Cheap Person Ridge, Sage Peak.
He Haiqin stood in the corridor of Sage’s Mansion, waiting for the Sage’s reply.
After a full hour of waiting, there was no response from inside the house. The white-clothed youth spoke, "Are you getting impatient? Those people outside, kneeling for an entire day, might not even get a response."
He Haiqin remained silent.
Finally, the panting in the room stopped, and the Sage coughed.
The white-clothed youth said to He Haiqin, "Don’t forget the rules!"
He Haiqin knelt on the ground and kowtowed in the direction of the room.
From birth until now, other than to his parents, he had never knelt before anyone else.
But today, he knelt.
He knelt for over half an hour when the Sage finally said, "After all, he is a man who has made contributions. Give him a letter of recommendation."
He Haiqin had saved Lu Maoxian and had several dealings with the Lu and Ling families, which had earned him this letter of recommendation.
The letter was sealed in a lacquer box, and He Haiqin was not permitted to see it. He took the letter and, guided by the white-clothed youth, arrived at the mountain behind.
Halfway up the back mountain, there was a cave. Pointing to the cave, the white-clothed youth said, "Follow this cave and keep going forward. Keep walking, don’t stop, and definitely don’t look back.
"Break out of your cocoon and become a butterfly; you have left the mortal world behind. Cherish this transformation."
With the letter in hand, He Haiqin walked along the cave’s path. He was very hungry. Even though he had lost his physical body, part of his Food Cultivator’s cultivation level was still present.
In the cave, darkness and light were indistinguishable. He Haiqin didn’t know how long he had walked. When he saw a ray of light, he hurried forward.
He thought he had reached the mouth of the cave, but in reality, he only saw a bonfire.
The firelight suddenly flared up, allowing He Haiqin to see the path ahead.
Ahead was a stone wall with more than a dozen archways.
He Haiqin didn’t know which way to go when he suddenly heard someone speaking to him.
"Give me the letter."
He Haiqin didn’t even see a shadow.
The voice sounded like that of a seventy-year-old man and an eighteen-year-old girl speaking with the same mouth.
He Haiqin raised the letter he held in his hand.
The letter disappeared in an instant.
The mysterious voice sounded again, "Take the third door."
From the left, the third archway emitted a faint glow. He Haiqin entered the archway.
After a long time, He Haiqin finally emerged from the cave.
Outside the cave was still pitch dark. He Haiqin looked up at the sky but didn’t see any stars, only a murky yellow, cloud-like haze.
"Are you the coachman?" someone asked.
He Haiqin looked around but still didn’t see anyone.
"Are you the coachman or not?"
CRACK!
A whip struck He Haiqin’s face.
Though he had no flesh and blood, He Haiqin felt an unbearable, severe pain.
From cheekbone to jaw, He Haiqin felt coarse scars on his own face.
CRACK!
Another lash of the whip.
"Are you the coachman?"
"Yes!" He Haiqin answered loudly.
"Move forward, the carriage is ahead!"
He Haiqin walked briskly forward and saw a carriage.
The carriage was loaded with many stones, and He Haiqin drove it forward.
It was only because he had merit with the Sage that he was even able to become a slave.
He Haiqin drove the carriage, arriving in a wilderness amid shouts.
Dozens of men and women, carrying heavy stones, were building a massive stone statue.
The statue was a huge ring, a silver-white ring.
"Unload the carriage!"
Accompanied by the shouting, a few people stepped forward and moved the stones off the carriage.
One of them was a Strength Cultivator. Using a Technique, he made the stones a bit lighter.
He did it covertly, but he was still discovered.
Invisible whips beat down on the Strength Cultivator like rain, and the scolding thundered, "Dare you use Technique in the holy land! You should be beaten to death, you lunatic!"
He Haiqin watched, making a mental note.
「...」
He Yuxiu sat in the He Family Mansion, listening to the accountant Sheng Shanzhou give the financial report.
For the first ten minutes, He Yuxiu listened attentively.
After ten minutes, He Yuxiu yawned repeatedly and almost fell asleep.
