Xiaoyaowu

Li Banfeng cradled Rong Yeguang's severed head, studying it closely for a long time. He had never seen Rong Yeguang before, but this bandit chief had ordered his men to ransack Zhengjing Village. That was a debt of vengeance Li Banfeng had been determined to settle. He had just never expected Sun Tiecheng to settle it for him so cleanly and decisively. Was that the end of the matter? Hardly. Lu Xiaolan was still alive. That debt still had to be settled. Sun Tiecheng said to Li Banfeng, "In the eyes of the world, Fool Cultivators went extinct long ago. There should not be—and must never be—any living Fool Cultivator under the heavens. You entered the City of Fools, came out alive, and even learned two Fool Cultivator techniques. Word of this must never reach outsiders, or your life will be forfeit." *There should not be any living Fool Cultivator under the heavens.* Li Banfeng looked closely at Sun Tiecheng. "Do you count as a living Fool Cultivator?" Sun Tiecheng shook his head. "I do not." Li Banfeng could see no ghostfire on him, and had no idea what kind of being he truly was. "The first person who passed your trial—are they a living Fool Cultivator?" Sun Tiecheng chuckled. "You shouldn't ask that." "Can I give up that plot in the City of Fools and trade it for something else? Even if I can't trade it for anything, that's fine too. I already asked for an extra technique; I shouldn't be too greedy." Sun Tiecheng shook his head. "You cannot." Clearly, this parcel of land was the link between Li Banfeng and the Fool Cultivators, existing much like a covenant deed. Sun Tiecheng had gone to such great lengths to test Li Banfeng precisely to find a suitable candidate and establish this bond. "When you have time, come back to the City of Fools often. In a moment of life and death, it will be a haven of refuge for you—far more reliable than Shui Yongquan's territory." Having spoken, Sun Tiecheng's figure vanished. On the journey back, Li Banfeng did not run too fast. Maintaining the exact same speed as when he had come, he ran back to Zhengjing Village. He still remembered Sun Tiecheng's words: if you ran too fast, you would not find the entrance to the oldland. By the same token, running too fast meant you would never find the exit from the oldland either. Li Banfeng suspected there were other ways to enter and leave the oldland. Sun Tiecheng, knowing he was a journey cultivator, had likely chosen to define the exit by speed on purpose, since journey cultivators were most attuned to velocity. Had meeting this man been a loss or a gain? He had been tricked into the City of Fools and nearly lost his life. Yet he had gained two techniques from him, had an enemy killed, and acquired a plot of land that might or might not prove useful. Did that count as settling the score? Even if it didn't, there was nothing he could do. Li Banfeng understood how vast the gulf was between himself and Sun Tiecheng. From the moment the man had set eyes on him, this encounter had been unavoidable. Just what level was Sun Tiecheng at? Was he comparable to that giant worm—a Sovereign above the local spirits? What kind of being was a Sovereign? The price demanded by the Sloth Cultivator pathway had not entirely dissipated yet. Li Banfeng was too lazy to think any further. Back in his bedroom, he stepped straight into the Portable Abode. "Husband, you came out of the City of Fools?" "I'm out." Li Banfeng threw himself onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep. The gramophone's horn turned toward the Judge's Brush. "You lazy thing turned out to be quite useful after all." "Hmph~" The Judge's Brush turned over, too lazy to utter a word. *** He Jiaqing still could not hear out of his left ear. Ling Miaoying had taken this into account. When delivering messages, he made the timbre as rich and resonant as possible, giving He Jiaqing the illusion that he could hear with both ears. "The Lu family's newspaper has gained serious momentum. I don't know much about the newspaper business, and those capable hands working under Eldest Brother were poached by the Lu family as well." He Jiaqing remained fairly calm; this was well within his expectations. "Have you found out the truth behind what happened to the newspaper office?" "Based on our current leads, the ones who torched the office were from the Baihua Sect. What