He Yuxiu sat silently in the room, smoking one cigarette after another. Outside the door, over a hundred people were waiting for her orders, but she didn’t know who to strike against now.
After much thought, He Yuxiu decided to confront the Chu Family first. "Chu Huaijun, that bastard! The He Family has always treated him well, and now he stabs me in the back. I’ll go to his house right now and ask that bastard in person why he wants to be a dog for the Outside Provinces!"
Ma Wu tried to dissuade her. "Sister Xiu, you don’t need to ask him. It’s obvious at a glance. After the head of the Chu Family died, the Chu Family barely managed to stay among the Four Great Families. Even Chu Huaijun’s reputation couldn’t compare to Chu Huaiyuan’s."
He Yuxiu nodded. "Yes, that girl can still get things done. She’s more gutsy than that bastard Chu Huaijun!"
Ma Wu said, "Now the Chu Family has a rare opportunity to turn things around. Would Chu Huaijun not go all out? If you go now, with the Border Defense Envoy and the Chu Family attacking from both sides, the He Family will be finished!"
"Am I afraid of them? Let them all come at me! This old mother here wants to see just how capable they really are!"
"Sister Xiu, please calm down for a moment. My father’s situation is still uncertain; he’s also waiting for a chance to turn things around!"
"Old Ma..." He Yuxiu sat back down on the bed. "Old Ma wants to stab me in the back too? He goddamn wants to stab me too?"
Lu Chunying’s expression grew grave; she remembered something Lu Dongliang once said.
Ma Wu furrowed his brows. "Sister Xiu, take Lady Yan with you and hide in New Land for a couple of days."
"Why should I hide? What have we done? The Hall Entrance of Jiang Xiang Gang was wiped out; what does that have to do with us?"
Ma Wu couldn’t figure it out either. "Would the Outside Provinces really go to such great lengths for just one Jiang Xiang Gang?"
Lu Chunying said, "Shouldn’t we ask the Border Defense Envoy? What exactly are they aiming for with this action?"
"I’ve asked already!" He Yuxiu’s anger flared again. "I’ve asked countless times, and that band of sons of bitches won’t say a thing."
Ma Wu tried to sort things out, but even after much effort, he couldn’t find any clues.
"Sister Xiu, go hide in New Land first. I’ll help you find out what’s happening!" Ma Wu left the He Family Mansion and hailed a ride to the newspaper office.
He ordered the editor to immediately compose an article titled, "Jiang Xiang Gang’s Crimes Are Too Numerous to List; Why Does the Border Defense Envoy Harbor These Evildoers?"
The newspaper office was a bit scared; they didn’t dare to write news targeting the Border Defense Envoy. Ma Wu told the editor not to be afraid; the fee for the article would be doubled this month, and he had also arranged for support, specifically to ensure the newspaper office’s safety.
The next day, the daily paper was distributed. After Ma Wu circled the various newsstands, he found that it wasn’t gaining enough traction.
When he had first taken over the newspaper business from the Lu Family, Ma Wu and Ling Miaoying had been fierce competitors. Now that Ling Miaoying was dead and the business handed over to Shen Rongqing, Ma Wu was somewhat outmatched.
Shen Rongqing was somewhat reluctant in the shadow play industry, but when it came to newspapers, she was a real connoisseur, controlling around sixty percent of the business at the major newsstands. This matter required her help.
Ma Wu went straight to the Shadow Play Company.
Shen Rongqing didn’t want to see him, but after much hesitation, she met him.
Upon meeting him, Shen Rongqing looked down and said, "Junyang, didn’t I tell you to forget about me?"
"I want to forget you, but I just can’t."
"We can’t be together..."
"I know you have your difficulties. We’ll talk about other matters later. Right now, I need your help."
Upon hearing Ma Junyang had come to seek help, Shen Rongqing looked up. "What can I help you with?"
"The Jiang Xiang Gang are a bunch of beasts, and now someone is protecting these beasts. This issue needs to be settled with justice! With the integrity and pens of us literati, we must seek justice for those who have suffered at their hands!"
"Junyang, tell me the details of what happened."
「 」
He Jiaqing received a message from Shen Rongqing in the hotel: "Jia Qing, the Border Defense Envoy is openly protecting Jiang Xiang Gang, and it’s affecting your family’s business. Should this matter be reported?"
