Lu Chao had a long, long dream. In it, he saw his long-departed grandparents. His grandfather had carved him a small wooden pistol, which he adored so much that he even hugged it while sleeping, afraid someone might take it away. His grandmother gently fanned him with a palm-leaf fan as he caressed the wooden gun, clinging to that moment, too afraid to fall asleep.
"Sleep now, sleep. Grandma will keep the mosquitoes away for you."
"Will you still be here when I wake up?"
"Of course, Grandma will always be by Chaochao's side."
"You're lying. You've been gone for over ten years." Lu Chao lowered his head, tears streaming uncontrollably.
……
"Chaochao… Chaochao…"
Lu Chao turned around to see nothing but an empty expanse of whiteness, yet a voice kept calling his name. His consciousness teetered between wakefulness and delirium.
Suddenly, an overpoweringly sweet aroma filled the air.
"Chaochao, smell this—doesn’t it smell delicious? Don’t you want to eat it? This is Mama’s signature dish, cherry pork! Wake up quickly, and I’ll let you have some!"
Who could understand the sheer bewilderment of opening one’s eyes to a plate of meat? Lu Chao thought he must still be dreaming, so he closed his eyes again.
"Hey! Why are you closing your eyes again? Mother!! Chaochao is awake!!"
Lu Chao sighed. It seemed this wasn’t a dream.
The lively voice echoed through the room, and soon, the space around his bed was crowded with people.
An elderly doctor with a white beard stepped forward, checking his pulse and examining his throat before nodding.
"Young master, now that you’re awake, you must rest and recover. Do not stop applying medicine to your wound. If it festers or shows signs of infection, send for me immediately. For the next few days, speak as little as possible to rest your throat. I’ll return for a follow-up examination soon."
Then, he gestured for Father Lu and Lu’s mother to follow him outside.
After dismissing the servants, Doctor Hu carefully chose his words.
"Master Lu, Madam Lu, the fact that your son has awakened means he is out of danger. However, as a physician, I must inform you of something. While the injury to his right hand fortunately did not damage the bone, it did sever the tendons in his right arm. He may never be able to lift heavy objects with that hand again."
At these words, Lu’s mother burst into tears, and Father Lu fell silent. Both understood what this meant—Lu Chao’s chances of entering officialdom were now slim. Among the six arts of a gentleman, archery was especially favored by the emperor.
"Don’t despair too soon. There are always greater masters beyond our knowledge. Perhaps my skills are lacking. The young master is still very young. If you can find a miraculous physician, there may still be hope."
Father Lu cupped his hands respectfully. "Doctor Hu, your family’s medical expertise is renowned. Please do not undervalue yourself. My son’s recovery still depends on your care."
After seeing Doctor Hu off, Lu’s mother sat in a daze, refusing any assistance.
"Husband, Chaochao was injured saving Yuanyi. I want to formally adopt him into our lineage."
"That would be for the best. Just yesterday, Lord Zhou mentioned how kind-hearted and clever Chaochao is, saying that with proper nurturing, he would achieve great things. Having him under your name would not dishonor the Meng family."
Father Lu couldn’t help but feel regret. Hearing the children recount their escape the day before, the adults had praised Lu Chao repeatedly. Young Master Zhou even promised to write often and maintain close ties. At those words, their colleagues had turned green with envy.
Zhou Sanwei was no ordinary second-rank official. He was a close confidant of the emperor, heading the Inspection Bureau—an agency that answered only to the throne. They moved like shadows, secretly evaluating officials across provinces and counties. In recent years, countless officials had met their end at the hands of the Inspection Bureau, and just as many had tried—and failed—to curry favor with them. Yet here was Father Lu, a mere sixth-rank official, effortlessly gaining Zhou’s goodwill through his son. The injustice of it all was infuriating.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Master, Madam, the gatekeeper reports that Lord Zhou and Young Master Zhou have come to visit, having heard of the third young master’s recovery."
Lord Zhou was here!
Father Lu nervously smoothed his robes and hurried toward the main gate.
"Quickly, quickly, wife! Let’s greet them at the entrance! Ah Fu, prepare tea at once—use the Evening Lord’s Delight from my study!"
