The Overlord of Puluo

Chu Shaoqiang had just announced that Lu Dongliang was on his way.

Li Banfeng very nearly laughed out loud. He pressed his lips together and did his best to hold it in, but the laugh had already climbed all the way up his throat and was terribly difficult to stuff back down.

In Puluo Province, being dead did not always mean staying dead. Chu Shaoqiang was living proof of that.

Some said Chu Shaoqiang had died while activating the five-kilometer plot. Others swore the Border Control Office had killed him, while still others claimed the Greenwater Beggar had finished him off.

There had been countless versions of how Chu Shaoqiang had died, but in the end, every last one of them turned out to be wrong. Chu Shaoqiang had never died at all.

So could the same thing have happened to Lu Dongliang? To anyone else, it would have seemed perfectly possible.

Chu Shaoqiang said, ”Li Qi, you must have heard something about Lu Dongliang. Because he had been missing for so long, you assumed he was already dead.

”But Lu Dongliang is a level-nine Wanderlust Cultivator. Didn’t it ever occur to you that he might have reached the threshold of level ten and gone to the Inner Provinces to complete his cultivation?”

As Chu Shaoqiang spoke, he placed heavy emphasis on several words, yet not a single soap bubble came out of his mouth. Could it be because he was telling the truth?

Did Chu Shaoqiang really believe that man was Lu Dongliang? Could the Peddler’s soap actually have the power to make people tell the truth?

Chu Shaoqiang continued, ”I was surprised too when I heard that Lu Dongliang was about to come back to Puluo Province. Before this, I had never seen him in the Inner Provinces. Lu Dongjun and Zhuo Yuling worked together to ambush Lu Dongliang. You might think Lu Dongliang wasn’t that strong because Lu Dongjun and Zhuo Yuling once teamed up and caught him off guard. But to me, that was exactly what made him dangerous.

”Back then, I pretended something had happened to me while I was activating land, then used the chance to go to the Inner Provinces and cultivate. Because of that, the Chu Family suffered badly. Lu Dongliang did it better. He purposely showed weakness and waited for the traitors in his family to make a move. In the end, Lu Dongjun, Zhuo Yuling, and the others exposed themselves, and Lu Maoxian’s family revealed what they wanted as well.

”Now those traitors have been killed one by one. The Lu Family took some losses, but nothing serious. To outsiders, Lu Dongliang had only gone missing. With that one move, he kept the situation stable for the Lu Family, and now he could return with every right to do so. He handled it much better than He Haiqin or I did. I have fought with Lu Dongliang for half my life. Much as I hate to admit it, the man’s wisdom is something I really admire.”

Anyone else might have joined Chu Shaoqiang in admiring Lu Dongliang’s cleverness. Li Banfeng would not, because he knew exactly what had happened to Lu Dongliang.

The Crimson Lotus had eaten his body, Li Banfeng had taken the pills made from him, and his wife had eaten his soul. Lu Dongliang had played a very important part in Li Banfeng’s growth.

Lu Dongliang had not deliberately let Lu Dongjun and Zhuo Yuling ambush him. That attack had nearly killed him and cost him almost everything he had. As for Lu Dongjun, Li Banfeng had no idea how he had died.

Zhuo Yuling had died at Li Banfeng’s hands, but she had brought that on herself. Lu Maoxian had repeatedly plotted against Lu Chunying, and after Li Banfeng saw through his schemes, he killed him as well. None of that had anything to do with Lu Dongliang.

The Lu Family had only managed to hold on this long because Qiu Zhiheng had worked hard to keep things running, with Li Qi and Ma Wu helping along the way. Yet Chu Shaoqiang had somehow given Lu Dongliang all the credit.

There was only one thing Chu Shaoqiang had gotten right. Lu Dongliang could now return with every right to do so.

This ”Lu Dongliang” who was about to appear had to be a fake. The Inner Provinces probably had more in mind than just using him against Yellowclay Bridge.

Lu Dongliang had far too much influence in Puluo Province. A fake ”Lu Dongliang” could easily change the balance of power across the province.

Once Chu Shaoqiang had said everything he came to say, he left. Li Banfeng gave him a sincere thank-you as this piece of information was extremely important.

Li Banfeng first needed to warn Qin Bulou and have him make preparations. The ”Lu Dongliang” sent by the Inner Provinces was an impostor, but whoever was behind that false identity was bound to be a formidable expert. A fight was almost inevitable.

He also had to make sure no one else fell for it.

Lu Chunying needed to be warned at once. They could not let this fake Lu Dongliang come back and reclaim his position as family head. He would also have to remind He Yuxiu and Miss Chu not to sign any contracts with ”Lu Dongliang.”

