On the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the snow fell thick and unbroken, smothering the world beneath it.

On the sixteenth floor of the Peace Tower, inside the grand assembly hall, Lu Dongjun and Miss Chu finalized the deal for the Paramount Club.

For eight hundred thousand silver dollars, the Paramount Club was transferred from the Lu Family into Miss Chu's hands.

The land deed, property deed, and all operating contracts of the Paramount Club were formally transferred to Miss Chu, with a notary issuing official documents and reporters present to record the transaction.

Those eight hundred thousand silver dollars represented the entirety of Miss Chu's savings.

Aside from the house she lived in, Miss Chu sold off every other property she owned, including all her farmland.

She kept only the businesses under her direct control and withdrew every share she held in other people's ventures.

Even then, she only managed to buy the Paramount Club after running up a debt of more than two hundred thousand silver dollars.

With her causing such a commotion, did no one from the Chu Family intervene? In fact, no one did.

Miss Chu's status was very different from that of other young ladies from major families.

Five years ago, when the Chu Family joined forces with the Lu Family to activate a new land, the head of the Chu Family, Miss Chu's father, was gravely injured and later died.

Since then, the Chu Family had been jointly managed by her eldest brother and her two aunts.

After receiving her share of the family assets, Miss Chu ran her businesses independently.

Over the past five years, she had paid a fixed amount in dividends to the Chu Family each year.

As for how she operated her businesses, no one else was allowed to interfere.

With the Paramount Club finally in her hands, Miss Chu was so excited that she kept moving through the club until late into the night.

The Paramount Club was neither tall nor particularly large. It had only three floors, yet it was the signature landmark of Greenwater City, an even more dazzling symbol than the Peace Tower.

The people of Greenwater City might not envy those in suits and polished shoes inside the Peace Tower, but they yearned for the nightlife and indulgence of the Paramount Club.

The first floor was a restaurant, containing six banquet halls and more than a hundred private rooms of varying sizes.

The second floor was the dance hall, the very essence of the Paramount Club. It contained one grand dance floor, five circular halls, and sixteen famed singer private rooms.

The grand dance floor hardly needed describing. Once you stepped inside, you knew exactly what it was for.

A live band provided accompaniment, and the Singing Queen performed on stage. Jazz music held the center of the stage, with refined classical pieces and popular modern tunes joining in as well. The grand dance floor could accommodate more than a thousand people, and each year's Dancing Queen was selected from the Paramount Club.

The circular halls were a bit smaller than the grand dance floor, each fitting around a hundred people. They were just right for gatherings, or what people in the Outer Provinces liked to call parties.

The famous singers' private rooms were something special. Each room could accommodate a dozen or so guests, with the singer performing solely for those inside.

One could easily imagine the feeling of sitting in a private room while a top Singing Queen performed exclusively for those inside. If everything went smoothly, there might even be further indulgences to look forward to.

The famous singers' private rooms were reserved solely for Singing Queens.

Xia Yijun's private room was called Yijun Pavilion, and so long as she remained with the Paramount Club, the room would retain that name.

The room would only pass to someone else if Xia Yijun were dismissed by the Paramount Club or chose to leave on her own.

Naturally, not every Singing Queen was entitled to a private room at the Paramount Club. New Singing Queens appeared each year, but there was only one Paramount Club.

Back then, the Singing Queen Jiang Mengting had her own exclusive private room at the Paramount Club, known as Mengting Residence. Later, Miss Chu paid a high price to poach her from the Paramount Club.

After that, no one knew what methods Ma Wu used, but he still managed to poach Jiang Mengting from Miss Chu.

None of it mattered anymore. Now, the Paramount Club belonged entirely to Miss Chu!

Miss Chu went up to the third floor of the Paramount Club. There were seventy-six suites on that floor. She opened the one with the best view and looked down at the endless stream of pedestrians and carriages moving along the street below.

