Puluo Province's Brand Cannot Be Lost

"Old Seven, I'm truly in awe of you! Businesses everywhere are moving again!" Ma the Fifth was beside himself with excitement, ready to drop to his knees and kowtow to Li Banfeng right then and there. Li Banfeng stepped aside. "I'll say it once more: if you're my brother, you don't kneel." Ma the Fifth was impressed—he truly was. Shen Rongqing, whom he had tried and failed to convince so many times, had been swayed by Li Banfeng. He was burning with curiosity over what technique Li Banfeng had used, or what kind of pills he had taken. Perhaps it went beyond mere technique; Ma the Fifth suspected that Shen Rongqing might have developed genuine feelings. None of that mattered now. Their businesses everywhere were up and running again. First was Heishipo, where the factory's goods were sold off locally. Though they made slightly less profit on the margin, the difference was negligible. Over a dozen merchants bought the goods in batches and dispersed them across various places to sell. Every one of these people was one of He Jiaqing's subordinates. Why didn't the Garrison Commissioner raise freight rates on them? Why didn't he issue an order that anyone who took goods from Li the Seventh and Ma the Fifth would see their freight rates hiked by fifty percent? That would be easier said than done. These merchants had different backgrounds, different statuses, operated in different industries, and moved their goods through entirely different channels. If their freight rates were all raised, who knew how many people's businesses would be disrupted? Chaos would erupt across Heishipo—and perhaps throughout all of Puluo Province. With the troubles in Heishipo and elsewhere gradually resolved, Ma the Fifth was so thrilled that he had Jiang Mengting sing for Li Banfeng all night long. Li Banfeng admitted that Jiang Mengting's singing was decent enough, but no matter how well she sang, could she ever hold a candle to his wife? Seeing how enthusiastic Ma the Fifth was, Li Banfeng didn't want to brush off his good intentions, so he made an excuse. "Old Five, having her sing for me alone is dull. Let's host a concert and gather our friends together." Ma the Fifth didn't have much confidence. With the Garrison Commissioner targeting them now, who knew how many people would be willing to come? Li Banfeng didn't care about that. "Those who come are friends. Those who don't can forget about ever setting foot through our doors again." Ma the Fifth deferred to Li the Seventh and sent out the invitations immediately. He loved concerts; he loved the spectacle of songstresses taking the stage to compete. Even though the competition was just for show, he simply adored the atmosphere. When the invitations were sent out, he thought they'd be lucky if the seats were half full. To his surprise, attendance exceeded eighty percent. Aside from the Chu family and their retainers, everyone who ought to be there showed up. The Lu family went without saying; everyone who received an invite came. Lu Chunying came, Lu Yuanxin came, and even Duan Shaoxia showed up. The He family was in dire straits. He Yuxiu was nowhere to be found, and no one else in the main branch could make decisions. She had a male cousin and two female cousins who felt their status was too low and didn't dare come, but Ma the Fifth personally went and brought them over. In times like these, showing support for the He family was all the more vital. What caught Ma the Fifth completely off guard was that the fourth son of the Ma family, Ma Junjiang, had come. He had initially worried his brother might make a scene, but Ma Junjiang had come with genuine congratulations, bringing two gifts with him. "One is from our father." Ma the Fifth was taken aback. "What? The old man thinks highly of me again?" Ma Junjiang laughed. "He still looks down on the things you did before, but this time he told me that your unyielding backbone really resembles his." "Backbone? You mean the matter with the Garrison Commissioner..." Ma Junjiang looked around, signaling Ma the Fifth not to mention the Garrison Commissioner here. "Old Five, find some time to go home and visit. The old master misses you." Ma the Fifth had no desire to return home, but he accepted the gifts. As for the remaining ten-plus percent of empty seats, Li Banfeng didn't let them sit vacant either. He had several guards, cooks, and cleaning hands find seats. "Everyone, if you've got work, go do it; if not, just relax and have fun here! Plenty of food and drink—my treat!" The sweeper felt awkward. His broom was unusual; clutching it while sitting there clearly wasn't appropriate, but setting it aside left him worried that someone might take it by mistake or walk off with it. The concert began, cheers and applause ringing out continuously across the grand dance hall. Li Banfeng glanced through