Head of the Chu Family

In the courtyard of Chu Huaijun's secondary residence, Ma the Fifth sat smoking, accompanied by Ah Qin and Duan Wuchou. There had originally been several guards in the courtyard, but after a bloody clash with the Sanying Gate, all of them had ended up wounded. Dealing with them hadn't taken much effort, especially since Chu the Second had brought a helper along as well. She was a woman who appeared to be in her thirties, but with her formidable cultivation, Ah Qin figured she was likely past fifty. That woman was not the main issue, however. What bothered Ah Qin was noticing that Ma the Fifth still had his heart set on someone else. "The way you look at her isn't right!" Ah Qin's voice trembled slightly as she spoke. Ma the Fifth was stunned for a moment. "You mean the Second Miss of the Chu family? How could I possibly fancy her? I have a grudge against her!" Ah Qin scoffed coldly. "Who said anything about the Second Miss?" With that, Ah Qin glared resentment at Duan Wuchou. Ma the Fifth's face flushed. "Well... how should I put this..." Duan Wuchou showed no particular expression. The head on her neck was not her own; it was shaped by Shui Yongquan's skill of A Hundred Torrents, A Hundred Shifts, and could not produce much in the way of expressions anyway. Before long, Chu the Second walked out from the residence. She had redone her makeup. Her eyeshadow and rouge had been washed away, leaving only light makeup, and she wore a dark blue cheongsam as she stood before them. Ma the Fifth looked closely for a moment, barely recognizing her. Chu the Second gave a polite bow to Ma the Fifth. "Young Master Ma, thank you for your trouble today." Ma the Fifth waved his hands repeatedly. "No need to be polite. So, how did the talk with your brother go? Smoothly?" Chu the Second nodded. "Quite smoothly. My brother acts without thinking things through and caused everyone a great deal of trouble. I reasoned it out with him. The Paramount will continue to be run by me and the Lu family; we won't sell it to the Garrison Commissioner. As for the Chu family's businesses, Eldest Brother doesn't want to manage them anymore either. From now on, they've all been handed over to me." Ma the Fifth was astonished. "Second Miss, is this really true? Do you need me to go in and have another chat with Huaijun?" Chu the Second shook her head. "No need. Eldest Brother is tired and just went to rest." "Then we won't disturb him." Ma the Fifth glanced toward the woman behind Chu the Second. She carried a bundle on her back and stood quietly beside Chu the Second without saying a word. "How should I address this elder sister?" Ma the Fifth made a point of asking. Chu the Second introduced her: "This is my senior martial sister, Xiang Fenglan." Ma the Fifth quickly bowed in greeting, and Xiang Fenglan returned the courtesy. Their gazes met, lingering on each other for a brief moment. Chu the Second gave Xiang Fenglan a tug, then expressed her thanks to Ma the Fifth once more: "Young Master Ma, we sisters have only just returned to Lüshui City and are weary from travel. We would like to head back and wash off the dust of the road, so please excuse us for tonight. If Young Master Ma happens to see Brother Li the Seventh, please pass along word that my elder brother caused him a great deal of trouble, and I ask him to permit me to visit in person another day to make amends." Ma the Fifth immediately took his leave. Chu the Second did not linger at the residence either, taking Xiang Fenglan back to her own lodgings. On the way, Xiang Fenglan kept looking back, hoping to catch another glimpse of Ma the Fifth's retreating figure. Chu the Second worked her thumb and index finger, then gave Xiang Fenglan's backside a vicious pinch and twist. "What are you doing? That hurts like hell!" Xiang Fenglan rubbed the spot for a long while. Chu the Second said with a solemn face, "Senior Sister, you are not allowed to see Ma the Fifth again. If you truly cannot avoid him, you still must not speak with him." Xiang Fenglan frowned. "Why? Is he your sweetheart?" Chu the Second shook her head. "He and I have a grudge. He still holds it against me, and rightly so. He has a dangerous way with women, and I'm afraid you'll suffer for it. That's why I'm telling you to stay away from him." Xiang Fenglan did not believe it. "I think he's definitely your lover!" Chu the Second gave a scoff and did not bother to explain further. "Granny Bitter told me to keep an eye on you. Just do as I say." *** On the way back to