Chapter 636: The Unexpected
Chapter 636: The Unexpected
September 25, 2017
Upon learning that Lu Bu's group had entered the dungeon, Dong Zhuo and Lu Haikong displayed two very different attitudes.
Dong Zhuo and his men breathed a sigh of relief, glad that their plan for the night hadn't been ruined by Lu Haikong. Meanwhile, Lu Haikong's expression turned grim at that moment.
As Lu Bu and his group entered, a strong and unsettling premonition overwhelmed Lu Haikong.
In that instant, Lu Haikong knew that the chances of this team coming out unscathed were slim.
While Lu Haikong didn't particularly care if Lu Bu and his men survived, he was concerned about losing such an elite team. If they failed to capture Zhang Jiao, Lu Haikong doubted his ability to do so later, which was why he had insisted on leading the group himself.
However, Lu Haikong momentarily forgot about Dong Zhuo's precautions against him. Without giving Lu Haikong a chance to explain, Dong Zhuo's men restrained him while keeping an eye on the time, ensuring Lu Bu's group entered the dungeon.
With Lu Bu and his men already inside, and with the dungeon allowing only one entry per day, there was nothing Lu Haikong could do. He could only hope that Lu Bu's group would succeed; otherwise, things would become difficult.
After Lu Bu's group entered, Dong Zhuo and his men also breathed a sigh of relief. However, they remained cautious and unfriendly towards Lu Haikong, despite his status and strength.
The atmosphere became awkward, partly due to Lu Haikong's own foul mood at that time. So, shortly after Lu Bu's group entered, Lu Haikong decided to leave!
To Lu Haikong's surprise, as he was about to depart, a not-so-loud voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.
"A mere outsider, fawning over the eunuchs, acts so arrogantly. He meddles in everything, thinking the world will stop turning without him."
The voice wasn't loud, making it hard to pinpoint its source, but everyone could hear it.
Lu Haikong, who was already leaving, now looked even more embarrassed.
Usually, Dong Zhuo's men would immediately rebuke such words and carefully appease Lu Haikong's anger. But the situation was different now.
Perhaps it was because Lu Haikong had just suffered two consecutive embarrassments at the banquet and earlier, yet he hadn't lost his temper, leaving quietly both times. This gave the impression that Lu Haikong was intimidated without his Bloodbath Legion. Additionally, Dong Zhuo felt that Zhang Jiao's demise was imminent, and the Yellow Turban Rebellion would soon end, meaning he might not need to deal with Lu Haikong anymore.
So, strangely, no one rebuked the speaker; instead, they watched Lu Haikong with amusement.
Many wanted to see how Lu Haikong, after such a great insult, would react.
They expected Lu Haikong to be like a cat with its tail stepped on, furious and lashing out. But at that moment, few would take his anger seriously.
The speaker had clearly used a hidden method to speak, and while a few people near him knew who it was, no one was willing to expose them. They, too, wanted to see Lu Haikong's response.
Among the crowd were also those who feared Lu Haikong, like Dan Tai Ming Jing and Dong Zhuo. However, they wouldn't come to Lu Haikong's defense, as it would be an unrewarding effort.
Even if they helped Lu Haikong, he might not appreciate it, and they would offend the speaker instead. So, they enjoyed the show from the sidelines.
To their surprise, Lu Haikong merely paused, glanced at them, and sighed with a hint of impatience. He didn't show any signs of anger; he just turned and left.
Lu Haikong's action shocked many, who hadn't expected him to be so timid. Even with such a blatant insult, Lu Haikong didn't react at all.
Lu Haikong's reaction emboldened some, and after he left, several people openly disparaged and insulted him.
Interestingly, those who spoke ill of Lu Haikong were Gongsun Zan's men, with whom Lu Haikong had little interaction. Among them were several outsiders, but leading them was Gongsun Zan's brother, Gongsun Yue, the very person who had spoken earlier!
After Lu Haikong's departure, they viciously insulted and demeaned him.
In reality, Dong Zhuo was waiting for something. He knew that Lu Haikong had an assassination team, and one of them was a terrifying assassin who had successfully carried out a mission right under everyone's noses. Dong Zhuo believed Lu Haikong wouldn't ignore this group and would send Yue Ying to deal with them.
However, to Dong Zhuo's surprise, neither Lu Haikong's Ghost Shadow Guard nor Yue Ying appeared.
In this situation, a sense of unease spread within Dong Zhuo's heart, and it wasn't just him; even Li Ru and Dan Tai Ming Jing felt the same way.
