Lanyang Village, Mengchun Garden.
Ma the Fifth led a crew to dismantle the dance hall's gramophone and turned it over to Li Banfeng to deal with.
Xiao Chuanzi's heart ached at the sight.
This was a masterpiece from the Miaosheng Gramophone Shop; craftsmanship this fine was extraordinarily hard to come by in Puluo Province.
"Fifth Master, without a gramophone, how can we still call this a dance hall? Are people supposed to dance in silence?"
Ma the Fifth turned toward a corner of the hall. "Isn't the band practicing right over there?"
He had assembled a small orchestra in Lanyang Village, equipped with violins and brass horns to play Western music, alongside dulcimers and pipas for traditional tunes.
Clack! Clack! Clack! Pffft-sputter—
The trumpet flubbed its notes with a sputtering gasp.
Chuanzi shook his head repeatedly. "Fifth Master, is that even listenable?"
"Hardly anyone around here knows how to dance anyway, so they can make do," Ma the Fifth replied open-mindedly. "Take a trip to Lüshui City, find Head Butler Qiu, and tell him to watch out for the gramophones—the Ling family has their hooks in them."
***
At the Paramount, Lu Yuanhai arrived with men to dismantle the gramophones. Yang Yanzheng grew frantic. "Second Young Master, what are you doing?"
Lu Yuanhai replied, "These gramophones have too much static. They grate on the ears. From now on, we're replacing them all with live bands."
There were no gramophones in the main ballroom; for a space that massive, a gramophone simply wasn't loud enough.
Lu Yuanhai ordered his men to take apart the gramophones in both the circular dance hall and the songstresses' private chambers.
Yang Yanzheng pleaded desperately to stop him. "Second Young Master, shouldn't you discuss this with Second Young Miss first?"
"No need. I've already hired the bands for you."
"The circular dance hall is one thing, but the songstresses' private suites... they're—they're special!"
"What's so special about them?"
Yang Yanzheng said frantically, "You frequent the Paramount yourself, so you know those chambers are where the divas perform privately. When they give private performances, they... they have business to attend to. If she's attending to business in there with a whole band standing by, how is that appropriate?"
Lu Yuanhai chuckled. "What's inappropriate about it? I'll show you all in a bit. With a band playing beside you, it sets the mood and gives you more stamina!"
Nothing Yang Yanzheng said could make a difference; this was Monkey Qiu's order.
Monkey Qiu stood in the main hall of the Lu estate, gazing at the residence's gramophone.
Back when disaster struck Lu Dongliang, by the time Monkey Qiu arrived, a record was still spinning on the gramophone, playing Lu Dongliang's favorite song, "Person in My Dreams."
When He Yuxiu went to Qianyue Tower to confront Lu Dongjun, Lu Dongjun had disguised himself as Lu Dongliang to attend the banquet. At Qianyue Tower, music had also been playing—He Yuxiu's favorite, "Full Moon, Beautiful Blooms."
Monkey Qiu had witnessed these two incidents with his own eyes.
And there was another matter he had heard about.
When Lu Dongjun murdered the manager at Jiangyuan Tannery and exposed his tracks, music had been playing in the manager's office as well: "Springtime of Peace."
More than half the gramophones in Puluo Province came from the Miaosheng Gramophone Shop.
It seemed every machine that came out of their shop had hooks attached.
All of those events had taken place under the Ling family's control.
Lu Dongliang and Lu Dongjun had very likely both perished by the Ling family's hand.
How had the Ling family risen to power in the first place?
How had newspapers, song and dance, film—all these enterprises—ended up falling into the Ling family's grasp bit by bit?
Lu Dongliang might have known the answers, but Monkey Qiu had truly never paid close attention to them before.
At present, however, there was good news.
Ling Miaowen was dead.
Who had taken him out?
The Baihua Sect?
Did Zhang Xiuling have that kind of strength?
The He family and the Ling family were on poor terms over their business at Haichiling—could it have been the He family?
It was possible.
To kill Ling Miaowen without making a sound was a feat only the He family could pull off in Puluo Province, aside from the Lu family.
Regardless of how Ling Miaowen had died for now, the newspaper business was something Lu Yuanshan needed to seize as quickly as possible. This was an opportunity of a lifetime.
Monkey Qiu instructed his men to dismantle the gramophone. First Madam Duan Shaoxia came down the stairs, sighing. "Dongliang always loved listening to records. If he saw this gramophone gone, he would certainly scold you a bit."
Monkey Qiu bowed low in respect. "However the Master chose to scold me, I would take it. But this thing cannot be kept."
Duan Shaoxia gave a soft laugh. "I was only joking with you, yet you took it to heart. How could the Master ever keep such a blight around? We have young Junyang to thank for sending word this time; otherwise, there's no telling how much grief this cursed object might have brought upon our family. Junyang is a good boy. Scraping together a living out in a rundown place like Lanyang Village can't be easy for him. I heard he even racked up quite a debt with Yufangzhai, presumably to put together that ten thousand silver dollars for us. Zhiheng, I'm just a woman and shouldn't meddle in business matters, but today I'll swallow my pride and ask this favor of you: don't collect any more shares of his profits from now on."
