In Greenwater City, at Lu Maoxian's residence.

After going through the newspapers sent from Blackstone Slope, Lu Maoxian sat in silence, leaning back in his chair without a word.

He knew something had happened at Blackstone Slope, and he had expected trouble over The Legendary Bloodspear Detective. What he hadn't expected was for it to end like this.

Tang Peigong had been gravely injured and was nearly crippled. Wu Decheng had vanished, and there was still no word of him.

The steward brought over a cup of tea, but Lu Maoxian waved him off and had it set aside.

"Go buy a ticket. I am leaving for Blackstone Slope today."

"Master, are you going alone?"

Lu Maoxian smiled. "Who else would I bring?"

"Master, there is something I am not sure I should say."

"Say it."

The steward had served him for many years, and Lu Maoxian had always treated him well.

"Master, I don't think you should go to Blackstone Slope. Given your status and reputation, and what that place has become, you shouldn't involve yourself in this."

"If I stay out of it, will it simply go away?" Lu Maoxian gave a bitter smile. "Everyone knows Blackstone Slope is my territory. Even if I want to avoid this, I can't."

"You make profit from that territory, but that doesn't mean you have to take responsibility for everything that happens there."

Lu Maoxian shook his head. "Some things have to be handled. Otherwise, some identities won't be mine to keep anymore."

The steward said nothing more.

Lu Maoxian smiled. "My trip to Blackstone Slope must remain a secret. You are reliable, so I have nothing to worry about."

"Rest assured, Master."

***

Lu Yuanhai glanced at the newspaper and laughed. "If you ask me, the newspapers from Blackstone Slope are far more interesting than ours. We should write like this too. We would definitely crush the Ling Family."

Lu Yuanshan shook his head. "Greenwater City isn't like Blackstone Slope, so nothing will feel new or surprising to them. The people at Blackstone Slope are all laborers."

"Greenwater City is full of respectable people. If we did something like that here, the Lu Family's reputation would be ruined. Still, this could be an opportunity."

As Lu Yuanshan spoke, he glanced at Monkey Qiu.

Monkey Qiu carefully flipped through the newspaper from Blackstone Slope. He had always liked their newspapers and magazines.

"Uncle Qiu, I just said this could be an opportunity," Lu Yuanshan repeated.

Monkey Qiu nodded. "It really is an opportunity. You could publish a few articles exposing the crimes the Pure Conduct Society has committed over the years. Things like what happened in Blackstone Slope. Beating an old woman, getting doused in filth, losing a fight on stage and refusing to admit defeat... write it all out."

Lu Yuanhai frowned. "That kind of thing doesn't happen often, does it?"

"It's not common, so you will have to dig for it and ask around. Even if there's only a grain of truth, write it as seven or eight parts, just like the style in these papers. Have your reporters put in more effort. Most importantly, all these cases need to tie back to granduncle."

Lu Yuanhai scratched his head. "That's going to take some effort."

Lu Yuanshan frowned. "Uncle Qiu, you mean we should tear him apart in the newspapers?"

Qiu Zhiheng paused for a moment. "Isn't that what you meant? Then what opportunity are you talking about?"

"Uncle Qiu, I think Granduncle will definitely go to Blackstone Slope, and he won't want too many people to know about it."

"So you are thinking...?"

Lu Yuanshan said, "If Granduncle goes to Blackstone Slope alone, it's a rare chance for us. We will have to settle things sooner or later, so we might as well end it now."

Lu Yuanhai was stunned. As the shock wore off, a flicker of excitement rose in his eyes. He turned to look at Qiu Zhiheng.

Qiu Zhiheng fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "That won't be suitable."

Lu Yuanshan frowned. "Why not?"

Qiu Zhiheng set the newspaper down. "Keeping a low profile doesn't mean he's unguarded. The Old Master might not go alone. He could have men hidden nearby."

Lu Yuanshan said, "Uncle Qiu, I think that's unlikely. Granduncle values his reputation too much. Blackstone Slope's name is already tarnished. His only connection to it is through business, so why would he let others find out more? Isn't he afraid of ending up in the papers?"

