Chapter 498: 赔命还是赔人

Xia Shumin entered Xiao Yeci's mansion and negotiated face-to-face with Li Banfeng.

Deputy Commissioner Tang Huanjie reminded him, "Commissioner Xia, you've said everything you needed to say. Let them handle the rest. We can wait outside for news."

Xia Shumin glanced back at Tang Huanjie. "Deputy Commissioner Tang, are you scared? If you're scared, go hide outside!"

Tang Huanjie didn't pretend to be brave. He turned and left the courtyard, waiting outside the mansion gates.

Xia Shumin instructed his assistant, Ding Zhichuan, to issue an order for everyone to heighten their vigilance and prevent Li Qi from escaping.

After the order was conveyed, Xia Shumin looked at Li Qi and said, "I know some of the things you've done, and I know how ruthless you can be. That's why I've come to you openly today. Li Qi, you've reached a dead end today. If you want to live, voluntarily returning to the Customs and Defense Bureau with me is your last chance."

Li Banfeng chuckled, "How did you arrive at that conclusion?"

Xia Shumin frowned. "That's not a conclusion; it's common sense. In this situation today, if you openly resist the Customs and Defense Bureau, do you think you'd still have a chance to survive in Puro Province?"

Li Banfeng didn't answer. He kept his gaze on Xia Shumin, observing his position and the deployment of personnel around him.

He completely disregarded Xia Shumin's threats. His only concern at the moment was combat strength. Li Banfeng's strength hadn't fully recovered; it was significantly weaker than when he was on the ninth floor, and he could only sustain it for about twenty seconds.

The most crucial question was how to end the fight within twenty seconds.

Xia Shumin had brought hundreds of people, all with cultivation and excellent equipment. In Li Banfeng's current condition, it would be impossible to repel them within twenty seconds.

The simplest method was to eliminate Xia Shumin directly. After killing him, his forces would lose their commander and fall into disarray, giving Li Banfeng a chance to break through with the others.

Even if they couldn't break out, they could at least hold them off for a while, waiting for He Yuxiu and Ma Wu to return with reinforcements.

Seeing Li Banfeng remain silent, Xia Shumin began a new round of intimidation.

He decided to give Li Qi three minutes to consider.

The first minute was the psychological pressure building phase, designed to make Li Qi genuinely feel the urgency of the situation.

The second minute was the buffer phase. This stage tested negotiation skills the most, requiring a balance: not allowing Li Qi to relax, while also providing enough time to prevent extreme actions.

The third minute was the decisive phase. In this stage, Xia Shumin planned to use his superb negotiation skills and extensive experience to completely break Li Qi's psychological defense and force him to surrender.

Capturing Li Qi was extremely important to Xia Shumin.

Perhaps Li Qi was genuinely unrelated to the Red Lotus incident, but the Red Lotus issue absolutely required an explanation.

Besides the Red Lotus problem, Li Qi had always been a threat to the Customs and Defense Bureau in Puro Province. He had also established a peculiar balance with Liao Zihui, and his continued existence would pose a significant obstacle to Xia Shumin's future takeover of Puro Province.

Having Li Qi take responsibility for the Red Lotus incident and then publicly executing him would not only provide an explanation to higher authorities but also serve as a powerful deterrent to Puro Province. Furthermore, it would dismantle Liao Zihui's network in the province, clearing the way for future administration.

How could Xia Shumin miss such a prime opportunity to achieve three goals at once? No matter how unique Puro Province was, Xia Shumin believed he could firmly control it with the right strategies and methods.

"Li Qi, I'm giving you three minutes. After three minutes, if you surrender, I can at least guarantee your safety. If, after three minutes, you continue to resist stubbornly..."

Li Qi suddenly vanished.

Xia Shumin was stunned. He had planned a three-minute strategy. How could Li Qi already...

Two guards quickly moved to shield him.

This was to block Li Qi's line of sight and prevent the "Galloping Horse" technique from forming.

Li Banfeng anticipated their move. He circled directly to the center of the crowd and stomped down with "Breaking Ten Thousand Rivers."

With a thunderous boom, a group of guards fell to the ground.

Several guards raised their shields, forming a shield formation around Xia Shumin.

Before ascending to the Cloud Realm, Li Banfeng would have used "Cleaving Paths" to directly break the shield formation and forcibly kill Xia Shumin.

But now he couldn't; "Cleaving Paths" consumed too much energy.

Li Banfeng used the less energy-intensive "Unimpeded Travel" technique, passing through the shields and entering the shield formation.

