Chapter 116: Misfortune Turns to Blessing

「The moonlight~ is so faint and blurry.

The earth~ is shrouded in the foggy night.

The one who visits my dreams...

My dear~ where are you? 」

The gramophone in the living room was still playing "Dream Lover.".

Both of them were gone. Lu Dongliang had vanished, and so had He Yuxiu.

Lu Dongjun looked at Zhuo Yuling. "Where did he go? What ability was that?"

Zhuo Yuling looked stunned as she muttered to herself, "He Jiaqing... He Jiaqing's ability... He Jiaqing is a Wanderlust Cultivator."

Lu Dongjun couldn't care less about He Jiaqing's cultivation path. At this moment, his panic was written all over his face. His eyebrows shot up so high they nearly escaped his forehead, and his voice bounced out of him in uneven squeaks. "Lu Dongliang is still alive!"

He shot Zhuo Yuling a furious glare and yelled, "He will never spare us! I never should have trusted you!"

At this moment, Large Support Hook Zuo Wugang was leading Lu Xiaolan downstairs with a few guards moving in behind them.

They didn't see Lu Dongliang anywhere. Only Zhuo Yuling and Lu Dongjun stood there, having appeared at some point.

Auntie Wu returned with the teapot. Something in her eyes suggested she had seen too much.

Lu Dongjun stared at her and lightly crossed his fingers, causing her head to snap off and drop to the floor on the spot.

The two attendants who had come with He Yuxiu had also witnessed everything.

From several meters away, Lu Dongjun made a small sweeping motion at their necks, and both of their heads fell.

When dealing with low-level cultivators like them, Lu Dongjun did not even need to move in close. To ordinary people, the deaths of these three seemed to have nothing to do with him.

However, to the guards who had just come downstairs, the connection was clear.

This was especially true for Large Support Hook Zuo Wugang. He was a level-six cultivator and could sense Lu Dongjun's movements. It was not like Lu Dongjun made any attempt to hide it.

Pointing at Auntie Wu's corpse, he shouted, "She's on He Yuxiu's side! He Yuxiu injured my elder brother. I am going to find him now, so make sure the residence is absolutely guarded!"

With that, Lu Dongjun rushed out of the house.

Everything he just said was true. He was going to search for his elder brother, and the moment he found Lu Dongliang, he would kill him.

The only reason Lu Dongjun had ordered the guards to keep the house secured was so that they wouldn't run around and find Lu Dongliang before he did.

Lu Dongjun had arranged things in the way that suited him best, but it put Zhuo Yuling at a disadvantage. If the guards didn't leave, how was she supposed to rescue Lu Xiaolan?

Zhuo Yuling was a level-five cultivator, and Daboinsky, lurking in the shadows, was level five as well. Lu Xiaolan, on the other hand, was only level three. As a Spycraft Cultivator, she had no real skill in battle, and all of her enchanted artifacts had been confiscated by Lu Dongliang.

What should I do?

Zhuo Yuling thought. With the situation growing more urgent by the second, an idea struck her. She suddenly shouted, "Go check on Madam and the young master!"

The guards froze for a long moment, still unsure of what to do.

Ever since they joined the Lu Family, they had only followed the orders of Lu Dongliang and Qiu Zhiheng. But tonight, something completely unexpected had happened.

Qiu Zhiheng was absent, Lu Dongliang's whereabouts were unknown, Lu Dongjun had given orders, and now Zhuo Yuling was giving orders too.

Who were they supposed to obey?

Zhuo Yuling shouted once more, "Move! He Yuxiu has come with her people to attack us!"

Large Support Hook Zuo Wugang snapped out of it and shouted to his men, "Go! Head upstairs and check on Madam. You two, check on the young master. You two, check on the second young lady..."

Zuo Wugang gave out the orders clearly. Most of the guards were sent away, leaving only three to watch over Lu Xiaolan.

However, Zuo Wugang didn't leave. He was the troublesome one, a level-six Martial Cultivator who wouldn't be easy to handle.

Zhuo Yuling was searching for the right opening to strike when a guard dashed over in a panic, shouting, "Boss Zuo, something's wrong! Miss Chunying and Madam Yeci have both disappeared!"

"Damn it! That fucking He Family!" Zuo Wugang stomped his foot and hurried upstairs.

If it were just Madam Yeci, he could look the other way since Lu Dongliang did not care about her. But since Lu Chunying had disappeared as well, he had to do something. Lu Dongliang had specifically ordered the guards to watch over her more closely.

