Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

Ma Wu shook his head. "Don't go looking for him just yet; there's something fishy about this."

"What's fishy?" Landlord Wei's cheeks trembled, and he unconsciously placed his hand on his pistol.

Ma Wu took a couple of breaths and said, "I've been wondering, why is it that as soon as I make some money, someone comes to rob me?"

Landlord Wei's eyes bulged. "Young Master Wu, are you saying that the person you live with... he betrayed you?"

"I didn't suspect him at first. Tonight, we went to the Ji Qing Group together for some entertainment. He said he felt unwell and left early. He was full of energy when we set out, but once we got to the Ji Qing Group, he suddenly felt unwell. Tell me, isn't there some trickery involved in this?"

Landlord Wei sighed. "Young Master Wu, I think you should be more cautious about this. Your friend helped you when you were in trouble. We can't act without Conscience."

Ma Wu nodded. "I won't forget the favors I owe. But if he's scheming against me, I absolutely won't let him off. Boss Wei, do you have any weapons here? Lend me one. I'm going back to get things clear with him."

Landlord Wei stopped Ma Wu. "You're not going to ask for clarification; you're clearly going to fight to the death. If he has no ill intent, you'll be wronging a good person. And if he does have malicious intentions, do you think you'll come back alive after confronting him? How about this, Young Master Wu, don't be impulsive. I'll go with you. If there's reason, we'll reason it out; if there's an issue, we'll discuss it. You've saved my life before, and I won't hold back if it really comes down to a fight."

Ma Wu, with Landlord Wei in tow, stormed out the door and headed to the wooden house he shared with Li Banfeng. Upon entering the living room, Ma Wu shouted, "Boss Wei is here! Let's get things straight!"

Li Banfeng came down the stairs and nodded. "Yes, let's get them straight."

Landlord Wei's face turned pale; he realized something was wrong.

His feet were stuck; he couldn't move. But Ma Wu moved freely. There was Glue Mud on the floor, and Ma Wu was wearing iron shoe covers.

Landlord Wei looked back and forth between Li Banfeng and Ma Wu, panic rising in his heart.

"What are you two up to?"

Li Banfeng smiled. "Nothing much. We just want to invite Boss Wei for a cup of tea. Plus, there are a few matters we'd like your guidance on."

"We can talk things out! Why did you ambush me?" Landlord Wei's hand moved toward the pistol at his waist.

Li Banfeng was quicker to point his gun at Boss Wei. "In Puluo State, guns are unreliable. Want to take your chances?"

Landlord Wei dared not move again.

Because Li Banfeng was a Second Layer Home Cultivator, his appearance was often overlooked. It was only today that Landlord Wei got a good look at Li Banfeng's face.

Li Banfeng usually wore a top hat, and always kept the brim pulled down low.

Today, he wasn't wearing his hat.

His features seemed familiar, as if he'd seen them in a photograph before.

While Landlord Wei was pondering, Ma Wu spoke up, "Boss Wei, from the very first day I came to Blue Poplar Village, I rented from you, right?"

Landlord Wei nodded. "That's right. You wanted a room, and I charged you eight hundred a month. The place had two rooms; that price wasn't expensive. Later on, when you couldn't pay the rent, I kicked you out. Young Master Ma, we need to be clear about this. You can't blame me for being uncharitable. Renting out houses is my livelihood; you can't hold it against me."

Ma Wu shook his head. "I don't blame you. But there's one thing I can't understand. The first day I moved into your place, I paid you a month's rent. Two days later, I was robbed. After the robbery, you even came to see me and brought me some golden sore medicine. That happened, right?"

Landlord Wei nodded. "Yes! You were the tenant, I was the landlord. We had that connection, didn't we!"

Ma Wu nodded again. "After a month, I paid the rent. Within three days, I was robbed again. That happened too, right?"

Landlord Wei frowned. "It wasn't me who robbed you. How can you blame that on me? Besides, in the days before you were robbed, did you only meet me? Didn't you meet other people?"

Landlord Wei had a point. Ma Wu had indeed met many people before each robbery. If Li Banfeng hadn't prompted him, he truly wouldn't have suspected Landlord Wei.

But now that the suspicion was planted, certain coincidences had to be linked.