Qiu Zhiheng shook his head. "Drop this matter. Some things aren't worth gambling on, because we can't afford to lose."

With that, Qiu Zhiheng stood up and left.

Lu Yuanshan remained seated on the sofa.

Madam Duan Shaoxia walked down the stairs. "What were you talking about just now?"

Lu Yuanshan said nothing. Lu Yuanhai answered instead, "We were talking about Granduncle. Honestly, it's nothing."

Duan Shaoxia looked at her two sons and warned, "No matter what you are discussing, listen to Uncle Qiu. Don't make decisions on your own. Do you hear me?"

Lu Yuanhai quickly agreed. Lu Yuanshan stood up and left.

***

In the outer residence, Lu Yuanshan sat alone in his bedroom, drinking in silence. Lu Yuanhai pushed the door open and walked in.

"I thought you went somewhere. Is this really necessary? It's just a small matter. Uncle Qiu has his own plans, and he's definitely doing it for our good."

Lu Yuanshan poured him a drink. "Yuanhai, don't you think Uncle Qiu handles things a lot like someone else?"

"Like who?"

"Like our father."

"Of course," Lu Yuanhai said and took a sip of wine. "He built everything alongside our father. Back then, our dad even said that nearly a third of what he achieved was thanks to Uncle Qiu.

"They are both capable when it comes to seizing power, but when it comes to holding onto it, neither of them is any good!"

Lu Yuanhai waved his hand. "You can't just say things like that!"

"I am not wrong. Just look at Father. How many dangers has he kept by his side all these years? First it was Second Uncle, then Zhuo Yuling, and now Granduncle. Which one of them isn't ruthless?"

"Our dad knows all of this. He's been on guard the whole time."

"What's the point of just guarding against them? Has he ever acted?"

"They are family. It's not easy to make a move..."

"An enemy within the family is the hardest to guard against. You can stay on guard for a while, but not forever. This is such a good opportunity, yet Uncle Qiu refuses to act.

"To be honest, I've already confirmed it. Lu Maoxian bought a train ticket for tomorrow night. He's going to Blackstone Slope alone. If we miss this chance, we won't get another."

Lu Yuanhai looked at him and blinked. "So what are you planning to do?"

"I already said it. This has to be settled sooner or later. We might as well deal with it now."

"Just the two of us?"

"I've already made arrangements. The Lu family has plenty of capable people working for us.

"And there's someone else who wants in. Do you know who killed our Second Uncle?"

"Second Uncle is dead?" Lu Yuanhai froze. "Didn't they say he went missing?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"He's dead. He Haiqin killed him. I have already confirmed it. Back then, he poisoned He Haiqin, and now He Haiqin has taken his revenge.

"Lu Maoxian spread rumors about He Jiaqing and is now hated by He Haiqin. This time, He Haiqin plans to deal with Lu Maoxian as well."

Lu Yuanhai stood there, stunned. His own brother had done so much behind the scenes, yet he hadn't known a thing.

Lu Yuanshan let out a quiet sigh. "He Haiqin knows how to hold power. When he fell ill, the He family declined. But once he recovered, their influence rose again. With him making a move, this won't fail."

Lu Yuanhai hesitated. "Brother, it's best if you talk to Uncle Qiu about this first..."

"I already did. You saw it yourself. He doesn't dare to act. If we keep backing down like him, what will we ever accomplish?

"When Lu Maoxian comes after us in the future, what will he do then? Won't he just stand there helpless like Zuo Wugang, wringing his hands and staring?

"Yuanhai, I won't force you. I will make my move tomorrow night. When the time comes, just stay here and cover for me."

Lu Yuanhai stood up. "Brother, that's not right. This concerns both of us. How can I let you go alone? I am going with you."

***

The next night, Lu Maoxian rode in a rickshaw toward the train station.

He wore a blue cloth changshan and a beige hat, with a wicker suitcase resting beside him. He looked like a modestly well-off old man. No one would have guessed he was the Old Master of the Lu Family.

Out of concern that others would know that he was going to Blackstone Slope, Lu Maoxian did not use his own driver.

