"Master Wu, someone has broken into our warehouse. The shelves were overturned and the goods are scattered everywhere."
"The safe was forced open, and all the cash was taken."
Ma Wu rubbed his forehead. Having just woken up, he felt as though his house had been ransacked when he heard about all these troubles.
A thief had infiltrated the ten-mile territory he shared with Li Banfeng, turning several key places upside down.
She had sent people into the territory last night, and Ma Wu knew nothing about it.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Ma Wu stared blankly, cold sweat streaming down his face.
...
Li Banfeng returned to the ten-mile territory, entered his wooden cabin, and found it completely ransacked.
"Who did this? They almost tore up the floorboards..."
BOOM!
Li Banfeng almost fell through the floor.
Indeed, a few floorboards had been pried up and then put back exactly as they were.
Li Banfeng saw a letter next to the desk. He opened it to find only three lines of text.
The first line read: What’s owed must be returned.
The second line read: A life owed must be repaid.
The third line read: Lu Xiaolan.
Regardless, Li Banfeng had no intention of returning it to anyone.
As he pondered this, Ma Wu entered the room. "Someone showed up on our land last night. I suspect that it was..."
Seeing the state of Li Banfeng’s cabin, Ma Wu knew he didn’t need to explain any further.
"It’s Lu Xiaolan," Li Banfeng shook the letter in his hand. "She even wrote me a letter, saying I owe her a life."
Ma Wu ground his teeth. "What the hell does this bird person want now? Old Qi, burn this letter, quickly! We can’t keep anything from Peeping Cultivation; it might have hooks on it."
Li Banfeng burned the letter and returned to the Portable Residence to clean the dust from his wife’s chassis—the phonograph.
Lately, his wife had been a bit resistant to being oiled, but she still accepted routine maintenance like dusting.
HMPH. HMPH.
His wife hummed twice. "Darling husband, one uses a duster or a brush for cleaning. What on earth are you using on Little Servant’s rear?"
Li Banfeng replied righteously, "A brush!"
HUFF!
His wife huffed, annoyed. "Are you bullying Little Servant? Where in this house would we have a brush that size? And you’re using so much force! Did something unpleasant happen to you?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "There’s a mole among my people."
His wife spoke with deep understanding. "One can guard day and night, but it’s hard to prevent betrayal from within. A mole is the most detestable. Husband, do you have any leads?"
"That’s exactly it. I have no leads, and that’s why I’m so frustrated. Wife, have you ever dealt with a mole before?"
"I have. It’s quite hateful, but also intriguing."
"Intriguing, how so?" Li Banfeng didn’t understand.
"Finding a mole and killing them? That’s no fun. Finding them and *not* killing them... now *that’s* interesting."
"Sparing them is interesting?"
"It’s interesting because you can keep them around and play with them... slowly!"
Li Banfeng couldn’t understand. "What if I can’t find the mole?"
"If you can’t find them, it’s not as much fun, but you can still mess with them a little."
Li Banfeng was unsatisfied. "Wife, please don’t talk in riddles. I don’t understand. The enemy I’m facing this time is from Peeping Cultivation. They might have put a hook on the mole. If I don’t find this mole, my every move will be under their watch!"
"Peeping Cultivation? Oh, that’s even more interesting! It all depends on where the hook is placed!"
Li Banfeng leaned forward, embracing the phonograph. "Wife, what exactly do you mean? Explain it to me."
"My... my... my dear husband! Please take that brush out first! It’s... it’s... it’s in the wrong spot..."
...
Take inventory of the warehouse, repair the safe, and reinspect every corner of the territory. Anything suspicious or unfamiliar must be destroyed to prevent Peeping Cultivation from leaving any hooks behind.
After a full day of frantic activity, Ma Wu returned to the council hall and sat down, drinking to drown his sorrows.
Chuanzi brought the newspaper again. Ma Wu saw another story about himself, this time on the second page.
Ma Wu gave a bitter smile. "The goods can’t be shipped out, and our territory has been infiltrated again. I suppose in a few more days, when we’re bankrupt, we’ll finally make the front page."
...
In the Lu Family Mansion, Monkey Qiu was reading a newspaper in his little building, accompanied by Lu Yuanshan and Lu Yuanhai.
