Ma Wu sat in the cabin, his soul still unsettled. He and Li Banfeng were trying to figure out what went wrong today.
This time, luck had been on his side; Ma Wu’s life was spared. But if they didn’t understand their mistake, they might not be so fortunate next time.
Li Banfeng thought,
Ma Wu disagreed.
"How can you be so sure there was a traitor?"
"Old Qi, think about it. Lu Xiaolan didn’t know I was coming for her, right?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "She shouldn’t have known."
"Then why was Da Boyins able to find me the moment he left his plot of land, and even get the upper hand? This proves he knew where I was hiding."
Li Banfeng agreed on that point; Da Boyins indeed knew Ma Wu’s hiding spot in advance. But that wasn’t hard to explain. "Lu Xiaolan is a Peeping Cultivator. You were next to her land for three days; she must have heard your movements."
"Heard what? By just listening around aimlessly? You people from the Outside Provinces have something called radar. Does Lu Xiaolan have radar growing on her too? Without a tip-off, Lu Xiaolan couldn’t have found me by just searching randomly. Besides, Ah Qin is no pushover. She’s experienced in ambushes and chose the location herself. How could it have been exposed so easily?"
Ma Wu had a point. Li Banfeng asked, "Who could the traitor be?"
Ma Wu was silent for a moment before saying, "Old Qi, do you know why I took Ah Qin this time and not someone else? We still have another skilled person on our turf."
Li Banfeng was taken aback. "You mean Zuo Wugang? You suspect he’s the traitor?"
Ma Wu nodded. "He used to be one of the Lu Family’s people."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "We can’t just guess wildly. That sort of speculation just stirs up trouble."
Ma Wu’s expression became grave. "With Lu Xiaolan lurking outside and a traitor watching from inside, we’re going to suffer a huge loss. Lu Xiaolan must be eliminated, and the traitor must be found. I believe it’s Zuo Wugang. He’s interested in Ah Qin. If Ah Qin liked him back, I would have approved; it’s no skin off my nose. But Ah Qin isn’t interested in him, so he’s blaming me and wants to eliminate me along with Lu Xiaolan."
Li Banfeng was truly at a loss for words.
But Li Banfeng was certain the traitor wasn’t Zuo Wugang.
Ma Wu said, "Old Qi, leave Lu Xiaolan to me. You handle the traitor. This is a critical situation, a matter of life and death. We can’t afford to be soft!"
Li Banfeng thought, He then said to Ma Wu, "I’ll find someone to talk to. Once things are clear, we’ll make our move."
Late at night, Li Banfeng returned to his own plot of land. The ten-acre plot had a traitor, meaning anything could be exposed. His own one-acre plot seemed safer in comparison.
Li Banfeng set up an offering table and waited quietly. A Ghost Fire emerged above the table.
"Brother Li Qi, there’s something you might not understand: even the lord of a territory needs to sleep."
"So that’s how it is!" Li Banfeng realized. "When do you sleep then?"
"I was just... What do you need me for?"
Li Banfeng wanted to confirm something. "Those people have developed New Land on Qiu Luoye’s domain. If we kill them in the future, Qiu Luoye won’t cause trouble for us, right?"
"The New Land is already established. As long as it’s not within the original plot, the Local Deity won’t intervene in the landowner’s life or death. That’s the principle, but this situation..."
"Let’s not talk about principles today. You’re a reasonable person. Qiu Luoye doesn’t seem quite as reasonable."
Shui Yongquan sighed. "I’m also concerned about this. Qiu Luoye wants some human energy. His mind isn’t very sharp, and he greatly cherishes Pioneers. This particular group of Pioneers is quite strange."
Li Banfeng asked, "Do you think they’re connected to the people who were pioneering on the Border Line before?"
The Ghost Fire swirled before the offering table as Shui Yongquan pondered.
"I feel there’s a connection, but I can’t pinpoint what it is. I’ll go talk with Qiu Daxiang and then with a few other Local Deities. I don’t know what we’ll find out. Brother Li Qi, I have a strong feeling something big is about to happen. Not just in my Hundred Miles of Land, but in all of Puluo State. I can’t manage the affairs of Puluo State; I just hope trouble doesn’t find its way here. I don’t compete with others. I moved to this remote place seeking peace. Brother, I truly hope we can both enjoy some peaceful days."
...
Peaceful days were no longer attainable.
In the council hall, Xiao Genzi, his face bruised and swollen, kept apologizing to Ma Wu. "Master Wu, I’ve failed you. I truly fought with all my might, but they were too formidable; I couldn’t beat them."
Xiao Genzi had been leading a group transporting goods to Blue Poplar Village. The goods were ambushed and stolen en route, but Xiao Genzi risked his life to lead his men back.
This wasn’t the first shipment to be ambushed. A batch had been taken yesterday, and several escorts were severely injured.
Now Ma Wu dared not send out any goods. As soon as they did, Lu Xiaolan would be watching from her plot of land; they couldn’t hide from her.
Ma Wu didn’t blame Xiao Genzi. "You did well to bring the men back," he said. He then had Xiao Genzi’s injuries treated and gave him a bonus.
