Monkey Qiu had finished packing his luggage. His wife and child were already aboard the rickshaw waiting for him.
The task Duan Shaoxia had given him was an impossible mission by any measure.
She wanted to give Zhang Huaiyi an identity, to turn him into a member of the Lu family, and she expected Monkey Qiu to arrange it. After weighing matters back and forth, Monkey Qiu felt that leaving the Lu family was the wisest choice.
Suitcase in hand, Monkey Qiu had just walked downstairs when Duan Shaoxia rushed out and dropped to her knees right in front of him.
Monkey Qiu tried to pull Duan Shaoxia to her feet, but she refused to budge no matter what.
"Zhiheng, you cannot leave."
Qiu Zhiheng dropped to his knees before her as well. "Madam, I must go."
"Zhiheng, if you insist on leaving, your sister-in-law will stay kneeling on the ground and never get up."
"Madam, if you won't let me leave, I will crawl out of here on my knees."
Neither could sway the other.
Qiu Zhiheng was a respectable man; he had no wish to make such an unsightly scene either.
Yet Duan Shaoxia insisted on claiming her nephew as her son, and that was something Qiu Zhiheng could not possibly arrange.
Monkey Qiu's wife stepped forward to offer a few comforting words, only for Duan Shaoxia to throw her arms around her and burst into tears.
At the sound of those tears, his wife's heart softened as well.
"Zhiheng, the master and madam have both been kind to us. You cannot just walk away like this."
Monkey Qiu stood frozen, completely at a loss.
Just then, Ma the Fifth arrived with his men to deliver their dividend payout. Monkey Qiu first had his wife escort Duan Shaoxia back to the main mansion while he received Ma the Fifth in the small building.
After handing over the dividend money, Ma the Fifth did not linger and got up to leave.
Monkey Qiu suddenly called out to him, "Junyang, have you heard about certain things?"
Ma the Fifth turned back and gave a slight nod. "It's spread all over Lüshui City."
"If I told you those rumors were true, would you still hand over this dividend?"
Ma the Fifth replied, "Whether out of friendship or duty, I ought to pay this money."
Monkey Qiu gave a bitter laugh. "Junyang, you should make plans for yourself early. The Lu family might not be able to shield you anymore."
"Thank you for the warning, Uncle Qiu." Ma the Fifth nodded slightly and left the small building.
As he walked into the courtyard, he suddenly heard a call from behind: "Old Fifth!"
Ma the Fifth turned back and saw Zhang Huaiyi walking over.
Ma the Fifth recognized him, though they were not close. Being addressed so casually as "Old Fifth" didn't sit quite right with him.
"Huaiyi, long time no see," Ma the Fifth greeted him.
"It really has been a while." Zhang Huaiyi pointed toward the main mansion. "Come inside with me for a chat?"
Ma the Fifth waved his hand. "Got plenty of business to attend to, so I've got to run. Let's catch up another day."
They parted ways. Watching Zhang Huaiyi walk away, Ma the Fifth muttered to himself inwardly: *Since when did this kid start acting like this place is his home?*
……
On his way back, Ma the Fifth pondered the Lu family's situation.
The news about Lu Yuanshan and Lu Yuanhai had already spread throughout Lüshui City. Previously, it was impossible to tell whether the rumors were true or false, but from Monkey Qiu's attitude, Ma the Fifth could confirm one thing: something terrible had happened to the brothers, and the pillar holding up the Lu family had collapsed.
If another of Lu Dongliang's children couldn't be propped up, Monkey Qiu would definitely not be able to hold off Lu Maoxian.
If Lu Maoxian took over the Lu family, life would not be pleasant for him and Li Banfeng.
Should he lend Monkey Qiu a hand?
He knew the whereabouts of one of Lu Dongliang's daughters, and her status had even been acknowledged by Lu Dongliang himself.
He couldn't act rashly.
He had to discuss this with Old Seventh.
……
Li Banfeng was still in Heishipo, and recently he had developed an obsession with photography.
Grandpa Train had once said that when a journey cultivator reached a certain level, they were no longer walking on plain dirt.
Li Banfeng was still walking on plain dirt for now, but certain experiences had given him a few revelations.
While watching *Bloodgun Detective 3*, because the filming location was in Zhengjing Village, it had reminded him of many experiences there.
While watching the movie, he had entered an immersive state, as if he were truly wandering the newland around Zhengjing Village.
This state was not merely an illusion; Li Banfeng could clearly sense that his journey cultivation was progressing. The increase was extremely minute, but it was undoubtedly progressing.
From this, an idea formed in his mind.
If he kept more moving footage and photographic materials in the future, could he cultivate even from home?
He bought a camera and a movie camera. In Puluo Province, equipment like this was far from light; a full set weighed dozens of kilograms, not counting the film reels and canisters.
