Chapter 146: An Auspicious Start

The wild boar dug for a full hour, claws flying and dirt spraying everywhere, until he had carved out a pit five meters deep. Still, there was no sign of the land activator. Not a hair. Not a scrap. Not even a whiff.

At last, he clambered out of the hole, panting. He flopped onto the wasteland, belly heaving, planning to rest his aching limbs for just a moment.

That was when he saw her.

A slender woman slowly rose halfway out of the ground nearby. She had lifted her upper body upright and was calmly grooming herself, using more than a dozen arms at once. Some brushed powder onto her face, others dabbed rouge onto her cheeks, while a few more fussed over her hair, patting and smoothing with practiced ease.

She was a centipede. An old acquaintance of the wild boar.

The wild boar roared, stamping the ground in fury. "I haven't even left yet! How dare you barge in already?

The centipede burst into laughter. "Old Boar, open your eyes and look properly. I've still got one foot outside the boundary. That means I'm not inside the plot. But honestly, you've been crawling around here all night. Isn't it about time you let someone else have a turn?"

Old Boar snorted, breath steaming. "What's the hurry? There's still most of the day left!"

According to the rules laid down by the local land deity, a single plot of land, no more than half a kilometer in radius, could only host one nonhuman challenger at a time. Each challenger was allowed to remain in the wasteland for no longer than one day and one night.

Before that limit was reached, there were only two ways for the wild boar to be forced out early.

The first one was the land activators losing against the wild boar. They would be wiped out completely, and the wild boar would walk away with a clean and glorious victory.

The second was that the wild boar failed to defeat the land activator, grow tired of the trial, and retreat of its own accord.

At present, neither outcome seemed remotely likely.

After all, no one was fighting the wild boar at all.

And so, the centipede woman could only wait.

The wild boar continued digging until night fell. When his time was finally up, he left unwillingly.

"I think there isn't any land activator here at all. The local land deity is just lying to us," the wild boar complained.

The centipede woman burst into a sharp, mocking laugh.

"Oh, then go on! Run off and complain to the local land deity. Tell him there's no land activator here at all. Who knows? He might even pat you on the head and give you a reward for being so clever."

The wild boar had no interest in arguing with the centipede. He cast one last look back at the wasteland with eyes brimming with stubborn reluctance.

"If you don't have the skill, then hurry up and get lost," the centipede woman said impatiently. "Land activators who rely on tricks are all sly schemers. You won't even get a mouthful out of them." She sniffed. "Wait until you run into one without any tricks, then you can try your luck again."

The wild boar did not go far. He settled by the boundary and watched in silence, determined to see where the land activator was hiding.

The centipede woman stepped into the plot. Unlike the wild boar, she did not rush about blindly. She studied the terrain with care, then gave a sharp shake of her body and released dozens of tiny centipedes.

Seeing this, the wild boar let out an angry roar. "Only one challenger is allowed inside at a time! You brought a whole swarm of children with you. That's breaking the rules!"

The centipede woman sneered. "Children? Open your eyes and see properly! These are not my children. These are my legs."

More than half the legs on her body were missing. Every one of those tiny centipedes scuttling across the ground was one of her legs, shed and transformed.

As long as there was the slightest movement within the plot, nothing could escape the centipede woman's notice.

***

Inside the Pocket Dwelling, Li Banfeng was utterly bored.

Pills could temporarily support his Wanderlust Cultivation, but they could not suppress the nature of wanderlust itself. Li Banfeng really wanted to go out for a walk.

Even the gramophone urged him to go out. "Husband, you've been resting for so long. It's time to go out and buy groceries."

Li Banfeng pushed the door open and stepped out, only for a wave of intense malice to rush straight at him.

The centipede woman lay at the center of the land plot with her eyes closed. She was resting, but the moment she sensed the presence of a living person, her eyes snapped open, and she immediately crawled toward the Pocket Dwelling.

Unfortunately for her, she was missing too many legs, which slowed her down.