The moment he saw Li Qi, Xia Shumin nearly stumbled and fell. Intense fear made him cry out.

"Help! Quickly, come..."

Li Qi stomped "Breaking Ten Thousand Rivers," shattering the shield formation.

Xia Shumin's clothes were peculiar, seemingly alive, extending automatically over his body to shield vital points.

Even so, Xia Shumin was badly injured, covered in bloody marks.

Several guards tried to counterattack, but Li Qi was too close to Xia Shumin. Fearing they might harm Xia Shumin, none dared to strike.

Li Banfeng stepped forward, about to finish off Xia Shumin with a kick, when a dizzy spell suddenly made his legs go weak.

This shouldn't be happening; it hasn't even been twenty seconds!

Sweating profusely, Li Banfeng was unable to use his techniques.

Seizing the opportunity, a group of guards, clustered around Xia Shumin, had already exited the courtyard.

Li Banfeng dragged his legs, forcing himself to move, intent on pursuit.

The Customs and Defense Bureau combatants swarmed forward, beginning to besiege Li Qi.

Forcibly killing Xia Shumin was no longer possible. Li Banfeng could only barely hold his ground with his limited stamina.

The tide of battle had turned. An enraged Xia Shumin shouted from outside the mansion, "Kill him! He must be killed!"

Lu Yuanxin, seeing the situation was dire, turned to his subordinates and said, "Break out through the back door."

He quickly outlined a strategy: he would lead his subordinates in a desperate fight at the back door, first helping Lu Chunying and Xiao Yeci break through, then helping Li Qi by distracting the enemy.

Lu Chunying asked, "Brother, how will you escape?"

Lu Yuanxin looked at Lu Chunying. "Sister, when everyone else in the family looked down on me, only you respected me. The fact that you're willing to call me 'brother' is enough for me in this life. The Lu family will depend on you from now on!"

With that, Lu Yuanxin, leading a swarm of insects, charged towards the back door.

Outside the back door, Customs and Defense Bureau personnel had already set up steam machine guns.

Lu Yuanxin planned to first use his insects to eliminate two machine gunners, have his subordinates block other enemies, and then allow Lu Chunying to escape.

Just as the fighting began, the boiler of one steam machine gun suddenly exploded.

High-temperature steam dispersed, killing the machine gunner instantly. People near the boiler were scalded by the steam; over a dozen individuals were all 'cooked,' and even the insects Lu Yuanxin sent weren't spared.

Several of Lu Yuanxin's subordinates suffered minor injuries and immediately retreated. They didn't know what had happened, thinking it was a new tactic from the Customs and Defense Bureau.

Another steam machine gunner was about to fire when, unexpectedly, the boiler exploded again, affecting those nearby once more.

One boiler exploding might be an accident, but what was going on if two boilers exploded?

As the steam just dissipated, with no time to analyze the cause, Wen Hongyan charged in with hundreds of people, scattering the Customs and Defense Bureau's encirclement.

Amidst the fighting, Wen Hongyan approached Lu Yuanxin and asked, "Where is Master Qi?"

Lu Yuanxin pointed to the front courtyard. Wen Hongyan intended to lead her people to the front, but the scattered formation of the Customs and Defense Bureau quickly re-concentrated, and a fierce battle began in the back courtyard.

In the front courtyard, under the siege of many, Li Qi was completely exhausted, his body swaying with every step.

He now had two choices: one was to escape using "A Thousand Miles Away," no matter where, as long as he left the mansion.

However, he was too exhausted to use the technique.

The other option was to return directly to his personal residence, which was the safest, but he had no chance to hide the key.

Caught in this dilemma, he suddenly heard someone shout from outside the wall, "Commissioner Xia, we can discuss anything; there's no need for such a large-scale conflict!"

Chu Er had arrived.

Following Chu Er were about two hundred people.

How could her arrival be so timely?

It wasn't actually a coincidence. Chu Er had arrived in Yesongqiao two days prior and had been hiding near Xiao Yeci's mansion, not showing herself, waiting for her people to arrive in batches.

She had gathered over seven hundred people in total, but they couldn't all come at once, or Xia Shumin would surely discover them.

She had them come in groups, borrowing a path through Kucai Village. Kucai Village's location was unique; all towns in Puro Province had roads leading to it, but passing through required permission from Granny Ku.

Chu Er pleaded desperately and incurred a debt of five hundred beatings from Granny Ku, promising to return for them once the matter was resolved.

