Yingchun Tower was Chu Huaijun's turf. He had handed over half the shares to Garrison Director-General Liao Zihui, making it the most fitting place possible to treat him to a meal.
In a private room on the third floor, a spread of delicacies from mountain and sea was laid out before them, but Garrison Director-General Liao Zihui barely touched his chopsticks.
Gorgeously dressed girls played music and sang beside them. Liao Zihui wore a faint smile throughout, yet said almost nothing.
Prompted by a subtle nod from Chu Huaijun, one of the singing girls sat down in Liao Zihui's lap.
Chu Huaijun thought this would break the awkward tension, but to his surprise, even the faint smile vanished from Liao Zihui's face.
Today's Liao Zihui was not quite his usual self.
Seeing the Garrison Director-General's brow gradually furrow, Chu Huaijun hurried the others out of the room.
With only Liao Zihui and Chu Huaijun left in the private room, Liao Zihui pulled a fountain pen from his shirt pocket and laid it on the table.
What was the pen for?
Chu Huaijun looked at the fountain pen, then at Liao Zihui.
He realized there were things Liao Zihui couldn't freely say, and things he couldn't freely do.
Chu Huaijun tried to find answers in Liao Zihui's expression, but Liao Zihui had practically no expression at all.
"Huaijun, don't be so nervous. I already know about the Sanying Gate affair. The blame doesn't rest entirely on you, but in handling certain matters, you weren't cautious enough. There are things I must account for to higher authorities, but personally speaking, my trust in you hasn't changed."
What did that mean?
Was he here to hold him accountable?
Liao Zihui's tone and manner sent a chill down Chu Huaijun's spine.
He had thought Liao Zihui would discuss countermeasures with him, giving him the chance to pitch his plan to wipe out Sanying Gate.
Yet Liao Zihui had no intention of discussing anything with him. In just a few words, he made Chu Huaijun feel an overwhelming sense of fear and crisis.
Chu Huaijun rearranged his thoughts, adopting a tone as close to the Outer States' bureaucratic style as possible, and said, "Director-General Liao, behind the Sanying Gate incident lies a conspiracy involving many players. Now, Sanying Gate's Grand Gold Seal, Shen Jinzhong, has become their puppet. Sanying Gate must be thoroughly eradicated to stop this plot from succeeding!"
Liao Zihui nodded. "Since you claim it is a conspiracy, I hope you can investigate the full cause and effect of this conspiracy thoroughly."
Chu Huaijun was tense. He wanted a cigarette, but one look at Liao Zihui's demeanor and the present atmosphere kept him from pulling one out of the pack.
"I'm still looking into it, but before the situation escalates further, Sanying Gate must..."
"Then we shall wait until your investigation is complete," Liao Zihui interrupted. "Sanying Gate is a major faction with tens of thousands of disciples spread across Puluo Province. If something goes wrong with such a gang, those tens of thousands of disciples will become a massive hazard to Puluo Province. We do not wish to see hazards."
Chu Huaijun explained, "Director-General Liao, my doing this is also to eliminate hazards."
Liao Zihui nodded slightly. "I can see your efforts. However, everything the Garrison Office does must have clear objectives and methodology. From what you have done so far, I see neither your objective nor your methodology. I believe you should further analyze your current difficulties and concentrate your efforts on resolving the crux of the problem. Naturally, this is not easy. If it proves too difficult for you, I may consider establishing a partnership with someone more capable."
With that, Liao Zihui picked up the fountain pen, tucked it back into his shirt pocket, and left the private room.
Downstairs came the sound of a steam automobile starting up. Just like that, Liao Zihui had gone.
Chu Huaijun pulled out a cigarette and held it between his teeth.
What was going on today?
What was the deal with that fountain pen?
Why couldn't he understand a thing Liao Zihui had said?
***
Not only did Chu Huaijun fail to understand it, but Liao Zihui himself didn't really understand what he had just said either.
Whether anyone understood didn't really matter. Liao Zihui had served in the Outer States before; he had to give speeches often, and he often had no idea what he was talking about either, but that never detracted from the atmosphere or the effect of the occasion.
The important thing was that speaking this way was the safest.
In the steam automobile, the seat behind the front passenger had always been Liao Zihui's, but today another man occupied it.
This man was named Sun Junfu, hailing from the Outer States. His rank was equal to Liao Zihui's, but his current mission made him special—he was here to inspect operations.
He was thoroughly dissatisfied with Liao Zihui's recent performance, especially regarding how certain matters had been handled in Heishipo.
Cheng Mingke, the former Garrison Commissioner of Heishipo, had been Sun Junfu's capable protégé. Only through Sun's repeated recommendations had Cheng secured the precious opportunity to hold office in Puluo Province, yet not long after taking the post, Liao Zihui had sent him packing back to the Outer States.
Sun Junfu kept a grim face the entire drive. He said to Liao Zihui, "Director-General Liao, we can be considered old acquaintances, so let me speak bluntly. I believe there are serious problems with your attitude toward your work. In my view, this Chu Huaijun has the right idea. Factions like He Yuxiu and Sanying Gate are blatantly provoking authority and ought to be eliminated sooner rather than later. Why do you repeatedly choose compromise and concession?"
