Chapter 330: The Battle of Emotional Garments

Lu Maoxian had no idea who had ambushed him. He was about to call for reinforcements when the Tang knife spun its blade and struck again.

Ever since the Portable Abode changed its nature, Li Banfeng would find himself wherever he imagined going. This had often caused Li Banfeng considerable trouble, but this time, he truly benefited from the Portable Abode. Before he left, he repeatedly observed Lu Maoxian's bedroom, the image of which filled his mind. As soon as he stepped out, he indeed found himself in Lu Maoxian's bedroom. A newly emerged Mansion Cultivator was easily overlooked. Moreover, Lu Maoxian was physically weak, allowing the Tang knife to land a successful strike.

Lu Maoxian shouted, "To strike without declaring war is against..."

Li Banfeng suddenly appeared and slit Lu Maoxian's throat. He desperately wanted to drag Lu Maoxian back to the Portable Abode for a slow interrogation, but he couldn't return to it now; the key was still in Blackrock City.

Lu Maoxian, the Lu family patriarch and a formidable figure of his generation, clutched his neck, struggled for a moment, and then died.

What a pity. Such a waste of his wife's meal.

Li Banfeng didn't linger. This was Lu Maoxian's residence, and he had to leave as quickly as possible. He carried a large collection of artifacts, expecting a fierce battle, but it turned out Lu Maoxian was already severely wounded and almost incapable of resistance. All the household members had been sent away, so Li Banfeng's departure was smooth.

However, there was one thing Li Banfeng still hadn't figured out. "What exactly did he trip me up for?"

Leaving the residence, Li Banfeng first headed back to Xianyao Dock. According to his conjecture, Lu Maoxian had delayed him likely to eliminate Ma Wu. Upon reaching the vicinity of Xianyao Dock, Li Banfeng halted. It was now past eight in the evening. The gas lampposts at the entrance of Xianyao Dock were lit, people came and went, and business was booming. To the east of Xianyao Dock was the Poplar Teahouse, which should also have been open for business at this hour. But the teahouse was closed.

Xianyao Dock operating as usual proved that Ma Wu was safe. A closed teahouse wasn't unusual; perhaps it was for cleaning or renovation. However, with so much happening today, Li Banfeng considered another possibility. Someone might have booked the teahouse to monitor Xianyao Dock.

"I was delayed at Blackrock Slope, and Ma Wu is being watched. So who is supposed to be in trouble?" Li Banfeng asked his glove, "Who do you think it could possibly be?"

The glove panted for a moment and replied, "Who? Not me! Catch the thief with the loot!"

"Why are you panting like that?"

"Panting? Maybe I ran too fast just now!"

"Asking you is pointless. I'll just ask them directly."

Li Banfeng silently approached the teahouse, took out a music box, and wound it fully.

At Lu Chunying's residence, Lu Maoxian's daughter, Lu Dongchun, and son, Lu Dongtang, had already stormed into the living room with their assassins. Lu Chunying was not in the living room; only one person sat on the sofa. It was Duan Shaoxia, Lu Dongliang's legal wife. What was she doing here? This matter was originally meant to implicate her, so how could she be dealt with if she was already here? Lu Dongtang was stunned for a moment. Lu Dongchun didn't waste the opportunity and immediately ordered them to act.

"Kill her!"

"Say it was a clash between the two families, and both Duan Shaoxia and Lu Chunying died. That makes sense!"

In Lu Dongtang's perception, Duan Shaoxia was an innocent lamb, so killing her wouldn't be difficult.

Duan Shaoxia looked up, scanning everyone, a hint of tears in her eyes. Everyone hesitated for a moment, feeling they shouldn't harm this pitiful woman. Only Lu Dongchun didn't hesitate. She flicked out about ten sewing needles from her hand, aiming them at Duan Shaoxia. Duan Shaoxia didn't dodge; she remained seated, her face showing fear, grievance, and a forced resilience. The sewing needles didn't hit Duan Shaoxia. Instead, two vases fell from the second-floor staircase, blocking all the needles like two guardians. As the vases fell, porcelain shards flew, injuring several of the subordinates who were at the front.

It was Zuo Wugang! He was behind the railing on the second floor.

"His wife is baiting them on the first floor, while he supports from the second floor?" This situation was incomprehensible to Lu Dongtang.

Vases continued to fall, and the subordinates retreated. Lu Dongchun did not retreat. A piece of porcelain shard struck Lu Dongchun's face, seemingly embedding itself in her flesh. Lu Dongchun removed the shard from her face. A cut ran along her cheek, yet not a single drop of blood flowed, and her delicate face showed no sign of pain.