the audience and made eye contact with a thin youth for a moment. One after the other, they left the dance hall and headed to a private booth. This slender youth was none other than Qin Xiaopang. Li Banfeng frowned. "You've grown so thin your face is sunken in. Didn't I tell you? If you need money, come to me. You can't keep starving yourself like this." Qin Xiaopang spoke with slight breathlessness. "Brother Seven, I don't know what's happening to me. I pour tens of jin of food into my stomach every day, but I can't fill it at all." Li Banfeng frowned. "Is the Hungry Gut Silkworm that fierce?" Xiaopang shook his head. "Our silver badge has seen people who swallowed Hungry Gut Silkworms before, but he's never seen anyone who can eat like me. No matter how much I eat, I never feel full. I got on the scale yesterday, and I didn't even weigh a hundred jin." "This won't do!" Li Banfeng was growing worried. The Hungry Gut Silkworm Pan Dehai had given him was very likely abnormal. "I'll find someone to get that bug out of you. We can't let you suffer through this." "Don't, Brother Seven!" Hearing that it would be taken out, Xiaopang was reluctant. "If I just hold out for another month or so, I should reach the fourth tier of cultivation! It's all thanks to this bug that my skills are growing!" "Fourth tier?" Li Banfeng felt more and more that there was something wrong with this Hungry Gut Silkworm. "Brother, listen to me. Get rid of that bug right away." "Brother Seven, let me hold on for two more days. If I really can't take it, I'll figure something out." Xiaopang changed the subject and began talking about matters inside the gang. "Because my cultivation has grown so fast, our silver badge values me greatly and takes me everywhere. A couple of days ago, we went to the second chief's mansion. The second chief had a few cups too many and let slip some words he shouldn't have." "What did he say?" "He said the chief has no balls, acting like a dog for outsiders from the Outer States, and that Sanying Gate will be ruined in his hands sooner or later." Hearing this, Li Banfeng pondered for a moment and asked, "Did he say that from the bottom of his heart, or was it meant for your ears?" "Why would he say it for me to hear? I'm not anyone important..." Halfway through his sentence, Xiaopang realized. "Brother Seven, does he know there's someone behind me?" Li Banfeng smiled. That was only natural. Xiaopang had reached the third tier as a Food Cultivator in under two years; that alone was hard to explain by mere natural talent. With all the financial support Li Banfeng had given him, drawing the second chief's attention was only to be expected. "I'd actually prefer it if he said it for you to hear." Li Banfeng opened his wallet, pulled out a thick wad of banknotes, and handed them to Qin Xiaopang. Qin Xiaopang waved his hands. "Brother Seven, I'm not short on money lately..." "Take the money first. Go look into your second chief's past and see if he's actually a man with balls, and whether he's ever done anything that showed guts. Aside from that, give a bit more to your silver badge. Seniority is backed by capital—only with resources do you have clout!" ... Returning to the grand dance hall, Li Banfeng had just sat down when Ma the Fifth took a seat beside him. Pointing toward a man around forty, Ma the Fifth said, "That's He Yuxiu's cousin, He Haijian." Li Banfeng glanced at where the man was seated and frowned. "He shouldn't be sitting there. He ought to be in the VIP section." "I invited him to the VIP section, but he didn't dare go. He said his standing wasn't high enough. I tried talking to him about business, but he said he didn't dare make decisions and that speaking with him was useless. Look at the way he sits—so cautious, trembling like a leaf. It's just a concert, does he really have to be like that?" He Yuxiu had been right: the collateral branches of the He family had been thoroughly cowed by He Haiqin. Counting on them to save the family was a laughable notion. They had to find a way to get He Yuxiu back to Lüshui City. Yet how could they ensure her safety? Right now, Li the Seventh and Ma the Fifth had crossed the Garrison Commissioner; their own situation was perilous. Lu Chunying was butting heads with the Garrison Commissioner over the Paramount, so her position was precarious as well. If they brought He Yuxiu back into the fray, landmines would be everywhere. Even if they took precautions in advance, they wouldn't even know where to focus. Where should the focus be...? As the concert neared its end, Ma the Fifth went up to present the Song Queen award. Naturally, the title went to Jiang Mengting without surprise. The remaining awards were reserved for the rising stars he was cultivating. Lu Chunying sat down beside Li Banfeng and lowered her voice. "Brother Seven, Duan Shaoxia wants to treat us to a