This Is the Real Lu Dongliang

Chu Shaoqiang said Lu Dongliang was on his way. Li Banfeng strained with all his might to hold back a laugh. In Puluo Province, dead people could come back to life. Chu Shaoqiang himself was living proof. Some claimed Chu Shaoqiang had died out in the Ten-Mile Wasteland reclamation; others said he had fallen to the Garrison Office; still others insisted he perished in a feud with the Lüshui Beggar. Every rumor had its champions, but facts had proven them all wrong, because Chu Shaoqiang had never died in the first place. Could something like that happen to Lu Dongliang? In the eyes of outsiders, it really seemed possible. Chu Shaoqiang said, "Li the Seventh, you've certainly heard news about Lu Dongliang. You probably think that since he's been missing for so long, he must be dead. But Lu Dongliang was a ninth-layer journey cultivator. Didn't you ever consider that he had reached the threshold for advancing to the tenth layer, right when he ought to go to the Inner States to complete his cultivation?" As Chu Shaoqiang spoke, he bit down hard on several syllables, yet not a single soap bubble puffed from his mouth. Could it be that these words were actually true? Did Chu Shaoqiang genuinely believe that man was Lu Dongliang? Or had the Peddler's foreign soap gained the power to make people tell the truth? Chu Shaoqiang continued, "When I received word that Lu Dongliang was about to arrive in Puluo Province, I was quite astonished myself. Before this, I had never seen him in the Inner States. He was once ambushed by the combined forces of Lu Dongjun and Zhuo Yuling, so you might think his abilities were nothing special. But to my mind, that was precisely what made him so terrifying. Back then, I falsely claimed to have met with disaster during the reclamation, using that pretext to slip away to the Inner States to cultivate, and as a result, the Chu family suffered a catastrophe. Lu Dongliang deliberately showed a flaw to force the traitors within his house into the open, exposing the identities of Lu Dongjun and Zhuo Yuling, as well as the ambitions of Lu Maoxian's branch. Now those traitors have been slain one after another. Though the Lu family suffered losses, its core strength remains intact. Lu Dongliang told the outside world only that he had gone missing. With that single stratagem, he stabilized the Lu family's situation, and now he can return open and upright. He handled this far more brilliantly than either He Haiqin or I ever did. I fought Lu Dongliang for half my life, and his wisdom truly commands my admiration." Anyone else might well have joined Chu Shaoqiang in marveling at Lu Dongliang's sagacity. Li Banfeng, however, could not. He knew beyond any doubt where Lu Dongliang had gone. The corpse had been eaten by the Red Lotus, the elixir pills consumed by Li Banfeng, and the soul devoured by his lady wife. On Li Banfeng's path of cultivation, Lu Dongliang had played a monumental role. Lu Dongliang had never intentionally exposed a flaw to be ambushed by Lu Dongjun and Zhuo Yuling; that ambush had nearly ended his life and cost him every chip he held. As for Lu Dongjun, Li Banfeng did not know how he had died. Zhuo Yuling had perished at Li Banfeng's own hands—she had brought that upon herself. Lu Maoxian had repeatedly plotted against Lu Chunying, only for Li Banfeng to see through the schemes, ultimately dying by Li Banfeng's hand as well. None of that had anything to do with Lu Dongliang. That the Lu family had endured until now was entirely thanks to Qiu Zhiheng's grueling management, combined with mutual support between Li the Seventh and Ma the Fifth. Chu Shaoqiang, however, credited it all to Lu Dongliang. On one point alone, Chu Shaoqiang was correct: Lu Dongliang could now return with full legitimacy. This "Lu Dongliang" about to make his appearance was undoubtedly an impostor. The Inner States had likely dispatched him not merely to deal with Huangtuqiao. Lu Dongliang wielded immense influence across Puluo Province, and a counterfeit Lu Dongliang could very well reshape the entire territory's balance of power. With business concluded, Chu Shaoqiang took his leave. Li Banfeng offered a very sincere thank-you, for this piece of intelligence was of vital importance. First, he had to alert Qin Bulou to prepare. The Lu Dongliang sent by the Inner States was a fraud, but