Everyone was well aware that Lu HaiKong was definitely not the kind of person who would remain unaffected when provoked. His current behavior must have had some hidden meaning.
At this moment, no one knew what Lu HaiKong's intentions were, but a few perceptive individuals had begun to wonder if something might happen at the Governor's Mansion.
As this thought emerged, the wait became agonizing for many. Even those who had initially exuded confidence in the face of the terrifyingly powerful elite team now hesitated. Time seemed to weigh heavily, each second stretching like a day, each minute like a year.
Of course, not everyone felt the same way during this wait. A small group of people appeared particularly content and radiant.
This group was the cluster of outsiders surrounding Gongsun Yue. Many of them were Yellow Turban outsiders who had switched allegiances, and some had only recently pledged their loyalty to the Gongsun brothers.
Among them were those whose territories had been destroyed by Lu HaiKong. In their eyes, if it weren't for Lu HaiKong's interference, they might have already taken over Luoyang and swept across the land with the Yellow Turban Army. Therefore, these Yellow Turban outsiders harbored a certain degree of resentment towards Lu HaiKong.
Interestingly, the Gongsun brothers also looked down on Lu HaiKong.
On one hand, it was because of Lu HaiKong's background as a mountain bandit and a eunuch party member. On the other hand, Lu HaiKong had previously encroached on their business, so the Gongsun brothers had never held him in high regard.
Initially, they didn't show their disdain openly, but as they suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Yellow Turban Army and were pinned down, unable to even venture out of the city gates, while Lu HaiKong's performance on the battlefield became increasingly impressive, the stark contrast between the two northern forces naturally made them appear disheveled.
Gongsun Zan held his breath, determined to prove that he was no less capable than Lu HaiKong. Gongsun Yue, on the other hand, directly resented Lu HaiKong, which led to the situation that had just occurred.
For these individuals, Lu HaiKong's recent disheveled appearance was enough for them to gossip about for months.
In a 1619 book, a version without errors!
At this moment, this group of people didn't sense the agony that Dong Zhuo and his companions were experiencing. They continued to ridicule Lu HaiKong, mocking him in various ways and from different angles.
Initially, they had only gathered in a circle, whispering among themselves. But as no one paid them any attention, they became increasingly excited, eventually disregarding Dong Zhuo and openly insulting Lu HaiKong while bursting into loud laughter.
"Did you see how Lu HaiKong looked just now? To quote a movie line, he looked like a dog!"
"I thought he was someone of significance, but without his cavalry, he's just a coward."
"Pfft, he has no courage at all. How can he compare to even half of Gongsun General's valor?"
Their brazen attitude finally infuriated Dong Zhuo!
"Shut your mouths! Lu HaiKong is a court inspector; how dare you insult him like this!"
Dong Zhuo's sudden outburst left the outsiders perplexed, wondering why Dong Zhuo had suddenly decided to defend Lu HaiKong.
However, these outsiders were somewhat perceptive. They realized that Dong Zhuo was enraged, and no one dared to provoke him. Instead, they turned their gazes towards Gongsun Yue.
Gongsun Zan had matters to attend to and didn't come tonight, leaving only Gongsun Yue. Otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to be so bold.
In the absence of a king in the mountains, Gongsun Yue, like a monkey, witnessed Dong Zhuo openly striking his dog. He instantly felt dissatisfied, but he also knew that Dong Zhuo was not someone he could offend, so he muttered.
"Lu HaiKong is just a mountain bandit turned eunuch party member. Why is Dong Zhuo so angry..."
Gongsun Yue's words were cut short by Dong Zhuo's icy glare, causing him to tremble and swallow the rest of his sentence.
Just then, a burst of light erupted from within the Governor's Mansion, and four figures were thrown out.
Seeing this, Dong Zhuo and Li Ru were shocked. They had challenged this dungeon multiple times, but this was the first time they had seen someone expelled in such a manner.
Dong Zhuo immediately rushed over to assess the situation, only to find Fan Chong among the four, bruised and battered but still conscious. Fan Chong quickly approached him: "My lord, quickly, please bring Lu HaiKong over. If we can't convince him, General Lu and the others will be in grave danger!"
Upon hearing Fan Chong's words, Dong Zhuo and Li Ru's faces paled.
Hidden in the shadows, Dan Tai Ming Jing finally understood why Lu HaiKong had been treated so disdainfully. He now looked at Gongsun Yue and his companions as if they were dead men...
(End of Chapter)
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