Chapter 1073: The Lu Family

Following local tradition, the Yangshan Archipelago would also hold a Spring Splendor Festival to celebrate the harvest and pray for a good year.

This festival was chosen to take place after the grain was harvested and stored. Everyone would parade through the streets, watch performances, visit markets, eat food, dance around bonfires, or wear masks and dance, partying from night until morning.

By the end of the year, this usually resulted in a batch of newborns.

According to local custom, the Yangshan Archipelago also invited the high-ranking officials, wealthy gentry, and merchants with whom they had close dealings to attend the Spring Splendor Festival.

That night, the giant bonfire on Heiye Island burned half as high as the sky, reflecting the smiling faces of everyone.

Fine wine and delicacies were served like a flowing stream, and the clinking of glasses could be heard everywhere.

He Lingchuan had already toasted a round of merchants and returned to his seat, shaking his neck and patting his face.

Socializing was truly exhausting; his face was stiff from smiling.

Ling Guang hurriedly handed him a small blue pill: "Eat it quickly, it's for sobering up!"

"Are you sure?" He Lingchuan smelled a strange odor from the elixir and immediately became suspicious. "You gave me the wrong medicine last time, and it gave Qiu Hu diarrhea all night."

"I didn't give the wrong one; he was training too hard during that period, and he needed to purge the toxins."

"..." You really don't understand human social nuances." That night, Qiu Hu was supposed to spend time with a beauty, but as a result..."

In any case, for the next few days, Lei Ni had a long face, and even he, as the boss, could see it.

"Just eat it. You've already finished three jars of wine; I'm afraid you'll be jumping into the sea to catch the moon in a moment." Ling Guang rolled his eyes at him. "Do you remember what you were like the last time you got drunk?"

"What?"

"You were squatting on the beach of Centipede Island, digging sand with your bare hands, digging for clams all night, saying you wanted to stir-fry two dishes for Master Sun!" Ling Guang asked him, "Who is Master Sun?"

He Lingchuan laughed it off: "Did that really happen?"

"It didn't?" Ling Guang had a good memory. "Then where did those two big buckets of clams come from?"

At this moment, someone approached, and He Lingchuan stuffed the pill into his mouth, swallowing it without even chewing.

Looking closely, it was Lu Zhenxian, the sixth son of the Lu family, coming to toast him.

"Brother He, congratulations, congratulations on the big spring harvest!" Lu Zhenxian's face was a bit round, possessing the geniality of a businessman.

He also dealt in the grain business, and the Yangshan Archipelago had originally purchased grain from him, but from now on, they would be selling grain, making them inevitable competitors. However, Lu Zhenxian quickly changed his mindset; after all, in the rear of the Mou Nation, grain was hard currency—it was merely a matter of time and price.

He Lingchuan raised his glass in return: "I heard that Sixth Master Lu's business has been booming recently; congratulations are in order."

The businesses of the third and sixth Lu sons had originally been mediocre, as the best resources were taken by the main family. However, He Lingchuan intended to be on good terms with them, and the Yangshan Archipelago purchased a large quantity of goods from these two families at high volumes and favorable prices. The furs and clothing primarily dealt in by the third Lu son, and the ceramics, lacquerware, and medicinal materials dealt in by the sixth Lu son, all found markets in the Yangshan Archipelago.

The Yangshan Archipelago now had a permanent population of seventy thousand and was continuously adding more people. The new commoners had a very strong demand for household goods.

In other words, the Yangshan Archipelago was the biggest client for the third and sixth Lu sons.

Lu Zhenxian was naturally very unhappy that these two cousins were doing business with the Yangshan Archipelago and had tried to cut off their financial path several times. He Lingchuan had also heard about the infighting within the Lu family.

In the end, both sides took a step back: Lu Zhenxian ignored their business with the Yangshan Archipelago, while the third and sixth Lu sons had to hand over a portion of their profits, citing the use of family resources as the reason.

When he heard this news, He Lingchuan knew that the rift and conflict between the Lu brothers had been deepened by his money offensive.

Now that he was the god of wealth for the sixth Lu son, the latter's attitude was exceptionally enthusiastic. He took a brocade box from his attendant and handed it to him with both hands: "A small gift, please don't take offense."

"How could I be so rude?" He Lingchuan said this, but his hands were not polite, and he flipped open the lid of the box.

Inside the box lay a gold bowl, with a peacock embossed on the body, and the crest and tail feathers were inlaid with small rubies.

It was pure gold, utterly magnificent, and still dazzling under the firelight.

"A golden rice bowl?" The sixth Lu son was also good at giving gifts; this present was very pleasing.

The sixth Lu son smiled: "Holding a golden rice bowl, you'll never have to worry about anything."

Everyone praised it.

At this time, a pair of young teenagers squeezed out from behind the sixth Lu son, stared at him for a long time, and finally said in surprise:

"He Xiao!"

He Lingchuan stood with his back to the bonfire; the more intense the fire, the darker his face, and others couldn't see clearly. The teenager changed angles twice before finally seeing him clearly.

"Lu Qingbin!" He Lingchuan's eyes lit up, and he took a big step forward, grabbing his shoulder first and shaking it hard. "Long time no see!"

This teenager was naturally the son of the sixth Lu son, Lu Qingbin, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, a sturdy build, and only his chin resembled his father's.

The two looked at each other and laughed.

The sixth Lu son rubbed his hands together and said happily: "You two really know each other?"

"We really do." Lu Qingbin nodded repeatedly. "We drank and went boating in Lingxu City last year. I didn't expect that back in my hometown, ten thousand miles away, I would still be able to see Brother He!"

