Chapter 117: From Despair to Fortune (This Chapter is High-Octane)

The moonlight was so dim,

The earth shrouded in night mist,

My beloved in my dreams,

Where are you?

The phonograph in the parlor was still playing “Dreamer.”

Lu Dongliang vanished; He Yuxiu vanished too.

Lu Dongjun looked at Zhuo Yuling and said: “Where did he go? What technique is this?”

Zhuo Yuling looked stunned: “He Jiaqing? He Jiaqing’s technique? He Jiaqing is a Traveling Cultivator.”

Lu Dongjun had no interest in He Jiaqing.

“Lu Dongliang is still alive!” Lu Dongjun’s face twisted in panic as he glared at Zhuo Yuling. “He won’t let us go! I shouldn’t have believed you!”

Da Zhigai Zuo Wugang had just brought Lu Xiaolan downstairs, accompanied by several guards.

They saw no Lu Dongliang—only Zhuo Yuling and Lu Dongjun, who had appeared out of nowhere.

Wu Ma returned with the teapot; she seemed to have seen something.

Lu Dongjun glanced at Wu Ma, fingers subtly interlacing—her head instantly fell to the ground.

He Yuxiu had two attendants beside her; they had witnessed what just happened.

Lu Dongjun, from several meters away, flicked his wrist lightly—their heads dropped to the ground.

Lu Dongjun didn't need to get close to deal with these low-level cultivators.

To ordinary observers, these three deaths seemed unrelated to Lu Dongjun.

But for the guards who had just come downstairs, the connection was unmistakable.

Especially Da Zhigai Zuo Wugang—he was a sixth-layer expert who could sense Lu Dongjun’s movements.

Lu Dongjun made no effort to conceal it, pointing at Wu Ma’s corpse and shouting: “These are He Yuxiu’s men! She injured Elder Brother—I’m going out to find him! You must hold the estate!”

Lu Dongjun rushed out of the estate—he spoke nothing but truth.

He was going to find his elder brother—and kill Lu Dongliang the moment he found him.

And telling the guards to hold the estate? Only one purpose: keep them from wandering, especially from finding Lu Dongliang before he did.

Lu Dongjun chose the situation most favorable to himself—but for Zhuo Yuling, it was far from favorable.

But if these guards didn’t leave, how could Zhuo Yuling rescue Lu Xiaolan?

Zhuo Yuling was fifth-layer; the hidden Dabo Yins were also fifth-layer; Lu Xiaolan was only third-layer, a passive Cultivator unskilled in combat, her entire arsenal of magic treasures seized by Lu Dongliang.

What to do?

With urgency mounting, Zhuo Yuling seized an idea and shouted: “Go check on Madam and the Young Master!”

The guards froze, unsure what to do.

Since entering the Lu household, they had taken orders only from Lu Dongliang and Qiu Zhiheng.

But tonight, everything had gone wrong.

Monkey Qiu was absent; Lu Dongliang was gone; Lu Dongjun gave orders—and so did Zhuo Yuling.

Whose orders should they follow?

Zhuo Yuling shouted again: “What the hell are you waiting for? He Yuxiu’s men have broken in!”

Zuo Wugang snapped to attention and barked: “Quick! Go upstairs—see how Madam is! You two, check on the Young Master! You two, check on Second Miss…”

Zuo Wugang assigned roles clearly—most guards were dispatched, leaving only three to guard Lu Xiaolan.

But Zuo Wugang didn’t leave—he was a stubborn one, a sixth-layer Wu Xiu not easy to handle.

Zhuo Yuling was weighing her moment to strike when a guard rushed in, panicked: “Head Zuo! Bad news! Miss Chunying and Madame Ye Ci are gone!”

“Damn it! Damn He family!” Zuo Wugang stomped and sprinted upstairs.

Madame Ye Ci could be ignored—Lu Dongliang never liked her.

But Miss Chunying couldn’t be ignored—Lu Dongliang had ordered the guards to protect her extra carefully.