though the identity was fake, the man himself was bound to be an expert. A fierce battle would be unavoidable. Moreover, he had to warn the others not to be duped. Above all, he had to tell Lu Chunying to get ready right away so that "Lu Dongliang" could not wrest back the position of family head. He also needed to warn He Yuxiu and Chu the Second not to enter into any pacts with this "Lu Dongliang." The other factions required notification as well. Yet how should he spread the word? Go knocking on doors one by one? That would be utterly exhausting. Worse, making a show of denial might backfire and convince people that Lu Dongliang was genuine. Before long, Li Banfeng hit upon a suitable approach. He would add a little extra seasoning to this "Lu Dongliang." *** In the rear building of Xiaoyaowu, Luo Zhengnan lay on a reclining chair in his room, listening to the radio. "To all our listeners: spring is just around the corner. A friendly reminder to those who committed murder this past winter—please be sure to relocate the corpses buried in the snow in a timely manner..." *Buzz! Buzz!* Luo Zhengnan's skull vibrated. Seeing that the call was from Li the Seventh, he answered immediately. "Old Luo, head over to the newspaper office. Tell them to run reports for several days straight, claiming that someone is posing as Lu Dongliang to commit fraud all over the place. Write up several case examples and make it look convincing." "Seventh Master, do we have any source material? If each paper writes its own version, I'm afraid they'll make slipups." Old Luo's concern was justified. To maintain the credibility of the reporting, they needed a unified script. Black Rock Slope was right beside Huangtuqiao, and its people were master hands at fabricating things out of thin air. "Old Luo, wait until Black Rock Slope's papers come out first. Lüshui City will follow suit afterward." *** Dusk settled over Yaowanggou. Qiu Zhiheng stepped down from a rickshaw and handed the puller a stack of banknotes. He had set out to purchase medicinal herbs across various villages. The trip had originally been scheduled for three days, but because he ran into this rickshaw puller halfway, the entire task had taken less than two. Strictly speaking, this puller was an old acquaintance. Back when Qiu Zhiheng had traveled from the train station to find the Peddler, he had encountered the man. "Brother, with cultivation as high as yours, isn't pulling a rickshaw a bit of a waste of your talents?" The coachman scoffed. "What's wrong with pulling a rickshaw? Isn't living an honest life good enough? Does a man have to go risk his neck for it not to count as a waste?" Qiu Zhiheng said no more. Carrying his bag, he returned to the medicine shop. The moment he stepped inside, his wife hurried over, her expression far from pleasant. "Zhiheng, didn't you say you'd be back tomorrow?" Qiu Zhiheng smiled. "What's that supposed to mean? Did I come back at a bad time?" "A very bad time indeed," his wife said with a troubled look. "We have a guest." Qiu Zhiheng knew his wife's character. She would never do anything improper behind his back, so why was she acting so strange today? His wife beckoned. Qiu Zhiheng bent down and listened as she whispered into his ear. Once he heard her words, Qiu Zhiheng's face drained of color. He stood frozen for a long while. "Zhiheng, why don't you first..." His wife wanted him to step out and lay low, but a voice called out from the inner room: "Xiao Qiu, you're back!" It was Lu Dongliang's voice. Qiu Zhiheng handed his bag to his wife and walked into the sitting room. A man sat on the sofa. Upon seeing him, Qiu Zhiheng froze for several seconds. The man looked at Qiu Zhiheng and said, "What, after only a year apart, you don't recognize me?" Qiu Zhiheng hesitated a moment, snapped out of his daze, and smiled. He bowed slightly and offered a greeting: "Mr. Lu." He had not called him "Master," which caused Lu Dongliang's brow to furrow. Yet Lu Dongliang's brow soon smoothed over. "Even though you're no longer the Lu family's head steward, there's no need to sound so distant. Surely you can still call me Big Brother Lu?" "Big Brother Lu," Qiu Zhiheng said, then took a seat opposite him. In the past, Qiu Zhiheng would never have dared sit without Lu Dongliang's leave, but the past was gone. Lu Dongliang lit a cigarette and said slowly, "During the