Chapter 45: Awakened from Midnight Dreams, Another Twist

“Big brother, big brother, please don’t be hasty. I’m telling the truth—I’m his family’s son-in-law, and he’s just a servant. Look, I’m still here, aren’t I?” Lu Jin shouted loudly.

“Second, just send that little fellow back,” said the man sitting in the center just as Lu Jin was falling into despair.

“Big brother!” the two men beside him exclaimed anxiously.

“Send him back. He’s only a child. The Shen family’s son-in-law is right here, isn’t he? Letting one person go will show our good faith. If the Shen family fails to appreciate it, we won’t hesitate to feed their son-in-law to the fish.”

Hearing their leader agree to let Xiao Bai return, the other two had no choice but to hold their tongues.

“Boy, go back and tell your family to have the silver ready. At the fourth watch on the eighteenth of May, wait at the Upper River Wharf. If you dare to play any tricks, prepare to collect your master’s corpse!”

“Yes, yes, I’ll tell my young lady everything. Please don’t kill our young master…” Xiao Bai promised quickly.

“Don’t worry, big brother. This servant of mine is obedient—there won’t be any trouble,” Lu Jin chimed in.

“Shanzi, come in!” the second-in-command called out.

“Take this boy into the city and let him deliver the message,” he ordered curtly.

“Master…” Xiao Bai wept and called out.

Lu Jin glanced at Xiao Bai, uncertain if they would ever meet again.

“Hurry up and take them out—get them all out!” the second-in-command said impatiently.

The river bandits dragged them out, and before Lu Jin could utter a word, he was thrown back into the same room.

Leaning against the wall, his face ashen, Lu Jin wondered whether Xiao Bai would make it back safely. Still, at least there was a glimmer of hope now, however faint it might be.

Lost in thought, Lu Jin didn’t know when he’d drifted into sleep...

In his dreams, he found himself on a battlefield, shouts of war and slaughter echoing all around, inescapable no matter how he tried to run.

He woke with a jolt, even more bewildered. Wasn’t he still dreaming? Why was there so much noise outside, and when had night fallen? There seemed to be fire outside—was he still not awake? Yet everything felt all too real.

Lu Jin sat there in a daze for a while, then turned to look at the man who’d been hiding in the corner of the room. Huh? Oh, damn—it wasn’t a dream. Fighting had truly broken out outside, and something must have caught fire, sending flames leaping into the night and rousing Lu Jin from his stupor.

Startled, Lu Jin scrambled over to the window and peered out through the battered frame. Several boats moored in front of the house were ablaze, the flames rising high.

People were screaming and running in panic through the inferno, tumbling into the water like dumplings. Yet as soon as they surfaced, another group forced them back under, hacking at them in the water. Some tried to row away, only to collide with their foes and fall into bloody combat.

Meanwhile, the floor of their own shack had become a killing ground, chaos so complete that no one could tell friend from foe. Judging by the ragged clothes on both sides, it was clear these were all river bandits.

Lu Jin’s eyes were filled with blood and torn limbs, his ears assaulted by gut-wrenching screams. He could feel his whole body trembling—when had he ever witnessed such carnage?

Why did fate always seem to conspire against him? Couldn’t these people have waited to fight until he was gone?

He forced himself to look away, stomach churning. Calm down, calm down, Lu Jin kept telling himself. This was both a risk and an opportunity, wasn’t it? Maybe, in the chaos, he could slip away unnoticed.

No one at the door was paying him any mind now. Only his hands were still tied—if he could get free, he might escape. But how to loosen the rope?

He glanced instinctively at the man cowering in the room. How could this fellow remain so motionless even now?

Desperate times called for desperate measures. After catching his breath, Lu Jin staggered toward the inner room—when suddenly, with a crash, the door was kicked open. Lu Jin froze in fright.

“There are two more in here!”

“Big brother, you’re finally here!” two voices rang out at once.

The river bandits who had just burst in paused, dumbfounded.