Only one guard remained beside Lu Xiaolan. Zhuo Yuling no longer hesitated—she sharply lifted her long skirt, whipped her waist—and a long tail shot from her lower back, piercing the guard’s throat.

The guard collapsed, barely clinging to life.

Zhuo Yuling twisted her waist again—the tail surged upward, piercing clean through the guard’s skull.

Lu Xiaolan was bound in chains; Zhuo Yuling had no time to unlock her—she grabbed Lu Xiaolan and fled the estate at once.

When Zuo Wugang returned, only the guard’s corpse remained on the ground.

“Damn it! What the hell happened now?”

Zuo Wugang’s eyes turned red—Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying were gone.

Now Zhuo Yuling and Lu Xiaolan were gone too.

What would Lu Dongliang do when he returned? Would he peel Zuo Wugang alive?

“Quick! Get Monkey Qiu here!” Zuo Wugang finally came to his senses—this mess needed Monkey Qiu’s handling.

…

He Jiaqing had just lain back on his sickbed, stretched, when a voice whispered beside him: “Where do you think Lu Dongliang went?”

“Impossible to guess,” He Jiaqing murmured. “I suspect even he doesn’t know where he’s going. This was sudden—he had no pre-set coordinates.”

“I worry Lu Dongliang won’t die. Ninth-layer cultivators have tough lives.”

“I sense he’ll die—I just can’t see how,” He Jiaqing smiled confidently. “Wait for his corpse. Prozhou is about to turn upside down. The headline’s yours.”

…

Lu Dongliang flew through the air.

He didn’t fly far—his injuries were severe, his strength drained.

He didn’t know where he was headed; when using the technique “Ten Thousand Li Parting,” he lost all sense of direction.

With a fixed direction, he could have sent He Yuxiu to a precise location—or himself. But he had no chance then.

All other techniques were unusable. Ninth-layer techniques consumed immense energy; combined with his grievous wounds, Lu Dongliang had only a single breath left—now he relied solely on the Traveling Cultivator’s first-layer technique, flying toward the most favorable direction.

He sensed southward was right—southward, someone could save him.

He reached the edge of Lüshuicheng, lost control upon landing, and plunged headfirst into a muddy ditch.

Bad—choking.

Drowning in this ditch’s sludge.

Lu Dongliang, ninth-layer Traveling Cultivator, one of Prozhou’s top two experts, lord of the greatest mansion—now trapped in mud, unable to rise, crippled by wounds.

Wasn’t it said someone would save me if I flew south?

A ninth-layer Traveling Cultivator dying in sludge?

Who will save me?

Who can save me?

Who…

Sludge poured relentlessly into his nose and mouth; the weakened Lu Dongliang was losing consciousness.

Who can come to save him?

…

Li Ban walked to the edge of the ditch and saw a man upside-down, buried in mud, legs still thrashing.

He had just escaped Lüshuicheng, planning to return quickly to Lanyang Village, when he stumbled upon this bizarre sight.

Li Ban casually pulled Lu Dongliang out of the mud.

Lu Dongliang’s entire face was caked in sludge; Li Ban read newspapers regularly—he should’ve recognized him—but now even his features were unidentifiable.

Li Ban dug the sludge from his nose and mouth, noticed a bloody hole on his forehead, and considered leaving him by the roadside to die or live as fate willed.

Unexpectedly, Lu Dongliang suddenly clutched Li Ban’s leg, pleading: “Save me, please, they’re trying to kill me, save me…”

Lu Dongliang was right—someone was trying to kill him.

Though this was the edge of Lüshuicheng, Lu Dongjun would find him soon.

But Li Ban didn’t want to stay either—carrying a full-grown man, how long would it take to reach Lanyang Village?

Take him to the Personal Dwelling? Give him a ride?

Li Ban quickly dismissed the idea—he had never done such a thing.

He had once brought living people into the Personal Dwelling—but once inside, they were no longer alive.

