Whatever Are We to Do?

The Dwelling Cultivators of Tiemenbao wiped out Dick Chen's men down to the very last. Wu Yongchao stared at a massive crater in the ground, furrowing his brow. "Who made this?" A Dwelling Cultivator beside him said, "Could it be that guy... what's-his-name Weixin? He had tremendous strength." Another Dwelling Cultivator chimed in, "It was that Chen Weixin. I saw with my own eyes this huge crater form right under his feet." Li Zhijuan walked over and addressed the crowd. "Stop talking nonsense, all of you. Chen Weixin didn't make this. The Fort Master did." The crowd gasped. "The Fort Master was here?" "Someone flashed in front of Chen Weixin. Judging by his build, it was definitely our Fort Master." Back then, Li Banfeng had paused in front of Chen Weixin a little longer in order to use a Fool Cultivator skill, and Li Zhijuan had caught sight of him. Wu Yongchao remembered something. "During the battle, who among you struck the gong?" Everyone shook their heads repeatedly. Hu Fangyuan said, "You were the one leading the battle. If a gong was struck, you must have been the one to strike it." Wu Yongchao knew very well that he hadn't struck the gong. The others in the fort also knew very well that when this man called Chen Weixin charged into the fort, they had been on the verge of collapsing. But someone had held the line for them and beaten Chen Weixin into retreat. It was just that the person's movements had been too fast; no one had been able to get a clear look at his face. "The Fort Master came." Wu Yongchao looked toward the massive iron gate at the canyon's entrance. Tiemenbao had only one Fort Master, and his name was Fort Master. No one in Tiemenbao knew his real name; they knew next to nothing about the Fort Master. Yet he had come. When the fort was in dire straits, he had come. Wu Yongchao said, "No matter when, he will always be our Fort Master." Li Zhijuan chimed in from the side, "Where did the Fort Master go now?" *** At the market entrance, Li Banfeng pulled out a wad of Huan State notes and asked, "Are you taking fares?" The rickshaw puller stamped out his pipe and chuckled. "Where to?" "To Dick Chen's hideout." The puller nodded. "I'm only responsible for getting you there. The fighting is your own business." Li Banfeng said, "What if I pay extra?" "Paying extra won't help. I pull a rickshaw; I don't risk my life. Though I reckon with that guy, you won't need to risk your life either." The puller wiped the seat, gesturing for Li Banfeng to get on. The two talked as they went. "Old Seven, how did you know to look for me at the market?" Li Banfeng hadn't actually known the puller was at the market; he had just wanted to try his luck somewhere crowded, and surprisingly, he really had run into him. Of course, this couldn't be simply explained as luck—that would make Li Banfeng look lacking in capability. "I found you relying on the skill of Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune. You were the one who taught me this technique in the first place. But why did you send me a message telling me to come to Tiemenbao?" In front of Xiaoyaowu, Li Banfeng had received a carriage bell with the three characters for Tiemenbao carved on it. That had obviously been a message from the puller. But why had the puller tipped Li Banfeng off to come to Tiemenbao? Did he know Li Banfeng was the Fort Master? The puller answered, "Back then, that guy Chen came to me, proposing we join hands to eliminate you. He even said that killing you would win my territory back." Li Banfeng nodded. "Sounds like a pretty good deal. You didn't accept?" The puller scoffed. "Don't talk nonsense. We've known each other since you first arrived in Puluo Province. Even after being bathed in the heavenly light, you survived. From White Lamb all the way to today, I've seen clear as day just how tough your life is. That Chen fellow couldn't possibly kill you. As for what happened back at Huangtuqiao, I left early. I had my own difficulties, but looking back, I felt genuinely sorry toward you. I had to give you an explanation one way or another. I planned to tell you Chen's whereabouts, but that kid comes and goes like a ghost, unpredictable as can be. It was rare for him to stay in Tiemenbao for a spell, so I sent the word to you. Better you strike first than wait for him to come hunting you down. But like I said before, I deliver the