Li Banfeng reacted at once and slammed the door of the Pocket Dwelling shut.

The centipede woman lunged forward, only to crash into empty air. She searched about, but not a trace of the land activator could be found.

Inside, the gramophone sniffed and said, "It smelled like a bug was about to crawl in just now. Husband, if she wants to come, let her. This little wifey isn't picky."

Li Banfeng frowned. "What's so good about bugs? Their shells are hard, they're covered in spikes, and there's barely any meat."

The gramophone let out a soft, crackling laugh. "The one who eats meat is that bitch Crimson Lotus. This little wifey eats souls. A few extra spikes won't scare me."

Li Banfeng was not worried about the bug at all. What worried him was the local land deity. If that fellow saw him hiding inside the Pocket Dwelling and decided he was cheating, things could get troublesome.

After some thought, Li Banfeng decided it was best not to wander around outside. It was rare for him to stay home and do nothing anyway.

He sat down at the table, picked up a cup of tea, and slowly flipped through the newspaper.

***

There was only one day left before the Paramount Club officially opened, yet Yang Yanzheng still had not managed to invite Ma Wu.

"Miss, I've already been to Blue Poplar Village three times," Yang Yanzheng said carefully. "Young Master Wu really isn't there. He's gone into the new land."

"The new land?" Miss Chu frowned. "What is he doing there? Hunting?" Her lips curled. "He's already the top dog of Blue Poplar Village. Why would he still bother hunting?"

Skepticism, however, solved nothing. No matter how many times Yang Yanzheng searched, Ma Wu remained nowhere to be found.

"We were too kind to him," Miss Chu snapped. "We should never have let him live so comfortably. We should have forced him to beg on the streets. Then he wouldn't dare put on airs like this."

In her fury, she raised her dagger and stabbed a small hole into her own face.

Miss Chu simmered in silence for a while before suddenly turning on Yang Yanzheng.

"The people you hired were completely useless," she said flatly. "Ma Wu didn't even have much backing back then, and they still couldn't control him."

At this point, Yang Yanzheng had no choice but to defend himself. "Miss, if it had only been Ma Wu, those men would have been more than enough. Who could have known Li Qi would suddenly appear halfway through? That's how everything went wrong."

"Li Qi..." Miss Chu murmured. She often reminded herself to keep an eye on that name, yet somehow, she always ended up overlooking him.

After a brief silence, her lips slowly curved into a smile. "He sounds rather interesting. Invite him as well. Have him come on opening day."

"I already did," Yang Yanzheng replied. "The invitations were sent together. But Li Qi isn't in the village either. He went into the new land with Young Master Wu."

Miss Chu calmly dabbed powder over the wound on her face. "They both went together?" she said softly. "They didn't even leave a single person behind to guard the place?"

Her eyes gleamed faintly. "Could it be that there's some treasure hidden in the new land?"

As she was pondering this, someone came to report that Lu Yuanhai, the second young master of the Lu Family, had arrived.

Miss Chu frowned slightly. She could already guess why he was here. She told a maid to prepare tea and had Yang Yanzheng show him in.

Lu Yuanhai was twenty-five, two years older than Miss Chu. She had always called him Brother Hai.

"Brother Hai," she said with a smile the moment he entered, "are you here today to bring me a congratulatory gift?"

She leaned back lazily and continued, "Don't say I, this little sis of yours, was being greedy. When your business opened back then, I gave you a red packet of one thousand silver dollars. Now that mine is opening, shouldn't you at least give me two thousand?"

Lu Yuanhai smiled. "Little sis, if you asked, I could give you twenty thousand, not to mention two thousand."

Miss Chu showed a gentle smile back and deliberately teased him. "Brother Hai, you're not just saying that to make me happy, are you? I'm someone who takes words seriously."

Lu Yuanhai nodded and stopped dancing around the point. "Little sis, I really did come to give you money. The Paramount Club is the Lu Family's business. In the end, the Lu Family business should return to the Lu Family. You understand what I mean, right?"