Plainly put: Li Ban never let anyone leave the Personal Dwelling alive. He would never allow anyone to expose its secret.

Li Ban ignored Lu Dongliang and prepared to leave.

But his legs refused to move.

A thought surged from his legs into his mind.

He wanted to save this man.

He wanted to bring this man into the Personal Dwelling.

The feeling was overwhelming.

He had felt this once before—when he had taken a rickshaw.

Back then, Li Ban had just leveled up, unable to use techniques, entirely reliant on the rickshaw driver’s guidance.

This feeling was even stronger than that.

Was he about to meet another Traveling Cultivator who would guide him?

Li Ban hesitated, then lifted Lu Dongliang again—ready to ask him questions—but found he had lost consciousness once more.

Seeing that Li Dongliang wouldn’t wake anytime soon, Li Banfeng considered leaving him behind—then suddenly sensed danger approaching.

Is it coming for this man?

Li Banfeng glanced at the unconscious Li Dongliang, his mind uneasy.

If it truly targets him, leaving him here means certain death.

The technique of avoiding misfortune and seeking fortune guided Li Banfeng’s judgment.

Saving this man is right—then save him once more.

Li Banfeng decided to first bring him into the Portable Dwelling, then immediately leave Greenwater City, and only release him after the danger passed.

At that point, if he can be saved, save him; if not, let it be.

Li Banfeng dragged Li Dongliang into the Portable Dwelling and set off at once.

He had barely left when Li Dongliang opened his eyes.

He had never lost consciousness—he had been pretending.

As a ninth-layer cultivator, one of the strongest in Pulu Province, head of the mightiest family, Li Dongliang’s performance was beyond Li Banfeng’s ability to detect.

Before entering the Portable Dwelling, Li Dongliang had opened his eyes for a fleeting instant and glanced at Li Banfeng.

That single glance was enough for him to recognize Li Banfeng.

To capture Li Banfeng, Li Dongliang had studied countless photographs and memorized every detail.

Even though Li Banfeng’s hair had grown long, his face was covered in a thick beard, and he wore a hat, it still couldn’t fool Li Dongliang’s eyes.

The moment he saw Li Banfeng, Li Dongliang forced down his inner excitement and joy, using a technique to conceal his malice toward him.

Li Dongliang’s level was too high—Li Banfeng sensed only good fortune, not danger.

After a few gasps, Li Dongliang finally struggled to sit up.

Is this Li Banfeng’s residence?

He actually lives beside Greenwater City?

This brat has guts—I never noticed him all this time!

Scanning the dark room, Li Dongliang spotted a faint glow in the corner.

That outline—could it be…?

Overcome with excitement, Li Dongliang rushed forward and embraced the bronze lotus resting in the corner.

The bronze lotus was still refining Lady Suo’e; Li Banfeng had never reclaimed her from the outer chamber, leaving her exposed for Li Dongliang to find.

Fate—this is fate!

Thinking of tonight’s events, Li Dongliang wept.

Just minutes ago, he had been betrayed by his own family, stabbed by his own blood and kin.

He knew Zhuo Yuling was furious over Lu Xiaolan’s affairs.

He knew Li Dongjun harbored strong ambitions for the family headship.

He knew Zhuo Yuling and Li Dongjun had frequent private dealings—perhaps even deep ones.

But all of it had been under Li Dongliang’s control—he had even planned the timing to eliminate Zhuo Yuling and Li Dongjun.

He simply hadn’t expected it to come so suddenly.

He Yuxiu arrived too suddenly, Zhuo Yuling moved too suddenly, he had sent Qiu Dao away, and his home had been ambushed—this was the calamity he faced.

During his flight, Li Dongliang had believed this was the greatest disaster of his life.

Yet after the disaster, the greatest fortune followed right behind.

When misfortune reaches its peak, fortune turns—this is precisely what it means.

Since ascending to the first layer, the technique of avoiding misfortune and seeking fortune had never failed him!

He was a ninth-layer traveler cultivator, one step away from the tenth layer.

