He Is Still Alive

Chu the Second had come to reclaim land. This left Ma the Fifth at a total loss for how to respond. "Second Miss, you must be joking. If you truly wish to go reclaim land, you can just go on your own. If you come through us, we certainly can't afford your reward money." Chu the Second looked earnest, her tone exceedingly solemn. "Fifth Young Master, I am not joking. I don't want your reward money. Once I reclaim the land, all the parcels will go to Li the Seventh. Consider it my repayment to him." Chu Huaiyuan truly had changed. She had changed so much that Ma the Fifth felt rather ill at ease; he wanted to crack a couple of jokes with her, but could not bring himself to open his mouth. Chu the Second continued, "Fifth Young Master, I'm not very familiar with the area you intend to reclaim. Could you tell me about it? If you're too busy, forget I asked—I'll go ask someone else." What kind of talk was that? Ma the Fifth made an inviting gesture. "Second Miss, please come inside." Chu the Second followed Ma the Fifth into Xiaoyaowu. The man in the grayish-white overcoat quietly followed them in. Once inside a private room, Ma the Fifth took out a map and gave a general explanation of the characteristics of Qiu Luoye's territory. After weighing her options, Chu the Second chose a parcel one li across. Having made her choice, she felt slightly embarrassed. "I took up so much of your time, yet only took on such a small plot. If the one-li parcel succeeds, we'll reclaim a three-li one next." "No matter. Any reclamation helps. I'll thank you on Old Seven's behalf first." While Ma the Fifth was still deliberating whether his words were appropriate, Chu the Second had already risen to take her leave. Escorting her out of the room and across the main dance floor, a drunken patron collided with Chu the Second, knocking off one of her cufflinks. The drunk even began spewing curses: "Are you blind?! Don't you look where you're walking?" Ma the Fifth frowned and waved over Zuo Wugang from behind him. Did dealing with a drunk really require Zuo Wugang? That depended on the situation. Standing beside Chu the Second were Yang Yanzheng, Wen Hongyan, and her senior martial sister, Xiang Fenglan. To bump into Chu the Second and even knock off her cufflink in front of so many formidable experts meant this man was no ordinary drunkard. Just as Wen Hongyan stepped in to shield Chu the Second, the drunk, who had just worn a vicious expression, suddenly went slack-eyed. As if sleepwalking, he stumbled toward the exit. Ma the Fifth had Zuo Wugang follow him, but by the time he reached the entrance of Xiaoyaowu, the man had already vanished. While the group remained on guard, a man wearing a gray overcoat picked up the cufflink from the floor and offered it to Chu the Second. "Miss, this is yours." Chu the Second stared intently at the man for a long time before taking the cufflink and voicing her thanks. Dance music started up, and patrons took their partners and began dancing. The man turned and departed, disappearing into the crowded dance floor. Ma the Fifth's nerves grew taut. It seemed quite a few dangerous figures had arrived at Xiaoyaowu today. Chu the Second offered a word of caution: "Fifth Young Master, be extra careful." Ma the Fifth nodded. "Head back first. I'll handle things here myself." Outside Xiaoyaowu, Yang Yanzheng said, "Miss, that man just now looked very familiar." Chu the Second nodded. "I feel as though I've seen him before too, but I just can't place him." As soon as Chu the Second left, Ma the Fifth immediately summoned a manager. "For the next song, have Jiang Mengting sing 'When Will You Return?'. As soon as it's over, clear the hall immediately. We're closing early today." *** In front of Xiaoyaowu stood a beggar. Others could not see him, but he saw someone—the man in the gray overcoat. "He actually has Cloud-Ascension cultivation now," Lü Huazi said, rubbing the corner of his eye. "I thought he was dead. Turns out he went to the Inner States to be their dog." Beside him, Wan Jinxian said, "Grandmaster, the one with Zhong Huai'en was him." "He was sent by the Inner States, accompanying Zhong Huai'en... What did he come to Lüshui City for?" Lü Huazi squeezed a pustule open, and green pus oozed out. Dodging the spurting pus, Wan Jinxian whispered, "This disciple overheard him speaking with Zhong Huai'en earlier. They've been keeping a close eye on the