It took two days for over three hundred people to arrive gradually. Chu Er was very patient; had she not seen Xiao Yeci's mansion suddenly surrounded, she wouldn't have intervened so easily.

Now, with a numerical disadvantage and Li Qi still trapped in the courtyard, Chu Er didn't act rashly but instead initiated negotiations with Xia Shumin.

Xia Shumin had no desire to negotiate.

He was injured and furious, and he even had little interest in capturing Li Qi alive. "Don't say another word to these barbarians. Only by killing them all can we achieve peace and tranquility in Puro Province."

Kill them all!

That was Xia Shumin's order.

Assistant Ding Zhichuan ordered an attack, and over three hundred people charged forward, killing anyone they encountered.

For Chu Er, even attempting to negotiate with Xia Shumin was a significant display of restraint.

Now, with negotiations fruitless, Chu Er lowered her head, rolled her eyes upwards, and led her people directly towards Xia Shumin.

The battle raged fiercely. Xia Shumin ordered, "Set up steam machine guns and annihilate the enemy!"

Deputy Commissioner Tang Huanjie was stunned. "Commissioner Xia, what about our own people?"

Steam machine guns didn't distinguish between friend and foe. If they swept across, their own people wouldn't be spared.

Xia Shumin roared, "Execute the order!"

As everyone was setting up the machine guns, Xiang Fenglan pulled a carved bow from her back, nocked an arrow, and shot it towards Xia Shumin.

How could they let her hit him?

A martial arts guard easily caught the arrow with an outstretched hand.

Xiang Fenglan shouted, "Separate!"

The arrowhead suddenly detached from the shaft and continued flying towards Xia Shumin.

Several guards raised their shields, completely protecting Xia Shumin.

Xiang Fenglan shouted, "Pierce!"

The arrowhead seemed to obey Xiang Fenglan's command, slipping through the gaps in the shields.

Xiang Fenglan found it difficult to command next.

The arrowhead was inside the shield formation, and Xiang Fenglan couldn't see it.

She shouted, "Split!"

The arrowhead exploded in place, showering everyone with fragments.

If they were large fragments, they could have been parried or dodged, but when a single arrowhead shattered, the scattered fragments were all iron shards. All the guards in the shield formation were injured, and Xia Shumin's special clothes didn't have time to extend, leaving half his face a bloody mess.

While everyone was still wondering what kind of magical artifact the arrowhead was, Xiang Fenglan drew her bow and shot another arrow. The arrowhead again pierced the shield formation and immediately exploded, tearing off a piece of Xia Shumin's scalp.

This arrowhead didn't seem to be a magical artifact.

A guard in his fifties murmured, "This seems to be an Arrow Cultivator."

Others hadn't heard of this lineage and had no time to ponder it amidst the chaotic battle.

Xiang Fenglan continued to shoot arrow after arrow. The heavily wounded Xia Shumin could no longer endure the pain. He stepped out of the shield formation, hoping to find another place to hide.

Tang Huanjie shouted from behind, "Commissioner, don't panic! She's out of arrows!"

Xiang Fenglan had indeed run out of arrows.

She picked up a stone from the ground and threw it towards the back of Xia Shumin's head.

The stone struck the back of his head, and Xia Shumin collapsed instantly.

The old guard was stunned and didn't dare go to Xia Shumin's aid.

He looked at Xiang Fenglan.

Whatever she used, her attacks invariably hit their mark. This woman was indeed an Arrow Cultivator.

This lineage had been extinct for so many years; to think there was still a living practitioner in the world.

Xia Shumin was still alive.

Although he had lost the ability to move, he was still conscious.

A healing cultivator rushed forward, intending to treat his injuries, but Xiang Fenglan's finger trembled, and the stone inside Xia Shumin's skull exploded.

There was no need for treatment this time.

Tiny pebbles flew out from Xia Shumin's skull. His entire skull framework remained relatively intact, but Xia Shumin's head had become a honeycomb.

Chu Er seized the opportunity, stepped forward, chopped off Xia Shumin's head with a knife, and held it up, glaring furiously at the Customs and Defense Bureau personnel.

The battlefield instantly fell silent.

The Customs and Defense Bureau personnel stopped fighting.

The Chu family members also stopped.

The Customs and Defense Commissioner had been killed. Such a thing had never happened in Puro Province.

The Customs and Defense Bureau personnel didn't know what to do next, and the Chu family members were stunned. Even Yang Yanzheng didn't know what to do.

Chu Er, holding Xia Shumin's head, snarled, "Still want to fight? Fight then! Come on!"