For a moment, Miss Chu had the illusion that the entire Greenwater City belonged to her. At least for now, the most dazzling signboard in Greenwater City truly did.

Yang Yanzheng spoke up from the side. "Miss, why don't we open for business today?"

Due to a string of scandals involving Lu Dongjun, the Paramount Club had remained closed for several days.

The news had only been published today, and already many were inquiring about dining and room reservations.

The Paramount Club had never lacked business. However, Miss Chu did not want to open today.

"We can't rush this. The opening has to begin with strong momentum. We'll choose an auspicious day, hold a singing gala, and send invitations to all the great families. Invite everyone with status and standing."

Yang Yanzheng frowned but did not dare to say anything. He could not help thinking that Miss Chu had spent all her savings, yet now she wanted to organize a singing gala. Would it not be more sensible to open as soon as possible and recoup the costs? Couldn't the gala wait until after the New Year?

However, since Miss Chu had already given her orders, Yang Yanzheng could only go make the arrangements. Before he even reached the door, he heard Miss Chu add pointedly, "Send an invitation to Ma Wu and make sure he comes. I want to see whether he can keep his heart from itching."

"When the time comes, I'll negotiate the price with him again. If he can make the Paramount Club shine even brighter, I am willing to return Freewind Wharf to him."

***

Ma Wu was reading the newspaper in Blue Poplar Village when he saw that Miss Chu had bought the Paramount Club. The paper almost slipped from his hands and fluttered toward the ground.

This is bad. That lunatic has truly kicked a hornet's nest. Miss Chu spent years surviving in the business world. How could she make such a mistake? I guess she really wanted the Paramount Club too badly.

On second thought, Ma Wu understood. If he had stood in Miss Chu's shoes, he might have made the same decision. For a businessperson, the temptation of the Paramount Club was impossible to ignore.

As Ma Wu pondered how events might unfold, something else caught his attention: a novel printed on the fourth page. The story was about the tangled love and hatred between a fallen young master and a devoted young lady.

Ma Wu had never noticed this novel before, but he did today.

The novel's placement had changed. It was not a standalone short story at all, but an ongoing series that had already been serialized in the newspaper for several days.

Normally, it was tucked away in an inconspicuous spot, but now it had claimed the headline position on the fourth page.

That change alone would not have caught Ma Wu's eye. What truly drew his attention was the fact that the ongoing series mentioned Blue Poplar Village.

Ma Wu read through the novel from beginning to end. Although it did not mention the names Ma Wu or Miss Chu, it was clearly telling the story of the two of them.

He flipped through older newspapers and discovered that as the number of reports about Miss Chu increased, the ongoing series in the paper grew more popular.

Today, news of Miss Chu's acquisition of the Paramount Club dominated the front page, while the ongoing novel rose to the top of the supplement section.

Miss Chu had kicked a hornet's nest. Would he be caught in the aftermath? He already was.

Ma Wu had no choice but to take this reality seriously. To outsiders, his relationship with Miss Chu was anything but simple now.

By evening, Ma Wu had an evening paper brought to him. A striking headline on the second page caught his eye:

Ma Junyang Rumored to Return and Carry the Chu Family's Paramount Club Banner

Who the hell spread this rumor? Who said I was going to shoulder the Chu Family's banner?

My surname isn't Chu. Why would I carry her banner? What is this supposed to mean, that I married into the family?

Ma Wu cursed inwardly. He had a sinking feeling that the hornets Miss Chu had stirred up were already turning their attention toward him.

No! I have to find somewhere to hide first. Those great families could come for me at any time!

Ma Wu thought grimly. He had a bad feeling that the "hornets" were already on their way.

Even though he had hired Zuo Wugang, the protection of a single level-six Martial Cultivator did not feel safe enough. As Ma Wu struggled over where to hide when the door suddenly opened and Li Banfeng stepped in, dressed in a full suit, a fedora on his head, a feather duster in hand.

He brushed the snowflakes from his clothes with the feather duster, then sat down by the fireplace and warmed himself for a while.

