You're a Man of Honor

Shuiyue Sect is a sect that specializes in formations, particularly illusion formations, and is also skilled in breaking them. It's a sect with great potential for a career change into underground professions.

Because they weren't skilled in combat, Pang Miaosong and Lu Bei's match revolved around formations, avoiding any close-quarters brawls.

This was Pang Miaosong's idea; she didn't want Lu Bei getting close to her in front of a crowd.

She would be at a disadvantage.

A disadvantage in every sense of the word.

Lu Bei wasn't very knowledgeable about breaking formations. Even with the Formation Breaking Compass and incantations, he didn't have much confidence. Fortunately, Heaven rewards the good-hearted. He had a stable advantage in cultivation level over Pang Miaosong. Guided by the Formation Breaking Compass, he used brute force to overcome skill and carved his way out of the illusion formation with his saber.

Before Lu Bei could utter a clever idiom, Pang Miaosong decisively stepped off the stage. With a blank expression and no words, she conceded, ending the unremarkable match.

The four helpers Ding Lei had recruited had two losses and two forfeits. Lu Bei won all four of his matches and reached for his spoils of war.

No spoils of war?

Impossible, the organizers weren't that kind of people.

In a side hall of the Emei Sect, Ding Lei sat dejectedly. Lu Bei scanned the four sect masters and rubbed his hands together, saying, "We don't know each other well, so I won't waste time with pleasantries. You four backed Sect Leader Ding, ganging up on me with superior numbers. I, Lu, had no choice but to accept. As the saying goes, it's rude not to reciprocate. Since you four were defeated and forfeited one after another, it's my turn to bully the weak and use force."

"Sect Leader Lu, you misunderstand..."

"Whether it's a misunderstanding, I know clearly, and you all know it too."

Lu Bei directly interrupted him, his tone softening slightly. "Don't worry, the four of you. I'm not an unreasonable person. Your grudges with me are far less significant than Sect Leader Ding's grudge with me. I don't ask for much. The spirit bamboo quota for each sect for three months will belong to Sanqing Peak... Hmm, Hanyue Sect is an exception. Sect Master Du's demeanor is to my liking. I respect you as a man. We've met today, and consider Hanyue Sect's three-month spirit bamboo quota a welcoming gift."

"Lu..."

"If you disagree, step forward. The arena hasn't been dismantled yet."

Lu Bei swept his gaze over them with disdain. "Today, either you kill me, or I kill you."

"Preposterous! Why exclude Hanyue Sect? Who do you think you are looking down on!"

"..." x5

"Bring me paper and brush!"

Just as silence fell over the hall, Du Jinglan slapped the table. Ignoring the frequent glances from the other sect masters, he readily wrote an IOU.

"..." x3

Pang Miaosong and the other two sect masters immediately turned pale. They seriously suspected that Du Jinglan, while appearing straightforward, was actually cunning. He might have already received benefits from Lu Bei beforehand and even thrown the match.

"Sect Master Du, your magnanimity is truly admirable! I'm impressed!!"

Lu Bei exclaimed with a hearty praise. Seeing the stalemate, an assist had arrived. If he hadn't known he and Du Jinglan were strangers, he would have suspected this man was his mole.

Damn it, we have a traitor among us!

Pang Miaosong and the other two sect masters gritted their teeth and wrote their IOUs, cursing Lu Bei and Du Jinglan to the high heavens in their hearts. Du Jinglan, in particular, had his entire family tree dug up.

For a moment, Du Jinglan became the greater enemy. While Lu Bei was indeed too overbearing, he was an "outsider" from the start. The harm he inflicted was far less than that of Du Jinglan, an "insider," turning his back and betraying them.

Ding Lei's expression was complex. Seeing the four external allies sign their IOUs one by one, his grief inexplicably lessened.

Facts once again proved that listening to love songs when sad is useless; watching others suffer is the only way to alleviate one's own misery.

The income from spirit bamboo was a major source of revenue for the remaining eight peaks of Nine Bamboo Mountain, besides Sanqing Peak. Cutting off the supply for three months meant living frugally for three months. The thought of this made the faces of the sect masters extremely grim.

"Sect Leader Lu, if there are no other matters, we shall take our leave." Lin Hong stood up.

He was at the Emei Sect, but he ignored Sect Master Ding Lei, indicating he had already blacklisted this place.

"Four sect masters, please wait. I do have something to say, and it's very important."

Lu Bei accepted the four IOUs, his arrogant demeanor vanishing in an instant. He sighed softly, "Esteemed sirs, it's not that I intentionally make things difficult for your sects; I am simply compelled. I don't want this either."

Yeah, right. We believe you!

The sect masters rolled their eyes. Ding Lei rolled his the most. He was blind not to have seen how happily Lu Bei had laughed when he effortlessly defeated the Emei Sect disciples that night.

"Regarding the situation at Sanqing Peak, I believe Sect Leader Ding has already informed you all. There's a guest named Zhu who paid a visit..."