"After the second month, I couldn't pay the rent, and you kicked me out. I went under the Heavenly Bridge to scavenge for scraps, earned about a hundred yuan, barely enough for food. That day, I met you at the noodle shop and chatted for a bit. Since I had nowhere to live, you mocked me. I even said that next month, I'd rent from you again. But sure enough, a few days later, I was robbed again, with not even enough money left for food. What do you say to that?"

Landlord Wei shook his head and sighed. "Young Master Wu, that's just a string of coincidences. Or perhaps our fates clash. You run into bad luck whenever you encounter me, but that's hardly my fault, is it? Every time you went to the Song Family to sell your goods, you met the people of the Song family, made good money, and then got robbed right after. Why don't you suspect the people of the Song family?"

That question indeed left Ma Wu speechless.

Li Banfeng chimed in from the side, "You knew he went to the Song Family to sell goods?"

Landlord Wei said, "That's the rule in Blue Poplar Village. Anyone who hunts in the New Land has to sell their goods to the Song Family."

Li Banfeng asked again, "You also knew he went hunting in the New Land?"

Landlord Wei replied, "In Blue Poplar Village, the New Land is about the only place to make a living. Otherwise, what else can you rely on to earn money?"

Landlord Wei managed to talk his way out of it.

But Landlord Wei's heart was in his throat.

Hearing this, Li Banfeng said to Ma Wu, "What he says sounds reasonable."

Ma Wu said, "It does sound reasonable. So, how should we deal with him?"

Li Banfeng laughed. "Since what he says is so reasonable, let's just kill him."

Ma Wu was stunned. Landlord Wei's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "I've explained everything clearly, and you still want to kill me?"

Li Banfeng looked astonished. "So, just because you've explained things clearly, we shouldn't kill you? What kind of reasoning is that?"

"That... that's just basic fairness!" Landlord Wei was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

Ma Wu also felt Li Banfeng was acting strangely.

But Li Banfeng felt he was being perfectly normal.

"Boss Wei, back when Ma Wu rented your house, his money was stolen, and he couldn't pay the rent. He made that clear to you, didn't he?"

Landlord Wei nodded. "He made it clear."

Li Banfeng continued, "So, since he made it clear, why didn't you let him continue renting?"

Landlord Wei glared. "As I said, I rent out houses to earn money. He had no money, so why should I rent to him?"

"Exactly. That's the real reasoning here. I invited you here for questioning, and you haven't said a single useful thing. Why shouldn't I kill you?" Li Banfeng cocked the hammer of his revolver.

"It doesn't matter if your words are reasonable or if you've explained clearly. If what you say has no value to us, it's like not paying rent for a house. Mere talk won't save your life."

Landlord Wei panicked. He realized Li Banfeng wasn't crazy.

"Sirs, this... this matter... you can't ask me. You... you have to ask the Ma Family's eldest young miss," Landlord Wei changed his tune.

"You mean my eldest sister?" Ma Wu looked at Li Banfeng. This matched what the man in grey had said.

If their stories match, then what he's saying should be true, right?

Li Banfeng fired the gun.

CLICK.

The gun didn't fire. Landlord Wei was lucky.

SPLASH.

Landlord Wei wet himself.

His face was deathly pale as he looked at Li Banfeng and stammered, "I'll talk! I'll talk! It's not the Ma Family's eldest young miss! It's the Fourth Young Master!"

Ma Wu was startled again.

My fourth brother? How could I have overlooked my fourth brother? Fourth Brother has always been overlooked in the family.

Ma Wu rubbed his forehead. He could see through most things, but when it came to his own family, he was often confused.

CLICK.

Li Banfeng fired another shot.

Landlord Wei's luck was truly holding out; the gun didn't fire again.

He collapsed to his knees with a THUD, his kneecaps sticking to the Glue Mud on the floor.

"Masters, I'm telling the truth! I swear I'm telling the truth! It was Yang Yanzheng who told me to find out about you!"

Ma Wu was taken aback. "Who's Yang Yanzheng?"

Li Banfeng smiled.

Ma Wu asked, "Do you know Yang Yanzheng?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I don't know him, but this sounds like the truth."

PS: Yang Yanzheng is the person who delivered packages for Oil Peach.

Li Banfeng stared at the monthly ticket rankings, holding the Phonograph, his eyes bloodshot.

I want to kill, I want to charge!

Dear readers, come on and support Ban Feng! Charge with Ban Feng!