There was only one guard next to Lu Xiaolan. At this point, Zhuo Yuling didn't hesitate anymore as she suddenly lifted her long skirt in one sharp motion and twisted her waist.

A long tail snapped out from her waist and pierced right through the guard's throat.

The guard collapsed instantly, still clinging to life by a thread.

Zhuo Yuling twisted her waist again, and the long tail drove through the top of the guard's skull.

Lu Xiaolan was bound by chain after chain, but Zhuo Yuling couldn't be bothered to unlock them and quickly dragged her out of the house at once.

By the time Zuo Wugang rushed back, nothing remained but the guard's corpse on the floor.

"Damn it, what happened this time?" Zuo Wugang cursed, and his eyes went bloodshot.

As the guards, they had already lost Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying. And now, they had lost Zhuo Yuling and Lu Xiaolan as well.

When Master Lu comes back, won't he flay me alive?

Zuo Wugang thought.

He finally came to his senses and shouted, "Quick! Quick! Get Chief Steward Qiu here!"

He knew that only Qiu Zhiheng could handle this matter.

***

He Jiaqing had just lain back on the hospital bed and stretched lazily when a voice spoke beside his ear. "Where do you think Lu Dongliang will go?"

"There is no way to tell," He Jiaqing whispered. "I doubt he even knows where he will end up. This caught him off guard, and he definitely didn't prepare any location markers beforehand."

"I am worried he won't die. Level-nine cultivators don't die easily."

"I have a feeling he will die. I just can't see how it happens," He Jiaqing said with a confident smile. "Just wait, and you will see his corpse. The power dynamic in Puluo is about to change, and you will be the one in the headlines."

***

At that moment, Lu Dongliang was soaring through the sky.

He did not travel far because his injuries were severe, and he had little strength when he launched himself.

He had no idea where he would land. Every time he used A Parting Across Ten Thousand Miles, he would lose his sense of direction.

If he had set a location marker beforehand, he could have pushed He Yuxiu to a designated location or sent himself to one as well. However, he simply had no chance to do so at the time.

At this moment, he couldn't use any of his other abilities as level-nine abilities consumed a great deal of energy.

Lu Dongliang was gravely wounded and barely alive, so he could only use the level-one ability Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity to guide himself toward the most advantageous direction.

Lu Dongliang flew south. He could sense that the south was the right way to go. There was someone in the south who could save him.

He reached the outskirts of Greenwater City and lost all control as he landed, plunging headfirst into a mud-filled ditch.

Oh no! I can't breathe! I am going to choke to death in this muddy ditch!

This was Lu Dongliang, a level-nine Wanderlust Cultivator.

This was the man who led the richest family in Puluo and remained one of the top experts in all of Puluo. And now, because of his severe injuries, he was buried face-first in foul mud and completely stuck.

I thought I sensed that someone in the south would save me? Me? A level-nine Wanderlust Cultivator dying in this mud? Anyone there? Who can save me? Who...

Mud kept flooding into his nose and mouth.

Lu Dongliang, already dangerously weak, was losing consciousness.

Who would be here to save him though?

***

A certain someone walked up to the muddy ditch and saw a man plunged headfirst into the mud with his feet still kicking.

It was Li Banfeng. He had just escaped from Greenwater City and was hurrying back to Blue Poplar Village when he stumbled upon this bizarre sight on the road.

Li Banfeng reached down and casually pulled Lu Dongliang out of the mud.

Li Banfeng, being someone who would often read the newspaper, should have been able to recognize Lu Dongliang. However, his entire face was now smeared with mud, and it was impossible to see his facial features.

Li Banfeng wiped the mud from his mouth and nose and noticed the bloody hole in his forehead. For a moment, he thought about dumping him by the roadside and letting fate decide whether he lived or died.

To his surprise, Lu Dongliang suddenly grabbed his leg and begged, "Save me, please. They want to kill me. Save me..."

Lu Dongliang was right. Someone wanted to kill him. Although this was only the outskirts of Greenwater City, Lu Dongjun would find him very soon.

However, Li Banfeng did not want to stay here for long. How long would it take to walk back to Blue Poplar Village if he had to carry this man?

Should I put him into the Pocket Dwelling and take him with me?

Li Banfeng wondered.

Immediately, Li Banfeng rejected this idea as he had never done such a thing.