recruitment for land reclamation, and even said it's 'almost there.'" Lü Huazi nodded. "Almost there. Indeed, it's almost there. With so many people reclaiming land, Qiu the Elephant's territory will soon be opened up as well. I kept thinking Li the Seventh had no reason to do such a thing—turns out the Inner States put him up to it. The Inner States has always wanted a proper land of their own. Before, what they wanted was Lüshuiwan. They discussed it with me several times, but I kept stalling. Now they don't even let me know what they're doing." Wan Jinxian didn't know what connection Lü Huazi had with the Inner States, but Lü Huazi's words gave him a creeping chill. Lü Huazi continued muttering to himself, "That bitch on Jianrengang must have realized I didn't want to deal with him, so he thought about switching to another helper. But why switch to Li the Seventh? What dealings does Li the Seventh have with him? Because of the Benefactor? He Jiaqing is the Benefactor, isn't he?" Lü Huazi turned his gaze toward Wan Jinxian, who shook his head vigorously. "I have never regarded He Jiaqing as my benefactor! My only benefactor is you!" "Only me?" Lü Huazi smiled. "What proof do you have?" Wan Jinxian was filled with regret! How wonderful it would have been if he had added a tattoo to his chest earlier! "I... well... in my heart..." He didn't know what to say, and Lü Huazi couldn't be bothered to listen. He was still deep in thought. "The Benefactor is He Jiaqing. Li the Seventh wants to deal with He Jiaqing, and Jianrengang wants to deal with the Benefactor. They share a common enemy. I knew something was strange about this whole affair. They're actually in league! Why didn't I think of that before?" Wan Jinxian hadn't thought of it either, nor did he know what to say. Lü Huazi looked at the people arriving to sign up for land reclamation, watching the long queue that stretched down an entire street. Lü Huazi chuckled. "They come to my territory without telling me, poaching so many land reclaimers right under my nose. All the low-level cultivators have been poached away. And what about the ones up top? The various great families are getting along splendidly with Li the Seventh right now, so they've been won over too. Once all the cultivators are poached, it'll be time to siphon away the white lambs. With human vitality, they can turn Qiu the Elephant's place into another Lüshuiwan. And then what do they plan to do with me? They don't trust me, and they think I know too much. It's just about time for them to silence me. This is thanks to your junior martial brother; otherwise, I really wouldn't have been on guard. But then again, you've heard me say so much—shouldn't I silence you as well?" As the words left his mouth, Lü Huazi grabbed Wan Jinxian by the face. Wan Jinxian dared not struggle, managing with difficulty, "Founding Master, my loyalty to you is undivided! I will never tell anyone about today's matters!" "No harm. Isn't He Jiaqing the one you want to tell?" Lüshui Beggar kneaded Wan Jinxian's face. "Go ahead and tell him. And while you're at it, add one more thing: business can be done with anyone. Let's see what price he can offer." Wan Jinxian said, "As long as the Founding Master commands it, I will certainly deliver the message." "No rush. Let's deal with these two pieces of garbage first," Lüshui Beggar said with a smile on his face, his teeth clenched tight. "Almost forgot—not two, but three. That white garment really won't be easy to deal with." *** Outside Lüshui City, in an open field. The man in the grayish-white overcoat patted the drunk's cheek. The drunk came to his senses. Seeing the man before him, he scrambled backward on all fours. "Sir, who... who are you? What are you trying to do?" The man remained expressionless and asked, "Back in Xiaoyaowu, why did you go out of your way to provoke Chu Huaiyuan?" "Who's Chu Huaiyuan?" The drunk shook his head. "I don't know her." The man flicked his index finger. With a dull pop, the drunk's right arm snapped off cleanly at the shoulder. No blood flowed; only a grayish-white wound was visible. The drunk cried out in alarm, yet felt no pain whatsoever. "Sir, what... what kind of spell is this? I truly don't know Chu Huaiyuan!" With another twitch of the man's finger, the drunk's left arm snapped off as well. "Grandpa, spare me! This is too terrifying!" The drunk was on the verge of tears. "You think this is fake? Just