Solar Blood Masters (142)

Chapter 142 - The Scholar Of War

A flash of light, brief yet potent, illuminated the Grand Mound Arena as Raphael’s team materialized on their designated platform. The crowd erupted in cheers.

“Black Wind! Black Wind! BLACK WIND!”

Basking in the adulation, Raphael waved excitedly. His massive golden form seemed to glow brighter under the arena’s lights, that nose ring of his sparkled. Lu Jade, perched upon one of his horns, swayed in jubilation.

“They did it! They’re the FIRST again!”

“The Breath Takers! What a team!”

“That bull… his strategies are legendary!”

"Could he be the next… Lu Dong?"

Their excited chatter and whispers of awe carried across the stands, reaching the ears of those whose ambitions burned as bright as the sun.

“Lu Dong? But that bull is nowhere near his level!” One disgruntled beast scoffed. He'd witnessed firsthand Lu Dong’s cunning back in the ‘War of a Thousand Serpents’, an event that had scarred his very soul.

His companion countered, “True… true… but remember the Breath Takers’ winning streak? Those strategies they employed during the ‘Desolate Sands’ and ‘Might Sky’ were brilliant! To think they outsmarted Wu Gurang, that Shadow Ice Fox? That’s no easy feat! Even I would have trouble against her ‘Merciless Geometry’. And I'm a 7th Layer Nightmare Calamity!

Surely, there's a mastermind behind their success. And I bet… it’s the bull!”

Their debate ignited another.

“If you think about it, isn’t that bull’s approach similar to how Lu Dong executed his revenge against those Shu Ho Na bastards back in the 'Serpent War of a Thousand Clans'?”

This question sparked a flurry of discussion among the spectators, and for those whose memories were long, those who'd tasted the bitterness of defeat at the hands of Lu Dong's 'Slither Troops’, they knew.

…

Millennia ago, at the ‘Place Where Twin Showers Meet’, a battle raged between serpent clans, a conflict that would forever be etched in the annals of Yama Yaguai’s history. At the heart of this conflict, a brilliant strategist known as Lu Dong, orchestrated the movements of Lu Ignis’s ‘Slither Troops’. His cunning was legendary, his strategies so devastating that no army dared to face his forces directly.

Lu Dong was the great 13th uncle of Lu Ignis. He was more than just a military advisor. He was a mentor, a teacher who instilled in the young Lu Ignis the art of war, the value of cunning, and the ruthless necessity of exploiting an enemy's weaknesses, both physical and mental.

Lu Dong’s wisdom wasn't simply collected from battles. He was a scholar, the author of the renowned text, ‘The Scholar of War’. Within its pages, he chronicled his vast knowledge of warfare, sharing strategies honed through countless campaigns. He also included a deeply personal account of his youth, a tale of hardship and vengeance that shaped his very being.

He was born into the Lu Clan, a once-proud lineage that had fallen into decline, its serpents were constantly raided and abused by the dominant Shu Ho Na Clan. This clan, at the pinnacle of serpent society, was a beacon that many aspired to join, a truth Lu Dong loathed. During one such raid, tragedy struck. His parents, his siblings, were all slaughtered by the Shu Ho Na, leaving young Lu Dong with nothing but a burning desire for revenge.

He hardened his heart. He swallowed his pride. And with a cunning that would later become his trademark, he changed his name to Shu Ho Na Dongxiote and infiltrated the very clan that had destroyed his family.

Years passed. He immersed himself in their ways, studying their strategies, mastering their martial arts, absorbing their knowledge, even memorizing their family registry. Every piece of information was a weapon he would later wield against them.

He rose through the ranks, proving his worth in a brutal campaign that claimed the lives of not only rival clans, but also… members of his own Lu Clan.

This act, though necessary for his long-term plan, intensified his thirst for vengeance. He mastered the art of deception, learning from the leaders of other clans who’d submitted to the Shu Ho Na, the Nagas, the Drauif, and the Tsunade. Secretly, he built relationships, fostered distrust, and sowed discord among these clans, turning them against their Shu Ho Na overlords.

The time came for his grand design to unfold. During a joint campaign with the Nagas, Drauif, and Tsunade, he poisoned the Shu Ho Na army's food rations, weakening them at a decisive moment. The Shu Ho Na were caught off guard and suffered their first defeat in millennia, becoming a laughingstock among the other clans, and their might was now perceived as weakness.

