Chapter 58: Please, Not Yet
Lin Laifu remained completely frozen, his eyes wide and fixed on the spilled tea spreading slowly across the mahogany table. The sudden revelation that Lu Feng had actually replied to the extortion note, and that the sender was supposed to be present in this very establishment had drained every last drop of color from the merchant’s plump cheeks.
Before he could even finish processing the implications, a loud, thunderous voice echoed from the top of the grand spiral staircase, cutting through the ambient hum of the top-floor terrace.
"What do you mean the sky-boxes are all occupied? Do you have any idea who I am, girl?"
Lin Laifu’s body jerked at the sound. His frown, already deep, twisted into an expression of profound, agonizing dread.
Lu Feng tilted his head slightly, watching a towering, rotund figure march onto the floor. The newcomer was dressed in robes of shimmering gold and crimson silk, both were fabrics so expensive they practically screamed wealth, yet so tightly stretched over his massive belly that the seams groaned with every step.
He was adorned with more jewelry than any lady from a prestigious family that Lu Feng had come across. He wore golden rings with bulging jade stones encrusted every single one of his fat fingers, heavy pearl necklaces hung around his thick neck, and a pair of solid gold bangles clinked noisily against his wrists.
Behind the mountain of a man walked a young female servant, bowing repeatedly with a tray clasped nervously against her chest.
"M-Master Ma, please forgive us!" the servant pleaded, her voice trembling violently. "The private terrace tables are fully reserved for our honored guests this morning. I have already been assigned to serve a high-ranking party, but another worker will be with you in just a moment—"
"Assigned?" The fat man let out a booming, heavy laugh that vibrated off the silk screens enclosing the room. "Who could possibly be more important than me in this entire pavilion that you would dare make me wait, girl? Point them out! I’ll buy out their entire table right now!"
The terrified servant hesitantly raised a trembling finger, pointing directly toward the sunlit corner terrace where Lin Laifu was seated alongside Lu Feng, Han Lin, and Ye Chenxue.
The tall, obese man turned his head, his small, piggy eyes sweeping across the space until they landed square on Lin Laifu’s pasty face. Instantly, a wide, predatory grin split across the man’s fleshy cheeks, revealing a row of gold-capped teeth.
The moment their eyes met, Lin Laifu let out a long, defeated sigh. The portly merchant closed his eyes for a brief second, rubbing his temples as if a massive headache had just taken root in his skull. He turned back toward Lu Feng, leaning across the table and speaking in a hushed, rushed tone.
"Young Master Lu... please," Lin Laifu muttered under his breath, his voice laced with desperation. "Let me deal with this. Just... play along with whatever I say. I beg of you."
Before Lu Feng could even nod, heavy, booming footsteps rattled the floorboards. The golden-clad giant waddled right over to their private section, the trembling female servant trailing behind him like a frightened chick.
Without waiting for an invitation, the man reached out a massive, jewelry-laden hand and slapped Lin Laifu heavily on the shoulder. The force of the blow was so firm it nearly sent the smaller merchant face-first into his tea.
"Hahaha! Well, well, well! If it isn’t little Brother Lin!" the man bellowed like a senior brother greeting a helpless junior. "I certainly didn’t expect you to actually respond so quickly to my little messenger! And to think... you actually called yourself ’The Wolf’ in your reply! What a bold, ferocious name for a timid little fellow like you!"
Lin Laifu’s heart nearly leaped out of his mouth. ’The Wolf?!’
He stared at Lu Feng in utter, overwhelming shock. Lu Feng had actually used a ridiculous, bloodthirsty alias like ’The Wolf’ to reply to an underworld extortion letter?
In a moment of pure, desperate genius, Lin Laifu slammed his open palm against his own forehead, letting out an embarrassed groan. He forced a dry, awkward chuckle, looking up at the towering man with a performative shake of his head.
"Ah... ah, Brother Ma! You catch me at a terrible time," Lin Laifu stammered, pulling his hand down his face to hide his nervous sweat. "To be completely honest with you... I was... I was thoroughly drunk off expensive wine the night your bird arrived! When I saw your letter, my mind was foggy, so I foolishly wrote back under that ridiculous alias as a joke! You mustn’t take it to heart!"