news, but the life-and-death business is yours to handle. I'm really not cut out for risking my neck." The puller was speaking the truth. He truly hadn't known Li Banfeng had any connection to Tiemenbao; he had only wanted to give Li Banfeng a chance to take the initiative. As they spoke, the two arrived at the commoner house Dick Chen had rented. The puller said, "There's a spider person here, a subordinate of that Chen fellow. He's a private investigator, quite famous. You should know him." Daboynes—Li Banfeng knew him all too well. Li Banfeng had first met Daboynes in the newland. Not long afterward, Daboynes had tracked him down, cornering him outside Yu Nan's door. Later, Li Banfeng had introduced Madam Bagworm Moth to Daboynes, thinking marriage might resolve the feud between them. Never did he imagine their conflict would only deepen. Daboynes had remained convinced all along that Li Seven was Li Banfeng and that the Red Lotus was in Li Seven's hands. Deducing from that, Dick Chen's certainty that Li Seven was Li Banfeng was surely information supplied by Daboynes. Entering the courtyard, Li Banfeng kept a cautious eye out for spiderwebs. He searched all around, but Daboynes was nowhere to be seen. The spider detective had fled. The puller said, "They said they were going to test a weapon in Tiemenbao. That weapon was probably taken away by the spider too." A weapon? The Bluffing Tiger spear? That spear had already stirred up plenty of bloody storms! Other matters didn't matter much, but this spear had constantly involved Tiemenbao. Precautions had to be taken. "Brother Puller, do you know the local spirit here?" The puller said, "We've met a few times, but we don't have much of a friendship. If you want an introduction, I can arrange one. But this local spirit's temperament is a bit eccentric. This can't be rushed. Stay in Tiemenbao for the night. Once I've laid the groundwork, I'll take you to meet tomorrow." Li Banfeng agreed. That evening, he slipped soundlessly into the fort to observe everyone's reaction. The fort had won a victory; if Li Banfeng had been openly present, they definitely would have held a victory feast. Wu Yongchao had held one too. He bought wine and meat, hired cooks, and prepared dozens of banquet tables. Yet Dwelling Cultivators had this exact quirk: when evening came, they found all sorts of excuses to decline. Helpless, Wu Yongchao distributed the wine and dishes to each household. Most Dwelling Cultivators lived alone; having a drink with their own dwelling spirits was comfortable enough for them. Back inside the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng checked the Red Lotus's pill refinement progress. Ever since Li Banfeng reached the ninth tier of Journey Cultivation, all pills produced by the Red Lotus had been Golden Origin Pills. Counting the portion from Xiao Zhenggong, a total of fifty-three had been produced so far. "A-Lian, what's the meaning of this?" Li Banfeng gently stroked the bronze lotus flower's seedpod. The Red Lotus argued, "You said so yourself—you wanted Golden Origin Pills! Now that they're refined for you, you're not satisfied again!" "I've already advanced to the ninth tier. What use do I have for these?" "Aiming from the ninth tier toward the tenth, Golden Origin Pills are useful too." "I don't intend to advance to the tenth tier. I'm jumping straight Above the Clouds." "You still have to reach the edge of the tenth tier first! Gorge your ninth tier full before leaping to the first tier Above the Clouds—you'll have much better odds!" That actually made sense! Li Banfeng put the pills away. Dick Chen's flesh and blood had not finished refining yet. Li Banfeng asked, "Will what comes out this time still be Golden Origin Pills?" "Hard to say. I don't know this person's cultivation." Li Banfeng was taken aback. Although cultivation could not be seen, once it had been devoured into the belly, the Red Lotus should have been able to taste a rough approximation based on experience alone. "A-Lian, what schemes are you playing at with me again?" Li Banfeng continued stroking the seedpod. The Red Lotus said anxiously, "This time I truly can't taste it! His soul was eaten by that shrew. Go ask her what grade it was!" Li Banfeng returned to the main room and asked his darling wife. His darling wife was brooding over this very matter. "My dear husband! Your humble servant has basked