At eight in the evening, an exhausted Lu Dongliang returned to his mansion. After waiting in his study for over half an hour, Qiu Zhiheng came to report: "Master, the brothers from all routes brought back more than twenty people in total. They are locked in the dungeon. Six of them were caught transporting gramophones on the road, and the rest are cart drivers who say they helped transport gramophones last night and today."
Lu Dongliang nodded. "Go question them first. Tell me immediately if you find any leads."
Li Banfeng was very close, and so was the Xuansheng Red Lotus. Lu Dongliang felt that if he reached out his hand just a little further, he would be able to touch them.
Qiu Zhiheng headed to the dungeon.
Lu Dongliang had spent the entire day discussing business with various prominent families and was thoroughly worn out. He had planned to rest for a while, but a steward arrived to announce: "Master, the eldest young lady of the He family has arrived."
"Which eldest young lady?" Lu Dongliang asked impatiently.
The steward replied, "He Haiqin's eldest sister, He Yuxiu."
Lu Dongliang lifted his yellow woolen overcoat, shook it out, and draped it over his shoulders with irritation. "What does that shrew want, coming here so late at night?"
Though displeased inside, he could not show it on his face. Having crawled and clawed his way up through all these years, Lu Dongliang was someone who kept his cool better the more critical the moment was.
He Yuxiu had a foul temper and a very high cultivation level. Whatever she was here for, he had to keep a lid on his temper tonight.
When he reached the grand hall, he saw He Yuxiu standing facing the stairs with two attendants. Lu Dongliang beamed. "Sister Xiu, what brings you here? Why didn't you send word so I could go over to your residence to receive you?"
"Oh my, you come receive me? How could I have that much face?" He Yuxiu let out a cold laugh. "Eldest Master Lu, you're one of the foremost figures in Puluo Province. Every spit of yours is supposed to drive a nail into the ground—a man whose words carry weight, right? My nephew has been lying in the hospital for months. Every day you say you'll give an explanation, but when exactly is this explanation coming?"
Lu Dongliang quickly stepped forward to placate her. "Sister Xiu, I'm anxious about this too. The issue is that Xiaolan just got back..."
"Just got back?" He Yuxiu sneered. "How come I heard she's already been back for months?"
Lu Dongliang said nothing.
So what if she had been back for months?
If I won't hand her over, what can you do—snatch her by force?
Seeing Lu Dongliang remain silent, He Yuxiu lit a cigarette and said, "Old Lu, let's open the skylight and speak plainly. I came today to take Lu Xiaolan away. If you agree, we'll consider this matter settled. If you don't, then I'm not leaving."
He Yuxiu sat straight down on the sofa, waiting for Lu Dongliang's answer.
Lu Dongliang quickly instructed the servant Mother Wu to prepare tea.
He sat opposite He Yuxiu and explained, "On Xiaolan's side, there are still quite a few things that haven't been cleared up. Harming Jiaqing was certainly her fault, and when it comes to cleaning house, I won't go soft either. But in a life-and-death matter, we at least have to let the child explain herself clearly, don't we?"
He Yuxiu flicked her cigarette ash. "Fine. Tell me, what exactly hasn't been cleared up? Let me see if I'm clear on it myself."
Lu Dongliang smiled. "There's a lot to it. Where would you have me start?"
He Yuxiu smiled as well. "You don't know where to start? Let me help you think. First let me ask you: where did Lu Xiaolan return from?"
"From the Outer States. The train derailed and Xiaolan was gravely injured. You should know about this."
"Still talking crap to my face! I've already investigated thoroughly—Lu Xiaolan escaped from our He family's ancestral residence!"
Lu Dongliang did not speak. He pulled out a cigarette and held it between his lips.
He was not much of a smoker, but right now his mood was foul.
In recent years, whenever he negotiated business with the major families, he was always the one holding all the cards.
Tonight's situation was slightly passive.
Even on the back foot, he was not afraid; he would just see what He Yuxiu could do to him.
He Yuxiu smiled. "Let me ask you another thing: are you looking for Li Banfeng?"
Lu Dongliang did not deny it. "I am looking for him, because Xiaolan told me Li Banfeng took away an extremely important item."
