Turning Hands into Clouds

The next day, Ma Wu was basically recovered, and Li Banfeng immediately took him home from the hospital.

Zuo Wugang exclaimed, "The medical skills at this hospital are truly amazing, but things are a bit unsettled after what happened last night."

Cui Tike and Wan Jinxian clashed in the hospital, Zuo Wugang noticed it too.

Huo Ling dismissed it as nothing. "Let them fight it out, it has nothing to do with us. If they dare to drag Fifth Son into this, let them try."

Ma Wu looked at Huo Ling and couldn't help but shake his head repeatedly.

Shui Yongquan was right; Huo Ling is neither suited to be an assassin nor a support character.

But Huo Ling really liked Green Water City, Ma Wu was reluctant to let her go back.

Because Huo Ling is a warm person, she is especially warm.

Back at Carefree Dock, Ma Wu recounted what had happened: a middle-aged man left a message beside him, and Ma Wu immediately fell ill.

Li Banfeng knew that the middle-aged man Ma Wu mentioned was Cui Tike's senior brother, that he had come for him, and that this man was one of He Jiaqing's subordinates.

But who exactly is this senior disciple?

Zuo Wugang did have some recollection. "I glanced at him in the corridor yesterday. He was covered in rashes, which was quite disgusting, but from behind, he looked like Wan Jinxian."

Huo Ling was taken aback. "Who is Wan Jinxian?"

"Lu Dongjun, the second master of the Lu Family, is a strategist. That old man is extremely cunning. Lu Dongliang used to tell us to be careful and guard against him."

Li Banfeng listened quietly from the side, and combining this with the conversation between Cui Tike and Wan Jinxian last night, a clue slowly emerged in his mind.

The clues are vague, seemingly traceable, but fragmented.

This matter needs to be sorted out properly.

Ma Wu was still a little weak, so Li Banfeng told him to rest early. He went back to Portable Abode and carefully read through last year's newspapers.

In Medicine King Gully, Li Banfeng first gained a comprehensive understanding of Pro State by buying a pile of old newspapers at Lu Family Bookstore. From then on, he developed the habit of saving newspapers.

During the period when Sea Eat Ridge was hit by disaster, it was Lu Dongjun's moment of glory. He frequently appeared in newspapers of all sizes, and Li Banfeng found a lot of news related to him.

But the key question is, which person is Wan Jinxian?

He finally found it.

In a local newspaper in Sea Eat Ridge, Li Banfeng saw a report that mentioned Wan Jinxian, who was distributing food to some disaster victims on behalf of Lu Dongjun.

Lu Dongjun gained a good reputation in the early stages of pest control, which was probably due to the virus he used, Wan Jinxian's. However, the mosquitoes later mutated, leading to Lu Dongjun's failure.

But at that time, couldn't Wan Jinxian come up with any solutions at all?

He'll definitely come up with a way. If he creates another epidemic, he can curb the mosquito population. Although this method only treats the symptoms, it won't solve the root cause, but it can at least buy Lu Dongjun some time.

But Wan Jinxian didn't do that, and Lu Dongjun disappeared completely not long afterward.

Wan Jinxian never intended to help Lu Dongjun cure the insects from the beginning. He just tricked Lu Dongjun into Sea Eat Ridge, first making Lu Dongjun extremely famous, and then ruining his reputation.

What was his purpose in doing this?

To be precise, this was not Wan Jinxian's goal, but He Jiaqing's goal. Wan Jinxian was He Jiaqing's subordinate.

Li Banfeng spread out the newspapers one by one, specifically looking for news about Sea Eat Ridge during that period.

After searching for more than half an hour, Li Banfeng saw a key piece of information in the news.

Business.

Sea Eat Ridge's business is booming!

After Lu Dongjun achieved success in pest control in First Ridge, he acquired a large number of businesses. News reports at the time included many photos of Lu Dongjun signing contracts, and many businesses in Sea Eat Ridge came under Lu Dongjun control.

But where did all those businesses go afterward?

Li Banfeng continued flipping through the newspaper and discovered that Lu Dongjun had sold these businesses again.

Shen Rongqing, Qian Xiangjun, Duan Shuqun...

Li Banfeng had never heard of any of these businessmen's names.

Lu Dongjun acted like a middleman, taking the business in his hands and then distributing it all away in a short period of time.

What is the reason for this?

Business...

It seemed like we made a big deal back then.

Who did it?

Chu Er!

Continuing to flip through the newspaper, Li Banfeng discovered that before heading to Sea Eat Ridge, Lu Dongjun had sold off many of the Lu Family's businesses in Green Water City. The most famous of these deals was when Lu Dongjun sold the Bai Le Men to Chu Er!

Later, Qiu Zhiheng took back most of these businesses, but some were bought by others.

Who bought it?

Shen Rongqing, Duan Shuqun...

It's that same group of people again!

Li Banfeng stared at the newspaper, his mind racing.

"Hey, my dear husband, why are you being so eager to learn today? Why don't you try on this armor? It's a rare sight indeed..."

"My dear Wife, put aside the armor for now, sing me a cheerful song."

"My lord, what brings you to such a fine mood today?"

"It's not that I'm in a good mood, it's that I'm about to have a seizure."

