Lifeblood

Lu Chunying stepped out of the room, walked down the stairs step by step, and calmly came before Duan Shaoxia. Without looking into Duan Shaoxia's eyes, she kept her head lowered and bowed. "Thank you for the rescue, Madam." People from the Baihua Sect stood all around the room. Lu Chunying stood alone in the main hall like a leaf caught in the wind, liable to lose her life at any moment. Zuo Wugang kept his foot planted on Lu Dongtang, quietly clenching his fists. Lu Yuanxin remained impassive, quietly scattering insect bait. Xiao Yeci gritted her teeth, prepared to fight for her life. Zhang Xiuling looked at Duan Shaoxia. Duan Shaoxia looked at the mangled corpses blown apart beside her. After a long silence, Duan Shaoxia spoke. "Good girl, Chunying. You carry yourself just like your father Dongliang did back in the day. It isn't safe for you here. Be good and come back with me to the main mansion. We are family." Lu Chunying said nothing. Duan Shaoxia looked up toward the second floor. "Yeci, come back with me as well. From now on, the two of us sisters will live well together." Her voice carried such sorrow and sincerity that Xiao Yeci was genuinely swayed. Before Xiao Yeci could speak, Lu Chunying said, "Madam, I would still rather live here." With tears brimming in her eyes, Duan Shaoxia asked, "Chunying, do you still not trust me?" Lu Chunying shook her head. "Madam, I trust you. You treat me just like a mother. But I cannot go to the main mansion. You saw it yourself—Granduncle cannot tolerate me. I don't want to bring trouble upon you." With a trembling voice, Duan Shaoxia said, "I'm not afraid of trouble! All I want is for our family to live together." Tears rolled down Lu Chunying's cheeks as well. "Madam, I want that too. But right now I cannot. I don't yet have the standing to enter the main mansion's doors." Madam Duan wept, "Chunying, you do! I say you do!" Lu Chunying shook her head. "I cannot go, nor should I. You have Brother Huaiyi by your side to look after you. If I go, everyone in the family will start gossiping again." There was real depth behind those words. Zhang Huaiyi and Lu Chunying were of the same generation. Yet formally speaking, there was no blood relation between them. Was it a problem to live in the same estate? It depended on how one looked at it. To ordinary folk, it might not be an issue at all; after all, the Lu family mansion was enormous. To prominent clans, however, it posed quite a problem. Zhang Huaiyi had long coveted the Lu family's estate. If he took Lu Chunying for himself on top of that, the trouble would be immense! Once those words were out, Madam Duan's tears vanished, replaced by a rare gloom across her face. What could she do? Could she really kick Zhang Huaiyi out? He was her own son! After a sullen moment, Duan Shaoxia wept sincere tears once more. "Chunying, I truly want you to come home." Lu Chunying's tears flowed no less than Duan Shaoxia's. "Madam, I want to go home too, but I really cannot return right now." In the bedroom, Li Banfeng brewed a cup of green tea and listened intently to both of their sincere laments. Persuasion was clearly impossible now. Zhang Xiuling kept watching Duan Shaoxia to see whether she would resort to force. Duan Shaoxia glanced toward the bedroom upstairs, taking note of Zuo Wugang poised for battle, Lu Yuanxin waiting in the shadows, and Li the Seventh, currently nowhere in sight. While she hesitated, someone whispered in Zhang Xiuling's ear, "Chief, Ma the Fifth has arrived." Ma the Fifth had arrived at the residence with Huo Ling and a contingent of guards. Things were about to blow up. Duan Shaoxia looked at Ma the Fifth. "Junyang, you've come too." Back at Poplar Teahouse, Li Banfeng had dealt with Lu Maoxian's subordinates and, learning that Lu Chunying was in danger, immediately sent word for Ma the Fifth to bring reinforcements. It was only because Ma the Fifth had traveled a bit slower that he had only just arrived. Taking in the scene inside the room, Ma the Fifth immediately grasped the situation. He offered a composed bow. "Madam, forgive my late arrival." With that single sentence, Ma the Fifth made his stance clear. He had come to save people, not to make trouble. Not only did he state his own position, but he also defined Duan Shaoxia's. Madam, you came to save people too, didn't you? Zhang Xiuling knitted her brows slightly, comparing the numbers on both sides. Cultivation could not be judged at a glance, but going strictly by headcount, if an armed clash broke out right now, it would be hard to say who would win or lose. Duan Shaoxia gave Ma the Fifth a slight nod. "Junyang, Chunying is a fine child of our Lu family. You must take good care of her." Ma the Fifth nodded slightly. Without realizing it, the two exchanged a glance. In that single instant, a thread of blood appeared in Duan Shaoxia's eye. A thread of blood also surfaced in Ma the Fifth's eye. Duan Shaoxia turned back to Lu Chunying. "Yingying, come visit the house often. Even just keeping me company for a chat will brighten my spirits." Lu Chunying nodded repeatedly, but refused to lift her head. Duan Shaoxia turned her gaze