When Hua Manchun returned to Huaxian Manor, the first thing he did was summon his old servant, Ruyu.
Thirty years ago, Ruyu was one of the most favored women in Huaxian Manor. Today, her beauty had faded with age, and she had been kept at Hua Manchun's side to serve as his housekeeper.
Ruyu was fortunate.
Hua Manchun extended his index and middle fingers before Ruyu, snipping them back and forth like a pair of scissors for a moment.
An ordinary person seeing this gesture would think Hua Manchun wanted a cigarette, but Ruyu understood what he meant: he had a fire burning in his heart and needed to vent it.
Hua Manchun was a Joy Cultivator and the master of Huaxian Manor. When he wanted to vent his fire, he naturally had specialized methods and designated people. There were only a little over three thousand people in all of Huaxian Manor, and aside from Hua Manchun, all the rest were women.
The central area of the estate housed over five hundred women. These women were in the prime of their youth and were Hua Manchun's most favored. Ruyu certainly would not use them for Hua Manchun to vent his fire, because after the fire was vented, fewer than half might survive.
Over a thousand women lived along the periphery of the manor. Some had grown old, while others had offended Hua Manchun; having lost his favor, they could only perform menial chores around the estate.
Some made beds and folded quilts, some swept and dusted, and others did heavy labor like grinding grain at the millstones or pushing carts. Compared to them, Ruyu truly was very fortunate.
Yet Ruyu could not send these women who had fallen out of favor to absorb his fire, either, for they might only add fuel to his flames.
Another five hundred or so lived outside the manor. These women possessed cultivation and were responsible for patrolling, standing watch, and defending the manor's security. They were vital to the estate and even less suitable for venting his fire.
That left the final thousand women, who could neither be called favored nor in disgrace. To Hua Manchun, if he saw them he might remember them, and if not, he forgot all about them. These were the most suitable.
Ruyu selected thirty from among them and had them brought to Hua Manchun's residence. Knowing what was about to happen, the thirty stood in the main hall trembling violently, drenched in sweat. Hua Manchun waved his hand. Seeing this, Ruyu hurried out of the hall and stood guard in the courtyard with her subordinates. Hua Manchun, consumed by fury, could kill at any moment; keeping one's distance was the only wise choice.
Hua Manchun shouted out toward the courtyard, "Ruyu, have you forgotten the rules too?"
Ruyu's heart quaked. Bowing her head, she said, "Master, I... I did everything according to your orders."
"Do I need to give orders for everything? Fetch water for my bath!"
"Bathe again...?" Under extreme tension, Ruyu's tongue slipped. She quickly corrected herself, "This old servant spoke out of turn. I will heat the water for Master right away."
"Hold on!" Hua Manchun stopped her. "What do you mean, *bathe again*? Did I already take one?"
Ruyu froze for a long time, then kept her head down. "This old servant was confused. I remembered wrong. Master hasn't bathed. I will boil water for Master—"
Ruyu was not the only one reacting strangely; the rest of the maids in the mansion were acting odd as well.
Hua Manchun shouted, "None of you leave! Speak clearly—what exactly happened here?"
Stammering and stumbling, the women explained.
According to Ruyu and the others, Hua Manchun had returned two hours earlier, taken a bath, and then left again, though no one knew why he had departed.
Hua Manchun was stunned. "What did that person look like? How could you even mistake someone else for me?"
Hearing the words *mistake someone else for me*, Ruyu's legs went limp with fright. "Master, this old servant was truly blind! I really couldn't tell—that man looked identical to Master."
When he questioned the other maids, their answers matched Ruyu's: "He really was identical to Master. We attended him during his bath. Not only was his face the same, but his body was identical too! Every scar, every mole, down to the slightest detail."
Hua Manchun was furious at first, but then sank into deep thought.
*Someone impersonated me, and so convincingly—they must be an Opera Cultivator. But what was this Opera Cultivator after?*
Ruyu said the person simply bathed and left without doing anything, and dozens of maids testified that this was indeed the case.
Hua Manchun didn't believe it. He had Ruyu and the dozens of maids tied up and whipped. Yet Ruyu never changed her story, and the maids' testimony remained the same.
Could they be telling the truth?
If he couldn't discern the other party's motives, this would be a difficult problem to solve.
By daybreak the next morning, Hua Manchun had vented his fire. The corpses of several women were carried out of the mansion by Ruyu to be buried.
