Cup after Cup

From forgetting his enmity with Xiu to Lu Gaosheng's promotion, and now another Bai Fang has arrived, there are enough people to form a mahjong table.

Zhang San didn't know what had gone wrong in his life, but reality had left him somewhat numb.

Bai Fang's eyes were calm and steady.

Zhang San looked directly at the woman for the first time.

Beautiful, without a doubt beautiful.

Time had left no mark on her. Her white clothes matched her beauty perfectly, as if that color existed solely for her.

Yet for all her beauty, she was not at all fragile. Her eyes were calm, her tone flat - not because she was about to die and thus detached, but because she was intrinsically steadfast.

No wonder she had Ming Qing and Lu Gaosheng so infatuated.

Zhang San thought to himself.

Then he walked over to Bai Fang and asked as he approached, "If your life could save ten thousand others, would you sacrifice it?"

In asking Bai Fang, Zhang San was also asking himself.

His master had said that the code of righteous sects was not to kill women and children, even for gangsters.

But facing someone like Lu Gaosheng, he had to show that he would kill Bai Fang without hesitation if Lu Gaosheng did not submit.

Just as Lu Gaosheng had told Zhang San that night: if you do not agree, please kill me immediately.

Lu Gaosheng hadn't been joking then. He meant it. Now the situation was reversed and Zhang San naturally had to act the same.

Hearing Zhang San's question, Bai Fang found it very amusing.

Bai Fang was about to answer,

When Zhang San pointed at her neck and said, "Impressive."

He picked Bai Fang up and checked her pulse in passing.

Perhaps only a ghost doctor could surpass Zhang San's medical skills. He had just used pure internal energy to seal Bai Fang's sleep acupoint, minimizing harm to her body while putting her in a state of deep sleep.

Yet after checking her pulse, Zhang San murmured, "Even in this state her pulse is so chaotic... at best she has half a month, at worst half a year left... she will certainly die."

But what could be done about it?

"Cough cough!"

Just as Zhang San was about to take Bai Fang away, he coughed violently, with traces of blood.

His own injuries were still unhealed. After rushing back to Tian Ruo City yesterday and searching all night, he had realized early this morning that perhaps the most dangerous place was the safest. Only then did he remember Ming Manor.

Even a master's internal power was not limitless, let alone his - he had just broken through the day before.

"Nevermind, I need to secretly settle Bai Fang somewhere safe first, everything else can wait," Zhang San muttered as he wiped the blood from his mouth.

He could hardly negotiate with Lu Gaosheng with Bai Fang slung over his shoulder.

Looking Bai Fang over, Zhang San thought to find something unique as proof she was his captive. Finally his gaze settled on the hair ornament in her hair.

On closer inspection, the hairpin was very crudely made, unlike a skilled craftsman's work - more like someone with no experience had slowly carved it from a piece of wood.

It seemed to depict a kind of flower called white magnolia.

Zhang San pocketed the wooden hairpin and carried Bai Fang away, passing by the unconscious Ming Qing. A invitation card peeking out of Ming Qing's sleeve caught his eye.

She must have dropped it when she fainted.

Why would Ming Qing be carrying an invitation card?

On impulse Zhang San picked it up and opened it. Though it looked like an ordinary invitation, recalling Lu Gaosheng's personality, Zhang San thought uneasily: this looks like... a trap. Could Lu Gaosheng know I've returned?

But that was highly unlikely. Lu Gaosheng must have counted on me playing it safe and not coming back so soon.

Moreover, something else about Ming Qing's invitation struck Zhang San as odd.

Why did it specify she should enter through the back door?

What banquet made guests enter through the back instead of the front gate?

Zhang San became certain this was a scheme.

So who was the next unfortunate soul Lu Gaosheng planned to plot against?

...

...

Outside the manor gates was an extraordinary bustle today.

An endless stream of people filed through the red carpet at the entrance.

One batch of merchants and nobles after another entered the scene, but oddly enough, though such banquets usually did not limit how many family members an invitee could bring, the invitations stated that only those named could enter this time.

So while some came alone, others brought sons or fathers - rather peculiar, though the sheer number of guests remained impressive nonetheless.

