When Huang Gai and the other two generals arrived, they saw Zhou Tai decapitate a Sun family soldier. They were shocked and quickly held their weapons against Zhou Tai, who appeared ready to execute another soldier.
"General Zhou, what do you think you're doing?" Huang Gai shouted, barely containing his anger.
Zhou Tai, though visibly frustrated, restrained himself. "Generals, do you know what these men did? We're here to reclaim these lands, not destroy them. Our lord made it clear: no harm to the people, only the execution of the Lu family. How can we allow such scoundrels in our ranks and still expect the people to submit to us?"
His words were logical and justified, making Huang Gai and the others ease up. They realized that Zhou Tai was only enforcing military discipline. "Listen up! Anyone caught looting or harming the people of Lujiang will be executed!" Huang Gai commanded.
Zhou Tai sighed in relief but felt embarrassed. "I can't believe I forgot such a simple method in the heat of the moment."
Han Dang clapped Zhou Tai on the shoulder. "It's okay, Zhou Tai. You were just looking out for the army's discipline. We are a righteous army, after all. We'll make sure to compensate the affected citizens."
"Exactly," Cheng Pu agreed.
A messenger then rushed in to report to Sun Ce, "General, Lujiang City has been taken!"
"Good!" Sun Ce cheered, slapping the table. "What about the four members of the Lu family?"
"General Huang shot Lu Kang with an arrow. Lu Kang and Lu Jun escaped the city, but when we reached the Lu residence, it was on fire. The flames have been extinguished, but all the records and books have turned to ash," the messenger reported.
"And the four members of the Lu family?" Sun Ce pressed.
"They... perished in the fire, along with several loyal guards and servants who defended them to the end," the messenger replied.
"They're dead?" Sun Ce asked, raising his voice before waving dismissively. "Forget it. Just bury them somewhere and have General Cheng reorganize the troops and reward the soldiers."
After the messenger left, Sun Ce turned to Zhou Yu with a grin. "Gongjin, you're amazing. I knew you had a way."
"They're probably all still alive," a voice suddenly interjected. Pang Tong poked his head into the tent.
"What did you say?" Sun Ce asked, turning around. "Weren't you supposed to be escorting supplies? How did you get back so quickly?"
"I came back to deliver news and overheard your conversation," Pang Tong said with a mischievous grin. "But yes, the Lu family is probably still alive."
"Shiyuan is right, Bofu," Zhou Yu agreed. "The deaths were likely staged. There must be a secret passage leading out of the city."
When Sun Ce arrived at the partially burned Lu residence, Zhou Tai used his extraordinary hearing, a trait unique to those with his level of internal energy mastery, to find a secret tunnel in the middle hall that led westward out of the city. While everyone believed that the Lu family had escaped through this passage, only Zhou Tai knew that they had actually used the south gate.
Zhou Tai, a man of both loyalty and righteousness, made this choice in silence.
Meanwhile, Chen Xi and his group had just arrived at Chao Lake, where the Lu family's docks appeared unusually quiet.
"Where is everyone?" Gan Ning jumped onto the dock and shouted. An old man dressed as a steward soon appeared and, upon seeing Gan Ning, beamed with joy. "Master Gan, you've finally arrived! Our Lu family has been under siege by Sun Ce for days. All the stewards have gone to seek help. Please, Master Gan, rescue our lord quickly!"
"I'm here to save them. Look, I've brought my brothers. Don't worry. Sun Ce is no match for us. How is Jùn lately?" Gan Ning asked, not in a hurry, instead inquiring about Lu Jun's condition.
"The master has been well, though his old ailments have returned. With Sun Ce's fierce attack, I fear for him and the elder master," the steward said, quickly steering the conversation back to the urgent need for help.
"Gan Ning, ask about the current situation. We need to know what's going on if we're going to rescue them," Chen Xi said, seeing that time was of the essence.
The steward quickly relayed what he knew, including the state of the Lu family's finances, trying to reassure Gan Ning.
"Don't worry, I'm not interested in your family's wealth. We're here to escort the Lu family to safety. Lord Xuande doesn't need your riches," Chen Xi said with a smile.
"Gan Ning, you're in charge. We're likely going to clash with Zhou Yu and Sun Ce," Chen Xi said, stepping off the boat and patting Gan Ning on the shoulder.
"Understood!" Gan Ning nodded and roared orders to his men, "Listen up! Taishi Ci will guard Chao Lake and the ships. Each ship's captain, leave behind enough men to handle the basics. The rest of you, grab your weapons and form two teams. Gànluò will lead the second team; I'll lead the first."
The soldiers quickly responded, unloading land warfare equipment from the supply ships and preparing for battle.
"Ziyi, we're counting on you for the return trip. Deploy small boats to patrol the area and make sure we don't get ambushed. If you encounter any trouble, alert the general onboard. Chao Lake is vast; don't let them surround us," Gan Ning warned Taishi Ci before leaving.
"Don't worry. I'll guard the ships well and won't let anyone catch us off guard. I've learned a lot from you, and my men are all skilled sailors. No one will get the better of us!" Taishi Ci assured him.
"Chen Xi, you go with Gànluò. I'll scout ahead to assess the situation in Lujiang. I'm concerned that the steward's information may be outdated. More importantly, I might need to fight Sun Ce and his men. This is Chao Lake, and while it's clear they know it belongs to the Lu family, they haven't stationed any troops here. They're probably planning to ambush us," Gan Ning explained. Once in battle mode, Gan Ning's sharp intelligence kicked in.