Lu Dongtang jumped to the second floor to confront Zuo Wugang. Lu Dongchun continued to attack Duan Shaoxia. Duan Shaoxia took out a pistol, gripping the handle with both hands, trembling as she aimed it at Lu Dongchun. From her expression, it seemed she wanted to shoot but lacked the courage. To others, this was the last act of defiance from a woman driven to desperation. All the assassins hesitated, unsure whether they should attack Duan Shaoxia. Only Lu Dongchun did not hesitate, and she wasn't afraid of bullets.

But after Duan Shaoxia fired, Lu Dongchun regretted it. What came out of Duan Shaoxia's gun wasn't a bullet, but oil. A spray of oil shot out from this pistol, which resembled a water gun. Oil was extremely rare in Proun Province because it was difficult to store. This, however, filled Lu Dongchun with extreme dread. She wanted to take off her clothes, but Duan Shaoxia, tears in her eyes, threw a candelabra at her. It seemed perfectly reasonable for a helpless woman to resist desperately, throwing whatever she could get her hands on.

Lu Dongchun's clothes, now covered in oil, caught fire upon contact with the candelabra. The fire was no problem; Lu Dongchun had a way to deal with it. She stripped off her outer robe, but the oil had soaked into her undershirt, and it was still burning. She took off her outermost shirt, but the oil had seeped into the second shirt, and it was still burning. Lu Dongchun successively removed more than a dozen shirts before the fire finally went out. Oil couldn't possibly seep through so quickly, even with special additives; it shouldn't have permeated Lu Dongchun's clothes at such a speed.

Lu Dongchun looked at Duan Shaoxia, saying expressionlessly, "You have cultivation. This is your technique."

Duan Shaoxia, tears streaming down her face, shook her head repeatedly. How could she, a weak woman, possibly use a technique?

Hiding on the second floor, Lu Chunying watched Lu Dongchun and whispered, "Mom, what kind of cultivation is this?" Xiao Yeci, looking bewildered, also shook her head repeatedly. Madam Duan today was beyond her comprehension.

On the second floor, the fight was fierce. Lu Dongtang, with a group of subordinates, was battling Zuo Wugang and his supporters in a chaotic struggle. The situation on the first floor was relatively simpler: Lu Dongchun and Duan Shaoxia were in a one-on-one confrontation, and strangely, none of the other subordinates stepped forward to help. Not only them, but even Lu Dongjun couldn't bring himself to act when Duan Shaoxia used her technique. However, Lu Dongchun was merciless, striking viciously. Her sleeves and lapels seemed to lengthen and shorten at will, several times nearly strangling Duan Shaoxia. Duan Shaoxia barely managed to fend her off, holding a pair of scissors. With her eyes closed, she appeared to be flailing wildly, but each thrust was aimed at a vital point. Lu Dongchun was covered in wounds, but they didn't hinder her movements. Neither weapons nor fists seemed capable of harming her. She quickly cornered Duan Shaoxia.

With the last bit of oil left in her pistol, Duan Shaoxia, tears flowing, fired it, but missed. Having been ambushed by Duan Shaoxia before, Lu Dongchun wouldn't fall for it a second time. The trembling Duan Shaoxia had nowhere left to run. Lu Dongchun took off her own garment, which flew through the air as if alive, settling over Duan Shaoxia's head.

"Ah!" Duan Shaoxia cried out, flailing her arms as if in a helpless struggle. Two silk threads flew out from the garment and landed in Lu Dongchun's hands. Lu Dongchun pulled sharply, intending to tighten the garment. If she succeeded in tightening it, Duan Shaoxia's head would be crushed.

*Rip!*

The garment tore apart. Duan Shaoxia struggled free from the garment! Lu Dongchun's face was expressionless, but her eyes were wide with shock. She was greatly surprised; her garment should not have torn so easily. Looking at the fluttering shreds of fabric, Lu Dongchun saw several tiny black holes. Lu Dongchun's pupils contracted. She quickly looked down at her own clothes. She quickly retreated several steps, reacting as if she had caught fire. For Lu Dongchun, the current situation was even more dangerous than being on fire. Many tiny black holes had appeared on her clothing, and something was wriggling inside them.