Zuo Wugang suggested from the side, "Master Wu, let me escort the goods next time."
"Fine, if you want to go, then go," Ma Wu smiled. "I’m going out for a bit to see our neighbors."
Zuo Wugang felt Ma Wu’s attitude was off; it had been for the past couple of days, but he didn’t dare question further.
Leaving the council hall, Ma Wu walked to the edge of the territory.
He looked towards Lu Xiaolan’s plot of land. An urge came over him; he wanted to rush into her plot, drag her out, and take her life.
The thought flashed through his mind, and Ma Wu exhaled deeply. he told himself.
By Lu Xiaolan’s side were Da Boyins and her mother, Zhuo Yuling. She had opened New Land and was under the protection of the Local Deity.
Ma Wu took a deep breath, paused for a moment, and turned to leave, when suddenly someone spoke from behind him.
"Fifth Brother, are you looking for me?"
Ma Wu was startled and turned around abruptly, only to find Lu Xiaolan right behind him!
"Fifth Brother, have you been missing me?" Lu Xiaolan looked at Ma Wu with a smile, not crossing the border of her land.
Ma Wu forced a smile. "How did you know I’ve been missing you?"
"We must be telepathically connected, Fifth Brother. I know whatever you’re thinking." Lu Xiaolan’s tone was playful, just like when they first met.
Ma Wu’s gaze swept over Lu Xiaolan’s eyes. "Guess what I’m thinking right now?"
"I guess you really hate me right now, just like I hated you back then. You must want to kill me."
"You guessed quite accurately." Ma Wu readied his Technique.
Lu Xiaolan shook her head. "Fifth Brother, you used to be a straightforward man. How have you become so timid? Whether you miss me or hate me, I’m right here. Why don’t you dare to come over? Even if you want to kill me, you’ll have to get closer!"
Ma Wu drew a dagger.
Lu Xiaolan feigned surprise. "Are you going to kill me with that? Fifth Brother, do you think that thing can kill me?"
Ma Wu knew the dagger couldn’t kill Lu Xiaolan. He intended to use it to shed blood, hoping to gain the Local Deity’s protection.
Lu Xiaolan saw through his thoughts and said cheerfully, "Look at you, Fifth Brother, so little guts. I don’t want to kill you today, so don’t worry. But it might be different in the future. If you’re afraid, then hide here forever and never take a step outside."
Lu Xiaolan left.
Ma Wu clenched the dagger tightly and lowered his head. He was alone, without any backup. If he had taken one more step just now, he might already be dead.
...
Back in the council hall, Ma Wu looked at Zuo Wugang and said, "Guess what just happened? I was thinking of checking on our neighbor, and she knew I was coming. She even came to her doorstep to meet me. What a coincidence, right?"
Zuo Wugang didn’t know how to respond; he couldn’t grasp Ma Wu’s meaning.
Ma Wu was silent for a moment, then sent Zuo Wugang away.
Sitting alone in the council hall, Ma Wu repeatedly reminded himself to stay calm.
But he couldn’t calm down.
"Master Wu, the newspapers."
Xiao Chuanzi entered the council hall with two newspapers brought back by Ma Wu’s subordinates from Greenwater City.
Due to the long journey, the newspapers were three days old. Ma Wu saw his name on the second page.
The headline read: "Fifth Young Master of the Ma Family Still Commands Respect, Thriving in New Blue Poplar Village Territory."
Ma Wu gave a wry smile and tore the newspapers to pieces. he thought bitterly.
...
In the Yuezhou Sanatorium, He Jiaqing lay alone on his bed, chuckling.
"Ma Wu has been quite irritable lately."
A voice responded from beside his ear, "He suffered so much and finally got to enjoy some good fortune. Now that it’s about to be snatched away, he must feel terrible."
He Jiaqing sighed. "I feel quite sorry for him too. Have you figured out Xiao Lan’s cultivation level?"
"It’s possible she’s hiding it well. I’ve tested her a few times; she seems to still be at the Fourth Layer."
"Still at the Fourth Layer means the item isn’t with her, but with my friend."
"That Li Qi, is he your friend?"
"I’ve heard his voice. There’s no mistake; he was my best friend during my four years of university."
"Who should we send to get the item back?"
"We can’t let our people go. Find a way to get Lu Xiaolan to do it. Our people’s identities must remain concealed."
"Can Lu Xiaolan actually retrieve it?"
"Yes. My friend is a reasonable man, and Xiao Lan really wants that item. Just a bit of persuasion from you, and Xiao Lan will definitely go. Let the two of them discuss it reasonably. Borrowed things must be returned. If he refuses, he’ll suffer for it. If he still refuses after suffering, then someone will die. He and Ma Wu are close. If Ma Wu dies because of this, my friend will be heartbroken."
"So if he returns the item, we’ll let him live?"
"We’ll see. There are some things I can’t be sure of. If you hear his voice again, connect it directly to me. In the Outside Provinces, they call this ’live streaming,’ understand?"
"I understand."
"I want to hear him speak. His words are always interesting. It’s been too long since I last saw him; I’ve started to miss him." He Jiaqing smiled and ended the connection.
PS: Poor Old Zuo, blamed for no reason.