Another ten minutes passed, and He Yuxiu interrupted Sheng Shanzhou, "Stop droning on, I don’t understand a thing."
Chief Custodian Chen Jitai said from the side, "Sister Xiu, you need to listen. These are the days when the families send their Hua Hong."
"Hua Hong..." He Yuxiu scratched her head. "I almost forgot, today’s the day all the families send their Hua Hong, right?"
"Yes."
"Spread the message out there, saying the He Family only recognizes Lu Chunying, so the Lu Family’s members shouldn’t mistakenly hand over Hua Hong to the wrong person."
Chen Jitai didn’t understand. "Sister Xiu, this is the Lu Family’s business, we shouldn’t interfere."
"We must interfere. I promised Monkey Qiu."
"Monkey Qiu isn’t a member of the Lu Family anymore; he isn’t even in Greenwater City now!"
He Yuxiu looked at Chen Jitai and said, "That’s why I say you’re still green, kid. Just because he’s gone, do you think my word doesn’t count anymore? Where would the He Family’s honor be?
"Besides, if Lu Chunying can’t hold her position, wouldn’t it be the same as forcing Monkey Qiu to come back? What if he returns? Would we have to resume our fight with him?
"Duan Shaoxia isn’t too bright, but we need to be smart. Don’t just stand there, get to work!"
「...」
When the major families were handing over Hua Hong, the Lu Family Main House and Outside Provinces were no exceptions. Sixty percent of the people handed their Hua Hong to Lu Chunying. She was Lu Dongliang’s kin, an affiliation he had personally acknowledged.
The remaining forty percent went to Lu Maoxian.
No one handed theirs to Duan Shaoxia; she had taken in a godson, and now no one even knew whether her place was still part of the Lu Family or had become Zhang’s.
"Lu Maoxian is a troublesome old fellow," Ma Wu said, pouring a drink for Li Banfeng. "I’ve checked the Lu Family’s accounts. This isn’t something new. Ever since Lu Dongliang disappeared, a lot of people have been giving their Hua Hong to Lu Maoxian. This old man has been causing us trouble. If he gains power in the Lu Family, Greenwater City probably won’t have space for us either."
"Lu Maoxian, Seventh Layer..." Li Banfeng pinched his chin. "This old fellow’s cultivation... his overall quality, is still quite decent."
"It’s not just him; he’s got a bunch of tough guys under him. I suspect the woman who came looking for you at Xiaoyao Lodge was sent by him."
"Can’t be," Li Banfeng was skeptical. "Lu Maoxian is quite cunning in his dealings; that woman was too reckless. It doesn’t fit with Lu Maoxian’s style."
Ma Wu shook his head. "Lu Maoxian isn’t always that astute in his dealings. Just like with ’Blood Blade Detective,’ Lu Maoxian directly led people to stir trouble at the cinema, developing such huge animosity over a Shadow Play. That action was irrational."
Li Banfeng asked, "Are they still filming this movie?"
"They’re filming alright; the latest installment’s occupancy rate isn’t bad, around fifty to sixty percent for each showing. I also need to come up with some new ideas, or we won’t be able to compete with them in the future."
"Ling Miaoying is dead. Who’s filming ’Blood Blade Detective’?"
"The Shadow Play Company of the Ling Family isn’t shut down yet. My guess is Ling Miaosheng is running it."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "It shouldn’t be Ling Miaosheng."
"I’ll look further into this matter. Speaking of Shadow Plays, yesterday, someone from Black Stone Slope brought something, insisting that you must see it."
Ma Wu had someone bring over a Shadow Play Machine. It stood over a meter tall on the ground. The stand could be folded, allowing it to be carried by hand.
Li Banfeng was pleasantly surprised. "This was sent by Chuanzi, right?"
Ma Wu nodded. "Xiao Chuanzi nearly wore himself out making this. He specifically told me that this one machine, including labor and materials, costs three hundred and twenty yuan."
"Three hundred and twenty!" Li Banfeng nodded. "The price is right!"
