this.

Lu Ping's heart skipped a beat.

He quickened his pace and walked towards his own courtyard.

Lü Ping walked closer to take a look.

It turned out that a group of wandering knights who had come to watch the spectacle had formed a large circle. In the center of the circle stood Lu Bu, his face full of arrogance, holding a longbow and demonstrating his archery skills to the group of knights.

Opposite to Lü Bu, at a distance of nearly a hundred paces, was a wooden target.

Lu Bu stood in the same spot, bow drawn and arrow nocked.

"call out!"

The arrow flew straight out and hit the wooden stake a hundred paces away with great precision!

This drew cheers from the onlookers.

Hearing the cheers around him, Lü Bu's expression grew even more smug.

He seemed to be enjoying himself.

Seeing his eldest son's state, Lü Ping showed a hint of helplessness.

He looked around and saw that he was trying to walk into the circle, attempting to get closer to his adopted eldest son.

But... before he could take a few more steps...

A slightly familiar exclamation suddenly came from beside his ears.

"Uncle Lü, when did you get back?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked toward the source of the voice.

Upon hearing the call, Lü Ping froze. He sensed something was wrong and instinctively quickened his pace, waving his hands repeatedly as he tried to squeeze forward.

But it was of no use whatsoever.

The already crowded crowd became even more packed with this call, rendering his efforts futile.

The person who had called out his name first reacted at this moment, and happily grabbed Lü Ping's hand to prevent him from escaping.

This is truly like escaping from the tiger's den only to fall into the wolf's lair.

Lu Ping sighed deeply.

Left with no other choice, he could only turn his head and take a good look at who was so lacking in emotional intelligence that they dared to call out his identity among so many people and grab him to prevent him from leaving.

All I can see is that...

The man who grabbed him looked somewhat familiar: he was strong, with a broad face and thick eyebrows, and looked to be in his early twenties. He also had a long sword at his waist, dressed like a wandering knight.

Lu Ping squinted and examined it carefully.

Then it dawned on him that this man was none other than Wei Xu, a nephew from his deceased wife's clan!

When the original owner's wife was still alive, Wei Xu often followed Lu Bu around, playing and practicing martial arts together at the original owner's manor.

only...

After the original owner's wife died, the manor was seized by the eunuchs, and the family fortunes declined. Lü Ping had not seen Wei Xu for almost half a year.

Lü Ping's eyes flickered.

As Lü Ping's gaze moved...

Behind Wei Xu was another robust young man who looked somewhat similar to him!

Although their relationship wasn't as close as Wei Xu's with his family, it just so happened that...

Lü Ping happened to have some recollection of this person.

His name was Wei Yue. He was resolute and had considerable strength!

Although Wei Yue's relationship with the Lü family was somewhat distant, he was still somewhat sensible and knew a thing or two about human relationships. When Lü Ping was ill, he even brought some gifts to visit him a few times.

Therefore, Lü Ping had a rather good impression of Wei Yue.

Lu Ping's wife's family, the Wei family, was a powerful clan in Jiuyuan City, with many able-bodied men and numerous branches. The two cousins, Wei Xu and Wei Yue, were both from branches of the Wei family. Relying on their strength and the name of the Wei family, they had made a name for themselves in the vicinity of Jiuyuan City.

Both men were somewhat famous, each with a hundred or so wandering knights under their command. They made a living by collecting protection fees from shops in the city and protecting caravans from various places. Because their businesses were similar, they occasionally had friction with each other.

It was quite a surprise to see the two of them together at this time.

"Wei Xu, Wei Yue, what brings you here?"

"We heard that there was a hero with the same name as you who killed dozens of Xianbei people, so we thought we'd come and see if it was you."

"Now it seems it really was you."

Wei Xu released Lü Ping's hand, his face seemingly simple and honest, and scratched his head with a smile.

As he spoke, he turned to the side and smiled at the group of wandering knights following behind him.

"Look."

"This is the legendary Lord Lü, who killed more than a dozen Xianbei people!"

"I already told you, this is my Uncle Lü, but you wouldn't believe me. Now you believe me?!"

"I believe it! I believe it!"

The group of wandering knights behind him responded in simple, honest voices.

Wei Yue, who bore a resemblance to him and had previously visited Lü Ping with gifts, simply stood at the back, curiously observing Lü Ping, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, deep in thought.