Xia Shumin was dead; was there still a need to continue this battle?

The Customs and Defense Bureau had the advantage in the battle. If they continued fighting, they might win.

Everyone turned their gaze to Xia Shumin's assistant, Ding Zhichuan.

Ding Zhichuan wanted to retreat.

Logically, he should at least capture Chu Er; otherwise, there would be no explanation for Xia Shumin's death.

But Ding Zhichuan didn't consider that issue.

Like Xia Shumin, he didn't know much about Puro Province.

Now, looking at Xia Shumin's head, Ding Zhichuan felt even more unfamiliar with Puro Province.

Chu Er, her face covered in blood, was looking at Ding Zhichuan with upturned eyes.

Ding Zhichuan didn't even issue an order; he simply ran away first.

The crowd stood frozen. Deputy Commissioner Tang Huanjie took command and shouted loudly, "Miss Chu, please leave the Commissioner's head."

Chu Er gritted her teeth and placed Xia Shumin's head on the ground.

Tang Huanjie had Xia Shumin's body retrieved, then declared a ceasefire: "Li Qi, Chu Huaiyuan, this battle ends here today. We are retreating first."

Chu Er stood outside the gate, Li Qi stood in the courtyard. Neither moved.

Tang Huanjie issued the retreat order, and the Customs and Defense Bureau personnel quickly withdrew from the mansion.

Once the Customs and Defense Bureau personnel were far away, Li Qi could no longer stand and collapsed with a thud in the courtyard.

Chu Er stepped forward, embraced Li Qi, and said to everyone, "Let's retreat too, to Kucai Village!"

Li Qi shook his head. "I can't leave. I must stay in Yesongqiao."

Chu Er frowned. "Why?"

Li Qi managed a difficult smile. "I truly cannot leave Yesongqiao. If I leave this place, I'll die. You hurry and leave, go into hiding. The Customs and Defense Bureau will definitely retaliate. Once I've recovered, we'll fight them together!"

Chu Er couldn't bear to leave Li Qi. She first sent her subordinates to retreat, while she remained by Li Qi's side to look after him.

Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying returned. He Yuxiu, with Ma Wu and others, also came back.

Chu Er recounted the battle. "I killed Xia Shumin. I cut off his head. He's completely dead."

Ma Wu had just lit a cigarette, which then fell to the ground.

Lu Chunying remained silent, while Xiao Yeci struggled to keep himself from trembling.

He Yuxiu was relatively calm. She asked, "Xia Shumin, he should be the Customs and Defense Commissioner now, like Liao Zihui, right?"

Everyone remained silent.

Everyone present had had conflicts with the Customs and Defense Bureau, but publicly killing the Customs and Defense Commissioner was a particularly serious matter.

This matter was beyond what Puro Province could comprehend.

It meant declaring war on an outside province.

For Puro Province, the outside province was the State of Huan. Its power was unimaginable to them.

What was Puro Province then?

Puro Province was a loose assortment of powerful families, gangs, and ordinary citizens—an utter mob.

How could such a Puro Province possibly contend with an outside province?

Chu Er, holding Li Qi, said, "You don't need to worry. I'll take responsibility for this. It's just paying with my life, isn't it? It's no big deal!"

He Yuxiu said, "Sister, don't say such angry words. If there's trouble, we'll face it together!"

Lu Chunying said, "Let's first return to Greenwater City, gather all our people, and prepare for war with the outside province."

Ma Wu nodded. "Not just personnel, but weapons, money, and provisions too!"

Li Banfeng said, "You all go back to Greenwater City and get ready. I'll stay in Yesongqiao."

He Yuxiu looked astonished. "What are you staying here for?"

Li Banfeng said, "So the Customs and Defense Bureau can find me."

Lu Chunying was astonished. "Brother Qi, what do you mean?"

Li Banfeng looked at everyone and said, "From now on, everyone remember: Xia Shumin died by my hand. It has nothing to do with anyone else!"

Xiao Yeci said in shock, "My benefactor, how can you say that? When something happens, we should figure it out together!"

Chu Er looked at Li Qi and smiled. "What, feeling sorry for me? Do you want to take the blame for me?"

Li Qi also smiled. "Who feels sorry for you? This was my doing in the first place."

Chu Er snorted. "This isn't your business. I'm the one who killed him."

"I said, I'm the one who killed him. None of you try to claim it," Li Banfeng sat up and looked at everyone. "Leave Yesongqiao immediately now. Remember, no matter how the Customs and Defense Bureau threatens you, this was all my doing. You mustn't fall for their tricks or suffer losses. If one person is in trouble, you must all stand together. Don't let them pick you off one by one."

