Crossing the Tribulation

With the covenant deed settled, Li Banfeng still had matters to discuss with Meng Yuchun. This territory would rely on Meng Yuchun to guard it in the future, while Meng Yuchun's territory would depend on Li Banfeng leading people to clear and develop it. The two of them had many issues to deal with. For instance, the band of anomalies under Lord Mountain-Uprooter was a pressing problem that needed resolving. Li Banfeng had them sign covenant deeds on the spot, placing them under Meng Yuchun's command from then on. The ordinary anomalies were easy enough to handle; following one master was no different from following another. The vine anomaly and the cook anomaly, however—these two roaming anomalies were somewhat reluctant. They had slogged their way up to their present cultivation and finally attained the status of roaming anomalies precisely so they would no longer be bound by a local spirit. Yet today, Li Banfeng was making them sign covenant deeds again, and the two dragged their feet, unwilling to press their thumbprints. Reluctance was easy to fix. His wife might be full, but she could always make room for a side dish or two. Li Banfeng stared at the two roaming anomalies, smiling faintly. "You truly refuse?" The two roaming anomalies could not see Li Banfeng's face, only the low brim of his hat and the slight upward curl of his lips. Before either could declare where they stood, the Opera-Beckoning Matron blurted out, "I agree! I'm willing!" "You?" Li Banfeng shook his head slightly. "I'm afraid you won't get the chance." "I'm truly—" Before the Opera-Beckoning Matron could finish, Meng Yuchun twisted and snapped the creature's neck from behind. The other two roaming anomalies hesitated no longer and immediately signed the covenant deeds. ... In Yuezhou, at Garden Stadium, more than three hours had passed since the boy band concert ended, yet many fans still lingered, unwilling to leave. He Jiaqing waited until three in the morning before slipping into the stadium and making his way underground. Stamping the seal onto the crown of his head, He Jiaqing convulsed for a long time; the excruciating pain was truly unbearable. He did not leave the seal in the subterranean chamber. Instead, he kept it together with its box on his person and left the stadium. In any single place, strike at most twice a month—this was the rule He Jiaqing had set for himself. He would return after some time had passed, even though this was truly a fine spot. Leaving the stadium, He Jiaqing drove to a villa in Yucong District. The villa had gone untended for a long time. Dust lay thick, and the bedding had grown moldy. He Jiaqing placed the seal into a hidden compartment under the bed, took an oil brush from his pocket, and brushed it twice across the compartment door. The door vanished from sight. With the seal stowed, He Jiaqing went into the bathroom, stood before the mirror, and flexed his heels upward. His bones cracked and popped, and He Jiaqing grew three centimeters taller. He pressed his palms over his face, kneading the skin looser, pushing the cheekbones slightly higher, lengthening his nasolabial folds, deepening his forehead wrinkles, and darkening his complexion... After this kneading and rubbing, He Jiaqing took on the appearance of He Haisheng. Changing into a grey Zhongshan suit, He Jiaqing carried his suitcase out of the villa, caught a taxi, and headed for Yuezhou East Station. Two days later, He Jiaqing arrived in Lüshui City. Taking a rickshaw, he traveled to the He family mansion. He Haiqin looked to be in good spirits, his already massive, corpulent frame having expanded by several girths. He was eating mutton in the dining room. Beside him, He Yuxiu smiled and said, "Little Brother, has your cultivation grown? You've already eaten six whole sheep!" He Haiqin ignored He Yuxiu, looking at "He Haisheng" instead. "Old Third, why are you back again?" "He Haisheng" said nothing. He Yuxiu frowned. "Is there something you can't let your sister know?" He Haiqin wiped his mouth. "All right, come upstairs with me." He Yuxiu waved her hand. "No need to go upstairs. I'm leaving. I'll go play cards—not like I want to listen to your nonsense anyway!" He Haiqin took hold of He Yuxiu. "Sister, you can't leave. I have important business to discuss with you in a moment." "He Haisheng" followed He Haiqin upstairs. Before "He Haisheng" could even speak, He Haiqin had already guessed his purpose: "Did you find more elixir pills?" "He Haisheng" nodded. "Found twenty this time." "Where did you find them?" "The same place as before." He Haiqin took the pill box and smiled. "Jiaqing is a good boy, truly a good