Hua Manchun tidied himself up and headed into the deep mountains alone, claiming he had business to look after.
Huaxian Manor sounded like a small estate, but in truth it was no smaller than Haichiling. The vast mountains surrounding the manor all belonged to Hua Manchun, and there was indeed plenty of business up there. Yet not even Ruyu knew what kind of business he actually conducted.
Hua Manchun left in the morning and returned at dusk. He asked Ruyu, "Did anything unusual happen at home?"
Having just been beaten yesterday, Ruyu truly didn't know how to answer. She nodded and said, "Nothing out of the ordinary."
Still uneasy, Hua Manchun returned to the main hall, intending to summon everyone involved for thorough questioning. But as soon as he sat down in his chair, he noticed a new painting hanging behind him. The painting depicted three beauties: one holding a writing brush, one raising a longsword, and one holding needle and thread.
These were Hua Manchun's three most favored women: Yuping, who excelled in poetry and verse; Yujun, who had practiced martial arts since childhood, was a third-tier Martial Cultivator, and served as his personal guard; and Yuwan, who was renowned for her needlework.
Hua Manchun asked Ruyu, "Where did this painting come from?"
Ruyu dropped to her knees with a thud. "This old servant was blind! I mistook Master again! I deserve to die—please punish me, Master!"
Dozens of maids knelt as well. They did not know whether they had truly mistaken him or if their master was testing them on purpose. In any case, things had been utterly bizarre these past two days—their master did things in person, then turned around and denied ever doing them.
Hua Manchun said to Ruyu, "I will not punish you. Answer my question carefully: when did you see me return?"
"You returned at noon. After having lunch, you said you wanted to paint, so I hurried to arrange it. Yuping, Yujun, and Yuwan were all personally chosen by you, and what they held in their hands was per your own orders."
Hua Manchun stared at the ink wash painting, silent for a long time.
Someone had impersonated Hua Manchun and entered Huaxian Manor twice in succession.
The first time conveyed one message: the imposter could replicate Hua Manchun with total accuracy, including appearance, physique, speech, and mannerisms, enough to fool his closest servants.
The second time conveyed another message: this imposter was intimately familiar with the people around Hua Manchun, knowing which ones were favored and what each of their talents was.
In such a situation, claiming he wasn't afraid would be a lie, yet Hua Manchun kept his composure. He called men over and gave Ruyu another savage beating; beyond that, there seemed to be no better countermeasure.
For the next three days, Hua Manchun did not leave the house, keeping watch at home.
During those three days, the imposter did not appear.
On the fourth day, Hua Manchun went out again, once more claiming he had business to manage.
Ruyu dared not pry, though she thought to herself: *What kind of time is it to be going out? Is Master really that short on money?*
Hua Manchun truly was short on cash; right now was precisely when he needed money.
Before leaving, Hua Manchun instructed Ruyu, "If you see me return, ask me first: Did the business turn a profit? If I tell you it did, enough to make two mountains of gold, that proves it's truly me. If the response isn't that, it proves he's a fake."
Hua Manchun headed into the deep mountains again, but before noon arrived, he returned.
The moment he reached the mansion gates, Ruyu's legs gave out, and she sank straight to the ground.
Beside her, a maid cried out in tears, "How can there be another Master?"
Inside the mansion, a 'Master' was currently sipping tea in the study. He had arrived before Hua Manchun. When he walked in, Ruyu had even asked, "Did the business turn a profit?"
The other replied, "Made two mountains of gold."
Word for word, exactly the answer Hua Manchun had instructed.
This secret signal had been given to Ruyu in private. If even this code had leaked, Hua Manchun had no secrets left that he could keep.
In all his years of scrambling and scheming, Hua Manchun had never encountered anything like this. Yet he remained composed. Walking straight into the study, he looked at the other 'Hua Manchun' behind the desk.
"My friend, Hua knows not where he has offended you, but offers his apologies first." Hua Manchun bowed.
The fake Hua Manchun stood and returned the courtesy. "Senior must not do so; that flatters He far too much. I have indeed offended Senior, and waiting here today was precisely to beg Senior's forgiveness."
The other having revealed his surname was He, Hua Manchun deduced, "You are the eldest young master of the He family, He Jiaqing?"
He Jiaqing cupped his hands. "The very same."
Hua Manchun was startled inwardly, not having expected He Jiaqing to possess such superb methods. Yet his face showed not a ripple, looking as though he were merely reasoning with a friend. "Young Master He, you and I bear no grudges. What is the reason for toying with me like this?"
