Li Banfeng had once used the gramophone record cut by the wife to search Xiaoyaowu for hooks. He had checked people and checked rooms, scouring nearly every corner of Xiaoyaowu.
When he was checking people, the cleaner hadn't been carrying a broom.
When he checked the various rooms, the cleaner had carried a broom and done his best to avoid Li Banfeng.
Who would have guessed that a hook would be hung on a broom?
No wonder Ling Miaosheng had once said that hooks slip into any crack they find; it was not merely a matter of technique, but a contest of wits.
Who could have hung this hook?
In all likelihood, He Jiaqing had ordered the Ling family to do it, but to be safe, it was best to investigate thoroughly first.
"Can you trace the source of the hook?"
"I can," Luo Zhengnan agreed without hesitation.
Li Banfeng took out five hundred silver dollars and handed them to Luo Zhengnan. "Take this for your expenses. If you need money, just come to me."
Luo Zhengnan fell silent for a moment, then looked up. "Seventh Master, there is one more thing I should tell you. Fifth Young Master of the Ma family might be in for trouble."
"Give me the details."
"The eldest young master of the He family, He Jiaqing—I don't know if you're acquainted with him?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Heard of him, don't know him."
"This Eldest Young Master He's newly released movie was disrupted by Fifth Master Ma. Yesterday, he was in touch with a woman; he might be planning to make a move on Fifth Master Ma."
***
Ma the Fifth sat in the room, holding an invitation, his face beaming with joy.
Huo Ling and Ah Qin sat to the side, their expressions grim.
Li Banfeng walked in, and Ma the Fifth eagerly stepped forward. "Old Seven, this is an invitation Shen Rongqing sent me! She invited me to dinner tonight at Heping Mansion!"
Ah Qin let out a cold snort. "Go on, then. Let that little vixen attend to you properly!"
Huo Ling spat. "What little vixen? That woman is in her late thirties, at an age when women are as ravenous as wolves and tigers! Just wait until she drains you bone-dry and leaves nothing behind!"
Li Banfeng looked over the invitation. "Old Five, this woman is no simple character."
"Of course she isn't simple. She is the foremost female prodigy of our age. Even Zhang Xiuling has to yield to her."
"Indeed, a woman of talent. Not only gifted in letters, she also knows business. I originally thought she only ran tanneries and paper mills, but who knew she would enter the movie business as well? The Ling family's film company should be in her hands right now."
Ma the Fifth froze for a moment, beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead.
Ah Qin hurriedly urged him, "Fifth Brother, you can't go! It's a Hongmen banquet!"
Huo Ling sneered from the side, "Go ahead! He's dying to go! 'To perish beneath the peony blossom—even in death, one remains a romantic ghost.'"
Ma the Fifth gave a slight nod. "Ling'er has a point. 'To perish beneath the peony blossom'—this time, let's see who actually dies!"
***
At seven in the evening, Ma the Fifth arrived at Heping Mansion for the banquet. Heping Mansion was a property of the Lu family, the tallest building in Lüshui City and even across all of Puluo Province. Standing thirty-six stories high, it featured steam-powered lifts, housing restaurants, hotels, department stores, cinemas, and dance halls.
Heping Mansion was built by Lu Dongliang, who had envisioned making it the premier landmark of Lüshui City. Regrettably, up until the day Lu Dongliang entered the Lotus, Heping Mansion's standing still lagged slightly behind the Paramount.
Taking the lift up to the sixteenth floor, guided by an attendant, Ma the Fifth stepped into the private dining room Shen Rongqing had reserved.
This was the first time Ma the Fifth had met Shen Rongqing, the premier female prodigy of Puluo Province.
Was Shen Rongqing beautiful?
It depended on whom she was compared to. Judging purely by face, among ordinary women she certainly had some looks, but she fell a bit short of stunning beauties like Jiang Mengting, Xiao Xiufei, or Tu Yinghong.
Yet once she opened her mouth, that was an entirely different story.
Ma the Fifth knew Jiang Mengting and Xiao Xiufei intimately. On certain occasions when they attended banquets, scripts had to be prepared for them in advance; otherwise, the moment they spoke, they would ruin the impression people had of them.