Xiaoyaowu, Ma the Fifth found things strange. Chu the Second's demeanor and conduct made no sense to him. Kind to others, courteous and refined—was this still Chu the Second? They had not seen each other for a year, but the change was simply too drastic. *** At Xiaoyaowu, Li the Seventh hosted a celebratory banquet, primarily in honor of the helpers who had come from the newland. Previously, having heard He Yuxiu mention how delicious Sanying Gate's mutton was, Li the Seventh had specifically sent people to buy sheep from Baimuyuan. They slaughtered six to begin with, making hotpot to enjoy the fresh meat. The mutton was indeed superb. Swished through the broth alongside Chinese cabbage, the flavor was wonderful. Ma the Fifth picked up a piece of mutton and placed it in Duan Wuchou's dish. "Here, this piece is great. Careful, it's hot." Duan Wuchou caught the mutton in her bowl, dipped it in sauce, and ate it, then demurely wiped her navel with a napkin. When it came to Ma the Fifth's private affairs, Li Banfeng never interfered, but when they stepped outside during the banquet to take a piss, Li Banfeng still could not resist asking, "What exactly do you see in Duan Wuchou?" Ma the Fifth pondered for a moment before answering straight from the heart: "I like her eyes. They're very large. And I especially love the look in her eyes—there's a profound sincerity in them, along with a stubborn determination!" Li the Seventh asked, "Determination?" Ma the Fifth replied, "Very determined!" "Is the look in her eyes very deep?" "Not deep, pretty shallow." "Does she usually wear glasses?" "No, her eyesight is quite good." Li Banfeng tried to understand Ma the Fifth, but even after finishing his piss, he still could not fathom it. Back at the table, Ma the Fifth resumed being lovey-dovey with Duan Wuchou, while Liang Wucai kept clinging to Li Banfeng to chat. Since it was a meal among their own people today, there was no need to conceal anything with the technique of A Hundred Torrents, A Hundred Shifts, so Liang Wucai openly displayed both of her heads. Liang Wu hit it off exceptionally well with Li Banfeng: "Seventh Master, I often hear Old Master Qiu mention you. He said you're a fine fellow, one in ten thousand. At first I didn't believe it, but seeing you today, I know that one in ten thousand doesn't begin to cover it—you couldn't find another like you among hundreds of millions! Seventh Master, I toast you with this cup! I'll drain mine, you just take a sip." Li Banfeng also liked Liang Wu's forthright nature, so he raised his cup and downed it in one gulp. Beside her, Liang Cai let out a soft sigh: "Will this one-in-ten-thousand man ever become our sweetheart? If he cannot stay by our side for eternity, it will only deepen our sorrow." Li Banfeng had no idea how to respond to that. Liang Wu frowned. "Seventh Master, pay no attention to her. She isn't talking to you; she's muttering to herself. Back when I was living in the mortal world, I couldn't stand melodramatic people like her. Who would have guessed that after dying and arriving in the newland, I'd end up growing together with her!" Liang Cai sighed again: "Whether our being together is the design of destiny or a chance encounter, neither of us can truly say." "If you can't say, then shut up," Liang Wu snapped impatiently. "Seventh Master, let's have another drink!" The two drank another cup. Liang Cai lamented, "Wine cannot extinguish your sorrows; it can only add to my grief." Liang Wu flared up, "I'm drinking my wine, what grief is it of your fucking business?" Liang Cai sighed, "When you get drunk, do you think I won't be throwing up too?" Li Banfeng looked at Liang Cai and asked, "Miss, why do you keep sighing?" Liang Wu was also sick of it: "Seventh Master, don't mind her. She's got hysteria. In the Outer States, they call people like her mental patients!" Li Banfeng quite liked Liang Wu's temperament; having her as a confidante would be nice enough. But Liang Cai was not easy to get along with. Toward this sort of mental case who loved talking to herself, Li Banfeng was always wary—it was hard to say what such a person might do. Everyone ate and drank to their hearts' content. Bai Shoulian held twenty bowls, twenty ladles, and twenty kettles, topping up broth, adding meat, and mixing dipping sauces for the crowd. Li Banfeng dipped a piece of meat and praised him, "Your skills are impressive. Have you studied cooking before?" Bai Shoulian chuckled. "I was a cook in my younger days. After arriving in the newland, I still tinker