happened to Eldest Brother is very likely connected to them too." Ling Miaowen had died from an eerie piece of music, which had also left He Jiaqing gravely wounded. That music had originated from a gramophone purchased by Ma the Fifth. The gramophone had been bought from Ling Miaosheng, and Ling Miaosheng would never have killed his own elder brother. Someone had definitely tampered with it. Had it been Ma the Fifth's doing? Had Ma the Fifth hired the Baihua Sect? He Jiaqing believed Ma the Fifth lacked the capital for that, and the Baihua Sect lacked the power. The Lu family! The Lu family was the only one with that kind of power! "The Baihua Sect didn't usually associate with Miaowen. There's someone pulling the strings behind this, and ninety-nine times out of a hundred, it's the Lu family. This grudge must be avenged." "How do you think we should avenge it?" He Jiaqing said, "Contact Rong Yeguang, the chief of Iron Sheep Mountain. Have him gather his men and wipe out every last business the Lu family owns in Yaowanggou. Find a way to lure Monkey Qiu there. Without Monkey Qiu, Lu Yuanshan and Lu Yuanhai will be easy to handle. Tell Old Master Lu Maoxian that if he wants to become the Lu family patriarch, now is the golden opportunity. Have him finish off the two Lu brothers directly." Ling Miaoying agreed and immediately went to contact Iron Sheep Mountain. That evening, once the nurse had fallen asleep, He Jiaqing received a message from Ling Miaoying: "I'm afraid things on Iron Sheep Mountain might be a bit tricky." "What's tricky about it? You worried Rong Yeguang won't agree? Offer him more money. We don't lack funds." "We don't lack funds, but we do lack Rong Yeguang." He Jiaqing frowned. "What do you mean?" "Our men just sent word. Something happened to Rong Yeguang last night. Someone severed his head and took it away." He Jiaqing lay in bed, speechless for a long time. Rong Yeguang, grand chief of Iron Sheep Mountain, had been killed? "Who did it?" "We still don't know. Iron Sheep Mountain is in complete chaos. The major Diamond chieftains are fighting over the chief's seat, and Lu Xiaolan is preparing to pack up and flee with her mother." "She can't flee! Make her stay and fight for the chief's seat!" Before He Jiaqing had even recovered from the shock, this was his instinctive reaction. "Jiaqing, that seat won't be easy to claim. There are plenty of ruthless characters on Iron Sheep Mountain, and Lu Xiaolan is only a Tier 4 Scrying Cultivator." "The Three Paragons of Iron Sheep are already dead. The rest aren't much stronger than Lu Xiaolan. She still has Spider Bin and her mother on her side—both are Tier 5 experts. Her mother goes without saying, and as for Spider Bin, just throw more money at him. We must help her take the chief's seat. That gang on Iron Sheep Mountain is still useful to us!" Ling Miaoying gave his assent, and He Jiaqing sank into silence. Events were unfolding too quickly. He Jiaqing couldn't wrap his head around it: "Just who on earth could have killed Rong Yeguang?" Ling Miaoying replied, "Our preliminary suspect is Ma the Fifth. Scouts in the newland reported that he was asking around for the location of Iron Sheep Mountain, and Rong Yeguang met his end right after." "Ma the Fifth?" He Jiaqing sneered. "Neither the He family nor the Lu family could bring down Iron Sheep Mountain. What kind of dog is Ma the Fifth? Where would he get that kind of ability?" "Jiaqing, Ma the Fifth isn't who he used to be. Word has it he opened up ten li of territory in the newland—something the Lu and Chu families couldn't achieve even when joining forces! I suspect there's a ruthless powerhouse behind him, and that person is very likely your friend." "Li Banfeng? He killed Rong Yeguang? On what grounds? How many days has he even been in Puluo Province? Even if you gave him several extra lives, could he even make it up Iron Sheep Mountain?" Ling Miaoying sighed. "Jiaqing, Eldest Brother is gone, and the Ling family isn't doing so well either. We have to tread carefully. As for that friend of yours, it would be best to separate him from Ma the Fifth. I keep getting the feeling the two of them are going to stir up even more trouble." "They definitely should be separated!" He Jiaqing agreed on that point. "Have our people whisper in Ma Chunting's ear. It's time for Ma the Fifth