Monkey Qiu nodded. "As Madam wishes."
"When you have time, invite Junyang over for a meal." As she spoke, Madam Duan smoothed Qiu Zhiheng's collar, then turned and walked upstairs.
The gesture was peculiar, crossing the boundaries of decorum.
Qiu Zhiheng froze for a moment, heat rising to his cheeks.
What was this?
How could I...?
Qiu Zhiheng rubbed his brow, trying his best to divert his thoughts.
His mind returned to Ma the Fifth, and he gave a slight nod.
Ma the Fifth was indeed a fine young man; he really ought to invite him to dinner another day.
If that little brother could come along as well, that would be even better.
***
Inside the Portable Abode, Li Banfeng sat beside his gramophone, enjoying the cool breeze.
Two windmill gramophones had been dismantled. One had been refined by the Red Lotus and fed to his wife, allowing her to evolve an electric fan function.
The other gramophone had been left unrefined, stored inside the Portable Abode.
"Wife, what are we keeping this one for?"
"It has its uses. I have already plucked out the hook inside it. Husband can take it outside in the future to perform tasks for your humble servant."
"It's just an ordinary gramophone. What can it do?"
"I left a bit of spirit in this gramophone. It can help Husband purge our territory. The record I etched earlier used ninety percent of its magic power. It won't suffice to kill anyone else, but it's more than enough to pluck out hooks. Husband, you only need to push this gramophone around your territory and play that same record to remove every hook planted there. However, after playing one song, the gramophone must rest for three days. If Husband wants to pluck out more hooks, you will have to walk faster."
"Walk faster... that's... quite difficult!"
Li Banfeng had almost said it was easy, but he swallowed the words the moment they reached his lips.
Killing an enemy outright with a single record was one of the gramophone's lethal trump cards.
Yet Li Banfeng still had not figured out the underlying principle behind it.
"Wife, what exactly is the secret behind that lethal move? Can you tell me?"
"Aiya, Husband! We are husband and wife, of one flesh and bone—what could I possibly hide from you? The trick to this method lies in etching a good record, tracing backward along the hook, and stabbing the other party right through the heart."
"Did you stab him to death?"
"Let your humble servant take a sniff first." The stylus drifted across the grooves of the record. After sniffing for a moment, the gramophone sang out, "One died, but one survived."
"You can even smell that?"
"There is the scent of blood on the record."
Li Banfeng held up the record and sniffed it for a long while, but couldn't detect anything.
"Wife, if you want to use this technique again, how long will it take?"
"Your humble servant must recover for a while. Back in the day, when my body was whole and sound, two or three months would have been enough. Nowadays it is hard to say. It all depends on Husband's methods."
Depends on my methods?
Li Banfeng froze. Did his wife need him most of all? If he serviced her well, would her technique recover faster? Had his previous methods been inadequate? Did he need to consult Ma the Fifth for some special tricks—like heating the machine oil a little hotter?
"Wife, what sort of methods... do you have in mind?" Li Banfeng asked nervously.
"Aiya, Husband, you have to buy groceries! The better your humble servant eats, the faster I recover."
"Right."
"Husband, what's wrong? Why do you sound so limp and drained?"
"I'm fine, really... Wife, why don't you teach this technique to me?"
"Husband, don't be in such a rush. You can't learn this technique just yet. Once your cultivation ripens, it won't be too late for your humble servant to teach you."
One dead, one still alive.
Who was the surviving one?
***
At Yuezhou Third Hospital, medical personnel crowded the ward.
There were bloodstains on He Jiaqing's bed, their origin completely unknown.
The Dark Star Bureau had received word and dispatched Big Head to check on the situation.
Big Head questioned the attending physician, who answered, "He Jiaqing's vital signs showed abnormalities last night, and blood was discovered on his bed. The cause is unknown."
"When you say abnormal vitals, could the medical equipment have suffered interference?"
"I wouldn't rule out that possibility, but I have confidence in the reliability of our equipment."
Big Head nodded. "I will report this to the bureau."
After the staff dispersed, Big Head lingered in the ward for a brief moment.
He Jiaqing, who had been lying comatose on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes and rolled his gaze in the direction of the park.
Big Head said nothing and quietly departed from the hospital.
***
Late at night, Big Head arrived at Flower Lake Park. Making his way behind the Western-style mansion, he walked step by step toward the weeping woman.
The ground gave way beneath him, and Big Head plunged into the water.
He did not dive toward the lake bed. After verifying his bearings, he swam steadily southward.
A Combatant—known as a Martial Cultivator in Puluo Province—possessed an astonishingly robust physique. He soon hauled himself ashore and sat by the water's edge, panting heavily.
