Chapter 149: Pan Dehai

"If I asked you to stay by my side, guarding the night until tomorrow…"

Chu Er sat in the grand dance hall of the Bailingmen, quietly watching the diva Jiang Mengting perform.

She was the only one on the floor, yet the stage was anything but sparse—band, backup dancers, color-shifting gas lamps, every detail executed flawlessly.

Jiang Mengting felt awkward; singing to just one person in the grand dance hall of the Bailingmen was absurd.

But she dared not utter a single complaint—she knew Chu Er's temper: one minute she might call her "Divine Singer," the next she might peel off her skin.

After finishing the song "I Want You," the band was preparing the next piece when Yang Yanzheng approached Chu Er.

Chu Er signaled Jiang Mengting not to stop, then left the grand dance hall.

Now there were no guests left, yet Jiang Mengting still had to keep singing.

…

In a suite on the third floor, Chu Er looked at Yang Yanzheng and asked, "Did you find out?"

Yang Yanzheng nodded: "Monkey Qiu spread word through the city that anyone who dares go to the Bailingmen, the Lu family will show up at their door the next day."

Chu Er didn't believe it: "How many people are there in Green Water City? Do they all listen to Monkey Qiu?"

"It's not just Monkey Qiu—He Da, He Haiqin, has also issued orders: anyone under He family protection is forbidden from going to the Bailingmen. The Ma family too—and even the Chu family…"

Yang Yanzheng didn't continue; all four great families were now targeting Chu Huaiyuan.

Chu Huaiyuan looked up at Yang Yanzheng: "Can't each great family control every commoner? They wouldn't dare come, would they?"

Yang Yanzheng chuckled bitterly: "Miss, you're joking—how many commoners can afford to come to the Bailingmen?"

Chu Er said: "I'll lower the price—twenty silver pieces to dance here, and you can pick any dancer you like!"

Yang Yanzheng didn't know what to say—running a business like this would bankrupt them.

Besides, even if it were free, no one could get in.

"The Lu family has stationed several branch guards nearby, armed with magic treasures. Ordinary people see our sign and turn away."

Chu Er glared: "Send Wen Hongyan—kill those branch guards!"

Yang Yanzheng urged: "Miss, calm down. Killing those guards won't let Monkey Qiu let this go."

"Then kill Monkey Qiu too!"

Kill Monkey Qiu?

Chu Er had lost her reason.

What did she have to kill Monkey Qiu with?

Monkey Qiu not killing her was already a mercy.

Thank goodness this was Green Water City—Monkey Qiu didn't want to cause a major uproar, or he'd have struck her already!

Yang Yanzheng could no longer be gentle—he had to speak plainly: "Your strongest fighter is Wen Hongyan. On what grounds do we kill Monkey Qiu?"

"Hire someone—hire assassins!"

"Which assassin would dare touch the Lu family's chief steward?"

"I'll pay—I'll sell my house, live in the Bailingmen from now on, and I'll fight him to the death!"

Yang Yanzheng rubbed his forehead, seeing Chu Er calm slightly, and urged: "Miss, let's return the Bailingmen to the Lu family. Negotiate the price properly—we won't lose much."

"No! The Bailingmen is mine! I won't give it to anyone!" Chu Er grew agitated again; Yang Yanzheng fell silent.

After a long silence, Chu Er stood up: "Prepare the carriage. We're going to Lan Yang Village."

"Why go to Lan Yang Village?"

"Find Ma Wu. When he ran the Xiaoyao Wu, the great families harassed him too—he knows how to handle this. We must ask him—he'll have a plan."

Yang Yanzheng shook his head repeatedly: "Miss, Xiaoyao Wu and the Bailingmen are two different things. How big was Xiaoyao Wu? The Bailingmen is the pride of Green Water City!"

"You don't understand a thing! Ma Wu is the real money-maker—he'll have a solution!"

"Miss, stop acting childishly. The Lu family has blocked our business—what they'll do next is anyone's guess. You can't leave the city now. Once you go out, the Lu family might strike. Miss, Miss…"

Yang Yanzheng pleaded repeatedly, but Chu Er wouldn't listen. She had the carriage ready, took her attendants, and headed for Lan Yang Village.

…

Lan Yang Village, Changchun Garden.

Senior Branch Guard Zuo Wugang moved from the dance floor to the dining hall, then to the inn, circled the inn twice, and headed toward the tavern.

Xiao Chuan followed behind, drenched in sweat: "Chief Zuo, you've walked twenty laps already—please think of something!"

"What are you yelling about?" Zuo Wugang frowned. "I'm thinking, aren't I?"

Chu Er had arrived!

Li Banfeng and Ma Wu were both away; she wouldn't leave—she'd rented over a dozen rooms at Mengchun Garden and moved in.

She was now a thorn in the Lu family's eye, and all other families were secretly targeting her. She couldn't stay long in Lan Yang Village.

Zuo Wugang had considered this.

But how to act—he hadn't figured it out.

Xiao Chuan was anxious; Zhen Jincheng and Cao Zhida were anxious too.

Cao Zhida spoke first: "Chief, let's go hard—drive them out. Her handful of followers? We can handle them."

Zuo Wugang waved him off: "Why fight them? They're paying guests—room fees, wine fees, all paid. On what grounds do we kick them out? Is that proper?"

Zhen Jincheng said: "Then let's reason with her—persuade her to leave."

Zuo Wugang spat: "Reason? You've never even read a book—how do you reason with a noble lady?"

Cao Zhida said: "If direct methods fail, use underhanded ones—make things hard for her, force her to quit."

"That won't work either," Zuo Wugang shook his head. "Miss Chu might truly have feelings for Young Master Wu. If we go too far, he'll blame us when he returns."

