Chapter 8: Blood Boiling with Excitement

  After chatting idly in the bookish courtyard for half a day, Zhao Heng and Lu Meng walked down from the mountain with their shoulders against each other.

  They were all used to Uncle Feng's annual comings and goings, so there wasn't too much sadness. After a few words of advice, they left, still loudly singing military songs with great enthusiasm. The people of Lujiazhuang seemed to be already familiar with the style of the two men, so they just smiled and didn't say much. Instead, a little kid rushed up and shouted with special reverence:

  "Brother Heng, Brother Meng!"

  "What's going on?"

  Lu Meng glared at him: "Has someone bullied you?"

  "No!"

  The child approached Zhao Heng and Lu Meng with a respectful and fearful gaze, his throat still slightly swallowing saliva. He then took out a note from his pocket and handed it to the former: "Brother Heng, yesterday that white-clothed sister left you a note with her private phone number on it. She said if you have any difficulties in the future, just look for her!"

  Lu Sanqian slightly bowed and respectfully handed the note to Zhao Heng.

  "Sister-in-law's stuff?"

  Lu Meng snatched the paper strip that had just appeared, and saw the phone number and the three words "Bei Ru Yan" on it. He immediately playfully patted Zhao Heng's back: "Heng Ge, it seems that woman has taken a liking to you, and even wrote down her private number for you. I suggest you send her a text message every day."

  "Time will tell, I believe you'll win her over soon."

  Lu's straight and strong waist, like a flagpole, was imparting valuable experience to Zhao Heng: "Heng Ge, next time you see your sister-in-law, be sure to personally pick the reddest rose and the most dazzling diamond for her. Then, tear open your shirt and tell her you love her. Although this is cheesy and clichéd, every woman likes it, no exceptions."

  "Maybe, no need to use Uncle Feng's method of picking up girls."

  In Lu Meng's view, although Feng Shu's words can inspire people and make them eager to fight, it is ultimately a very difficult road. Moreover, using half of the empire as a betrothal gift seems too heavy-handed and not worth it to him. After all, women cannot be compared to an empire; with an empire, one need not worry about having no woman.

  Lu Meng was very direct and overbearing when pursuing girls in school, that is, showing his most powerful side, picking a fight with the school's troublemaker, his well-trained muscles were angular and rugged like mountains, full of machismo, often beating his chest and howling like an ape when girls walked by.

  With his words, the tiger's body shook, and all under heaven submitted.

  Zhao Heng ignored Lu Meng's plan and scanned the note before putting it in his pocket. He then patted Lu Sanqian on the shoulder: "Sanqian, thank you! If you get into trouble at school in the future, just mention Lu Meng's name and no one will dare to disobey. Tell them he'll take care of anyone who dares to defy you."

  Lu Sanqian was overjoyed: "Thank you, Brother Heng."

  Lu Meng glared at Lu Sanqian with his copper bell-like eyes, discontentedly: "Heng brother, this matter is difficult to handle! You say I'm a heroic and famous person far and near, how can I go to elementary school to be called the king? If I replace Lu Sanqian to deal with them, how can I hold my head up in front of my women and younger brothers?"

  "It's settled then! Weren't you just bullying a kid yesterday?"

  Zhao Heng waved his hand, not allowing Lu Meng to object, and then jumped forward down the mountain. In his mind, he flashed back to that beautiful woman. He had never lacked beauties throwing themselves at him in school, and Lu Meng had even helped him find some campus belles, but he wasn't interested in any of them. Only Bei Ruyan made ripples in his heart.

  "Is this really love?"

  Zhao Heng rubbed his head, a hint of confusion flashing across his determined face. Looking at Zhao Heng's agile figure in mid-air and his joyful expression, Lu Meng was stunned for a moment, muttering to himself: "Before, he was like a stubborn stone, Liu Xiaohui, now, how did he suddenly become so passionate? And still saying I'm promiscuous, damn it!"

  He pulled out Lu Sanqian and chased after Zhao Heng.

  Lu Sanqian gazed at the two figures, his eyes filled with admiration.

  Time flies like an arrow, and the month has passed in the blink of an eye. Zhao Heng not only received the admission letter from Huahai University's Economics College as he had wished, but also got the first reward of 200,000 yuan with Lu Meng. Although Zhao Heng knew that the remaining 800,000 might be a long shot, the 200,000 still made him very happy.

  After all, this is equivalent to ten years of income for the Lu family!

  Lu Meng was furious about this, the one million he had risked his life for had shrunk to two hundred thousand, which was equivalent to shattering his beautiful dream of buying a car, buying a gun and buying women. If Zhao Heng hadn't stopped him in time, he would have taken out a cleaver and knocked the police officer who delivered the money to the ground, then dragged him to the police station to demand the remaining eight hundred thousand.

  Zhao Heng took back his knife and promised that he would find Sima Qing and Bei Ruyan to get the 800,000 yuan back in the future. Lu Meng then dispersed his anger and squatted in the courtyard counting the money, until he found that there were no counterfeit bills among the 200,000 yuan, and only then did he let the police who had brought the money leave. The police officer who had originally wanted to play the role of a philanthropist immediately ran away upon hearing this.

  In his words, these two kids were too outrageous.