to return home." "Back then, Old Master Ma decreed that Ma the Fifth was never to set foot in the house again. Recalling him now might prove quite difficult." He Jiaqing smiled faintly. "The Ma family's primary ventures are in Lüshui City and Haichiling. Their businesses in Haichiling have almost lost everything, and their operations in Lüshui City aren't faring much better. Ma Chunting is old; he can't manage on his own anymore. His sons and daughters are all useless fools, and Ma the Fifth is the only capable one among them. If he doesn't call him back, is he just going to sit by and watch the Ma family decline?" Ling Miaoying was still somewhat hesitant. "If Ma the Fifth becomes head of the Ma family, your friend will have immense backing." He Jiaqing answered, "Ma the Fifth could never become head of the Ma family. He's their toilet paper. When there's a filthy mess that can't be cleaned, they bring him in to wipe it. Once he's wiped it, they find him dirty and throw him away again." Ling Miaoying considered Ma the Fifth's standing within the family, and He Jiaqing's words truly rang true. "What if Ma the Fifth refuses to go back?" "He'll definitely go back. Eleven years ago, when your business took off and your company was established, every prominent family sent someone to your celebration banquet. Do you remember that?" "How could I forget? That's when our friendship began." "Ma the Fifth went that day too. While we were discussing major affairs, guess what he was doing?" "He was fucking the movie queen I had just groomed." "Thirteen! He was only thirteen that year! That's just the kind of man Ma the Fifth is. He'll never amount to anything grand, and in the end, he'll still have to go back to the Ma family and be their toilet paper. Just do as I said. Within a month, the deed will be done." *** Ma the Fifth was balancing accounts in Zhengjing Village when Xiao Chuanzi brought in a letter. "Fifth Master, this was written by Fourth Master." "Which Fourth Master?" Ma the Fifth unfolded the letter and saw it was from his elder brother, Ma Junjiang. The letter stated clearly: so long as Ma the Fifth returned, properly kowtowed, and admitted his wrongs to their father, all past transgressions would be forgiven. Ma the Fifth tossed the letter aside, treating it as though he had never laid eyes on it. A few days later, Ma Junjiang arrived in Lanyang Village and asked to meet Ma the Fifth. When the two met, after exchanging a few pleasantries, Ma Junjiang brought up the matter of going home again. "Junyang, Dad genuinely wants you to come back. As long as you are sincere, kowtow to Dad in front of the whole family, and then kowtow to Third Brother, this will all be behind us. You'll still be the Fifth Young Master of the Ma family." Ma the Fifth drew in a deep breath. "I have to kowtow to Third Brother too?" Ma Junjiang frowned. "You slept with your sister-in-law. Shouldn't you apologize for that?" "I should. Of course I should," Ma the Fifth said with a nod. "But I don't have the face to go back. I threw away all the Ma family's dignity. For the rest of my days, I won't have the face to step through that door again." Ma Junjiang's expression hardened. "Old Fifth, this is no time to throw a tantrum." "Fourth Brother, I'm not throwing a tantrum." Ma the Fifth stood up to see his guest out. "Go back and tell Dad: since he declared back then that he had no such son, he can act as though he truly doesn't have one!" Having seen Ma Junjiang off, Ma the Fifth tended to some business matters in Lanyang Village and was just preparing to hurry back to Zhengjing Village when Yang Yanzheng arrived. Assuming he had come to cause trouble, Ma the Fifth made sure to keep Zuo Wugang right by his side. Yang Yanzheng had not come looking for a fight; he was here to talk business. Chu the Second was devoting all her energy to cultivating in Kucaizhuang and couldn't keep up with her affairs in Lüshui City, so she wanted to sell Xiaoyaowu to Ma the Fifth. Ma the Fifth was overjoyed. Xiaoyaowu had been his own pride and joy, built with his blood and sweat. Not long after he was driven from the family, it had suffered from poor management and was sold off by the Ma family to the Chu family. Even when he had been reduced to scavenging for scraps of food in garbage heaps, Ma the Fifth had never stopped pining for Xiaoyaowu. He