"I don't understand," Miss Chu said softly. She lowered her head, then looked back up at him through her lashes. "The property deed and the land deed are both in my hands. On what basis do you insist it belongs to the Lu Family?"

Lu Yuanhai let out a sigh. "Little sister, I know what Second Uncle did. That's exactly why I came with money. You paid him eight hundred thousand silver dollars. I'll give you the same amount, eight hundred thousand, and buy the Paramount Club back."

"Eight hundred thousand?" Miss Chu sneered. "So you think saying it makes it yours again?" She leaned back slightly. "I poured effort into this. I sold off property for it. How do you plan to settle all that?"

"One million," Lu Yuanhai said promptly. "That's the most I can decide on myself. If you're still not satisfied, I can go back and talk it over with Uncle Qiu. Huaiyuan, that's sincere enough, isn't it?"

"The sincerity is there," Miss Chu said with a smile. She lit a cigarette and inhaled before continuing. "But I'm not selling... Even if you offer two million, I won't sell. The Paramount Club is mine now. It carries the surname Chu. It belongs to me, Chu Huaiyuan.

She continued, "Tomorrow is the opening. Brother Hai, if you respect me, then come and show your support. If you don't, then let's pretend we've never known each other."

Lu Yuanhai sat in silence for a moment, then put on his coat and stood to leave.

He left, but the matter was far from over. That evening, Chu Huaiyuan's elder brother, Chu Huaijun, arrived.

"Huaiyuan, the Paramount Club belongs to the Lu Family," Chu Huaijun said. "We shouldn't be getting involved in this. Lu Yuanhai came to see me today. He said they're willing to raise the price to buy it back. You should go along with it and do them a favor by returning the club."

Miss Chu was having none of it. "Big Brother, we made things very clear when we split the family. If something major comes up, I'll listen to you. But for everything else, we each make our own decisions. Why? Have the rules changed today?"

"The Paramount Club

is

a major matter!" Chu Huaijun snapped.

"Business matters are my own concern," Miss Chu shot back. "There's no need for Big Brother to worry."

Chu Huaijun's brow furrowed deeply. He was clearly irritated now. "Fine. Second Sister, you are capable. Even as your big brother, I shouldn't have interfered."

He paused, then added coldly, "But there's one thing we need to be clear about. You acquired the Paramount Club on your own. It has nothing to do with the Chu Family."

Miss Chu smiled. "Don't worry. Even if the sky collapses, it won't implicate Big Brother."

Chu Huaijun stood up. "Huaiyuan, let me remind you one more time. The Lu Family may have run into trouble, but they haven't fallen yet."

***

By dusk the next day, the Paramount Club's Singing Queen competition was about to begin.

Miss Chu had carefully selected twelve popular singers, who would take turns performing throughout the night.

She then invited sixty distinguished guests from the great families and prepared six bouquets of roses for each of them. Whichever singer a guest favored would receive their flowers, and the singer who gathered the most roses would be crowned tonight's Singing Queen.

Aside from those sixty guests, three hundred seats were reserved for other prominent figures of Greenwater City. As for guests of slightly lesser standing, Miss Chu had thoughtfully arranged general seating as well.

Everything was in motion. The band arrived early and tuned their instruments again and again. The singers rehearsed on stage until their voices finally loosened. Reporters and photographers drifted in one after another, claiming the best spots and waiting for the night to properly begin.

The large dance floor on the second floor was ready, polished and gleaming. Downstairs, the banquet hall had finished preparing the feast. Once the competition ended, the evening would hardly be over.

Miss Chu had arranged far more than just food and music. The rooms on the third floor were already prepared as well. The Singing Queen could perform on stage, and she could sing again once she reached the rooms.

It was opening night, and Miss Chu had spent a fortune. She was determined to make it an auspicious one.

According to her plan, the competition was set to begin at seven in the evening. Yet by six forty, not a single guest had arrived.

