The Overlord of Puluo

Li Banfeng held Rong Yeguang’s severed head and examined it carefully for a long while.

He had never met Rong Yeguang before, but this bandit leader had ordered his men to raid Properfolk Village. Li Banfeng had sworn to avenge that grievance. What he had not expected was that Sun Tiecheng would settle the score for him so readily.

Was that really the end of it? No, it was not. Lu Xiaolan was still alive. This debt still had to be settled.

Sun Tiecheng said to Li Banfeng, ”In the eyes of the world, the Folly Cultivators have long been extinct. There shouldn’t be any living Folly Cultivators in this world, and there absolutely must not be any Folly Cultivators still alive. You went to Yuren City, came back alive, and even learned two Folly Cultivation abilities. This must never become known to outsiders, or your life will be in danger.”

There should be no living Folly Cultivators in this world.

Li Banfeng looked closely at Sun Tiecheng. ”Do you count as a living Folly Cultivator?”

Sun Tiecheng shook his head. ”I do not.”

Li Banfeng could not see any ghostly fire around Sun Tiecheng and had no idea what kind of existence he truly was.

”Then does the first person who passed the trial of worthiness count as a living Folly Cultivator?”

Sun Tiecheng let out a soft laugh. ”You should not ask that.”

”Can I give up the land in Yuren City and trade it for something else? If it cannot be exchanged for anything, that’s fine. I already gained an extra ability, so I should not be too greedy.”

Sun Tiecheng shook his head. ”You cannot.”

It was clear that this plot of land served as the bond between Li Banfeng and the Folly Cultivators, something equivalent to a contract. Sun Tiecheng had gone through so much trouble to test Li Banfeng precisely to find a suitable candidate for establishing that link.

”Visit Yuren City often when you’re free. When life and death are on the line, it will be a refuge for you. It is far more reliable than Shui Yongquan’s domain,” Sun Tiecheng said.

Then he vanished.

On the way back, Li Banfeng did not run very quickly. He returned to Properfolk Village at the same speed he had used on his trip out.

He still remembered what Sun Tiecheng had said. If he ran too fast, he would not be able to find the entrance to the Old Land. By the same logic, if he ran too fast, he would not be able to find the exit from the Old Land either.

Li Banfeng suspected there were other ways to enter and leave the Old Land. Sun Tiecheng had simply defined the exit using speed because he knew Li Banfeng was a Wanderlust Cultivator, and Wanderlust Cultivators were the most sensitive to speed.

After encountering that man, had he suffered a loss or gained a benefit?

Sun Tiecheng had tricked him into going to Yuren City, and he had nearly lost his life there.

However, he had gained two abilities from Sun Tiecheng, killed a personal enemy, and obtained a plot that he might or might not be able to use. Did that settle the debt between them?

Even if it was not settled, there was nothing he could do about it. Li Banfeng knew just how great a gap there was between him and Sun Tiecheng. From the moment Sun Tiecheng had set his sights on him, this encounter had been unavoidable.

What level is he exactly? Is he something like that worm, a chief figure above the local land deities? And what kind of existence is that?

He had not fully paid the price of using the Judge’s Brush, so he couldn’t be bothered thinking about it any further. After returning to his bedroom, he immediately entered the Pocket Dwelling.

”Husband dear, did you just come back from Yuren City?”

”I did,” Li Banfeng replied. He threw himself onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

The Gramophone turned its horn toward the Judge’s Brush. ”You lazy thing... turns out you’re actually quite useful, huh.”

”Hmph~” The Judge’s Brush turned over and could not be bothered to speak.

***

He Jiaqing could not hear with his left ear.

Ling Miaoying had taken this into account. When relaying information to He Jiaqing, he enriched the sound as much as possible, giving He Jiaqing the illusion that he could hear with both ears.

”The Lu Family’s newspaper has begun to gain momentum. I don’t really understand the newspaper business, but several of the capable people who worked under my eldest brother have been poached by the Lu Family too.”

He Jiaqing remained fairly calm. This was within his expectations. ”Have you investigated the matter of the newspaper office?”

”According to the clues we’ve gathered so far, the people who burned the newspaper office belong to the Hundred Flowers Sect. My eldest brother’s death is also very likely connected to them.”

Ling Miaowen had died because of a strange piece of music, and He Jiaqing had also been gravely injured by it. That music had been played by a gramophone that Ma Wu had purchased from Ling Miaosheng. There was no way Ling Miaosheng would kill his own brother, so the gramophone had likely been tampered with.