Lu Family meetings used to be held in the main house, but lately, Monkey Qiu spent most of his time in the little building.
Lu Yuanshan remarked, "Ma Wu has been in the news quite a bit lately. I hear his business in Blue Poplar Village is booming!"
Monkey Qiu nodded. "And what does Lu Maoxian say about it?"
Lu Yuanshan paused, taken aback. "Why suddenly ask about Great-uncle?"
Monkey Qiu set down the newspaper. "Aren’t these news stories written for him to see?"
Lu Yuanshan was confused.
Lu Yuanhai, who was responsible for gathering information on Lu Maoxian, nodded repeatedly. "Great-uncle was complaining to our relatives just this morning. He said we brothers handed over the Blue Poplar Village business to the Ma Family, and that the Lu Family’s ancestral legacy will be ruined at our hands."
Monkey Qiu sneered. "The Old Man is getting anxious. He used to only dare to scold me, but now he scolds you two directly. He’s forgotten his place. No matter how senior his generation, he’s not from the main line of the Lu Family."
Lu Yuanshan smacked his lips. "But letting him go on scolding like this isn’t a solution either. How about this: I’ll go talk to Ma Wu tomorrow and have him increase the Hua Hong he pays."
Monkey Qiu lit a cigarette. "It’s useless no matter how much Hua Hong he pays. Even if it were ninety-five percent, the Old Man would still say it’s not enough.
Even if you took back Blue Poplar Village and kicked Ma Wu out, the Old Man would still call you wastrels.
He’d ask why you didn’t take back Hundred Joy Gate. He’d ask why you didn’t recover all the businesses Lu Dongjun sold off."
Lu Yuanhai nodded. "It’s just as Uncle Qiu says. Great-uncle has said all these things in front of our relatives. He brings them up whenever he gets the chance. According to him, we’re simply not fit to be in charge of the family."
Lu Yuanshan sighed. "It seems that no matter what we do, we can’t shut Great-uncle’s mouth."
Monkey Qiu took a deep drag from his cigarette. "The Old Man’s mouth isn’t his own to control. How could we possibly shut it?
There is one thing, however, that he definitely won’t mention: he’ll never suggest we take back the Hai Chi Ridge business."
Lu Yuanhai thought about the recent situation, and it was indeed as Monkey Qiu said. "Great-uncle never mentions Hai Chi Ridge!"
Monkey Qiu took another drag of his cigarette. "That’s because the Hai Chi Ridge business was snatched away by the Ling Family."
Lu Yuanshan suddenly realized. "Great-uncle is in league with the Ling Family! It’s as if his mouth is attached to them!"
Monkey Qiu snuffed out the cigarette and asked Lu Yuanshan, "Yuanshan, I previously told you to get the newspaper operation up and running. How’s it going?"
Lu Yuanshan appeared troubled. "Uncle Qiu, this isn’t so simple. The newspapers I was in charge of were out of print for too long. Reviving them now isn’t something that can be done overnight.
Moreover, the Ling Family’s operation is expanding daily. Never mind distant places; just here in Greenwater City, their papers sell for fifty cents a copy and they never have trouble moving them. Mine, at thirty cents, still don’t sell. If we lower the price any further, there’ll be no profit left. We simply can’t compete with them."
Monkey Qiu smiled. "And you call *that* being unable to compete?"
Lu Yuanshan said helplessly, "Newspapers that have been out of print develop a bad reputation. Long-term subscribers will see us as unreliable, and that’s the biggest taboo in this business."
Monkey Qiu picked up his glass and took a sip. "But what if the Ling Family’s newspapers were also to... cease publication?"
"How could their papers possibly cease publication? They sell out every day..." Lu Yuanshan paused for a moment, then understood Monkey Qiu’s implication.
He straightened his clothes and got up to leave, but Monkey Qiu called out to him, "Don’t do it yourself. You can’t afford to tarnish your reputation over something like this.
Dirty work should be left to those who specialize in it. Zhang Xiuling of the Hundred Flowers Gate has been eager to establish ties with the Lu Family. This might be a good opportunity to give her."
...