He Jiaqing smiled. "Senior Hua, you and I personally harbor no enmity, but you have a deep feud with my friend, Chu Yaoxian. This elder sister of mine is somewhat blunt and simple in her ways, and she has crossed Senior on many occasions. I hope Senior will show magnanimity, and for my sake, grant my sister a way out."
His words were humble, but his methods were unyielding. He Jiaqing entering Huaxian Manor three times was a display of force before politeness—it proved his strength and forced Hua Manchun to reassess his own chips during negotiations.
Hua Manchun truly made a concession. "I bear no grudge against Miss Chu either. Our lands border each other, so minor frictions occasionally arise. Add to that a few past trivialities that outsiders blew out of proportion, and things seemed worse than they were. So long as we speak openly, there is really no feud to speak of."
As he spoke, Hua Manchun produced a vanity box and handed it to He Jiaqing. "This is a treasure Miss Chu misplaced. Hua happened to find it and was already intending to return it to her. Since she is Young Master He's elder sister, I must trouble you to deliver this vanity box to Miss Chu."
He Jiaqing accepted the vanity box. Hua Manchun continued, "Young Master He is a rising talent of the younger generation, and Hua would very much like to be your friend. However, Huaxian Manor has its rules—men are not permitted to come and go as they please. I hope Young Master He will respect our customs and not make things difficult for Hua again."
"Naturally," He Jiaqing apologized once more. "Should I pay respects to Senior in the future, I shall find another venue. He takes his leave."
Arriving at Chu Yaoxian's residence, He Jiaqing brought out the vanity box.
Chu Yaoxian was overjoyed. "This box is my magical treasure! Hua Manchun snatched it from me during our last fight. Brother He, how did you get it back?"
He Jiaqing chuckled. "On the surface, through cunning; in truth, through skill. Sister, there is no need to fear Hua Manchun anymore. After this lesson, he won't dare trouble you again."
Chu Yaoxian called him 'Brother' at every turn, while He Jiaqing called her 'Sister,' the two getting along swimmingly.
The lesson was bitter, but Hua Manchun had by no means backed down. In front of He Jiaqing, his words had been exceptionally polite, but the fire in his chest only burned hotter.
At this moment, he was pondering a question: Did He Jiaqing do this simply to stand up for Chu Yaoxian, or was there another reason?
Just before this, Hua Manchun had been humiliated by Li Qi. Could this affair be connected to Li Qi as well? Dealing with He Jiaqing alone was already hard enough; if Li Qi also stabbed him in the dark, Hua Manchun truly might not be able to hold his ground.
He summoned Ruyu and asked, "How many years have you been with me?"
Trembling with dread, Ruyu answered, "Master, I have followed you for forty years."
"I remember I favored you back then."
Ruyu nodded. "This old servant will remember Master's kindness for a lifetime. What happened these past few days was all my fault. I have no face to remain at Master's side. Please permit me to do rough chores and menial labor, so I may stake these old bones to give Master one last measure of strength."
"Encountering such a ruthless figure, how could you have guarded against him?" Hua Manchun chuckled softly. "I don't blame you for this. Call Xiuyan over."
Xiuyan was watering flowers in the courtyard and could have heard a single shout. But before Hua Manchun, Ruyu dared not raise her voice. She walked to the doorway of the main hall and waved to Xiuyan.
Xiuyan looked up, only to see blood flowing from all seven apertures of Ruyu's head as she collapsed outside the door.
"Elder Sister—!" Xiuyan cried out in shock, cautiously approaching the door to check on her.
Ruyu was already dead. She had been struck by Hua Manchun's technique.
Hua Manchun had told her to summon Xiuyan, and Xiuyan had come, beckoned over by Ruyu. In Hua Manchun's eyes, this counted as Ruyu fulfilling her final duty.
No matter how formidable He Jiaqing's strength was, to Hua Manchun, mistaking her master three times in a row meant Ruyu had long deserved death.
Hua Manchun wrote a letter and handed it to Xiuyan. "Go outside the manor, find Yuan Chunping, and give this letter to her. Have her read it before your eyes, then burn it."
Xiuyan nodded frantically, took the letter, and sprinted out of the estate.
In the camp outside the manor, she found Yuan Chunping. This woman was not considered one of Huaxian Manor's people, for she was not the manor lord's woman; she was, rather, a guest of the manor lord.
