Step Without Trace

Lu Dongliang, the Lu Family's Eldest Master, went up to the third floor of Thousand Delights Wine House alone.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Lu Dongliang took off his suit jacket, beckoned to Qiu Zhiheng with his finger, and gestured for Qiu Zhiheng to come and take it.

This was something Qiu Zhiheng didn't actually need to handle, but since Lu Dongliang had given the order, Qiu Zhiheng couldn't disobey and quickly took the suit.

To be honest, Qiu Zhiheng still hasn't come to his senses.

Everyone present was stunned.

They had no idea where Lu Dongliang had come from.

Lu Dongliang's legal wife, Duan Shaoxia, stood up, tears welling in her eyes, and said, "Dongliang, you're back, you're back..."

Lu Dongliang pressed down on his palm, signaling her to be quiet.

Duan Shaoxia noticed that Lu Dongliang was missing a tooth and had a scar on his wrist, but she didn't ask any questions. In front of outsiders, she was very considerate of Lu Dongliang's reputation.

Lu Dongliang focused his gaze on He Yuxiu's face.

He Yuxiu looked at Lu Dongliang and said, "You're still alive?"

Lu Dongliang smiled, "You're so eager for me to die? Too bad you're not capable enough."

He Yuxiu raised an eyebrow. "Make yourself clear, it's your brother who's not capable enough, it's him who wants to kill you."

"Shameless!" Lu Dongliang spat. "If Dongjun hadn't been there, I would have really died at your hands that night, He Yuxiu. I never thought you were so vicious, actually colluding with Zhuo Yuling to plot against me!"

Everyone present was extremely surprised, as this was completely different from what they had heard.

He Family Master He Cunshou, He Yuxiu's fourth uncle moved slightly.

He was a seventh-level Dexiu, and he used his skill.

Anyone who lies to him will suffer a severe blow; even Lu Dongliang, who is Ninth Layer, will be injured.

He Yuxiu stood up and said, "Lu Dongliang, you better explain yourself clearly! Who the hell colluded with Zhuo Yuling? Who plotted against you?"

"That night at my house, weren't you and Zhuo Yuling the ones who made the first move?"

As soon as he finished speaking, He Cunshou did not activate his skill, confirming Lu Dongliang's statement.

He Cunshou turned to look at He Yuxiu.

He Yuxiu nodded and said, "I did lay a hand on you, but I didn't intend to kill you!"

That statement wasn't a lie either.

Lu Dongliang nodded and said, "You didn't intend to kill anyone; it was Zhuo Yuling who wanted to kill!"

That statement wasn't a lie either.

He Yuxiu angrily retorted, "I don't know what they were thinking. I'm different from them; I didn't kill them!"

The two argued back and forth, with He Yuxiu repeatedly emphasizing that she had no intention of killing anyone at the time.

Lu Dongliang repeatedly emphasized that He Yuxiu made the first move that night.

Both of them were telling the truth, and after arguing for a long time, Old Master He couldn't take it anymore.

The old man was over seventy years old, and he kept his seventh-level technique running. He just listened to the two of them arguing the whole time, and the old man was so tired that he was covered in sweat.

"I'll tell you all to calm down for a bit, and let me say a few words," He Cunshou said, turning to He Yuxiu. "Xiu, tell your fourth uncle the truth, was it you who laid a hand on Dongliang that night?"

"It's me," He Yuxiu readily admitted.

He Cunshou frowned, then turned to Lu Dongliang and asked, "Dongliang, our Jiaqing was injured by your daughter. You promised to give the He Family an explanation. Where is Lu Xiaolan now?"

Lu Dongliang replied, "I don't know where she is either."

Truth.

After asking the two key questions, He Cunshou turned off his technique, wiped his sweat, and said to He Yuxiu, "Xiu, you went to someone's house and injured them. This was wrong of you. You should apologize to Dongliang first."

He Yuxiu angrily retorted, "It wasn't that I wanted to fight; I was doing it in self-defense. This isn't my fault!"

"You child!" He Cunshou frowned. "Dongliang, Yu Xiu is just like this, don't take it to heart. But we need to get this Jiaqing matter cleared up. When are you going to give us an explanation?"

Lu Dongliang looked at He Yuxiu and sneered, "You'll have to ask your young lady that."

