The Overlord of Puluo

Ma Wu accepted the invitation, though he made no promise to show up.

Yang Yanzheng cast a quick look toward the stairs and the corner of his mouth curved up into a slight smile. ”Master Wu, rumor has it you’ve taken in a friend with rather remarkable abilities. Would you be so kind as to introduce him to me?”

Ma Wu shook his head. ”My friend isn’t here today. Come again another time.”

Yang Yanzheng’s smile only deepened. He nodded and said, ”Seems like your friend is really very capable. Young Master Wu, I will be waiting for you on my lady’s birthday.”

After leaving Blue Poplar Village, Yang Yanzheng set off at a very quick pace. His feet hardly seemed to touch the ground as he sped along the road, and within fifteen minutes, he was already back in Greenwater City. This was the sort of speed a level-four Wanderlust Cultivator could achieve.

When Yang Yanzheng arrived at Miss Chu Huaiyuan’s residence, he recounted every detail from beginning to end.

Miss Chu listened in silence. She slid a silver needle into her fingertip, pulled it out slowly, and tasted the bead of blood. Then she pierced another finger and went through the entire ritual again.

”He didn’t agree right away and even said he would think about it?”

Yang Yanzheng nodded. ”That was exactly what he said.”

Miss Chu let out a cold laugh. ”He thinks killing a few thugs is enough to settle everything? He should be very smart, yet he wants me to teach him something so simple?”

”If he does not show up on my birthday, go to Song Jiasen of the Song Family and tell him that Ma Wu has been hunting on the new land in Blue Poplar Village without delivering a single scrap to his household. I have proof.”

Yang Yanzheng dipped his head respectfully. ”Song Jiasen is someone who values money more than his own life. If you tell him about it, Master Wu will surely suffer.”

Chu Huaiyuan’s lips curled again, colder than before. ”That old dog would never dare kill Ma Wu, but he will certainly take half his life. I offered Ma Wu a bit of respect, and he tossed it straight into the mud. If half his life must be taken to teach him a proper lesson, then let it be taken. Some people only understand sweetness after they have tasted enough bitterness.”

***

Li Banfeng sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes.

The more he rubbed, the more excited he became. He rubbed harder and harder until his eyes turned red, yet he still refused to stop.

He could finally feel his body. He could see and he could feel his hands.

Pop... crackle... pop...

The record spun lazily on the platter, and the gramophone crooned in a soft and gentle voice, ”Husband dear~ yesterday you took so many pills, why-ye~?”

Li Banfeng knew he had to answer this question carefully.

He straightened his face and said seriously, ”Pills are nourishing. I thought taking more could only be good for me.”

Pop... crackle... pop...

Tak-tak-tak-tak! Hyah![1]

A lively roll of drums and gongs echoed, and the gramophone chanted sweetly, ”Husband de-ar~ Why do you seek such nourish-ment?”

”Because I’ve been overworked lately.”

”Husband dear~ what hard work have you been fussing over?” the gramophone continued asking.

”All for putting food on the table.”

”Husband dear~ with all the wealth you have now, is feeding the household still so difficult?”

Screech~~

The bronze lotus in the outer room, busy making pills, suddenly glistened all over with tiny beads of cold sweat.

She was secretly worried for Li Banfeng. She knew Li Banfeng must never mention that he was a Wanderlust Cultivator. If he did, he would die on the spot, and no one would ever walk out of this place again!

Li Banfeng replied with perfect calm, ”Wifey, did you really think I brought back a level-nine Wanderlust Cultivator like Lu Dongliang because I was lucky?”

Tak-tak-tak-tak! Hyah!

The gramophone’s voice softened into a lilting tune. ”Such precious herbs cannot be gathered by chance. Husband dear~ You must have braved life and limb to earn them. This little wife has spoken out of turn, so may husband forgive her foolishness. It is just that this little wifey truly cannot fathom the reason why my dear husband would swallow so many Golden Essence Pills at once.”

Li Banfeng said calmly, ”Last night, I ran into a powerful enemy. I couldn’t beat him, and I couldn’t shake him off. In my panic, I swallowed thirty-eight Golden Essence Pills, hoping I’d jump a level on the spot and go back for another round.

But instead of getting stronger, the pill poison hit me all at once. My whole body froze. I couldn’t move an inch. If I hadn’t had the technique An Arrow Bound for Home, I would still be lying there like a dead log. It was because of this technique that I had the strength run all the way back home.”

As Li Banfeng spoke, the steam curled gently around him. The gramophone was testing his words, probing for any hint of a lie, and she found nothing unusual.

Every word Li Banfeng said was true. That powerful enemy he mentioned had been nothing more than his own cultivation backlash.

The gramophone brushed his cheek with a tender touch and sang softly, ”Good hus-band~ this little wifey has told you time and again. Pills bring no rise to the path of a Homebound Cultivator. Why will hus-band not believe her words?”