Zhen Jincheng sighed: "Then what do you suggest? Wait until the Lu family storms in? It'll be too late!"

"I think it won't come to that. Miss Chu is no ordinary woman—the Lu family won't drive her to total ruin."

Cao Zhida said: "In Green Water City, the Lu family has some restraint. But this is Lan Yang Village—killing someone is like killing a chicken. The Lu family can strike anytime."

"If we avoid the Lu family but Miss Chu dies here, we're finished—this won't be explainable!"

Zuo Wugang had considered this too.

But he truly didn't know how to respond.

Zuo Wugang snapped: "All of you go back! Stop yelling in my ear! Get out—get far away!"

The three sat in a room inside Changchun Garden; Zuo Wugang kept pacing outside.

Xiao Chuan sighed: "Chief Zuo has no plan at all!"

Zhen Jincheng shook his head: "That's his flaw—he's a tiger when given orders, but when left alone, he's worse than a cat."

Cao Zhida pounded the table: "When will Young Master Wu return? Where's Young Master Qi?"

…

Twenty hours later, Li Banfeng woke up in his Suishenju.

"Hey, husband, did you have a good dream just now?"

Li Banfeng shook his head: "I had a nightmare—I dreamed I was eaten clean by a swarm of insects."

Chichi~

"Hey, husband, that's not right. When you met that vile woman, you always had good dreams. Some people never wake up from them."

Li Banfeng sat on the edge of the bed and asked: "The vile woman you mean—is that Miss Feng?"

"If I'm not mistaken, husband, you met Feng Daiku."

"Feng Daiku? What kind of name is that?"

The phonograph chichi sang: "When this woman was born, she brought disaster to her family, so they despised her and gave her this ugly name.

Feng Daiku sounded awkward; over time, some called her Feng Koudai—it rolled off the tongue better, so it stuck."

"Feng Koudai? That's even worse!"

Chichi~

"That name was actually decent. Years later, no one knows if it was a mispronunciation or what, but someone started saying 'Kudai' instead of 'Koudai.' Now everyone calls her Feng Kudai."

"Kudai? You can tolerate that?"

"You can! Honestly, this vile woman had some grit—she accepted the name Kudai and even renamed her territory. It was once called Koudai Kan, now it's Kudai Kan."

Kudai Kan…

Kudai Kan!

"Wife, you say Kudai Kan is her territory? And she named it herself?"

"Yes! She's the Earth God of Kudai Kan. You know what an Earth God is, husband."

Earth God!

Those three words echoed in Li Banfeng's mind.

That Miss Feng was the Earth God—Earth God of Kudai Kan.

What about Old Yao from Yaowang Gou?

Was he an Earth God too?

Earth God of Yaowang Gou?

Logically, it made sense—Old Yao was a spirit, and Earth Gods were spirits too.

Was Miss Feng a spirit?

I should've used Jin Jing Qi Hao to examine her closely then.

Li Banfeng asked the phonograph: "Wife, what is the origin of an Earth God?"

"I can't recall."

"My dear wife, just tell me—I'll go get you something to eat. Fresh, sweet, crisp soul meat—you can have as much as you want." Li Banfeng leaned closer to the phonograph.

"Oh, my husband, I'm not playing coy—I truly can't remember. The origin of the Earth God concerns Neizhou, and I don't wish to recall anything about Neizhou."

Neizhou?

Li Banfeng heard a new term.

"What is Neizhou?"

"Outside lies Waizhou, inside lies Neizhou, and in between lies Puluo Zhou."

"Wife, please tell me more about Neizhou."

"Husband, I truly don't wish to remember."

"Wife, think carefully—I'll go buy vegetables right away."

"Husband, if you force me to remember, I can—but if I do, I'll go mad."

Li Banfeng smiled faintly: "It's fine to go mad—who hasn't gone mad before?"

Chit-chit~

The phonograph's voice suddenly slowed: "Once mad, you may no longer recognize your husband. Husband, are you truly certain you want me to remember?"

Li Banfeng fell silent for a moment, stepping slightly away from the phonograph: "Then I won't press you, wife."

Clang-clang-clang~ Da~

The wife's voice grew much brighter: "Oh, my husband, come to think of it—I recall you've always been in Lüshui Bay. How did you ever meet Feng Daiku, that wretch?"

Li Banfeng shook his head: "I don't know. She said she was injured."

"Oh? That's strange. Who in Lüshui Bay could have injured her? Could it have been that beggar? But why would she go to Lüshui Bay to provoke him?"

The beggar of Lüshui Bay?

The master of Lüshui Bay?

Did they fight?

Was it over territory?

Too much information—Li Banfeng grew more and more confused.

He suddenly remembered something: the thing Feng Daiku had given him—the bundle of flesh wrapped in bamboo leaves.

He pulled the flesh out of his suit pocket: "This is what Feng Daiku gave me."

Huh-huh~

A wisp of steam enveloped the bamboo leaves, sensing for a long while.

"This wretch has grown powerful indeed. Her sealing technique is so refined, even I couldn't sense it. Husband, unwrap the bamboo leaves for me to see."

Li Banfeng untied the straw binding the bamboo leaves, revealing the clump of flesh inside.

Tap-tap-tap… Da~

After a long clatter of gongs and drums, the phonograph spoke: "If I'm not mistaken, this is Pan Dehai's flesh."

Li Banfeng looked bewildered: "Who is Pan Dehai?"

"De Xiu—he's known to the world as Master Dehai. He too is an Earth God. But why would he fight Feng Daiku?"

PS: Why did the Earth God of Kudai Kan appear in Lüshui Bay?

And fight someone there?

Does he not respect the top dog of Lüshui Bay?

(End of Chapter)