The other factions needed warning as well, but how was he supposed to tell them? Go from door to door announcing that Lu Dongliang was a fake?

That would be exhausting, and worse, trying so hard to convince everyone would only backfire and make people believe that this was the real Lu Dongliang.

Soon, Li Banfeng thought of a suitable solution. He would have to add a little seasoning to this ”Lu Dongliang.”

***

At the rear building of Freewind Wharf, Luo Zhengnan was reclining in his room, listening to the radio.

”Dear listeners, spring is almost upon us. Here’s a friendly reminder for anyone who killed someone last winter: don’t forget to move any bodies you buried in the snow before it melts...”

Bzz! Bzz!

A buzzing tremor ran through Luo Zhengnan’s skull. When he saw that Li Qi was calling, he hurried to answer.

”Old Luo, go to the newspaper office. Have them run stories for the next few days saying that someone has been impersonating Lu Dongliang and swindling people all over the place. Make up a few cases and make them convincing.”

Luo Zhengnan saw a problem with that. ”Master Qi, do we have anything they can work from? If every newspaper makes up its own version, something might not line up.”

It was a reasonable concern. If they wanted the stories to hold together, the newspapers needed a common source to work from. However, Blackstone Slope was right next to Yellowclay Bridge, and when it came to inventing something out of thin air, they were the experts.

Li Banfeng answered, ”Old Luo, wait until the Blackstone Slope papers come out first. Then have Greenwater City follow their lead.”

***

At dusk in Medicine King Gully, Qiu Zhiheng climbed out of a rickshaw and handed the driver a thick stack of banknotes. He had spent the past two days traveling from village to village buying medicinal herbs. The trip was supposed to take three days, but after running into this particular rickshaw driver along the way, he had finished everything in less than two.

Come to think of it, the driver was an old acquaintance. Qiu Zhiheng had met him once before, back when he was heading from the train station to find the Peddler.

”Brother, with cultivation as high as yours, don’t you think pulling a rickshaw is a bit of a waste?”

The rickshaw driver did not seem bothered. ”What’s wrong with pulling a rickshaw? Is there anything wrong with earning an honest living? Do I have to go out and risk my life before people stop calling it a waste?”

Qiu Zhiheng did not respond. He picked up his bag and returned to the medicinal trading house. The moment he stepped inside, his wife came over to meet him. She looked uneasy. ”Zhiheng, didn’t you say you were coming back tomorrow?”

Qiu Zhiheng smiled. ”What’s that supposed to mean? Did I come back at a bad time?”

”You really did.” His wife looked troubled. ”We have a guest.”

Qiu Zhiheng knew his wife’s temperament well. She would never do anything improper behind his back. So why was she acting so strangely today?

His wife beckoned him closer. Qiu Zhiheng bent down and listened as she whispered in his ear. The moment she finished whispering, his expression changed. He stood there stunned for a long while.

”Zhiheng, why don’t you...” His wife was about to tell Qiu Zhiheng to go hide somewhere for a while when a voice suddenly called from inside. ”Little Qiu, you’re back!”

It was Lu Dongliang’s voice.

Qiu Zhiheng handed his bag to his wife and walked into the living room.

A man sat on the sofa. The moment Qiu Zhiheng saw him, he froze and stared for a long while.

The man looked back at him. ”What? It’s only been a year. You don’t recognize me anymore?”

Qiu Zhiheng felt really torn inside before finally coming to his senses. He smiled, gave a slight bow, and greeted him politely.

”Mr. Lu.”

Hearing this, Lu Dongliang frowned. Qiu Zhiheng did not address him as master.

Lu Dongliang’s frown soon eased. ”You are no longer the Lu Family’s steward, but there’s no need to be so formal with me. You can still call me Big Bro Lu, can’t you?”

”Big Bro Lu.” Qiu Zhiheng addressed him as asked, then sat down across from him. In the past, he would never have dared to sit without Lu Dongliang’s permission. However, those days were over.

Lu Dongliang lit a cigarette and spoke slowly. ”You have had a hard time while I was gone. Shaoxia is headstrong, Yuanshan and Yuanhai don’t understand much of anything, and Dongjun and Third Uncle keep causing trouble for you day after day. It couldn’t have been easy holding everything together until now.

”But I am back, and I need people I can rely on. Something has happened to both Yuanshan and Yuanhai, and Chunying is still young. I can’t count on her for anything important yet. When I thought about who could help me, you were the only one left.”

Qiu Zhiheng said nothing.