But ninth-layer traveler cultivation was too arduous—he no longer wished to endure it, nor wait any longer.

He could take elixirs; his wealth was not an issue.

Yet ordinary elixirs contained too many impurities and too much toxicity; pure elixirs were exceedingly rare, priceless, and Li Dongliang could no longer sustain his cultivation through them.

With the Xuan Sheng Red Lotus, all of this could be resolved—reaching the tenth layer would be effortless.

Even surpassing the tenth layer, entering another realm, would no longer be an unattainable dream.

What Li Dongliang needed now was to restore his combat power as quickly as possible.

Though he could now barely defeat an adult man, if he rested for half an hour, he could recover to third-layer combat strength.

After an hour, he could recover to fifth-layer.

Ten days of rest would restore him to seventh-layer—this was the physique and power of a ninth-layer cultivator.

Beyond seventh-layer, slow recuperation was required.

But he didn’t need to recover to seventh-layer.

Though cultivation level was invisible, based on his experience, Li Dongliang judged Li Banfeng’s cultivation could not exceed third-layer.

Right now, think of nothing else—focus, restore to third-layer, and kill him.

Of course, if Li Banfeng returned even later, restoring to fifth-layer before killing him would be safer.

The wounds on his forehead and chest healed rapidly; his strength slowly returned.

Sssss~ sssss~

Lost in his recovery, Li Dongliang couldn’t help but open his eyes.

It was the sound of the Xuan Sheng Red Lotus.

By its crimson glow, he saw the petals blooming.

The red lotus had blossomed!

Li Dongliang was overcome with excitement!

This was a response to fate!

This was a response to a powerful one!

The lotus has recognized me as its master!

But he was overthinking.

The red lotus had indeed sensed him.

But it was not sensing fate, nor a powerful one, nor a master.

Chiiii~

Steam hissed out.

Clang clang clang~

The phonograph played a slow rhythm, accompanied by gongs and drums, singing: “That madman once boasted he’d bring back a ninth-layer as ingredients, / I mocked him many times, yet now I feel ashamed—I underestimated my own man, / Sisters, cultivation is invisible, but judging by his recovery speed, isn’t he a ninth-layer?”

Li Dongliang was terrified.

He could not comprehend what manner of being this phonograph was, but he sensed danger—danger he could not resist.

After a few minutes of recovery, he had regained first-layer combat strength—he rose and bolted for the door, using his Wind-From-Nowhere technique to flee the room—but two phonograph needles pinned his shoulders tight.

The phonograph had three needles and three record trays.

After recovering for a few minutes, Lu Dongliang had regained a measure of combat strength; he rose and bolted, using his Ground-Born-Wind technique to try to burst out of the room, but two record needles hooked tightly onto his shoulders.

Two needles held Li Dongliang in place; two records embedded themselves into his soul, beginning to shred it.

“Sisters, good things are rare—let’s not idle, let’s dig in!”

The blood-filled pendulum flew up, piercing Li Dongliang’s neck and beginning to drain his blood.

The bronze lotus, its lotus heart dew trickling, grew impatient.

Li Dongliang’s face twitched, his expression filled with despair.

After welcoming the greatest fortune of his life, he had plunged once more into disaster—but this time, he could not escape.

It shouldn’t be this way.

According to the guidance of avoiding misfortune and seeking fortune, Li Dongliang could not fathom how things had ended like this.

Just before he lost consciousness entirely, he understood.

He had found Li Banfeng—that was seeking fortune; Li Banfeng had truly tried to save him.

But the calamity brought by the phonograph and the red lotus was beyond his foresight.

Especially this strange dwelling—he could never have foreseen it.

Because his level was too low—and far too low.

PS: Banfeng is about to feast on something big.

Banfeng had once wondered: what was the true origin of the newspaper? Why did it dare report on anything?

(End of Chapter)

Banfeng had once wondered: what was the true origin behind the newspaper? Why did it dare report on anything?

(End of Chapter)