Had Ma Wu done it? Had he hired the Hundred Flowers Sect?

He Jiaqing believed Ma Wu did not have the funds for this, and the Hundred Flowers Sect did not have the ability to pull off something like that. Only the Lu Family had that kind of ability!

”The Hundred Flowers Sect usually has no dealings with Miaowen. There has to be someone behind this. I’m ninety-nine percent certain it is the Lu Family. This grudge must be avenged.”

”How do you think we should take revenge?”

He Jiaqing said, ”Contact Rong Yeguang, the ladle handle of Iron Goat Mountain. Tell him to gather his men and wipe out all the Lu Family’s businesses in Medicine King Gully. Find a way to transfer Monkey Qiu to Medicine King Gully. Without Monkey Qiu around, Lu Yuanshan and Lu Yuanhai will both be easy to deal with. Tell Old Master Lu Maoxian that if he wants to become the Lu Family’s head, now is the best time. Have him deal with the two Lu brothers.”

Ling Miaoying acknowledged the order and ended the connection to contact Iron Goat Mountain.

At night, after the caregiver had fallen asleep, He Jiaqing was contacted by Ling Miaoying. ”Unfortunately, it seems Iron Goat Mountain might be a bit difficult to deal with.”

”What’s difficult about it? Are you afraid Rong Yeguang won’t agree? Offer him a higher price. We’re not short on money.”

”We’re not short on money, but we are short one Rong Yeguang.”

He Jiaqing frowned. ”What do you mean?”

”Our people just sent word. Something happened to Rong Yeguang last night. No one knows who took his head.”

He Jiaqing lay on the hospital bed and remained silent for a long time.

Rong Yeguang, the big ladle handle of Iron Goat Mountain, has been killed?

”Who did it?” He Jiaqing asked.

”We still don’t know. Iron Goat Mountain has already fallen into chaos. The various Vajra warriors are fighting over the position of stronghold chief, and Lu Xiaolan is preparing to run away with her mother.”

He Jiaqing was still in shock and ended up saying the first thing that came to mind. ”She can’t run! Tell her to stay and fight for the position of stronghold chief.”

”Jiaqing, the position of stronghold chief won’t be easy to win. There are plenty of ruthless people on Iron Goat Mountain. Lu Xiaolan is only a level-four Spycraft Cultivator.”

”The Three Heroes of Iron Goat are already dead. The others aren’t much stronger than Lu Xiaolan. She still has Spider Bin and her mother on her side. Both of them are powerful level-five cultivators. Her mother will help her; that’s a given. As for Spider Bin, just give him more money. They must help her seize the position of stronghold chief. The people of Iron Goat Mountain are still useful to us!”

Ling Miaoying acknowledged the order. Then He Jiaqing fell silent.

Everything had changed too quickly. He Jiaqing could not figure it out. ”Who could it be? Who could have killed Rong Yeguang?”

Ling Miaoying said, ”Our preliminary suspicion is Ma Wu. Scouts from the New Land sent word that Ma Wu once inquired about the location of Iron Goat Mountain. Not long after that, something happened to Rong Yeguang.”

”Ma Wu?” He Jiaqing sneered. ”Even the He Family and the Lu Family couldn’t take down Iron Goat Mountain. Ma Wu’s nothing. Where would he have gotten the ability to do that?”

”Jiaqing, Ma Wu isn’t the same as before. I heard he activated a five-kilometer plot in the New Land. Despite working together, the Lu Family and the Chu Family have never managed that before! I suspect there’s someone formidable behind him. That person is very likely your friend.”

”Li Banfeng? He killed Rong Yeguang? What makes you think that? He hasn’t been in Puluo for that long. Even if you gave him a few extra lives, would he even be able to climb Iron Goat Mountain?”

Ling Miaoying sighed. ”Jiaqing, my eldest brother is gone, and the Ling Family isn’t in a good position either. We need to act more cautiously. It would be best to separate your friend from Ma Wu. I have a feeling the two of them will stir up a lot more trouble together.”

He Jiaqing agreed with Ling Miaoying on this point. ”They really should be separated! Have our people whisper a few words in Ma Chunting’s ear. It’s time for Ma Wu to return home.”

”Back then, the old master of the Ma Family ordered that Ma Wu was never to set foot in the family home again. I’m afraid it might be a little difficult to bring him back right now.”