Seeing Ma the Fifth, Shen Rongqing rose first and offered a formal cupped-fist salute. "I have long heard of your esteemed name, Young Master. Meeting you today is truly my great fortune!"
Within her elegance lay a touch of solemnity, and in her spirited demeanor was a hint of playfulness.
Ma the Fifth hastily replied, "You flatter me, Miss Shen. I have admired you for years, and to finally meet you today brings me unbound joy."
Cupping their fists toward each other, they exchanged glances for a long moment before Shen Rongqing couldn't help letting out a chuckle. "I've been writing a martial arts romance recently. Don't these words of ours carry a bit of heroic spirit?"
In a single sentence, all awkwardness of a first meeting dissolved, and the two seemed like old friends reunited after years apart.
Ma Junyang said, "When will Miss Shen's new work be published? I am so eager I can hardly sleep."
Shen Rongqing's cheeks flushed slightly. "It is my first time writing martial arts fiction, and I fear being laughed at."
Ma Junyang sighed with admiration. "So long as it comes from your brush, I would read it ten thousand times without tiring of it."
Shen Rongqing seemed deeply moved. "Since it is a rare treat for us to gather today, I would like to share the synopsis of the story, if only Young Master Ma will promise not to tell another soul."
Within just a few exchanges, a secret already existed between them.
Ma Junyang nodded. "Since Miss Shen trusts me, not a third person shall ever hear what is spoken today."
The two began to talk of the story. The protagonist was named Nangong Xuan. Had someone else chosen such a name, Ma the Fifth would have found it hopelessly cliché, but coming from Miss Shen, it carried a distinct elegance.
"Young Master Nangong met the swordswoman Yue Haitang and asked softly, 'My lady, where are you headed?'
Yue Haitang answered, 'The world is vast—Ma Junyang, don't do the movie business anymore.'"
Ma the Fifth gave a start. The voice he had just heard was deep and resonant, striking straight into his mind, seemingly not spoken by Shen Rongqing at all. Yet there was no one else in the room.
Ma the Fifth asked directly, "Miss Shen, what did you just say?"
Shen Rongqing pouted slightly, looking somewhat displeased. "Yue Haitang said, 'The world is vast, could there not be a place for me to take refuge?' Young Master Ma, weren't you listening? Is the story not interesting?"
Ma the Fifth waved his hands repeatedly. "No, the story is too captivating. I just lost myself in thought for a moment."
Shen Rongqing continued narrating. When she reached the reunion of the hero and heroine, Miss Shen's voice trembled slightly. "Yue Haitang said sorrowfully, 'Young Master Nangong, separated for over ten years, have you been well?'
Young Master Nangong replied, 'Ma Junyang, never meddle in the movie business again!'"
Ma the Fifth sat dazed at the table, speechless for a long while.
Shen Rongqing smiled faintly and raised her wine cup. "Young Master Ma, Young Master Nangong said, 'Twelve years have passed like a lifetime away. Now that we meet again today, let us never let this bond slip by.'"
With a wooden expression, Ma the Fifth nodded, a streak of bloodshot red surfacing in his eyes.
This was Shen Rongqing's self-created art of pseudo-emotion, combining the techniques of Mind Cultivator and Literary Cultivator while utilizing magical treasures of Illusion Cultivators and Emotion Cultivators to plant a pseudo-emotion root within Ma the Fifth.
The Literary Cultivator art drew Ma the Fifth quickly into the scene, establishing intimacy and trust in the shortest possible time.
The Mind Cultivator art issued a command to Ma the Fifth, forbidding him from ever meddling in the movie trade again, ensuring he would never oppose Shen Rongqing.
The Illusion Cultivator treasure masked the telltale signs of the techniques, preventing Ma the Fifth from being on guard or noticing anything amiss.
In principle, these means alone should have sufficed. Why then use an Emotion Cultivator treasure as well?
Because techniques of the Literary and Mind paths did not last long. If Shen Rongqing had only employed Mind and Literary arts, Ma the Fifth would indeed detest the movie business for three to five days after the meal.
Yet once those three to five days passed and the technique waned, Ma the Fifth would return to running the movie business—he was a merchant, and pursuing profit was his nature.
With an Emotion Cultivator treasure, this command became enduring. The core of Emotion Cultivator arts lay in absolute devotion.