meal in a bit. What should we do about it?" "Where? At the Lu family mansion?" "Right here at Xiaoyaowu." "Then there's nothing to fear. Go hear what she has to say. If she asks you to let go of the Paramount, by no means agree to it." "Don't worry, Brother Seven." ... Once the concert was over, Duan Shaoxia hosted a banquet table at Xiaoyaowu, inviting Li the Seventh, Ma the Fifth, Lu Chunying, Lu Yuanxin, as well as the sect master of the Baihua Sect, Zhang Xiuling. Li Banfeng begged off, claiming he had other business, and didn't attend. Ma the Fifth possessed means to resist an Emotion Cultivator, but Li Banfeng had none, so he didn't want too much contact with Duan Shaoxia. Upon seeing Zhang Xiuling, Ma the Fifth felt a little nervous. A gifted woman of equal renown to Shen Rongqing, she shouldered the leadership of one of Puluo Province's major sects—she truly was a living legend of Puluo Province. Zhang Xiuling and Duan Shaoxia addressed each other as sisters. If she chose to target Lu Chunying, Lu Chunying's situation would turn far worse. After the polite pleasantries were exchanged, Duan Shaoxia moved to the main topic. "Chunying is the head of the Lu family now, and I shouldn't interfere with business matters. But I am Dongliang's wife, and for the sake of the Lu family, there are words I must say. Chunying, I heard that over the Paramount, things between you and the Garrison Commissioner haven't been very pleasant." Here it was! Lu Chunying nodded without denying it. Ma the Fifth gripped his wine cup. The one in the room he truly dreaded was still Zhang Xiuling. Lu Yuanxin sat straight in his chair, neither eating nor drinking. He was wary of Zhang Xiuling as well, ready to fight at a moment's notice. Duan Shaoxia looked at Lu Chunying and took her hand. "Chunying, hear me out. The Garrison Commissioner is indeed not someone to cross lightly, but the Paramount is the Lu family's brand, Lüshui City's brand, and our Puluo Province's brand! This brand cannot be surrendered to outsiders! If the Garrison Commissioner plays by civil means, negotiate with them—you're skilled at that. If they resort to force, don't be afraid. I'm here, and Xiuling is here. We'll fight them to the very end!" Lu Chunying, Ma the Fifth, and Lu Yuanxin were all stunned. Who would have thought that Duan Shaoxia, usually so gentle and frail, could utter words with such fierce backbone! Ma the Fifth looked over at Zhang Xiuling. Zhang Xiuling looked at Lu Chunying. "Miss Chunying, the Baihua Sect never bows to outsiders. Puluo Province's brand belongs in the hands of the people of Puluo Province." This was a clear declaration of her stance: she was willing to stand behind Lu Chunying. At this moment, Ma the Fifth felt that this brilliant woman wasn't so frightening after all. In her words and manner lay a quality distinct from Shen Rongqing's—less gentle, but carrying far more boldness. Duan Shaoxia said, "Chunying, just keep your spine straight. No matter what, our Lu family must defend this brand." Lu Chunying nodded. "Madam, our Lu family's spine is straight, but we only own half of the Paramount." That was the heart of the problem: the Lu family and the Chu family each held half of the Paramount. Lu Yuanxin sighed. "Back when Chu Huaiyuan bought the Paramount, Chu Huaijun didn't even have the guts to go take a look. Now that Chu Huaiyuan isn't around, that bastard has the nerve to come steal the fruits of her labor!" "That bastard Chu Huaijun would lick the Garrison Commissioner's boots if he could. He's thoroughly disgraced Puluo Province," Zhang Xiuling said, gritting her teeth. At the mention of Chu Huaijun, Duan Shaoxia's face showed deep disgust. "A bastard like that shouldn't be given the time of day. Chunying, aside from the Paramount, let's cut off all our business with the Chu family from now on. Junyang, I'll go see your father again tomorrow and find out his stance on Chu Huaijun. You have a backbone, and your father shouldn't drag down your reputation either." That wasn't something Ma the Fifth could easily respond to, so he simply raised his wine cup. As he drank, he observed everyone at the table. Ever since the upheaval at Heishipo, something seemed to have shifted in Puluo Province—a change subtle and hard to detect, yet undeniably real. ... In a private room, Li Banfeng was teasing Xiao Yeci. "You have an older sister coming to Lüshui City. She's going to stay at your place for a few days." Xiao Yeci was taken aback. "I don't have an older sister!" "You do now. A biological sister." "That makes no sense! How could a biological sister just suddenly appear?!" "If I say you have one, you have one. And not just an older sister—there's a biological younger sister, too. Your house isn't small anyway, so they'll just stay with you for a bit, alright?" PS: Where on earth did this younger and older sister come from?!