The Overlord of Puluo

Do nothing?

Shi Boyu was clearly very unsatisfied with Sun Xiao'an's answer. "The dancehall was blown up, and the Geng Family's medicinal trading house was burned down. And you're saying that we should just let it be and not do anything?"

Sun Xiao'an shook his head repeatedly. "Branch Master Shi, those two matters might not even be related."

"How could they not be? The Geng Family and Yu's Cloth Shop were at each other's throats. Nanny Butch was obviously the person who burned down the Geng Family's place. I sent people to keep watch on the Yu's Cloth Shop, and right after that, the dancehall exploded. Isn't that Nanny Butch getting revenge on us?"

Holding his water pipe, Sun Xiao'an sighed. "Branch Master Shi, I'll say it again. Nanny Butch doesn't have the ability to blow up a dancehall. You know what Du Hongxi does for a living, and yet, Nanny Butch somehow managed to kill him? Furthermore, even if she really did burn down the Geng Family's medicinal trading house, that was her personal feud with Geng Zhiwei. Now that Geng Zhiwei's dead, that grudge should be over now."

Shi Boyu looked even more displeased. "How can you say the grudge is over? The Geng Family is under the Jiangxiang Gang's protection. Someone died, and you expect us to just stand by and do nothing?"

Sun Xiao'an shook his head again. "Who says we're doing nothing? Haven't we already done enough? Out of the four supervisors in this branch, we've sent three to look into it. Haven't we shown them enough respect?

"And let's look even further back. Nanny Butch killed Rong Jin'an, and Geng Zhiwei killed more than ten of her people in return. He even went and burned down her old house in Hundred Fragrances Village. She didn't dare make a sound or show her face after that. What do you think she was afraid of? Wasn't she clearly afraid of us, the Jiangxiang Gang?

"We've already shown the Geng Family more than enough respect. Geng Zhiwei lost his life because he didn't know his limits. Who else can be blamed for what happened?"

Shi Boyu stayed silent, his expression darkening. Sun Xiao'an continued saying, "As for the dancehall incident, it might have something to do with Fatty Qin. As for what kind of relationship Fatty Qin has with Nanny Butch, we're not sure."

Shi Boyu asked, "Who exactly is this Fatty Qin?"

Sun Xiao'an packed a handful of tobacco into his water pipe and took a long drag. "I've never heard of him before, but he's with the Three Heroes Sect now. I'm not sure if you've heard of the Three Heroes Sect back in Greenwater Bay, but if this matter really involves them, we mustn't act rashly."

After a long silence, Shi Boyu said, "Let's wait for the hall master's instructions."

It was clear Shi Boyu did not agree with Sun Xiao'an. Nevertheless, Sun Xiao'an chose not to say more. He simply sat there, quietly puffing away on his pipe.

In the afternoon, the hall master sent a messenger to the branch hall.

Dressed neatly, Shi Boyu was about to step out to meet with the hall master. However, the messenger told him, "You don't have to go see the hall master. The hall master has decided to let this matter go. Don't get involved in the Geng Family's matters, and don't get involved with the Yu's Cloth Shop either. Just have Jia Quansheng take the blame, squeeze some money out of the Geng Family's aging patriarch, and rebuild the dancehall."

Shi Boyu was stunned. "That's all we're doing to settle this?"

The messenger took out a letter and handed it to him. "Branch Master Shi, this is from the hall master. He also told me to remind you to keep your mind calm and your hands quick. Steady your heart first, then settle the matters impartially. Handle the rest step by step."

***

Li Banfeng slept in his Pocket Dwelling until the afternoon. When he woke up, his bladder was about to burst. Just as he was about to step out to relieve himself, he suddenly saw Zhou Yujuan, the mistress of the dancehall, standing by his bed with a blank expression.

How is she still alive?

Li Banfeng immediately stood up and grabbed the sickle beside his pillow.

Pop… crackle… pop…

The gramophone's voice came through. "Oh, my dear husband, don't be afraid. I've already subdued this woman. From now on, she will serve you wholeheartedly."

Subdued?

"Didn't you eat her?"

"I've eaten her soul, but I left her body intact and added a bit of spirit essence to it. She can still be useful."

"Useful? How?"

Pop… crackle…

Gramophone cleared her throat. "My dear husband, bring that wretch, the Crimson Lotus, over here. Choose a fine weapon, and have the Crimson Lotus refine it with the woman's corpse. It can produce an enchanted artifact for you."

"What kind of enchanted artifact?"

"That depends on Crimson Lotus's abilities."

Combining a weapon and a corpse would produce an enchanted artifact…?

Li Banfeng scratched his head.