A moment before, Lu Jin had shouted out in a burst of inspiration. Whoever entered, that was the safest thing to say—it might buy him a chance to negotiate, rather than being hacked down on the spot. Who knew if it would work?

Clearly, his window to escape unnoticed had vanished. Now he had to seek another way to survive.

Observing the newcomers and recalling his words, Lu Jin realized these were from the attacking group. Seeing their confusion, he knew he’d bought himself a moment to speak.

Not letting them recover, he quickly followed, “I was captured by them. I’ll go with you!”

There was no point bargaining—everyone here was killing like demons, and if he annoyed them, he’d be dead in an instant.

He’d considered bluffing to get a knife, but the risk was too high. He was no fighter—having a blade wouldn’t help him escape, only hasten his death.

The bandit leader was surprised by Lu Jin’s immediate confession and willingness to go with them, staring for a long moment before finally coming to his senses.

A few more people rushed in then, entering the room. Lu Jin stood quietly to the side with his hands raised, making sure they could see he was no threat. They glanced at him and said nothing, heading straight for the man in the corner.

“He’s dead!” one of them announced after checking for signs of life.

Lu Jin: !!!

Sensible as ever, Lu Jin raised his hands and followed the group out.

Outside, he noticed the rain had stopped, and the sky was clear. The fighting had ended, bandits searching the houses for loot. Some were herding prisoners from the other gang onto a boat. He wondered if those earlier leaders were dead—hopefully so, for daring to kidnap him. That would be justice.

Lu Jin was quickly taken to a small boat, which rowed over to a larger vessel.

On the main ship, a middle-aged man draped in a black cloak stood silently at the prow, watching his men tidy up the aftermath along the riverbank. The flickering firelight made it hard for Lu Jin to see his features clearly. Only his grave demeanor and piercing eyes, sharp as a wolf’s, were visible.

“May I ask which hero I have the honor of meeting? You have saved me from certain doom, and I am eternally grateful!” Lu Jin wasted no time, bowing low and raising his hands in salute. He had been brought directly before this man, who was clearly the leader. In a moment like this, pride was a luxury he could not afford.

At the sound of his voice, the middle-aged man finally turned to glance at Lu Jin, then looked questioningly at the bandits beside him.

“Chief, this one was a captive of the other group, probably another ransom target they brought in,” one of the bandits explained.

“Hmph, filthy business!” the man snorted contemptuously, then turned his gaze back to the shore.

Come on, boss, at least acknowledge me—I’m standing right here, speaking to you.

Lu Jin was exasperated, but the silver lining was clear: this man plainly disdained the practice of kidnapping for ransom. That in itself was a relief; had he tried anything reckless, he’d have died a pointless death in the chaos.

“Take him away and find out whose family he belongs to. Have them bring silver to claim him,” the man suddenly ordered sternly.

What the hell! Lu Jin was stunned by the man’s duplicity. After all that righteous posturing, he turned around and did the same thing himself? Had he misjudged him?

“Sir, my entire family is long dead. If I had any kin left, would I have been kept here for nearly a month?” Lu Jin hastily lied.

So many times they’d tried to ransom him out to the Shen family—who knew what they’d think? Either way, he was too ashamed to let it happen again. If he could save himself, he would.

“You’ve been held here for a month?” the middle-aged man finally turned, his gaze sharp as a wolf’s, making Lu Jin’s hair stand on end.

“Sir, I’ve been held here for ages. Because I had no family to ransom me, they tormented me endlessly. I used to be a chubby man—look at what I’ve become!” Lu Jin said pitifully. And indeed, after days of abuse, his appearance was a sorry sight.

The man stepped closer, fixing Lu Jin with a steely stare.

Only now did Lu Jin get a clear look: under two thick black brows, his narrow eyes glinted like blades. A scar ran from the corner of his left eye down to his earlobe—not large, but it added a fierce, ruthless cast to an already severe face.

“Then what use have I for you?” the man asked coldly, eyes never leaving Lu Jin.