The Overlord of Puluo

Lotus Pond Teahouse belonged to the Ling Family. It was not usually open to ordinary customers. Most of the time, it was used for business talks, and many of the big celebrities had negotiated their pay there.

Shen Rongqing arrived at the teahouse early and had everything arranged in advance.

To be honest, Shen Rongqing did not trust the Sage or his disciple. He Jiaqing had refused to meet them several times and had embarrassed them more than once. There was no telling whether they might do something extreme.

With her men in position and the traps set, Shen Rongqing waited for the man in white to arrive.

Far away in Yuezhou, He Jiaqing was worrying about someone coming to ruin the meeting. Perhaps he was overthinking it. Lately, whenever he did anything in Puluo Province, he felt as if Li Banfeng might appear at any moment and throw everything into chaos.

Seeing that it was not yet six o'clock, He Jiaqing contacted the spy he had planted in Freewind Wharf.

"Where is Li Qi?"

"Li Qi and Ma Wu invited Lu Chunying over. Lu Yuanxin and Tan Fucheng are there too. They started drinking at noon and are still at it now. I heard they are going to play cards tonight, and Ma Wu has even arranged for the Singing Queen to perform."

"Did you see Li Qi yourself?"

"I saw him. I even went into the private room to clean a little while ago. I can go back and check again later."

"Don't go again. If you keep showing up, they might start to suspect something."

The spy in Freewind Wharf was too important. He could not risk exposing him.

He Jiaqing massaged his scalp. He had probably taken in too much human presence lately, and it had made his mind a little muddled. That must be why he had become overly suspicious.

How could Li Banfeng possibly know that Shen Rongqing was meeting the Sage's disciple today?

He Jiaqing gave a couple of self-mocking laughs, changed into a gardener's clothes, and went to the park again.

***

In the private room, Lu Chunying was holding a roast chicken and eating with great pleasure.

She had been putting more effort into her cultivation lately, and with pills to support her, her cultivation had risen quickly. Her appetite had grown right along with it.

After finishing an entire chicken, Lu Chunying wiped her mouth. "Where did Big Bro Qi go? He was here just a moment ago. Are we not playing cards later?"

Ma Wu smiled. "Old Qi is not feeling well, so he went to rest. He does not know how to play cards anyway. I will play with you tonight, all the way till dawn."

As they were speaking, the Singing Queen, Jiang Mengting, arrived to perform. Her beauty and her voice soon captivated everyone in the room, and no one asked about Li Qi again.

At this moment, Li Banfeng was hiding near Lotus Pond Teahouse, waiting for the meeting to end. He had no idea how long this tea session would last. As it turned out, the tea session did not last long at all, because the talks were far from pleasant.

The Sage's disciple, Zhong Huaien, was the young man in white. He was clearly displeased with He Jiaqing's attitude.

"Miss Shen, how many times have I come to you now? Even after all this, I still have not met He Jiaqing. Do you not think this shows a lack of sincerity on your part?"

Shen Rongqing smiled. "Brother Zhong, there is no need to be angry. Courtesy goes both ways. We have met so many times, and yet I have not seen the Sage either."

Zhong Huaien frowned. "Why would the Sage need to see you? The person he wants to meet is He Jiaqing!"

Shen Rongqing still kept the same smile. "And the person He Jiaqing wants to meet is not you. It is the Sage."

Zhong Huaien's face darkened. "Some people kneel on the Sage's Peak for years and still might not be given the chance to see the Sage face to face. You have been given this opportunity. Do not waste it."

Shen Rongqing frowned. "You make it sound as if we should be grateful for a grand favor. I have never been to Sage's Peak, so perhaps you can tell me. Why are the people there so soft in the spine?"

Zhong Huaien nodded, rose to his feet, and took his leave. Shen Rongqing walked him downstairs, but she made no attempt to persuade him to stay.

After Zhong Huaien left, Shen Rongqing sent He Jiaqing a message. "He is gone. He was very unhappy that you weren't here."

He Jiaqing received the message and said nothing for a very long time.

Of course Zhong Huaien was unhappy. He Jiaqing had known he would be. But why hadn't Shen Rongqing smooth things over for him? Did she get into a conflict with Zhong Huaien?

"Big Sis, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter."

He Jiaqing cut off the connection.

Shen Rongqing was a sensitive woman, and she heard the blame tucked inside his words.