"What kind of weapon would work?"

"That pair of scissors from yesterday will do nicely. It's a weapon with its own spirit!"

Li Banfeng asked in surprise, "That pair of scissors can strike down enemies on its own. Isn't that already an enchanted artifact?"

The Gramophone patiently explained, "My dear husband, you may not know this, but an enchanted artifact is like a polished gemstone. It's bright and perceptive;

it's got a temperament and has situational awareness. It recognizes its master and is capable of growth. A weapon with spirit essence, on the other hand, is merely an unpolished stone. It's dull, unresponsive, and foolish, and it won't recognize its master. The two are worlds apart."

Turns out there's a huge difference between enchanted artifacts and spirit weapons.

Li Banfeng fetched the Arcane Crimson Lotus from the outer room. Its petals were open, revealing three lotus seeds inside. They were the products of his spoils from yesterday.

One had been made with Du Hongxi, a level-two Nightfiend Cultivator. When the seed cracked open, it produced four Mystic Blazing Pills.

The number of pills increased exponentially with cultivation level. If he ever killed someone at the ninth level, wouldn't that yield five hundred and twelve Mystic Blazing Pills?

A single Mystic Blazing Pill could grant ten days' worth of cultivation. Five hundred and twelve of them meant more than five thousand days' worth. That was enough to raise his cultivation level by one and a half levels in one go.

What am I thinking?

Kill a level-nine cultivator?

Is a level-nine cultivator that easy to kill?

The remaining two lotus seeds burst one after another, each producing two Mystic Blazing Pills. In total, Li Banfeng now had twenty-four Mystic Blazing Pills.

He'd been saving these cultivation pills little by little, and it was going pretty well so far. Including the one Purple Radiance Pill he had, Li Banfeng had acquired the equivalent of nine months' worth of cultivation time. At this rate, a full year's progress would soon be within reach.

Of course, if he could sell them, cash out, and return to the Outer Provinces, that would be perfect.

After storing the pills in a cloth pouch, Li Banfeng placed the Arcane Crimson Lotus beside Zhou Yujuan's corpse. Then he set the bloodstained scissors next to the corpse.

The Arcane Crimson Lotus responded immediately, absorbing Zhou Yujuan's body but ignoring the scissors.

Clang!

The Gramophone let out a startled cry. "Oh, my dear husband, stop the Crimson Lotus, that shameless wretch! She's taking the easy way out, refining only the corpse. In a moment, she'll turn it into just two Mystic Blazing Pills. That's hardly useful at all!"

Stop the Arcane Crimson Lotus?

As if that were possible.

The petals had already closed, and Li Banfeng had no idea how to pry them open.

The Gramophone roared furiously, "That wretch doesn't know her place! Don't be afraid, my dear husband! I will teach her a lesson on the household rules. Watch me give her a good beating!"

The moment the Arcane Crimson Lotus heard the word "beating," it flared up in anger. Dewdrops flew off its petals like tiny dancing blades, keeping Li Banfeng from getting close.

The Gramophone roared in rage. "Oh, my dear husband, look at how spoiled she's become under your care. She doesn't even respect you anymore! Let me discipline her properly!"

Curls of steam rolled out from the Gramophone, heating the Arcane Crimson Lotus until it glowed red-hot.

The Arcane Crimson Lotus sprayed jets of dew that struck the Gramophone's horns with metallic clangs.

"Oh, this savage, insolent wench!" the Gramophone roared. "My dear husband, help me!"

"All right!" Li Banfeng replied. Then he bolted to the outer room.

The Gramophone screamed hoarsely, "My husband! Where are you going? My husband, how could you abandon me?!"

Li Banfeng shut the door, lit a candle, and calmly sat at the table, flipping through a newspaper.

Domestic matters were all about interpersonal relationships, not fighting and killing. Once the Gramophone and the Arcane Crimson Lotus both cooled off, he would sit them down for a proper talk.

An hour passed with no more sounds of activity from the main room, so Li Banfeng cautiously went back there.

The steam still lingered in the air, and the Arcane Crimson Lotus had yet to cool.

The Gramophone whimpered softly, "The flowers fall and scatter across the sky,

Their fragrance is gone;

who pities their plight?

Floating threads drift past the spring pavilion,

Fallen petals cling lightly to the embroidered curtains."

"The Burial of Flowers" was one of the most sorrowful songs of Puluo.

"My dear wife, there's no need to be so pitiful, is there?"

The Gramophone sobbed, "My dear husband, you are so heartless. That insolent wench was arrogant beyond measure, yet when I stepped in to enforce the household rules for you, you didn't even lend a hand."

She spoke as though she had suffered a grave injustice.