time I was away, it was truly hard on you. Shaoxia acts willfully, Yuanshan and Yuanhai know nothing, and Dongjun and Third Uncle made trouble for you every single day. Managing to hold things together until now was no small feat. Now that I've returned, I'm in dire need of capable hands. Both Yuanshan and Yuanhai have met with misfortune, and Chunying is still young and cannot be relied on for serious affairs. The only helper I can think of is you." Qiu Zhiheng said nothing. Lu Dongliang sighed. "Xiao Qiu, some of the things Shaoxia did before may have truly hurt your feelings. Let me apologize to you on her behalf. Zhuzi, help me out here and persuade your man. Once we return to Lüshui City, I'll have Shaoxia apologize to both of you in person." Qiu Zhiheng's wife went by the pet name Zhuzi. Zhuzi glanced at Qiu Zhiheng, at a loss for words. Did she want to go back to Lüshui City? Of course not! The Lu family mansion might have been grand, but it was not her home. She and her child could not walk around freely; they could not even leave the small building where they resided whenever they pleased. Even within that building, rules abounded, so much so that mother and child dared not speak too loudly. Here, things were entirely different. This was their own medicine shop. Zhuzi was the mistress of the house. She could say whatever she wanted, cook whatever she fancied, let her child romp freely inside and out, and invite neighbors over as guests. Setting all those trivial matters aside, what truly mattered was that life here had a future. Business at the medicine shop was improving by the day, and Qiu Zhiheng even planned to open two branch shops in the outer valley. And now they were being asked to return to the Lu family. In the Lu family, the head steward certainly held high status, but what of it? Was he not still a servant in the end? Zhuzi smiled at Lu Dongliang. "Big Brother Lu, we're doing quite well here. Zhiheng has grown used to the countryside. If he goes back to the city, I'm afraid he won't manage things properly, so we won't cause you any trouble." Lu Dongliang's face darkened. "Xiao Qiu, does this mean you have no desire to follow me?" Qiu Zhiheng nodded slightly. "Big Brother Lu, I'm well into my forties. I can no longer look after other people's affairs. Right now, I only want to live for my own household." Lu Dongliang stared at Qiu Zhiheng, a glint of chill entering his eyes. Zhuzi smiled from the side. "Look at me, chatting away without preparing dinner. Zhiheng, keep Big Brother Lu company while I go whip up a few dishes in the kitchen." In the sitting room, Qiu Zhiheng and Lu Dongliang sat in silence for a long time. In the kitchen, Zhuzi took out over a dozen boxes of pastries and began stuffing them continuously into her mouth. Zhuzi stood under one meter forty and weighed over one hundred forty jin, her figure plump and round. Yet as she wolfed down the food, her belly did not swell; on the contrary, her body rapidly withered and thinned. By the time she finished more than a dozen boxes of pastries, Zhuzi had transformed from a stout woman of forty into a lean, slender youth of twenty-some years. Her clothes hung loose, and her appearance had undergone an immense shift. To someone unfamiliar with Zhuzi, the person standing there bore not the slightest resemblance to her former self. Zhuzi arranged a plate of pastries and carried them into the sitting room. Seeing such a dramatic change in Zhuzi, Lu Dongliang froze for a moment. At his hesitation, Zhuzi set down the pastries, stepped beside Qiu Zhiheng, and let her expression darken. The atmosphere in the room turned stiflingly heavy, on the verge of erupting into battle, when a shout suddenly rang out from the front counter: "Where are the herbs I ordered? Where is the owner of this shop?" Qiu Zhiheng seized the opportunity to rise. "Big Brother Lu, please sit here a moment while Zhuzi and I go tend to business." Lu Dongliang stood up as well. "Never mind. I won't disrupt your business. If one day you change your mind and wish to return to Lüshui City, the Lu family doors remain open to you." With that, Lu Dongliang walked out of the room, his figure vanishing in the blink of an eye. Qiu Zhiheng reached the counter and saw Old Xu looking irritated. "What's going on, Xiao Qiu? Why haven't the herbs I ordered arrived yet?" Qiu Zhiheng smiled. Old