Li Banfeng let out a cold snort. ”Pills are being taken by cultivators of every other Daoist path. Why can’t I? Sometimes I really think you’re trying to trick me.”

The steam curled softly around Li Banfeng as the gramophone sang,

”Foolish hus-band~ who in this world treats you with truer heart than this little wifey? These Golden Essence Pills bring no rise to a Homebound Cultivator’s cultivation, yet they will strengthen your body.

”The pills refined by Crimson Lotus are pure in essence, and the effect of their poison is gentle. Eating them will not harm you. But you must never swallow pills made elsewhere. Some pill poisons are not so easy to dissolve.

”Husband dear~ listen to your little wifey. This little wifey thinks only of your good. All of her heart is for you, and you alone.”

Beneath the gramophone’s soft, tender voice was a hint of killing intent. She had been testing Li Banfeng and checking if he was telling the truth. However, as the steam curled down to his waist, it suddenly stopped.

”Husband, did you come again?”

Li Banfeng let out a soft sigh. ”With the way you were rubbing me... I couldn’t help it.”

”Are these trousers freshly washed from the day before yesterday?”

Li Banfeng nodded. ”I wore them for two days. I should change them.”

”That is easy for you to say! You didn’t wash them!” the gramophone roared in anger as steam filled the whole room. ”You go on all day about consummation. With your level of ability, if we truly consummated, what exactly could you do?”

Li Banfeng quickly changed his clothes and left the Pocket Dwelling.

「 From the earth’s far end to the rolling sea~

I search and search for one who understands me~. ♪」

The gramophone hummed a cheerful tune as she began washing Li Banfeng’s clothes.

In the outer room, the dewdrops on the bronze lotus flower gradually evaporated.

The Tang saber gave a cold snort and muttered under his breath, ”So there are things the mistress doesn’t know after all.”

He had fought beside Li Banfeng often enough to suspect that his master might also be a Wanderlust Cultivator.

Screech~~

The bronze lotus slowly opened its petals one by one, and a sharp little whirl of wind spun up from its core. The Tang saber jolted as if struck by lightning, then scrambled into the nearest corner.

”I don’t know anything. I know nothing at all,” he squeaked.

***

When he stepped out of the Pocket Dwelling and glanced at the sky, Li Banfeng finally realized he had slept through the entire night.

He went downstairs and found Ma Wu sitting in the living room, silent and stiff, his brows knotted together like tangled rope.

Li Banfeng caught sight of the newspapers on the table and put on a look of exaggerated surprise. ”So the Lu Family has run into trouble!”

It was far more than just trouble. Lu Dongliang was dead, though no one in the world knew it yet except Li Banfeng.

Ma Wu spread the newspapers out one by one and said, ”When the Lu Family runs into trouble, the whole of Puluo Province is bound to shake.”

He tapped one paper with a grave look. ”This is news from the He Family. Judging from He Haiqin’s tone, they’re ready to fight the Lu Family to the bitter end. They even say his younger brother, He Haisheng, has returned from the Outer Provinces.”

He Haisheng? Isn’t that He Jiaqing’s Third Uncle? If he made it back, then He Jiaqing is probably fine. Li Banfeng thought.

Ma Wu picked up another stack of papers. ”This one is about the Ma Family. It’s all land activation and land purchases. They’re pulling their business and money out of everything, doing whatever they can to stay clear of the Lu Family’s trouble.

He lifted the next set. ”And this is news on the Chu Family. They’re doing the opposite. While the Ma Family retreats, the Chu Family is expanding. Miss Chu has already reached into the Paramount Club. She’s stirring the waters on purpose.”

After going through the papers, Li Banfeng nodded. ”Things are a mess out there, but none of it seems to have anything to do with us.”

”It does. It’s a huge problem!” Ma Wu said as he pulled out an invitation. ”Miss Chu’s birthday is the day after tomorrow, and she wants me at her banquet. Should I go or not?”

Li Banfeng said in astonishment, ”She is still after you? She must really like you!”

”What feelings could she possibly have for me? She wants to use me and pull the Ma Family into this mess. Brother Li, can’t you see that?”

Li Banfeng honestly hadn’t thought of that. ”Didn’t the Ma Family already kick you out?”

”But I still carry the Ma surname!” Ma Wu shot back.

”Then grit your teeth and take the Li surname with me!” Li Banfeng said cheerfully.

His own surname had come from the old gatekeeper at the orphanage, so he had never cared much about what people called him in the first place.

”The surname isn’t the point,” Ma Wu said, struggling to put his dilemma into words. ”I just don’t want to...”

”You don’t want to drag the Ma Family in?” Li Banfeng asked.

