Chapter 121: Li Banfeng Attends the Banquet

Ma Wu accepted the invitation but did not agree to attend the banquet.

Yang Yanzheng glanced at the stairs and smiled faintly: “Master Wu, I heard you’ve got a friend here—a man of real ability. Could you introduce me to him?”

Ma Wu shook his head: “My friend isn’t here today. Come back another time.”

Yang Yanzheng nodded and smiled: “So your friend really is that capable. Young Master Ma, on the Young Lady ’s birthday, I’ll be waiting for you.”

After leaving Lan Yang Village, Yang Yanzheng hurried all the way back to Lüshui City in less than fifteen minutes—that was the power of a Level Four Traveling Cultivator.

At the residence of Second Miss Chu, Huaiyuan, Yang Yanzheng recounted the entire incident.

Second Miss Chu stabbed a silver needle into her fingertip, then slowly pulled it out, sucked the blood from her finger, switched to another finger, and stabbed it in again:

“He didn’t accept on the spot? Said he’d think about it?”

Yang Yanzheng nodded: “That’s exactly what he said.”

Second Miss Chu sneered: “Thinks killing those thugs means the matter’s over? He’s smart enough—he doesn’t need me to explain this to him.”

On my birthday, if he doesn’t show up, tell Song Jiasen that Ma Wu is hunting in the new lands of Lan Yang Village and isn’t delivering goods from his home—I have proof.”

Yang Yanzheng bowed slightly and said respectfully: “Song Jiasen is a man who values gold above all. If you tell him this, Young Master Ma won’t escape unscathed.”

Huaiyuan sneered: “That old dog Song Jiasen won’t dare kill Ma Wu—but he’ll take half his life.”

I gave Ma Wu face, and he refused it—he deserves to lose half his life.”

This man must suffer more to truly understand what sweetness is.”

…

Li Banfeng sat up on the bed and rubbed his eyes.

The more he rubbed, the more excited he became, until his eyes turned bright red, yet he refused to stop.

His body had regained sensation—his eyes felt, his hands felt.

Chiiii~

The record slowly spun on the turntable, the phonograph softly singing: “Husband, why did you take so many pills yesterday?”

This question required a careful answer.

Li Banfeng said solemnly: “Pills are highly nourishing. I thought eating them couldn’t possibly hurt.”

Chiiii~

Tap-tap-tap-tap! Dang!

A burst of gongs and drums sounded, and the phonograph asked again: “Husband, why do you need nourishment?”

“Because I’ve been overexerting myself lately.”

“Husband, what has you overexerting yourself?” the phonograph pressed further.

“All for the sake of supporting my family.”

“Husband, with your current wealth, is supporting your family still difficult?”

Sssss~

The copper lotus in the outer chamber broke out in beads of dew.

She felt a pang of worry for Li Banfeng.

He must not reveal anything about the Traveling Cultivators!

Otherwise, Li Banfeng would die on the spot, and no one would ever leave again!

Li Banfeng answered calmly: “Wife, do you really think I picked up Level Nine Traveling Cultivator Lu Dongliang by luck?”

Tap-tap-tap-tap! Dang!

The phonograph’s tone softened: “Such a precious ingredient couldn’t possibly be picked up casually—it must have been earned through great peril. I spoke out of turn, Husband, forgive me.

But why did you consume so many Jin Yuandan pills at once? I simply don’t understand.”

Li Banfeng replied calmly: “Last night I encountered a powerful enemy. I couldn’t defeat him or escape him.

In desperation, I swallowed thirty-eight Jin Yuandan pills, hoping to raise my cultivation base by one level and fight him again.

But after taking them, I was poisoned by the pills—I couldn’t fight any better than before, and couldn’t even move. Luckily, I had the Return-to-Heart technique, so I made it back home.”

As he spoke, steam curled around Li Banfeng, showing no sign of anomaly.

She was testing whether Li Banfeng was lying.

In truth, Li Banfeng had told the truth.

That powerful enemy was the backlash of his cultivation.