"Factions."
Judging by those very words, Sun Junfu understood nothing of Puluo Province.
Liao Zihui offered a humble smile. "Puluo Province has its own unique circumstances. Among them—"
Sun Junfu interrupted him. "Old Liao, Puluo Province has unique circumstances—we all know that. Let's not bring up objective excuses. If you harbor subjective reluctance to face difficulties, or even cowardice, how can you face the trust placed in you? How can you face the heavy responsibilities entrusted to you? Regarding your issues in this area, I believe there are three main points..."
This bastard sounded just like his apprentice.
Liao Zihui badly wanted to beat Sun Junfu to a pulp, or even make him vanish from Puluo Province altogether.
Yet he couldn't do that, because the fountain pen on his chest would record his every word and action in Puluo Province. Once the inspection concluded, Sun Junfu would personally take it back to the Outer States.
When would the inspection end?
In about a month.
If this incompetent, pretentious fool stayed here for an entire month, Liao Zihui felt something disastrous was bound to happen.
*Bang!*
Just as Sun Junfu reached his second point, a tire on the steam automobile blew out.
The four bodyguards in the car, including the driver, immediately prepared for combat.
Thinking it was a traffic accident, Sun Junfu glared angrily at the driver. "What is going on? Do you have no sense of safety when driving?"
*Bang!*
The driver exploded into a mess of flesh and blood.
Gore splattered across Sun Junfu's face. His body began to tremble, and his features twisted in horror.
"Uh... uh-uh..." Stray sounds squeezed from his throat, completely unintelligible.
The driver was a fifth-tier cultivator, yet he had died just like that, and no one present had even caught a glimpse of the assassin.
The bodyguard in the front passenger seat was a seventh-tier cultivator, the strongest among them. He slid instantly into the driver's seat, gripping the steering wheel while yanking out a lever beneath it and pumping it up and down twice.
The entire steam automobile abruptly vanished.
Was this teleportation?
Li Banfeng activated his skill, Golden Eyes Discerning the Minutest Detail, and could still see the car's outline in the night.
It wasn't teleportation; it was invisibility. This vehicle held quite a few secrets.
No wonder the Garrison Commissioner rode a steam automobile wherever he went. It was not merely a symbol of status, but a guarantee of security.
The car sped toward the Garrison Office, with Li Banfeng pursuing neither hurriedly nor slowly behind it.
Before long, the two sixth-tier bodyguards in the back row exploded one after another. Even now, Liao Zihui had not caught a single shadow of the assassin.
Was this assassin insane? Did he know who was sitting in this car? This was the Garrison Commissioner! Did he truly intend to slaughter everyone?
Curled inside the car, Liao Zihui pinned down the terror-stricken Sun Junfu, ripped open the leather cover on the back of the front passenger seat, grabbed a crank wheel, and turned it clockwise three times.
*Hum—*
Following a dull hum, the Garrison Commissioner's steam automobile disappeared.
This time, it had truly vanished. Even pushing Golden Eyes Discerning the Minutest Detail to its limit, Li Banfeng could find no trace of the vehicle.
Was it teleportation this time?
Had they already returned to the Garrison Office?
Director-General Liao, you have quite a bit of luck on your side.
Consider today a greeting. We'll be seeing plenty of each other from now on.
Li Banfeng pulled down the brim of his hat and faded into the night.
At that moment, however, Liao Zihui and the others had not returned to the Garrison Office.
They were still in the exact same spot, having merely entered a space Li Banfeng could not see.
This place was pitch black. From inside, Liao Zihui couldn't see the outside world either.
All he could do was wait. Experience told him that waiting until daybreak was the wisest choice.
But after waiting a dozen minutes, Liao Zihui changed his mind.
A suffocating stench wafted into his nostrils. Liao Zihui looked at Sun Junfu beside him and asked, "Did you shit your pants?"
Sun Junfu's face was deathly pale. Shivering uncontrollably, he stammered, "I want to go back. Take me back right now. I want to go back..."
Liao Zihui took the fountain pen from his shirt, held it to his mouth, and shouted, "Old Sun! Shitting yourself like this—how can you face the trust placed in you? How can you face the heavy responsibilities entrusted to you?"
Truth be told, Liao Zihui was terrified too.
*I just went out for a meal.*
*Which lunatic did this, striking with such lethal force?*
*He actually forced out the dark dimension.*
***
In Yingchun Tower, Chu Huaijun sat smoking one cigarette after another.
Beside him, his advisor Yuan Xionghui said, "Master, the dishes are getting cold. Please have a bite."
Chu Huaijun shook his head. "I've pondered this the whole time, and I still can't make sense of what the Garrison Commissioner meant."
"We'd better not guess blindly," Yuan Xionghui said cautiously. "Tomorrow, let's send someone to inquire whether something happened at the Garrison Office."