Ma Wu sighed. "The pity is, the materials used are too cheap; the spring can’t hold up. Once fully wound, it can only play for fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen minutes is enough. You think everyone’s like you? Fifteen minutes and you still can’t get it done once!"
"Get what done once?" Ma Wu didn’t quite understand.
"Watch a Shadow Play, of course!"
"No Shadow Play is like that; even the shortest one takes half an hour!"
"You’re talking about the legit Shadow Plays," Li Banfeng said, eyeing the Shadow Play Machine for a long while, growing more and more fond of it. "Tell Chuanzi to start production in the factory. Specialize in making these Shadow Play Machines.
"Have the workers assemble the parts separately; we can’t let them learn the Craftsmanship Method of the Shadow Play Machine.
"Tell Bai Qiusheng to make a Shadow Play. Film it just like those photos in the magazine were shot. A single Shadow Play of eleven or twelve minutes is enough."
Ma Wu understood Li Banfeng’s meaning. "You mean to let the buyer play the Shadow Play at home? Isn’t this called television in the Outside Provinces?"
"This isn’t quite the same as television. There are many things that can’t be shown on TV, but our Shadow Play can show them!"
Ma Wu suddenly stood up and said, "I have to go to Black Stone Slope—this is a big deal! Even bigger than the ’Blood Gun Detective’ deal!"
「...」
At the Shadow Play Company, in the top floor office, Tu Yinghong sat on the couch, an impatient look on her face. "I’ve finished filming the play. When will you let me go?"
He Jiaqing made tea while saying, "Let you go, so you can run off to Xiaoyao Lodge again?"
"What does it matter to you where I go?"
Wan Jinxian, sitting to the side with a somber face, said, "How ungrateful can you be? If it weren’t for us saving you, you would have been dead by now!"
Tu Yinghong glared at Wan Jinxian. "I never asked you to save me!"
Wan Jinxian was very angry, but He Jiaqing advised, "We’re all on the same side here, no need to get upset. Queen Tu, I just want to know one thing: What exactly are you going to Xiaoyao Lodge for?"
"I’ve told you before, I’m looking for Miaoying!"
He Jiaqing raised his eyebrows and said, "It seems you two really do have deep feelings."
"What’s wrong with having feelings? I’ll tell you, I’m Ling Miaoying’s woman, and I will be all my life. As long as I haven’t found him, my business with Xiaoyao Lodge is unfinished!"
He Jiaqing sighed. "Such a devoted woman. After the next play is over, I’ll let you go."
Tu Yinghong turned and left the office, returning to her own room.
The building was built by her.
「...」
Wan Jinxian asked He Jiaqing, "Do you really think she’s going to Xiaoyao Lodge just for Ling Miaoying?"
He Jiaqing shook his head. "She is lying. She and Ling Miaoying do share some affection—the kind born from sharing a bed. Replace him with someone else, and it would be the same. She must be going to Xiaoyao Lodge for that thing."
"You’re referring to the Red Lotus?"
He Jiaqing nodded. "Otherwise, she wouldn’t be keeping such a close eye on Li Qi."
Wan Jinxian said, "Why don’t we take this opportunity to get the Red Lotus back?"
He Jiaqing shook his head. "Now is not the right time. I’ll tell you when the moment comes."
Wan Jinxian nodded slightly, feeling that He Jiaqing’s speculation was correct.
However, in reality, they had both misunderstood Tu Yinghong.
Tu Yinghong was a person who valued loyalty; she wasn’t going to Xiaoyao Lodge for the Mysterious Red Life Lotus, but to find her Iron Ruler.
The tea was ready, and He Jiaqing had just poured a cup for Old Wan when he felt a vibration at the button on his chest.
He Jiaqing held the button to his ear for a moment, then slammed the Teapot down on the table, "Lu Maoxian is causing trouble in the cinema again! Why is this old dog so persistent?"
Wan Jinxian said, "We still haven’t figured out who exactly is backing Lu Maoxian."
"Give him another warning, and make it harsh this time."
Wan Jinxian nodded slightly, yet his mind was not on Lu Maoxian at the moment.