Xu had only placed the order yesterday; how could the goods possibly have arrived today? Old Xu's shout had been a signal to tell Lu Dongliang that he was present. And it was precisely because he heard that shout that Lu Dongliang had not dared make things difficult for Qiu Zhiheng. "Old Xu, once the herbs arrive, I'll deliver them straight to your home." Old Xu waved a hand. "No need. I happen to feel like strolling around town these couple of days anyway." Qiu Zhiheng invited Old Xu to stay for a meal, but Old Xu declined politely. Turning out of the medicine shop, he walked over to the rickshaw puller. "Take me around for a couple of laps." The puller set off immediately, pulling Old Xu around the inner valley. Old Xu remarked, "Another newcomer has arrived in Yaowanggou with considerable cultivation. Aren't you going to run?" The coachman snorted. "No need to mock me. When it's time to run, I'll run without a second thought. But I reckon this fellow won't be staying in Yaowanggou for long." *** Returning inside, Qiu Zhiheng caressed his wife's cheek and smiled. "Did you really intend to fight Lu Dongliang just now?" Zhuzi huffed. "Couldn't you tell? That wasn't Lu Dongliang at all!" Qiu Zhiheng was stunned for a long while. He truly had not seen through the disguise. Zhuzi said, "When he saw me slim down just now, he actually looked startled! How could Lu Dongliang be startled by that? Doesn't he know what pathway I cultivate and what level I've reached?" Qiu Zhiheng thought Lu Dongliang's reaction had seemed reasonable enough. "He probably just didn't expect you would actually raise a hand against him." "You still don't believe me? That really wasn't Lu Dongliang!" Zhuzi huffed. "Haven't you read the papers these past couple of days? Word has already spread everywhere!" Qiu Zhiheng indeed had not read the newspapers over the last two days; he had been out purchasing herbs. Zhuzi handed him a newspaper. "Look closely. It's written right here in black and white: someone is impersonating Lu Dongliang, committing fraud all over the place. At first I didn't believe it was true, but having met him in person, I believe it completely." "He's really an impostor?" Qiu Zhiheng still found it somewhat hard to accept. He had followed Lu Dongliang for so many years, yet that man had shown not the slightest flaw before him. Zhuzi fetched another paper. "Every single paper carries the report. The man impersonating Lu Dongliang possesses formidable cultivation and commits every evil imaginable. In front of a man's wife, he actually violated the child's father! Is that something a human being could do?" "Violated the child's father?!" Qiu Zhiheng was now utterly convinced the man was not Lu Dongliang. Lu Dongliang was a libertine, but he had never degenerated to such depths. "That man just now is no ordinary character," Qiu Zhiheng said, setting down the paper. "He must be targeting Chunying and Old Seven. I need to make a trip to Lüshui City. We can't let him stir up chaos unchecked." Zhuzi sat down on Qiu Zhiheng's lap with a pouting glare. "Going back to be the Lu family's head steward again?" Qiu Zhiheng shook his head with a laugh. "Don't worry. I won't risk my life for anyone else anymore. I only want to manage this single home of ours with peace of mind." *** Late at night, Lüshui City. A newsboy dozed on the roadside, clutching three remaining papers that had to be sold before he could go home. Lu Dongliang stepped up to the boy, bought a copy, and sneered upon reading the headline. Someone impersonating Lu Dongliang to commit fraud? Who had leaked the news? Tossing the paper aside, Lu Dongliang walked toward a small courtyard on Hanyuan Street. Lu Maoxian was dead, his family properties had been reclaimed by the main branch, and his children had split up the household. Lu Dongchun lived alone in this modest courtyard. Few ever visited, and she rarely went outside. Hearing someone enter the yard, Lu Dongchun lit an oil lamp and emerged from the house. Seeing Lu Dongliang standing in the courtyard, her face remained expressionless, but the lamp in her hand trembled slightly. "Eldest Brother, is it you?" "If not me, who else could it be?" Lu Dongliang smiled. Lu Dongchun could scarcely believe her eyes, yet after looking closely for a moment, she felt doubt was unwarranted. Caught in turmoil, the oil lamp shook relentlessly in her