He Yuxiu retorted angrily, "Bullshit, why are you asking me? I have no dealings with Zhuo Yuling or Lu Xiaolan."

Seeing the two start arguing again, He Cunshou gave a wry smile, "I'm getting old, I can't control these younger guys anymore. Brother Lu, what do you say about this?"

An old man from the Lu Family also came, Lu Dongliang's uncle, Lu Maoxian.

Lu Maoxian eighty years old and his eyesight was failing. He casually replied, "The children decide, the children decide."

Seeing He Cunshou remained silent.

Lu Dongliang looked around at everyone and said, "I will continue to investigate the whereabouts of Zhuo Yuling and Lu Xiaolan. Sooner or later, I will give the He Family an explanation for this matter."

While I was away, Dongjun took care of things at home.

"If any of you dare to lay a hand on Dongjun again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Lu Dongliang snatched the clothes from Qiu Zhiheng's hand and turned to leave.

The first wife, Duan Shaoxia, stood up and caught up with him. "Dongliang, where are you going? I'll go with you!"

Lu Dongliang suddenly turned around and pushed Duan Shaoxia away. "Don't follow me, none of you should follow me. I don't trust anyone right now!"

Duan Shaoxia was stunned; she never expected Lu Dongliang to say such a thing to her.

Hatred welled up in her heart, and a bloodshot appeared in Duan Shaoxia's pupils.

Lu Dongliang was unaware of this. He glanced at everyone and turned to leave.

The room was stunned. He Yuxiu cursed repeatedly, Duan Shaoxia burst into tears.

He Cunshou sensed something was wrong, but he couldn't ask too many questions in this situation.

Several important figures in the Lu Family also sensed something was amiss. They exchanged glances, but remained silent.

He Yuxiu muttered to herself, "Is this really Lu Dongliang?"

More than one person had doubts, but no one said anything.

The Lu Family didn't say anything, because if they said the wrong thing, things would get very complicated.

The He Family didn't say anything; they just watched silently. Why should they get anxious when watching a show?

Lu Dongliang returned to Lu Dongjun's residence and quietly entered his bedroom.

Looking in the mirror, he removed the fake skin from his face.

He thought he had performed the play Seamless Heavenly Garment and smiled with satisfaction.

He took the dentures out of the lion's mouth and put them into his own.

Before long, his cheeks began to twitch intermittently.

He will have a toothache for the next three days.

This is the price of using lions.

In a ward at Yuezhou Third Hospital.

He Jiaqing could no longer laugh.

A familiar voice reached his ears. "Lu Dongliang is going to a banquet at the Thousand Delights Pavilion to confront your aunt face to face."

Lu Dongliang came back as if nothing had happened?

Lu Dongliang really not dead?

The person on the other end asked, "Can you see it? How did Lu Dongliang come back to life?"

He Jiaqing shook his head and said, "I can't see anything at all, it's all blurry. It seems to have a very powerful force. Are you sure this person is Lu Dongliang?"

"I'll check it out," the other end replied.

"Don't go. You can't reveal yourself yet. If that person really is Lu Dongliang, be extremely careful."

Please don't report this in the newspapers yet; wait for my news.

"Could you deliver a letter for me? I'll find someone to help me investigate."

The caregiver beside him was sleeping. He Jiaqing sat up, his body flashing across the hospital bed, and he had a pen, an envelope, and a piece of paper in his hand.

He took these from the stationery store downstairs. The stationery store owner didn't see anyone and didn't know what had happened.

He quickly wrote a letter, put it in an envelope, sealed it with saliva, affixed a stamp, and rubbed it in his hands for a moment.

A gust of wind blew, and the envelope disappeared.

The caregiver suddenly woke up and looked up at He Jiaqing.

He Jiaqing was still lying in bed, motionless.

In the Lu Family, Monkey Qiu sat silently in a small building in the front yard.

Although Qiu Zhiheng was considered a prominent figure in the Lu Family, he was ultimately a servant. It was unimaginable for a servant to have a separate small building in the mansion in other large Lineage.

But Qiu Zhiheng received this treatment because he had followed Lu Dongliang since he was ten years old, a full twenty-eight years, which earned him a higher status than many Lu Family.

But it seems this position is not going to last.

Getting clothes for Lu Dongliang in front of everyone is nothing special; it's just what a housekeeper should do.

