[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-the-proles":3,"chapter-lord-of-the-proles-lord-of-the-proles-chapter-100":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Lord of the Proles",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2290398,4478,"Chapter 100: Ma Wu and the Seventeenth Sister-in-Law","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-100",100,"\u003Cp>That night, Ma Wu slept on the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had assumed Li Qi slept upstairs; the next morning, he went up to find Li Qi and invite him to tour Lan Yang Village properly, only to find no trace of Li Qi in the bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did he go?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A stranger wandering around Lan Yang Village was dangerous; Ma Wu searched the village several times over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could never find Li Qi, because at that moment Li Qi was sleeping inside the Portable Dwelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night, Li Banfeng wandered through the village all night, accumulating enough cultivation for a Traveling Cultivator and largely mastering the geography of Lan Yang Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the southernmost edge of Lan Yang Village, Li Banfeng saw the entrance to the New Land; from atop the treetops, he could faintly glimpse some light, proving someone had successfully reclaimed land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his way back, Li Banfeng encountered two bandits, extorted over three thousand yuan from them, then handed the bandits over to his wife for reprimand and education.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his wife’s lecture, the bandits burped and promised they would never offend again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dusk, after searching all day, Ma Wu finally found Li Qi beneath the wooden house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was watching the spectacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two groups of people below were fighting each other, their methods crude, with almost no visible techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their tactics were direct: the two sides charged straight at each other, some falling, others fleeing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their weapons were crude—some held kitchen knives, others didn’t even have those.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The noodle shop owner joined the fight; at first he wielded a kitchen knife, but fearing he’d break it, he switched to a rolling pin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu approached Li Banfeng and whispered, “Brother Li, where have you been all day?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just wandered around,” Li Banfeng replied vaguely, continuing to watch the fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu warned, “Brother Li, you’d better not watch this spectacle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng’s expression turned serious: “I have to watch—our landlord’s in there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu glanced over and indeed saw Brother Wei, the landlord, fighting in the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was wounded, his face covered in blood, swinging an axe with all his strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the chaos, five or six men were attacking him alone—they clearly targeted him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu whispered, “Brother Li, your two months’ rent is probably gone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, the landlord took another slash across his back, staggered, nearly fell, and could barely hold onto his axe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around him, people swung knives and slashed downward; the landlord’s consciousness grew dim, his will to fight nearly gone from his severe injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu stared at the landlord for a moment; the landlord seemed to sense Ma Wu’s gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a dying man injected with adrenaline, under Ma Wu’s stare, the landlord’s fighting spirit returned—he raised his axe and fought on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After holding out for over three minutes, a shout echoed from the alley: “Someone’s coming! Run!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group attacking the landlord quickly fled; the landlord, with a dozen followers, chased after them desperately: “Brothers, don’t let these bastards escape! Kill one, I’ll give you ten silver dollars!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The landlord hadn’t chased far when another group burst out of the alley—apparently reinforcements for the landlord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the scene grow more chaotic, Ma Wu warned Li Banfeng: “Brother Li, we should go. If someone recognizes you, trouble will follow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng froze, then followed Ma Wu back to the wooden house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night, Li Banfeng paid Ma Wu his first day’s wage: one hundred and fifty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu bought back some braised beef, pig’s ears, and a bottle of baijiu; the two ate and chatted together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Ma, just now you used a technique on the landlord, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu nodded: “I saw he was at death’s door, so I gave him a boost—just enough to keep your two months’ rent safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was startled: “Can a Joy Cultivator’s technique actually give someone extra strength? The Joy Cultivators I’ve met all made people anxious and trembling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu said: “It’s the same technique, just applied differently—like morning dew nourishing, that’s Charm; like light rain falling, that’s Encouragement; like a downpour pouring, that’s Confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I haven’t passed the first gate yet; I can only use Encouragement—I haven’t learned Confusion yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu’s example was apt, and Li Banfeng understood clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of silence, Ma Wu asked: “Brother Li, aren’t you curious how I ended up here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng nodded: “A little curious. When we met at the peddler’s, you spoke plainly; now you’re less straightforward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu blinked, thinking the issue of plainness wasn’t the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shouldn’t he be asking why I became a beggar?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu drank a cup of wine: “Actually, you could’ve seen the signs at the peddler’s. Logically, I shouldn’t have gone to the peddler to buy medicine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng ate a piece of pig’s ear: “Then where should you buy medicine? Don’t all aspirants go to the peddler?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu shook his head: “The Ma family still has roots in Pulu Province. Ma family members don’t need the peddler—we have our own medicine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Ma family?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Ma family of the Four Great Families?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu nodded: “I’m Ma Junyang, the fifth son of the Ma family. I went to the peddler because I wanted to become a Joy Cultivator.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng thought: “Because your family had no Joy Cultivator medicine, so you went to the peddler?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu shook his head: “Not because they had none—it’s because Joy Cultivation is forbidden in my family. The Ma family is a prestigious house; its descendants must pursue legitimate cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Pulu Province, Literary and Martial Cultivation are the orthodox paths, especially for the Ma family, who regard orthodoxy as paramount and scorn all other sects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Joy Cultivation is the path my father despises most. To practice it is to bring shame upon the Ma family—it’s a disgrace.