grip. Lu Dongliang surveyed the plain courtyard and sighed. "How could a daughter of the Lu family live in a place like this? Pack your things. We're moving tomorrow. I bought a new residence for you." "Eldest Brother, I am no longer part of the Lu family." Lu Dongchun's tone carried no inflection, yet an underlying grief was palpable. "Who says you're not?" "The Lu family head, Lu Chunying." Lu Dongliang frowned. "Does the Lu family have another family head?" "But now..." "No buts. I ask you: does the Lu family have any other head?" "No." Lu Dongchun hesitated no longer, her answer firm and resolute. Lu Dongliang smiled. "I will come collect you tomorrow." He turned to leave, but Lu Dongchun suddenly threw her arms around him from behind. "Don't go, Eldest Brother. Don't go..." Though her face was blank and her voice flat, Lu Dongliang could hear the yearning and attachment in her words. It seemed he would not be leaving tonight. And it seemed the bond between this brother and sister was rather unconventional. Lu Dongliang had truly not prepared for this. Yet some things, it seemed, did not require much preparation at all. Still, when it came to a Garment Cultivator, how was one supposed to proceed? *** In Qiqiu City, Lu Yuanxin could hardly sit still. "Miss, that fake Lu Dongliang is hosting banquets within the clan every day, and he publicly announced the restoration of Lu Dongchun's status in the family. We ought to return to Lüshui City to take a look." Lu Chunying asked, "What has Madam Duan said?" "According to our latest reports, Madam Duan has yet to state her position, and the fake Lu Dongliang hasn't returned to the Lu family mansion." Lu Chunying said, "We stick to Seventh Brother's plan. So long as that fake hasn't set foot inside the Lu family mansion, we pay him no mind." Lu Yuanxin said, "But I'm worried..." "Brother Xin, you have to trust me," Lu Chunying said with a smile. "I have a way." Did Lu Chunying have a way? So far, she had no good options. If she returned to Lüshui City, Lu Dongliang would invite her out and, before the entire clan, announce the reclaiming of the headship. What means did Lu Chunying have to resist? Fight? She certainly could not win. According to Li the Seventh's estimation, this fake Lu Dongliang's cultivation was above the clouds; not only could she not defeat him, but even Li the Seventh could not match him. Expose him? That was exceedingly difficult. In a confrontation before the family, Lu Dongliang would hardly give Lu Chunying a chance to speak. Therefore, Lu Chunying could not return to Lüshui City; she could only remain in Qiqiu City. Would "Lu Dongliang" pursue her all the way to Qiqiu City to strike at her? He would have to answer to Qiu Luoye first, and to three thousand three-headed men. Qiqiu City was Li the Seventh's foundation. On this turf, Li the Seventh feared no expert above the clouds. Until Duan Shaoxia permitted Lu Dongliang through the doors, his identity was not truly confirmed. Lu Chunying needed only to remain in Qiqiu City managing business, adopting the stance of someone who refused to stoop to dealing with a swindler, and "Lu Dongliang" would be powerless against her. What was Duan Shaoxia's stance? Duan Shaoxia was under tremendous pressure. "Xiuling, go check on my behalf one more time. Is that Dongliang truly real?" Zhang Xiuling was at her wit's end. Over the past few days, she had attended three banquets of various sizes and verified his identity three times. "Sister, from where I stand, he truly is Lu Dongliang. I can't find the slightest flaw. If you don't trust me, go see him in person. If meeting outside is inconvenient, invite him into the house for a meeting. He's going to return to this home sooner or later anyway." "No, how could I let him come in so casually!" Duan Shaoxia shook her head repeatedly. If Lu Dongliang was a fake, she could not let him step one foot into the mansion, or her honor would be ruined. If Lu Dongliang was real, she had to let him return, and she had to prepare for the inevitable—because the first thing Lu Dongliang would do upon returning was kill Zhang Huaiyi. The real Lu Dongliang would never permit a person of dubious origin to lay a finger on his family estate, even if that person might truly be his illegitimate son. Before Lu Dongliang, how could Duan Shaoxia protect Zhang Huaiyi? Tell Lu Dongliang the