Can't Afford to Lose

This long sword was the most formidable magical artifact in Lu Yuanshan's possession. If this single thrust struck true, Lu Maoxian would die without a doubt. With the blade aligned with the gap in the carriage hood, Lu Yuanshan still hesitated to strike. He Haiqin said impatiently, "These younger generations still haven't learned. If you go soft on him now, you can't blame him later for being ruthless." Lu Yuanshan's hesitation did not stem from going soft on Lu Maoxian; he was worried about bearing the infamy. The coachman, Tan Fucheng, saw what was going on and said to Lu Yuanshan, "I'll go check on Second Young Master's situation." Seeing this, He Haiqin asked, "Should I make myself scarce too?" Lu Yuanshan nodded. "I'll trouble Uncle He to keep guard for me. I'm worried the old bastard brought helpers." "Little Shan, didn't you ask me here precisely to handle his reinforcements? Whether in the dark or out in the open, let them come. Today I'll show you what I'm made of. Even if he brought a thousand troops and ten thousand horses, I'd clean them all up for you. Rest easy now, will you?" "Thank you for your trouble, Uncle He." Tan Fucheng headed to the alley entrance, and He Haiqin also walked off into the distance, facing the wall with his back to Lu Yuanshan as he lit a cigarette. Lu Yuanshan thrust the sword down. *Pfft!* Blood splattered across Lu Yuanshan's face. Coppery, salty, and sticky. Lu Yuanshan looked down. This was not Lu Maoxian's blood—it was Lu Yuanshan's own blood. He had plunged the blade into his own belly. Lu Yuanshan turned deathly pale, his body trembling violently. It was over! In just this single instant, his life was gone! Why had he stabbed his own belly? He looked through the gap in the carriage hood and saw Lu Maoxian still struggling beneath the vehicle. Did he use a technique? Impossible. This carriage was of a very high tier. With Lu Maoxian's cultivation, he couldn't possibly project a technique outside the carriage. Lu Yuanshan exerted every ounce of his strength to pull the sword out, but it was already too late. He wanted to shout, but though his mouth opened, no sound came out. He looked toward Tan Fucheng and Lu Yuanhai at the alley entrance; both stood with their backs to him. He Haiqin stood at the other end of the alley, seemingly closer to him. Yet he too had his back to Lu Yuanshan, smoking by the wall. None of them saw Lu Yuanshan. Lu Yuanshan was about to die. Struck by this long sword, he could not possibly survive. He wanted to strike once more to take Lu Maoxian with him, but he could no longer even lift the blade. He remembered Monkey Qiu's words: "Some things aren't worth gambling on, because you can't afford to lose." Now he knew that there really were things you couldn't afford to lose. In the blink of an eye, he had lost everything. Dragging his heavy body, he walked toward Lu Yuanhai. He wanted to warn his younger brother. Was there still time? After barely two steps, Lu Yuanshan's torso collapsed into a heap of minced flesh, leaving his head and limbs to drop to the ground. *Clatter!* The long sword hit the ground. The coachman and Lu Yuanhai whirled around, only to see Lu Yuanshan scattered across the pavement. Lu Yuanhai said in shock, "Brother..." He rushed desperately toward Lu Yuanshan. The moment he drew near, Lu Yuanshan's head and limbs exploded in succession as well. Covered in splatters of blood and minced bits of bone and flesh, Lu Yuanhai stood stunned for two or three seconds, then picked up the long sword from the ground. With the blade pointed downward, Lu Yuanhai held the sword aloft. Next, with just a slight adjustment of the angle, he would plunge the blade into his own belly. He was being controlled too! Seeing that something was terribly wrong, the coachman Tan Fucheng suddenly snatched a handful of white sugar from his breast and threw it into midair. "Treating you to some sugar!" The throw was remarkably accurate. A couple of coughs sounded from midair; the sugar seemed to have flown straight into someone's mouth. The coachman shouted again, "Now that you've eaten my sugar, please do me a favor and let go!" The opposing force slackened slightly, and Lu Yuanhai's hands regained their freedom of movement. He hastily threw the sword to the ground. Tan Fucheng seized Lu Yuanhai and bolted. Someone seemed to pursue them for a stretch behind them, but in the end let them go. Tan Fucheng breathed a slight sigh of relief, turning to look at Lu Yuanhai beside him. Lu Yuanhai's mouth was askew, his eyes rolled back, in the grip of who knew what condition. Everything had happened very quickly, taking less time than it took to finish a cigarette. He Haiqin was still smoking at the corner of the wall. Once he finished the cigarette, he stamped it out and walked over to the rickshaw. Lu Maoxian was still struggling under the carriage. From the darkness, a voice came: "This carriage is too heavy; I can't