Miss Chu grew so anxious that her scalp began to tingle. She snapped an order at Yang Yanzheng, telling him to hurry and summon the guests at once.

Yang Yanzheng sent people running in every direction. Still, by seven twenty, no one had come.

And so, the Singing Queen competition fizzled out before it began.

The band and the singers were already waiting on stage, instruments ready, voices prepared, with nothing to perform for.

Below the empty stage, Miss Chu sat motionless and appeared in a daze. as though she were watching a scene meant for someone else.

At seven thirty, a guest finally arrived.

Monkey Qiu walked onto the vast dance floor, glanced around at the silence, and calmly picked a seat.

He was alone.

The dance floor could have swallowed a thousand people whole. Instead, it had swallowed exactly one.

Miss Chu stared at the lone figure sitting there and asked coldly, "Uncle Qiu, what is the meaning of this?"

Monkey Qiu blinked at her, genuinely startled. "Meaning? I'm here to support you, of course. You are opening today. I got the invitation, didn't I? I even brought a congratulatory gift."

Miss Chu's jaw tightened. "Uncle Qiu, I acquired the Paramount Club. It belongs to me."

Monkey Qiu looked even more confused than before. "Well, yes. No one said it didn't. So when does the competition start? I am still holding onto my roses. Haven't even had the chance to give them out yet."

***

On the new land near Blue Poplar Village, the centipede woman finally gave up. She crawled out of the plot, nearly frozen solid, and sat beside the wild boar with her body shivering so hard it rattled.

The wild boar, meanwhile, had not been sitting there politely the whole time. He had gone off to hunt, stuffed himself until he was satisfied, and only then wandered back, fully prepared to enjoy whatever came next.

The centipede woman sniffled and said, "I think there isn't any land activator here at all."

The wild boar snorted, the sound thick with ridicule. "Then go on. March off and complain to the local land deity!"

The centipede woman had failed. Her turn was over.

Moments later, a golden eagle entered the plot. It rose into the air, swooped down, paused, then moved again, circling back and forth as if it truly believed it might find traces of the land activator.

***

The next evening, at exactly seven o'clock, the Paramount Club remained completely empty.

Not a single guest.

Miss Chu had no idea what Monkey Qiu had done behind the scenes, but whatever it was, it worked beautifully. Everyone was too afraid to set foot inside the Paramount Club.

It had only just opened, yet it was no different from when it was shut down.

Well, not

entirely

no different. An empty club could at least save money. This one could not.

The singers cost money. The band cost money. The attendants cost money. Even the laborers standing around with nothing to do still cost money.

Miss Chu sat there in silence and slowly turned her gaze toward Yang Yanzheng.

Yang Yanzheng lowered his head and said nothing at all.

Wen Hongyan hooked the rim of her wine cup with her elbow and took a small sip. At last, she understood why Miss Chu had been so determined to drag Ma Wu into managing the Paramount Club.

However, judging by the situation now, even if Ma Wu were standing here in person, it would not change a thing. Perhaps this was exactly why he had been avoiding Miss Chu from the very beginning.

***

The golden eagle finally gave up and flew off in a sulk. The faint halo tracing the boundary of the land slowly dimmed, then vanished altogether.

The land-activating trial of worthiness was over.

Two hours later, Li Banfeng stepped out of the Pocket Dwelling.

He had deliberately waited those extra two hours. Even now, he was not entirely sure whether the land activation had truly succeeded.

He tilted his head and stared up at the night sky. Somewhere above, there

did

seem to be a faint glow drifting downward, but it was so weak that it was hard to tell whether it was real or just wishful thinking.

Li Banfeng frowned and took a couple of steps to get a better angle. After taking two steps, his foot slipped, and he almost fell into a pit.

Who dug such a huge pit here, and dug it so deep?

Li Banfeng muttered inwardly.

This pit had been dug by the wild boar. It was more than five meters deep, and as Li Banfeng looked down, he caught sight of something shimmering inside.

It was not a halo. It was a rippling light.

There was water in the pit!