truth—that she had used a technique to swap Zhang Huaiyi with Lu Yuanhai on his sickbed? Duan Shaoxia had felt the urge; she had truly wanted to confess everything. Yet upon closer thought, she knew that would never work. How would the real Lu Dongliang handle it? He would slaughter both Zhang Huaiyi and Lu Yuanhai. Any outsider who laid a hand on his inheritance would be wiped out without exception. This forced Duan Shaoxia into a single corner: regardless of whether Lu Dongliang was real or fake, she had to declare him a fake and refuse him entry. "But how long can Duan Shaoxia hold out?" He Yuxiu had gone to Huangtuqiao to find Li Banfeng. "Seventh Brother, I'm a little scared. Back then, what happened to Lu Dongliang was tied to me. Lu Dongjun is dead, and Zhuo Yuling is dead too. Now that Lu Dongliang has returned from the Inner States, if he wants revenge, I'll probably be the first one he looks for." Li Banfeng smiled. "Xiu'er, he really isn't Lu Dongliang." "But so many people say he is! Everyone who's seen him swears he's real!" Li Banfeng was intrigued by this as well. Every major paper had run the story, and everyone knew someone was posing as Lu Dongliang to run scams, yet so many people still fell for it. What was the logic behind that? "Xiu'er, this man truly isn't Lu Dongliang. If I say he isn't, he isn't." "Seventh Brother..." "Xiu'er, talk back again, and I'll have to enforce family discipline." He Yuxiu dared not utter another word. Estimating that the time was about right, Li Banfeng told her to wait in the room. This was the hotel Li Banfeng had recently renovated in Huangtuqiao. He Yuxiu glanced around and sighed. "Why fix this place up? Can Huangtuqiao really still be saved?" He Yuxiu puffed on a cigarette, staring blankly out the window, when she saw Li Banfeng lead someone in from outside. The man was in his forties, tall and straight, with a lean face, thick brows, large eyes, and a yellow woolen overcoat. The moment she saw him, He Yuxiu spat out her cigarette, seized a nearby chair, and charged straight at him. "Xiu'er, calm down!" Li Banfeng caught "Lu Dongliang" in an embrace, dodging left and right. "Seventh Brother, fight him!" He Yuxiu yelled. "This one is real! That yellow woolen overcoat was custom-made in the Kingdom of Ingrid—I could never mistake it!" Two minutes later, Li Banfeng sat in the room, panting as he scolded He Yuxiu: "Xiu'er, you've grown bold, haven't you? Ignoring my words now? I told you he was a fake, so why did you attack? You nearly smashed such a fine 'Lu Dongliang' to pieces!" He Yuxiu looked thoroughly ashamed. "Seventh Brother, you made him look far too real. If his speaking voice hadn't sounded off, I truly wouldn't have been able to tell." "If the voice isn't right, we can adjust it further. Look again and see if there are any other oversights." He Yuxiu inspected the figure carefully. "Seventh Brother, there are no flaws in his appearance. This is Lu Dongliang." Li Banfeng's temper had not yet cooled. "Do you know how hard it was for me to renovate a hotel? I barely finished two rooms, and you've already wrecked one!" He Yuxiu lowered her head. "I accept my punishment." Li Banfeng snorted. "I'm not short on money!" Blushing, He Yuxiu said, "Then I accept a beating!" Li Banfeng sighed. "We'll put that beating on tab for now. Let's attend to serious business first." Serious business? He Yuxiu glanced at the bed. "Let me tidy it up." "We're not doing business here. We're going back to Lüshui City to turn this Lu Dongliang into the real one." He Yuxiu pointed at "Lu Dongliang." "This is a muskmelon person. Passing this off as Lu Dongliang won't hold water, will it? Besides, you don't have Lu Dongliang's blood, so how did you make a muskmelon person of him?" Indeed, it was a muskmelon person, and not one crafted from Lu Dongliang's blood; it merely shared Lu Dongliang's stature. His lady wife had applied a layer of clay over this muskmelon person and polished it repeatedly until it resembled Lu Dongliang—a Lu Dongliang without a single visible flaw on the outside. Yet appearance was only on the surface. Internally, a muskmelon person was worlds apart from Lu Dongliang. "Xiu'er, this Lu Dongliang is the real one," Li Banfeng said, looking at the figure. "The He family says he is real, Li the Seventh says he is real, Ma the Fifth says he is real, and the Chu family says