Chapter 3: The Missing Butler
Lu Xingzhou leisurely took a roasted sweet potato from the Little Daoist’s hand and slowly ate it. “Originally, seeing as we’re all fated to meet, I wouldn’t pursue the matter of you occupying my land. Living together wouldn’t be an issue… But since you’re all so eager to drive me away, then I’m sorry, but turn left outside the door, go down the slope, and that’s your place. Have a safe trip.”
Liu Yan’er angrily said, “Even if the land is yours, the house was built by us! Why should we leave?!”
“Oh?” Lu Xingzhou chuckled. “A house built on land privately occupied from someone else, do you think the current dynasty’s laws protect it?”
Everyone looked at Sheng Yuanyao, who remained expressionless.
Judging by her demeanor, the law probably did side with Lu Xingzhou, and even if they tore down their house, it would be for nothing. Liu Qingcang’s Face alternated between green and pale, and after a long while, he finally choked out, “I’ll buy it from you. Name your price.”
“Now you know why I’m staying here, don’t you?” Lu Xingzhou smiled. “Actually, I suggest Young Miss Liu change her name to Ruyan. That would elevate her style. Being more confident would be more normal.”
Liu Yan’er didn’t understand a single word and looked a bit bewildered.
Lu Xingzhou finally spoke in a human language: “So, this is my home. It’s not for sale.”
“You!”
“Cough.” Sheng Yuanyao finally spoke a fair word. “Um, even if you tear down the house, there’s nothing to say, but you can’t just occupy it as your home… Since this Commander has encountered this matter, I will mediate a bit. It’s best for everyone to negotiate.”
Lu Xingzhou gave Sheng Yuanyao a resentful look, and Sheng Yuanyao turned her head away.
No wonder they said he looked deeply at dogs.
That look gave people a feeling that their relationship was very close, and not siding with him would be very unfair to him, making one’s heart thump… But what kind of relationship do we have? I’m here to investigate your case, alright!
She didn’t know how it turned out this way. Being good-looking was really unfair.
Liu Qingcang finally said, “Commander Sheng is fair. Xingzhou, we’ll buy this land deed at double the market price. We won’t let you suffer a loss. What do you think?”
Lu Xingzhou smiled faintly. “Five times. And I want equivalent Spirit Stones, not gold or vulgar items.”
Liu Qingcang was furious. “Aren’t you going too far?!”
Lu Xingzhou said indifferently, “I hope Liu Gang Leader understands one thing… It’s you who needs this place, not me who needs the house. If it weren’t for giving Commander Sheng Face, I could just tear this down and rebuild a Daoist temple. What is there to negotiate with you?”
The Liu family father and daughter were so angry their Faces turned purple.
Actually, at five times the market price, the Danxia Gang could afford it. However, upon careful calculation, it seemed that all the money Lu Xingzhou had earned for the Danxia Gang over the past six months would be taken back, not a single cent less.
It was like going back to the time before Lu Xingzhou.
Did he calculate it? Even Sheng Yuanyao’s sudden appearance here, was that part of the plan?
A chill rose in Liu Qingcang’s heart, and he looked at the grim-faced Bai Chi again.
Now was not like starting from scratch. The Danxia Gang’s Alchemy apprentices had already been trained by Lu Xingzhou. The entire system, from picking herbs to proportioning, refining, quality inspection, and classification, was well-established. The Pill Formulas were all there, and they had Bai Chi, who was even more skilled in Alchemy than Lu Xingzhou. It would be very quick to earn the money back. It was better to really shed some blood and buy the territory to avoid a lot of trouble.
Thinking of this, Liu Qingcang decisively said, “Five times it is. Take the money and get out!”
“No hurry.” Lu Xingzhou said with a smile, “There’s also compensation I need to discuss with Liu Gang Leader.”
There was no such thing as severance pay in this world, and Liu Qingcang’s voice trembled with anger. “What other tricks do you have?”
Lu Xingzhou said leisurely, “Liu Gang Leader forcibly demolished my Daoist temple without permission to build the Gang’s base… The wood used for my Daoist temple was all top-grade, and there were also some old items within the temple that held sentimental value, whose worth is immeasurable to me…”
Liu Qingcang choked on his breath and could barely speak. The locals all knew that Daoist temple was dilapidated and worthless, but how could he prove it now? Especially the so-called old items, wasn’t it up to him to say what they were?
“Pfft…” Sheng Yuanyao managed to hold it in, but one of her subordinates, a big man, couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Burning the bridge after crossing it, this was well-deserved, and it felt quite satisfying to watch.
They also forgot that they were here to investigate Lu Xingzhou’s murder suspicion.
Lu Xingzhou said leisurely, “My demands aren’t high either… Your Gang was already called the Danxia Gang before you largely moved into this mountain because your original base was not far outside the mountain, right? Hmm… It’s adjacent to the Huo family old residence. That place isn’t big, Spiritual Qi is thin, and it’s old and in disrepair, not worth much. How about exchanging it with me?”
It’s the Huo Family again… Sheng Yuanyao’s heart stirred, and she eyed Lu Xingzhou suspiciously for a long time, but Lu Xingzhou’s expression was normal, showing nothing unusual.
………………
Liu Qingcang agreed to this compensation.
