Chapter 390: The Emblem of Puluozhou Must Not Be Lost

"Old Seven, I'm truly impressed—you've got all the businesses rolling across the regions!" Ma Wu was ecstatic and immediately dropped to his knees to bow to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng sidestepped: "I'll say it again—if you're my brother, you don't kneel."

Ma Wu was convinced—he truly was.

Shen Rongqing, whom he had pleaded with countless times without success, had been persuaded by Li Banfeng.

He was deeply curious what technique Li Banfeng had used, or what elixir he'd taken.

Perhaps it wasn't just a matter of technique—Ma Wu suspected Shen Rongqing might have fallen truly in love.

But none of that mattered now; the businesses across the regions were all turning around. First, at Heishipo, the factory's products were sold on-site—though they earned less profit from the price difference, the impact was negligible.

More than a dozen merchants took the goods in batches and dispersed them to various regions—all of them were under He Jiaqing's command.

Why didn't the Garrison Commander raise their freight rates? Why didn't he issue an order that anyone receiving goods from Li Qi and Ma Wu must increase freight by fifty percent?

This was a difficult matter.

These merchants came from different backgrounds, held different statuses, operated in different industries, and used different shipping channels—if freight rates were raised for all of them, countless businesses would be disrupted, and chaos would erupt across Heishipo and the entire Puluozhou.

The troubles at Heishipo and other regions were gradually resolved; Ma Wu was thrilled and had Jiang Mengting sing for Li Banfeng all night long.

Li Banfeng admitted Jiang Mengting's voice was decent, but no matter how beautiful she sang, could it compare to his wife?

Seeing Ma Wu's enthusiasm, Li Banfeng didn't want to refuse his face, so he made an excuse: "Old Five, singing just for me is boring—throw a song festival and gather all our friends."

Ma Wu wasn't confident—they were being targeted by the Garrison Commander, and he didn't know how many would come.

Li Banfeng didn't care: "Those who come are friends; those who don't won't ever set foot in our door again."

Ma Wu followed Li Qi's words and immediately sent out the invitations.

He loved song festivals, loved the spectacle of singers competing on stage—even though the competition was all for show, he simply adored the atmosphere.

After sending out the invitations, he expected maybe fifty percent attendance at best, but over eighty percent showed up—all except the Chu family and their close followers.

The Lu family, of course, all arrived upon receiving the invitation—Lu Chunying came, Lu Yuanxin came, and even Duan Shaoxia came.

The He family's situation was dire; He Yuxiu was missing, and no one else from the clan was in charge. He Yuxiu had one cousin brother and two cousin sisters, who felt their status was too low to attend, but Ma Wu personally fetched them—now more than ever, they needed to show support for the He family.

To Ma Wu's great surprise, Ma Junjiang, the fourth son of the Ma family, showed up.

He'd feared Ma Junjiang might cause trouble, but Ma Junjiang came genuinely to congratulate him, bringing two gifts: "One is from Father."

Ma Wu froze: "What? Has Father finally recognized me?"

Ma Junjiang smiled: "He still looks down on everything you did before, but this time he told me—you've got the same hard bones as he does."

"Hard bones? You mean about the Garrison Commander…"

Ma Junjiang glanced around, signaling Ma Wu not to mention the Garrison Commander here: "Old Five, find time to go home—Old Man misses you."

He didn't want to return home, but he accepted the gifts.

The remaining ten-plus percent of empty seats, Li Banfeng didn't let sit idle—he had several attendants, cooks, and sweepers all find places to sit.

"Everyone, if you've work, get to it; if not, enjoy yourselves here—food and drink are on me!"

The sweeper felt awkward—he couldn't sit holding his special broom, but setting it aside risked someone mistaking or stealing it.

The song festival began, and cheers erupted constantly in the grand hall.

Li Banfeng scanned the audience, locked eyes for a moment with a slender youth, and the two left the hall one after the other, heading to a private room.

The slender youth was Qin Xiaopang; Li Banfeng frowned: "You've wasted away—didn't I tell you, if you're short on cash, come to me? You can't keep starving yourself."