boy. Old Third, you must take good care of him. Your brother is begging you from the bottom of his heart." "Brother, what are you saying? Jiaqing is my nephew; I care for him too." He Haiqin counted out ten pills and handed them to "He Haisheng." "Brother, take these!" "Brother, I can't take these." "I told you to take them, so take them! Business at Jinquan Casino has been good lately, and I don't have the time to look after it. It's yours now." "Brother, what are you doing..." "Don't ask. It's not often you make a trip back, so go attend to your affairs quickly. Once you're done, head back to the Outer States to look after Jiaqing." "He Haisheng" left. He Haiqin sat down beside He Yuxiu and resumed gnawing on mutton, saying as he ate, "Sister, let me go over our family's businesses with you." He Yuxiu paused in surprise. "Why tell me this? I wouldn't understand it anyway." "I'm going on a long journey. The family business will be left in your hands from now on." He Yuxiu grew even more puzzled. "You want me to run the businesses? Go to Old Third for that! Why bring it up to me?" He Haiqin shook his head. "He's not the material for it." He Yuxiu laughed. "In all my fucking years, this is the first time I've ever heard that I'm business material. Fine then, talk. I'm listening." ... Leaving the He family mansion, He Jiaqing went to a residence in the east of the city. He wiped his hand across his face before a mirror and turned into an ordinary-looking man around thirty years of age. Changing into a long gown and donning a sun hat, he went to the Miaosheng Gramophone Shop. The previous trouble had passed, and the gramophone shop remained open, but there was no business. Ling Miaosheng sat in the back dozing off as usual. He Jiaqing lightly tapped the counter and said with a smile, "Still open for business?" Ling Miaosheng lifted his head, looked at the man before him, and asked, "Looking to buy a gramophone? Which model caught your eye?" He Jiaqing shook his head. "None of the stock out here catches my interest. May I take a look inside?" Ling Miaosheng rose to his feet. "Let's make things clear first. Are you here to buy goods, or to seek revenge? If it's revenge, we settle it right here." He Jiaqing chuckled. "Do I even know you, that I'd seek revenge?" Ling Miaosheng led He Jiaqing through the back door and opened a room displaying all manner of gramophones. He Jiaqing looked over each gramophone, speaking as he inspected them: "I'm a friend of Miaowen and Miaoying—a friend from the Outer States." Ling Miaosheng pointed to a glossy black windup gramophone. "This one is produced in Ingrid. The craftsmanship is exceptionally refined, and the tone is beyond reproach. It's just a bit delicate and requires frequent upkeep." He Jiaqing continued, "Miaowen and Miaoying must have mentioned me to you. We're close as brothers." Ling Miaosheng moved beside a silver gramophone. "This one comes from Cheman. Sturdy and durable, with a crisp tone, perfect for playing piano pieces." He Jiaqing carried on, "Miaowen is gone, and there's no word on Miaoying. The family's business can't simply be cast aside like this." "This gramophone was made in Xipanni. The tone has some sharp edges and isn't quite as good for music, but it reproduces voices with exceptional clarity." "Miaosheng, the only one I can trust now is you." "Mister, are you here to buy a gramophone?" They held each other's gaze for a moment. Then He Jiaqing smiled, put on his sun hat, and left the gramophone shop. Ling Miaosheng saw him to the door, then returned behind the counter to doze. Walking down the street, He Jiaqing shook his head helplessly. The man was entirely impervious to persuasion. Old Wan said Ling Miaoying was still alive, but He Jiaqing wasn't certain if he truly was. Yet certain matters still required someone to carry them out. ... In an estate outside the city, Wan Jinxian was drinking tea in his study when a servant suddenly pulled up a chair across from him, sat down, and poured himself a cup of tea. Wan Jinxian stared dumbfounded for a long moment, until the man across from him wiped his face and smiled. "Jiaqing!" Wan Jinxian was both shocked and delighted. Pushing open the room's door, he looked all around, terrified someone might have heard. "Rest easy, everyone in the residence is asleep," He Jiaqing said with a chuckle. "They won't wake before I leave." Wan Jinxian hurriedly asked, "Why are you back?" "I missed you, old brother. I came back specially to see you." Wan Jinxian gave a bitter smile. "I'm no young maiden—what would you miss a withered old man like me for? Is there some urgent matter?" He Jiaqing took a sip of tea. "You told