Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

"If I wanted you, by my side, guarding the night until tomorrow..."

Miss Chu Er sat in the grand ballroom of the Hundred Joy Gate, quietly watching the performance of the Singing Empress, Jiang Mengting.

In the ballroom, she was the only one there, but the stage performance was not sloppy at all—with the band, backup dancers, and the color-changing gas lamps, each element was executed perfectly.

Jiang Mengting felt quite awkward; singing to one person in the grand ballroom of Hundred Joy Gate was a ridiculous situation.

But she did not dare to complain. She knew Miss Chu Er's temper—one minute she might be called the Singing Empress, and the next, she might have her face peeled off.

As the song "I Want You" ended and the band was preparing for the next piece, Yang Yanzheng approached Miss Chu Er.

Miss Chu Er signaled Jiang Mengting not to stop as she left the grand ballroom.

Now that there were no customers left, Jiang Mengting had to continue singing.

「In a suite on the third floor」

Miss Chu Er looked at Yang Yanzheng and asked, "Did you find out anything?"

Yang Yanzheng nodded. "Monkey Qiu has been spreading the word around town, saying anyone who dares go to the Hundred Joy Gate will have the Lu Family at their doorstep the next day."

Miss Chu Er did not believe it. "How many people are there in Greenwater City? Do they all listen to Monkey Qiu?"

"It's not just Monkey Qiu. Patriarch He, He Haiqin, has also given orders. Anyone under the protection of the He Family is forbidden from going to the Hundred Joy Gate. The same goes for the Ma Family, and even the Chu Family..."

Yang Yanzheng did not continue. The Four Great Families were now targeting Chu Huaiyuan.

Chu Huaiyuan lifted her head and looked at Yang Yanzheng. "The great families can't control every single commoner, can they? They also dare not come?"

Yang Yanzheng gave a bitter smile. "Miss, you must be joking. How many commoners could afford to come to the Hundred Joy Gate?"

Miss Chu Er said, "I'll lower the price! It'll only cost twenty silver coins to come here and dance, and they can pick any dancing girl they like!"

Yang Yanzheng did not know what to say—doing business like this was sure to lead to a loss. Besides, even if it were free, no one would be able to get in.

"The Lu Family has planted several Supports nearby. They have magical treasures, and ordinary people would have to walk around our sign to avoid them."

Miss Chu Er glared fiercely and ordered, "Call Wen Hongyan! Go take out those Supports for me!"

Yang Yanzheng advised, "Miss, please calm down. If you kill those Supports, do you think Monkey Qiu would let it go?"

"Then kill Monkey Qiu as well!"

Kill Monkey Qiu? Miss Chu Er had lost her reason. What did she have to kill Monkey Qiu with? It was already a mercy that Monkey Qiu wasn't trying to kill her. Lucky for her, this was Greenwater City. Monkey Qiu did not want to make too much of a fuss; otherwise, he would have already made a move on Miss Chu Er!

Yang Yanzheng could not be diplomatic anymore and had to speak bluntly, "The best fighter you have is Wen Hongyan. How can we possibly kill Monkey Qiu?"

"Hire someone! Hire a hitman!"

"Which hitman would dare to lay a finger on the head butler of the Lu Family?"

"I'll pay! I'll sell my house! I'll live at the Hundred Joy Gate from now on! It's either him or me!"

Yang Yanzheng rubbed his forehead. Seeing Miss Chu Er had calmed down a bit, he suggested, "Miss, why don't we just give the Hundred Joy Gate back to the Lu Family? Let's negotiate a good price with them. We won't lose too much."

"No way! Hundred Joy Gate is mine! I won't give it to anyone!" Miss Chu Er's emotions flared up again, and Yang Yanzheng said no more.

After a long silence, Miss Chu Er rose to her feet and said, "Prepare the carriage. We're going to Blue Poplar Village."

"What are we going to Blue Poplar Village for?"

"To find Ma Wu. When he ran Xiaoyao Lodge, the great families also gave him trouble, but he knew how to deal with them. We must find him; he definitely has a plan."

Yang Yanzheng shook his head repeatedly. "Miss, Xiaoyao Lodge and Hundred Joy Gate are two different things. How big of a business is Xiaoyao Lodge? Hundred Joy Gate is the symbol of Greenwater City!"

