Chapter 61: Big Sister Su Rong
The silence that followed the soothing voice was thick enough to cut with a blade. Every eye on the top-floor terrace was glued to the far end of the pavilion, waiting to see the figure behind the commanding presence.
When she finally stepped out from behind the woven silk curtains, a collective shift in atmosphere swept through the room. Judging by the weight of authority and age laced throughout her voice, one would have expected an elderly grandmaster or a weathered matron.
Yet, the woman walking toward them possessed the visage of a striking middle-aged lady, her timeless features radiating a mature, captivating grace. Her silken robes flowed behind her like red liquid, and a gentle, welcoming smile rested on her lips.
However, as her dark, discerning eyes swept across the room, Lu Feng’s mismatched eyes narrowed slightly. Beneath that warm, friendly facade, he could clearly sense a deep, slumbering current of power—a cold certainty that this woman was more than capable of ruthless violence if the boundaries of her pavilion were crossed.
Lin Laifu was the very first to break the stillness. Pushing his sweaty brow up, the portly merchant bowed deeply, his voice dripping with utmost deference.
"Big Sister Su!" Lin Laifu welcomed her warmly, gesturing toward the head of the mahogany table. "Please, what an honor it is for you to grace us with your presence. Won’t you join us for a seat?"
The woman tilted her head slightly, accepting the gesture with a soft nod before gliding over to sit gracefully at the table.
Before Ma Guiren could even wipe the blood from his swollen mouth or utter a single word of complaint, Lin Laifu seized the initiative. In a rapid, precise flood of words, Lin Laifu laid out the entire sequence of events—from Ma Guiren’s vulgar comments regarding Han Lin and Ye Chenxue, to his aggressive demands for kowtows, and finally his guards drawing steel on the top floor.
Toward the end of his detailed explanation, Lin Laifu shook his head with a heavy, performative sigh, taking the perfect opportunity to vent his own long-suppressed frustration toward his domineering senior.
"Honestly, Big Sister Su, all of this chaotic mess could have easily been avoided if Brother Ma had simply kept his mouth shut and acted with a shred of restraint," Lin Laifu said, letting out a sharp, disappointed scoff. "It’s this exact same reckless, hot-blooded spirit that made Master send him off earlier than intended back during our training days, yet he still hasn’t learned his lesson."
Ma Guiren’s fleshy face instantly flushed a violent, dark red with pure fury. His vein bulged against his temple as he glared daggers at Lin Laifu, but with Big Sister Su sitting right beside them, he squeezed his fat fists tightly and forced himself to swallow his rage, not daring to bark back.
Big Sister Su didn’t immediately take a side. Sitting calmly at the head of the table, she turned her sharp, dignified gaze toward Ma Guiren, her voice soft yet carrying a heavy weight.
"Is what Lin Laifu stated the truth, Junior Brother Ma?" she asked simply.
Ma Guiren shifted uncomfortably in his seat, staring down at his gold-ringed fingers. The sheer evidence was laid bare in front of every worker and guest on the floor. Knowing better than to lie directly to her face, he could only let out a low, bitter hum and nod, unable to deny a single detail.
Big Sister Su then turned her dark eyes toward the other side of the table, looking past the shattered porcelain on the floor to meet the gaze of Lu Feng, Han Lin, and Ye Chenxue. "And what of you three?" she inquired gently.
Without uttering a single word, Lu Feng, Han Lin, and Ye Chenxue simultaneously offered a subtle, unified nod, silently confirming that Lin Laifu’s account was entirely accurate.
Seeing the matter settled, Lin Laifu quickly cleared his throat, bowing slightly toward Big Sister Su to repair the breach in etiquette.
"Forgive my lack of manners, Big Sister Su. Allow me to properly introduce everyone," Lin Laifu said, turning first to Lu Feng and the ladies. "Young Master Lu, this is Big Sister Su Rong, the esteemed owner of the Grand Crimson Pavilion. She is actually our senior sister from the very same master who taught Ma Guiren and myself the trade. Although she chose to establish this pavilion upon graduating under our master rather than purely pursuing the same path, she still holds vast commercial investments across the city and even outside it."