At the entrance of the Lu residence, Zhou Sanwei teased his nephew with amusement.
"I wonder what Master Zhuge would think if he knew you barged into someone’s home without sending a formal invitation first."
Zhou Youcheng glanced at his uncle and replied leisurely, "Uncle, you must have misheard. It was Lord Zhou and Young Master Zhou who came to visit. That has nothing to do with me."
This brat!
"Lord Zhou! We apologize for not welcoming you properly!"
"Magistrate Lu, Madam Lu, forgive the intrusion. My son insisted on visiting as soon as he heard Young Master Lu had awakened. We’ve been rather presumptuous."
Zhou Youcheng bowed. "I beg your pardon, Uncle Lu, Auntie Lu."
"Not at all! Young Master Zhou’s sincerity is touching. I’m sure my son will be overjoyed to see you."
Father Lu and Lu’s mother sidestepped slightly, not daring to accept his full bow.
Meanwhile, Lu Chao was listlessly sipping bland bird’s nest porridge while Lu Yuanyi, clutching a sugar pastry, complained with his sore bottom perched awkwardly.
He had been thoroughly whipped by Lu’s mother the day before and winced every time his backside touched the bed.
Lu Chao shook his head in amusement. Lu Yuanyi wasn’t here to keep him company—he was just too scared to sleep alone and had forced his way into Lu Chao’s room.
"Chaochao, how did you know that waiter was actually the bearded bandit? It’s all my fault you got hurt. From now on, I’ll listen to you. Once I can sit properly, I’ll come serve you—feed you porridge and everything, okay?"
Lu Chao shook his head vigorously. Absolutely not.
He then pointed at his clothes and throat.
"Was it his voice and clothes?"
"Now that you mention it, the waiter’s clothes did seem too tight! Ugh! Why didn’t I notice? Chaochao, you’re amazing!"
Lu Yuanyi turned excitedly, only to yelp in pain as his bottom brushed against the bed. He flopped back down with a groan.
"Chaochao, look! Guess who’s here to see you?" Father Lu’s voice rang out before he even entered the room.
Lu Chao glanced toward the door—it was Zhou Youcheng. He waved with his left hand in greeting, then pointed to his throat.
"Chaochao’s throat is injured. He needs to rest it for a while," Father Lu explained.
Zhou Sanwei finally got to meet Lu Chao in person. After hearing Zhou Youcheng recount their escape the day before, he had been intensely curious about this boy—calm and decisive in crisis, intelligent yet kind-hearted. He wondered how the Lu family had raised such a child. Hearing that Lu Chao had only just begun his studies made him marvel at heaven’s favor. Those born with wisdom were rare, and such a one was destined for greatness.
"Hahaha! Young Master Lu Chao, what an honor! Your quick thinking saved my son and spared several families from tragedy. The bandits have been captured, and their crimes span many cases. On behalf of the court, I thank you!"
Lu Chao simply smiled faintly and waved his hand.
"Our son survived this ordeal also thanks to Young Master Zhou’s timely intervention. We owe him our gratitude as well."
Remembering Zhou Youcheng’s well-aimed kicks, Lu Chao gave him a thumbs-up.
The room erupted in laughter.
Once the adults had left, only the three boys remained. Zhou Youcheng hesitated before speaking.
"Um, Chaochao… in the future, when you’re just roughhousing, you really shouldn’t kick… down there. Unless it’s a bad guy, of course. But with classmates, that’s a no-go, okay?"
Yesterday, Uncle asked him where he learned those moves, and he said he picked them up from Lu Chao. Uncle was stunned for a long moment before explaining just how ruthless those techniques were.
Lu Chao nodded obediently—of course he understood. The "Leg That Ends Your Bloodline," after all.
"I’ll tell you a secret—I’m heading back to the capital tomorrow. Make sure you write to me, especially about how the Monkey King defeats the White Bone Demon three times. Lu Yuanyi, you’re in charge of that part, got it? I’ll send you the most fun things from the capital in return!"
Lu Yuanyi only nodded after hearing that last bit. Earlier, when someone had come in, he’d buried himself under the covers, but now he peeked his head back out.