"You don't know a thing! Ma Wu is the real expert at making money; he must have a way!"

"Miss, please don't be reckless. The Lu Family is blocking our business now, and we don't know what they'll do next. You can't leave the city. Once you do, the Lu Family might resort to dirty tricks! Miss! Miss..."

Despite Yang Yanzheng's persistent persuasion, Miss Chu Er paid him no heed. She had the carriage prepared and, accompanied by her entourage, set out for Blue Poplar Village.

「Blue Poplar Village, Smooth Spring Garden」

Chief Custodian Zuo Wugang went from the dance floor to the restaurant, from the restaurant to the inn, circled the inn twice, and then headed towards the tavern.

Xiao Chuanzi followed behind, sweating profusely. "Head Zuo, you've circled more than twenty times already! At least think of a solution!"

"What are you yelling about!" Zuo Wugang furrowed his brows. "I am thinking of a solution, aren't I!"

Miss Chu Er had arrived!

Neither Li Banfeng nor Ma Wu was there. She did not leave but rented over a dozen rooms in Mengchun Garden and settled down.

She was now a thorn in the Lu Family's side, and other families were also targeting her secretly. Under these circumstances, they could not let her stay long in Blue Poplar Village.

Zuo Wugang had considered the First Layer.

But as for what specifically to do, Zuo Wugang had not figured it out.

Xiao Chuanzi was anxious, as were Zhen Jincheng and Cao Zhida.

Cao Zhida was the first to suggest, "Head Zuo, I say we just play hardball and drive them out. We can handle those few people under Miss Chu Er!"

Zuo Wugang waved his hand dismissively. "On what grounds should we play hardball with them? They came to Smooth Spring Garden for leisure, paid for their rooms and drinks. Why should we drive them away? Is that proper?"

Zhen Jincheng said, "Then let's go reason with her, persuade her to leave!"

Zuo Wugang spat. "Reason, my foot! You've never even read a book. How can you reason with a young lady from a wealthy family?"

Cao Zhida said, "If overt methods don't work, let's use covert ones. We'll create trouble for her, make her realize it's too difficult to stay and leave on her own!"

"That's not appropriate either," Zuo Wugang shook his head. "Perhaps Miss Chu Er and Fifth Young Master truly have some affection for each other. If we're too ruthless, Fifth Young Master will blame us when he returns."

Zhen Jincheng sighed. "Then what do you suggest? By the time the Lu Family comes knocking, it'll be too late!"

"I'm thinking it won't come to that. Miss Chu Er is a significant figure too; the Lu Family wouldn't go so far as to annihilate her."

Cao Zhida said, "In Greenwater City, the Lu Family might have some reservations. But this is Blue Poplar Village. Killing someone here is as easy as killing a chicken. The Lu Family will act when they decide to. At that point, even if we manage to avoid the Lu Family, if Miss Chu Er dies here, we're finished too! This matter would be impossible to explain!"

Zuo Wugang had also thought of the First Layer.

But he truly did not know how to handle it.

Zuo Wugang became frantic. "All of you, go back! Stop yammering in my ear! Go on, get lost!"

The three found a room in Smooth Spring Garden and sat down, while Zuo Wugang continued to pace outside.

Xiao Chuanzi sighed. "How can Head Zuo not come up with any ideas?"

Zhen Jincheng shook his head. "That's his problem. If someone gives him an order, he's a tiger. Without orders, he's not even as good as a cat."

Cao Zhida pounded the table. "Why hasn't Master Wu returned yet? And there's no word from Seventh Master either!"

「Twenty hours later」

Li Banfeng woke up inside the Portable Residence.

"Well, my dear husband, did you just have a pleasant dream?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I had a nightmare. I dreamt that a swarm of bugs ate me clean."

WHIRR~

"Well, my dear husband, that shouldn't be. Encountering that wretched woman usually leads to pleasant dreams; some people never wake up from them."

Li Banfeng sat on the edge of the bed and asked, "The wretched woman you mentioned, is it that Miss Feng?"

"If this servant hasn't guessed wrong, my husband must have encountered Feng Daiku."

"Feng Daiku? What kind of name is that?"

The phonograph chirped, "When this woman was born, she brought a calamity to her family. Consequently, she was loathed by her relatives, who gave her this unpleasant name. Feng Daiku is a mouthful, so over time, people started calling her Feng Koudai. That sounded much better, and the name stuck."

