Chapter 6, Regression

Looking at the charred remains of Lü Village and listening to people recount the events of last night, coupled with witnessing Lü Bu shoot the urgent person, the constables present were rendered speechless by Lü Bu's youthful face. An older man stared at Lü Bu and exclaimed: "So, your home was burning there, and not only did you kill those who set the fire, but you also killed the entire Lü Hong family and burned down the whole Lü Village? And you resisted arrest?"

"Anger? Who in this world does not experience it?" The constable shook his head, finding it somewhat amusing: "However, you are still young, and you probably do not understand these principles. In life, one cannot only consider one's own feelings. The day you can endure grievances for the sake of your family, you may achieve great things in this life. Unfortunately, it seems you may not live to see that day"

It is a good thing for a person to have power, but one must not be swayed by that power. The old constable walked away, shaking his head; although this case was significant, it was not difficult to solve

"You should leave," Father Lü shook his head, holding the charred corpse and said, "I have lived here for half my life, yet I do not know where to go. You are still young and have a bright future ahead of you, so you should escape on your own. However, before we part, I advise you to temper your temperament. I have not received an education, but I understand some principles. In this life, it is impossible for everything to go smoothly. If you only know how to handle matters in this way, no matter where you are or how capable you are, in the end, it is likely that you will not achieve a good outcome."

"As you wish." Lü Bu nodded again

"Is it because Lu Hong wants to raise your taxes?" The older constable looked at Lu Bu and asked again

The fleeing villagers reported to the authorities, and officials came to apprehend them. Lü Bu pulled his father and said, "Father, we should leave first"

Lü Bu was naturally unwilling to sit idly by. After kneeling on the ground and bowing three times to his father, he picked up a hatchet and slung a bow and arrows over his shoulder before leaving. Looking at the villagers who were cowering and watching from a distance, Lü Bu hesitated for a moment but ultimately did not take the lives of these people.

Father Lü said nothing, but simply held the two charred corpses and said: "Your mother accompanied me for a lifetime, never enjoying any blessings. Now that she is dead, I wish to accompany her on her final journey, to lay her to rest in peace. The little sister was left by you back then, and now she has also died because of you. As father and daughter, I cannot allow her to be left exposed in the wilderness."

Father, if there is anything to say, let us leave first!" Lü Bu held onto his father, knowing that the authorities would not take long to arrive.

However, this place is not far from the county town, and given the massacre, the local officials, accompanied by militia, sought to capture Lü Bu. Lü Bu showed no mercy towards these outsiders, shooting several of them dead in quick succession. However, there were too many of them, and eventually, officials from the government arrived. Lü Bu, being young and weak, did not possess the exaggerated talents of his previous life. Once he ran out of arrows, he was left with only a hatchet to fight with, which was naturally insufficient, and he was ultimately captured.

"I dare not..." Master Lü shook his head: "I, a humble commoner, do not dare to aspire to such heights. I do not know where your ferocity comes from, but for us, the small households, in order to survive in this world, there are some grievances we must endure, and some hardships we can only swallow down. With your temperament, we small households cannot bear it.

The old constable also valued talent and spoke a bit more. In his view, it was common for someone of Lü Bu's age to be brave and fierce. Having strength that was not commensurate with one's age too early was not necessarily a good thing for him. However, this statement made Lü Bu feel somewhat agitated, after all... He possessed the memories of his past life, and combined with this life, he was nearly forty years old, which could hardly be considered young. Yet, he still could not remain calm, which was indeed somewhat troubling.

When Lü Bu returned holding a bloodied machete, his father was kneeling in the ruins, cradling two charred corpses in his arms. Lü Bu stared blankly at this scene, feeling a tightness in his chest as he looked into his father's hollow eyes, and opened his mouth to say: "Father..."

Father Lu fell silent, or perhaps he could not articulate anything further; the principles of this world are not determined by common reasoning

Looking at the sight of himself and his father with their heads severed, it was truly grotesque. Lü Bu suddenly realized a question: did the soul of his father float away like his own? However, he found nothing. Until he regained consciousness once more, Lü Bu opened his eyes wide, and the scenery before him was both strange and familiar. In the dimly lit room, Lü Bu slowly sat up, staring blankly at the oil lamp before him, ... until the voice in his mind echoed again ... until he regained consciousness once more, Lü Bu opened his eyes wide, and the scenery before him was both strange and familiar. In the dimly lit room, Lü Bu slowly sat up, staring blankly at the oil lamp before him, ... until the voice in his mind echoed again ...

At dawn, the fire in Lvzhuang grew increasingly fierce, but the fire at the Lü family estate had already been extinguished. Naturally, this did not result in the complete annihilation of the people in the entire village, but after this incident, Lvzhuang ceased to exist

Lü Bu opened his mouth but did not know how to speak, looking at the charred bodies of his mother and younger sister, the anger that had subsided was gradually rising: "Why must I bear the blame for their deaths? Clearly, it was they who inflicted harm, and they were the first to strike. Why must the final resentment fall upon me?"

Not bad. Lü Bu faced these officials with a demeanor that was not as restrained as his father's; he coldly nodded his head, having resigned himself to his fate. This life had not been well-lived, and he wondered if in the next life he would retain memories similar to those of this one

The reasoning is not incorrect, but in this world, not everything can be explained by reason. Many matters do not adhere to logic. This incident has cost your mother and sister their lives, and there is no denying that. If it weren't for the previous events, they would not have died. To take a step back, even if they had not died, how would you and your family manage in Lvzhuang in the future? If you were to leave your hometown, how would you survive? Remember this in your next life: when taking action, you must consider the bigger picture and think things through thoroughly. Is it worth sacrificing your entire family for the sake of two prey?

However, the consciousness did not dissipate with the fall of the head, just as it had not when he came into this world twelve years ago. On this day, twelve years later, after Lü Bu's consciousness left his body, it began to rise slowly. The surroundings once again appeared in his consciousness, starting with the execution ground, and gradually, as the consciousness ascended, the entire county town unfolded in his mind.

Lü Bu glanced at him and said: "Why should I regret? What wrong have I done?"

"But that tone..." Lü Bu said discontentedly, as he could not tolerate arrogance the most

"Young man, full of vigor and possessing remarkable skills, what a pity." The older constable sighed. In just one night, nearly one hundred people had been killed, all of them deserving of death, a crime that even a universal pardon could not absolve. Yet, looking at Lü Bu's youthful face, he couldn't help but feel a sense of regret. With such abilities, if he were to serve at the borders in the future, he would surely be a capable hand, perhaps even rise to the rank of general, bringing glory to his family. But here he was, meeting such an end. Unable to suppress his feelings, he asked, "Do you have any regrets?"

Did I make a mistake? Lü Bu felt he was not at fault; clearly, it was the other party who was wrong. Why should he endure this humiliation? ... But ... Looking at the charred bodies of his mother and sister, Lü Bu found himself at a loss for words to refute.

Due to the killing of nearly one hundred people overnight, the impact in this peaceful era was too great. The official decree regarding Lü Bu and his son was quickly issued, resulting in immediate execution. The father and son were beheaded and displayed to the public, marking the end of Lü Bu's brief twelve-year life