in your tenderness and eaten so many delicacies that my mouth and nose must have grown dull. Your humble servant cannot taste the flavor anymore." "Darling Wife, you can't even tell if he was Above the Clouds or on the Surface?" Clack, clack, clack—tai! Darling Wife pondered for a long time, then beat a slow rhythm on the clapper and sang: "The soul bears a hint of weathered age, tasting a bit like Above the Clouds, Yet carries a whiff of earthy loam, so it could well be from the Surface. If we speak of chewiness, it might be a ninth tier, If we speak of crispness, it could be a first." Li Banfeng frowned. "Wife, are you teasing me? If it were off by a hair or two, not telling them apart would be one thing. How vast is the gap between the first tier and the ninth tier? And you say you can't tell them apart?" The gramophone felt ashamed too. "Precious Husband, your humble servant adores you and dotes on you—how would I dare utter half a word of deceit? This soul is far too eerie. Your humble servant truly cannot taste it." Darling Wife indeed wouldn't lie to him about this. And not only could Darling Wife not taste it, but the Red Lotus couldn't either. This was no longer an issue of discernment. Could there be a possibility that this Dick Chen had no tier at all? What kind of person possessed cultivation, yet had no tier? *** At dawn the next day, Li Banfeng found the puller at the market entrance. "Did you find the local spirit?" The puller shook his head. "Strange thing, that. The local spirit wasn't home. I asked several old friends from the neighboring territories, and they said the local spirit here hasn't been in Tiemenbao for quite some time. None of them know where this person went." Seeing that the puller was reluctant to leave, Li Banfeng asked in a low voice, "Do you want to snatch ready-made territory here?" The puller shook his head. "How could I be that kind of person? But if something happened to the local spirit here, such fine territory shouldn't go to waste either." Li Banfeng understood what the puller meant. Forcible seizure was out of the question, but scavenging one was worth considering. "Brother Puller, take your time waiting here. I plan to head back to Lüshui City first." "Brother, let me give you a word of warning. That fellow Chen sought me out as a helper, but I might not have been the only one he recruited. Other helpers might still harbor ill will toward you. Once you're back in Lüshui City, you must be extra careful. Remember your older brother's words: a Journey Cultivator walks a thousand mountains and traverses ten thousand waters; with every step, you must weigh your own life." Li Banfeng left Tiemenbao, but he couldn't put his mind at ease. With the local spirit unreliable, he had to rely on his own people. Li Banfeng had Luo Zhengnan arrange men to keep watch around the fort and send word immediately if anything happened. *** Lüshui City, the Lu family's outer residence. Lu Chunying was in the living room going over account books, Xiao Yeci was reading in the study, and Youtao was reading a magazine from Black Rock Slope. A rickshaw pulled up in front of the residence, and a woman in her thirties stepped down. The woman wore a fitted crimson top paired with a long crimson skirt, a crimson hat with a veil draping from the brim, red gloves on her hands, and carried a small folding fan. Her attire was thoroughly fashionable and Westernized. At the gate, the woman said to the guard on duty, "My name is Xiao Manli. I'm here to see Miss Lu Chunying and Madam Xiao Yeci." The guard went inside to deliver word. Lu Chunying invited Xiao Manli into the house. The two looked at each other for a moment before Lu Chunying asked in considerable surprise, "Ms. Xiao, do I know you?" Xiao Manli smiled. "We do know each other; we just haven't had many chances to meet. When Yeci gets here, you'll understand." Before long, Xiao Yeci emerged from the study. The instant she laid eyes on Xiao Manli, the book in her hands dropped to the floor. Xiao Manli smiled. "Yeci, how many years has it been since we last saw each other?" "It's... it's been ten years, hasn't it?" Xiao Yeci stammered slightly. "More than ten years. Chunying has grown so big. Yeci, I came looking for you to catch up on old times. Shall we talk here, or find somewhere else?" Lu Chunying said, "If you have something to say, say it here." Xiao Yeci said, "Nannan, go