he is real. Lu Chunying says he is real, and Duan Shaoxia will have to say he is real too. With witnesses and physical evidence, ironclad and irrefutable, this man is the real deal!" *** Lüshui City, the Lu family mansion. Duan Shaoxia spent her days in terror and unease, unable to eat or sleep, constantly terrified that Lu Dongliang would suddenly burst through the door. If he tried to force his way in, she would fight him to the death. Under no circumstances would she acknowledge him as real; she would lay down her very life to protect her son. As night fell, a guard came to report: "Madam, Head Qiu has returned." "Zhiheng!" Overjoyed, Duan Shaoxia said, "Invite him in quickly! Hurry!" "He hasn't come alone. He Yuxiu and Li the Seventh are with him." "He Yuxiu and Li the Seventh?" Duan Shaoxia hesitated for a moment. "They count as our own people. Invite them in together!" Before long, Qiu Zhiheng, Li the Seventh, and He Yuxiu entered the mansion. Duan Shaoxia said, "Yuxiu, Brother Li, please sit here for a moment. I have matters to discuss with Zhiheng in private!" He Yuxiu smiled. "Shaoxia, what kind of talk is that? Having a private conversation with a man in the dead of night?" Duan Shaoxia had no time for propriety. "This is our family business." Qiu Zhiheng said, "Madam Duan, if you have something to say, speak it right here." Duan Shaoxia shook her head. "Family matters cannot be shared with outsiders!" He Yuxiu said, "Shaoxia, I've known about your family's little secrets for ages. You parade Zhang Huaiyi around in public every single day—did you think I couldn't tell? That child is Yuanhai, isn't he? You used an art to swap his soul!" Duan Shaoxia trembled all over. "He Yuxiu, don't talk nonsense! What soul-swapping? Where in this world could such a thing exist?" He Yuxiu chuckled. "Shaoxia, you underestimate me. I've tumbled through the martial underworld for so many years; who among those who know me doesn't call me Sister Xiu? What sort of methods haven't I witnessed? You used a Passion Cultivator technique—exchanging bone and blood. So long as two people share close enough blood ties, their souls can be swapped. If you still refuse to admit it, I won't bother meddling in your family's affairs. Once Lu Dongliang returns, your son won't be long for this world!" Duan Shaoxia stared at He Yuxiu. "That Dongliang... is real?" He Yuxiu snorted. "Which one is real? Nobody can say for sure. To my mind, whichever one can keep your son alive is the real one!" Duan Shaoxia asked in astonishment, "What do you mean by that?" Li the Seventh said, "I can deliver a Lu Dongliang back to you, and I guarantee this Lu Dongliang will not kill your son." Duan Shaoxia did not grasp his meaning at first. After pondering it for a long while, she shook her head repeatedly. "You're banding together to plot against me!" Qiu Zhiheng said, "Though I am no longer with the Lu family, I would never scheme against it. Madam Duan, if you want to keep Yuanhai alive, this is the only way." Duan Shaoxia refused to agree no matter what. He Yuxiu sighed. "Shaoxia, go back to your room and rest for a bit. I'll discuss it with you privately in a moment." Duan Shaoxia retreated to her room. As He Yuxiu stood up to follow, Li Banfeng lowered his voice: "How are you going to discuss it with her?" "I learned a few tricks from Youtao. I'll talk sense into her in no time." Li Banfeng could not fathom what sort of tricks Youtao could possess. Qiu Zhiheng merely shook his head; he did not even know who Youtao was. An hour passed before Duan Shaoxia emerged from the room. Straightening her makeup, she took a deep breath and said, "We'll do as you say!" Li Banfeng smiled. Leaving the Lu family mansion, Li Banfeng notified Luo Zhengnan: "Inform Lu Chunying that she can return to Lüshui City." *** In Lüshui City, on Xingqing Road, He Jiaqing bought a newspaper, leaned against a wall to read it for a moment, then took a silver dollar from his robes and tossed it into a beggar's alms bowl. The beggar shook the bowl. "Did you see? Lu Dongliang is back. Do you think this business is real?" He Jiaqing smiled. "Whether it's real or fake, you can't tell?" The Lüshui Beggar shook his head. "This time, I truly can't tell. I feel he's the real deal." He Jiaqing passed the newspaper to Lü Huazi as well. "I need to find time to meet this man. He will be of great use to me."