Ma Wu sat beside Li Qi and offered him a cigarette. "I don't care what others do, but I'm not leaving you behind."

Li Qi took the cigarette, took a drag, and said, "You go back first. I can handle this."

"How will you handle it? We've fought together until now. If the sky falls, we'll bear it together."

"The sky hasn't fallen; just some nobody died!" Li Banfeng looked at Ma Wu. "What did we say before? When big things happen, don't you always listen to me?"

Ma Wu was speechless.

He Yuxiu said, "Old Seven, if there's trouble, we'll all..."

"Xiuer, have you forgotten the family rules?" Li Banfeng glared at He Yuxiu, and He Yuxiu said nothing more.

Chu Er lowered her head and said, "Whatever you say is useless. I definitely won't leave."

Li Banfeng said, "If you truly care for me, go find Aunt Er and ask her to help us. That's the proper thing to do."

Chu Er thought for a moment; Li Banfeng's words actually made sense.

Li Banfeng continued looking at Ma Wu. "Old Five, take them away. Your family is here, your roots are here. If you can't weather this, I'm just one person. This happened to me, and only I can bear it!"

Everyone remained silent, yet they all stood rooted to the spot.

If they wouldn't leave, he'd have to find a way to make them.

"I'm a Travel Cultivator, you know that, right?"

Lu Chunying said, "I'm also a Travel Cultivator."

"Your level is too low, so you don't count for now," Li Banfeng continued. "Travel Cultivators are hard to catch. I'm fast, and I can pass through walls. I have plenty of ways to escape. If you stay here, you'll only be a burden. You all return to Greenwater City, and I'll stay here to wear them down. Once this whole thing blows over, I'll return to Greenwater City to find you. Doesn't that settle it?"

After speaking, Li Banfeng looked at Yang Yanzheng. "Brother Yang, you're also a Travel Cultivator. You understand this logic, right?"

He needed a witness.

Chu Er had killed the Customs and Defense Commissioner, and Yang Yanzheng's mind was in a turmoil. Hearing Li Qi's question, he lowered his head and said to Chu Huaiyuan, "Master Qi makes sense."

With such conviction and seemingly undeniable evidence, Li Banfeng finally convinced the group to leave.

After resting for a moment in the mansion, Li Banfeng, leaning on his Tang Dao, left the residence and walked onto the street.

He truly hadn't expected such a major upheaval just after ascending to the Cloud Realm.

Yesongqiao was so large; where should he go?

Not only did he have to stay in Yesongqiao, but he also had to show himself regularly to keep the Customs and Defense Bureau's attention focused on Yesongqiao.

If they wanted a fight, they'd fight to the end!

Li Banfeng only hoped he could ascend to the first layer of the Cloud Realm before the decisive battle.

In Greenwater City, Ma Wu, He Yuxiu, and Lu Chunying gathered all their available personnel, waiting to go to war with the Customs and Defense Bureau.

Chu Er remained in Kucai Village, following the strategy agreed upon with Li Qi: first, to seek help from Granny Ku.

Li Qi had only said this to persuade Chu Er to leave. He knew perfectly well that Granny Ku owed him nothing, so there was no reason for her to intervene.

After hearing Chu Er's account, Granny Ku picked up a stick and said, "Go, get on the bench yourself. Five hundred strikes. We'll talk after that!"

Chu Er pleaded desperately, "Granny, please wait two more days for the punishment. Once Li Qi is safe, I'll take the stick myself to receive the punishment. Five hundred is fine, even a thousand. You say how many, and I'll take it."

Granny Ku poked Chu Er with a finger. "Look at you, what a lack of ambition! I was hoping you'd reel in a man, but instead, you're the one getting lured away!"

Chu Er cried, "Granny, I'm the one who caused this trouble. Please help us just this once!"

Granny Ku snorted coldly. "Why should I help him? Is he my disciple? If he wants to avoid disaster, he can come hide in Kucai Village. What's he doing staying in Yesongqiao?"

"Old Seven is really something, what's he doing staying in that broken place, Yesongqiao? Come back to our home. Those sons of bitches from the outside province, if one comes, I'll chop one down."

In Seven Autumn City, Qiu Luoye had largely recovered and was helping the Three-Headed Men gather weapons.

Juanzi said, "Master Qiu, if worst comes to worst, we'll fight our way to Yesongqiao. We can't let Master Qi fall into the hands of the outside province."

