The Mountain of Ice and Fire

Greedy, afraid of death, vengeful, vindictive, fond of prostitutes – Scholar Lu Xiu possessed the basic qualities of a villain.

The Scholar held all the scientific knowledge of this world.

Scholar Lu Xiu's Scholar's necklace had nine pieces, representing knowledge in nine fields.

Pharmacological knowledge could save people, and it could also kill!

The Scholar was proficient in pharmacology!

The Hound watched the Scholar's forehead covered in blood, slowly putting away the rope, iron hook, knife, and candles: "Get up, Scholar, you are one of the King's accompanying scholars. If I kill you, that is a violation of the law, a capital crime!"

Scholar Lu Xiu knelt before the Hound, his heart filled with the desire to live, but he dared not show it in his eyes, only pleading and fear.

"I won't kill you. I swore an oath. What happened just now was just a joke," the Hound said again.

Scholar Lu Xiu kowtowed again. He dared not believe the Hound's words. The Hound told him he would stab his eyes out, but instead, he stuck an iron hook into his mouth, nearly costing him his tongue.

The Hound swore an oath on his family honor and the Seven Gods, but he said the Clegane family honor was just a doormat, and he never believed in gods anyway.

Now that the Hound said he wouldn't kill him, Scholar Lu Xiu didn't just not want to believe it, he dared not believe it.

Which of the Hound's words was actually true?!

The Hound put away his things and left. The sound of his footsteps faded away. Lu Xiu didn't dare to stand up.

The sky was already bright, and the morning light shone in through the window.

Scholar Lu Xiu confirmed that the Hound had gone far away and wouldn't return. He finally slowly got up, only to find that his knees were numb and he couldn't stand.

He had been kneeling for too long!

He was truly afraid of death, without a trace of fearless spirit.

Scholar Lu Xiu put on his clothes, and the numbness in his knees disappeared, replaced by pain.

The ground was hard, from kneeling for too long. He had never knelt like this before.

Aimee, who had been reveling all night, hadn't come in, and he couldn't hear her voice.

She must have been bought off by the Hound.

Scholar Lu Xiu walked out of the room and into the street bathed in the morning light. At the gate, on either side, stood two expressionless gold cloaks. They held ropes in their hands and tied up Scholar Lu Xiu without explanation.

Scholar Lu Xiu did not defend himself. The Hound had ultimately not let him go.

"Scholar, you have violated the Scholar's code and will be subjected to a public trial by Lord Renly, the Master of Laws. From now on, you have lost your Scholar qualification and can never be a Scholar again," a gold cloak announced loudly. Then, he tore off the Scholar's necklace from the Scholar's neck.

The nine metal pieces, symbolizing specialized knowledge in different fields, scattered on the ground, making light clinking sounds. The black iron piece, symbolizing expertise in ravenry, and the silver piece, representing expertise in medicine, rolled far away on the bluestone street.

Scholar Lu Xiu's face was ashen!

His Scholar career was declared over.

Without his Scholar's necklace, he would not be qualified to engage in teaching and work as a doctor, mathematician, historian, poet, animal husbandry expert, raven trainer, or letter writer, no matter where he went.

Waiting for him would be the Citadel's official letter stripping him of his Scholar title and the Citadel's statement disassociating itself from him. Finally, he would be thrown into the dungeons of the Red Keep in King's Landing.

A Scholar in a brothel – a great crime!

Usually, no one would take it seriously, so nothing would happen; anyway, the King was very tolerant of such things, but if someone reported it and took it seriously, or if someone spent money or had connections to take it seriously, then the gold cloaks would be dispatched to catch him in the act, and that would be a great crime.

Scholars are scholars, physicians, and scientists who study, train, and ultimately pass exams and obtain metal link necklaces at the Citadel in Oldtown. They are experts in various fields of knowledge and are the learned advisors to the nobles. Scholars, like the brothers of the Night's Watch on the Wall, are considered servants of Westeros.

Any Scholar and any member of the Night's Watch are required to be absolutely neutral, not allowed to have any political inclinations, and even less allowed to participate in any political struggles of the royal regime.

If the old master's identity changes or is killed due to political or military struggles, the Scholar should be loyal to the new master. Like the members of the Night's Watch on the Wall, Scholars are required to be absolutely 'celibate,' not marrying, not having children, and not being close to women. This is a very strict Scholar's code. Violators will be thrown into prison and stripped of their Scholar status and necklace!

But in fact, most Scholars, like most members of the Night's Watch, out of the actual needs of their bodies, are more loyal to their bodies' desires and are willing to take the risk of breaking the law to find satisfaction, rather than adhering to the code!

While Scholar Lu Xiu was being arrested by the gold cloaks, the Hound was kneeling on one knee in front of the King's bedroom door, requesting that the King and Queen grant him permission to go to Riverrun to assist the Hand of the King, Ilyn Payne, and the Red Priest Thoros of Myr, to investigate the Mountain's crimes and assist Thoros of Myr in bringing back the Mountain to face a fair trial under the law.

The King agreed to the Hound's request.

So, as the bright rays of the morning sun filled the town, the Hound mounted his horse, donned his newly changed cloak and armor, and rode off, heading towards Riverrun along the River Road.

*

Riverrun.

The young Lord Edmure and the Mountain stood on the high city walls.