The phonograph gently caressed Li Banfeng’s cheek: “Good husband, I’ve told you many times—pills do nothing for your cultivation as a Household Cultivator. Why won’t you believe me?”

Li Banfeng snorted: “Everyone else in the Dao sects takes pills—why can’t I? I always feel you’re lying to me.”

The steam curled gently around his body: “Foolish husband, who else in this world treats you as sincerely as I do? Though Jin Yuandan pills offer no benefit to your cultivation, they do strengthen your body.

The pills refined by Red Lotus are far purer than ordinary ones, and their toxicity isn’t severe—eating them is harmless.

But never, ever take pills made elsewhere. Some toxins can’t be easily purged. You must listen to me—I only want what’s best for you. I am wholly devoted to you…”

Beneath the tender words lay hidden malice—the phonograph continued probing whether Li Banfeng had spoken truthfully.

But when the steam curled down to his waist, it suddenly stopped.

“Husband, have you had your release again?”

Li Banfeng sighed softly: “With you rubbing me like this… I have no choice.”

“Aren’t these pants the ones you washed just two days ago?”

Li Banfeng nodded: “I wore them two days—they’re due for a change.”

“You make it sound so easy! But you didn’t wash them!” The phonograph flew into a rage, steam swirling through the room. “You keep talking about consummating our marriage—what can you possibly accomplish if we truly did?”

Li Banfeng quickly changed clothes and left the Personal Dwelling.

“Faraway lands, endless seas—I seek, I seek a true companion~”

The phonograph sang a little tune as it washed Li Banfeng’s clothes first.

In the outer chamber, the copper lotus’s dew slowly vanished.

Tang Dao snorted softly to himself: “So there are things the Mistress doesn’t know.”

He often accompanied Li Banfeng in battle—he suspected Li Banfeng might be secretly cultivating as a Traveling Cultivator.

Sssss~

The copper lotus’s petals slowly unfurled, and a whirlwind rose from its center.

Tang Dao shuddered and shrank into the corner: “I know nothing. I know nothing at all.”

…

Back in the wooden house, Li Banfeng looked outside and realized he had slept through the entire night in the Personal Dwelling.

He went downstairs and saw Ma Wu sitting silently in the parlor, frowning deeply.

Li Banfeng glanced at the newspaper on the table and feigned surprise: “So the Lu family has had trouble!”

Trouble was an understatement—Lu Dongliang was dead, though no one besides Li Banfeng knew yet.

Ma Wu spread out the newspapers one by one and said to Li Banfeng: “The Lu family’s trouble means a major upheaval across Pulu Province.

This is He family news—based on He Haiqin’s attitude, the He family is determined to fight the Lu family to the end. Word is even his younger brother, He Haisheng, has returned from another province.”

He Haisheng?

Isn’t that He Jiaqing’s third uncle?

If he’s returned, He Jiaqing must be safe.

Ma Wu pulled out another stack of newspapers: “These are Ma family updates—all about land reclamation and purchases. The Ma family is now pulling all its business and money out, trying to avoid any entanglement with the Lu family.

These are the Chu family’s reports—opposite of the Ma family. The Chu family is expanding aggressively. Second Miss Chu has reached into the Bai Le Men. She’s looking to stir up chaos.”

After reading the papers, Li Banfeng nodded: “The situation is chaotic, but it seems unrelated to us.”

“It’s deeply related!” Ma Wu pulled out the invitation. “Second Miss Chu invited me to her birthday banquet the day after tomorrow. Should I go or not?”

Li Banfeng exclaimed: “She’s still chasing you? She must have real feelings for you!”

“What feelings could she possibly have for me? She wants to drag the Ma family into this. Don’t you see that, Brother Li?”

Li Banfeng genuinely didn’t see it: “Aren’t you already expelled from the Ma family?”

“But I still bear the Ma surname!”

“Then just bite the bullet and take my surname instead!” Li Banfeng’s surname came from the gatekeeper of the Fuli Academy—he didn’t care much about surnames.

“The surname isn’t the issue,” Ma Wu struggled to express his situation. “I just don’t want to…”

Li Banfeng said: “You don’t want to drag the Ma family into this?”