because it doesn't hurt, you think it isn't real?" The man formed a knife-hand and slashed lightly through the air. The drunk's two legs severed cleanly at the hips. The drunk broke down completely. Though it didn't hurt, he had lost all sensation in his limbs. He suspected this might not be an illusion after all. "Sir, spare me! I'll tell the truth! I was sent by the Garrison Commissioner. He told us to make trouble at Xiaoyaowu and keep Ma the Fifth tied down there!" "Us?" "There are three others with me! Two on the main dance floor, and one getting ready to set a fire in a private room!" "Are these them?" The man pointed to the side. The drunk discovered three more people lying beside him—his three accomplices, all four limbs severed from their bodies, lying there with glazed eyes. "Sir, what are you trying to do? Mercy, Grandfather!" the drunk wailed hoarsely. The man asked, "What was tying down Ma the Fifth supposed to achieve?" "I truly don't know! Sir, we only took this one job!" The man asked impassively, "Is that the truth?" "Every word is the truth!" "You may go." With a wave of the man's hand, the four men's limbs reattached to their torsos, leaving not a single scar behind. The drunk scrambled trembling to his feet, and the other three clambered up as well. The drunk stammered, "Then... we'll be going." "Go quickly." The man nodded. The drunk and his three accomplices bolted as fast as their legs could carry them, feeling as though they had just awakened from a nightmare. Before they had run far, all four collapsed to the ground at once. Their limbs detached from their torsos, and blood erupted in torrents. It hadn't been a dream? It was real! As the four men wailed and shrieked together, Zhong Huai'en said to the man, "Mr. Chu, they might really have been sent by the Garrison Commissioner. Dealing with them like this might harm relations between our two sides." "Garrison Commissioner? Liao Zihui?" The man was well acquainted with this Garrison Director-General. "He is no good sort." "I know you have some bad blood with the Garrison Director-General, but right now we..." "You think I'm settling a personal score under public guise?" The man looked toward Zhong Huai'en. Zhong Huai'en shook his head repeatedly. "That's not what I meant." The man said coldly, "These men didn't tell the truth at all. If they wanted to stall Ma the Fifth, they could have made their move at any time. It wouldn't be such a coincidence that he just had to collide with Huaiyuan." Zhong Huai'en blinked in surprise. "You mean..." "Liao Zihui already knows I'm here—or at least he received word. He wants to investigate certain things through Huaiyuan. That wretched bastard always acts this sleazily." Zhong Huai'en grew increasingly concerned. Judging from Liao Zihui's attitude, the Outer States were not particularly friendly toward them. "Mr. Chu, we've been in Lüshui City for two days now. Should we inform Lüshui Beggar about this?" The man shook his head. "My visit this time is not only to investigate the reclamation, but also to look into Lüshui Beggar. I've heard that his handling of certain matters has been grossly inappropriate." Zhong Huai'en nodded. "Indeed it was inappropriate. Especially in the matter of Lu Maoxian, Lüshui Beggar put in token effort without doing real work, which made Master very displeased." The man sighed. "Lüshui Beggar is fickle and treacherous. It's hard to say whether he's connected to that Benefactor. This matter must be investigated thoroughly. Find someone who has her ear and urge Huaiyuan. She is the only daughter I have left; she must not be dragged into this." *** Critick arrived at Lanyang Village, stepped into the newland, and pulled the nails out of his heels. This was a journey cultivator's magical treasure borrowed from Wan Jinxian. It was indeed fast for running, but Critick was exhausted—these leather boots drained a tremendous amount of his stamina. Moreover, having nails driven into his heels truly hurt. Critick saw the beggar begging by the roadside, and saw the row of sores on the beggar's face. He recognized those sores; they were a mark left by Lüshui Beggar. Lüshui Beggar had told him to kill someone here. Who on earth did he want dead? *** Inside the Portable Abode, Li Banfeng sat at the edge of the bed, muttering to himself: "Yuan Shoulu blocked my path. This cannot be tolerated. If it cannot be tolerated, I have no choice but to take him out."