Fortunately, journey cultivators excelled at bearing heavy loads. While the carriage-pulling footwork wasn't suited for combat, it granted Li Banfeng extraordinary endurance during filming.
Technically speaking, Bai Qiusheng and Yuwen Qi were both skilled photographers, and they coached him personally on every single technique.
Over the course of a few days, Li Banfeng photographed and filmed nearly the entire city of Heishi, pouring immense effort into every set of pictures and motion picture reel.
"Come on, miss, smile! Arch that waist a bit lower, lift that peach higher!"
While Li Banfeng gained a great deal on his end, Xiao Chuan made strides of his own.
He built a clockwork projector for Li Banfeng, and its greatest feature was its compact size.
A stand under a meter tall.
Mounted atop the stand, the machine body and film reels together were roughly the size of a pickle jar laid on its side.
Among the projectors in Puluo Province, this size was considered remarkably exquisite.
After examining the projector, Li Banfeng asked, "What's the manufacturing cost for this machine?"
Xiao Chuan asked, "Including labor?"
"Include it!"
"Under twenty thousand Huan Country notes."
"That expensive?"
"Seventh Master, the spring, gears, bearings, and steel frame are all made from top-grade materials. The materials alone cost eighteen thousand, and I only estimated two thousand for labor."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "What if we don't use such high-grade materials?"
Xiao Chuan replied, "If the materials aren't good, it won't be durable. With this machine, you could use it for decades without any problem."
Li Banfeng chuckled. "Silly boy, who needs decades? Three years is plenty. Cut back on the craftsmanship too; no need to make it so refined. Try to push the cost down under three thousand."
"Three thousand?" Xiao Chuan shook his head. "That wouldn't even cover the mainspring. This spring can run for five hours."
Li Banfeng waved his hand. "No need for five hours. Half an hour is plenty."
"Half an hour can't even finish a whole motion picture."
In Puluo Province, a motion picture usually ran for about an hour.
"Showing half is fine! Wind it up again and play the rest!"
Scratching his head, Chuanzi went back to tinkering with the movie projector.
Li Banfeng packed his luggage and headed back to Lüshui City.
His primary reason for returning to Lüshui City this time was to find Shui Yongquan and inquire about local gods.
At Dream-Tethering Tower in the Inner States, Li Banfeng had seen many Tenth Tier cultivators. According to Grandpa Train, they were all vying for an opportunity to become a local god. As for what that truly entailed, Grandpa Train hadn't had the time to explain.
Of course, Shui Yongquan might not be willing to tell him either, so Li Banfeng was still pondering what terms he could offer in exchange.
As soon as he arrived in Lüshui City, Ma the Fifth filled him in on the Lu family's situation.
"There's no one left in the Lu family who can shoulder the load. The only one who might save them is probably Lu Chunying."
Lu Chunying and Xiao Yeci were currently in Zhengjing Village.
Li Banfeng pondered for a moment and said, "We need to discuss this with mother and daughter. If they're willing, settle things with Monkey Qiu in advance and send them to the Lu family. If they're not willing, immediately arrange for them to leave Zhengjing Village so they don't invite trouble."
Ma the Fifth sighed. "I hope this works out. If Lu Maoxian takes over the Lu family, we might not have a backer anymore."
"A backer will fail you sooner or later anyway, but no matter what, we can't let that old dog Lu Maoxian have things easy." Tugging down the brim of his hat, Li Banfeng headed back to Zhengjing Village with Ma the Fifth.
On the road, Ma the Fifth brought up Zhang Huaiyi: "He's Lu Yuanshan's cousin, but rumor has it he's actually Lu Dongliang's seed. Right now, he's treating the Lu manor like his own home."
Li Banfeng arched an eyebrow. "Madam Duan is that open-minded? Could there be another reason behind this?"
Arriving in Zhengjing Village, when they brought up the matter of going to the Lu family, Lu Chunying refused flat out: "What would I go to their house for? Can't I find a bite to eat anywhere else? Isn't it wonderful enough teaching here in the village with my mom?"
Lu Chunying had borrowed some money from Li Banfeng to open a schoolhouse in Zhengjing Village.
And truth be told, the hunters generally had some spare coin on hand and were keen to learn how to read; it was just that due to their age, they were too embarrassed to do so anywhere else.
In Zhengjing Village, there was no need to worry about saving face—Seventh Master didn't care much for it, and Fifth Master never considered it at all.
The school business was doing quite well. After expenses for food and daily necessities, mother and daughter could earn a silver dollar every two days.
"I'll just stay right here, peacefully teaching with my mother. When there's time, taking a walk into the newland builds cultivation too. Why should I go to the Lu family and swallow their abuse?"
Li Banfeng said, "If you're unwilling to go to the Lu family, I'm afraid you won't be able to stay in the village either."
"Why?" Lu Chunying asked, feeling aggrieved.