Ma Wu shook his head: “I’m not thinking of the Ma family—I’m not worthy of them. I’m thinking of myself.

Two great clans fighting, and I’m stuck as their puppet. Brother Li, you know what happens when two great clans pull on a string—I’ll be crushed to dust.”

Li Banfeng could imagine Ma Wu’s predicament. He took the invitation from the table and set it alight with the candle: “If you’ve made up your mind, then don’t go.”

Ma Wu looked at the burning invitation: “Song Jiasen came by. He said if I don’t go, I’ll have to endure the same suffering again.”

Li Banfeng froze: “Again? Trying to extort money? Is Second Miss Chu this relentless?”

Ma Wu sighed: “I thought all night and couldn’t find a way to deal with her.”

“Then don’t think. Pack up. Let’s go hunting in the new lands. We handled the Sui E Lady—we can handle her too.”

…

At the Chu residence, for Second Miss Chu’s birthday, guests waited in the grand hall.

But Ma Wu did not come.

Huaiyuan sat in her bedroom, staring into the mirror, applying a patch of rouge to her cheek.

Then she pressed a dagger straight into her cheek, right over the rouge.

Manager Yang Yanzheng reminded nearby, “Miss, you’re due to meet guests soon.”

“It’s fine.” Chu Huaiyuan drew her dagger, wiped the blood from her face, and applied a special fragrant powder to stop the bleeding and cover the wound.

She turned to look at Yang Yanzheng: “What are you standing there for? Go to Lan Yang Village!”

……

Lu Dongjun sat quietly in the mansion all night.

He Yuxiu had sent him an invitation, asking him to attend a banquet at Qianyue Restaurant the next day to confront each other face-to-face and determine who was responsible for Lu Dongliang’s death.

Lu Dongjun summoned the family for an emergency meeting, but waited until dawn without a single person responding.

Some rumors were true: Lu Dongjun’s standing within the family didn’t even match that of Monkey Qiu!

Strategist Wan Jinxian warned, “Master, if you have absolute certainty, going to Qianyue Restaurant is acceptable—but if you lack certainty, you absolutely must not go.”

Lu Dongjun had no certainty—but could he afford not to go?

How would he ever maintain his position in the Lu family?

He turned to Wan Jinxian and smiled: “Old Wan, I’m tired. I want to rest. Guard the door for me. Let no one enter my room—not even food.”

Wan Jinxian was startled: “Master, are you planning to…?”

“Just do as I say.” Lu Dongjun returned to his bedroom and took from a wardrobe a stone lion over a foot tall, placing it by the door.

He removed a false tooth from his mouth and placed it inside the lion’s jaws—the lion’s eyes glowed bright.

As long as the false tooth remained inside, the lion’s eyes would stay lit; no one but Lu Dongjun could easily enter or leave the room.

After making these arrangements, Lu Dongjun took out a necklace.

……

At noon, He Yuxiu had rented out Qianyue Restaurant, waiting for Lu Dongjun to arrive for the banquet; many prominent figures from both families had come.

He Yuxiu sat in the main seat, clad in a fur coat, and ordered her subordinates to play a piece of music.

One of them placed a record on the phonograph and played “The Full Moon and Blooming Flowers.”

She hoped to calm her anger, but after several songs, the fire inside her had not dimmed.

If Lu Dongjun told the truth today, the matter might still be resolved—but if he dared to falsely accuse He Yuxiu, she was ready to kill him.

After waiting over ten minutes, He Yuxiu glared at the Lu family members: “Is Lu Dongjun even a man? If he doesn’t show up today, he’s guilty—Lu Dongliang was killed by his own hands!”

Before she finished speaking, a subordinate rushed in: “Auntie, the head of the Lu family has arrived.”

“Good, tell him to come up at once—” He Yuxiu froze. “Wait, who did you say came?”

“The head of the Lu family—Lu Dongliang!”

PS: Will Tang Dao use this against Banfeng later? He seems to know too much.

(End of Chapter)