At that time, He Xiao had become famous in Lingxu City due to the Elixir of Immortality case, and walking among the crowd, he was like the moon surrounded by stars. Lu Qingbin was one of those "stars," coming from a remote area, and his conversation wasn't outstanding, so He Lingchuan didn't have much interaction with him, only remembering that there was indeed such a person.

He didn't expect that this was actually a relative of the original body.

The sixth Lu son smiled at He Lingchuan: "My son just returned from the front line and insisted on coming to the island to see you."

Lu Qingbin said solemnly: "What Brother He did in Lingxu City was extraordinary. Such a person, of course, I have to come and pay my respects!"

During his studies in Beijia, he was merely a spectator. He Lingchuan, however, had been drawn into the deepest political struggles of Lingxu City, which was truly like sailing in stormy seas, where a moment of carelessness could lead to being smashed to pieces.

Yet He Xiao had been able to retreat unscathed and was still standing here perfectly fine.

Just this alone was extraordinary.

The Soul-Stealing Mirror in He Lingchuan's arms chuckled: "He says that, and I thought your deeds of burning down the Star-Plucking Tower had been exposed."

The guests on the side were curious and asked one after another: "Tell us about it?"

"Wait a moment!" Lu Qingbin hurriedly introduced the young girl beside him to He Lingchuan: "This is my sister, Lu Feiyan."

Lu Feiyan was only half a head shorter than her brother, with a sturdy build far exceeding that of an ordinary girl. As soon as He Lingchuan saw the muscles on her arms, he felt she could punch the rich second-generation kids in the city until they cried.

This was a true tomboy who could carry a gun on a horse and kill on the ground.

Her round face was flushed, and her gaze toward He Lingchuan was full of curiosity: "Hello. My brother praises you to the heavens; whenever he mentions you, he gets as excited as a monkey. When shall we spar and test each other?"

"What nonsense is a girl talking about!" The sixth Lu son was startled, fearing that this reckless daughter would break his god of wealth. "If you want to fight, go find your brother!"

Lu Feiyan curled her lips: "My brother says he can beat the deputy commander of the Lingxu City Heart-Unity Guard, so he must have some skills. Can't I ask for advice?"

The sixth Lu son didn't know what the "Heart-Unity Guard" was, but adding the prefix of Lingxu City made it sound very impressive.

So this Brother He was not only quick-witted, capable, and generous, but also possessed extraordinary cultivation? He hadn't made a mistake in befriending him; good, good, he hadn't made a mistake! "No problem, come to Xiaoxu Island in a few days; our guard force is organizing an exercise." He Lingchuan said to Lu Feiyan, "Bring a few more sets of clothes; the water mist there is thick."

Lu Feiyan said happily: "Good, you're a straightforward person."

Someone called her from the side, and she went over. The sixth Lu son whispered to He Lingchuan: "My daughter is crazy in front of people; Brother He, don't take it to heart, and don't spar with her. She followed the army a few days ago and ruined her face, leaving such a long cut; the whole family was terrified."

The sixth Lu son gestured on his own face, from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth. "Fortunately, we got good medicine, otherwise she would have been scarred!"

"If you have such trouble again, just come to me." Ling Guang was sitting on the table drinking, and He Lingchuan pointed at it: "My pharmacist is the best at refining elixirs and ointments; I guarantee no scars will be left."

The noise around the bonfire was deafening, and He Lingchuan patted Lu Qingbin on the shoulder, calling him to talk on a reef cluster dozens of feet away.

Today's meeting with the Lu siblings was actually the result of his repeated hints to the sixth Lu son.

Once the sixth Lu son understood, the relationship between the two sides could go a step further.

Here, far from the crowd, the sound of the tide was mechanical but pleasant. After the tide receded, there were mudskippers and small crabs in the water pits on the reefs, hiding in the stone crevices as soon as they saw people coming.

Lu Qingbin spoke first: "How did He Xiao come to be here with us?"

"Drifting through the four seas, tired, I wanted to find a place to put down roots." He Lingchuan sat down, his long legs crossed on the reef. "I think this place is quite good, and once I came, I didn't want to leave."

"That's great, I can ask Brother He for advice in the future!"

He Lingchuan looked closely at Lu Qingbin; the teenager's eyes were full of joy, and his expression didn't seem fake.

"Advice on what?" He Lingchuan said casually. "Brother Lu has become a commander, killing enemies on the battlefield and defending your home. The scholars in Lingxu City only know how to talk on paper and boast; they are already inferior to you."

He himself had been through many battles and could immediately smell the iron and blood on Lu Qingbin. Don't look at the fact that the latter was less than twenty years old; there should be quite a few lives under his hands.

Real combat brings true knowledge; Lu Qingbin, who returned home to participate in the war, was not the same as he was two years ago. If he had been in this state at that time, He Lingchuan would have been able to pick him out from the crowd at a glance and befriend him properly.

"It was only after I went to the battlefield that I knew how difficult it was for Brother He back then." Lu Qingbin sighed softly. "In Lingxu City, I heard people say that you were the best at manipulating people's hearts, the best at observing the situation, straightforward in front of people, and meticulous behind their backs. The more I thought about it after I came back, the more I felt it was right. If I could be as transparent as Brother He, perhaps I wouldn't be so passive fighting on the front line."

He Lingchuan was greatly surprised: "Who would say that about me?"

"Du Shan. He said it while drinking."

"..." That old six!" He Lingchuan couldn't help but mutter.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1074 =====