"Feng Koudai? Isn't that even worse?"

WHIRR~

"That name was considered rather pleasant. After some years, whether through mishearing or some other twist of fate, 'Koudai' became 'Pants Belt.' Consequently, people began to call her Feng Pants Belt."

"Pants Belt? That's tolerable?"

"It is! Admittedly, that wretched woman has some magnanimity. She accepted the name Pants Belt and even renamed her territory. It was originally called Pocket Pit, but she changed it to Pants Belt Pit."

Pants Belt Pit... Pants Belt Pit!

"My dear, are you saying Pants Belt Pit is her territory? And she's the one who named it?"

"Yes! She's the Local Deity of Pants Belt Pit. You must know what a Local Deity signifies, my husband."

Local Deity!

The two words echoed back and forth in Li Banfeng's mind.

That Miss Feng is a Local Deity, the Local Deity of Pants Belt Pit. What about Old Master Yao of Medicine King Valley? Is he also a Local Deity? The Local Deity of Medicine King Valley? Logically, that makes sense; Elder Yao is a Lost Soul, and a Local Deity is also a Lost Soul. Is Miss Feng a Lost Soul? I should've checked carefully with Golden Gaze Autumn Hair back then.

Li Banfeng asked the phonograph, "My dear, what is the origin of a Local Deity?"

"This servant can't remember anymore."

"Come on, my dear, just tell me. I'll get you something to eat—fresh, sweet, and crispy souls, as many as you want." Li Banfeng leaned closer to the phonograph.

"Well, my dear husband, it's not that this servant is being stubborn; I truly can't remember. The origin of the Local Deity is related to the Inner State, and this servant does not wish to remember things about the Inner State."

Inner State?

Li Banfeng heard a new term.

"What place is the Inner State?"

"There are the Outside Provinces beyond, and there is the Inner State within, with Puluo State lying in between."

"My dear, please tell me more about this Inner State."

"My husband, this servant really doesn't wish to recall it."

"My dear, think about it carefully. I'm going to buy groceries soon."

"My husband, if you insist on making this servant remember, I can. But recalling it might drive me mad."

Li Banfeng responded with a faint smile, "A little madness is fine. Who hasn't gone mad at some point?"

WHIRR~

The phonograph's tune suddenly slowed down considerably. "Once mad, I might not recognize you anymore, my husband. Do you really want this servant to recall it?"

Li Banfeng was silent for a moment, then moved a bit away from the phonograph. "Then I won't force you, my dear."

CLANG CLANG CLANG~ HA!

The phonograph's tune became much more cheerful. "Well, my dear husband, speaking of which, I remember you were always at Greenwater Bay. How did you come across that wretched Feng Daiku?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I don't know. She said she was injured."

"Well, that's strange. In Greenwater Bay, how many people could hurt her? Could it be that the Hua Zi injured her? But why would she go to Greenwater Bay to provoke that Hua Zi?"

The Hua Zi of Greenwater Bay? The master of Greenwater Bay? Did they fight? Was it over territory?

The amount of information was overwhelming, and Li Banfeng grew increasingly confused the more he listened.

Suddenly, he remembered something Feng Daiku had given him—the clump of flesh wrapped in bamboo leaves.

He took the flesh out of his suit pocket. "This is what Feng Daiku gave me."

WHOOSH~

A cloud of steam enveloped the bamboo leaves, sensing for a long while.

"That wretched woman has learned quite a few tricks. She made a seal that even I can't perceive. Husband, open these bamboo leaves for this servant to see."

Li Banfeng untied the grass stem on the bamboo leaves, revealing the clump of flesh inside.

TAP~ TAP~ TAP... HA!

The gongs and drums sounded for a long time before the phonograph finally spoke, "If this servant isn't mistaken, this is the flesh of Pan Dehai."

Li Banfeng looked blank. "And who is Pan Dehai?"

"Virtue Cultivation, people call him Mister Dehai. He's also a Local Deity. But how could he have fought with Feng Daiku?"

PS: Why would the Local Deity of Pants Belt Pit appear in Greenwater Bay?

And fight with someone there?

Is this a blatant disregard for the boss of Greenwater Bay?