had thought he would never touch it again in his lifetime, yet now he finally had the chance to win that business back. Chu the Second asked for a hundred and fifty thousand silver dollars. That sum was not exorbitant, but for him and Li Banfeng, it was no small figure. He had to discuss it with Old Seven. Ma the Fifth rushed back to Zhengjing Village overnight and found Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng had heard Ma the Fifth speak of Xiaoyaowu more than once. In Ma the Fifth's descriptions, it was nothing short of an earthly paradise. This was a good thing. "Do we have enough money in our accounts? If not, I can go out and gather some." Ma the Fifth waved his hand. "The funds on the books are just barely enough, but this really isn't a small sum. I'm just worried..." "No need to worry. Secure it first, talk later." Li Banfeng gave his consent. Ma the Fifth promptly went to Yang Yanzheng. The accounts were settled, Ma the Fifth paid the silver, and Yang Yanzheng handed over the property and land deeds. This held enormous significance. It meant that Li Banfeng and Ma the Fifth, having clawed and scraped their way up from Lanyang Village, had fought their way into Lüshui City. When the two arrived at Xiaoyaowu, Li Banfeng looked around. Xiaoyaowu was not large: a three-story Western-style building, a spacious dance hall, and ten private booths. It was more than a few tiers below the Paramount. Moreover, its location was far more remote than the Paramount's. Li Banfeng's expression bordered on disdain. "Old Fifth, this earthly paradise of yours falls a bit short." "Don't be in such a hurry! This huge stretch of open land around here is all ours. Give me a few years, and I guarantee Xiaoyaowu will become a second Paramount." Li Banfeng wasn't having it. "Why second? This took everything we had. If we can't beat the Paramount, what's the point of bothering at all?" The two celebrated at Xiaoyaowu throughout the night. Early the next morning, Chuanzi woke Ma the Fifth. "Fifth Master, the accountant is here." "Which accountant?" Ma the Fifth had not hired one yet. "The accountant from the ancestral manor, Mr. Yu Zhihe." Yu Zhihe was the Ma family's head accountant. What was he doing here? Ma the Fifth straightened his clothes and hurried over to the accounting room. Stepping inside, he saw Yu Zhihe seated at the desk, flicking abacus beads as he went through the ledgers. Who said he could touch the account books? Ma the Fifth flared with anger. "Uncle Yu, what are you trying to..." Yu Zhihe did not rise; he remained seated in his chair. "Junyang, the master sent me over to review the books and talk some business with you while I'm at it." Ma the Fifth frowned. "There is no need for you to trouble yourself over business matters. I can manage them myself." Yu Zhihe smiled. "Junyang, Xiaoyaowu is the Ma family's business. Everyone in Puluo Province knows this. The business accounts have always been under my supervision. There shouldn't be anything to argue about here, should there?" Ma the Fifth ground his teeth, furious. His father intended to take over Xiaoyaowu by force. Li Banfeng was not angry. Standing by the doorway, he quietly observed Ma the Fifth's reaction. *** Late that night, Ma the Fifth came to Li Banfeng to discuss what to do. "Tomorrow I'll talk to Yang Yanzheng again. We'll sell Xiaoyaowu back to the Chu family. We absolutely cannot let my father reap what we've sown for nothing. It doesn't matter if we take a small loss on the price; my only fear is that Chu the Second won't want to get involved in my family's affairs." Li Banfeng shook his head. "I can write to Chu the Second myself. She would buy it back at the original price, and she isn't one to shy away from trouble. But doing that is useless. Old Fifth, having a bit more or less business doesn't matter, but swallowing insults and backing down like this will never work. Today he plants an accountant in Xiaoyaowu; tomorrow he reaches his hand into Lanyang Village. What will we do then? Xiaoyaowu cannot be yielded. If this puts you in a difficult position, we brothers can divide the business and part on good terms." Ma the Fifth fell silent for a long moment, then raised his head. "Old Seven, I'll follow your lead." Li Banfeng smiled. "Tomorrow, talk to that accountant. Urge him to go back—just urge him once."