The Overlord of Puluo

Si Wennian returned to his home and took two sips of cold tea to calm his nerves. By the time he set the cup down, he knew he could no longer interfere in the affairs of Blue Poplar Village.

As for the Liu Family, Liu Liangyi’s fate looked grim, but his three sons were still alive. Whether the family would remain whole under one of them or fracture into three branches would depend on their luck. Si Wennian had no intention of involving himself any further.

Looking back on the day, Si Wennian had never expected Lu Dongjun to strike with such clear intent to kill Monkey Qiu.

If he had known, he would never have gone to see Lu Dongjun today.

What he had not expected at all was that Lu Dongjun had feelings for his sister-in-law. With a single sentence from Duan Shaoxia, he stopped at once.

I’m impressed. Truly impressed, Si Wennian thought. What else could this Lu Dongjun possibly accomplish?Eldest Master of the Lu Family, where on earth are you? Can’t you see that your house is in such a mess?

The thought made Si Wennian rub his forehead, a flicker of fear passing through him.

Whether the Eldest Master of the Lu Family could see it no longer mattered. Si Wennian could already tell that the Lu Family was in chaos, and it was not something he should have been able to see at all.

More than that, it was something he should never have known. The thought sent a chill through him, and Si Wennian suddenly felt that trouble was closing in. Perhaps it was time for him to leave for a few days.

Should I go back to the countryside? He wondered. No, that’s not truly safe.

With the Lu Family’s reach, even hiding in the countryside would not keep him beyond their grasp.

Since he already had a travel permit, he might as well stay at Bitter Greens Manor for a couple of days. Once the Lu Family settled its internal affairs, or once the Eldest Master returned, he could move back to Greenwater Bay.

With that in mind, he quickly called for his servant, Little Qing. ”Qing, pack my luggage. I have urgent business and need to go to the train station. Qing, did you hear me?”

He called out several times with no answer, and a sense of dread crept over Si Wennian.

He was about to step outside the residence when Lu Yuanshan, the Lu Family’s eldest young master, walked in.

”Old Si, where are you rushing off to?”

Si Wennian trembled and took two steps back. ”Young Master, why have you come?”

Lu Yuanshan smiled. ”I came to check on you. You went to my place earlier, didn’t you? Courtesy goes both ways. I wouldn’t want to seem discourteous as a junior.”

Si Wennian felt his body go numb with fear. ”Young Master, I went to the main residence on Second Master’s orders. I wasn’t there to stir up trouble.”

Lu Yuanshan frowned. ”I said nothing about what happened at the main residence. You stayed inside while I stood outside, yet you didn’t invite me in. Is that proper courtesy?”

Si Wennian had been preparing to force his way out, but after hearing Lu Yuanshan’s words, he retreated into the main hall and invited him inside.

Courtesy was, after all, the best way to smooth over conflict. If they could talk things through, perhaps the matter would pass.

However, the moment they stepped into the hall, Si Wennian regretted it immediately.

Why did I even think this way? How could something like this be settled with words? Lu Yuanshan came all the way here for me. Why didn’t I run and save my own life?

It was only then that Si Wennian realized that he had been struck by the technique of a Literary Cultivator.

Literary Cultivation and Martial Cultivation were regarded as the proper paths by wealthy and noble families. With the help of pills, Lu Yuanshan had already reached the fourth level of Literary Cultivation.

In his panic, Si Wennian fell victim to the Lotus-Spitting Technique.

”Old Si, I came all this way, and you still haven’t offered me tea?” Lu Yuanshan pressed on.

Si Wennian replied, ”Young Master, please wait a moment. I will brew a pot of tea for you.”

”Brew something good. Don’t be stingy.” Lu Yuanshan sat down in a chair and waited for the tea.

Si Wennian approached the doorway again, hoping to escape, only to see Monkey Qiu walking toward him.

”You need to go outside to brew tea?” Monkey Qiu asked lightly. ”Do you need to buy the leaves fresh?” He patted Si Wennian’s cheek.

Si Wennian backed away step by step, stumbling over his words. ”Steward Qiu, Master Qiu, I wasn’t targeting you. It was Second Master who forced me to go with him. I truly never meant to go against you...”

”Is that so?” Qiu Zhiheng smiled. ”But I came here specifically for you today. A fifth-level Ascetic Cultivator like you really did cause me a lot of trouble.”

***

Ten minutes later, Lu Yuanshan boarded the carriage, carrying Si Wennian’s severed head, with Qiu Zhiheng at his side.

As Lu Dongliang’s eldest son, Lu Yuanshan had seen his share of the world. He had personally killed Si Wennian, yet his expression remained calm.

Qiu Zhiheng said calmly at his side, ”Leave matters like this to me in the future. You and Young Master Yuanhai shouldn’t go out for the next few days.”

Lu Yuanshan smiled. ”Uncle Qiu, that’s not right. My mother told me long ago that your life is more valuable than ours. Only if you live can the two of us live. From now on, leave this dirty work to me.”