This was not his first time coming ashore here; He Jiaqing had previously taught him the method.
Sitting on the bank, he looked around. There was nothing but darkness and desolate waste.
A flicker of a campfire shone in the distance, and Big Head followed the light toward it.
He Jiaqing sat beside the fire, smiling. "Thank you for covering for me today."
Big Head shook his head. "I'm afraid it won't hold up for long. The hospital phoned the bureau and reported your condition to Captain Chen. He has had his eye on you for a while and might bring in a doctor to examine you."
"A doctor? You mean a Medicine Cultivator? What tier?"
"Given how seriously they take you, I'd wager whoever comes won't be lower than the sixth tier."
"Sixth tier isn't something to fear."
"You should still be careful. I'm worried the doctor might bring a restricted object."
"A restricted object—isn't that just a magical artifact? That depends on what grade of artifact it is."
"It won't be low-grade. Just be extra careful."
He Jiaqing gave a weary sigh. "Looks like I really will have to fall sick for once."
Big Head fell silent for a long while before advising, "You should just go back to Puluo Province. Keeping up this charade isn't sustainable."
He Jiaqing shook his head. "I can't leave yet. I still have unfinished business."
"What business?"
"I want those who deserve dignity to live with a bit more dignity. People like you."
"I... I'm doing fine," Big Head said, looking down. "The bureau treats me well. I'm a special case, and the bureau never discriminated against me."
"Why would they discriminate against you?"
"I'm different. I'm not a normal person. Back when I worked, I accidentally killed someone with my own hands. I didn't mean to, but I couldn't control myself. People like me are just like that—we're liabilities, blights, threats to this world. People like me ought to be eliminated. Yet the bureau didn't abandon me or cast me aside; they gave me a way out. What more could I ask for?"
He Jiaqing frowned. "Is that what the bureau taught you?"
Big Head looked up at him. "Is it wrong?"
"It's dead wrong!" He Jiaqing shook his head. "You aren't a blight, you aren't a liability, and you aren't a threat. You are the elite of this world. You couldn't control your strength because your talent was too extraordinary, yet that talent was never properly nurtured or guided. You deserve respect and dignity. You don't need anyone charity-handing you a way out. That is precisely what I intend to do."
Big Head said nothing.
He Jiaqing smiled. "Looking at how haggard you are, you haven't been sleeping well these past few days, have you?"
"My wife's workplace is a bit far. I have to get up early every morning to drive her to work."
He Jiaqing pondered for a moment. "I heard that hotel is assigning staff housing in a couple of days. It's very close to the hotel. Have your wife pick a prime unit."
Big Head's eyes lit up. "How big is the housing?"
"Around one hundred and twenty square meters, three bedrooms and a living room. Move your whole family over. Your kid hasn't finished primary school yet, right? I heard the primary school near there is quite good."
Big Head's eyes dimmed again. "My child's school district isn't there..."
"The hotel takes care of school districts—they can arrange middle school, so primary school is even easier," He Jiaqing said, rising to his feet. "Come on, let's walk around. I'm not too familiar with this place either."
Assigning staff housing—a three-bedroom apartment.
Arranging enrollment in the primary school.
Big Head was no fool.
He knew He Jiaqing was doing this to help him.
He looked up at He Jiaqing. "I... I can't keep... I owe you too much."
"Don't talk about owing anything. Brothers don't talk like that," He Jiaqing pulled Big Head up. "I treat you as a brother. I just want you to live with a bit of dignity."
Brothers...
At Big Head's age, that word felt somewhat foreign.
"Well, I..."
He Jiaqing tapped his own ear. "Can you speak a little louder from now on? I've gone deaf in one ear. Completely deaf, and there's no fixing it."
***
Having concluded Ling Miaowen's funeral affairs, Ling Miaosheng returned to his gramophone shop. Holding a feather duster, he cleaned each machine one by one.
Word had already reached him: his gramophone shop would hardly see any business from now on. Before long, the Lu family would even come knocking on his door.
"Second Brother, what do you plan to do next?" The third brother, Ling Miaoying, arrived.
"What do I plan?" Ling Miaosheng gave a cold sneer. "Does what I plan even matter? When did you and Eldest Brother ever consult me when you did things?"
"Aren't I asking you right now? Eldest Brother is gone, and disaster is about to fall upon our Ling family!"
Ling Miaosheng sighed. "I told you not to plant hooks in my gramophones, but neither of you listened. Now my business is completely ruined. What was so bad about doing business honestly and keeping our heads down? What in the world did you two stir up all this trouble for?"
Ling Miaoying's face darkened. "Second Brother, let your conscience speak. If our brothers had always kept our heads down and stayed honest, we would have starved to death in the gutter long ago! Eldest Brother is gone, and soon it'll be our turn. If you want to stay honest, wait here to die. If you come around, find me at the family estate!"
P.S. Ling Miaosheng has met Li Banfeng before.
Chapter 200