But Lu Dongliang didn't trust him at all. He hadn't given him any news for so many days, and he didn't inform him of his appearance today. He also wouldn't let him follow him when he left. This was something Monkey Qiu couldn't accept.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

A knock sounded at the door, Qiu Zhiheng responded, Big Support Zuo Wugang in.

"Chief Qiu, I brought you a jar of wine. I'd like to have a drink with you."

Qiu Zhiheng was taken aback. Looking at Zuo Wugang's expression, he understood his intention. "You're leaving?"

Zuo Wugang nodded. "Whether we can leave or not depends on your word."

"Why are you leaving? Are you afraid the master will blame you?"

Zuo Wugang put down the wine jar and sat down opposite Qiu Zhiheng, saying, "To be honest, I was a little scared before. If the master were to die like this, I wouldn't be able to escape responsibility for it."

But today, when the master came back, I greeted him at the door. He didn't even glance at me, let alone scold me. Because of this, I understand in my heart that the Lu Family can no longer tolerate me.

Qiu Tou, I haven't complained since the incident. I'm only saying this to you. This isn't my fault. It's not my fault from beginning to end!

This is not your fault at all. I really can't understand what the master meant.

"I'm leaving. With our cultivation levels, we can find work anywhere. Qiu, if you want to leave too, we'll go together."

Qiu Zhiheng remained silent for a long time, then shook his head and said, "I can't leave. My life was given to me by the Lu Family. Take care."

Zuo Wugang didn't say anything more, got up to leave, and as he walked to the door, he found a letter under the door.

"Chief Qiu, here's a letter."

Qiu Zhiheng was taken aback. "You wrote me a letter?"

Zuo Wugang waved his hand and said, "I can barely read or write, what am I going to do writing a letter? Besides, I'm right here, what can't I tell you?"

He handed the letter to Qiu Zhiheng and turned to leave.

Qiu Zhiheng opened the envelope, glanced at it, and immediately froze on the spot.

The letter writer identified herself as Lu Xiaolan, and the handwriting was indeed hers.

The letter contains the following content:

The Lu Dongliang you saw was fake.

He used my necklace.

He had scars on his wrists.

Anyone who has worn that necklace will have scars on their wrist.

Li Banfeng went to Xindi to get the clay.

On the way, Li Banfeng asked about something, "Brother Ma, have you ever seen a two-story Travel Cultivator?"

Ma Wu nodded and said, "I've met you before."

What techniques are involved in Travel Cultivator on the second floor?

"You shouldn't be asking me that. Aren't you the Travel Cultivator?"

Li Banfeng said with a serious expression, "I am a first-level Travel Cultivator, so of course I don't know the techniques of the second level."

Ma Wu: "The technique of the second level of Travel Cultivator is called 'Step Without Trace'."

Li Banfeng blinked and asked, "Is this qinggong (lightness skill)?"

"It's not about lightness skill; it's about the ability of the Travel Cultivator to steal a step while moving. The two sides are initially locked in combat at a three-step distance, but the Travel Cultivator could suddenly move one step closer or one step further away during the battle."

This step takes almost no time, and even a cultivator's keen eyesight cannot discern the footwork of Travel Cultivator at the same level, often catching the opponent off guard.

Li Banfeng recalled Huang Guangshi, the second-level Travel Cultivator who had been killed.

Huang Guangshi could teleport instantly, which gave him a huge advantage when he fought Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng didn't know Huang's cultivation level and thought that Huang had used a very high-level technique.

This method is impressive, but how do you use it?

Ma Wu pondered for a while and said, "I once heard a Travel Cultivator say that the techniques and mechanisms of Travel Cultivator are not difficult; the difficulty lies in controlling the degree of control."

"Step Without Trace" seems to be about using intention to guide the steps; the caster must firmly believe they can take that step and genuinely want to take it for it to be effective.

Li Banfeng frowned and said, "So, this technique isn't something you can just use whenever you want. If you're nervous at a crucial moment, it might not even work?"

Ma Wu nodded and said, "Just as Brother Li said, I once heard of a third-level Travel Cultivator, during a battle, originally intended to take a step back, but in his haste, he took a step forward instead, directly crashing into the opponent's weapon and losing his life."

PS: Lu Dongliang used the Step Without Trace during his battle with He Yuxiu.