He Jiaqing smiled. ”The Ma Family’s main businesses are in Greenwater City and the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs. The businesses at the Ridges are nearly bankrupt, and the ones in Greenwater City aren’t doing much better. Ma Chunting is old now. He can’t manage everything on his own anymore. His other children are useless. The only one who is competent is Ma Wu. If he doesn’t call him back, that means he’s going to have to watch the Ma Family fall. Will he really let that happen?”

Ling Miaoying still had some concerns. ”If Ma Wu becomes the head of the Ma Family, your friend will gain a powerful backer.”

He Jiaqing said, ”Ma Wu will never become the head of the Ma Family. He’s the family’s toilet paper. When there’s shit that can’t be cleaned up easily, they use him to clean it up. Once the job is done, they complain he’s filthy and throw him away.”

Ling Miaoying thought about Ma Wu’s standing within the Ma Family. What He Jiaqing said did make sense. ”But what if Ma Wu refuses to go back?”

”He’ll definitely go back. Eleven years ago, when your business started to take off and your company building was completed, all the major influential families sent representatives to attend your celebration banquet. You remember that, right?”

”How could I forget? That was when our friendship began.”

”Ma Wu was there that day too. While we were discussing important matters, guess what he was doing.”

”He was sleeping with the actress I had just promoted.”

”Thirteen. He was only thirteen that year. That’s the kind of person Ma Wu is. He’ll never accomplish anything big. In the end, he’ll go back to the Ma Family and continue serving as their toilet paper. Just do as I said. This matter will be settled within a month.”

***

Ma Wu was settling the accounts in Properfolk Village when Little Chuan delivered a letter. ”Master Wu, this was sent by Master Si[1].”

”Which Master Si?” Ma Wu asked. He opened the letter and found it was from his older brother, Ma Junjiang.

Ma Junjiang made it clear in the letter that as long as Ma Wu returned home, kneeled before their father, and sincerely admitted his mistake, everything that had happened in the past would be forgiven.

Ma Wu set the letter aside as if he had not seen it.

A few days later, Ma Junjiang arrived at Blue Poplar Village and asked to meet Ma Wu.

After exchanging a few polite words, Ma Junjiang once again brought up the matter of Ma Wu returning home. ”Junyang, our father truly wants you to come back. As long as you sincerely kneel and kowtow to him in front of the whole family and then kowtow to Third Brother as well, the matter will be settled. You will still be the Ma Family’s Fifth Young Master.”

Ma Wu took a deep breath. ”I have to kowtow to Third Brother as well?”

Ma Junjiang frowned. ”You slept with your sister-in-law. Shouldn’t you at least apologize for that?”

”I should. Of course, I should,” Ma Wu nodded. ”But I’m too ashamed to go back. I’ve disgraced the Ma Family. I’ll never have the guts to go back home again.”

Ma Junjiang’s expression darkened. ”Old Wu, this isn’t the time to act stubborn.”

”Fourth Brother, I’m not being stubborn.” Ma Wu stood up to see him out. ”Go back and tell Father this. Since he once said that I’m not his son, then he should just take it for real that this son of his doesn’t exist!”

After seeing Ma Junjiang off, Ma Wu handled some business-related matters in Blue Poplar Village. Just as he was preparing to return to Properfolk Village, Yang Yanzheng arrived.

Ma Wu thought he had come looking for trouble and deliberately called Zuo Wugang over to stand beside him.

Nevertheless, Yang Yanzheng had not come to cause trouble. He had come to discuss business. Chu Huaiyuan was focusing on cultivation at Bitter Greens Manor and could no longer manage the businesses in Greenwater City, so she wanted to sell Freewind Wharf to Ma Wu.

Ma Wu was overjoyed. Freewind Wharf had been his hard work and pride. Not long after he had been driven out of the family home, Freewind Wharf had performed poorly due to bad management, so the Ma Family had sold it to the Chu Family.

Even when he had been rummaging through garbage heaps for food, Ma Wu had still been thinking about Freewind Wharf. He had thought he would never touch it again in this lifetime, yet now he finally had a chance to reclaim it.

Chu Huaiyuan set the price at one hundred fifty thousand silver dollars. It wasn’t expensive, but it was not a small sum for him and Li Banfeng. He had to discuss it with Old Qi first.

