Chapter 1: He Is Just a Speck of Dust

Hiss! Hiss!

A dark locomotive hissed, spewing white steam as it traveled along the tracks.

Clickety-clack! Clickety-clack!

The crankshaft pulled the connecting rods, making the wheels spin rapidly, rhythmically clattering against the gaps in the rails.

Aoooo!

A whistle blared.

A train with only five carriages passed through a tunnel, traveled through a valley, and headed towards the vast wilderness of Pro State.

In the third carriage, a beautiful woman was drawing her eyebrows in front of a dressing table.

Why was there a dressing table in the carriage?

Why was she doing her makeup in a carriage?

She could not only do her makeup in the carriage but also dance in it.

Because she was the only one in this carriage.

She was Zhuo Yuling, the second concubine of Lu Dongliang, head of the Lu family.

This train was the private train of the influential Lu family in Pro State.

Now, she was the mistress of this train.

The first carriage contained coal.

The second carriage held luggage and supplies for the journey.

The third carriage was divided into a corridor and two guest rooms.

The fourth carriage served as a dining car and card room.

The fifth carriage was the master's bedroom.

Zhuo Yuling wore her hair in finger waves, with deep eyeshadow but light blush, her fair complexion accentuating her vibrant red lips. She wore a high-collared, indigo blue qipao made of Indanthrene fabric. Its hem reached just above her knees, with side slits revealing a hint of her petticoat's lace. The tightly cinched waist and slightly padded shoulders exuded a seductive elegance.

Zhuo Yuling was nearing forty, but her exquisite attire and makeup made her appear to be under thirty.

Creak.

The carriage door creaked open, and Lu Dongliang, head of the Lu family, appeared under the pale yellow wall lamp.

Faint smile lines lifted with the beauty mark at the corner of her lips, and Zhuo Yuling in the mirror revealed a sweet smile.

Zhuo Yuling disliked wearing shoes. She walked barefoot on the dark yellow floral carpet, approached Lu Dongliang, and tenderly called out, "Master."

Lu Dongliang, who was over fifty, pinched Zhuo Yuling's cheek. He always felt she was as charming as when they first met, a constant source of comfort.

Yet, it was only a sliver.

A weary Lu Dongliang removed his suit jacket, unbuttoned his waistcoat, and loosened his tie. He sat on the sofa, opened a bottle of foreign liquor, and poured himself a glass.

Halfway through his drink, the gloom in his heart quickly appeared on his face. Lu Dongliang couldn't help but sigh.

Zhuo Yuling sat beside Lu Dongliang, pulled a cigarette from a metal case, placed it between her red lips, struck a match, lit the cigarette, and brought it to Lu Dongliang's mouth. "Master, what's troubling you?"

Lu Dongliang took the cigarette and took a deep drag. "He Jiaqing is returning tomorrow. I was just playing cards with his eldest aunt, He Yuxiu, and from what I heard, I'm afraid he's going to break off the engagement with Xiaolan."

He Jiaqing was the legitimate son of the powerful He family in Pro State.

Lu Xiaolan was the daughter of Zhuo Yuling and Lu Dongliang.

If the He family hadn't declined in recent years, it would have been impossible for their legitimate son to marry a concubine's daughter from the Lu family.

Zhuo Yuling smiled faintly. "Master, haven't we discussed this before? Xiaolan won't let He Jiaqing return to Pro State alive."

Lu Dongliang bit the cigarette, his brow furrowed. "That He boy is exceptionally gifted, and he possesses the Xuansheng Red Lotus. He's not an easy person to deal with. I'm worried about Xiaolan..."

Zhuo Yuling shook her head. "Master, you're overthinking it. That He boy is a mediocre person. Instead of diligently cultivating during his prime years, he went to study in Huan Country. Four whole years were wasted. What did he gain?"

Lu Dongliang stroked the mustache above his upper lip. "Young men can be a bit too playful. But what if he takes charge of the He family's affairs..."

Zhuo Yuling stood up and walked to the phonograph. "Anyone who can't control their playful nature is mediocre. A mediocre person who obtains a treasure should become a dead person. Once he's on the train, he's a dead man."

The phonograph was a foot taller than a bedside table, and had three golden horns on top: one large and two small.

Zhuo Yuling picked up an iron cup and poured two cups of water into the opening of the small left horn.

Lu Dongliang watched Zhuo Yuling and said, "I heard that the young master of the Jiangxiang Gang also wants to get his hands on the Red Lotus. He has connections in Huan Country, and he's not an easy opponent."

Zhuo Yuling scoffed. "Are you talking about Xiao Zhenggong, Master? That fool isn't even mediocre. He's just a cockroach, a disgusting cockroach. If it weren't for his father's name, Xiao Zhenggong would have been crushed long ago. With his paltry intellect, how could he possibly contend with Xiaolan?"