Ma Wu shook his head. ”I’m not thinking for the Ma Family’s sake. I’m not worthy of that. I’m thinking about myself. If two major families start fighting and I end up hanging between them like a puppet, Brother Li, you know what happens. All it takes is one side pulling a little harder than the other, and I’ll be snapped clean into pieces.”

Li Banfeng could picture all too well the situation Ma Wu was stuck in. Without saying a word, he held the invitation over the candle flame and watched it curl and burn. ”If you’ve already made up your mind, then don’t go.”

Ma Wu stared at the ashes on the table. ”The Chu Family’s steward, Yang Yanzheng, came by. He told me that if I don’t attend, all the suffering I went through before will come back to haunt me.”

Li Banfeng froze. ”They want to extort you again? Is it really that hard to get Miss Chu off your back?”

Ma Wu let out a long sigh. ”I thought about it all night and still couldn’t find a single way to deal with her.”

”Then stop thinking about it. Pack your things and head to the new land. We dealt with Madam Bagworm Moth, didn’t we? If we could handle her, how could we not handle Miss Chu?”

***

At the Chu Family residence, Miss Chu’s birthday banquet was already in full swing. Guests filled the main hall, chatting and waiting politely for the festivities to begin.

However, Ma Wu was nowhere to be seen.

Chu Huaiyuan sat before her mirror, touching up her blush with delicate care. Then, without so much as a change in expression, she lifted a dagger and drove it straight into the center of that freshly colored spot on her own cheek.

Steward Yang Yanzheng, who was right beside her, reminded, ”Miss, you still have to attend to those guests later.”

”It won’t affect anything.” Chu Huaiyuan pulled the dagger out without a flinch, wiped the blood from her cheek, and dabbed on a layer of fragrant powder that stopped the bleeding and concealed the wound as if it had never been there.

She turned and looked at Yang Yanzheng. ”Why are you still standing there? Go to Blue Poplar Village!”

***

Lu Dongjun sat in his residence and remained seated in silence for the entire night.

He Yuxiu had sent him an invitation, summoning him to Qianyue Restaurant the next day. There, he would have to face, head-on and in public, the question of who had harmed Lu Dongliang.

For this matter, Lu Dongjun called for a full family meeting, yet even after waiting until dawn, not a single person turned up.

Some of the rumors were true. Lu Dongjun’s standing in the family wasn’t even as high as Monkey Qiu’s.

Strategist Wan Jinxian advised, ”Master, if you are absolutely confident, then it is fine to go to Qianyue Restaurant. But if you are not, you must not go.”

The problem was that Lu Dongjun had no confidence at all. But even so, how could he simply refuse to go? If he backed out now, how would he ever keep his footing in the Lu Family again?

He turned to Wan Jinxian with a faint smile. ”Old Wan, I’m tired. I want to rest for a while. Stand guard at my door and let no one in. There’s no need to bring me food either.”

Wan Jinxian was startled. ”Master, are you planning to...”

”Just do as I say,” Lu Dongjun said.

He then returned to his bedroom, opened the closet, and lifted out a stone lion more than a foot tall. He set it carefully by the door, removed a false tooth from his mouth, and placed it between the lion’s jaws.

At once, the lion’s eyes flickered to life with a dim glow.

As long as that false tooth remained in place, the lion’s eyes would stay lit, and no one but Lu Dongjun would be able to enter or leave the room easily.

After setting everything in place, Lu Dongjun reached again into the closet and took out a necklace.

***

By noon, He Yuxiu had booked out the entire Qianyue Restaurant and was waiting for Lu Dongjun to appear. Many distinguished members of the two great families had already arrived.

He Yuxiu sat at the head of the table, wrapped in a fur-lined cloak, and signaled for her subordinates to play a song.

A subordinate placed a record on the gramophone, and the song ”Blossoms Under the Full Moon” sounded through the hall.

He Yuxiu tried a few more songs, hoping one of them might calm the burning anger within her. Yet, no matter what, she still felt so angry.

As far as He Yuxiu was concerned, if Lu Dongjun told the truth, there was still a chance for the tension to ease. But if he so much as dared to accuse her, she was fully prepared to take his life right there.

After waiting around fifteen minutes, He Yuxiu glanced at the Lu Family members and said, ”Does Lu Dongjun have any courage at all? If he doesn’t dare show up today, it only proves he’s guilty and that he was the one who killed Lu Dongliang!”

Before her words had even faded, a subordinate rushed forward. ”Eldest Aunt, the Lu Family’s Eldest Master is here.”

”Excellent. Bring him up so I can—” He Yuxiu’s voice cracked to a halt as she froze in place. ”Sorry... who did you say is here?”

”The Lu Family’s Eldest Master, Lu Dongliang!”

Author’s Note:

PS: Will the Tang saber ever threaten Banfeng with this? He seems to know a bit too much?

1. This is the sound of clapper beats ☜