So what if he blames me? Shen Rongqing thought. Does he want me to kneel on the Sage's Peak too?

Shen Rongqing returned to the teahouse and sat alone in the private room, pouring her own tea and drinking in silence.

***

Zhong Huaien walked down the road, and the anger inside him went bubbling and boiling like a kettle left too long on the stove.

A voice came softly into his ear. "Junior Brother Zhong, I think we used the wrong method. We should have dealt with this the way we dealt with the two Lu Family brothers. Simple. Neat. No fuss."

"I would like that too," Zhong Huaien said, "but He Jiaqing refuses to show his face. How are we supposed to get our hands on him?"

"Then kill the woman. We have met her more than once, and there is nothing ordinary about her. She is either He Jiaqing's lover or one of his favorite subordinates. Once she is dead, He Jiaqing is bound to lose his temper. If we can force him out and finish him off, our job will be done."

"Will this really work?" Zhong Huaien hesitated. "I am worried our teacher will blame us."

"Blame us for what? When has our teacher ever said we are not allowed to kill? He might not even remember this woman's name. We kill her, lure He Jiaqing to Puluo Province, and settle the matter there. What is wrong with that?"

"What if He Jiaqing gets frightened and refuses to meet us at all?"

"He is already refusing to meet us. If he shows himself, we profit. If he doesn't, we still kill one of his best subordinates and give him something to suffer over. Either way, we lose nothing."

Zhong Huaien nodded. "That is a proper idea, Senior Brother. When do we strike?"

"We strike when she seems the least wary. I think now is the best time. We just parted on bad terms, and this is exactly when she will let her guard down."

"Good. I will go with you."

Zhong Huaien turned, intending to go back, but the voice beside his ear stopped him. "You just left. If you turn around and go back now, she will surely be suspicious. Keep walking. I can handle this alone. Don't worry about the credit. What belongs to you will not be taken from you. Just be careful on the road. Teacher told me to protect you, so don't let anything happen to you."

"Senior Brother, don't worry," Zhong Huaien nodded and continued walking forward.

The white robe on Zhong Huaien suddenly lifted off him. It rose into the air and drifted back toward the teahouse.

Li Banfeng had been trailing him from behind. He quickly ducked into hiding, relying on the innate abilities of a level-six Homebound Cultivator. Even then, the robe nearly spotted him.

Is that robe an enchanted artifact? No wonder the bastard wears a white robe wherever he goes.

Why is the robe flying back? Is it going after Shen Rongqing? Does he think an enchanted artifact can be powerful enough to deal with Shen Rongqing?

Or is it not an enchanted artifact at all? Maybe it's a Threadbound Cultivator, like the one Zuo Wugang mentioned?

Lu Yuanxin is also at Freewind Wharf, and he knows how to deal with Threadbound Cultivators. This might be an opportunity.

Li Banfeng found himself a quiet little corner where no one was likely to poke their nose in, then took a circuit board from inside his coat. He clipped on two dry-cell batteries, fixed an antenna to it, and plugged in a rotary dial.

The thing was rather troublesome to use, a clumsy little contraption that made even a simple call feel like hard labor. Still, this was Puluo Province. Given the conditions here, Luo Zhengnan's technology could only go this far.

At Freewind Wharf, Luo Zhengnan was tidying up his own antenna when his skull suddenly gave a violent tremble. The antenna stuck in his head nearly scrambled his brains.

When he saw that the call was from Li Banfeng, he picked up at once.

"Tell Ma Wu to come to Lotus Pond Teahouse..."

After finishing the call, Li Banfeng continued tailing Zhong Huaien until they reached a narrow alley. The moment had come. Li Banfeng was ready to make his move.

This white-robed follower always stayed by the Sage's side, so Li Banfeng was certain he was no ordinary opponent. However, Li Banfeng had not come to kill him. He only needed Zhong Huaien alive long enough to carry a message back.

Li Banfeng's plan was simple. He would cut Zhong Huaien once, then get out before the man had a chance to react.

He appeared in the alley without warning and slashed at Zhong Huaien's back.

The cut went deep, leaving a wound almost a foot long. The moment his blade landed, Li Banfeng pulled back and vanished into the shadows, watching to see how Zhong Huaien would react.

Zhong Huaien showed no sign of panic. He did not even pause. He simply quickened his pace and strode on as if he had not been wounded at all.

Anyone trusted by the Sage really was no ordinary man! Zhong Huaien either had an enchanted artifact on him, or his body was simply that tough.

