Chapter 194

Li Banfeng put down his wine cup and coughed for a long while before calming down.

"Do you know Lu Xiaolan?"

"I know her. Acquaintance, at least."

Li Banfeng lifted his cup again. "How well?"

Ma Wu didn't know how to describe it: "If we count the most recent layer, she's my fiancée."

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Li Banfeng choked again.

Fiancée?

Why had Ma Wu never mentioned this before?

Actually, it wasn't Ma Wu's fault—he hadn't meant to hide it.

It was their temperaments: if someone didn't want to speak of something, they never pressed.

But this logic made no sense at all.

Li Banfeng asked: "If Lu Xiaolan is your fiancée, then what's He Jiaqing?" Don't tell me he's your fiancé."

Ma Wu choked too: "Fiancé? How could I be caught between them? There's more to this…"

Li Banfeng was curious, but his bond with Ma Wu remained unchanged: "If you don't want to say, forget it."

"I really don't want to say, but this matters too much—I have to tell you. Lu Xiaolan is two years younger than me. At thirteen, we became betrothed."

In Puluozhou, marriage contracts between powerful families were common.

But even among such contracts, compatibility mattered.

Were Lu Xiaolan and Ma Wu compatible?

Not at all.

Neither was she compatible with Ma Wu nor with He Jiaqing.

She later attached herself to He Jiaqing only because the Lu family rose in power.

Li Banfeng asked: "I recall you're the legitimate heir, and Lu Xiaolan is a concubine's daughter, right?"

How could Ma Wu answer that?

"I'm the least favored in my family…" Ma Wu flushed awkwardly. "By the time she turned fifteen, marriage was being discussed. We spent some time together—and it nearly broke off relations between the Lu and Ma families."

"Why?"

"Lu Xiaolan and I were never alike. Every time we met, we'd argue after three words."

"I couldn't take it anymore—I wanted to break the engagement. She said I shamed her and nearly killed me."

Li Banfeng cracked sunflower seeds as he asked: "How did you shame her?"

Ma Wu grew even more awkward: "We were young… in bed…"

Li Banfeng nodded vigorously: "You argued after three words, yet still shared a bed."

Ma Wu sighed: "Back then, we were just kids. If I were the same age now, I wouldn't touch Lu Xiaolan once. Back then, she was already Third Layer, and I was still a white lamb—I nearly died in her hands."

"Later, the matter blew up. The two families grew hostile. Only when Lu Xiaolan left for another province to study did things finally calm down."

Lu Xiaolan already had Third Layer cultivation before leaving for Yuezhou?

"How old was she when she went to Yuezhou?"

"Sixteen."

"How could a sixteen-year-old have Third Layer?"

Ma Wu sipped his wine: "Few know this. Lu Xiaolan wasn't raised to be a noble lady. She was raised to be an assassin."

"Before she turned ten, she entered the Dao path. As long as her body could endure it, she swallowed pills nonstop, trained relentlessly, and suffered terribly."

"I'm not guessing—Lu Xiaolan told me this herself."

"At the time, though I wasn't a Joyful Cultivator yet, I still had talent. In her condition, she wouldn't lie."

"I saw the scars on her body, the calluses on her hands, and the bruises on her thighs from beatings."

"You saw all that…"

Li Banfeng regretted it.

When He Jiaqing snatched the photo away, Li Banfeng hadn't noticed these details.

"Old Five, why were you still a white lamb at that age?"

How could he answer that?

As a scion of a powerful family, Ma Wu had indeed started late.

"Because I'm the most irresponsible one in my family…" Ma Wu blushed. "Lu Xiaolan was forged into a monster by her mother. Never underestimate her. She's now opening land near our territory—I suspect she's here for you."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "Not necessarily. You were the one who broke the engagement. Maybe she's here for you."

Ma Wu drank again: "Whoever she's after, how do you plan to handle her?"

Ma Wu took another sip of wine: "Whoever this is targeting, how do you plan to handle him?"

Ma Wu lowered his voice: "I plan to kill her when the chance comes."

Li Banfeng smiled: "I want to kill her right now."

Without hesitation, Li Banfeng pulled down his hat brim and rose—but Ma Wu blocked him: "Old Seven, you can't act. Let me go."