  The day after getting the money, the two brothers drank for a whole day, from dawn till dusk. The table was piled high with empty bottles, arranged neatly like rows of soldiers on parade. Zhao Heng remained calm throughout, his eyes growing brighter and brighter as he drank, until they shone dazzlingly bright. He had never been able to get drunk since childhood.

  Lu Meng's face turned bright red as he drank, and his whole body was surrounded by a steaming hot air.

  Lu Xingcheng, Lu Meng's father, did not stop his two sons from drinking to celebrate. The open-minded man even put down his work and joined the fight, so in the Lu family's small courtyard that afternoon, three people could be seen biting on dried meat, holding wine bottles, tilting their heads back to drink the strong liquor, shouting with joy.

  "Come on, eat some more."

  On the dinner table, Lu Meng's mother made many dishes that Zhao Heng liked to eat. In her eyes, Zhao Heng was also her child. However, she didn't join in their craziness, but instead busied herself in the kitchen. Only when pouring wine and serving dishes would she gaze at Zhao Heng with a motherly loving look, full of joy.

  "Zhao Heng, do you have any wishes?"

  Lu Bo suddenly stopped his chopsticks: "What kind of person do you want to become in the future?"

  Zhao Heng poured a cup of strong liquor into his belly, sighing with the wine fumes and not knowing how to respond. Instead, Lu Meng stopped his wine cup, raised his thumb, and spoke with pleasure: "Dad, isn't this a redundant question? Brother Heng is such an awesome person, he will eventually be the overlord at the top of the pyramid, destined to be admired by all."

  Lu Bo was slightly stunned, then nodded in agreement: "That's right!"

  Although he had adopted Zhao Heng for seventeen years, and he himself was also flowing with the boldness and hot blood of a big mountain man, he had to admit that Lu Xingcheng had never been able to see through this extremely quiet and dynamic child. Although Zhao Heng's eyes were clear and clean at ordinary times, they also made people afraid at the same time.

  "What kind of person?"

  Zhao Heng stood up straight, his eyes as deep as the sea:

  "The power to kill with one's palm, drunk and sleeping on a beauty's lap!"

  "This child is born to be a king, just like the superior being in Lu Meng's words. So, Mr. Lu stopped asking Zhao Heng about his specific life goals and instead picked up the wine jug to fill the cups of his two sons with strong liquor. His gaze turned to the Devil King of the World, Lu Meng, and he pointed at him, saying: "Lu Meng, what about you?"

  Lu Meng's eyes sparkled with light: "Me?"

  "I want to be the Eastern Hero, specially for Brother Heng's charge and break through the array."

  At this moment, Lu Meng was like a demon descending from heaven, his dark and shiny eyes shooting out a fierce and ruthless killing intent, and an iron-blooded ferocity. Lu Xingcheng was slightly stunned, but it wasn't because he was frightened by his son's ferocity - he had long been clear about the boy's temperament. Rather, he was stunned that Lu Meng's feelings for Zhao Heng hadn't faded with age, but instead had become even more intense.

  He was delighted with this: brothers of one mind are like gold and jade, their harmony is like a treasure.

  He was, however, opposed to his son's ambition. Dongfang Xiong, the first war general of China, known throughout the country, 17 years ago led an army of three million to block the coalition forces, seven times in and out, killing the enemy without leaving a single piece of armor, and finally led 18 soldiers to kill the commander of the coalition forces.

  Dongfang Xiong then led the army northward, not only retaking the border occupied by the Allied Forces but also killing into the territory of Yueguo, the culprit. In two days, they annihilated 80,000 enemies and occupied thirteen towns in Yueguo, causing the nobles on the border to flee back to the capital of Yueguo overnight, making Huaguo proud and relieved.

  Also because of this war, Dongfang Xiong's name became famous.

  Dongfang Xiong then participated in several more border wars, winning all thirteen battles.

  All forces intending to invade the border of Hua Guo were defeated by him, causing the six neighboring countries to tremble with fear. The Ye Guo was even more afraid of Dong Fang Xiong, and it was said that Dong Fang Xiong only brought three battalions of soldiers to hunt at the border, and just by showing up, he made the 30,000 Ye Jun guarding the border flee in terror.

  Lu Mang wants to be like Dongfang Xiong, but it's hard to even see his back in this life.

  "Perhaps I'll say goodbye and never come back, do you understand? Do you get it?"

  Lu Meng, who had always had the ambition to become a great general on the battlefield, suddenly let out a loud roar. He tore off his clothes, revealing his strong muscles, and the setting sun shone down on him, making his skin glisten. A song "Blood-stained Elegance" began: "Perhaps I will fall, and never get up again, do you still want to wait forever?"

  Zhao Heng was also infected with the emotions, standing up straight like a banner beside Lu Meng, following Lu Meng's performance of the surging and majestic demeanor: "If it's like this, don't be sad, on the flag of the Republic there is our blood-stained glory, if it's like this, don't be sad..."

  "Our flag of the Republic has our blood-stained glory."

  Lu Xingcheng smiled with relief! Two men wearing oversized pants and bare-chested, tightly wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders, opening their voices to sing loudly along the majestic melody. The bright military song swirled, surged, flew out of the courtyard, causing nearby villagers to peek out and also inexplicably stirring up a surge of hot blood and ferocity in them.

  Zhao Heng believed that Lu Meng would become a great general of Wu in the future.