ahead and eat your meal at home. I'm stepping out for a moment, and I'll be right back, okay?" Xiao Yeci followed Xiao Manli out of the residence. Lu Chunying's brows furrowed slightly. Youtao called over several guards and instructed them to shadow Xiao Yeci. *** Dongping Road, inside a private room at a café, Xiao Manli and Xiao Yeci sat opposite each other. Xiao Manli said, "The first moment I saw Chunying, I recognized her as my child. She looks like me—in every single way, she takes after me." Xiao Yeci picked up her coffee, took a sip, and asked, "Did you come this time to claim Nannan back?" Xiao Manli sighed. "I know there are things I did wrong, but after all, I am her mother." Xiao Yeci frowned. "You still remember you're her mother? In all these years, have you asked about her even once?" "You know that back then, I had my reasons." "And you don't have reasons now?" Xiao Manli fell silent for a long time before looking up. "Whatever countless wrongs happened in the past, they are already behind us. Lu Chunying is my flesh and blood. No one can change that." Xiao Yeci set down her coffee cup. "I never said anything about changing it. Go to Chunying, then, and tell her the truth!" "If I tell her the truth, how will you keep your footing in the Lu family? Even if Chunying can tolerate you, will the Lu family tolerate you?" Xiao Yeci gritted her teeth. "If they can't, then they can't! I can survive anywhere!" Xiao Manli sighed. "Yeci, don't speak out of anger. Seeing that you've become a madam of the Lu family, I truly envy you—tell me, what woman wouldn't? In Puluo Province, when it comes to glory and wealth, how many people can compare to you? With a life so wonderful, could you bear to let it go?" Xiao Yeci shook her head. "You don't need to say all this to me. I don't care about that!" "Saying you don't care is a lie. You're someone who has suffered hardships too," Xiao Manli said, grasping Xiao Yeci's hands. "Back then, I wronged you. I want to see you live well too. Promise your elder sister one thing. As long as this matter is done, I will leave immediately and never meddle between you and Chunying again." "What thing?" Xiao Yeci couldn't see Xiao Manli's intentions. Xiao Manli said, "I want you to help me set up a meeting with someone. I want to see him very much." "Who?" "Li Seven." Xiao Yeci froze. "You know him?" Xiao Manli nodded. "I know him. He deceived me, possessed me, toyed with me, and hurt me so deeply. I want to demand an explanation from him. Set up a meeting with him—don't tell him it's me. Just let me see him once. Your sister is only begging this small thing of you. Can you agree?" Xiao Yeci pondered for a long time. "What exactly happened between you and Li Seven?" "Don't ask too much. Just tell me, will you help me or not?" "Th-this kind of thing, you'd better tell him yourself..." "He won't see me! He's unwilling, and he doesn't dare! Yeci, will you help me or not?!" "I..." Xiao Manli stood up. "If you won't help me, tomorrow I'll take this whole scandal to the newspapers! Once word spreads, Duan Shaoxia definitely won't tolerate you, and the Lu family definitely won't tolerate you! Wherever you go, you won't find a way to survive! You're just a fraud, a fraud who abducted someone else's daughter! Everyone will take you for a swindler! Just you watch—not a corner of Puluo Province will have room for you!" Xiao Yeci remained silent for a long time. Xiao Manli calmed down slightly. "Yeci, I don't want to push things to that point. I'll give you one day. Think it over carefully..." Xiao Yeci shook her head. "Whatever issues you have with Li Seven, take them up with him directly! Why drag me into this?" Xiao Manli suddenly broke into sobs. "I have no other motive. I just want to see that heartless man once! I just want to clear things up with him! Once it's cleared up, I'll leave immediately. I won't pester you, and I definitely won't pester him. That is my only request. Why can't you agree to it? Think it over well. I'll come find you again at this time tomorrow." Leaving the café, Xiao Manli boarded a carriage. Daboynes was sitting inside and asked, "Did it go smoothly?" "She didn't agree, but she will. I know her too well." Xiao Manli lifted the carriage curtain and peered out. She saw Xiao Yeci leave the café, shadowed from a distance by several guards. Xiao Manli asked, "Those people didn't enter the