He Yuxiu continued, "You mean the Xuansheng Red Lotus that Jiaqing found, don't you?"
The corners of Lu Dongliang's eyes twitched.
Over these past months, friction between the He family and the Lu family had been constant, but the conflict had always centered on He Jiaqing's injury.
Both families had deliberately avoided mentioning the Xuansheng Red Lotus, because neither wanted to publicize such a supreme treasure and draw the covetous eyes of other families.
Yet today, He Yuxiu had brought it out into the open.
Was this her own idea, or He Haiqin's?
Why hadn't He Haiqin come in person?
Was it because He Yuxiu was better at fighting than he was?
Does this shrew want to run wild in my house?
This was something Lu Dongliang truly had to consider carefully.
He Yuxiu was the strongest fighter in the He family. If this shrew truly went all out, even if Lu Dongliang could defeat her, he would likely be gravely wounded himself.
"Speak up! Did you go looking for the Xuansheng Red Lotus?" He Yuxiu pressed relentlessly.
Lu Dongliang adopted a delaying tactic. "I never intended to look for the red lotus. I know that's a treasure Jiaqing found. I just want to find Li Banfeng's whereabouts to clear up the misunderstanding between our two families."
"Bullshit again!" He Yuxiu crushed out her cigarette. "Li Banfeng died long ago! He died with the red lotus at Lu Xiaolan's hands! The red lotus is already in your hands, and you're still playing word games with me!"
Lu Dongliang frowned. "Sister Xiu, where did you hear such news? We've crawled through the mud for half our lives; street rumors can't be trusted."
He Yuxiu sneered. "Street rumors? If I fucking believed street rumors, I would've torn your house down long ago! Your daughter Lu Xiaolan was trapped in our He family ancestral residence, nearly starving to death. She tricked Li Banfeng into taking the red lotus and had him come to the old residence to save her. In that old residence, the two of them fought over dividing the spoils, and Lu Xiaolan beat Li Banfeng to death right there! And now you're still hypocritically pretending to look for Li Banfeng? The red lotus is already in your hands, so what Li Banfeng are you looking for?!"
Lu Dongliang frowned. "Sister Xiu, you need evidence when you make claims! Who said this? Do they dare come here and confront me face-to-face?"
He Yuxiu stood up. "A confrontation is fine, but not here. The one who said this is the dwelling spirit of my He family's ancestral residence! After my father moved out of Yaowanggou, the residence was given to my second uncle. My second uncle was a Dwelling Cultivator. When he died, the dwelling spirit remained in the old residence. No one maintained that old residence for who knows how many years! If I hadn't received word and gone to take a look, I wouldn't have known such a massive incident occurred! Lu Dongliang, do you have the guts to stand against me? Do you dare claim your daughter never went to my family's old residence? Monkey Qiu saved Lu Xiaolan from the old residence—you think I don't know that? I just got back from Yaowanggou, and I watched with my own eyes as the dwelling spirit told me all this! That's my family's dwelling spirit—could it fucking lie to me?!"
Blue veins bulged on Lu Dongliang's forehead.
He was not enraged by He Yuxiu—he knew her temper thoroughly and was well acquainted with it.
He was enraged by Lu Xiaolan.
Lu Xiaolan had not told him the truth all along.
From the very beginning, she had lied to him, keeping up the deception until now?!
Not only was Lu Dongliang furious, but Zhuo Yuling, who was currently lying flat on the roof of the second floor listening to their conversation, almost fell off the roof.
Li Banfeng died long ago?
Beaten to death by Xiaolan in the He family ancestral residence?
She even lied to me?!
Is what He Yuxiu saying true?
If she dares confront her face-to-face, it must be true.
After all, dwelling spirits cannot lie.
...
Could dwelling spirits really not lie?
In Yuezhou Third Hospital, He Haisheng had stepped out on an errand, leaving He Jiaqing alone on the sickbed.
He Jiaqing suddenly laughed, laughing out loud.
Who says dwelling spirits can't lie?
That's my friend.
Things can be negotiated!
...
Back in the Lu family mansion, He Yuxiu lit another cigarette, took a deep drag to steady her emotions, and said to Lu Dongliang, "Old Lu, you and I once slept under the same quilt. We know each other inside and out. I won't make things hard for you. Call Lu Xiaolan out, and let me ask her a few questions to her face."