Ma Wu said with delight, "Brother Li, you're finally back!"

Li Banfeng had been gone for a full eighteen days. It took three days to get there and half a month to return.

The reason the return trip took so long was simple. He had to take one Golden Essence Pill every day.

He took a total of fifteen pills during the return trip, earning four years, one month, and six days of cultivation. Adding that to what he had accumulated before, he now earned a total of sixteen years, eight months, and seventeen days of Wanderlust Cultivation.

Li Banfeng was now getting closer and closer to level three.

To reach level three, he needed to accumulate twenty years of cultivation. Even if Li Banfeng had started cultivating at the age of ten and followed the standard pace, he would only have reached level three at thirty.

And yet, he was barely in his early twenties and had already reached level three in Homebound Cultivation, with level three in Wanderlust Cultivation well within reach. If others were to find out, they would surely bow to him in reverence. However, if that happened, Li Banfeng likely would not live much longer.

As a result, Li Banfeng had an idea. He wanted to activate a stretch of new land and stay as far out of sight as possible.

The new land was perfect for cultivation, the sort of place that quietly made everything feel worthwhile.

When he had nothing better to do, he could catch a few lone souls or wandering ghosts and bring them back as meals for his wifey. If the mood struck him, he could also hunt down rare birds and exotic beasts, just the kind the Crimson Lotus needed to refine into pills. As a Wanderlust Cultivator, he could roam through the region of peril, making great progress in cultivation while stuffing himself with pills to enhance his cultivation.Time, resources, danger, rewards. Everything lined up neatly. This kind of life was perfect.

Aside from cultivation, he also wanted to build a shelter on the new land. If a situation he couldn't handle ever popped up, he would have a way out there.

Li Banfeng had already planned things out along the way, but he lacked experience in activating a stretch of new land. This was something he needed to discuss with Ma Wu.

At first, Ma Wu was against it. Ever since childhood, he had been taught that new land was a dangerous place, not somewhere one should set foot lightly. As a result, he harbored a deep prejudice against it.

However, his thoughts wavered for a moment.

Wasn't I going to hide and lie low? And wasn't new land one of the best places for that?

In the past, activating a stretch of new land had indeed been risky. However, the situation was different now. They had Zuo Wugang with them!

Ma Wu thought for a moment, then nodded. "I'll call in the Top Thug and bring Zhen Jincheng and Cao Zhigang along as well. We can put together a team and head out to activate a stretch of new land."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Zuo Wugang can't go. If he leaves, there'll be no one holding the fort in Blue Poplar Village, and someone might come looking for trouble."

Without Zuo Wugang going along, fear crept back into Ma Wu's heart. "If it's just Zhen Jincheng and Cao Zhigang, I'm not confident we'll be able to activate the land smoothly."

Li Banfeng shook his head slightly. "From the start, I didn't intend to bring either of them."

"Not bringing either of them?" Ma Wu exclaimed in shock. "Brother Li, are you saying we're going to activate a stretch of new land with just the two of us?"

With himself at level one in Hedonism Cultivation and Li Banfeng at level two in Wanderlust Cultivation, Ma Wu felt that activating the land with just the two of them was too risky.

Li Banfeng said, "My plan is for you to tell me the process for activating a stretch of land. I'll handle it myself. You don't even need to come."

Ma Wu responded, "That won't do! Some things can't be explained clearly. I have to handle them in person."

He had to follow along as he intended to hideout at the new land."If you come with me, what about your cultivation?" Li Banfeng asked. As a Wanderlust Cultivator, he could cultivate simply by walking. Ma Wu, however, was a Hedonism Cultivator, and there was no way he could bring women along on this trip.

Ma Wu thought for a moment, then said, "I'll rely on pills to keep things going. The Golden Essence Pills I took earlier earned me a hundred days of cultivation. Opening up land in the new territory will take at most a month. I'll treat it as a period of rest. I can manage."

