Chapter 292: I Dreamed of You

Lu Dongchun was Lu Maoxian’s daughter.

Monkey Qiu was in his early forties. Lu Dongchun was two years older than him, but she looked like a woman in her twenties. With delicate skin and refined features, she was a rare beauty.

She wore a dark Western-style long dress, held a parasol, and waited quietly at the entrance of the Lu residence. There was no noise, no complaints, and she didn't even bring an attendant. Despite being so beautiful and well-behaved, it was unclear how she had incurred the intense dislike of Madam Duan Shaoxia, the Lu family’s matriarch.

"I won't see her. Tell her to leave!" Duan Shaoxia still refused to let Lu Dongchun enter.

Monkey Qiu said, "Madam, she's here to find someone to avenge the Old Master."

Duan Shaoxia gritted her teeth. "How dare she come to me? It's good enough that I haven't gone to settle accounts with them yet!"

Monkey Qiu shook his head. "Madam, this is the family rule."

Duan Shaoxia's expression turned grim.

She understood the rules of prominent families.

If Lu Maoxian had been injured by a member of the Lu family, the various branches and lineages of the family would not need to interfere, leaving him to fend for himself.

However, if Lu Maoxian was injured by an outsider, and if his injuries were severe enough that he knew who was responsible and actively sought revenge, then all branches and lineages of the Lu family were obliged to respond.

If any branch failed to respond, it would be isolated by the family. The main lineage of the Lu family, in particular, was expected to set an example at such times. Whether they truly exerted effort was secondary; their presence was mandatory.

After a moment's thought, Duan Shaoxia said to Monkey Qiu, "Zhiheng, Yuanhai is in this condition, and Huaiyi hasn't officially joined our family yet. I am merely a woman and lack the ability to lead a battle. So, I'm entrusting this matter to you. Please be extremely careful; just show up at Lu Maoxian's place to maintain appearances. If anything were to happen to you, our family would truly be ruined."

Qiu Zhiheng nodded. "Miss Dongchun is still outside. We should invite her in and speak with her directly."

"No!" Duan Shaoxia waved her hands repeatedly. "Entertain her in your small building. I don't want to see her; just the thought of seeing her makes my scalp tingle!"

Qiu Zhiheng went outside and personally escorted Lu Dongchun into the small building.

Lu Dongchun rarely left the residence, and the servants in the small building were new and unfamiliar with her. Seeing a guest arrive, they quickly prepared tea.

Lu Dongchun picked up the teacup, took a sip, and asked, "Zhiheng, does your sister-in-law not want to see me?"

Monkey Qiu nodded.

"It's fine if she doesn't want to see me, but you must give me a clear answer: are you going to deal with my father's matter or not?"

"We will!" Monkey Qiu replied decisively. "Once you've set the date and location, let me know, and I'll go personally."

"You're going?" Lu Dongchun blinked, her crystal-clear eyes reflecting Monkey Qiu's face. "Are you representing the 'outer' family or the 'inner' family?"

"Does that matter?"

"It matters. My father instructed that when we seek revenge on the Ling family this time, the distinction between 'inner' and 'outer' must be clear!"

Since the Old Master Lu wanted to differentiate between 'inner' and 'outer,' the rules for this occasion were different.

The 'inner' family referred to actual Lu family members.

The 'outer' family referred to various factions and forces under the Lu family's patronage.

Previously, Nianxiu Si Wennian and Fengxiu Tan Fucheng were both considered 'outer' family members.

However, Monkey Qiu's situation was somewhat special.

If he were to represent the 'inner' family, he would need to bring at least one actual Lu family member. Even if that family member didn't intervene directly, their presence would lend legitimacy to the action.

If he represented the 'outer' family, it would save a lot of trouble, but it would also mean that Lu Dongliang's main lineage hadn't sent anyone, which wouldn't solve the real problem.

Without hesitation, Monkey Qiu replied, "The 'inner' family."

"Good!" Lu Dongchun picked up her teacup and took another sip. "Make sure we see an 'inner' family member there when the time comes."

Monkey Qiu offered tea as a gesture for her to leave.

Lu Dongchun rose to take her leave.