The ushers would also loudly announce each arrival's name, what gift they brought, a display of the guest's respect and means to add to the banquet's prestige.

The interior halls overflowed with fragrant foods and vintage wines, utterly indulging the nobles - after all, ordinary people would not be invited here.

These nobles did not make friends so much as connections. Their goal was common interest.

Naturally, those who could bring the greatest benefits would receive the most toasts. Unfortunately the host Lu Qingming sat at the head table and barred anyone from approaching, much to the dignitaries chagrin.

After all, what could establish one's fortune in Tian Ruo Prefecture more easily than currying favor with Master Lu?

And so, next to attract the crowd's admiration were Li Xing and the newly appointed garrison commander Wolf, just announced by Lu Qingming.

Little needed to be said about Li Xing. The merchants and nobles all knew he was Lu Qingming's right hand man, his true confidante. As for the oddly named, oddly cold commander Wolf - he resembled an assassin more than a commander. That Lu Qingming would publicly appoint him showed he too was an important figure.

If they could not drink with the prefect lord, they would at least befriend these two hands of his!

Cups and plates crossed.

Li Xing and Commander Wolf stood in their finery, surrounded by a crowd toasting them.

Li Xing felt extremely vexed. In the past, it was Lu Gaosheng working the crowds while he guarded the rear - when had their roles reversed? How was this harder?

Because Li Xing recognized everyone here.

To sum it up in one phrase: not a good person among them.

If Lu Qingming ordered him to slaughter them, he would happily accept and kill his way through them. But exchanging pleasantries like this pained him.

Commander Wolf felt even worse.

I want to kill them so badly!

Not that he cared about good or bad. His murderous impulse came from cultivating an extremely bloodthirsty art. Even idle, he constantly felt the drive to kill.

Usually he could restrain it through willpower, but now, surrounded by so many people, his irritation immediately roused his killing intent.

Seated alone at the head table, Lu Qingming watched Li Xing and Commander Wolf with amusement. But their suffering was part of the plan, so they would have to bear it a while longer.

He took a sip of wine by his side as beautiful women entered dancing gracefully.

The manor was a vision of revelry and song.

Lu Qingming smiled upon the lively scene of singing, dancing, and wine toasts.

Yet deep in his eyes lurked a brutality.

That one had beaten three peasant families to take their fields.

That one allowed his own son to abduct village girls unchecked.

That one began as a bandit, robbing and murdering ceaselessly.

Case by case, memory after memory rose in Lu Qingming's mind from Lu Gaosheng's recollections.

Those people were useful to Lu Gaosheng or submitted to him, so he ignored them. They paid what was due every year, which was enough.

But Lu Qingming looked at these people, his smile becoming deeper and deeper...

In the past, I believed in the law.

The empty eighteen levels of hell should rely on the law to send them down.

Later, from another "me", I learned a "faster and more direct" way. Before I leave, I have to take these people with me. After all, I owe the common people too much.

Although killing can't completely solve the problem.

But killing can solve quite a few problems.

Glancing at the sky outside, Lu Qingming thought that the time was about right. Liu Hu must have already arrived, as for Zhang San... that remains unknown.

However, for top masters like Liu Hu and Zhang San who are set on hiding among the crowds, trying to sniff them out would be extremely difficult.

"Alright! Withdraw first."

Lu Qingming raised the wine glass high as he stood up.

The hall instantly quieted down, because "Lord Lu" hates being disturbed while he is speaking. Naturally, the famous upper-class members of the Tian Ruo Prefecture all knew this.

The dancing girls and servants all slowly left the hall.

Only after the guests were left inside did Lu Qingming slowly raise his wine glass.

A smile lingered at the corners of his mouth as he looked at the people below, laughing, "Over this past year, Lu has received no small amount of help from those present, and your deeds - I know them clear as day."

Help? What kind of help was that? Everyone present knew very clearly. The funds Lu Gaosheng had used to compete for the position of Prefect, a portion had also come from them.

At this, the people present immediately laughed. Some even called out loudly, "To be able to serve Lord Lu is a blessing spanning three lifetimes!"

Lu Qingming smiled as he acknowledged this. Raising his wine glass, seemingly to celebrate, he then slowly said, "And so now, I pronounce that all who are present..."

"Are sentenced to death."