When Shen Rongqing spoke earlier of 'twelve years passing like a lifetime away,' she had planted a twelve-year emotion root in Ma the Fifth. For twelve years, Ma the Fifth would be unable to touch the movie business.
Seeing Ma the Fifth's dazed expression, Shen Rongqing raised her cup. "Young Master Ma, you've drifted off again."
Ma the Fifth rubbed his eyes, sounding half-asleep and half-awake. "I feel rather tired today."
Shen Rongqing saw that the time was right and prepared to see her guest off. "Since you are fatigued, Young Master, finish this cup of wine and head back early to rest. My humble work is not yet finished, so please be sure not to reveal a word of it."
Ma the Fifth agreed repeatedly.
With this promise secured, the events of today would not leak out either.
***
The next morning, Shen Rongqing yawned, opened her eyes, and looked at Ma Junyang beside her.
Wait.
Why was Ma Junyang beside her?
Why was she under the same quilt as him?
Shen Rongqing looked down at herself beneath the covers.
Where were her clothes...?
Ma the Fifth embraced Shen Rongqing from behind. "A single night feels like a lifetime away. Miss Shen, from this day forth, you are my woman."
Shen Rongqing shuddered.
Ma the Fifth appeared calm, but to tell the truth, lingering fear gripped him.
Shen Rongqing was a fifth-layer Literary Cultivator and a fourth-layer Mind Cultivator. Had she truly intended to kill him, his life would have been forfeit.
Yet it was too late for her to strike now; she could no longer bring herself to do it.
She should not have used an Emotion Cultivator treasure on Ma the Fifth.
Having undergone advanced post-graduate training under Feng Daiku, Ma the Fifth could exploit the traits of Emotion Cultivators to transfer the emotion root onto Shen Rongqing!
***
Leaving Heping Mansion, Shen Rongqing returned to the film company in a state of utter disarray.
Sitting in her office, clutching her hair, she had no idea what to do next.
The secretary came in to report, "That Mr. Zhong is here again."
Shen Rongqing composed her feelings and turned to the mirror to touch up her makeup, paying special attention to her lipstick.
Her lips were slightly swollen, though hopefully not noticeably so. If only they hadn't done it that last time before leaving.
Before long, the white-robed youth entered the office and said to Shen Rongqing, "Miss Shen, what do you think of the matter we discussed previously?"
Shen Rongqing steadied her thoughts, returning once more to her sharp, capable demeanor. "Regarding what Mr. Zhong mentioned before, I have already passed word along. However, we know too little about your side, so it is difficult to make a hasty decision."
"It seems that was my fault for not explaining clearly. Allow me to present this object to you, Miss." The white-robed youth produced a handkerchief and gave it to Shen Rongqing.
Shen Rongqing accepted the handkerchief and examined it closely.
Yellow background with cloud patterns. As the foremost female prodigy of her era, she naturally knew the origin of such a handkerchief.
The white-robed youth said, "Miss Shen, the Sage thirsts for talent. We hope that you will not disappoint the Sage's goodwill."
***
Disguised as a maintenance worker, He Jiaqing was repairing seats in the waiting hall of Yuezhou East Station, prying a magnet from beneath a seat.
Stowing the magnet, he went to a hotel in front of the station and checked in. There, He Jiaqing brought out another magnet.
When the two magnets snapped together, a white ring emerged. He Jiaqing pressed the magnets against his head.
After a bout of twitching, He Jiaqing let out a sigh and murmured to himself, "The efficiency is still too slow. It's not the absorption that's slow, but my travel speed. Why haven't I borrowed the journey cultivator art yet? Are Zhao Xiaowan's techniques different?"
While he was pondering, Shen Rongqing sent a message: "Jiaqing, Zhong Huai'en came again. He brought a handkerchief with dragon patterns on a yellow background."
He Jiaqing gave a start. "Something used by an emperor?"
"Indeed. I examined the quality; it was truly used by an emperor. Jiaqing, he still wishes to recruit you. Do you want to meet him?"
He Jiaqing thought for a moment. "No rush, Sister. Stall him a while longer and learn more about their background."
***
"Emperor? Sage?" Luo Zhengnan blinked. "He couldn't be talking about that Sage at *** Ridge, could he? No wonder Gang Leader Xiao cares so much about that place."
Chapter 352