Duan Shaohong, holding a newspaper, came to Duan Shaoxia angrily and slammed it onto the table. "What do you mean by this? How could you let the news out?"
Duan Shaoxia glanced at the newspaper. The headline read, "Lu Family’s Downfall, Zhang Bochu Cuckolds Himself for Wealth and Honor."
Duan Shaohong pointed at the newspaper and exclaimed, "How vile these words are! How can our family hold our heads up in the future?"
After looking at the newspaper, Duan Shaoxia tried to persuade Duan Shaohong, "Why care about this stuff? Besides, this news would have come out sooner or later. The banquet will be in a few days; are you still afraid of people finding out?"
Duan Shaohong pushed Duan Shaoxia away. "I don’t care how others talk about me after things are done, but this... this isn’t done yet..."
In the midst of their conversation, Monkey Qiu entered the hall. Duan Shaohong said angrily, "Butler Qiu, you didn’t spread this, did you?"
Qiu Zhiheng was taken aback. "What matter?"
Duan Shaohong threw the newspaper at Monkey Qiu. "See for yourself!"
"’Night-blooming Jasmine’?" Qiu Zhiheng looked surprised. "I’ve never even heard of this newspaper."
"You’ve never heard of it? This newspaper is selling like crazy in Greenwater City! Look how they’ve portrayed our family!"
Qiu Zhiheng shook his head. "I don’t know about this."
"You don’t know? Who else could it be besides you?"
Monkey Qiu suddenly fell silent. Duan Shaohong shivered, lowered her head, and said no more.
In Greenwater City, even Lu Family members had to speak to Monkey Qiu with courtesy.
Duan Shaoxia smoothed things over. "Let’s not bother with this for now. Xiao Qiu, we need to hurry up with the banquet preparations; the day is approaching."
Monkey Qiu agreed and left the residence. He hadn’t taken care of the banquet, because it simply wasn’t going to happen.
「...」
Lu Maoxian, after having lunch in his residence, looked at the news in the newspaper.
"Any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to reach out to the Lu Family," Lu Maoxian called for a Support. "Take some people and teach Zhang Bochu a lesson. Don’t kill him, but humiliate him properly."
The Support replied, "Master, Zhang Bochu has no shame left after what he’s done. What’s the use of humiliating him? Might as well just finish him off."
Lu Maoxian said to the Support, "Foolish! Am I humiliating Zhang Bochu? I’m humiliating Monkey Qiu! He still talks about holding a banquet; I’d like to see who he has the gall to send invitations to for this banquet!"
No sooner had the Support left than the butler came in. "Master, that movie series ’Blood Blade Detective’ is releasing its fourth part."
Lu Maoxian nodded. "Let the Ghost Hand Sect take action. Tell them the more they take, the more they get; it’s uncapped."
「...」
At the Yuezhou Sanatorium, He Haisheng left the sickroom to smoke downstairs. He would be gone long enough to smoke at least an entire pack; for He Haisheng, a Smoke Cultivator, this was a fundamental part of his cultivation.
Seizing this rare opportunity, He Jiaqing pinched the button on the front of his shirt.
With the premiere of ’Blood Blade Detective 4’ today, he wanted to inquire about the movie, but Ling Miaoying broached the subject of the Lu Family first. "Jia Qing, the Lu Family’s troubles are escalating."
He Jiaqing had already heard about what happened to Lu Yuanshan and Lu Yuanhai. As far as he was concerned, those matters were already significant enough. He couldn’t imagine anything bigger.
Ling Miaoying continued, "Duan Shaoxia has brought her nephew Zhang Huaiyi home, saying she intends to make him change his surname, acknowledge kinship, and even hold a banquet."
"Zhang Huaiyi? As far as I know, he is indeed Lu Dongliang’s offspring, but he doesn’t have the proper status; the Lu Family won’t acknowledge this. Whose idea was it? Monkey Qiu? He surely can’t be that foolish?"
Ling Miaoying replied, "I suppose it’s Duan Shaoxia’s idea. She’s probably desperate. Jia Qing, do we intervene in this?"
He Jiaqing chuckled. "Why would we? Let them fight like dogs; I’d like to see who wins. How about the movie?"
Ling Miaoying wanted to skirt around the movie issue by mentioning the Lu Family, but she didn’t succeed.
"Jia Qing, our film reels have been stolen."
He Jiaqing’s face hardened. "How many?"
"Six."
On the day of the premiere, six reels were stolen, meaning that six theaters couldn’t screen ’Blood Blade Detective’.
After a moment of silence, He Jiaqing asked in a relatively calm voice, "Who stole them?"
Fortunately, she had found some leads. "It’s likely the Ghost Hand Sect’s doing," she said.
"The Ghost Hand Sect? What do they need film reels for?"
"They must have been commissioned by someone."
"Who commissioned them?"
Ling Miaoying hesitated for a while before saying, "I’m still investigating."
He Jiaqing fell silent again as beads of sweat trickled down Ling Miaoying’s face.
After a while, He Jiaqing finally spoke up. "I’ll write a letter for you to personally hand to the Ghost Hand Sect Leader Xie Juncong. Have him tell you who’s pulling the strings."
Ling Miaoying wiped off her sweat. "The Ghost Hand Sect acts as a paid service, and they probably won’t easily disclose their employer. Xie Juncong has a high cultivation level; if I press him..."
"No need to press. Once he reads the letter, he will naturally tell you."
「...」
That evening, someone delivered the letter to Ling Miaoying. Not wanting to waste time, she went directly to an old residence on the eastern side of the Back Pond City God Temple with the letter. Knocking three times, she waited for a response from inside.
The gatekeeper called out, "Who is it?"
Ling Miaoying responded truthfully, "It’s the Ling Family’s third, here to pay respects to Head Xie."
Upon hearing someone from the Ling Family had arrived, everyone in the residence grew tense. Ling Miaoying, hearing this clearly from outside, said, "Rest assured, everyone. I’m not here to cause trouble; I just want to deliver a letter to the Head of the family."
The gatekeeper quickly relayed the message to Xie Juncong. The old man had just retired for the night. Upon hearing that Ling Miaoying had arrived with a letter, he equipped himself with two Magical Treasures and instructed his Disciples to invite Ling Miaoying in.