Qin Xiaopang spoke with short breaths: "Seventh Brother, I don't know what's wrong—I'm swallowing dozens of jin of food daily, yet I'm never full."

Li Banfeng frowned: "Is the Changlu Can really this severe?"

Xiaopang shook his head: "We've seen others eat the Changlu Can, but no one eats like me—he's never seen anything like it.

No matter how much I eat, I'm never satisfied—yesterday I weighed myself, and I'm under a hundred jin."

"This won't do!" Li Banfeng grew concerned—the Changlu Can Pan Dehai gave him might be abnormal. "I'll find someone to extract that worm—you can't suffer like this."

"No, Seventh Brother," Xiaopang didn't want it removed—"Let me hold on for another month or so—I'll reach the fourth level of cultivation, all thanks to this worm!"

"Fourth level?" Li Banfeng grew even more suspicious of the Changlu Can. "Brother, listen to me—get rid of that worm right away."

"Seventh Brother, just let me hold on two more days—if I can't make it, I'll find another way," Xiaopang changed the subject, speaking of affairs within the Bangmen.

"Because my cultivation is rising so fast, our Silver Chapter holds me in high regard—they take me everywhere. Two days ago, we visited the Second Boss's mansion; he'd drunk too much and said some things he shouldn't have."

"What did he say?"

"He said the First Boss has no guts—he's a dog to outsiders, and the Three Heroes Gate will fall under his command."

After hearing this, Li Banfeng paused, then asked: "Did he say this sincerely—or was it meant for you?"

"Why would he say it to me? I'm nobody…" Then Xiaopang realized: "Seventh Brother—is he aware I have someone behind me?"

Li Banfeng smiled—it was only natural.

Xiaopang had risen to the third level of Wu Xiu in less than two years—this alone couldn't be explained by mere talent.

Li Banfeng had also given him substantial financial support; it was only logical the Second Boss had taken notice.

"I actually hope he said it to you," Li Banfeng opened his purse and pulled out a stack of banknotes for Qin Xiaopang.

Qin Xiaopang waved it off: "Seventh Brother, I'm not short on cash right now…"

"Take the money anyway—find out about your Second Boss's past—see if he's truly got guts, if he's ever done anything gutsy.

Also, give more to your Silver Chapter—seniority is capital; with capital, you gain power!"

…

Back in the grand hall, Li Banfeng had just sat down when Ma Wu joined him, pointing to a man in his forties: "That's He Haiqin, He Yuxiu's cousin."

Li Banfeng glanced at the seating and frowned: "He shouldn't be sitting here—he belongs in the VIP section."

"I invited him to VIP, but he refused—he said his status isn't high enough."

"I tried discussing business with him, but he said he can't make decisions—it's useless to talk to him."

Look at his posture—nervous, trembling, jittery—is a song festival really worth this much fear?"

He Yuxiu was right—the He family's collateral branches had all been tamed by He Haiqin; expecting them to save the He family was laughable.

They needed a way to bring He Yuxiu back to Lüshuicheng.

But how to guarantee He Yuxiu's safety?

Now that Li Qi and Ma Wu had angered the Garrison Commander, their own situation was unsafe.

Lu Chunying was directly confronting the Garrison Commander over the Bailer Men—her situation was unsafe too.

Bringing He Yuxiu back would mean stepping on landmines everywhere—even with precautions, no one knew where the real threats lay.

Where should the focus be…

The song festival neared its end; Ma Wu stepped forward to award the top singer—no surprise, it was Jiang Mengting. He reserved the remaining awards for the new stars he was cultivating.

Lu Chunying sat beside Li Banfeng and whispered: "Seventh Brother, Duan Shaoxia is inviting us to dinner—what should we do?"

"Where? The Lu family mansion?"

"Right here—at Xiaoyao Wu."

"Then no need to fear—go listen to what she has to say. If she wants you to abandon the Bailer Men, don't agree under any circumstances."

"Seventh Brother, rest assured."