He Jiaqing had too many issues to deal with. If Shen Rongqing hadn’t brought it up, he would have completely forgotten about the newspapers.
"Write it, sister! Get our best writers to put in maximum effort. It needs to be in the newspapers, and not just there, but also in the magazines, and even in the shadow plays!"
「 」
At the Dark Star Bureau, Xiao Zhenggong read the report and asked Director Shen Jingye, "Has He Jiaqing exploded?"
Shen Jingye nodded. "He resisted arrest; we had no choice but to kill him on the spot."
"Are you sure that was He Jiaqing?" Xiao Zhenggong was skeptical.
"The DNA comparison results are here, in the report. Take a look."
"I don’t trust that thing," Xiao Zhenggong stood up. "I need to see He Jiaqing’s corpse with my own eyes."
Xiao Zhenggong was about to leave when he noticed a halo of light surrounding the room.
A Boundary. Similar to the Border Lines found throughout Puluo State.
Xiao Zhenggong looked at Shen Jingye.
Shen Jingye stood up and said, "Zhenggong, you have already used the Equilibrium Seal, and now you must comply with the arrangement. You will have to stay in the bureau for now. There’s another matter: the Border Defense Envoy has already taken action in Puluo State, and all assets of the He Family have been frozen. We have fulfilled our corresponding obligations, so you must fulfill your respective duties as well. Here is a list; take a look first."
Xiao Zhenggong took the list and saw five place names written on it.
"What does this mean?"
Shen Jingye said, "These five Hall Entrances of Jiang Xiang Gang will, from now on, be directly commanded by the Border Defense Envoy. Of course, they will still nominally belong to Jiang Xiang Gang, and whatever they do will be carried out in Jiang Xiang Gang’s name."
Xiao Zhenggong’s brows twitched. "You mean to say, the profits are yours, and I carry the blame?"
"Zhenggong, mind your words." Shen Jingye looked at Xiao Zhenggong with a smile. "I warned you not to use the Equilibrium Seal lightly, but now that you have, taking over some Hall Entrances is not about grabbing anything from you. We are doing this to better balance relationships with various parties in Puluo State. Fundamentally speaking, this meets the interests of both sides and is a win-win choice for us."
Xiao Zhenggong looked coldly at Shen Jingye.
Shen Jingye handed the fountain pen to Xiao Zhenggong. "If there are no issues, sign your name on the appointment Contract Book. Tomorrow, the Border Defense Envoy will send the newly appointed Hall Master."
「 」
In the Dark Star Bureau, in the enforcement team’s office, Qin Minghui was staring blankly at the newspaper.
Chen Changrui approached and said, "Chuuni, aren’t you going home?"
He noticed the newspaper in Qin Minghui’s hand and couldn’t help but freeze.
This wasn’t a newspaper from the Outside Provinces; it was from Puluo State.
"Chuuni, where did you get this newspaper? This kind of thing can’t be..."
Qin Minghui didn’t answer the question but instead asked Chen Changrui, "Captain, what is Jiang Xiang Gang?"
"Jiang Xiang Gang is a Gang in Puluo State."
"A Gang that murders, sets fires, commits fraud, abducts children—engaging in all manners of evil deeds? The mission we took at the hospital, was it to protect this Gang?"
Qin Minghui looked seriously at Chen Changrui.
Chen Changrui pondered for a moment then said, "When you joined the team, you said that you wanted to protect all the important things in this world. Some things can’t be judged by appearances alone. This Gang is very important to us. Our actions are also a form of protection."
"This is not what I want to protect." Qin Minghui gathered the newspaper and left the office with an indifferent expression.
「 」
Inside the Portable Residence, Li Banfeng peeled off three Lotus Seeds.
These three Lotus Seeds came from the remains of the Mountain-Uprooting Master and a group of Strange Monsters, the corpse of Deathgate Star, and the corpse of Lin Dexing, respectively.
The Elixir Refinement was indeed slow, but according to Li Banfeng’s estimate, if enough Gold Yuan Pills could be produced, it would be enough to get him to the Tenth Layer.
But after the Lotus Seeds burst, Li Banfeng became nervous.
He smelled a strange fragrance.