Back at Benefactor Stronghold, Li Banfeng had already sensed that this man wouldn't be easy to deal with. One cut clearly wasn't enough. He had to make Zhong Huaien feel pain. Only then would the Sage be furious at He Jiaqing and the He Family.

Li Banfeng appeared again and struck him with another slash.

After taking two cuts in a row, Zhong Huaien still showed no reaction. Instead, he walked faster and faster, completely ignoring Li Banfeng's sneaky attacks.

Is he really that tough? Li Banfeng thought before going for another slash.

Zhong Huaien still didn't strike back.

Li Banfeng slashed again!

***

After the seventh slash, Zhong Huaien collapsed face-first onto the ground and stopped moving.

What is this? Li Banfeng thought. Is he trying to lure me closer and spring up and fight back?

Obviously, Li Banfeng wouldn't fall for it. He prepared to test him with Passing Flowers on Horseback, but just as he was about to make his move, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Could it be that Zhong Huaien didn't refuse to fight back? Could it be that he simply couldn't fight back? Did he walk fast because he was trying to run away? No way, right? The most trusted follower of the Sage can't be this weak, right?

Back at Benefactor Stronghold, Zhong Huaien did show real ability. I still remember it clearly. So why is he suddenly so weak now?

Could it be that the real ability belonged to the robe? Is Zhong Huaien nothing but a rack for hanging clothes?

Wait. He's not dead, is he? If he died, who can I find to help me deliver the message to the Sage?

As it turned out, Li Banfeng's guess was not far off. Zhong Huaien really was on the verge of dying.

Should I give him a pill and keep him alive a little longer?

***

Back in the teahouse, Shen Rongqing was still pouring and drinking her own tea.

The white-robed man had already left, so she sent the support hooks back to the film company to await orders. Once she finished this cup, she planned to return and rest as well.

She had just poured the tea when her wrist suddenly stopped obeying her.

The teacup in her hand did not rise toward her lips. Instead, it lowered itself neatly back onto the table.

Who is it? Shen Rongqing wanted to shout the question, but her mouth wouldn't open.

It felt as if threads had cinched tight around her jaw. Her throat was bound as well. Every joint in her body was being pulled and fastened, as if an invisible garment had slipped over her and was slowly choking the breath out of her.

It was not just a hypothetical scenario. A real robe gradually appeared on Shen Rongqing's body.

When did this white robe get onto me? Why does it look so familiar? This is Zhong Huaien's white robe.

In her horror, Shen Rongqing watched her right hand reach to her waist, draw out a dagger, and aim it at her own throat.

The blade crept closer, but Shen Rongqing fought with all her strength.

Zhong Huaien is trying to kill me?

At the edge of life and death, Shen Rongqing pushed her Mentalism Cultivator abilities to their limit, yet she couldn't sense Zhong Huaien's thoughts at all.

The thoughts of the teahouse clerks, the accounts keeper, and even the rickshaw driver waiting outside were all perfectly clear to her. Only Zhong Huaien remained beyond her reach.

Is Zhong Huaien not nearby? Shen Rongqing thought.

Then she sensed a thought from the robe on her body. It was faint and murky, almost impossible to grasp, but it seemed to exist.

Is this robe the one trying to kill me? This is not a robe. This is a Threadbound Cultivator! What should I do? Who can save me?

Shen Rongqing couldn't call for help. With her breath cut off, even her thoughts were beginning to blur.

She fought desperately to control her right hand, but the dagger in her grip kept inching closer to her throat.

She tried to twist the robe's thoughts instead, but her cultivation was not strong enough to overpower it.

Just as despair closed in, she suddenly felt a trace of fear coming from the robe on her body.

Is he afraid? What is he afraid of? Has someone come to save me?

The joints throughout Shen Rongqing's body suddenly loosened a little, and control slowly returned to her right hand.

Then the white robe slipped away from her body and vanished in the blink of an eye.

A moment ago, Shen Rongqing had felt insects crawling over her body, but she was not in the mood to think about it. As soon as the restraints vanished, she threw the dagger away and stood up.

She wanted to run and call for help, but before she could do either, a man appeared in front of her.

Shen Rongqing was startled and almost attacked him.

Ma Wu stepped forward and held her. "Don't be afraid. I am here."

Author's Note:

PS: My dear readers, do you still remember how Lu Yuanshan died?