…

After the festival, Duan Shaoxia hosted a banquet at Xiaoyao Wu, inviting Li Qi, Ma Wu, Lu Chunying, Lu Yuanxin, and the head of the Hundred Flowers Gate, Zhang Xiuling.

Li Banfeng made an excuse and didn't attend—he had no defense against cultivation-based seduction, unlike Ma Wu, and he didn't want to interact further with Duan Shaoxia.

Seeing Zhang Xiuling, Ma Wu felt tense—this woman, famed alongside Shen Rongqing, carried the weight of dozens of gates in Puluozhou; she truly was a legend of Puluozhou.

Zhang Xiuling and Duan Shaoxia called each other sisters—if she turned against Lu Chunying, Lu Chunying's situation would worsen.

After polite greetings, Duan Shaoxia got to the point: "Lu family is now under Chunying's leadership—I shouldn't interfere in business matters,

but I'm Dongliang's wife, and for the Lu family's sake, I must speak:

Chunying, I've heard you've had tensions with the Garrison Commander over the Bailer Men."

Here it comes!

Lu Chunying nodded, not denying it.

Ma Wu gripped his wine cup tightly—the only person in the room he truly feared was Zhang Xiuling.

Lu Yuanxin sat upright, neither eating nor drinking—he also feared Zhang Xiuling and was ready to act at any moment.

Duan Shaoxia took Lu Chunying's hand: "Chunying, listen to me—the Garrison Commander is dangerous,

but the Bailer Men is the Lu family's emblem, the emblem of Lüshuicheng, the emblem of Puluozhou.

This emblem must not be handed over to outsiders. If the Garrison Commander comes at you with words, negotiate—you're the expert.

If they come at you with force, don't fear—I'm here, Xiuling is here—we'll fight them to the end!"

Lu Chunying, Ma Wu, and Lu Yuanxin were stunned.

No one expected the gentle Duan Shaoxia to speak with such backbone!

Ma Wu turned to Zhang Xiuling.

Zhang Xiuling looked at Lu Chunying: "Miss Chunying, the Hundred Flowers Gate never bows to outsiders. The emblem of Puluozhou must remain in the hands of Puluozhou people."

She was declaring her support for Lu Chunying.

Ma Wu now found the talented woman less terrifying—her words carried a different aura from Shen Rongqing's: less gentle, but brimming with boldness.

Duan Shaoxia said: "Chunying, hold your head high—this emblem, the Lu family will defend at all costs."

Lu Chunying nodded: "Madam, the Lu family's spine is straight—but we only own half of the Bailer Men."

The core issue lay here: the Bailer Men was half-owned by the Lu family, half by the Chu family.

Lu Yuanxin sighed: "When Chu Huaiyuan bought the Bailer Men, Chu Huaijun didn't even dare to look at it. Now, while Chu Huaiyuan is away, this bastard dares to come and steal the fruit!"

"That bastard Chu Huaijun would lick the Garrison Commander's boots—Puluozhou's face has been utterly shamed by him," Zhang Xiuling bit her lip.

At the mention of Chu Huaijun, Duan Shaoxia's face twisted in disgust. "That kind of scumbag shouldn't be given the time of day. Chunying, from now on, cut off all business with the Chu family—except for the Bailing Men."

Junyang, I'll go see your father tomorrow and find out what he thinks of Chu Huaijun. You're a man of principle—your father shouldn't let you lose face."

Ma Wu had no good reply, so he simply raised his wine cup.

As he drank, he observed everyone at the table.

Since the Black Stone Slope incident, Puluozhou seemed to have changed—subtle shifts, real and undeniable.

……

In the private room, Li Banfeng was teasing Xiao Yeci.

"Your sister's coming to Lüshuicheng—she'll stay at your place for a few days."

Xiao Yeci looked surprised. "I don't have a sister."

"You do now. A real sister."

"That makes no sense—how can a real sister just appear out of nowhere?"

"I say she exists, and she does. Not just a sister—you've got a real little sister too. Your house is big enough; they'll stay with you."

PS: Where did this sister and sister even come from!

(End of Chapter)