However, this was not dirty work at all. Lu Yuanshan was a calculating man, and he knew that this was the perfect opportunity to establish his authority within the family.

Qiu Zhiheng understood and did not press further. ”Let’s head back. We need to guard against Lu Dongjun catching us off guard.”

Lu Yuanshan offered a suggestion. ”Uncle Qiu, if everything rests on you alone, you’ll eventually be stretched too thin. Why don’t we bring Chief Zuo back? What happened before truly wasn’t his fault.”

Qiu Zhiheng nodded. ”I’ve already had someone check on Zuo Wugang’s whereabouts.”

***

Zuo Wugang waited in the entry hall of Miss Chu’s residence while Yang Yanzheng went inside to deliver the message.

Miss Chu pinched her own plump backside hard, yet it still did not hurt enough. Unsatisfied, she ordered her maid to fetch a pair of pliers. While the maid hurried off, Yang Yanzheng seized the chance to brief her on Zuo Wugang.

Miss Chu blinked in surprise. ”Zuo Wugang wants to work for me? That large support hook from the Lu Family? If I remember correctly, he did not lift a finger the night Lu Dongliang met with that accident, did he?”

”The circumstances that night were unusual. Zuo Wugang never had a chance to act.”

Miss Chu’s expression darkened. ”When Lu Dongliang ran into trouble, he had no chance to act. When every member of Lu Dongliang’s family got into trouble, he still had no chance to act. So tell me, when does he ever have a chance to act?”

Yang Yanzheng made one final attempt to speak in favor of Zuo Wugang. ”Miss, Zuo Wugang is a level-six martial cultivator. Such people are not easy to find.”

Miss Chu looked at Yang Yanzheng. ”So what if he were an eighth-level cultivator? Trash is still trash, isn’t it?”

Yang Yanzheng said nothing more and quickly stepped out from Miss Chu’s room.

Miss Chu took the pliers and pinched herself again, but the sensation felt cold and wrong. It was not what she was looking for.

”Hongyan, pinch me,” Miss Chu said, lifting her butt.

Wen Hongyan obliged without hesitation, pinching hard on the left cheek.

Miss Chu sucked in a sharp breath. ”Ouch. That hurts, but it’s not the right kind of pain.”

”What kind of pain is it then?” Wen Hongyan asked, rubbing her head with her forearm, completely lost.

”That kind of pain,” Miss Chu said, ”the one with a very special flavor!” She rubbed her butt again, as though savoring the sensation.

***

Zuo Wugang left the Chu Family’s main residence with his head hanging low, dejection weighing on him, and led Zhen Jincheng and Cao Zhida back to their lodging.

Zhen Jincheng and Cao Zhida were both level-three Martial Cultivators. They had once served as support hooks at the Lu Family’s main residence and had quit together with Zuo Wugang.

They were middle-aged men who had ventured out to carve a place for themselves, doing so solely out of trust in Zuo Wugang. Yet Zuo Wugang himself had failed to earn the trust of any major family.

The He Family, the Ma Family, and the Chu Family had all rejected Zuo Wugang.

Each of them had some savings. Even if they never worked again, they could still live comfortably.

However, as cultivators, they did not want to waste their remaining years, nor did they want to spend their lives eating away their savings.

Did Zuo Wugang really need to serve as a large support hook in some prestigious family? Was it truly the only way he could make a living?

Zuo Wugang had considered opening an escort agency, but he did not know the roads, could barely read, and had no idea how to keep accounts. An escort agency was best run with a Wanderlust Cultivator, so he had tried to recruit a few old friends, only to fail.

He also considered opening a martial school, but setting one up was no simple matter. Without someone powerful backing it, troublemakers would outnumber genuine students.

He had considered many trades, but little by little, he came to realize one thing. He had been a large support hook his entire life, and it was the only thing he truly excelled at.

However, he couldn’t join the main residences of the four great families. Even when he tried to work as a large support hook for the young masters and young ladies of those families, none of them were willing to take him in.

What happened to Lu Dongliang had dealt a heavy blow to his reputation within the profession.

Should I serve as a large support hook in a smaller household? Zuo Wugang thought. But in the end, he simply could not bring himself to stoop that low.

Just as they were completely at a loss, Cao Zhida spoke up. ”Chief Zuo, why don’t we go and work for the young master of the Ma Family?”

Zuo Wugang replied impatiently, ”Have you lost your mind? Didn’t we go to the Ma Family just two days ago? Ma Junjiang looked like he was attending a funeral. He clearly didn’t want us. Are we really going to go back and embarrass ourselves again?”

Cao Zhida said, ”Chief Zuo, not Junjiang. Junyang.”

”Ma Junyang?” Zuo Wugang hesitated. ”Does he still count as a member of the Ma Family?”

”Of course he does. His surname is Ma, and he has just taken over Blue Poplar Village. Master Wu of the Ma Family still carries prestige and authority.”

Zuo Wugang pressed his lips together. ”If even that fallen young master refuses to see us, it will be truly embarrassing.”