In the meeting room, the phonograph played a melodious dance tune. Ma Wu was playing chess with Li Banfeng. Ma Wu was distracted, while Li Banfeng was highly focused, considering each move very carefully.
As the game neared its end, Li Banfeng declared checkmate. Ma Wu conceded defeat. "Old Qi, I want to discuss something with you. Next time we ship out goods, I plan to escort them personally."
Li Banfeng frowned. "If you escort it personally, you think Lu Xiaolan won’t try to rob us?"
"She’ll definitely still try. That’s why I plan to use myself as bait to lure her out. I’ll take Yanzi and Ah Qin, and bring Xianxian and Qiaocui too. I refuse to believe we can’t eliminate her!"
"What about Zuo Wugang?"
"Not taking him. I still can’t trust him."
Li Banfeng held a chess piece, carefully examining the board. "In New Land, these people are effective. But what happens if you leave New Land? I don’t know about Ah Qin, but the Straw Moth Lady cannot leave New Land."
"Ah Qin can’t leave New Land either; she has a contract with Qiu Luoye," Ma Wu had also thought of this. "Besides, Lu Xiaolan is still wanted by the Lu Family. I doubt she’d dare to operate outside New Land.
If she dares to make a move outside New Land, then I’ll just have to accept my fate. It would just mean I’m not as crazy as she is!"
Li Banfeng put the chess piece back on the board and nodded. "That’s one way to do it. I’ll go with you."
Ma Wu was stunned, then shook his head. "You can’t go. We can’t let Lu Xiaolan know you’re here."
Li Banfeng shook his head with a smile. "Old Wu, you’re getting muddled. She already wrote me a letter; she definitely knows I’m here."
Ma Wu rubbed his forehead; he was indeed muddled. "If you go, who will guard our territory?"
The territory has two masters; one must always remain who is willing to shed blood for it.
Li Banfeng put the chess pieces into the box and lit a cigarette, looking at Ma Wu.
"We brothers conquered this territory together. If something happens to you, what’s the point of holding onto it?
As long as we brothers stand together, we can definitely take down Lu Xiaolan, whether it’s inside New Land or out. Who have we brothers ever been afraid of?"
Ma Wu clenched his fists and nodded. "Alright!"
As they spoke, Li Banfeng kept arranging chess pieces on the board. "Brother, care for another game?"
"Another game?"
"What else is there to do when we’re idle? It’s to pass the time."
After a few moves, Li Banfeng continuously moved his knight but never brought out his chariot.
Ma Wu laughed. "These last few moves of yours haven’t been very good."
Li Banfeng raised his eyebrows. "Just watch. We’ll see who wins in the end."
Ma Wu was taken aback, staring at the board for another moment.
...
He Jiaqing was listening to a live broadcast in the hospital and chuckled.
"He’s still as reckless as ever. Just two provocations, and he’s ready to go all out."
Another voice came through his ear, "I’ll have Iron Sheep Mountain send some of their best fighters. This time, we’ll eliminate Ma Wu directly."
"Even if the men from Iron Sheep Mountain are tough, can they beat the Straw Moth Lady? Ma Wu has three Bagworm Moths with him."
"Then we fight outside New Land. None of them will be able to escape."
"How big of a disturbance would that cause outside New Land? Aren’t you afraid everyone will find out what prize we’re after?"
"Then what do you suggest?"
"He and Ma Wu are fully prepared and looking for a decisive battle with you. Why meet them head-on?
Their territory is practically empty. At most, only Zuo Wugang is left, and he’s indecisive. How hard can he be to deal with?
Ransack their territory, burn down their buildings and goods, kill a few Hunters, and warn them never to do business there again. Won’t that destroy everything they’ve built?
Letting that gang of bandits from Iron Sheep Mountain handle it—that’s what they excel at."
"You mean, still let Lu Xiaolan go?"
"Lu Xiaolan? How long has she even been on the mountain? She’s not up to it. Tell their Big Dipper to send the Iron Sheep Trio. They’re the most experienced in these matters.
Once it’s done, have Lu Xiaolan demand the item from my ’friend’. Will he dare not to hand it over?"
"I understand."
PS: The first battle between Feng Qing has begun.