The walls of Riverrun were built very high. The catapults and archers in the arrow towers on the city walls could attack the enemy on the opposite bank of the river, but the enemy on the opposite bank could not attack the archers in the arrow towers and the catapults. The counterattacking enemy could only attack the upper half of the giant rock walls, or cross the river to break down the gate. But the gate was next to the water, and the steps were limited, so there was no place for battering rams to be set up, and no road or space for the soldiers to stand. The rushing river flowed right in front of the gate.

And when the enemy crossed the river, the boats would become targets for archers and catapults.

Riverrun was impregnable, and now it was under the control of the Mountain.

On the opposite bank, surrounded by water on three sides, the nobles of the Riverlands had all brought troops to rescue Lord Hoster. They were camped on the opposite bank, but no one dared to attack Riverrun, and not even a single boat could be seen crossing the river.

The young Lord Edmure and Duke Hoster, as well as many nobles in the city, had all fallen into the Mountain's hands. The Mountain's evil reputation was the first in the Seven Kingdoms. Before knowing the Mountain's bottom line, none of the nobles in the Riverlands dared to launch a rescue attack rashly.

Even a strong attack would be difficult to break down this gate in a short time.

After the Mountain ordered his men to chop off the head of Ser Ahren, the captain of Riverrun's garrison, Edmure finally learned a little about the Mountain's rules. According to the Mountain's wishes, he withdrew all of the already small garrison and the Duke's personal guards from the city, and untied the ferries tied to the iron bars of the sluice gates. All the soldiers crossed the river to the opposite bank.

As a result, Riverrun completely fell into the hands of the Mountain, and he and Duke Hoster became the Mountain's hostages.

The Mountain looked at the Riverlands army on the opposite bank. He saw the banner of House Mallister of Seagard: a silver eagle with outstretched wings on an indigo background; he saw Lord Tytos Blackwood, the Lord of Raventree Hall, the Earl was very tall and thin, like a bamboo pole, and the banner behind him was a red background with a group of crows surrounding a dead fish weirwood on a black shield; he saw the banner of House Bracken, who were age-old enemies of House Blackwood: a scarlet stallion in a golden shield on a brown background.

Of course, there was also House Darry of Darry, a very old family, with many descendants, and had been glorious in history, but would inevitably be exterminated by the Mountain himself in the upcoming War of the Five Kings next year; in addition, there was House Smallwood of Acorn Hall, House Qoherys, and the very wealthy House Deddings…

As the Mountain expected, House Frey of the Twins and its many vassals did not arrive.

In Robert's Rebellion, which Duke Hoster called 'the late Freys,' they maintained their consistent fine tradition of watching the excitement and not sending troops.

This matter was a big deal. The nobles and knights of the Riverlands were very angry. Many people came, which was in line with the Mountain's expectations.

He not only wanted to establish his authority, but also wanted these nobles of the Riverlands to see what it meant to reason!

The Mountain was unreasonable and could go anywhere, let alone this time he was right!

Duke Tywin's reply was very clear: he fully supported the Mountain's blackmail of House Tully, and even if the King came, there was no need to be afraid, because the Mountain was right.

Edmure was at fault this time, so he was very respectful and confined himself to his own territory. The Mountain was very grateful to him!

"Ser Edmure, thank you for summoning so many vassals to come. I don't want to make things bigger. How about this, you quickly order your vassals to take out a thousand warhorses and hand them over to the Clegane cavalry on the west bank of the Red Fork, and we will end this farce!"

"Mountain, do you mean what you say?"

"I mean it."

"Swear it!"

"How do I swear?"

"Swear in the name of your House Clegane's honor and the Seven Gods."

"I won't swear to you."

"Why not?"

"You are not worthy!"

The Mountain waved his hand, and two bandits came over, pressed Edmure to the ground, tied him up with ropes, and bound Edmure into a dumpling. Bronn took off his pants on the city wall, pulled down his underwear, and in full view of everyone, Bronn stuffed his underwear into Edmure's mouth.

The nobles of the Riverlands on the opposite bank were bursting with blood, and obscene words roared out, scolding over, drowning out the joyous song of the river.

The Mountain picked up Edmure, lifted him lightly above his head with one hand, and said, "Ser Edmure, if you agree, pull the rope, there are bells on the rope, I can see it."

Edmure stared at the Mountain, daring to be angry but not daring to speak.

The Mountain clasped Edmure tightly with both hands, and on the city wall, he shook his arms, and with a whoosh, threw Edmure off the city wall.

The people in the city and the knights and soldiers on the opposite bank exclaimed in unison! Many people were so surprised that they suffocated!

Boom!

Edmure, dragging a huge rope, smashed into the Red Fork like a boulder, stirring up a high column of water!

The balcony on the top floor of the main castle was a huge triangle, like the bow of a giant ship, which was the highest point in the city. Although it was in the inner city, people on the city wall could still be seen from there. The triangular structure made the city wall seem not far away from the Duke's balcony in the air. Duke Hoster habitually basked in the morning sun on the balcony. He saw this scene from afar, his breath blocked, instantly suffocating, his eyes rolling back.

Scholar Vyman quickly rescued the Duke.

The Duke woke up slowly and said in a low voice, "Scholar, pass on my order, whatever the Mountain wants, horses, money, food, women, weapons and armor, give it all to him!"