Zhen Jincheng gave a bitter smile. He could not understand Zuo Wugang’s thinking. ”Chief Zuo, we can’t find work right now. Isn’t that embarrassing enough already? If you can’t swallow your pride, Old Cao and I will go to Blue Poplar Village first. We’re thick-skinned. We don’t mind losing face.”

With matters having reached this point, Zuo Wugang finally set aside his pride and went to Blue Poplar Village with the two of them. However, they did not get to meet Ma Wu.

Ma Wu was indeed in the village, but he was in no condition to receive guests. He had taken a Golden Essence Pill and been afflicted by pill poison, leaving him bedridden and unable to move.

Little Chuan came in to report. Ma Wu knew that Zuo Wugang was a rare talent and wanted to invite him inside, but he had no way to express it.

Zuo Wugang stood outside in the cold wind for half an hour, a heavy weight pressing down on him as disappointment seeped in, until all warmth was gone.

”Let’s go!” Zuo Wugang turned to leave when he suddenly saw a man in a fedora, his face buried beneath a full beard, walking up to the wooden house door.

The brim of his hat was pulled low. Aside from the beard, Zuo Wugang could not see his face at all. Even if he had, he would not have recognized him. Li Banfeng, now a level-three Homebound Cultivator, had features that were extraordinarily easy to overlook.

”What are you people doing here?”

Zuo Wugang froze and said nothing.

Cao Zhida let out a laugh. ”We’re here looking for work.”

”What kind of work?”

Zhen Jincheng spoke up. ”We’ve trained in martial arts for a few years. We want to apply to be support hooks.”

”Are you guys cultivators?”

Cao Zhida and Zhen Jincheng both fell silent. Cultivation was the foundation of a man’s livelihood, not something to be revealed lightly.

Li Banfeng did not press them for an answer. He turned to Little Chuan and said, ”Go to Dreamspring Garden and find a room. Prepare some food and wine. We’ll talk over a meal.”

Little Chuan quickly led the three of them to Dreamspring Garden. As they walked, Zuo Wugang asked, ”Who was that person just now?”

Little Chuan replied, ”That is our Seventh Master.”

What is Seventh Master’s background? Zuo Wugang did not dare ask about the Seventh Master’s background outright.

On the other hand, Cao Zhida lowered his voice and whispered, ”What is the relationship between this Seventh Master and Young Master Wu?”

Little Chuan answered, ”The Seventh Master is a friend of Master Wu. A friend who can make decisions.”

Cao Zhida caught a flicker of hope. ”Can he take charge of matters for Young Master Wu?”

Little Chuan nodded. ”Yes. Seventh Master has more say than Young Master Wu.”

Hearing this, the group exchanged looks of surprise.

There’s someone in Blue Poplar Village whose words carry more weight than Young Master Wu’s?

However, on second thought, it seemed reasonable. Ma Wu had been cast out by his family, and it would have been nearly impossible for him to take control of Blue Poplar Village on his own. Having someone powerful backing him only made sense.

Where did this person come from? Is he of the Chu Family? Or the He Family?

The group entered a private room in Dreamspring Garden. Before long, the dishes and wine were brought in, and Li Banfeng followed shortly after.

”Since you’ve come to apply as support hooks, you must state your cultivation. Otherwise, we can’t discuss wages properly,” Li Banfeng said as he continued keeping the brim of his hat pulled low.

Knowing that Li Banfeng could make decisions, Zuo Wugang no longer hid anything. ”My surname is Zuo. My full name is Zuo Wugang. I was once the large support hook of the Lu Family, and I am a sixth-level Martial Cultivator.”

A sixth-level cultivator? That’s rare, Li Banfeng thought. He had seen Zuo Wugang’s name in the newspapers. After what happened to the Lu Family, Zuo Wugang was often mentioned in commentary by well-known writers in the news.

Little Chuan handed Li Banfeng two old newspapers.

He could not read many characters, but he recognized faces. In one of the papers, Lu Dongliang appeared in a photograph, with Zuo Wugang beside him.

After confirming that this was indeed the Zuo Wugang mentioned in the newspapers, Li Banfeng asked, ”How much pay do you want?”

Zuo Wugang said, ”I’ll accept whatever the employer is willing to give.”

Li Banfeng shook his head. ”Don’t speak in riddles. Name your price.”

Zuo Wugang could not quite get used to Li Banfeng’s way of speaking. By contrast, Zhen Jincheng admired how blunt and direct Li Banfeng was and spoke up at once.

”Seventh Master, since you’ve asked, we’ll be straightforward. Old Cao and I are both level-three Physique Cultivators. The standard rate for support hooks is one hundred and twenty silver dollars per month. Chief Zuo has already told you that he is a sixth-level Martial Cultivator, so his asking price should be eight hundred silver dollars. Does this sound reasonable to you?”

The amount was indeed the standard market rate, but Zuo Wugang was prepared for Li Banfeng to negotiate. With his reputation damaged, it would have been reasonable for them to offer less.

Li Banfeng nodded without hesitation. ”Deal.”

Author’s Note:

PS: Zuo Wugang’s cultivation level is too high. Can someone like this actually be hired?