He Yuxiu and Lu Dongliang truly had slept together.
In her youth, He Yuxiu was a renowned beauty with an uninhibited personality, and she was well acquainted with Lu Dongliang; they knew each other's depths and limits.
Now that He Yuxiu had laid her cards on the table to this extent, if Lu Dongliang still refused to bring Lu Xiaolan out for a meeting, he would be forcing He Yuxiu to turn hostile.
Meeting was one thing, but Lu Dongliang would never let He Yuxiu take Lu Xiaolan away.
Even if he had to torture Lu Xiaolan, even if he tortured her to death, Lu Dongliang had to pry out the whereabouts of the Xuansheng Red Lotus no matter what.
He summoned a steward and whispered instructions to bring Lu Xiaolan down under escort, adding a warning to the steward: "Assign more hands to watch Xiaolan."
There was nothing wrong with saying this. Lu Xiaolan was about to confront He Yuxiu directly; if Lu Xiaolan truly had lied and was exposed, she might resort to drastic measures.
Of course, Lu Dongliang also called for more hands to guard against He Yuxiu.
These words could have been spoken aloud without harm even if He Yuxiu heard them. This was Lu Dongliang's home, and taking precautions was only natural.
However, cautious by habit, Lu Dongliang instinctively dropped his voice to a whisper. He Yuxiu only caught three words: "Assign more hands."
Instantly, her guard went up.
"Old Lu, what are you trying to pull? Speak straight to me!" He Yuxiu's expression twisted into something ferocious.
Lu Dongliang said in surprise, "I'm having them bring Xiaolan down. You're the one who asked to see her. Wasn't that clear enough?"
He Yuxiu glared at Lu Dongliang from the corner of her eye.
Lu Dongliang instructed calmly, "Mother Wu, brew another pot of tea for Sister Xiu."
Mother Wu went to boil tea.
The steward went upstairs to escort Lu Xiaolan down.
Lu Dongliang placed a record on the gramophone, playing "Dream Lover" to ease the tension.
Lying on the ceiling rafters, Zhuo Yuling could wait no longer.
Gurgle-croak-croak-croak—
A gecko's call?
A gecko's call was nothing unusual—what courtyard residence didn't have geckos?
Yet Lu Dongliang sensed something was off.
Startled, Lu Dongliang looked up toward the ceiling.
He Yuxiu followed his gaze upward.
Zhuo Yuling!
Zhuo Yuling clung to the ceiling, her head shivering rapidly as she let out calls.
Gurgle-croak-croak-croak—
He Yuxiu was horrified and enraged. "Lu Dongliang, you bastard, you set me up!"
He Yuxiu, an eighth-tier Martial Cultivator, hoisted a table and arrived in front of Lu Dongliang in an instant.
Xiao Yeci had just walked out of the third-floor washroom. Standing right behind the railing at the head of the stairs, she witnessed this scene.
She was stunned.
She had no idea what was happening.
Why was that woman lifting a table?
Was this a brawl between thugs?
It seemed that woman wasn't a master at all.
In the past, Xiao Yeci had heard storytellers in town say that when true masters clashed, they used the finest weapons and supreme martial arts. Once they made a move, they fought for three days and three nights, shattering mountains and splitting the earth, and still might not determine a victor.
That was only because Xiao Yeci didn't understand.
When true masters fought, it was not complicated at all; the higher the tier, the simpler the moves became.
He Yuxiu was an eighth-tier Martial Cultivator; anything she could lift was a weapon.
An intact table was a shield; if shattered, every piece of wood large or small became a deadly blade.
The teapot, teacups, fruit platter, and vase on the table all turned into hidden projectiles, flying unerringly toward Lu Dongliang.
Do not underestimate these projectiles—a single teapot possessed enough force to punch straight through Lu Dongliang's body. Such was the might of an eighth-tier Martial Cultivator.
Lu Dongliang appeared to stand motionless, yet all dozen-odd furnishings from the tabletop were effortlessly dodged. The footwork of a ninth-tier journey cultivator exceeded the limits of He Yuxiu's vision.
