Chapter 128: Lu Dongliang Comes Out

At the Chu family residence, Second Miss Chu placed a nail on her knee and slowly hammered it in.

The steward, Yang Yanzheng, knocked and entered the room. He spoke softly, "Miss, the matter has been verified. Ma Wu drove out the Song family and is now the master of Lanyang Village."

Second Miss Chu pulled the nail out of her kneecap and sighed, "You're not to blame for this; it's only because Song Jiasen was too useless a fool."

Yang Yanzheng felt displeased. What did she mean by "this isn't your fault"? It wasn't my fault to begin with; the idea was yours.

Of course, he couldn't argue about such matters.

Second Miss Chu sighed again, "The Song family is useless, and the Liu family hasn't made a move. Are they willing to quietly suffer this loss?"

Yang Yanzheng shook his head, "We don't yet know what the Liu family intends."

"Forget it, I won't rely on these good-for-nothings," Second Miss Chu said, placing the nail on her arch and picking up the hammer. "Go prepare some things. Choose a suitable day, and I'll personally go to see Ma Wu."

Li Banfeng left the village early in the morning, heading out to deliver goods again.

To be honest, Ma Wu truly didn't know what methods Li Banfeng used to deliver goods. He only knew that the goods were sent to Li Banfeng's room the night before and were gone by the next morning.

Li Banfeng would leave that morning and return with money the next day.

Regardless of Li Banfeng's methods, Ma Wu knew he shouldn't ask, nor should he. His job was to maintain the economic operations of Lanyang Village.

Lanyang Village was different from before. Those without a family fortune went hunting in the wilderness, while those with some capital tried to do business well. They rarely even thought about fighting anymore.

Ma Wu was busy reviewing the increasingly thick ledger and calculating the next phase's procurement prices when he suddenly caught a strange scent.

Ma Wu had been bitten by a spider as a child and was extremely sensitive to their smell.

He stood by the window for a moment, then turned to Xiaochuanzi and said, "Go invite that fake foreigner outside in."

As Xiaochuanzi stepped out, he saw a middle-aged man in a black tuxedo, wearing a top hat and carrying a walking stick. The man smiled at Xiaochuan.

By the time the man was invited inside, Ma Wu had already brewed tea. "Detective, what brings you to this rundown place?"

He knew Darboynes; he had worked for the Ma family in Greenwater City previously.

Darboynes remained gentlemanly. "I heard that Young Master Wu is making a fortune in Lanyang Village, so I specifically came to see."

"Making a fortune? I'm deep in debt here, Detective. I must tell you plainly, I have no intention of hiring you, nor do I have the money to."

"Young Master Wu, you speak so formally. I came to see you today because I want to inquire about someone." Darboynes handed Ma Wu a photograph. "Have you seen this person?"

Ma Wu took it and saw it was a photograph of Li Banfeng. "Why are this person's clothes so strange? Are they from out of province?"

"Excellent observation, Young Master Wu."

Ma Wu examined it carefully for a while. "No impression. I probably haven't seen this person recently. I saw someone from out of province once three years ago, but I don't remember what they looked like specifically."

Darboynes continued, "Young Master Wu, you know I never ask anyone to work for free. If you have any information about this person, I will certainly reward you handsomely."

"Really?" Ma Wu's eyes lit up. "Then tell me, if I find this person, how much money can you give me?"

"One hundred thousand silver dollars. Does that amount seem suitable to you?"

"Alright!" Ma Wu nodded. "I'll keep this photo and keep an eye out for this person. I'll let you know as soon as I have any news."

This was clearly not the answer Darboynes wanted. "Young Master Wu, if you don't mind, may I ask others as well?"

"Go ahead and ask. Whoever has the ability to get rich, how can I stop them?" Ma Wu smiled and added, "But there's one thing: I've just established myself here. It's best to be discreet when you ask around, don't cause panic. You know my situation; it's not easy to maintain an estate."

"Of course, of course," Darboynes nodded repeatedly.

Ma Wu suddenly brought up another matter. "Something happened to the Lu family. Have you heard? Lu Dongliang is still missing."

Darboynes' heart tightened, but his smile remained unchanged. "I know about that. I also heard that Lu Dongliang appeared a few days ago and confronted He Yuxiu face-to-face at the Thousand Joys Pavilion. He claimed He Yuxiu was the one who injured him."

Ma Wu was startled. "That happened? You mean Lu Dongliang is still alive? Then you don't need to worry!"

Darboynes froze. "Young Master Wu, what do you mean by that? Why should I worry?"

Ma Wu chuckled, "Do I even need to say? It's obvious!"

Darboynes' heart pounded, but his expression remained calm. "Young Master Wu, I still don't understand. What exactly is obvious?"

Ma Wu feigned surprise. "Haven't you always mentioned the Lu family developing new land? If something happened to Lu Dongliang, wouldn't your business be cut off?"

"Oh, you were talking about that. That's fine; all outstanding accounts have been settled," Darboynes said, standing up. "I don't think Li Banfeng will come to Lanyang Village, so I won't trouble you any further. Young Master Wu, farewell."

Ma Wu escorted Darboynes to the door and instructed Xiaochuan to follow him from behind.

He knew Xiaochuan couldn't keep an eye on Darboynes, but it was a way of making his stance clear: he didn't want Darboynes causing trouble on his territory.

Watching Darboynes' retreating figure, Ma Wu fell into deep thought.

The Lu family wasn't even looking for Li Banfeng anymore, so why was he still persistent about this?

Was Lu Dongliang really still alive?

He came to me first instead of investigating directly in Lanyang Village, proving he still didn't want to offend the Ma family.

