Chapter 58: A Secret Council

Lu Tianlin flicked his sleeve and entered the Lu Residence.

“Second Brother.” Lu Tianbei stepped forward and grasped Lu Tianhong’s hand.

“Third Brother, these past years have been hard on you.” Lu Tianhong felt somewhat ashamed. Most of the family’s finances had relied on Lu Tianbei. Over the years, Lu Tianbei had roamed far and wide, enduring countless hardships and facing many dangers.

Lu Tianbei let out a cheerful laugh. “What of it? I had the chance to see more of the world—something to be cherished.”

In truth, Lu Tianhong understood well. The Lu family had only three brothers. After their father, the old patriarch, passed the family headship to Lu Tianhong and secluded himself, Lu Tianlin ceased to involve himself in family affairs. Since his eldest son, Lu Hui, left for the Jinyang Sect, he no longer cared for the family business at all.

Lu Tianhong had to manage the entire household, so the burden of business outside fell upon Lu Tianbei. Now in his early thirties, Lu Tianbei remained unmarried—not for lack of desire, but sheer lack of time.

Lu Tianhong patted Lu Tianbei’s shoulder, at a loss for words.

“Second Brother, just now, was Eldest Brother still brooding over what happened all those years ago?” Having seen Lu Tianlin leave with a sweep of his sleeve, Lu Tianbei couldn’t help but ask.

“I never understood Father’s reasoning for that decision either. Perhaps he had his own reasons. Come, let’s talk inside. I’ve instructed the kitchen to prepare a fine meal. It’s been too long since we brothers sat together at table.”

With that, Lu Tianhong and Lu Tianbei entered the residence.

…

Afternoon.

“Second Brother, let’s stop here for today. It wouldn’t do to drink too much—after all, the family assembly is in a few days.” The two brothers sat at the dining table.

Lu Tianhong had sent for Lu Tianlin, but the latter hadn’t come. Clearly, he still brooded over the incident at the gate.

“Yes, Third Brother, you’ve just returned. Go and rest awhile—you must be weary from your journey.”

“I’ll take my leave then, Second Brother.” Lu Tianbei made no pretense. Days of hurried travel had left him fatigued. He’d heard something about Lu Han, but didn’t know how to ask; their relationship was uncle and nephew, but more like friends.

After Lu Tianbei left, Lu Tianhong ordered the servants to clear the table and went to his study.

No sooner had he sat down than he suddenly remembered something. He reached into his robe and took out the letter Chen Jun had given him.

Lu Tianhong opened the letter.

His expression changed.

With a crack, the armrest of his grand chair shattered beneath his grip.

A trace of tears glimmered in Lu Tianhong’s eyes.

But as the head of the family, he quickly regained his composure. After reading the letter, he took up the lamp, held the letter over the flame, and set it alight.

Watching the paper curl into embers, Lu Tianhong murmured thoughtfully, “The family assembly, the City Lord’s Mansion, Eldest Brother…”

“Uncle Fu, come in.”

…

Meanwhile, in Lu Han’s room.

“Brother Chen, I think you’d best leave Maple Leaf City tomorrow. The city’s about to be thrown into chaos. If you stay, you’ll be in danger.”

Niu Gao bristled, his eyes like copper bells. “Lu, what do you take us for?”

“That’s right, Brother Lu. Especially at a time like this, we can’t just run. The three of us may not be strong, but every bit of help counts,” Chen Jun added.

Hong Banmei merely sat in silence. Chen Jun’s decision was hers; that was the sort of woman she was.

“You all…” Lu Han knew that further persuasion would be fruitless.

In truth, Lu Han felt this was his family’s affair. He couldn’t selfishly drag Chen Jun and the others into danger on his behalf.

If things were as Old Master Lie suspected, and the City Lord and the Li family had indeed joined forces, the Lu family was in grave peril.

Had Lu Han not returned—and taken Lie Xiong’s poison—the Lu family might well have changed hands the day after tomorrow.

For the first time, Lu Han felt that his fall from the cliff had truly been a blessing in disguise.

He shook his head. “Am I getting addicted to falling off cliffs now?”

…

In an unknown, shadowy room, three figures in black conferred in low voices.

“How are things progressing?”

“City Lord, all preparations are complete. Barring surprises, once the head of the Li family cooperates with you, the day after tomorrow my son Lu Ran will become the young master of the Lu family, and I, naturally, the acting family head. With all the Lu family as witness, even if my father were to appear, nothing could be changed.”

Another figure in the darkness spoke.

“Hmph. I don’t want ‘barring surprises.’ I want absolute certainty! Do you understand? Even though I, Wen Hao, was exiled here, I’ll be emperor of this place. The Lu and Lie families are my only obstacles.” The third figure spoke coldly.

“Rest assured, City Lord. Once I am head of the Lu family, we’ll follow your lead in all things,” the shadow replied with a fist salute.

“Enough. Go back now—if you’re gone too long, it will arouse suspicion.” The man waved him away.

“Yes.”

…

“City Lord, this Lu Tianlin’s ambition is no small thing,” commented Li Zhengcheng, head of the Li family, who had kept his silence while Lu Tianlin was present.

“Him? He thinks that having a son in the Jinyang Sect means he’s untouchable. In the end, he’ll be nothing but a dog at my feet.” Wen Hao sneered.

“I’m just using him. I met with that old fool of the Lu family in secret. Since the Lu family refuses to heed reason, I’ll see them wiped out. As for the Lie family, they have no reason to exist either.”

Wen Hao clenched his fist as if the world itself were within his grasp.

Though the foremost power in Maple Leaf City, Wen Hao dared not move openly against the Lu family, one of the city’s three great clans, for fear of heavy losses—not to mention the Lie family, a ticking bomb.

“Tell your father that if this succeeds, I’ll keep all my promises.”

With that, Wen Hao had clearly dismissed him.

Li Zhengcheng took his leave from the secretive black chamber.

“In a few days, Maple Leaf City will be mine—completely mine. No more three great clans and a City Lord’s Mansion. One city needs only one lord. What need is there for families? Families?” Wen Hao’s voice bordered on mania.

Ever since arriving at Maple Leaf City, he had nominally been lord, but the three great clans still refused to yield. Only the minor houses showed him true deference.

He had long sought to bring the three great clans to heel, but the Lu and Li families each had an expert of the Xuan Sovereign rank, while the Lie family, though without a Xuan Sovereign, boasted three masters at the peak of the Innate Realm—virtually invincible below Xuan Sovereign. Were they to go mad, even the City Lord’s Mansion would struggle to withstand them. Thus, the city remained balanced among the four powers.

“With a puppet like Lu Tianlin as Lu family head, only the Lie family will remain. And then, it will be squeezed as I please.” The chamber fell silent.

…

“Father, is waiting really all we can do?” Lie Xiong sat with his father in the old master’s secluded courtyard. They played chess, but Lie Xiong paused, holding a piece in mid-air.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Since we have proof, why not seize Lu Tianlin directly? Then even the City Lord’s Mansion would have little to say. Wouldn’t that settle things?”

“You’re only seeing the surface. Wen Hao can create one Lu Tianlin today; tomorrow, there will be another. This time, he wants to destroy both our Lie family and the Lu family. Even if we killed Lu Tianlin, what then? Wen Hao would just send ten more, or a hundred. He’s already used Black Jiao Poisonweed—something even the Wen clan in the imperial capital rarely handles. Wen Hao is determined to wipe us out. Our only choice now is to fight.”

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