Yuan Chunping opened the letter to find two lines: *Li Qi and He Jiaqing intend to join forces against me. Find a way to lure Li Qi away, and we will defeat them one by one.*
Xiuyan asked, "Miss Yuan, have you finished reading? Master ordered that it be burned immediately after reading."
Yuan Chunping nodded and burned the letter over a candle flame.
The glow of the burning letter danced across Yuan Chunping's face, making her appear exceptionally glamorous.
Looking at Yuan Chunping, Xiuyan felt waves of palpitations in her chest, as if a ball of fire were rising, overwhelming her self-control.
"Miss Yuan, I..." Smoke began to rise from Xiuyan's body.
Yuan Chunping was startled. "What's wrong with you?"
"I... just... feel hot." Fire caught on Xiuyan's body—real flames.
Yuan Chunping cried out, "Quick, bring water!"
Not one of the women around them dared to move.
They knew this was Hua Manchun's technique.
They simply watched Xiuyan, watching as she was slowly burned to ashes.
Hua Manchun never planned to spare Xiuyan. None of the maids in his residence were meant to survive.
"Mistaking their master, whatever the reason, earns death." Looking upon the corpses scattered in the courtyard, the resentment in Hua Manchun's heart subsided slightly. "Li Qi, you can live a few days longer. He Jiaqing, I'll send you on your way first."
Hua Manchun wanted to wait a few days before dealing with Li Qi, but Li Qi was itching to find Hua Manchun right now.
Ma the Fifth's newland was running smoothly, and Li Banfeng consulted Feng Daiku: "Hua Manchun is your neighbor, and his character seems decent. Last time we met, there was too much going on, so I didn't get to treat him properly. Could I trouble you to arrange a meeting with him so we can see each other again?"
Feng Daiku knew Li Qi's temperament, and she knew what he was after. She knew Li Qi was no ordinary man, and she had indeed suffered plenty at Hua Manchun's hands; this was a prime opportunity for revenge.
Even so, Feng Daiku talked Li Qi out of it. "Young Master Li, there is no need to rush this moment."
Li Qi shook his head. "I am in a rush. If a day goes by without seeing Manor Lord Hua, my heart aches."
Feng Daiku said, "Young Master Li, I have clashed with Hua Manchun for years, and I know his methods very well. Not only is his own combat prowess formidable, but he is also connected with several ruthless figures whose backgrounds remain unknown. Give me a little time to uncover who they are. Once we devise a foolproof plan, it won't be too late to strike."
Feng Daiku genuinely had Li Qi's best interests at heart. Even though this was a golden opportunity to eliminate Hua Manchun, in her eyes, Li Qi was definitely not someone to be used. He was a friend, a true friend, and an ally who fought by her side.
Yet Li Qi was not so easily persuaded. Hua Manchun had already been added to the ingredient list, so Li Qi naturally placed him on his procurement plan.
Through Feng Daiku, Li Banfeng gained some more understanding of Huaxian Manor. He planned to first check out Hua Manchun's mysterious businesses, then invite Hua Manchun over to sit at his home. Hua Manchun had labored diligently to build his enterprises over all these years, which couldn't have been easy; if he perished and his businesses fell into ruin as well, Li Qi would feel quite guilty in his heart.
Just as he was preparing to pay a visit to Huaxian Manor, Liao Zihui suddenly arrived in the newland.
Liao Zihui claimed he had come to offer congratulations, and indeed presented Ma the Fifth with a congratulatory gift. Afterward, he sought out Li Qi, saying he had an urgent matter to discuss.
After several collaborations, the animosity between them had lessened considerably. Li Banfeng specifically arranged a private place for the two of them to speak.
"Brother Li, I received a piece of news—though I don't know whether it counts as good news. The higher-ups have agreed to send you another twenty thousand three-headed people, saying it's to help you expand your power."
Li Banfeng smiled. "That's a good thing! But why do they want to expand my power?"
"From what I've gathered, the higher-ups feel you have effectively fulfilled your duties as Balancer across several missions, and in their eyes, you are the most outstanding Balancer to date. Thus, they hope you will command greater influence in Puluo Province so you can play an even larger role in the future."
Li Banfeng looked at Liao Zihui. "Is that truly what they think?"