upon Lu Dongtang. "You led men here to murder the head lineage. What do you have to say for yourself now?" Lu Dongtang shouted, "My father sent me! You have to ask him about this!" Duan Shaoxia said to Zhang Xiuling, "Sister, did you hear that?" Zhang Xiuling nodded. "The Baihua Sect stands witness. Lu Maoxian conspired to murder the head lineage. I heard it with my own ears." Back when Zhang Xiuling became head of the Baihua Sect, she had suffered no shortage of trouble from the Pure Observance Society. She remembered that grudge well, and today she was determined to serve as witness. Duan Shaoxia said to Lu Dongtang again, "Your entire branch conspired to murder the head lineage. What more do you have to say?" Lu Dongtang screamed, "These were my father's orders! Whatever the reason, you must wait for my father to speak! What are you trying to do? Don't you dare touch me!" Duan Shaoxia said, "Yingying, clan law has no room for this beast." Duan Shaoxia was prompting Lu Chunying to execute Lu Dongtang. Lu Chunying glanced at Lu Dongtang. Lu Dongtang had come to kill her. On a personal level, she had to avenge this. More than half of the Lu family acknowledged her as the orthodox direct line of the head lineage, so enforcing clan law truly fell upon her. Yet when it came to generational seniority, Lu Dongtang was her cousin-uncle. If she killed him now, would people use it against her? After all, she was not yet the family head. Yet if she didn't act, under these circumstances she would lose face and prestige, while leaving behind the seeds of future trouble. At this impasse, Lu Yuanxin suddenly said to Lu Chunying, "Miss Chunying, I have a few private matters to discuss with Cousin-Uncle." Lu Yuanxin walked up to Lu Dongtang. Lu Dongtang hurriedly pleaded, "Yuanxin! Uncle loved you most back then! When you were small, Uncle even held you in his arms..." The insults Lu Dongtang had heaped on Lu Yuanxin back at Lu Maoxian's residence still rang in his ears. Lu Yuanxin said nothing. Crouching beside Lu Dongtang, he placed a pair of spotted earwigs into his ear. Earwigs, also known as ear-pinchers for the forceps on their tails, were the subject of a popular myth claiming they could crawl into a person's ear, bite through the eardrum, enter the brain, and devour gray matter. In truth, most earwigs fed only on decaying foliage, with some eating insects; generally, they did not harm humans. Only these red-and-white spotted earwigs were a vicious breed specifically cultivated by Bug Cultivators. Spurred on by a Bug Cultivator's techniques, they became exceedingly ferocious, truly capable of boring into the cranium and destroying the brain. At first, Lu Dongtang felt only an intense itching in his ear. After the itching came excruciating pain, followed immediately by total deafness in that ear. In less than a minute, the earwigs had bored into his skull. Lu Dongtang shrieked again and again, his whole body convulsing. After a few more minutes, Lu Dongtang ceased moving. Lu Yuanxin fetched a short blade, chopped off Lu Dongtang's head, and stood before Lu Chunying. "Lu Dongtang conspired to murder the head lineage, and has now been executed in accordance with clan law!" Witnessing this scene, Duan Shaoxia faintly saw reflections of Lu Dongliang and Lu Dongjun from back then. Yet it seemed not quite the same. In Lu Yuanxin, Duan Shaoxia saw a loyalty that Lu Dongjun had rarely possessed. Lu Yuanxin had only just met Lu Chunying, so why go this far? After thinking for a moment, Duan Shaoxia understood. In the entire Lu family, Lu Chunying was the only one who treated Lu Yuanxin with respect. This was also Lu Yuanxin's sole opportunity to rise. At this thought, Duan Shaoxia nodded. "Chunying, I believe we should seek an explanation from your granduncle over this." Lu Chunying nodded. "I was thinking the same." The group escorted the gathered assassins toward Lu Maoxian's residence. Before setting off, Ma the Fifth went upstairs specifically to ask Li Banfeng, "Old Seven, are you coming?" "Of course," Li Banfeng said. "I'd like to see what explanation Lu Maoxian could possibly offer." No explanation would be offered; Li Banfeng knew that full well. Yet today's events had to have a resolution. With Lu Maoxian gone, who would be in charge of the Lu family from now on? The large crowd arrived imposing and unhidden before the gates of the mansion. There was no fear of outsiders knowing; today was about purging the clan. On this point, Lu Chunying and Duan Shaoxia were in general agreement: they would seize this opportunity to completely strip Lu Maoxian of any voice in the family. Only upon seeing the entire mansion thrown into chaos did everyone realize that Lu Maoxian truly had no voice left—he would never speak again. Lu Maoxian was dead, though no one knew at whose hands. Before Lu Chunying could even collect herself, she heard Duan Shaoxia burst into tears. No one knew who she was crying for or what she was crying about, but she wept so heart-wrenchingly that it moved others to tears as well. Was she putting on an act of being the saint? Lu Yuanxin had no desire to play nice. He yelled at the crowd, "Regardless