The Danxia Gang was originally a small Gang, and its original base could only accommodate a few hundred people. Moreover, it was old and in disrepair, with rotted beams, looking like it could collapse at any moment, and they had already planned to deal with it. Since they could use this to get rid of Lu Xingzhou, he saved himself a lot of trouble, and the exchange was immediately established.
Stuffing the Spirit Stones and the new land deed into his ring, the Little Daoist pushed the wheelchair, and the master and Disciple left the Danxia Gang with smiles on their Faces, under the murderous gazes of the Liu family father and daughter, leaving behind a pile of sweet potato peels.
Looking back at the expressions of the Liu family father and daughter, both looked like they were about to crack open, with smoke practically coming out of their heads.
Liu Qingcang’s voice transmission entered Lu Xingzhou’s ear: “Don’t think Sheng Yuanyao can protect you forever! I will soon let you know the consequences of today’s actions!”
Lu Xingzhou smiled slightly: “I’ll be waiting.”
The Little Daoist also turned and grinned, making a Face at them, then pushed the wheelchair and swaggered away, completely unconcerned.
From beginning to end, Lu Xingzhou didn’t even glance at Bai Chi.
Sheng Yuanyao was full of curiosity about these master and Disciple. She even felt that Lu Xingzhou’s ultimate goal was that so-called old and dilapidated residence. She really wanted to follow them and ask a few questions, but she could only restrain herself and investigate the case first.
There was really nothing to investigate in the case. Yesterday, at the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), Lu Xingzhou had indeed returned to the mountain, witnessed by countless Danxia Gang Disciples along the way. The Liu family father and daughter couldn’t have arranged it beforehand, so they couldn’t even frame him.
Sheng Yuanyao felt a bit frustrated, feeling like her visit was purely to back Lu Xingzhou, being completely taken advantage of… If she hadn’t been standing there, what good would Lu Xingzhou’s land deed be? He would have been buried in the mountain long ago. In a world of cultivation and Gang conflicts, who talks about laws?
But no matter how she looked at it, this was just a coincidence. It couldn’t have been planned by him, right?… Heaven knows when the Liu family father and daughter would come to drive him away. How could the timing be so perfectly precise?
Yet, she subconsciously felt something was wrong, especially since Lu Xingzhou asked for the Gang’s old residence, which was adjacent to the Huo Family. She just felt there was something fishy here. Sheng Yuanyao was too lazy to investigate further in the Danxia Gang. She instructed her two subordinates to continue collecting evidence and hurried down the mountain to chase Lu Xingzhou.
She chased all the way to the foot of the mountain but didn’t see anyone. Can a Little Daoist pushing a wheelchair be that fast?
Sheng Yuanyao was puzzled and tried to chase in the direction of the Danxia Gang’s original base.
Near the intersection leading to the Huo family old residence, Sheng Yuanyao’s heart suddenly leaped, and her eyes widened.
The so-called “missing” Old Butler Ho stumbled out at the intersection, his body ragged and covered in scars, with dried blood stains all over, looking gruesome and terrifying.
He rambled crazily, “It’s him, he’s back, he’s here to claim my life!”
Immediately, subordinates of the Demon Suppression Division guarding the area surrounded him and restrained him: “Who did you say came back?”
Old Butler Ho thought for a moment with a bewildered look, but then seemed unable to recall anything, and painfully clutched his forehead, struggling fiercely: “It wasn’t me, I didn’t kill you back then! Go find the Grand Tutor!”
He was completely insane.
The Demon Suppression Division subordinate rubbed his aching head and looked up, seeking help from Sheng Yuanyao, who stood frowning silently at the intersection.
Sheng Yuanyao turned and entered the house, took paper and pen, and quickly drew a lifelike portrait of Lu Xingzhou: “Is the person you said came back him?”
Old Butler Ho looked at it blankly for a long time, but only muttered, “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me…”
If the murderer really was Lu Xingzhou, this portrait would surely stimulate Old Butler Ho even more, but his reaction truly didn’t seem like it. Sheng Yuanyao had a splitting headache and could only order her subordinates: “Hold him well for now and find someone to treat him. Assign people to ask the elderly in the surrounding area what major events happened in the Huo Family years ago, and who they offended?”
Before, she thought it was an ordinary murder case, which was fine. But now it seemed to involve the Huo Family’s past, which was troublesome.
The Huo Family was not an ordinary family. Old Master Huo was the Grand Tutor of the current dynasty, and the current family head was a first-rank marquis. Could the old affairs of such an aristocratic family be casually investigated?
She had planned to solve the case before sending a letter to the capital, but now she couldn’t. Sheng Yuanyao picked up her pen and wrote a letter, instructing someone to send it to the Huo Family in the capital. Looking up at the setting sun outside the window, Lu Xingzhou’s figure still floated in her mind.
She always felt that clues to this matter could still be found on him… Even if not, she could at least have him treat Old Butler Ho’s madness, couldn’t she?
Thanks for the massive rewards, I’m ready!~
By the way, on the first day of the new book yesterday, the alliance group exploded… Alliance masters who were wandering outside, please find me, Sumu, or Mushroom to return to the group upon seeing this message.
During the new book period, it’s customary to have two chapters a day, averaging around 3K characters per chapter.