lift it." He Haiqin produced a paper packet from his pocket, which contained sauced beef. He ate a few slices of beef, then gripped a wheel with one hand and flipped the rickshaw up. Lu Maoxian scrambled out from under the carriage hood, staring at He Haiqin in shock. The person who let him out was actually He Haiqin? How could this be possible? Lu Maoxian knew someone was secretly protecting him, for that was the Sage's promise to him. Yet he never could have imagined that person would be He Haiqin. The primary person he had been guarding against was He Haiqin. He Haiqin set down the rickshaw and, continuing to eat his beef, asked, "What are you staring at me for? Craving beef? Want a couple of slices too?" Lu Maoxian asked, "Eldest Master He, do you want to save me, or do you want to kill me?" "Saving you or killing you are both easy enough. Suit yourself, I'm fine either way," He Haiqin chuckled. "It's just that I find talking to those young whelps rather exhausting, whereas talking to an old bastard like you is somewhat more convenient." Lu Maoxian understood what He Haiqin meant and said respectfully, "Eldest Master He, just give your orders if there's anything you need." He Haiqin smiled. "First order of business: on the Peak of the Sages, there is a Sage. What is his identity?" Being able to ask such a question proved that He Haiqin indeed had contact with the Sage, but He Haiqin's knowledge of the Sage was very limited, and their relationship remained strictly at the stage of cooperation. Lu Maoxian pondered for a moment, then took a handkerchief from his breast. The handkerchief was golden yellow, patterned with coiling dragons and cloud motifs. "This was bestowed by the Sage." Lu Maoxian handed the handkerchief to He Haiqin. He Haiqin examined the handkerchief and gave a slight nod. He was not particularly surprised by this revelation. "Second order of business: you claimed back then that you ran into my son, Jiaqing, at the cinema. Is that true or false?" "It is absolutely true." Was Lu Maoxian truly certain that the person he saw in the cinema was He Jiaqing? He wasn't certain. However, the Sage had said so. The Sage had said that He Jiaqing impersonated Zhou Changhong, and the Sage was certainly never mistaken. Even if there were an error, it wasn't Lu Maoxian's fault. If He Haiqin took him to task for leaking the matter, Lu Maoxian would simply say it was the Sage's order. In any case, He Haiqin already knew the Sage's identity. He Haiqin asked no further about He Jiaqing. "By seniority, I ought to call you Uncle. Uncle Lu, if you become the master of the Lu family in the future, you must not forget tonight's events." Lu Maoxian nodded. "I will never forget your kindness." "Words alone are no proof. Shouldn't we draw up a written agreement?" He Haiqin had prepared covenant deeds in advance. These covenant deeds specified many matters, some of which Lu Maoxian could decide, and some of which were beyond his authority. "As for the matters I can't decide, there's nothing I can..." "The deeds state it clearly. We can wait—wait until the day you can decide." Lu Maoxian hesitated for a moment, then signed the covenant deeds. He didn't dare refuse. Pocketing the deeds, He Haiqin chuckled. "Uncle Lu, if you want to become family head, you'd better act fast. Lu Dongliang's two sons—one is dead, and the other has become a fool. But Monkey Qiu is no pushover, and I'm not a cruel-hearted man either. If I cure that fool one day, I'm afraid being the family head will have nothing to do with you again." This was a warning to Lu Maoxian. Lu Yuanhai's condition was not irreversible. Monkey Qiu might find a way. And if Lu Maoxian refused to obey, He Haiqin could also cure Lu Yuanhai. With that, He Haiqin turned and left. Lu Maoxian stood where he was, his clothes completely drenched in sweat. A hairsbreadth from death—truly, he had hovered right on the brink of life and death! Master's mind was unfathomable. He had told me not to worry about He Haiqin, and so this was the reason. Could he still go to Heishipo now? He couldn't go anymore. Lu Yuanshan was dead, Lu Yuanhai had been turned into a fool, and the Lu family was bound to fall into chaos. Now was the prime opportunity to vie for the position of family head. Lu Maoxian dashed all the way back to his own residence and hurriedly summoned his subordinates, preparing first to face Monkey Qiu. He would definitely come. If he doesn't come, I'll go find him. If I can take this chance to kill him, the Lu family will be mine from now on, and no one can stop me! Amid the anxiety and excitement, a white-robed youth entered the courtyard without making a sound. In the entire mansion, no one except Lu Maoxian noticed the white-robed youth's arrival. "Junior Brother, why have you come?" The white-robed youth smiled. "If I hadn't come, would you still have your life? Why were you going to Heishipo?" The one pulling strings in the middle had been this very