of Granduncle's condition today, an explanation must be given for the plot against the head lineage!" Lu Maoxian's other children dared not utter a sound, while his more than a dozen concubines wept in terror. Lu Yuanxin gave Lu Chunying a suggestion: "Wipe out Lu Maoxian's entire branch outright to eliminate any future trouble." While weeping, Duan Shaoxia quietly observed Lu Yuanxin. That ruthless streak of his was in no way inferior to Lu Dongjun back in the day. Standing at the back of the crowd, Ma the Fifth asked Li the Seventh in a low voice, "Old Seven, what do you think?" Li Banfeng said, "Don't ask me. You're a young master from a prominent clan; you've certainly seen far more of this than I have." Ma the Fifth pondered for a moment. "Though Lu Yuanxin is heavy-handed, he isn't wrong about this." While Lu Chunying was considering her options, a rumble sounded in the distance. Chug! Chug! A steam-powered automobile drove over. Such machines were rare in Lüshui City and uncommon across the whole of Puluo Province. From afar, Ma the Fifth recognized the man in the car. "Old Seven, that's Garrison Commissioner Liao Zihui." The Garrison Commissioner had arrived. Li Banfeng swept a glance over the vehicle. Six people sat inside in total. Ma the Fifth lowered his voice. "The one wearing the hat is Liao Zihui. The rest are his bodyguards." Liao Zihui wore a long gown and a hat, with a pair of round-framed sunglasses on his face. He was around one meter seventy tall, and by sight, his waistline appeared roughly equal to his height. Stepping out of the vehicle, Liao Zihui asked briefly about the situation, then addressed the crowd: "Today's matter ends here." Could it really just end with a simple sentence like that? Lu Yuanxin was not quite willing to accept it, but held his tongue. Liao Zihui walked up to Lu Chunying and said expressionlessly, "Tomorrow, the Garrison Office will host a banquet. The invitation will be delivered shortly. We hope Miss Chunying will honor us with her presence." Lu Chunying said nothing. Xiao Yeci urged from the side, "Nannan, hurry and accept." Lu Chunying nodded slightly. Liao Zihui climbed into his car and left immediately, having stayed for less than half an hour from start to finish. In just that brief half hour, a bloody struggle came to an end. Zhang Xiuling escorted Duan Shaoxia back to the Lu family mansion, while Ma the Fifth led his men to escort Lu Chunying back to her residence. On the way, Zuo Wugang spoke to Ma the Fifth with a grave expression: "Fifth Master, I didn't see Lu Dongchun just now." Lu Yuanxin looked equally grim. "Never mind the others, but that menace absolutely cannot be spared." Lu Chunying asked, "What pathway does Lu Dongchun follow? Her fighting style looked very strange." Lu Yuanxin said, "She is a Garment Cultivator. That pathway is exceptionally sinister. In the early stages of cultivation, they can temper their garments into something extraordinarily tough. In the late stages, I expect there's nothing left of them but clothes." Lu Chunying was puzzled. "What do you mean, nothing left but clothes?" Lu Yuanxin said, "No flesh and blood. From head to toe, they are entirely made of clothes." ... Lu Dongchun was right inside Lu Maoxian's residence. She had originally prepared to fight to the death. Learning that Lu Chunying had already left with her people, Lu Dongchun picked up a flatiron and pressed it repeatedly across her own body. From the dense layers of holes in her garments, wisps of dark smoke rose one after another as the clothes moths were scalded to death. Lu Dongchun produced a sewing needle and slowly picked out the dead insects. Then she threaded the needle and slowly stitched up the wounds on her body. Starting by stitching her face. ... Inside Xiaoyaowu, Li Banfeng asked Ma the Fifth, "'For internal affairs look to the banner; for external affairs consult the garrison.' Why would the Garrison Commissioner interfere in the Lu family's internal affairs?" Rubbing his eyes, Ma the Fifth replied, "A Garrison Commissioner does not lightly interfere in the internal affairs of the great families. But whenever he does, none of them will deny him face." "So the prominent clans of Puluo Province are under the thumb of the Garrison Commissioner?" "There is no helping it. The Garrison Commissioner controls transportation everywhere. If you go against him, you cannot keep doing business. Actually, what happened today can be considered a good thing. The Garrison Commissioner hosting a banquet for Lu Chunying is tantamount to acknowledging her status as head of the family. What I did not expect was that Duan Shaoxia still maintained ties with the Baihua Sect. Whether Lu Chunying can hold onto the seat of family head remains to be seen." As he spoke, Ma the Fifth kept rubbing his eyes until blood seeped from his left eye. Li Banfeng asked in astonishment, "What got in your eye for you to rub it so hard?" Ma the Fifth laughed. "An emotion root got in. I just managed to rub it out. Old Seven, Duan Shaoxia is an Emotion Cultivator—and a rather high-level one at that." PS: Ma the Fifth had an in-depth understanding of Emotion Cultivators.