Zhuo Yuling bent down, pulled open the phonograph's cabinet door, and on an iron box filled with congealed fat, lit a wick inserted into the grease.

Whoosh!

A pale blue flame ignited, and soon after, the left horn began to emit a fine mist.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

This was a steam-powered phonograph.

Pro State was a unique place. Fuel oil could not be stored in large quantities there, nor could electricity be used on a large scale. Steam engines were thus utilized to their fullest extent.

The phonograph's turntable, driven by gears and powered by the hissing steam, began to rotate.

Zhuo Yuling took a bakelite record and placed it on the phonograph's turntable.

Lu Dongliang extinguished his cigarette and leaned back on the sofa. "It's not that I don't trust Xiaolan, I'm just worried..."

"Master, you simply don't trust Xiaolan," Zhuo Yuling said with a helpless smile. "Since I gave birth to her, you've never truly looked at her."

As she spoke, Zhuo Yuling placed the needle onto the record.

Amidst the faint static, a mellow cello prelude began to play.

After the prelude, a piano accompanied by a violin laid out a gentle rhythm, followed by a steady and profound voice singing:

Moonlight, so hazy.The earth, shrouded in night mist.Oh, the one in my dreams,Where are you?

"Dream Lover," Zhuo Yuling's favorite song.

No electricity, no magnetic disks; the ancient phonograph only required the friction of the needle and the record.

Zhuo Yuling gracefully stepped forward, pulled Lu Dongliang from the sofa, buried her head in his embrace, held him, and slowly began to dance to the beautiful melody.

Lu Dongliang wrapped his arms around Zhuo Yuling's waist, still looking worried. "If He Jiaqing dies, won't the Xuansheng Red Lotus end up in Huan Country?"

Zhuo Yuling's brows furrowed slightly. At that moment, she didn't want to discuss such trivial matters. "Xiaolan has already made inquiries. He Jiaqing has a friend named Li Banfeng. We can use him to find the Red Lotus. After He Jiaqing is killed, Xiaolan will go find Li Banfeng, and she'll naturally find a way to bring the Red Lotus back."

Lu Dongliang didn't quite catch it. "What was the name of He Jiaqing's friend you just mentioned? Li what?"

"Li Banfeng."

"Banfeng?" Lu Dongliang paused, surprised. "That's a strange name."

Zhuo Yuling smiled. "Master, you don't need to remember his name; it's not important. Once Xiaolan finds out the Red Lotus's whereabouts, he won't be in this world anymore."

"What kind of person is he? Is he also mediocre?" Lu Dongliang was very cautious, fearing any misstep.

Zhuo Yuling scoffed. "He's not even mediocre. He's not even a person."

Lu Dongliang stroked Zhuo Yuling's hair. "So he's like Xiao Zhenggong, just a cockroach too?"

Zhuo Yuling shook her head. "His life is worth even less than a cockroach's."

Lu Dongliang grew even more curious. "What kind of person is this, then?"

"How should I put it?" Zhuo Yuling didn't know how to describe him.

From the phonograph's oil tank, a wisp of black ash drifted out and landed on Lu Dongliang's collar.

The phonograph's filter needed cleaning.

Zhuo Yuling brushed the ash off Lu Dongliang's collar with her finger, looked at the black ash on her fingertip, and smiled faintly. "He's as worthless as this speck of dust. No parents, no family; he has nothing. He grew up in an orphanage, and it was by moving bricks, carrying heavy loads, and selling goods from a street stall that he managed to attend university. People like him, if they die, they die. It's like blowing away this dust; nobody will care."

After speaking, Zhuo Yuling exhaled softly and blew the dust from her fingertip.

Aoooo~

A whistle.

The train jolted.

Lu Dongliang's dance steps remained steady; this was the foundation of his travel cultivation.

Fine bristles grew from the soles of Zhuo Yuling's feet, gripping the carpet beneath her firmly.

This was the talent of physical cultivation.

After the jolt, they continued to embrace and dance.

***

The next day.

Huan Country, Yuedong Province, Yuezhou City, Yuezhou University, Dormitory Six, Room 606.

Li Banfeng lay on his bunk, taking a nap.

In his dream, he was piloting his yacht with a group of beautiful young women, enjoying the sea breeze together. The Best Actress from the previous Golden Yuan Awards took Li Banfeng's hand and entered the yacht's bedroom...

Li Banfeng, hugging his pillow, drooled clear saliva. Just as he was about to reach the peak of his life in his dream, he suddenly heard a voice calling in his ear:

"Banfeng, save me."