Their diminished strength made them vulnerable. They came under attack from all sides. Feigning loyalty, Lu Dong advised the Shu Ho Na court and their families to seek refuge at Mt. Colipso while he led the remaining army to fight a desperate, losing battle. It was a sacrifice he readily made, a calculated move in his grand design.

The Shu Ho Na leaders, grateful for his supposed loyalty, retreated to Mt. Colipso, only to be met with a well-orchestrated ambush. It was a slaughter. Their clan was decimated and their reign of terror brought to an end.

Lu Dong confronted the Shu Ho Na Clan leader. He savored the moment, the culmination of years of planning, of sacrifice, of suppressed rage. As he prepared to deliver the killing blow, a horrifying truth was revealed. The clan leader revealed that they were still survivors of the ancient Lu Clan’s lineage.

Lu Dong was stunned by this revelation, thus he spared the leader's life temporarily, until he confirmed the truth. Then, before the remnants of the Lu Clan, he beheaded the leader. This was a symbolic act of both vengeance and… redemption.

Among the witnesses was a young Lu Ignis. The sight of Lu Dong’s cunning and ruthless efficiency left an indelible mark upon the young serpent's soul. He vowed to emulate his great uncle, to become a being of unmatched strength and cunning, so that he would never again taste the bitterness of humiliation.

Lu Dong recognized the boy’s potential and accepted him as his disciple. He shared his vast knowledge and wisdom. Upon his passing, he left Lu Ignis with a final lesson:

"Strength is the crisp edge of fate that binds us all within its elliptic of life." Thus, Lu Dong’s legacy was cemented. He was forever known as the ‘Scholar of War’.

…

“Hmmm… Lu Dong? Now that you mention it…” An ancient tortoise with a cracked shell stroked his beard thoughtfully.

“He’s right! The way that bull uses his teammates’ strengths to overcome obstacles, that cunning, that strategic thinking… it reminds me of Lu Dong's tactics!

He might just be the next coming of Lu Dong. But… who would he seek vengeance against?”

That chilling question was whispered among those who’d read the ancient texts, those who knew.

"Could it be… Lu Ignis?"

This question was laced with irony, for wasn't the Bronze Serpent Emperor Lu Ignis a descendant of the Lu Clan that was saved by Lu Dong's cunning? A chilling thought indeed.

“Lu Ignis…?” This suggestion ignited a spark of excitement.

“Impossible! Why would he seek revenge against Lu Ignis? Could there be some hidden animosity that I’m unaware of?”

“It might be due to that little green snake around the bull’s horns. An incident occurred in Ho Eastern a few months ago which almost made Qi Hawk and Lu Ignis clash. I heard that green snake and the bull was at the core of everything.”

“Oh, so the bull is going to help that snake seek revenge against Lu Ignis? But wait, isn’t Lu Ignis his father?”

“But isn't THAT how Lu Dong operates? He sews chaos and discord amongst his enemies! Exploiting their weaknesses! To think that Lu Ignis, that arrogant bastard… might be a TARGET?”

"Truly delicious, this gossip!" A small, bat-like creature perched on a nearby rock chuckled, eager to savor more.

The crowd’s speculation, however, reached the Emperor's platform.

Lu Ignis, whose gaze had been fixated on Raphael’s team with barely contained fury, now glared with a vengeance he couldn't control! Those scales of his trembled.

“That damned bull…! He DARES to insult me like this?!!! BEFORE the ENTIRE Yama Yaguai?! Such a display… It will not be tolerated!”

“This audacity…!”

BOOM!

He slammed his tail against the platform.

And upon his magnificent golden trident, where he so casually rested earlier, another dent appeared, but this time, the crack was deeper!

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. That’s a nasty crack, Lu Ignis. You should be more careful. That trident of mine is quite valuable.” Mermaid Merlando’s eyes twinkled with amusement as he sipped on a goblet of sparkling water. He remembered a time, millennia ago, when Lu Ignis had stolen his own magnificent weapon with a swift flick of his tail. He’d never forgotten that humiliation, those scratches he’d received from those bronze barbs.

"If you continue damaging it like that, those edges might become too dull to even skewer a fish, hahaha!” He paused, then with a sly smile, added, “Or perhaps… you'd like to TRADE? For a few scales? Hmmm?”

“SHUT UP, Merlando!” Lu Ignis hissed, but his anger subsided slightly. He couldn’t deny that Mermaid Merlando’s suggestion was a valid, and pragmatic one. He couldn’t allow his anger to destroy his most comfortable bed.