He Yuxiu had not expected those odds and ends to strike Lu Dongliang anyway. She slammed the table straight into Lu Dongliang's body.
This blow was merely a containment tactic. He Yuxiu knew Lu Dongliang could dodge it with ease, and she was already preparing her next move.
The next move had to be a killing blow. Eighth tier against ninth tier, a battle between peak figures—there was no such thing as three days and three nights; victory and defeat were decided in the blink of an eye.
If He Yuxiu could not kill Lu Dongliang with her next strike, she had to be prepared to lose her life.
Yet unexpectedly, Lu Dongliang failed even to dodge the table.
Because his feet were tripped by spider silk.
Tripped for just an instant.
Capsizing in a drainage ditch—Lu Dongliang never dreamed he would fall into an ambush inside his own home!
The corner of the table slammed square into Lu Dongliang's chest. Lu Dongliang took the blow head-on, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
The strength of an eighth-tier Martial Cultivator was simply too immense.
He Yuxiu realized something was amiss and hastily pulled back her strike.
Yet someone else followed up to finish the job.
Lu Dongjun, an eighth-tier Martial Cultivator and Lu Dongliang's own younger brother, suddenly appeared and drove a fist into Lu Dongliang's back.
The fist entered through his spine and tore out from his chest.
Almost simultaneously, Zhuo Yuling swung her plump hips, and a slender gecko tail shot out from beneath her skirt. Hardening into a spike, it punched another hole clean through Lu Dongliang's forehead.
What was going on?!
The assault was so abrupt that Lu Dongliang had barely any time to react.
Yet within a blink, Lu Dongliang understood everything.
Zhuo Yuling attacked me for Lu Xiaolan.
Lu Dongjun struck at me for the position of family head.
He Yuxiu fought me with her life to take Lu Xiaolan away.
And this spider silk came from that private investigator who could open up the wilderness.
When He Yuxiu attacked, Lu Dongliang could sense it; but when the others struck, Lu Dongliang had not felt any danger at all.
They had used magical treasures that concealed malicious intent.
Were they colluding?
Not necessarily.
Lu Dongjun and Zhuo Yuling were likely truly in league with each other.
The private investigator was someone they had hired.
As for He Yuxiu, she wanted to take Lu Xiaolan away, so she could not have colluded with Zhuo Yuling.
That stupid woman had been sucked into this blindly.
What should he do?
He could not stay here.
The current situation was exceedingly dire. Lu Dongliang was gravely wounded; staying another moment might cost him his life.
He glanced at He Yuxiu once more.
This woman was truly a damned fool!
He had to let her live.
Even if he died...
There had to be a witness to tonight's events!
If only Monkey Qiu were here. I should have kept him to guard the house.
If Monkey Qiu had been home, it would have been impossible for Lu Dongjun and that private investigator to ambush me in my own mansion!
Lu Dongliang gave He Yuxiu a gentle shove. The bewildered He Yuxiu was instantly launched out of the mansion. Her back slammed into the outer wall, and she passed straight through it.
Lu Dongliang shot backward as well, flying into the mansion wall and passing straight through it without the slightest obstruction.
The ninth-tier technique of a journey cultivator: Parting Across Ten Thousand Li.
Lu Dongliang had always suspected Lu Xiaolan was lying, but he knew some of her words were true.
Zhuo Yuling was dumbstruck.
She remembered Lu Xiaolan's description of He Jiaqing.
He Jiaqing gave a gentle shove, and Lu Xiaolan went flying...
It was from that description that Lu Dongliang had deduced He Jiaqing's pathway.
And it was from that description that Lu Dongliang knew He Jiaqing's cultivation was above Qiu Zhiheng's.
Just like that, the two vanished, leaving behind the astounded Lu Dongjun standing dazed in place.
Xiao Yeci stood frozen in the hallway, unable to move.
Lu Chunying tugged at her, urging her to flee for her life.
...
Inside the hospital room at Yuezhou Third Hospital.
He Jiaqing truly could hold it in no longer.
Taking advantage of the absence of both He Haisheng and the orderly, he laughed uncontrollably, laughing so hard he sat upright, rocking back and forth with mirth.
Chapter 115