He had brought living people into the Pocket Dwelling before, but none of them remained alive once they entered.

To put it plainly, Li Banfeng had never let anyone walk out of the Pocket Dwelling alive. He would never allow anyone to reveal his secret.

Li Banfeng ignored Lu Dongliang and prepared to leave, but his legs refused to move.

A thought surged from his legs into his mind, making him want to save this man and bring this man into the Pocket Dwelling.

The feeling was overwhelmingly strong.

He had felt something like this once before when an inexplicable urge pushed him to get a ride with the rickshaw driver.

Back then, Li Banfeng had just reached level one in cultivation and did not know how to use any abilities. He relied entirely on the rickshaw driver for guidance.

This time, the feeling was even stronger than before.

Could it be that I am about to meet another Wanderlust Cultivator expert who can guide me?

Li Banfeng wondered.

He hesitated for a moment and lifted Lu Dongliang again. He was about to ask a few questions when he realized the man had slipped back into unconsciousness.

Seeing that he would not wake anytime soon, Li Banfeng considered leaving him behind again. But suddenly, he sensed danger approaching.

Is the danger coming for this man?

Li Banfeng muttered inwardly as he glanced at the unconscious Lu Dongliang.

If the danger is really coming for him and I leave him here, he will definitely die.

Through Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity, Li Banfeng was able to reach a conclusion.

If saving this man was the correct choice, then he would save him once more.

Li Banfeng decided to put him into the Pocket Dwelling first, leave from Greenwater City at once, and release him only after the danger was gone.

If he could save him then, he would. If not, so be it.

Li Banfeng pulled Lu Dongliang into the Pocket Dwelling and departed immediately.

The moment he left, Lu Dongliang opened his eyes.

He had not fainted at all. He had only pretended to be unconscious.

As a level-nine cultivator, the strongest in Puluo and the head of its most powerful family, Lu Dongliang could pretend with a skill that Li Banfeng could not easily see through.

Before entering the Pocket Dwelling, Lu Dongliang had opened his eyes for a split second and glanced at Li Banfeng.

With that single glance, he recognized Li Banfeng.

In order to capture Li Banfeng, Lu Dongliang had studied many photographs and remembered every detail.

Even with hair hanging past his ears, a beard thick enough to hide small creatures, and a fedora pulled low, Li Banfeng could not fool Lu Dongliang's sharp eyes.

The moment Lu Dongliang saw Li Banfeng, he suppressed the burst of joy and excitement that nearly leapt out of him and quietly used an ability to hide every trace of malice.

Lu Dongliang's cultivation level was far too high. As a result, Li Banfeng sensed only good fortune and not a single trace of malice.

After taking a few breaths, Lu Dongliang finally sat up with great difficulty.

This is Li Banfeng's house?

He actually lives right beside Greenwater City? The nerve of him! How did I miss him completely?

He looked around the pitch-dark room and caught sight of a faint glow in the corner.

A burst of excitement surged through Lu Dongliang as he muttered inwardly,

That shape... could it be?

He rushed forward and wrapped his arms around the Arcane Crimson Lotus in the corner.

The Arcane Crimson Lotus was still refining Madam Bagworm Moth's body. Li Banfeng had never moved her back into the outer room, which gave Lu Dongliang the chance to discover it.

Fate! This is fate!

When he recalled everything he had endured that night, tears slipped down Lu Dongliang's face.

Just a few minutes earlier, his family had betrayed him, and he had been stabbed by the very people who shared the same blood as him.

He knew Zhuo Yuling was extremely dissatisfied with the matter concerning Lu Xiaolan, and he knew that Lu Dongjun had long been ambitious and coveted the position of family head.

He knew Zhuo Yuling and Lu Dongjun met in secret far too often, and there was a real chance their "dealings" had become intimate in ways only the two of them fully understood.

However, all of this had been within Lu Dongliang's control. He had even chosen the timing and had been prepared to eliminate both Zhuo Yuling and Lu Dongjun.

He simply had not expected everything to happen so suddenly.

It all happened while he had sent Qiu Zhiheng off on errands. He Yuxiu had popped out of nowhere while Zhuo Yuling had leapt into action without so much as a twitch of warning.

In addition, someone had taken the chance to set up traps in his house.

All these little disasters lined up neatly and toppled into one enormous calamity.

While he was flailing through the sky, Lu Dongliang truly believed this was the most terrifying calamity of his life.