Chu Huaijun's expression was grave. "I'm not afraid of something happening to them. I'm afraid of something happening to me. Director-General Liao is dissatisfied with me, yet to this moment I still don't know what I did wrong. We've done so much for the Garrison Office—how can we let someone else pluck the fruit of our labor at a time like this!"
The more Chu Huaijun thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Having lost his appetite completely, he threw on his coat and left Yingchun Tower.
A rickshaw was waiting below. Just as Chu Huaijun climbed in, sharp whistles sounded in succession around him.
"Sanying Gate men!" Advisor Yuan Xionghui recognized the whistled signals of Sanying Gate.
Chu Huaijun remained very composed. "Feel them out first. Tell them to say whatever business they have; don't pull these street antics in front of me!"
Yuan Xionghui meant to exchange a few words of negotiation, but listening to the whistles, he grew increasingly uneasy.
"Master, they're out for blood!"
Chu Huaijun sneered. "This is Yingchun Tower. This is the territory of the Chu family and the Garrison Office. I'd like to see if they have the guts."
Before his words even finished, Shen Jinzhong was already walking across the street with dozens of Sanying Gate experts.
Yuan Xionghui stepped forward and called out, "Grand Gold Seal Shen, come inside to wet your whistle, and we can talk things through at our leisure."
"Talk my ass! Piss off! I'm here for your master." Shen Jinzhong looked at Chu Huaijun and waved him over. "I picked out a stone for you, meant for a monument. Give me your birth details so after I collect your corpse in a bit, we can bury you straight away."
As he spoke, Shen Jinzhong continued forward with his men. One of his subordinates was truly carrying a stone slab.
Chu Huaijun wasn't so composed anymore.
Sanying Gate was truly playing for keeps.
Chu Huaijun had known there would be friction with Sanying Gate, and he had taken some precautions by bringing men along, but not many.
He had been hosting the Garrison Commissioner tonight—who would dare cause trouble in front of the Garrison Commissioner?
Besides, Shen Jinzhong's footing was still shaky; stirring up minor friction was understandable, but how could he dare strike to kill against the Chu family at the peak of their influence?
This was Li the Seventh's recommendation. Shen Jinzhong's footing was indeed unsteady, and killing Chu Huaijun while the Chu family rode high would establish that footing perfectly.
And if it served to put the Garrison Commissioner in his place along the way, that footing would be even firmer!
Chu Huaijun glanced at Yuan Xionghui and hissed under his breath, "Call our men! Hurry and call them!"
There were still men inside Yingchun Tower, but none had come out yet, whether unaware or in no rush.
Shen Jinzhong shouted, "Today I'm here for Chu Huaijun alone! This has nothing to do with anyone else!"
There was still no movement from Yingchun Tower, and the men around Chu Huaijun began glancing at one another.
Chu Huaijun panicked. After his father died, he had fought his way out through his own brothers and sisters.
He knew full well what it meant when men started exchanging glances.
***
At two in the morning, Yuan Xionghui, covered in wounds, supported Chu Huaijun as they returned to a secluded secondary residence.
They hadn't dared return to the main family mansion. Sanying Gate was thorough in how they operated; there were sure to be ambushes waiting at the main residence.
This secondary residence was discreet, known to very few. Yuan Xionghui helped Chu Huaijun dress his wounds and said through gritted teeth, "Master, just you wait. Tomorrow I'll rally our forces and flatten Sanying Gate!"
Chu Huaijun waved a hand. "We'll deal with that later. Tomorrow, draft a deed and hand half of the Paramount straight over to Director-General Liao."
"Hand it over directly?" Yuan Xionghui froze. "Master, you mean without even asking for our principal back?"
"What principal?! If the Garrison Commissioner truly abandons us, we are finished! Sanying Gate, the He family, the Lu family, and Li the Seventh and Ma the Fifth—which one of them won't come at us with lethal force? What does half of the Paramount matter? Give it away and be done with it!"
"Is that yours to give away?" a voice suddenly spoke from outside the courtyard.
Yuan Xionghui rose immediately, but Chu Huaijun signaled for him to stay still.
With a creak, the door was pushed open.
A woman wearing a white dress hat with a black veil, clad in a floor-length cheongsam of alternating black and white, stepped into the house one deliberate pace after another. Her powder was snow-white, her eyeshadow bruised blue-black, and her lipstick a dark, dried blood red.
In the dead of night, among all the people Chu Huaijun knew, only one dressed like this.
"Huaiyuan, listen to me. I'm doing this for our family..."
"Big Brother, we're not one family. We split the family long ago." Chu Huaiyuan kept her head lowered, eyes rolling up to look at Chu Huaijun. "What's mine is mine. Touching my things makes you in the wrong."
Chu Huaijun sneered. "Huaiyuan, is that an appropriate way to speak to me?"
Chu the Second smiled as well. "How do you think I should speak?"
Chu Huaijun lit a cigarette. "Yes, I touched your things. What can you do about it?"
Chu the Second said nothing.
Beside him, Yuan Xionghui tugged at Chu Huaijun's sleeve.
A few guards had been posted outside the door, and to this moment, not a sound had come from them.
Chapter 400