But that doesn't mean he won't come back.

Brother Li, don't rush back to the village. Absolutely don't rush.

Darboynes did not linger in Lanyang Village. After leaving, he immediately went to Taiming Town and found Zhuo Yuling in a private residence.

Zhuo Yuling quickly asked, "Is there any news of Li Banfeng?"

"No," Darboynes shook his head.

Zhuo Yuling frowned, "Didn't you suspect Li Banfeng was in Lanyang Village before?"

Darboynes shook his head. "It's not that I *suspected* before; I still believe Li Banfeng is in Lanyang Village now."

"Then why aren't you investigating?"

"Because that's Ma Junyang's territory. I've already offended the Lu family; I can't afford to offend the Ma family as well, or I'll have no way to survive in Puro Province."

Zhuo Yuling grabbed Darboynes' hand. "No matter what, we have to find Li Banfeng. Only he can prove Xiaolan's innocence."

Darboynes pushed away Zhuo Yuling's hand. "Whether your daughter is innocent or not, that stopped being important a long time ago. You attacked Lu Dongliang, and now he's alive. Do you think he'll still tolerate you and your daughter?

You want to find Li Banfeng only for the Supreme Red Lotus. To be honest, I also desire that treasure, but I value my life more.

Take your daughter and leave. It's best if you leave Puro Province immediately. You should still have your travel permit, right? The sooner you go, the better. This is my advice to you."

Zhuo Yuling clutched Darboynes. "Help me! I can give you money. Name your price!"

Darboynes shook his head and chuckled, "Do you still think of yourself as Mrs. Lu? You're nothing now. Wouldn't it be better to save some money for your retirement?"

"I have other savings, a sum you can't imagine. Are you sure you don't want it?" Zhuo Yuling clasped Darboynes' hand. "Spider Bin, I know you better than anyone. You won't give up until you get the Red Lotus."

Darboynes thought for a moment. "I'll go to Lanyang Village and check again."

Two alleys away from the residence, Cui Tike bent down and picked up a strand of spider silk, rubbing it in his hand.

"Such tough spider silk is rare. It seems I've found the right place."

Darboynes did indeed go to Lanyang Village the next day. This time, he didn't greet Ma Wu but quietly infiltrated the village himself.

But Li Banfeng hadn't returned.

In Greenwater City, Li Banfeng encountered a small mishap, which surprisingly stemmed from a good thing.

After delivering the goods, Li Banfeng returned the money to his Portable Abode. He had planned to wander around Greenwater City but unexpectedly found that the Copper Lotus had bloomed.

Had one Lu Dongliang taken the Copper Lotus so long to refine?

In fact, the pills had been refined long ago. The Copper Lotus had simply held back the lotus seeds, fearing Li Banfeng's impulsiveness.

Seeing Li Banfeng's emotions relatively stable recently, the Copper Lotus finally allowed him to peel off the lotus seeds.

However, when the lotus seeds burst open, Li Banfeng's emotions became unstable again.

From this lotus seed, eighty-one Golden Yuan Pills had burst forth.

What was the concept of eighty-one Golden Yuan Pills?

It was eight thousand one hundred days of cultivation.

Eight thousand one hundred days equaled twenty-two years.

If Li Banfeng consumed all these pills, it meant he could directly advance four levels.

Of course, directly consuming eighty-one Golden Yuan Pills would also mean he might die instantly.

Should he return to his Portable Abode and ask his wife to detoxify him?

Last time, Li Banfeng had glossed over the matter of taking pills. How would he explain it this time?

What if he was exposed, revealing his identity as a traveling cultivator? How would he survive under his wife's hand then?

Never mind, if it couldn't be explained, then he wouldn't explain it.

Eating eighty-one at once was definitely not an option, but one at a time should be fine!

Li Banfeng took one Golden Yuan Pill, then found a restaurant to eat.

Halfway through his meal, Li Banfeng noticed something was wrong.

First, the food and wine lost their flavor, even the chili powder in the dipping sauce tasted bland.

Next, he felt nothing. No matter how much force the girl massaging his shoulders and back used, Li Banfeng couldn't feel any pain or itch.

This sensation wasn't unfamiliar; he might be losing his bodily senses again.

Li Banfeng decisively paid the bill and found a nearby inn to stay.

He lay in the inn from afternoon until dawn the next day, only then barely recovering. The potency of the pill's poison was truly astonishing.

Did recovery mean successful detoxification?

Would there be any residual toxins?

Li Banfeng couldn't be sure.

He quickly returned to his Portable Abode; if there were any residual toxins, the residence should be able to clear them for him.

As soon as he entered, the Phonograph roared, "Madman, where did you run off to last night? Not coming home for a full day and night! What do you consider cultivation? What do you consider my repeated admonitions?"

Yesterday, the residence's cultivation was indeed delayed, but his travel cultivation, from Lanyang Village to Greenwater City, still met the requirements.

Li Banfeng was about to explain to his wife, "Yesterday, I had something urgent..."

A cloud of steam rubbed up and down, and the gongs and drums softened.

*Clang-a-lang-lang-tai!*

"Oh my, dear husband, what's that smell on you?"

Oh no!

Did his wife smell the pill poison?

Li Banfeng's face was covered in sweat. "Wh-what smell?"

"Hmph hmph, hmph hmph, hmph hmph," his wife chuckled three times, then three large loudspeakers began to smoke. "You still dare to lie to me! You reek of perfume, yet you've been messing around with some loose woman?"

Li Banfeng was scalded, turning entirely red.

The Copper Lotus, in the outer chamber, was covered in cold sweat.