Chapter 39: Decision
Lu Changfeng looked around and saw he wasn’t far from the shore.
Wang Yue was squatting on the shore, soaking wet. Was she crying?
"Hey! Sixth Miss!" Lu Changfeng waved!
The figure on the shore froze, then beamed with joy. "Retainer Lu, you’re okay!?"
Lu Changfeng smoothed back his drenched hair. "What could have happened? The view at the bottom of the lake is great. I just went for a longer swim."
"I stabbed that big fish with my sword, and it dropped me and ran off," Lu Changfeng added as an explanation.
Lu Changfeng swam toward the shore.
Wang Yue realized her tear-streaked face might have given something away. "You jerk! You had me worried! You were down there for so long, I thought you were dead!"
With that, she huffily turned, mounted her horse, and rode away.
Baffled, Lu Changfeng climbed ashore, and only then was the wound on his waist revealed.
A row of fine teeth marks. If it had been an ordinary person, the strange fish would have likely bitten them in two and swallowed them whole.
Lu Changfeng mounted his horse, entered the Inner City, and found a clinic to treat his wound.
Lu Changfeng’s constitution was outstanding. After applying a bit of anti-inflammatory powder, the wound began to heal rapidly.
By the time he returned to the Retainer Hall, the wound had already started to scab over.
「Afternoon.」
He took a hot bath at home and changed into a new, clean, purple Retainer Robe.
The Wang Family was extremely generous. They provided more than ten sets of Retainer Robes each year, all made from the finest silk.
They were comfortable to wear.
Lu Changfeng moved a lounge chair next to Zhao Xingtian and lay down to sunbathe with him.
At the same time, he reviewed the morning’s events.
Zhao Xingtian glanced at the returning Lu Changfeng but didn’t notice anything unusual about him.
Lu Changfeng mentally reviewed the situation.
He guessed that the giant fish must have bitten him, causing his blood to spread in the lake, which in turn allowed the "Giant Elephant Woman" to sense him.
The reason she’d noticed him was likely because he cultivated the Fengtian Forging Body Saber Skill, which had changed his body to a certain extent.
’Is she looking for a successor?’
’Or is she looking for a substitute?’
Lu Changfeng thought of the small saber mark that had flashed on his forehead, and a sense of unease grew in his heart.
But Lu Changfeng quickly came to terms with it. Since it was completely irresistible, he could only take things one step at a time.
The Fengtian Saber Technique, which circulated among the major families of Feng City, was most likely the woman’s way of casting a wide net.
’When I have some free time, I’ll have to look up more information about this Saber Technique,’ Lu Changfeng thought.
As it stood, Lu Changfeng had received a Martial Arts inheritance. The Martial Arts he’d inherited was no weaker than that of Zhao Xingtian, the Young Sect Leader—in fact, it might even be superior.
Things were looking pretty good.
’If only I could copy that woman’s Root Bone and Talent...’
Lu Changfeng thought of the Giant Elephant Woman’s Root Bone and Talent, and couldn’t help but drool inwardly.
After soaking up some sun, Lu Changfeng prepared to continue his practice of the Fengtian Forging Body Saber Skill.
Suddenly, he remembered that his pig-iron great saber was at the bottom of the lake.
Lu Changfeng sent Hei Niu to the weaponsmith they used before to have another one forged in the same style.
Hei Niu returned quickly and informed Lu Changfeng that it would be ready for pickup in three days.
’Great. Now I can’t cultivate for three days.’
Lu Changfeng wasn’t one to sit idle, so he made another trip to the Retainer Collection Pavilion and copied the Long-Armed Great Ape Fist and the Blood-Drinking Frenzy Saber, which he had his eye on before.
As for improving his Storm Sword Intent, Cultivation Techniques at the Blood Forging Realm had limited effect. Moreover, condensing other Basic Sword Intents was inferior to specializing in just one.
’The Sword Intent you create yourself is the one that suits you best.’
Once he reached the Tendon Transformation Realm and came into contact with Swordsmanship of that level, Lu Changfeng would begin working on improving his Storm Sword Intent.