Instead, he flagged down a rickshaw by the roadside. The ride went smoothly at first. Then, halfway there, the driver suddenly veered off the main road and slipped into a narrow, shadowy alley.

Lu Maoxian frowned. "Where are you going?"

"Old sir, I am taking a shortcut."

"No need for shortcuts," Lu Maoxian said. "Go back to the main road."

"Old sir, this route really is shorter. You will arrive sooner and I will have less distance to pull. Isn't that good for both of us?"

"I will pay you more. Just don't take any shortcuts. Where exactly are you going?" Lu Maoxian continued arguing, but his hands were already prepared. He knew something had gone wrong.

"Where?" The driver let out a sharp laugh. "I am sending you to the netherworld!"

The moment the words left his mouth, he flicked his wrist. The rickshaw flipped over in a blur, crashing down and trapping Lu Maoxian beneath it.

Lu Maoxian froze. He had been ready to fight.

The driver wasn't particularly fast, and his movements weren't anything special. If Lu Maoxian had reacted a moment earlier, he could have easily jumped out. However, Lu Maoxian did not jump. In fact, he didn't even stand up.

Only after the rickshaw came crashing down and pinned him beneath it did he realize that he could not move at all.

Why couldn't he move?

Then he heard the driver speaking from outside the rickshaw.

"Old Master, I pulled you such a long way. Isn't it fair for me to let you sit a little longer?"

Because he carried me all this way, he can restrict my movement? Lu Maoxian thought. Is this a Devotion Cultivator?

Lu Maoxian was startled and tried to move his limbs. This time, he could.

He braced himself and pushed against the rickshaw pinning him down. It was incredibly heavy. Even after several attempts, it barely moved.

"My path has never been swept for guests. Today, I open my humble gate for you. " Lu Maoxian recited a line of poetry, trying to open a passage through the rickshaw.

Yet, the rickshaw showed no response.

This is a high-level spirit-bound item! Lu Maoxian thought.

Lu Maoxian pulled a brush from his robes and wrote a single word on the hood of the rickshaw.

Open!

This was the level-six ability of Literary Cultivation! A Word Worth a Thousand Gold!

It was a high-level technique, and the brush in his hand was a high-level spirit-bound item.

The moment the word was written, a red glow flared from the stroke, and cracks spread across the hood. Even so, an opening was still not created.

Lu Maoxian's nerves prickled as panic burned through him. He had no idea that going out would be even more dangerous now.

He Haiqin, Lu Yuanshan, and Lu Yuanhai stood outside the overturned rickshaw.

The driver was Tan Fucheng, a Devotion Cultivator and once a subordinate of Lu Dongliang.

He Haiqin praised, "Yuanshan, the Lu Family is full of capable people."

Lu Yuanshan smiled. "Uncle Qin, you flatter us. The matter is already taken care of. We will leave the final step to you."

He Haiqin shook his head. "I didn't do much. It was all thanks to this brother here. Besides, this old man is a member of your family. It's more appropriate for you to handle it yourselves.

"Don't worry. As long as you keep quiet, nothing about today will get out. I was involved too. I have no intention of dragging myself down with it."

Lu Yuanshan turned to look at Lu Yuanhai.

Lu Yuanhai's face went pale. "I... I can't do it..."

He Haiqin frowned. "What are you afraid of? I will be watching right here. If this old man dares to fight back, I will take care of him myself!

Lu Yuanhai said nothing.

He Haiqin sighed. "You two are still too young. If Monkey Qiu were here, this old man would already be dead."

Lu Yuanshan did not like hearing that.

Monkey Qiu doesn't even dare to show his face, so why do you even bother mentioning him? Lu Yuanshan thought and said, "Yuanhai, go keep watch at the intersection. You can at least handle that, right?"

Lu Yuanhai lowered his head and hurried off toward the street corner.

The rickshaw driver lifted a slit in the hood.

Lu Yuanshan drew his longsword. "Granduncle, rest in peace!"

Author's Note:

PS: This rickshaw driver is not the same person as the one from Medicine King Gully.