with the craft often. Some other day I'll whip up a couple of dishes for everyone to taste." Bai Shoulian was a hearty, forthright fellow. If Li Banfeng brought him to his own territory, he would probably get along very well with that Cook Cultivator. Li Banfeng appreciated all six of the helpers invited from the newland this time. He truly wanted to keep all six at Xiaoyaowu for good. Even if they had to return to the newland, Li Banfeng wanted to discuss it with Qiu Luoye to see if he would part with them, so Li Banfeng could bring them to his own domain. As long as there were enough hands for land reclamation, Qiu Luoye would probably agree. But how would he explain this? Why would Li Banfeng have a territory? When had he become a local spirit? There would always be a way to explain it; he could figure something out later. Li Banfeng instructed Ma the Fifth to gather a group of personnel and dispatch another batch to Zhengjing Village for land reclamation. Everyone was eating merrily, except for the Food Cultivator girl, Chi Liuhe, who barely touched her chopsticks. Li Banfeng asked, "What's the matter? Is the mutton not to your liking?" The girl was bashful and said nothing. Bai Shoulian, familiar with her ways, smiled and said, "Everyone please go ahead and eat first. She'll eat in a bit." What did that mean? Li Banfeng said, "There aren't so many rules here with me. Eat together, eat your fill!" Chi Liuhe glanced at Bai Shoulian. Bai Shoulian said to Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, if you let her eat her fill, the mutton we have here won't be enough." Ma the Fifth laughed. "Who says it's not enough? I slaughtered six sheep. Just eat as much as you want!" Chi Liuhe licked her lips, unable to hold back any longer. She lifted an entire hotpot and poured it straight into her mouth. *Gulp!* Chi Liuhe wiped her mouth and smiled at everyone. Li Banfeng asked, "Little sister, was it tasty?" Chi Liuhe lowered her head, blushing. "I ate too fast, I didn't get to taste the flavor." Ma the Fifth hurried off to find the cooks and told them to prep a few more sheep. After the victory banquet, Ma the Fifth immediately had the newspaper office post notices to recruit land reclaimers. *** At the Garrison Office, Secretary Ling Sujun reported on her work to Garrison Director-General Liao Zihui. Speaking of Sun Junfu, Ling Sujun said, "His mood has stabilized somewhat, but he repeatedly demands to return to the Outer States. I have already submitted the report per your instructions, but there has been no reply from the Outer States yet." Liao Zihui pondered for a moment. "Let him go back. I will explain things on his behalf when the time comes. Help him pack his luggage. Does he still need to wear diapers?" "Probably not. He himself is rather resistant to it." "Pack them anyway, just in case." Once the luggage was packed, Liao Zihui prepared to personally escort Sun Junfu to the train station. Just as they reached the ground floor of the Garrison Office, a bodyguard approached Liao Zihui holding a wooden box. "We were preparing the car just now, and we found this wooden box inside." Liao Zihui instructed them to take the box to the disposal room first, intending to deal with it after he returned. Believing he had caught Liao Zihui red-handed with something incriminating, Sun Junfu insisted on opening and inspecting the box on the spot. If he could uncover some fault with Liao Zihui, Sun Junfu would have something to show for himself upon returning, and the matter of crapping his pants would not seem quite so humiliating. Resigned, Liao Zihui accompanied Sun Junfu to the disposal room. Under Sun Junfu's watchful eye, a Poison Cultivator and a Craft Cultivator first conducted an inspection, confirming that the box itself harbored no poison, hidden mechanisms, or other dangers, before opening it in accordance with standard procedure. Inside the box was only a single object: the severed head of Chu Huaijun. A severed head, neatly and cleanly groomed. Liao Zihui's expression turned grave. The turn of events was far worse than he had anticipated. Just as he was pondering his next move, a strange sound reached his ears. *Spluuurt~* Liao Zihui's brows knit tight. "Old Sun, did you shit yourself again?" "Uh... uh..." Sun Junfu stared at the head, rendered speechless once more. Liao Zihui turned back to his secretary, Ling Sujun. "Where are the diapers?" "I... I didn't bring them..." Ling Sujun was thoroughly embarrassed. "Didn't I tell you to have them ready? Go get them, hurry!"