These special disaster victims deliberately smeared their faces with black ash to disguise expressions that were too ferocious; they moved swiftly and forcefully, not at all like people who had been starving for a long time.
The leader had a gun scar at the corner of his mouth, fondling the revolver at his waist, and whispered in a low voice,
"I was hoping to stir the hungry population to assault the State City, but I didn't expect the Imperial Court to actually distribute porridge... Damn it, we came all the way from Zhongzhou, why is it only here that they distribute porridge!"
A subordinate asked, "Corps Commander, what do we do now? We can't start trouble with State Soldiers around."
The Corps Commander did not speak for a long time; he was in a dilemma. As the saying goes, since we've come all this way, it would be too disappointing to just go back.
Just then, a commotion came from afar, as many journalists were taking photos.
Seeing this, the Corps Commander was delighted:
"There's our chance! Just creating a disturbance is enough, if stirring the hungry population to rush the city won't work, then publicly assassinate an official of the Imperial Court! Attract the attention of the whole world, making it convenient for the Heavenly King to make his move!"
~~~~~~~~
Lu Yao drove his car carrying the slightly excited Liao Family Sisters to the outskirts of the city.
With this thing, it truly was smooth sailing; neither the patrolling officers in the city nor the State Soldiers guarding the city dared to stop them.
When the three arrived, they happened to see Li Pei and Governor Wen taking photos together.
The two stood under the porridge shed with formulaic fake smiles; beside them were women and children brought in to cooperate.
With the flash of the magnesium lights, the old-fashioned camera finished taking the photo. This was an event organized by Governor Wen, allowing journalists to take photos for publicity.
When Li Pei saw Lu Yao and the others, she moved over with an elegant stride, her face showing a genuine smile as she greeted,
"You're here. Thanks to Young Master Lu's rice, the porridge distribution went very smoothly. Once we get through this period, we can arrange for the disaster victims to return home."
"That's good; now I can rest easy," Lu Yao quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He was neither a hero nor a savior, but he sought a clear conscience.
At this moment, Governor Wen's ceremonial guard arrived. "Is this Young Master Lu who donated a million catties of rice? I am Wen Renliang, the officer, thankful for your noble deed in saving the people from dire straits."
This high-ranking fourth-grade official was very amiable, making a very good impression on everyone.
But Lu Yao had seen his tactics and responded cautiously, "You flatter me, Governor Wen. I only provided some rice; it is your and the Commandery Princess's strategic planning that truly deserves credit."
"Young Master Lu is too modest. By the way, the journalists are here; let them interview and take photos of you. How could the report be without the main benefactor?"
Wen Renliang immediately wanted to arrange for an interview, but Lu Yao continuously refused, "The credit belongs to officials at all levels of the Government Office; I'd rather not. I seek only peace of mind."
Upon hearing the words "peace of mind," Wen Renliang's face stiffened a bit, and his hand subconsciously reached to twirl his prayer beads.
Soon, other officials came over to socialize, flattering Lu Yao, the "overseas tycoon."
Many old residents of Yunzhou were deeply moved, never expecting that the Liao Family could rise again after Liao Qigong's death. With one spirit refinement and one round of Organ Refining, and the support of the tycoon's wealth, the future was indeed limitless.
Meanwhile, those fierce "disaster victims" quietly drew out their revolvers!
The countless .45 caliber bullets that hit made a "thud" sound, as if hitting rotten leather. However, these handgun bullets didn't penetrate deeply, causing only minor injuries that made him bleed.
At the same time, Lu Yao also made his move. With precise shooting from his M1911, thugs hiding behind the women and children of the disaster victims fell, spouting blood.
A few breaths later, the gunfire from the assailants dwindled to a near stop. No one else needed to act; the counterattack from just Lu Yao and Li Pei was about to finish them off.
~~~~~~~
Lu Yao's magazine emptied, and feeling that the bullets on him were not abundant and should be conserved, he picked up a revolver from the ground.
And just at that moment, the leading Corps Commander, full of hate, burst forth and shot at this murderer who had killed so many of his men!
"Go to hell, damn dog!"
Lu Yao remained utterly unflustered, entered a state of complete focus, and firmly locked onto the enemy in front of him.
Predicting the firing position from where the gun's barrel pointed, he moved aside preemptively the moment the man's index finger twitched.
With a loud bang, a bullet whistled past where his chest had been a moment earlier, hitting nothing!
The Corps Commander was utterly astonished, but his hands did not cease firing continuously.
Lu Yao, controlling his powerful Bone Tempering Realm body, became "Neo," dodging left and right, evading the remaining five bullets!
The Corps Commander, in disbelief, exclaimed, "Impossible! How can a human be faster than a bullet?"
"I don't need to be faster than the bullet, just faster than you," replied Lu Yao.
Handgun bullets near the speed of sound were indeed too fast for an ordinary person. But the shooter was very easy to read!
At the moment of the Corps Commander's utmost shock, Liao Qe rushed forward and floored him with a punch, only spared by Li Pei's shout of "leave him alive!"
Li Pei looked at Lu Yao with a complex expression, mixed with a trace of admiration: "You... learn quickly."
Dodging bullets like a Spirit Refining Expert might seem easy but required steadfast determination, especially in the heat of the moment; one cannot panic. A moment of panic, a mistake in judgment, and your life would be over.
Having dodged bullets on his own strength, Lu Yao was quite excited at that moment and offered Li Pei a fist and palm salute in thanks: "I owe it to the Commandery Princess for my instruction; I'm grateful you bear me no grudge~"
Li Pei covered her mouth and laughed lightly, her appreciation for Lu Yao growing. Being so close to a gun and still able to calmly judge, his willpower was indeed rare.
The Liao Family Sisters also came over, their eyes shone brightly: "Junior brother / Lu Yao, you're so impressive!"
The spectacle of him dodging six shots within ten paces was awe-inspiring; even Liao Ya, as a martial artist of Organ Refining, couldn't guarantee she could accomplish that.
"Hahaha, I also have you two to thank for helping me advance to the Bone Tempering Realm, otherwise my brain could react but my body wouldn't keep up."
Lu Yao was not just being polite; he found that in addition to enhanced physical fitness, the greatest benefit of the Bone Tempering Realm was the tremendous improvement in explosive power!
The countless times of tempering his bones had turned his body into a giant spring, not only strong but also rigid and resilient, bursting with ferocious power!
Agile like a big tiger! Only with this, aided by Spirit Refinement, could he dodge bullets at close range.