"Why? My wounds are healed." Li Banfeng wanted to go—he held a deep grudge against Lu Xiaolan. He'd nearly died the moment he arrived at Yaowang Gou.

"I know you're healed, but I've already been seen by Lu Xiaolan. She knows I'm here—but she doesn't know you are. That alone means you mustn't act."

"Besides, even if she knows I'm here, she can't touch me. My status is public—I'm a discarded pawn of the Ma family."

"You're different. Your identity mustn't reach the Lu family. Lu Xiaolan could use it to lure you out. So you can't act. I have to do it."

At all times, Ma Wu considered Li Banfeng's position—he truly was a good brother.

But could Ma Wu kill Lu Xiaolan?

Before university, Lu Xiaolan was Third Layer. Now, rumors said she'd reached Fourth Layer. Ma Wu, a Second Layer, stood no chance alone.

He couldn't kill her alone. What should he do?

"Don't tell me you're taking Sister Suo'e to kill Lu Xiaolan."

That would be a spectacle.

Ma Wu shook his head: "Yanzi and the others are too conspicuous. I'm taking A Qin."

Ma Wu shook his head: "Yanzi and the others are too conspicuous—I'm going with Aqin."

Ma Wu led Li Banfeng to A Qin's room.

A Qin was playing the piano inside.

She looked like a woman in her late twenties.

Or was she a woman?

Large eyes, slender brows, high nose bridge—she was strikingly beautiful.

Two antennae sprouted from her temples, yet they didn't mar her beauty.

Her lower body was slightly more robust, but she had long, elegant legs.

Those legs were shaped perfectly—just a bit too thin.

Li Banfeng asked Ma Wu: "Is this a grasshopper?"

At the word "grasshopper," A Qin frowned. She glared at Li Banfeng: "Five, who is this person?"

Ma Wu warned Li Banfeng to mind his tone: "A Qin is a senior. A true Sixth Layer Body Cultivator. She trained at Santou Cha."

Ma Wu reminded Li Banfeng to mind his tone: "Aqin is a senior, a true sixth-layer body cultivator who trained at Three Forks."

Had a human become a grasshopper—or a grasshopper become human?

Li Banfeng whispered: "Was her original form human?"

Ma Wu said nothing.

The question was hard to answer.

A Qin stood about one meter sixty tall—she looked human. But her original form was indeed a grasshopper.

Ma Wu added: "A Qin's status isn't ordinary. She's Wen Hongyan's master."

Ma Wu reminded Li Banfeng again: "Aqin's status isn't ordinary—she's Wen Hongyan's master."

Chu Er's big branch?

In Li Banfeng's memory, Wen Hongyan was in her early forties. How old was this senior?

Could he even bring himself to act?

How would Wen Hongyan address Ma Wu later?

"Old Five, you're asking for trouble."

Ma Wu explained the situation to A Qin.

A Qin moved her antennae slightly, her expression calm: "When do we act?"

"As soon as possible."

A Qin rose immediately, without preparation.

"Five, tell me who the woman is. You don't need to lift a finger. I'll handle the rest."

Ma Wu was uneasy: "I'll take Lao Zuo with me."

"No need. Zuo Wugang keeps staring at me. I find him disgusting."

Had Zuo Wugang taken a liking to A Qin?

Zuo Wugang has taken a fancy to Aqin?

He was one of Green Water City's most famous big-branch attendants, and he's taken a fancy to a grasshopper?

What kind of master, such kind of attendant.

If this gets out, it'll make the front page of every newspaper.

Ma Wu set out with A Qin and arrived at the reclamation zone, but he saw neither Lu Xiaolan nor the other reclaimer.

But he saw the plot glow.

Did Autumn Leaf Respond?

It responded so fast!

"It's no great loss," Ma Wu gritted his teeth. "Wait till tomorrow when they start reclamation—we'll strike then. We absolutely cannot let them succeed on this plot."

A Qin shook her head. "Wu Lang, before reclamation begins, I can do anything. After it succeeds, I can still find an opening. But during reclamation, I can't act recklessly—I have a covenant with Autumn Leaf."

"What covenant?"

"I'm one of Autumn Leaf's subordinates. If someone tries to reclaim land on his territory, I may inspect—but only with his permission. Otherwise, I cannot enter the plot at will."

A Qin's situation is the same as the Wild Boar and the Centipede Woman: they may inspect Li Banfeng and Ma Wu, but only if Shuizhangquan permits.