No matter how her body moved, Lu Dongchun's eyes remained fixed on Monkey Qiu.

After Monkey Qiu escorted Lu Dongchun to the door, a servant came to clear away the tea and noticed that Lu Dongchun's teacup was still full.

That shouldn't be, as she had clearly taken two sips just moments before.

As the servant wondered, Monkey Qiu instructed, "Next time she comes, don't serve tea."

Ma Wu was preparing for the premiere of *Blood Gun Detective 4*. The cinema was half-decorated when a group of reporters burst in.

Ma Wu was about to have Cao Zhida lead his men to send them away, but he realized these were no ordinary reporters; they were highly skilled.

They were there to cause trouble.

A man and a woman entered the cinema with the reporters and walked directly toward Ma Wu.

Who were these people?

Ling Miaoying and the Movie Queen Tu Yinghong?

Why were they here?

This was beyond what his subordinates could handle, so Ma Wu personally went to greet them, with Zuo Wugang close behind.

Ling Miaoying pulled out a cigarette, lit it, took a deep puff, and blew the smoke into Ma Wu's face. "Boss Ma, business is booming, I see!"

Ma Wu didn't get angry; he lit a cigarette too. "Boss Ling, you're too kind. My ventures are just small-time, hardly worth mentioning compared to yours."

"No need to be modest. I truly admire you, from the bottom of my heart. I'm here today to discuss a collaboration. I have a few new films ready to begin production. If you think highly of me, Ling, come to my set, help me review the scripts, and offer some advice. Let's make some serious films and earn money together."

Ling Miaoying's intention was clear: he wanted to take over Ma Wu's business.

Previously, Ma Wu had the Lu family's backing. Now, the Lu family's main lineage had fallen, and Lu Maoxian was severely injured.

Even if Lu Maoxian hadn't been injured, he wouldn't have been able to support Ma Wu.

Ma Wu had lost his patron, and now was the perfect time to absorb his business.

If he could also take care of Li Qi and acquire that item, he might no longer have to depend on He Jiaqing in the future.

Ma Wu lowered his head and chuckled. "Boss Ling, you jest. How could my small business possibly capture your attention?"

Ling Miaoying looked at Ma Wu. "I just want to ask if you agree or not?"

Ma Wu shook his head slightly. "I think it's best if we go our separate ways."

Ling Miaoying twirled the cigarette between his fingers. "So, that's a no."

Zuo Wugang sensed something was wrong and immediately shielded Ma Wu behind him.

Ling Miaoying smiled calmly. "We're just discussing business. There's no need for a major conflict. If Young Master Wu is unwilling, we'll simply leave."

Despite his words, Ling Miaoying had no intention of leaving.

He didn't intend to kill Ma Wu, but he definitely wanted to teach him a lesson. While Ma Wu was distracted, Tu Yinghong prepared to act and kill Zuo Wugang.

She reached her right hand into her red dress, about to pull out a weapon, when Ling Miaoying suddenly extended his hand and stopped Tu Yinghong.

What was happening?

They had discussed everything before coming; why had Ling Miaoying suddenly changed his mind?

He hadn't changed his mind; Ling Miaoying had simply seen someone arrive.

After waiting a moment, Tu Yinghong finally realized that another person was standing beside them.

That person wore a black suit and a fedora with the brim pulled low, almost completely obscuring their face.

"Boss Ling, may I borrow a cigarette?" At some point, Li Banfeng had taken Ling Miaoying's iron cigarette case, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and then returned the case to Ling Miaoying.

Ling Miaoying broke out in a cold sweat.

With so much happening in the Lu family, Li Banfeng had long anticipated Ling Miaoying's move and had prepared in advance.

"I just heard you talking about business matters, Boss Ling. Do you have some lucrative way to make money? Tell me about it; let's get rich together."

Ling Miaoying was silent for a moment, then smiled at Li Banfeng. "Master Qi, your businesses are always full. I can't even hope for sixty percent capacity at mine. I'll have to rely on your guidance for wealth."

Li Banfeng was modest. "Guidance is too strong a word, but we can find a place to chat properly."

Ling Miaoying glanced at the cinema's setup. "Both of you seem quite busy today. Let's discuss this another time."