junior brother. Lu Maoxian hurriedly explained, "I was going to Heishipo to eliminate that group of filmmakers for Master..." The white-robed youth frowned. "So that turmoil in Heishipo was related to you?" "Turmoil..." Sensing something was amiss, Lu Maoxian pivoted. "I was going to Heishipo to see whether that turmoil arose because of the shadow play." The white-robed youth let out a long sigh. "Senior Brother, even at this point, you're still relying on these useless rhetorical tricks. Even if you could deceive me, do you really think you could deceive Master?" Lu Maoxian's heart leaped into his throat; he had no idea what he had done wrong. "Master was the one who told me to curb the trend of shadow plays..." "Master told you to curb the rebellious trend within shadow plays. Why were you fixating on that vulgar shadow play?" By vulgar shadow play, he meant Bloodgun Detective. "That shadow play corrupts public morals..." The white-robed youth shook his head. "Senior Brother, I genuinely don't know what to say to you." Lu Maoxian didn't know how to explain either. "Junior Brother, please guide me. Exactly which shadow play was Master referring to?" The white-robed youth replied, "Its name is rather similar to the one you set your sights on." A similar name? Bloodblade Detective? The shadow play filmed by the Ling family? That shadow play contained rebellious sentiments? To tell the truth, Lu Maoxian had never watched it closely. Whenever he met anyone, he would praise Bloodblade Detective as a great film, claiming it had real depth and that too few people could truly understand it. In reality, that was merely rhetoric—his way of opening conversations with others. He had little interest in movies themselves. As for Bloodgun Detective, he had actually watched it carefully; that movie was simply too exceptional. Yet he had never anticipated that what disgusted the Sage was Bloodblade Detective. Lu Maoxian had an epiphany. "Junior Brother, I misunderstood Master's decree. Is there still any room to salvage this?" "There is," the white-robed youth nodded. "Since the names are similar, Master might not necessarily tell them apart clearly either. If I keep things vague when reporting back, we might be able to gloss over it. However, if Master investigates thoroughly, it won't be easy for me to account for it, and I might even be implicated." At his age, Lu Maoxian naturally caught the hidden meaning. He retrieved a check and pressed it into the white-robed youth's hands. "Thank you for your trouble, Junior Brother." Without batting an eye, the white-robed youth tucked the check away. "Senior Brother, Master has resolved the matter with the He family for you, and Master has paved the way for you regarding the Lu family as well. Do not meddle in Heishipo's affairs again in the future. As for the mistakes made, pin them entirely on Tang Peigong and Wu Decheng. I've said all that needs saying." Lu Maoxian bowed once more and saw the white-robed youth out of the residence. ... At the Lu family mansion, Qiu Zhiheng was in his small building reading a magazine—one that had just arrived from Heishipo. The coachman Tan Fucheng rushed in anxiously. "Chief Qiu, this is bad! Something's happened to the two young masters!" Qiu Zhiheng hurried over to the main residence, only to hear the First Lady, Duan Shaoxia, wailing loudly, "My son! What happened to you?!" Lu Yuanhai lay on the floor, his mouth and eyes askew, his face slack. "Fucheng, what happened?" Tan Fucheng said, "Chief Qiu, the two young masters went to find the Old Master, but they were ambushed." Duan Shaoxia wept, "Why did they go look for the Old Master?!" Tan Fucheng didn't know how to answer. Qiu Zhiheng signaled him not to say more for now. Before long, when the doctor arrived, Qiu Zhiheng had Lu Yuanhai carried upstairs for treatment and sequestered the bystanders in guest rooms, forbidding them from leaving. He then took Duan Shaoxia and Tan Fucheng into the study to talk privately. Tan Fucheng recounted what had happened: "The two young masters arranged a meeting with He Haiqin, wanting to settle things once and for all with the Old Master. We never expected an ambush... The Second Young Master ended up like this..." Duan Shaoxia asked, "Where is Yuanshan?" Tan Fucheng looked at Duan Shaoxia and gently shook his head. Duan Shaoxia's eyes rolled back, and she fainted dead away. Once they brought Duan Shaoxia around, she seized Qiu Zhiheng by the collar and demanded, "Xiao Qiu, why didn't you stop them? Why?!" Qiu Zhiheng remained silent. Tan Fucheng said, "Madam, don't blame Chief Qiu for this. He had no idea." Duan Shaoxia pulled at Qiu Zhiheng, crying, "Give me back my sons! Give me back my sons!" PS: Lu Yuanshan was a calculating man who could have gone much further, but some things cannot be gambled on, because one can't afford to lose. Just as there were things He Haiqin dared not gamble on, which was why he chose limited cooperation.