me before that Miaoying was still alive. Any word on him lately?" Wan Jinxian shook his head. "Ever since he appeared at Xiaoyaowu that time, he hasn't shown his face again." He Jiaqing set down his teacup. "I just went to the motion picture company. Filming for our movie has halted." Wan Jinxian said, "I truly don't understand the motion picture business. I sent someone to ask, and they said shooting could wrap up in two more days, but no one knows where the lead actress went." "You mean Tu Yinghong? Didn't you go look for her?" "I sent people. I heard she also appeared at Xiaoyaowu, so she's likely together with Ling Miaoying." He Jiaqing furrowed his brows. He had placed too much trust in Ling Miaoying before. Was Ling Miaoying acting alongside Tu Yinghong truly just to target Ma the Fifth? Was Ling Miaoying actually still alive? If Ling Miaoying was already dead, a replacement had to be found for his position as soon as possible. If Ling Miaoying was still alive, his actions with Tu Yinghong had clearly slipped beyond He Jiaqing's control. "Find Tu Yinghong and have her finish the film. I can't stay in Puluo Province for long; this has to be handled quickly." Wan Jinxian nodded. "I heard Lu Maoxian still often sends men to make trouble at the set, and your father has sent people too. No telling how Miaoying managed to offend Master He." He Jiaqing rubbed his chin. "Probably still over the business at Haichiling." "Why not have the Ling family spit back some of the Haichiling business and return it to your father?" He Jiaqing shook his head. "You don't need to concern yourself with my father's side of things. It'll be resolved in a few days." ... At the He family mansion, He Haiqin's wife, Yan Yulin, pleaded, "Haiqin, that's enough already. Just how much have you eaten?" For three full days, He Haiqin had eaten mutton nonstop, sack after sack of sheep bones carried out of the house. His face dripping with grease, He Haiqin snapped impatiently at Yan Yulin, "This is a matter of cultivation—keep out of it! Have the kitchen work in shifts and roast them one after another for me! Not a single pause!" "Haiqin, you can't eat any more!" "You wouldn't understand!" He Haiqin hauled himself to his feet, intending to go to the kitchen in person, only to get wedged in the doorway, unable to squeeze through. Yan Yulin looked at He Haiqin. His human form was completely unrecognizable. His colossal torso had nearly swallowed his limbs whole, making his entire outline swell into an ever-expanding sphere. "Hurry to the kitchen and check on it! Must you make me go myself?" He Haiqin bellowed in anger. Yan Yulin rushed to the back kitchen. Chairs had long since ceased to fit him. He Haiqin sat back down on the floor and retrieved five Golden Origin Pills from his pocket. In all his decades of clawing his way through Puluo Province, he had never seen elixir pills of such extraordinary quality. These were the treasures refined from the Xuansheng Red Lotus. This treasure was why the world coveted the Xuansheng Red Lotus in the first place. Jiaqing, you brat, your old man knows what you're thinking. You want to send your old man through the tribulation. Yet even knowing, what of it? Three times the lifespan. Who in this world wouldn't want to cross this threshold? He Haiqin shoved all five pills into his mouth at once. Jiaqing, you helped your old man this once, and I won't mistreat you either. Your Eldest Aunt understands nothing. You can take the businesses back from her hands with ease. Everything from here on is entrusted to you. As waves of pill poison surged upward, He Haiqin snatched up half a roasted sheep, tearing into it and swallowing voraciously, forcibly smothering the pill poison beneath mounds of mutton. Early the next morning, a frantic shouting jolted Yan Yulin awake. "Madam! Something has happened to the master!" Yan Yulin rushed toward the dining room. Half-congealed mutton fat covered the floor and had spilled all the way down the corridor, causing He Yuxiu to slip and fall repeatedly. Bursting into the dining room, Yan Yulin saw a massive heap of grease piled against the wall, taking up nearly half the room's floor space. Where had this pile of grease come from? "Where is the master!" Yan Yulin cried out. One bold guard walked up to the grease, reached inside, and fumbled around for a moment. Slowly, a human face emerged from within the fat. Though bloated beyond recognition, Yan Yulin still identified the familiar features. "Master! Master, what's happened to you!" Yan Yulin threw herself against the mountain of grease, cradling He Haiqin's face as she wailed in grief. P.S. He Jiaqing really is a filial child.