He left the cinema with the group of reporters. Zuo Wugang wiped sweat from his brow. "Not one of those people just now was easy to deal with!"

He was right; those so-called reporters were all ruthless individuals under Ling Miaoying's command.

Ma Wu gritted his teeth. "The Lu family has fallen. I didn't expect Ling Miaoying to be so arrogant. His temperament is truly different from his brother's."

"A patron can only be relied upon for so long," Li Banfeng said calmly. As a six-level Travel Cultivator and a five-level Residence Cultivator, he knew he could rely on himself now.

The premiere arrangements were left to Ma Wu, and Li Banfeng returned to his Residence.

This trip had been quite fruitful.

Ling Miaoying was a seven-level Glimpse Cultivator. Although Li Banfeng possessed the characteristic of being easily overlooked and had extraordinary speed, eluding Ling Miaoying's gaze was ultimately not an easy task.

He was able to take the cigarette case from Ling Miaoying thanks entirely to the Threaded Gloves. Of course, the gloves, once activated, couldn't have taken just one cigarette case; he had also stolen Ling Miaoying's pistol.

Li Banfeng had seen this pistol before. When he encountered Ling Miaoying on the platform, he had almost been crippled by it.

"Such a large pistol can also fit inside?" Li Banfeng gained new insight into the gloves' capacity.

His wife, who also researched firearms, used a phonograph needle to pick up the pistol and observed it for a moment. "This gun is a spiritual artifact. As long as a bullet can be fired, it will inevitably hit the enemy. If it strikes a vital point, cultivators below level three will die instantly, and those above level three will also be injured. The lower the cultivation level, the more severe the injury."

What a treasure!

The gloves then spat out a wallet, which also belonged to Ling Miaoying.

Li Banfeng opened the wallet and saw dozens of Huanguo banknotes inside.

"Not bad! You've made a great contribution today!" Li Banfeng praised the gloves, took all the banknotes from the wallet, and tucked them into the gloves as a reward.

The gloves accepted the banknotes and sincerely uttered, "Thank you, Boss!"

Li Banfeng continued to examine the pistol.

The gloves went into the third room to rest.

Ling Miaoying returned to the film company, still shaken.

Tu Yinghong sat beside Ling Miaoying and asked, "Who was that person wearing the fedora?"

"Li Qi. Someone very difficult to deal with."

Tu Yinghong said, "You previously said we were going to deal with Ma Wu. Why did Li Qi suddenly appear?"

"Ma Wu only handles the business; he's the one truly in charge."

"His movements are very fast."

"He's a Travel Cultivator. I've fought him before; his movements are even faster than they used to be."

Ling Miaoying considered whether to tell He Jiaqing about the incident. He reached for a button on his chest and suddenly felt that something was missing from his clothes.

"My gun? Where's my gun?!" Ling Miaoying exclaimed in shock. This spiritual artifact was very valuable and important to him.

Seeing that Ling Miaoying had lost something, Tu Yinghong subconsciously touched her dress.

"Oh no! My iron ruler is gone!"

Ling Miaoying's eyes widened. "If the iron ruler is gone, won't the building be unable to move?"

Tu Yinghong gritted her teeth. "It must have been stolen by that Li Qi. We have to get it back, no matter what!"

In the third room of the Residence.

The gloves, seeing no other magical artifacts in the room, silently spat out a pair of iron rulers.

Such a large pair of iron rulers! It was impressive that the gloves could swallow them!

"Heh heh heh!" the gloves chuckled softly.

"You crazy old man, you really thought that pistol was some great treasure."

"These weapons are the real prize."

"Even though I don't know how to use them yet, these are many times more valuable than the pistol."

He placed the iron rulers on the ground, preparing to examine them closely.

The moment the iron rulers touched the ground, they suddenly melted, rapidly seeped away, and vanished in an instant.

The gloves exclaimed, "My treasure..."

Li Banfeng pushed open the door and angrily demanded, "What are you shouting about? What treasure?"

The gloves pondered for a long moment, nearly weeping with distress, then replied with a trembling voice, "My dearest Boss, I just fell asleep and dreamed of you."

There will definitely be an extra chapter, please allow Salad a little more time.(End of Chapter)