He never expected that once the calamity passed, immense fortune would follow. Misfortune had turned into a blessing. This was exactly that.

Since level one until now, Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity had never failed him!

He had reached level nine as a Wanderlust Cultivator, leaving only a single step between him and level ten.

Yet, cultivating at level nine was excruciatingly difficult. Lu Dongliang no longer wanted to suffer through it and no longer wanted to keep waiting.

Money was not a problem, so he could take as many pills as he wanted.

However, ordinary pills contained too many impurities and too much toxicity. Absolutely pure pills were extremely rare and so sought after that it was impossible to even put a price on them. For this reason, it became very difficult for Lu Dongliang to continue cultivating by relying on pills.

With the Arcane Crimson Lotus, all of these problems could be solved. Advancing to level ten would be as easy as breathing.

In fact, even surpassing level ten and stepping into a higher realm would no longer be something he could only wish for but never achieve.

What Lu Dongliang needed most right now was to regain his strength as quickly as he could.

He could not defeat even a normal adult man right now, but half an hour of rest would bring him back to level-three strength.

If he could rest for an hour, his strength would recover to level five.

If he could rest for ten days, he would recover at least level-seven strength. Indeed, this was the physique and power of a level-nine cultivator.

Once he recovered up to level-seven strength, he would need to recuperate slowly.

However, he would not need to recover to level seven.

Cultivation level was not something one could see from the outside. However, based on his experience, Lu Dongliang deduced that Li Banfeng's cultivation could not possibly exceed level three.

He needed to think about nothing else. Once he focused and recovered to level three, he could kill him.

Of course, if Li Banfeng returned a little later once Lu Dongliang had recovered to level five, then Lu Dongliang would be more certain that he could kill Li Banfeng.

The wounds on his forehead and chest closed at remarkable speed, and Lu Dongliang felt his strength slowly returning.

Screech... screech...

Lu Dongliang, who had been focusing on his recovery, could not help opening his eyes.

It was the sound of the Arcane Crimson Lotus.

Under the lotus's shimmering glow, the petals opened before his eyes. The Arcane Crimson Lotus had bloomed!

A rush of excitement shot through Lu Dongliang as he realized,

This is the lotus sensing its destined one! It's responding to a true expert! The lotus recognizes me as its master!

In actuality, Lu Dongliang was overthinking. The lotus had indeed sensed him, but it had not sensed a destined one or a powerful expert and certainly not its master.

Pop... crackle...

Steam spurted out.

Cling, clang, clang, clang~

The Gramophone struck up a slow, drawn-out rhythm, with the drums and gongs rolling like distant thunder, and started to sing. "That madman once made grand boasts of bringing back a level-nine to use as ingredients. I mocked him playfully again and again, yet now shame tinges my heart. I misjudged our man. Sisters... cultivation levels cannot be seen, but with how quickly he heals, surely he must be a level nine?"

Lu Dongliang was horrified.

He had no idea what this gramophone truly was, but he felt danger rising off it in thick, prickling waves that he could not hope to stop.

After a few minutes of recovery, Lu Dongliang forced himself back to level-one strength. He shot upright and ran for the door. When he was about to dash out of the room with Raising a Gale on Level Ground, he felt two gramophone styluses hook into his shoulders.

With three styluses and three turntable platters, the Gramophone had received a full hardware upgrade.

The two styluses pinned Lu Dongliang in place, and two turntable platters crushed straight into his soul and began slicing it into thin strips.

"Sisters, good ingredients are rare, so stop standing around and start eating!"

The Blood-Drinking Pendulum rose into the air, pierced his neck, and began drinking his blood.

Dewdrops formed in the Arcane Crimson Lotus's core. The lotus looked almost impatient.

Lu Dongliang's cheeks twitched, and a look of utter despair settled over him.

He had tasted the greatest fortune of his life, only to fall straight into disaster again, and this time, escape was impossible.

It shouldn't have ended this way,

Lu Dongliang muttered inwardly.

He had been following the instructions of the ability Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity, so he could not understand how things had ended up like this.

Before he completely lost consciousness, he finally figured it out.

It had truly been a fortune to find Li Banfeng, and Li Banfeng had indeed meant to save him. However, the calamity brought by the Gramophone and the Arcane Crimson Lotus was not something he could have predicted.

His level simply was not high enough, and the gap was far too great. This strange dwelling, in particular, was beyond anything he could possibly predict.