"You interact with so many hunters every day; word of your whereabouts will leak out soon enough. Sooner or later, Lu Maoxian will track you down, and he'll kill you to silence you."
With reddened eyes, Lu Chunying said, "I don't believe there isn't a single place in all of Puluo Province where my mother and I can find shelter!"
Li Banfeng replied, "There are places to shelter, but certainly not in Lüshui City. I can help find you another location, but you will have to live under assumed names for the rest of your lives, and absolute safety cannot be guaranteed."
Lu Chunying lowered her head in silence.
At her side, Xiao Yeci bit her lip and said, "In truth, ever since we received that letter, this outcome was already set in stone. Nannan, go to the Lu family. They won't mistreat you."
"Mom, what about you?"
Xiao Yeci smiled. "I'll keep teaching here. Isn't that fine? Nannan, we're destined to walk different paths in life."
Lu Chunying refused to agree. Xiao Yeci smiled and took Lu Chunying back to their wooden cabin. After a night of discussion, Xiao Yeci did manage to convince her. Lu Chunying agreed to go to the Lu family, but under certain conditions.
Having heard her terms, Li Banfeng felt considerable admiration for her. "You're a clever girl."
"Seventh Brother, if they agree to these conditions, I'll go to the Lu manor. Otherwise, I'll carve out a piece of newland myself and guard it together with my mom."
Li Banfeng nodded. "Your mother and I are of the same generation. Isn't calling me 'Seventh Brother' a bit improper?"
Lu Chunying smiled sheepishly. "You can't just look at seniority. What matters most is how close we are."
In the early morning, an exhausted Monkey Qiu sat inside his small building when a subordinate brought in an invitation.
Monkey Qiu opened it and saw a message from Ma the Fifth inviting him to gather at Xiaoyaowu tonight.
He tossed the invitation aside. How could he possibly be in the mood for Xiaoyaowu right now?
After a while, he picked it back up. He noticed that beside Ma the Fifth's signature at the bottom, there was also the character "Seven."
*Li the Seventh?*
Qiu Zhiheng fell into deep thought for a moment, then promptly burned the invitation.
That night, Qiu Zhiheng arrived at Xiaoyaowu. Ma the Fifth had prepared fine wine in a private booth. After a couple of drinks and some polite pleasantries, Ma the Fifth found an excuse to leave the booth. Li Banfeng, his hat brim pulled low, stepped inside.
"Brother Qiu, it's been a while." Li Banfeng sat across from Qiu Zhiheng and poured himself a cup of wine. "I invited you here to share some news—news concerning a young miss of the Lu family, one of the direct line."
A miss of the direct line meant a daughter of Lu Dongliang.
Qiu Zhiheng frowned. "Is it Lu Xiaolan?"
To this day, Lu Xiaolan remained a criminal of the Lu family; that status would not change.
Li Banfeng shook his head. "It's news of Lu Chunying."
Monkey Qiu froze in shock, and his wine cup dropped to the floor.
"Where is Miss Chunying?" He stared eagerly at Li Banfeng as if seeing a lifeline. "Brother, I won't ask you for a favor for nothing. Name your price!"
"No need to talk price yet. Let's talk conditions first. The condition set by the Lu family's young miss is that she can return to the Lu family, but she will not live inside the Lu family manor."
"She wants to live separately outside?" Qiu Zhiheng said with a grave expression. "If that's the case, I won't be able to guarantee her safety."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Brother Qiu, truth be told, if Lu Chunying stays inside the Lu manor, could you guarantee her safety there?"
Monkey Qiu didn't answer.
If Lu Maoxian wanted to kill Lu Chunying, Monkey Qiu could lead men to fight head-on.
If Duan Shaoxia wanted to kill Lu Chunying, Monkey Qiu wouldn't have a single move.
Weighing the pros and cons, Monkey Qiu agreed. "We'll do as she says—she won't enter the manor."
Li Banfeng nodded. "Now for the second matter. I hear Lu Yuanshan's cousin Zhang Huaiyi is also at the Lu manor. What's the situation there? Is Madam Duan looking to claim a son for herself?"
Qiu Zhiheng gave a slight nod.
"How do you plan to handle this?"
How to handle it?
Qiu Zhiheng had a way, but his hands were tied. "Ideally, the news should be spread, but it cannot originate from me."
Li Banfeng offered a suggestion: "The two Lu brothers ran into misfortune, and their newspaper office has no one managing it. We ran a newspaper in Heishipo and have some experience. Why not hand that business over to us for now?"
Qiu Zhiheng thought it over for a moment, then nodded with a smile. "The business can be given to you, but the name must be changed."
"Don't worry. Our paper is called *Night Fragrance*."
"Then it's a deal."
Li Banfeng tugged down the brim of his hat and pulled out the covenant deed.
PS: Lu Maoxian may have let Li Banfeng off, but that doesn't mean Li Banfeng has let him off.
Chapter 287