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Literary and Martial Cultivation are orthodox—no wonder there are so many practitioners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a powerful family, Joy Cultivation’s reputation might indeed be bad, but Li Banfeng thought this didn’t justify Ma Wu’s downfall: “Because of this, did the Ma family expel you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu shook his head: “Not that extreme. My father has many children—I have two older brothers and two older sisters, all with legitimate cultivation. My failure wasn’t a huge scandal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, I was never meant to inherit the family business. My father gave me two dance halls; I ran them well, so I never lacked money or cultivation resources.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was stunned: “Really? Ten times a day isn’t easy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu chuckled bitterly: “Back then, I could afford any tonic or medicine—I managed fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng shook his head: “I’m worried your partners couldn’t handle it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu laughed: “One partner couldn’t handle it, but ten partners each once? No problem. There are plenty of girls in Green Water Bay—many throw themselves at me. I never worried about this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My steward, Chen Yupeng, found me new girls every day with different schemes—until one day, my third brother burst into my room, kicked open the door, dragged me off the bed, and beat me senseless. That’s when things went wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What went wrong?” Li Banfeng sipped his wine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu drained his cup: “The woman I was sleeping with? She was my future sister-in-law.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng laughed: “Were you childhood sweethearts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He expected a sordid tale, but Ma Wu only groaned: “Brother Li, you’re joking. My third brother married sixteen women—I can’t even name them all, let alone this one who never married him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng frowned: “You didn’t know her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t know her!” Ma Wu’s face twisted in bitterness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng thought a moment: “You were set up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Ma Wu nodded. “Set up by my third brother and my steward. They teamed up to put this Seventeenth Sister-in-law in my bed, trapping me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng put down his cup: “Why would your third brother set you up? What grudge did he hold? Why go to such lengths?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu sipped his wine: “My third brother wants my money. He’s the legitimate heir—the entire Ma family fortune will be his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My father already gave him two casinos, two restaurants, and a department store. In Green Water Bay, half a street belongs to him—he controls over thirty percent of the Ma family’s assets, all given by my father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng couldn’t understand: “He doesn’t lack money—why want yours?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu shook his head: “He’s broke. He’s a fool. With over thirty percent of the business under his control, every single venture loses money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Autumn was approaching. By Ma family rules, accounts must be settled on Autumn Equinox. His ledgers were a disaster—he wanted me to loan him money from my dance halls to cover his losses. I refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I only had two dance halls—they’re nothing in the Ma family’s vast holdings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I’m good at making money. Just those two halls bring in twenty percent of the Ma family’s income. He wanted to squeeze me, so he staged a fake scandal—put his future wife in my bed to blackmail me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng thought the handling was flawed: “If he wanted money, you could’ve paid him. Even if exposed, your family could’ve smoothed it over—your father wouldn’t have expelled you over this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu chuckled bitterly: “There are ways—but it depends on the situation. My third brother had barely arrived when reporters showed up. Nude photos were taken and published! ‘Fifth Son Sleeps with Third Brother’s Fiancée’—the Ma family was humiliated across all of Pulu Province!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was baffled: “Who hired the reporters? Your third brother wouldn’t be that stupid—he’d be the one shamed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not him,” Ma Wu sighed. “Probably my fourth brother—or my eldest sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My third brother set me up, but someone behind the scenes set him up too. I was expelled, and my third brother was locked up. Soon, that person will replace him as heir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng asked: “Who will be the heir?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know,” Ma Wu shook his head. “That person hides too well. I don’t even know if I’ll live to see him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear Ma Wu’s physical condition was terrible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng asked: “Because the story hit the papers, did the Ma family force you out with nothing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this, Ma Wu sighed deeply: “Not exactly. When I left home, they gave me three hundred silver dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brother Li, I’m not exaggerating—I could’ve rebuilt my fortune with just three hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But less than two hours after leaving home, I was robbed. Every last silver dollar was taken, even my coat stripped off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hid one jade pendant, pawned it for five silver dollars, came to Lan Yang Village seeking work, and in half a month earned one hundred and twenty silver dollars. Guess what happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng sipped his wine: “You got robbed again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu nodded: “Correct. Ten days ago, all one hundred and twenty silver dollars were stolen. I couldn’t pay rent, got thrown out, slept in a shack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Near the New Land, I collected trash and sold it, scraped together a hundred or so Hengguo notes—just found a place to stay when the day before yesterday, I was robbed again. They left me with nothing—not even enough for food. That’s when I started scavenging.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng frowned: “Who’s doing this? Who’s pushing you to the brink?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who else?” Ma Wu chuckled bitterly. “Still my family.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made no sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu had already been expelled—he posed no threat. Why go to such lengths to destroy him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something strange was clearly at play, but Ma Wu had been broken too badly to piece it all together yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu took a large sip of wine and looked at Li Banfeng: “Brother Li, if not for you giving me this meal, I might have starved to death last night. I don’t know how to repay this debt…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng nodded: “You must repay my favor. Eat first, then write a promissory note—we’ll discuss repayment after.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ma Wu smiled bitterly and shook his head: “This isn’t something a meal can fix. I haven’t cultivated in ten days—I’m running out of time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brother Li, I don’t have many days left. I only want to do more for you. I’d like to ask you about someone—do you know a man named Li Banfeng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Just from the artistry of his speech, you can tell Ma Wu is a brother worthy of great deeds with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come on, Reader, let’s do great things with Shala.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2085,"2026-06-20T03:43:13.043Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","f92cd418f8ec33305151a5d6b0938be61503c435aab842c25ee4058eeb8ad78e","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-101","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-99",863,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-proles-cover.jpg"]