What burst forth weren’t Gold Yuan Pills—they were Xuanyun Pills.
The very Xuanyun Pills that had almost killed his wife.
The three Xuanyun Pills emitted an exotic aroma that filled the room. Aside from the Judge’s Pen, which was too lazy to bother, all other Magical Treasures turned their gaze toward these three Elixirs.
Hong Ying was different; she was tempted to act.
"What are you doing, you hussy!" The Phonograph scolded sharply. "You’ve already eaten so much flesh, now you want the Elixir too?"
Hong Ying snorted and continued combing her hair in the mirror.
The Phonograph collected the Elixirs in its cabinet. "Beloved husband, you can’t consume this Elixir yet. Let Little Servant keep it safe for now."
Li Banfeng didn’t mind. "Keep it safe? You can eat it if you’d like. Just be sure to check its potency, and don’t overdose again."
"Beloved husband truly cherishes Little Servant. Little Servant serves you wholeheartedly. Our affection as husband and wife is so strong, it could anger all the other vixens in this house to death!"
Hong Ying drew a mouth on the barrel of her spear and silently spat in the Phonograph’s direction.
"Beloved husband," the Phonograph sang, "these three Elixirs might not be useful for now, but they could be valuable in the future. Little Servant will keep them for you. Now, please remove that scent from yourself before you go out again."
A cloud of Steam enveloped Li Banfeng, cleansing the medicinal scent from his clothes. Li Banfeng looked at the Month Plate and asked Meng De, "How long have I stayed at home?"
"Thirteen hours and twenty-eight minutes."
Li Banfeng tidied up his things in the carriage a bit, then got off the train with Luo Zhengnan.
Black Stone Slope, Li Banfeng’s favorite city. He liked the customs here, and even more so, he admired the spirited nature of its people.
After taking over Lu Maoxian’s business, Li Banfeng’s influence in Black Stone Slope was among the top, but now was not the time to utilize that power.
Yu Nan had once said that Jiang Xiang Gang was nothing but a dog.
Among all the Gangs in Puluo State, Jiang Xiang Gang’s actions were the most despicable. Yet few of the major families and Great Clan Gates clashed with Jiang Xiang Gang because being bitten by this rabid dog could lead to endless trouble.
In Black Stone Slope, Li Banfeng was known as Boss Ye. However, if he took action as Boss Ye, all of his businesses in Black Stone Slope would face threats. A more suitable identity would be that of Benefactor, which came with no such concerns.
Li Banfeng bought a newspaper at the station. News of all sizes about Jiang Xiang Gang filled the front page. After glancing through the news, Li Banfeng went straight to the Hall Entrance with Luo Zhengnan.
Luckily, dealing with the Black Stone Slope Hall Entrance wasn’t difficult. The people of Black Stone Slope had guts, making it hard for Jiang Xiang Gang to do business here. The Hall Entrance only had three helms under its command, and each helm had merely three to five subordinates.
But as they neared the Hall Entrance, Luo Zhengnan realized something was wrong.
More than a dozen fortune-tellers and diviners had gathered in front of the Hall Entrance.
Fortune-telling to cheat money was also one of Jiang Xiang Gang’s main operations.
But so many fortune-tellers gathered near the Hall Entrance wasn’t just for swindling money. Luo Zhengnan knew the game here—they were recruiting.
Since the situation was abnormal, Luo Zhengnan suggested to Li Banfeng that they should not act rashly and should gather information first.
Li Banfeng went to a newspaper office and had Bai Qiusheng investigate the cause.
Recently, newspapers were filled with news about Jiang Xiang Gang. "Night-blooming Jasmine" was a reputable newspaper, so Bai Qiusheng had gathered a lot of information as well.
"Seventh Master, Jiang Xiang Gang’s Black Stone Slope Hall Entrance has received support from the Outside Provinces; they have been acting more brazenly recently. The child abduction racket, which had virtually disappeared in Black Stone Slope, seems to have re-emerged."
Luo Zhengnan advised Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, since the Border Defense Envoy has intervened, we should step back. In Puluo State, under no circumstances can we offend the Border Defense Envoy."
Li Banfeng lowered the brim of his hat and said to Luo Zhengnan, "You return to Greenwater City first and wait for my news. Today, no matter who intervenes, none of this bunch of mongrels will be spared."