Lin Laifu leaned in slightly, his voice dropping a fraction as he added the most vital detail. "And, she happens to be the younger sister of the City Lord himself."
The moment the words left Lin Laifu’s mouth, the entire situation clicked into place for Lu Feng. A wave of clarity washed over his mind; he now fully understood why Ma Guiren—a man who acted so arrogant and untouchable moments ago—had shrunk back in utter terror the second her voice echoed across the terrace.
With the City Lord as her direct blood relative, she could effortlessly dismantle Ma Guiren’s entire commercial empire with a single stroke of a brush. Combined with her status as his senior sister, Ma Guiren had no choice but to bow his head in absolute obedience.
Lin Laifu then smoothly turned to Big Sister Su, gesturing toward Lu Feng’s group while using the exact same cautious introduction Lu Feng had provided earlier. "Big Sister Su, this is Young Master Lu Feng—a humble traveler currently passing through Crimson Vale—along with his older sister, Lady Han Lin, and their capable escort, Lady Ye Chenxue."
Big Sister Su’s smile widened, her eyes lingering briefly on the striking beauty of the two women and the calm, unbothered posture of Lu Feng.
"A humble traveler, you say?" Big Sister Su chuckled softly, her tone pleasantly light. "It is truly an honor to meet such remarkable young people."
Reaching across the mahogany surface, she picked up the tea kettle and personally poured a fresh cup of warm, spirit-infused tea for everyone present at the table, including the bruised and silent Ma Guiren.
She raised her own porcelain cup high, her gaze sweeping across the entire table.
"Since the truth has been spoken and words have been exchanged, let us consider this unpleasant matter completely resolved within my walls," Big Sister Su stated calmly, her voice carrying a subtle, unbreakable edge.
As she spoke, her gaze drifted directly to Ma Guiren, who was sitting right beside her. Without breaking her refined composure, she reached out her slender hand and pinched his fat, bruised ear, twisting it firmly with enough force to make his body tilt sideways.
"Especially you, Junior Brother Ma," Big Sister Su added, her tone dangerously sweet as she held his ear tight. "If this grudge resurfaces or spills out into violence anywhere outside of this pavilion today, I will personally see to it that those involved are punished accordingly. Do I make myself clear?"
Ma Guiren winced from the pain, nodding frantically as he squeezed his eyes shut. "Clear, Big Sister Su! Crystal clear!"
When she finally released his ear, Ma Guiren quickly rubbed the reddened flesh, forcing a awkward, painful grin onto his face to save whatever dignity he had left. "Besides, Big Sister Su knows me well! A man like me has a big stomach, and my stomach is certainly big enough to swallow such small matters without a single problem! Hahaha!"
Hearing his desperate attempt to play it off, Big Sister Su let out a light laugh. "Good. That is what I like to hear."
Every person at the table raised their cup. Even Ma Guiren lifted his glass and drained it in a single gulp alongside the others, sealing the truce under her absolute authority.
Setting her cup back down with a delicate click, Big Sister Su smoothed down her red silk robes and stood up from the table. "Enjoy the rest of your morning meal," she said with a graceful bow, turning on her heel to take her leave.
She took three slow, deliberate steps away from their private terrace, her red robes whispering against the wooden floorboards. But just as she reached the edge of the silk curtain, her footsteps paused.
Slowly, she turned her head back over her shoulder, her sharp, knowing eyes locking directly onto Lu Feng.
The warm, polite smile on her face faded slightly, replaced by a look of deep, ancient familiarity that caught Lu Feng completely off guard.
"Tell me, Young Master Lu," Big Sister Su asked softly, her voice carrying a tone he never could have anticipated from a powerful figure in Crimson Vale. "How is Lu Ruoxi faring these days?"
Lu Feng froze in his seat, his breath catching in his throat as his mismatched eyes widened in sheer and unfiltered shock.
She knew his aunt!