café just now, did they?" "No," Daboynes saw very clearly. "Those people didn't go upstairs. I made preparations in your private room beforehand; no one could overhear your conversation. My only concern is that once Xiao Yeci gets home, she might tell the whole story to Lu Chunying." "She won't," Xiao Manli shook her head. "She's the kind of person who will swallow her own broken teeth in silence. How could she possibly let Lu Chunying know about this? If anything, I'm worried she won't be able to reel Li Seven out." "She can," Daboynes said with confidence. "Duan Shaoxia would have a hard time getting Li Seven to meet, and even if she did, Li Seven would certainly be on his guard. But Xiao Yeci is different. She is someone Li Seven trusts. If she asks Li Seven to meet, Li Seven won't even bring a single guard." Xiao Manli sighed softly. "Had I known this, you wouldn't have needed to seek out Duan Shaoxia as an accomplice. If you had come straight to me, things would have been far easier." Daboynes said, "Dick may have had his own considerations. After all, he's a cautious man." "What does that have to do with being cautious?" Xiao Manli sneered. "It's simply that you didn't trust me!" Daboynes frowned. "To earn the trust of others, you need to show real action—especially when your reputation is so poor." *** Xiao Yeci returned to the residence. Lu Chunying hurried up to meet her. "Who on earth was that? What did she want from you?" Xiao Yeci forced a smile. "She's a relative from our old hometown. Heard we made good, so she wanted to borrow some money to spend." "And here I was wondering who it could be!" Lu Chunying snorted. "Back when the two of us were suffering, why didn't we see any relatives show up at our door? Now she comes running to borrow money. You shouldn't have paid any attention to her in the first place!" Xiao Yeci smiled. "It's just a small thing, no need to take it to heart. Nannan, Mother is tired and wants to go to sleep early. Don't stay up too late either." Lu Chunying said, "Sleeping this early? Have you eaten?" "I ate, I already ate!" Xiao Yeci went back to her room and sat in silence on the bed for a good while. She walked over to the desk, picked up a fountain pen, and wrote out a letter. She did not believe there could be much of a liaison between Li Seven and Xiao Manli. Xiao Manli was a married woman, and though her looks were decent enough, Li Seven was never short of women around him. Leaving others aside, just Jiang Mengting and Chu Huaiyuan alone—which of them wasn't a hundred times better than Xiao Manli? There was something fishy going on here; she had to give Li Seven a warning. After writing everything down clearly, Xiao Yeci packed her bags, preparing to secretly leave Lüshui City. Some things she could not change: Xiao Manli was Lu Chunying's biological mother. Some things she could not endure: people would say she was a fraud, a child abductor. Just thinking about these things was enough to break her. Leaving like this was the right choice—both for herself and for Lu Chunying. Past one in the morning, the whole household was asleep. Xiao Yeci slipped quietly out of her room. A guard at the entrance asked, "Madam, where are you going at this hour?" "I have some private matters to attend to. Don't worry about it." Xiao Yeci did not want to elaborate, and the guards didn't dare press further. Reaching the courtyard gate, she looked back at the residence, bit her lip, and picked up her suitcase to leave. *** At the train station, Xiao Yeci bought a ticket to Moxiangdian and sat alone in the waiting room. Not many people took trains at night. Strangers came and went through the waiting room; no one recognized Xiao Yeci, and no one paid her any attention. Xiao Yeci murmured to herself, "This is how it should have been all along. Just treat it like a dream... just treat it like..." Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes, and Xiao Yeci let out a soft sob. Youtao took out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears. "Thank you..." Seeing Youtao, Xiao Yeci shivered in fright! "Why are you here?!" Youtao mimicked her cadence: "I saw you were in a bad mood, so I wanted to cheer you up tonight, but you weren't in your room! That was how I knew you'd run off! Where on earth are you trying to run to?" "I... I just wanted to go out and clear my head." "Going out to clear your head is fine and dandy, but you have to tell your daughter! If she finds out you're gone, she'll turn all of Puluo Province upside down!" Xiao Yeci sighed. "There are things you don't understand. I'm not her real mother." Youtao laughed. "How could I not understand? Teasing you usually turns your face bright red—anyone can see you've never been with a man, so how could you have given birth? That woman today is Chunying's real mother, isn't she?" Xiao Yeci nodded. Youtao said, "This is simple enough to handle: it all depends on whether Chunying acknowledges her. If she does, take her in and live together. If she doesn't, then forget it and act like she doesn't exist." Xiao Yeci shook her head. "Sister Tao, you don't understand. Matters in wealthy families aren't that simple." Youtao shrugged. "If I don't understand, talk it over with Chunying. In any case, you go home first." "I can't go home." "You're going back whether you like it or not. Don't force me to tie you up and drag you back." A cold glint flashed in Youtao's eyes. Xiao Yeci grew angry. "What? You think I'm afraid of you?" Youtao was a second-tier Joy Cultivator, while Xiao Yeci was a second-tier Literary Cultivator. With comparable cultivation, the two came to blows. A dozen exchanges later, station staff drove them both out of the waiting room with a flurry of clubs. Youtao grinned. "Can't leave now, can you?" Xiao Yeci gritted her teeth. "You... you're so vicious!" When Xiao Yeci and Youtao returned home, Lu Chunying had nearly lost her mind from worry. She dismissed everyone else first and shouted at Xiao Yeci, "What gives you the right to abandon me? I've never abandoned you!" Xiao Yeci lowered her head. "But there's no way around this!" "How is there no way? The two of us made it this far—haven't we always figured out ways step by step? Even if we really can't think of something, don't we have others to help us?" "Other people can't know about this!" "Even if you don't trust others, don't you have Seventh Brother?" "He can know even less! This involves him too!" Lu Chunying produced the letter Xiao Yeci had left behind and said, "You actually believe this? Given Xiao Manli's character, which eye of Seventh Brother's would take a fancy to her?" Xiao Yeci said, "Don't talk like that. She is your biological mother." "I only have one mother!" Lu Chunying gritted her teeth. "Tomorrow, I'll find someone to have her bumped off, and that'll be the end of it!" Xiao Yeci gasped. "You can't do anything reckless!" "This is the proper way! Listen to me!" The next morning, just as Lu Chunying was about to send for Tan Fucheng and Lu Yuanxin, two guards from the Lu family mansion arrived at the door. "Miss Chunying, the Madam would like to arrange a meeting with you." At this critical juncture, Duan Shaoxia was asking to meet Lu Chunying. Lu Chunying's heart tightened. Had the secret already been exposed? *** At dusk, Xiao Manli came to Xiao Yeci's residence once more. The two left the house and went to the café from before. Xiao Manli asked, "Yeci, have you thought over what I spoke to you about yesterday?" Xiao Yeci nodded. "I've thought it through. I agree. I'll go arrange a meeting with Li Seven." "Good. As long as you get him to come out, once tonight passes, I will leave Lüshui City immediately." Xiao Manli patted Xiao Yeci on the back. Xiao Yeci felt something was amiss. "What did you just do?" Xiao Manli looked surprised. "What, your sister isn't even allowed to touch you?" Xiao Manli had placed something on Xiao Yeci's person. Xiao Yeci did not know what it was, nor did she know how to remove it. *** Li Banfeng returned to Xiaoyaowu and instructed Luo Zhengnan to step up the investigation into the Light Chasing Society. This organization was truly mysterious. Well-informed as Luo Zhengnan was, he had never even heard the name of the Light Chasing Society. The Garrison Office might have records on them. Just as Li Banfeng was planning to contact Lightbulb, Xiao Yeci suddenly arrived at Xiaoyaowu. "Seventh Brother, could I treat you to dinner tonight?" Xiao Yeci asked tentatively. Li Banfeng was taken aback, then nodded. "Sure. Who else did you invite?" Xiao Yeci said, "Just the two of us. Would that work, Seventh Brother?" Li Banfeng tilted his head, studying Xiao Yeci. Blushing, Xiao Yeci asked, "Can you make it or not, Seventh Brother?" The way she called him Seventh Brother was so very strange.