Lu Feng sat entirely still beside the ladies, his posture relaxed and his expression utterly unreadable. He didn’t utter a single word, merely watching the theatrical performance unfold with a quiet, dangerous glint in his eyes.
Lin Laifu quickly gestured toward an empty wooden chair at the side of their space. "Come, come, Brother Ma! Since you are here, take a seat! Join us for a cup of tea!"
"Hahaha! Don’t mind if I do!" the massive man boomed, pulling the chair out and dumping his heavy frame into it with a loud creak of wood.
Once settled, the man finally turned his attention to the rest of the table. His small eyes swept past Lu Feng, but the moment they landed on Han Lin and Ye Chenxue, his gaze froze.
Han Lin’s refined, slate-blue robes highlighted her striking, elegant curves, while Ye Chenxue’s midnight-black attire and icy, ethereal aura made her look like an immortal goddess descended from the heavens.
The fat man’s eyes widened, a greasy shine appearing in his pupils as he shamelessly oogled the two women, his eyes darting back and forth between Han Lin’s polished, goddess-like beauty and Ye Chenxue’s sharp, dangerous grace.
When Lin Laifu made no immediate move to speak, the man frowned, leaning back in his chair. He let out a loud, deliberate cough, tapping his golden rings against the mahogany table to hint that an introduction was long overdue.
Lu Feng noticed the man stealing filthy, lingering glances at his companions. A dark, cold annoyance flickered in his chest, but he kept his tongue. His primary goal today was securing their new estate; he wasn’t going to let a vulgar fool ruin their schedule unless absolutely necessary.
Catching the hint, Lin Laifu quickly nodded and cleared his throat. "Ah! Forgive my manners, Brother Ma. Allow me to introduce everyone. This is Ma Guiren. Like myself, he operates in the trade business and loan banking here in Crimson Vale."
Ma Guiren puffed out his massive chest, puffing his chin up arrogantly. "Not just ’in the same line’, little Lin! Don’t forget to tell them I am your senior in this business! We both learned the trade under the very same master, but I was the one who mastered the art of profit first!"
Lu Feng offered a smooth, shallow nod, his voice calm and entirely devoid of emotion. "It is an honor, Master Ma. I am Lu Feng—a humble traveler passing through the city. This is my older sister, Han Lin, and our capable escort, Lady Ye Chenxue."
As Lu Feng finished the brief introduction, a group of young female servants arrived at the side of the table, carrying fresh trays of piping-hot morning dishes, porcelain bowls, and steaming pots of dragon-rib broth.
As one of the young servants leaned down to set a dish near Ma Guiren, the fat man’s hand shot out with disgusting familiarity, landing a heavy, loud slap directly onto the girl’s buttocks.
PA!
"Ahn!" The poor servant girl let out a sharp yelp of shock and pain, her knees buckling as she stumbled forward, nearly flipping the heavy wooden tray and its boiling contents right onto the table.
Ma Guiren sneered, barking out a harsh, contemptuous laugh as he looked down at the trembling girl. "Watch where you’re putting your clumsy hands, you worthless little servant! A low-born trash like you should be grateful a man of my stature even touches you. Next time you spill a drop, I’ll have the manager skin you alive!"
Instantly, the atmosphere at the table shifted.
Han Lin’s eyebrows shot up, a deep, disgusted frown twisting her beautiful features. Beside her, Ye Chenxue’s eyes turned into twin pools of absolute, zero-degree ice. A subtle, lethal spike of killing intent leaked from her meridians, her hands twitching as though they wanted to choke the life out of him.
Before the cold cultivator could unleash her qi and slice the fat man’s hand from his wrist, Lu Feng’s hand moved smoothly across the table, his warm palm resting gently over Ye Chenxue’s knuckles, holding her back.
He gave her a single, silent look—a clear command to hold her ground just a little longer. ’Please, not yet.’ He whispered as low as possible.
His words got to her and she calmed down, retracting her qi and giving Lu Feng a nod to show she’d heard him.