Qiu Luoye gnashed his long teeth, genuinely tempted to send troops.

Shui Yongquan arrived in Seven Autumn City and persuaded Qiu Luoye, "Old Five told me everything. You absolutely mustn't act rashly. You have to trust Old Seven; he definitely has a plan."

Qiu Luoye said, "But I can't just wait here idly. I can't watch Old Seven face the entire outside province by himself."

Shui Yongquan said, "I'm not telling you to wait idly. You need to find a way to defend Seven Autumn City, and I'll find a way to defend Proper Village. We must leave a retreat route for Old Seven!"

"This is Master Qi's retreat route!" Qin Bulou instructed his daughter, Xiao Qin. "Have the old brothers at North Bridge keep an eye on the Customs and Defense Bureau. If Master Qi returns, we must receive him. If the Customs and Defense Bureau cuts off Master Qi's retreat, we'll fight them to the death!"

Xiao Qin said, "Father, we've always had a good relationship with the Customs and Defense Bureau. We can usually discuss things if there's an issue."

Qin Bulou shook his head. "Daughter, as long as a fight doesn't break out, anything can be discussed. But on the day it does, it's a fight to the death with no room for discussion. Master Qi helped us protect our territory; we must help Master Qi protect his life."

"This territory can't be protected," Sun Tiecheng tossed a newspaper onto the table. "That rascal, he just ascended to the Cloud Realm and already caused such a huge mess. I only have one disciple left. If things get really bad, I'll have to bring you back to Fool's City."

Ding-dong, ding-dong!

The sound of a rattle drum echoed through the streets of Fool's City. An old woman took a bar of soap from a peddler's cart and turned to leave.

The peddler panicked. "Sister, that's not right. I don't care about the price, but you should at least give something!"

The old woman snorted and gave him twenty cents.

The peddler took the money and asked, "Is your City Lord home?"

"No!" The old woman took off running.

The peddler sneered, "Seeing you run so fast, I knew he was home."

Sun Tiecheng sat in his mansion, sneering and muttering to himself, "What if I am home? Do you want to take the Red Lotus back? No such good thing!"

At the Customs and Defense Bureau, Tang Yuan returned to his office in his work uniform. Bulb approached him with a surprised expression. "You came to work yourself?"

Tang Yuan frowned. "When do I not come to work? Haven't I always been following Li Qi's matters? What's the situation now?"

Bulb was taken aback. "What do you mean, 'what's the situation'?"

"Didn't something happen to him?" Tang Yuan whispered, "What's the Bureau's stance?"

Bulb blinked and said, "Why are you asking about that?"

Tang Yuan lowered his voice further. "I've been investigating Li Qi. If something big really happened, I need to be prepared in advance so I don't get hurt by our own people later."

Bulb nodded. "It's true we need to clarify things, but the key is I don't have much information either."

Tang Yuan pondered for a moment. "Aren't you on good terms with Deputy Commissioner Tang's secretary? She always praises how handsome you are. Deputy Commissioner Tang is in charge of the Bureau now. Can you get some information from his secretary?"

Bulb shook his head. "Deputy Commissioner Tang doesn't know much either. I heard Commissioner Liao is back."

Tang Yuan was startled. "Wasn't Commissioner Liao sick?"

"You're well?" Li Banfeng put down the book in his hand and took the teapot off the tea stove.

"Not fully recovered, but I was asked to come back to work." Liao Zihui entered the Lu Family study, sat opposite Li Banfeng, and poured himself a cup of tea.

Li Banfeng smiled. "It seems the Customs and Defense Bureau truly can't do without you."

"Don't mock me. Originally, they planned for me to leave the Customs and Defense Bureau to make way for Xia Shumin. Now Xia Shumin set a fire that consumed himself, and the blaze is out of control. So they're forcing me back to put out the fire."

Li Banfeng asked directly, "You came to see me about Xia Shumin's matter?"

Liao Zihui took a sip of tea. "This matter needs an explanation."

"How to explain? Do you want me to pay with my life?" Li Banfeng smiled. "You absolutely cannot have this life!"

Liao Zihui shook his head. "Not for you to pay with your life, but for you to provide a person."

"What person?" Li Banfeng thought he was referring to Chu Er.

Liao Zihui put down his teacup and said, word for word, "Xia Shumin is dead. I can explain that. But Puro Province is out of control, and that's something I can't explain. The outside province wants Puro Province to restore balance, so they need someone to balance things. Brother Li, at this point, you should understand, right?"