Lu Dongliang sighed. ”Little Qiu, I know some of the things Shaoxia did before might have hurt you. Let me apologize for her first. Bamboo, help me say a few words too. Talk some sense into your husband. Once we are back in Greenwater City, I will have Shaoxia apologize to both of you in person.”

Qiu Zhiheng’s wife was nicknamed Bamboo.

She looked at Qiu Zhiheng, unsure what to say. Did she want to go back to Greenwater City? Of course not!

The Lu Family estate might have been enormous, but it had never felt like home to her. She and her kid could not come and go as they pleased. Most of the time, they were not even free to leave the small building where they lived.

There were rules even inside that little building. She and her child hardly dared to raise their voices.

Life here was completely different. This medicinal trading house was their own home, and Bamboo was the lady of the house. She could say what she liked and cook whatever she felt like eating. The children could run wild from room to room and out into the yard, while neighbors could drop by for a visit whenever they pleased.

And those were just the little things. What mattered most was that their life was finally going somewhere. Business at the medicinal trading house was getting better and better, and Qiu Zhiheng was even planning to open two branch shops at Outer Gully.

But now, they were being asked to go back and serve the Lu Family? The chief steward held a high position in the Lu Family, but so what? He was still a servant.

Bamboo gave Lu Dongliang a polite smile. ”Big Bro Lu, we are actually doing quite well here. Zhiheng has gotten used to life in the countryside too. If he went back to the city now, he might not even know how to handle things anymore. It’s best if we don’t make things more chaotic for you.”

Lu Dongliang’s expression darkened. ”Little Qiu, so you are saying you don’t want to follow me anymore?”

Qiu Zhiheng gave a slight nod. ”Big Bro Lu, I am already in my forties. I don’t have the energy to keep worrying about another family’s affairs. These days, I just want to live for my own family.”

Lu Dongliang stared at him, and a cold look crept into his eyes.

At the side, Bamboo smiled. ”We have been so busy talking that I haven’t even started preparing dinner yet. Zhiheng, keep Brother Lu company for a while. I will go make a few dishes.”

The living room fell quiet. Qiu Zhiheng and Lu Dongliang sat across from each other without speaking.

In the kitchen, Bamboo pulled out more than a dozen boxes of pastries and stuffed them into her mouth. She had quite the round figure, with her height being less than 1.4 meters and weight being over 70 kilograms.

She wolfed the food down, but instead of her belly swelling, her whole body rapidly grew leaner.

By the time she had finished the pastries, the plump woman in her forties had turned into a lean woman in her twenties. Her clothes hung loose around her, and even her face had changed completely. Anyone who did not know her well would never have guessed that the woman standing there was her.

Bamboo arranged a plate of pastries and carried it into the sitting room. When Lu Dongliang saw how much she had changed, he froze for a moment.

Bamboo set down the pastries and moved to Qiu Zhiheng’s side. Her expression darkened and the atmosphere in the living room became tense, as if a fight might break out at any moment. Just then, someone shouted from the front counter, ”Why haven’t my medicinal herbs arrived yet? Where’s your boss?”

Qiu Zhiheng seized the chance to stand up. ”Big Bro Lu, sit here for a while. Bamboo and I need to go check on the shop.”

Lu Dongliang rose as well. ”Forget it. I won’t disturb you from running your business. If you ever change your minds and want to go back to Greenwater City, the Lu Family’s doors will still be open to you.”

With that, Lu Dongliang left the living room and vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

Qiu Zhiheng went to the counter and found Old Mister Xu standing there with an annoyed look on his face. ”What’s going on, Little Qiu? Why haven’t the medicinal herbs I ordered arrived yet?”

Qiu Zhiheng smiled. Old Mister Xu had only placed the order yesterday. There was no way the herbs could have arrived today.

That shout had not really been about the order at all. Old Mister Xu was letting Lu Dongliang know that he was here. And it was precisely because Lu Dongliang heard him that he had not dared to make things any harder for Qiu Zhiheng.

”Old Mister Xu, once the medicinal herbs arrive, I will deliver them to your house.”

Old Mister Xu waved a hand. ”No need. I was planning to spend the next couple of days wandering around town anyway.”

Qiu Zhiheng invited him to stay for dinner, but Old Mister Xu politely declined. He left the medicinal trading house and walked over to the rickshaw driver. ”Take me around for a couple of laps.”

The driver set off at once, pulling Old Mister Xu through Inner Gully.

Old Mister Xu asked, ”Someone else has come to Medicine King Gully, and his cultivation isn’t low. Aren’t you going to run?”

The rickshaw driver snorted. ”No need to make fun of me. If it’s time to run, I will run. I won’t hesitate. But I don’t think this fellow will be staying in Medicine King Gully for very long.”