However, that was destined to be a long process.
...
「On the second day of waiting for the great saber.」
Lu Changfeng was in his courtyard, practicing the Blood-Drinking Frenzy Saber.
The Retainer Hall’s Steward Wang Jin sent someone to summon Lu Changfeng for a Retainer mission.
’It seems that going out alone with Wang Yue yesterday didn’t count as a Retainer mission,’ Lu Changfeng thought.
The Wang Family wouldn’t work a Retainer so frequently otherwise.
Lu Changfeng hurried to the Retainer Hall’s office.
Several other Retainers were already waiting there.
Wang Jin told Lu Changfeng to wait a moment.
Before long, five Blood Forging Realm Retainers and one Tendon Transformation Realm Retainer had gathered in the office.
Among them was a familiar face, Liu Anx.
The Tendon Transformation Retainer was an unremarkable old man named Liu Li, with a B Class+ Root Bone and zero Talent.
However, this old man Liu Li was usually extremely arrogant and unpopular. Most Retainers were unwilling to work with him.
Once all the notified Retainers had arrived, Wang Jin began to announce the mission. "This mission is extremely simple: annihilate a small family in the Inner City."
"This family was founded only a few decades ago and has three Blood Forging Fifth Layer Retainers."
"The family’s name is the Liuu Family, and their current Patriarch is Liuu Kui!"
Lu Changfeng’s mind reeled at his words.
Luu Family! Liuu Kui!
The family of Third Senior Brother, Liuu Ye.
Lu Changfeng didn’t consider himself a good person, but he couldn’t bring himself to strike down his former sect brothers.
Lu Changfeng’s mind raced. If he told Wang Jin right now that he wouldn’t participate in this mission, Wang Jin would surely agree. But if the Liuu Family managed to escape afterward, the Wang Family would definitely become suspicious.
At that point, Lu Changfeng might find himself targeted by the Wang Family.
After all, the Wang Family’s power was absolute in Feng City. If they wanted to destroy the Liuu Family, they must have already made thorough arrangements.
If Lu Changfeng didn’t refuse the mission, he could probably manage to let one or two Liuu Family members slip away during the operation.
However, the Liuu Family would still suffer heavy casualties. If his luck was bad, Liuu Ye might even die in the annihilation.
Lu Changfeng closed his eyes and thought.
He was a decisive person.
He quickly made a decision.
"Steward Wang, yesterday at Fengtian Lake, the Sixth Miss and I encountered the ’Lake God.’ We fought a difficult battle, and I’m quite exhausted."
"So as not to compromise the operation, I won’t be participating in this mission."
Wang Jin frowned slightly but still said, "In that case, Retainer Lu, you should go back and rest. I will arrange for another Retainer to take your place."
"My apologies," Lu Changfeng said, then turned and left.
Returning to his small courtyard, Lu Changfeng took off his Retainer Robe and changed into a special set of everyday clothes. The outfit had a built-in mask that could be pulled up to cover his face.
"What’s gotten into you?" Zhao Xingtian, who was still sunbathing, noticed and asked curiously.
Lu Changfeng replied, "I’m going to do what needs to be done."
Lu Changfeng strode away...
「Feng City.」
That afternoon, at the Liuu Family residence.
After finishing lunch, Liuu Kui was in the rear garden, brewing and drinking tea.
A steward brought him the account books. Liuu Kui went over them one by one, cross-checking the figures. Being hands-on with everything was the foundation upon which he’d built his family.
The accounts looked very good.
The Liuu Family was developing soundly.
Since absorbing the Liu Family last year, the Liuu Family had successively absorbed two other families.
The Liuu Family’s financial strength had soared, and they could now afford to hire three Blood Forging Fifth Layer Retainers.
One of those Retainers had extraordinary potential. If they could help him succeed in his Tendon Transformation, the family would gain a Tendon Transformation Retainer. Then, the Liuu Family could truly enter the ranks of Feng City’s third-tier families.
At the thought of such a scene, the corners of Liuu Kui’s mouth couldn’t help but curl up slightly.