Liao Zihui shook his head. "I don't know what they're thinking, which is why I said I don't know if this is good news. But having received the news, if I failed to pass it along to you, I would be in the wrong. And if passing it along causes you some misunderstanding, then I would be even more in the wrong."
Liao Zihui acted cautiously, and in this matter, he was especially careful.
Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. The next day, he returned to Yuezhou.
Upon arriving at the Dark Star Bureau, Shen Jingye delivered the same news: "Director Li, the higher-ups intend to bolster your strength and want to dispatch another batch of people from Sinners' City to you."
Stroking his chin, Li Banfeng said, "Nothing is gained without merit. Suddenly handing me such a massive batch of manpower actually makes me a bit uneasy."
"I also felt this came too suddenly." Shen Jingye gave Li Banfeng a meaningful glance. "However, I've heard of another matter: the higher-ups are extremely dissatisfied with the Birch Hermitage and wish for us to thoroughly purge the organization."
Li Banfeng asked, feigning ignorance, "What kind of organization is that?"
Shen Jingye gave a brief overview of the Birch Hermitage's nature, emphasizing the organization's recent situation: "Their president seems to have been missing for some time, and many of the Birch Hermitage's activities had been suspended. But recently, for reasons unknown, some of their activities have gradually become more frequent. In particular, at the black market, they have been conducting transactions on a massive scale, buying and selling with great frequency."
The Birch Hermitage had risen from the ashes.
Migelov could not possibly have revived; his soul had been taken by Banfeng's wife, and the rest of him had long since been tidied up and disposed of. By the looks of it, they seemed to have a new president.
Had this new president made such large moves right upon taking office? Was this true?
"Little Shen, are you saying the higher-ups want me to wipe out the Birch Hermitage, and as compensation, they are willing to grant me another batch of three-headed people?"
Shen Jingye shook his head. "I didn't say that. I didn't say anything. I merely said that the timing of these two matters is somewhat coincidental."
With that, Shen Jingye left.
He spoke even more cautiously than Liao Zihui, which did not surprise Li Banfeng. Yet his intent was essentially the same as Liao Zihui's: they were conveying a hint, a hint tinged with danger that could not be stated openly.
*Did Shen Jingye want me to be on guard against the Birch Hermitage?*
Li Banfeng summoned Chen Changrui and asked about the task previously assigned: "Have those dark ability enthusiast groups, like Yellow Birch Leaf and Nightshade Greenery, had any activities lately?"
Chen Changrui shook his head. "They've all been quite well-behaved. Yellow Birch Leaf has virtually halted all activity recently."
Judging by these signs, it didn't look like the Birch Hermitage had revived—or perhaps Chen Changrui's intelligence sources were simply inaccurate.
Late at night, Li Banfeng contacted Tang Changfa. "Has there been any movement from the Ferry Gang or the Birch Hermitage in the black market lately?"
Tang Changfa shook his head. "I haven't heard any news of Birch or Ferry, though I have seen a few foreign devils walking around the black market all the time."
The clues were tangled and confusing, as though the answer lay at the Cultural Palace black market.
Should he go investigate what the Hermitage was trying to do in the black market?
Two days later, Shen Jingye came to see Li Banfeng. "Director Li, orders have come from above directing us to place great importance on this month's inspection of the black market."
Li Banfeng said, "Doesn't the Dark Star Bureau inspect the black market regularly? What's so special this time?"
"I don't know what's special, which is why I gave you special notice. Do you want to participate in this inspection? The operation is set for the day after tomorrow."
"Let me check my schedule first..."
After Shen Jingye left, Li Banfeng engaged in an in-depth discussion with the other Banfengs.
Investigating the black market under the banner of the Dark Star Bureau was indeed a fine opportunity, but it had come remarkably abruptly.
Not just this opportunity—a whole sequence of events felt somewhat abrupt.
The day after tomorrow.
Should he go or not?
Late at night, Teacher Song's phone rang.
Teacher Song glanced at the caller ID and picked up. "Lin Fojiao, this is novel. You taking the initiative to call..."
"I have an urgent fire burning at my eyebrows; I have to reach out. Someone is scattering bait at my place, and I don't want to get dragged into this—"
Hanging up on Lin Fojiao, Teacher Song deliberated for a moment, then dialed Li Banfeng:
"Banfeng, the school is holding an academic exchange introducing wormholes, with a veteran professor and a newcomer squaring off. Can you come attend?"
P.S.: Lin Fojiao was the proprietor of the black market.
Chapter 558