Ma Wu hurried back to Properfolk Village that very night and found Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng had heard Ma Wu talk about Freewind Wharf multiple times in the past. Ma Wu had always described it as a heavenly paradise.

This is a good opportunity.

Li Banfeng asked, ”Do we have enough money in the accounts? If not, I can go out and get more money.”

Ma Wu waved it off. ”We have enough, just barely. But this really isn’t a small amount. I’m worried that—”

”There’s no need to worry about anything. Get it back first, and we can talk about the rest later.”

Ma Wu hurriedly met up with Yang Yanzheng again and made the trade. Ma Wu paid the money, and Yang Yanzheng handed over the property deed and land title.

The deal meant a great deal. It marked how Li Banfeng and Ma Wu had clawed their way up from Blue Poplar Village all the way to Greenwater City.

The two of them went to Freewind Wharf, and Li Banfeng walked around to take a look.

Freewind Wharf was not very large. It had a three-story Western-style building, which consisted of a large dance hall,and ten private rooms. Compared to the Paramount Club, it was more than a mere tier lower in class. Moreover, Freewind Wharf was in a far more remote location.

Li Banfeng felt rather doubtful and contemptuous about it. ”Old Wu, this ’heavenly paradise’ of yours is a little underwhelming.”

”Be patient,” Ma Wu said. ”All this open land around us belongs to us. Give me a few years, and I guarantee Freewind Wharf will be second to Paramount Club.”

Li Banfeng wasn’t happy about that. ”Why second place? This is where our sweat and blood are going into. If we can’t surpass Paramount Club, what’s the point of putting in all this effort?”

The two of them celebrated at Freewind Wharf all night. Early the next morning, Little Chuan woke Ma Wu. ”Master Wu, the bookkeeper has arrived.”

”Which bookkeeper?” Ma Wu asked. He had not even hired one yet.

”The bookkeeper from the old residence. Mr. Yu, Yu Zhihe.”

Yu Zhihe was the Ma Family’s chief bookkeeper. What was he doing here?

Ma Wu straightened his clothes and hurried to the accounts office. When he stepped inside, he saw Yu Zhihe already sitting there, flicking the beads of an abacus as he reviewed the ledgers.

Who allowed him to touch the account books?

Ma Wu grew angry. ”Uncle Yu, what are you—”

Yu Zhihe did not stand up. He remained seated in the chair. ”Junyang, the Old Master asked me to come and review the accounts. I also came to talk with you about business.”

Ma Wu frowned. ”There’s no need for you to worry about my business. I can manage it myself.”

Yu Zhihe smiled. ”Junyang, Freewind Wharf is the Ma Family’s business. Everyone in Puluo knows that. And I’ve always handled the accounts for the family’s businesses. There’s nothing to argue about here, is there?”

Ma Wu gritted his teeth in fury. His father was clearly trying to seize control of Freewind Wharf.

Li Banfeng, on the other hand, was not angry. He stood at the doorway, quietly watching Ma Wu’s reaction.

***

Late that night, Ma Wu went to see Li Banfeng to discuss a plan. ”Tomorrow, I’ll go talk to Yang Yanzheng again. We’ll sell Freewind Wharf back to the Chu Family. We absolutely can’t let my father just swallow the fruit of our efforts. Even if we have to take a loss on the price, it’s fine. I’m just worried Miss Chu won’t want to get involved in my family’s affairs.”

Li Banfeng shook his head. ”I can write to Miss Chu myself. She’d probably buy it back at the original price. She’s not someone who fears trouble. But doing that won’t solve anything. Old Wu, whether we have a little more business or a little less doesn’t matter. But we can’t keep swallowing our anger like this. Today, he placed a bookkeeper in Freewind Wharf. Tomorrow, he might extend his hand into Blue Poplar Village. What then? We cannot give up Freewind Wharf. If this puts you in a difficult position, then the two of us can divide the business and part on good terms.”

Ma Wu remained silent for a long moment, then he raised his gaze to meet his. ”Old Qi, I’ll follow your lead.”

Li Banfeng smiled. ”Tomorrow, we’ll talk to that bookkeeper and persuade him to go back. We’ll try to persuade him just once.”

1. Reminder that Ma Wu is actually Ma #5, which means “Master Wu” should actually be “Fifth Master”. But because Ma Wu is used like it’s his name, it’s really awkward in English if we translated it instead. So “Master Si” is actually “Fourth Master”, i.e. he is Ma #4. ☜