Chapter 457: The Wisdom of Lu Kang

“This situation feels odd. It seems like Sun Ce’s army isn’t concerned with our movements,” Gan Ning remarked after several distant encounters with Sun Ce’s forces.

“I don’t know either. Who knows what Zhou Gongjin is thinking? If he’s not targeting us, that’s better for us. Or perhaps he simply doesn’t want to engage in battle right now,” Chen Xi speculated, considering Gan Ning’s thoughts.

In truth, Chen Xi suspected that Zhou Yu was avoiding land battles, knowing that they were at a disadvantage and not wanting to waste troops in a fruitless struggle. However, the more Zhou Yu held back, the more concerned Chen Xi became about how much naval power Zhou Yu might muster on the Yangtze River. The Wu Kingdom’s greatest strength had always been in water battles, and ever since Zhou Yu’s victory over Huang Zu of Jiangxia, their title as the strongest navy in the world had remained unchallenged, even through the fall of their kingdom.

“Let’s search for a few more days. If we don’t find anything, we’ll have to leave,” Chen Xi sighed. If Zhou Yu managed to gather his naval forces in full strength on the Yangtze River, retreating would become significantly more difficult. After all, Jiangxia wasn’t far from Lujiang.

“We’re just going to let them do as they please?” Sun Ce grumbled from the city walls.

“We’re searching for the Lu family too. Consider this a brief respite. Besides, Youping’s injuries haven’t fully healed, and our naval forces haven’t yet arrived in full,” Zhou Yu responded with a smile. He wasn’t overly concerned about finding the Lu family; this was merely a way to bide time until their naval forces were ready.

“Hmph, I’ll tolerate them for now,” Sun Ce said, glaring at Chen Xi, who was setting up another camp outside Lujiang. It was already the fifth or sixth camp he had established in the area.

“By the way, Bofu, make sure to dismantle those camps periodically. Don’t let them fully surround us with their encampments. That could become troublesome,” Zhou Yu advised.

With little else to do, Sun Ce eagerly took on the task of tearing down the camps, not giving it much thought.

“Zhou Gongjin, do you have to be so cautious? I haven’t even done anything yet, and you’re already dismantling my abandoned camps. So boring,” Chen Xi sighed. He hadn’t placed much hope on those camps, but it was still frustrating to see them torn down.

For the past few days, Pang Tong had been mulling over Zhou Yu’s vague and cryptic words. As he observed more closely, he began to see a pattern, but it didn’t sit right with him.

“Hey, Gongjin, are you sure you’re being reasonable?” Pang Tong asked cautiously as he approached Zhou Yu, his expression filled with doubt. If what he suspected was true, Zhou Yu’s actions were far from trustworthy.

“Very reasonable,” Zhou Yu replied, not even bothering to turn his head. In Zhou Yu’s memory, Pang Tong had a tendency to become erratic every now and then, entering phases where he would say bizarre and contradictory things.

“I think your approach is unreliable. Look at Bofu—he’s so loyal. What if you push him down the wrong path?” Pang Tong frowned, questioning Zhou Yu’s methods. “The path you’re choosing may not be the right one for Bofu.”

“No, it’s definitely the right path because in the end, the choice will be his own,” Zhou Yu turned to Pang Tong and said. “You know I never force Bofu to do anything.”

“But by cutting off all other options, you’re leaving only one path for him. Once you start persuading him, he’ll have no choice but to follow you, even if he doesn’t want to,” Pang Tong objected, dissatisfied with the idea that Zhou Yu might lead Sun Ce away from his loyal nature.

“Hm?” Zhou Yu looked at Pang Tong in confusion before breaking into a knowing smile. “Shi Yuan, is that really how you see me?”

“You weren’t like this before, but you are now,” Pang Tong replied nonchalantly.

“You’re letting your imagination run wild. Go back and rethink things. Don’t let baseless thoughts cloud your judgment,” Zhou Yu said, giving Pang Tong’s shoulder a light pat. “Remember, I won’t harm Bofu, and I won’t make him do anything he’s uncomfortable with. Bofu will bear his own responsibilities and choose his own path. I’m simply helping him go further than anyone else.”

In a village west of the city, Lu Kang and his family were calmly sharing a meal with the villagers, discussing recent harvests. They appeared to be just another family that had lived there for years. Even the villagers hadn’t noticed that the Liu family had been replaced by the Lu family.

“Father, I think we should stay a while longer before heading north. Sun Bofu has issued numerous proclamations reassuring the populace, and the villagers here can all vouch that we are the Liu family. They won’t find us,” Lu Jun said as he casually picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks.

“Let’s wait two more days before heading north. We’ve received no word from Jiangdong, and honestly, the Zhang, Gu, and Zhu families have been disappointing,” Lu Kang replied, shaking his head with a carefree expression.

Several patrols had passed through Liu Family Village, but most only conducted brief searches inside the houses. The Liu family’s open and welcoming demeanor had never raised suspicion. After all, the Liu family had lived here for decades, and the entire village could attest to their identity as good, quiet folk.

In reality, this was all part of Lu Kang’s carefully laid trap. The Liu Family Village had been established by the Lu family over fifty years ago, with the Liu family as a front. Each member of the Lu family had a double, some even resembling them closely. These doubles lived as fake fathers and sons, or grandparents and grandchildren, across various locations in Lujiang.

There were eight such villages, and the Lu family could seamlessly replace the original inhabitants, continuing their roles without anyone noticing. The deep-rooted identities of the Liu family members as reclusive, kind-hearted landlords allowed them to blend in perfectly, with no one suspecting that the timid old farmer was actually Lu Kang, the resolute former governor of Lujiang.

The reason they stayed in the western part of the city was simple: it was the last place anyone would look. Zhou Yu had indeed ordered several thorough searches but eventually concluded that the Lu family wasn’t there. Although the area was still occasionally patrolled, none of the soldiers ever suspected that the humble old landlord offering them food was actually the man they were hunting.

“Lately, it seems that others besides Zhou Yu’s forces have been searching for us. Should we try to make contact?” Lu Jun asked his father.

“Send a death warrior to make contact, but don’t reveal our current situation. Let’s find out who’s looking for us. I’m concerned that it might be one of Zhou Yu’s tricks. However, if it’s the Jiangdong families, then there may still be hope for cooperation in the future. If it’s someone under Liu Xuande, it would show that he’s sincere,” Lu Kang replied after some thought. He still held onto a sliver of hope for the Jiangdong families, given their long history of mutual support.