Clothes-eating insects! The garment had torn apart because it had been eaten through by these insects. Lu Dongchun hastily shed several layers of clothing, but it was no use; the insects had burrowed deep. Where did these clothes-eating insects come from? Lu Yuanxin, a third-level Insect Cultivator, was hiding on the second floor, controlling the insects. From the moment he saw Lu Dongchun, he had been summoning all the nearby clothes-eating insects. These insects fed quickly but moved slowly. Duan Shaoxia's engagement with Lu Dongchun was precisely to lure Lu Dongchun near the insects. Inspired by the Insect Cultivator, the insects were frantically devouring Lu Dongchun's clothes.

Lu Dongchun held on for a moment, then jumped out the window and fled. For her, the current damage was extremely critical.

With Lu Dongchun gone, Lu Dongtang became flustered. According to the previously established strategy, Lu Dongchun was supposed to handle all variables in the battle. Lu Dongchun should have easily defeated Duan Shaoxia, but she failed to win. Now that she had suddenly fled, it forced Lu Dongtang and Zuo Wugang into a direct confrontation. A direct confrontation was the best option for Zuo Wugang because it required no strategic decisions. Lu Dongtang and Zuo Wugang had comparable cultivation levels, but Zuo Wugang had spent his entire life fighting on the edge, and Zhen Jincheng and Cao Zhida also gained their reputations through combat. They held an advantage in experience. The battle reached a stalemate, and Lu Dongtang struggled more and more as he fought.

On the first floor, Duan Shaoxia cried out to the assassins, "How could you? How dare you?" The crowd was bewildered. Suddenly, Duan Shaoxia's gaze hardened, as if a shadow had flashed by. Indeed, a shadow had flashed by; Duan Shaoxia saw it, but most of the assassins did not. After the shadow vanished, a series of explosions echoed in the hall, and several individuals' bodies burst into mangled flesh and blood.

The "Fleeting Glimpse Technique."

Li Banfeng had arrived. After dealing with the thugs at the Poplar Teahouse, Li Banfeng extracted the truth. He first notified Ma Wu to gather allies, then immediately rushed to Lu Chunying's residence. He swiftly ascended to the second floor, led Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying (mother and daughter) to the bedroom, and stood by the window.

Xiao Yeci exclaimed in surprise, "Benefactor, you're here! My daughter and I truly owe you too much."

Li Banfeng motioned for them to be silent. He kept watching outside the window, ready with his "Path-Breaking Technique." There were still variables, and significant ones at that. Dealing with this group of assassins wasn't difficult, but there were other formidable individuals who had already arrived outside the courtyard. Where did these people come from?

The assassins on the first floor were terrified by the exploded corpses on the ground. Some among them had seen a fifth-level Wanderer Cultivator's technique and recognized it as the "Fleeting Glimpse Technique." However, a fifth-level Wanderer Cultivator's technique consumed immense energy. The fact that the opponent dared to use it proved their cultivation was far superior. Facing this situation, the assassins lost their will to fight and rushed out of the residence. They got out of the house, but they couldn't get out of the courtyard.

Zhang Xiuling, the Sect Master of the Hundred Flowers Gate, had surrounded the mansion with her subordinates. Zhang Xiuling ordered that anyone who emerged from the residence was to be killed without mercy. Not a single assassin who fled the residence managed to escape; Zhang Xiuling dealt with them all thoroughly. Zhang Xiuling shouted from the entrance, "Sister, I'm here! Should I come in now? Say something!"

Duan Shaoxia shouted back, "Sister, quickly come in! These beasts are trying to kill me!"

Li Banfeng frowned. Zhang Xiuling had actually come for Duan Shaoxia. Seeing Zhang Xiuling lead her people into the mansion, Lu Dongtang was terrified. They no longer had the advantage in the situation, nor in numbers. Lu Dongtang wanted to escape, but it wasn't that easy. Zuo Wugang seized the opportunity, kicked Lu Dongtang over, and pinned him underfoot. The other assassins stopped fighting and dared not move.

Duan Shaoxia called out, "Chunying, come out. I want a word with you."

Zuo Wugang was startled. The house was now full of Hundred Flowers Gate members. Zuo Wugang had no idea when Madam Duan had started associating with the Hundred Flowers Gate.

Xiao Yeci hugged Lu Chunying, saying, "Daughter, don't go out."

Lu Chunying looked at Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng asked, "Do you dare to go out?"

Lu Chunying was silent for a moment, then looked up and said, "If we fight, we fight this time. If we run, we run for a lifetime. With Seventh Brother here, I dare!"

Li Banfeng lowered his hat brim and said, "Go."

(End of Chapter)