Lu Bei looked up at the roof at a forty-five-degree angle. "This all started three months ago. Back then, I was still a youth. I had just arrived at Dasheng Pass, and I thought everyone was a good person... The Zhu Family Trading Company has long coveted the spirit bamboo of Nine Bamboo Mountain... I was taken advantage of due to my youth and lack of caution... They found leverage over me... My actions are all out of necessity."

"Sect Leader Lu, please speak clearly. You're being so vague, what exactly are you talking about?"

"The Zhu Family Trading Company wants to cooperate with you sect masters. Because of my identity as the Sect Master of the Feather Transformation Sect, they used me as an entry point..."

Lu Bei cut to the chase. "For these three months, the Zhu Family Trading Company will offer a 20% increase on the usual transaction amounts to each sect as a show of good faith. After three months, no matter how much SITONG Trading Company offers, the Zhu Family Trading Company will offer more."

"This isn't about money. Business relies on integrity. We've already accepted a deposit from SITONG Trading Company; how can we go back on our word? Furthermore, the spirit bamboo ultimately flows to Dasheng Pass. If we face trouble with the Huangji Sect due to issues at the source, SITONG Trading Company only needs to say a word, and we'll all be in deep trouble."

"You don't need to worry. The Zhu family will handle SITONG Trading Company. As for the Huangji Sect, Prefect Zhu of Dongqi Commandery and Steward Lin of Dasheng Pass are close friends. If this deal falls through, it would actually offend them... Heh heh, I've said enough. You all understand in your hearts." Lu Bei gave an ambiguous reply, as some matters were not meant to be explicitly stated. He hoped the sect masters would understand on their own.

Whether they understood correctly or not was none of his business.

"As for the IOUs in my hand, please don't take them to heart. What's yours is yours, and the amount is the amount. I won't take a single cent."

Lu Bei puffed out his chest. "The rumors that I'm greedy for money are pure nonsense. For monthly transactions, the Zhu Family Trading Company will contact you directly. Payments will be settled face-to-face. I won't even touch the money."

"Is that true?!" Ding Lei's teacup-holding hand trembled violently, resonating with the porcelain.

"With my current reputation, even if I give my word, you won't believe me, so I won't waste any more time."

Lu Bei chuckled lightly, "Time will prove everything. In a few more days, it will be time for the trade. Whether what I, Lu, said is true or false will be perfectly clear then."

The several Sect Masters exchanged whispers. Their gazes towards Lu Bei were completely different now, shedding their previous disdain and becoming exceptionally friendly. They spoke of the Nine Bamboo lineage being united and expressed deep apologies, admitting they had misunderstood Lu Bei.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Sect Master Ding is an exception."

Lu Bei looked at Ding Lei, who was in a state of resonance, and grinned, "Sect Master Ding, you launched a surprise attack on Sanqing Peak. This debt has nothing to do with business; it's purely a personal grievance between you and me. The land you owe me and the compensation you owe me must be paid in full, not a single cent less."

"That makes sense. Sect Master Ding was in the wrong first!" Liu Ao shook his head and sighed.

"Bullying the few with numbers is indeed wrong. Sect Master Ding, forgive us for siding with reason," Lin Hong nodded in agreement.

Ding Lei's eyes bulged. He looked around and found Du Jinglan as a mole, Liu Ao and Lin Hong as opportunists, and even Pang Miaosong, who had lost face, was silent at this moment.

Not a single teammate!

"Hahaha, just kidding, Sect Master Ding, don't take it seriously. Lu, I'm just still upset that you led people to sneak attack me that night. The Nine Bamboo Mountain is one family. My small retaliation was enough to complete my revenge. How could I truly demand the land deeds of your Emei Mountain, one hundred thousand taels, and the Spirit Bamboo business?"

Lu Bei smiled elegantly and took out a promissory note from his embrace, placing it solemnly in Ding Lei's hand. "My repeated teasing before was just because I couldn't quell my anger. Now that my mind is clear, I hope Sect Master Ding can give Lu a way down and let go of this grudge."

"Hiss, hiss, hiss—"

Looking at the promissory note he had personally written, Ding Lei's eyes turned red. After tearing it to shreds, he grabbed Lu Bei's hand, "Younger brother... no, Brother Lu, I have offended you greatly before. Your small punishment was deserved. Today... Ding is not eloquent. If Brother Lu doesn't mind, I wish to become sworn brothers with you today."

Pah, you wish!

"No rush, we can talk about becoming sworn brothers another day. I suddenly remembered, I'm returning the promissory note to you, and then we'll have no disputes in business."

Lu Bei pointed at the scattered fragments on the ground, "Please trouble Sect Master Ding to write another one. Three months will be enough."

Ding Lei: "..."

This fellow is thick-skinned, black-hearted, and possesses no small talent in cultivation. He will surely achieve great things in the future. It's truly a pity that I couldn't take the opportunity to become sworn brothers and latch onto a powerful backer today.