Li Banfeng agreed. "Alright, then we will go together. First, tell me the rules for activating a plot of land. Do we need to prepare any offerings?"

Ma Wu nodded. "Offerings are easy. As long as there's wine and food, that'll do. The more lavish the food and drinks, the quicker the local land deity of the new land responds."

Li Banfeng felt this was simple. "Then let Little Chuan handle it. Bring everything we can afford. The best food, the best drinks, all of it."

"Brother Li, this still has to be within our means."

"It's only food and drink. Why are we even talking about doing things within our capabilities? Are you saying we can't afford it?"

"We can afford the food and drink. The problem is whether we can handle what comes after. On this wasteland, there's usually only one local land deity within fifty kilometers.

"If the local land deity accepts our offerings, it will grant us land. The more we offer, the larger that plot becomes."

Li Banfeng nodded happily. "Bigger is good. The bigger, the better!"

Ma Wu shook his head. "Bigger is good, but only if we can handle it. The local land deity doesn't give out land for free. There's a trial of worthiness we have to pass.

"First, blood must be spilled on the land to bind the contract. The pact takes effect after one day. After that, the land-activators enter the land, while the local land deity gathers all aberrant beings in the surrounding area and sends them to attack. If the land-activators can hold the granted plot for three days without leaving it, then the land belongs to the one whose blood was spilled. In this trade, that's what's called a trial of worthiness."

Li Banfeng understood this rule. The old gatekeeper at Yu Family Village had mentioned it before. The land-activators and the one who ultimately owned it did not necessarily have to be the same person. The owner would first spill blood to bind the contract, while the party activating the land would only enter the new territory the following day.

Ma Wu continued, "Land plots are generally divided into four categories. The smallest has a radius of half a kilometer. For plots of this size, the local land deity will only summon ordinary creatures of abnormality for the trial of worthiness. Normally, they come in three to five waves, and that's all. If you're lucky, there may be only one wave. If you're unlucky, you might face as many as ten.

"For land like this, five or six level-one cultivators are enough to successfully activate it. If we really can't find cultivators, gathering several dozen strong men also gives us a chance. But bringing too many people comes with its own problems. We'll talk about that on the way."

Li Banfeng thought of Yu Family Village in the new land. It seemed to be less than half a kilometer in radius, with parts of it still undeveloped. It was likely the smallest type of wasteland.

Ma Wu continued explaining, "The second category of land you can activate has a radius of one and a half kilometers. The difficulty jumps significantly. In a single day, the local land deity will summon more than a dozen types of aberrant beings and send them in multiple waves to attack the land-activators.

"To activate a territory with a radius of one and a half kilometers, you need to hire professionals like Daboinsky to handle the process. Daboinsky's fees are high. He usually only provides guidance and rarely acts in person, and even then, success is far from guaranteed.

"Beyond that are plots with a radius of two and a half kilometers. For land of this scale, even a level-eight cultivator must be stationed there for any hope of success. The local land deity sends only ruthless foes, and it wouldn't be odd if Lady Bagworm herself appears.

"The largest plots span a radius of five kilometers. That is far beyond my understanding. It is said that the Lu and Chu Families once joined forces to activate such a wasteland, only to fail. The Chu Family's patriarch lost his life as a result.

"Brother Li, with the strength you and I have today, being able to activate a land with a radius of half a kilometer is already a blessing. That's why the offerings must be chosen in moderation.

"If we prepare too many offerings and the earth deity is pleased enough to grant us a five-kilometer plot, the land activation will be doomed from the start."

"If it fails, it fails. We'll try again next time." Li Banfeng was remarkably easygoing about it.

Ma Wu shook his head. "That won't work. If land activation fails, the local land deity will look down on us. The two of us will never be able to activate land within a distance of fifty kilometers again. We won't be able to act as owners, nor will we be able to serve as land-activators."

Author's Note:

PS: What if they meet Madam Bagworm Moth during land-activation? What will they do?