Can A Qin inspect Lu Xiaolan?

Autumn Leaf will almost certainly not permit it.

Reclamation inspection tests whether a person has the capacity to bear a plot. A one-li plot is no large landholding; Autumn Leaf won't allow a sixth-layer cultivator to inspect a reclaimer—it violates reclamation rules.

A Qin cannot go, but Ma Wu has another plan: "Tomorrow I'll send Yanzi. She's a wandering monster—she doesn't have to follow reclamation rules."

A Qin was uneasy. "Yanzi is still young. That girl needs more tempering. This matter won't go smoothly."

Ma Wu froze. "Young? Needs tempering? A Qin, which Yanzi are you talking about?"

"Wen Hongyan—my disciple. She took plenty of beatings while training with me. Her peach skin was full of bruise marks. I'll let you see them someday."

Ma Wu laughed. "I meant our Yanzi—not the Chu family's attendant."

A Qin grew angry. "Why do you keep bringing up that shameless tramp!"

Ma Wu quickly embraced A Qin, soothing her. "We're family—we must get along."

A Qin shrugged him off. "I can't get along with her."

"Good A Qin, don't hold a grudge. I'll go home and listen to your qin."

"Wu Lang, I didn't help you with this. Don't be angry with me."

"I'm not angry—but you owe me a proper reward."

"Then you must treat me tenderly too."

…

The next day, reclamation began.

Ma Wu brought Yanzi and A Qin to the plot.

Lu Xiaolan might not be there—plot owners can hire others to reclaim.

Ma Wu had prepared for this: if Lu Xiaolan reclaimed personally, Yanzi would drive her out and A Qin would kill her.

If Lu Xiaolan wasn't there, Yanzi would sabotage the reclamation.

On the way, A Qin and Yanzi bickered nonstop.

"Little Brother, why bring this grasshopper? I could handle this myself."

A Qin snorted. "He doesn't trust your incompetence—he fears you'll fail."

"Wife, who are you calling incompetent? Try me—I'll break your legs."

"Go ahead—I'll pull out your teeth first."

Ma Wu chuckled nervously. "Focus on the task. Focus on the task."

Near the plot, several reclaimers sat by a fire eating. Ma Wu didn't see Lu Xiaolan among them.

Ma Wu ordered: "Yanzi, drive them out!"

The reclamation must be sabotaged. If Lu Xiaolan reclaims land right outside her door, she'll watch constantly, hide there when needed—it's a nail driven into Li Banfeng and Ma Wu's hearts.

Yanzi glared at A Qin. "Wife, this time it's not your turn."

A Qin twitched her antennae but said nothing.

Yanzi wriggled into the plot, making the reclaimers tremble.

Yanzi smiled, stepped forward, and flipped one reclaimer over with her antennae. "You boys are quite handsome. If I weren't taken, I'd enjoy playing with you properly."

While I'm in a good mood, get out now—or you'll lose your lives."

The reclaimers scattered in panic. Yanzi returned to Ma Wu's side, rubbing herself against him with a sultry smile.

A Qin stayed silent, head bowed. Ma Wu stared at the plot and smiled faintly.

Lu Xiaolan, I don't believe you won't show yourself.

Once you appear, I'll take your life!

…

That night, Shuizhangquan came calling: "Ma Wu, I heard you brought a cloak-moth and drove off the reclaimers?"

Ma Wu neither confirmed nor denied. "Master Shui, cloak-moths aren't bound by reclamation rules. Whether or not this is my doing, a cloak-moth interfering with reclamation isn't a violation, is it?"

Shuizhangquan sipped his tea. "Logic says yes—but reality says no."

Li Banfeng spoke up: "Then tell us—what's the reality?"

Shuizhangquan said: "I finally convinced Autumn Leaf to stop fighting. No one has ever succeeded in reclaiming his land. Now, finally, someone tries—and you interfere. Are you forcing him to break the truce?"

Let me be clear: if Autumn Leaf turns hostile, he'll attack again. And if he does, you two will be the first to suffer. Brothers, I've said my piece—think carefully."

Soon after Shuizhangquan left, Chuan arrived with news: "Someone else is reclaiming—still on Autumn Leaf's territory."

PS: Why do land deities value reclaimers so much?

(End of Chapter)