What a grand scheme!

What a grand scheme!

Li Banfeng's brain is about to be overloaded.

Upon hearing Li Banfeng say he was about to have a seizure, the record player quickly started playing "Stars Reflecting Each Other".

"A star in the sky shines on my heart, and my heart is imprinted with a person who nourishes me when I am parched and guides me when I am lost..."

Accompanied by violin and piano music, the record player filled with tender songs quickly calmed Li Banfeng down, allowing him to gradually piece together the information.

He Jiaqing used Wan Jinxian to trick Lu Dongjun into Sea Eat Ridge.

During this period, Lu Dongjun acted like a tool, procuring a large amount of business for He Jiaqing.

Including the business deals in these newspapers, and also the Ling family, He Jiaqing's current assets are no less than those of the Four Great Families.

Is this what he has to offer to rebuild Pro State?

More than!

During their conversation last night, the two mentioned He Haiqin.

He Haiqin fell ill because of Wan Jinxian.

If Wan Jinxian was merely Lu Dongjun's strategist, then his actions would be perfectly reasonable.

But if this was done at the behest of He Jiaqing, then things become complicated.

Li Banfeng bought newspapers from Lu Family Bookstore for three and a half years. In these newspapers, Li Banfeng found the news of He Haiqin's serious illness.

It was at this time that Wan Jinxian fell ill with He Haiqin.

Before He Haiqin fell ill, the news focus was mostly on the struggle between the He and Lu families. From the overall trend, the He Family was slightly in the lead at that time.

After He Haiqin fell ill, the Lu Family became the dominant family, meaning that from that time onward, He Jiaqing began to control the political landscape of Pro State.

What's next?

Next, I'm here.

Li Banfeng spread out the newspapers one by one, from the main house all the way to the Seventh Chamber.

The record player played the song over and over again, and she was afraid that Li Banfeng have a seizure, but Li Banfeng remained unusually calm.

The clues are becoming clearer.

After Li Banfeng arrived in Pro State, one wave of turmoil followed another, almost without interruption. After Lu Dongliang died, the Lu Family fell into chaos, and the Ling family seized the opportunity to rise to power.

Is all of this under He Jiaqing's control?

Uncertain.

Lu Dongliang's death was definitely not within He Jiaqing's control. He would never have imagined that Lu Dongliang would die at my hands.

But the chaos in the Lu Family must be related to him. Judging from the news at the time, the Lu Family and the He Family had already turned against each other in the open in order to compete for the Red Lotus.

As for whether it was He Yuxiu or Lu Dongjun who attacked Lu Dongliang, that matter can be put aside for now. As long as something happens to the Lu Family and the He Family, He Jiaqing's goal will be achieved.

Is that why he asked me to bring the Red Lotus back to Pro State?

That makes sense logically.

He Jiaqing's identity is too conspicuous. If he personally brings Red Lotus back, the news will definitely leak out, the He Family will be besieged, and he himself will not be able to stay out of it. He will most likely become the focus of the siege.

However, there were problems in the process.

He could choose not to bring Red Lotus back.

He could keep Red Lotus in Outer State forever.

He had already used his A Farewell of Ten Thousand Miles Technique to trap Lu Xiaolan in the He Family Old House. He had already pretended to be a victim and successfully ended up in the hospital.

All he needs to do is spread the word that Red Lotus has been taken away by Lu Xiaolan and that Lu Xiaolan has disappeared, leaving the Lu Family unable to defend themselves and putting them in a difficult situation.

And He Jiaqing can use the Red Lotus in Yuezhou to Pill Refining to his heart's content. For him, isn't this the most perfect outcome?

Why did he insist that I bring Red Lotus back?

Why does Red Lotus insist on returning to Pro State?

The clues haven't been fully sorted out yet.

When did He Jiaqing begin to set up his scheme?

It started after he went to Yuezhou, or while he was still in Pro State.

The newspapers from before that date no longer contain Li Banfeng.

We should have bought more old newspapers back then; they're incredibly valuable.

Are there any similar places in Green Water City?

Li Banfeng hugged the record player affectionately for a while, and the record player was relieved to see that Li Banfeng was not having an attack.

After leaving Portable Abode, Li Banfeng asked Zuo Wugang, "Are there any places in Green Water City that sell old newspapers?"

"The newspaper, this newspaper..." Zuo Wugang didn't know many words and didn't usually read newspapers, so this was a challenge for him.

Chu Xuan, a singer in Carefree Dock, loved reading newspapers and knew where to buy old newspapers.

"There is a Lu Family Bookstore behind Ningshou Wine House on Wan Sheng Road. I went there once. They sell old newspapers there."

Li Banfeng knew about Ningshou Wine House; he had drunk there before.

Just as Li Banfeng was about to leave, he turned back and asked, "Which bookstore did you mention?"

"Lu Family Bookstore".

The place that sells old newspapers in Medicine King Gully is Lu Family Bookstore.

Why is it still called Lu Family Bookstore when we arrive in Green Water City?

Is it a chain store?

Li Banfeng soon arrived at Lu Family Bookstore. The bookstore was not large, but it looked familiar. The facade and signboard were exactly the same as Lu Family Bookstore in Medicine King Gully.

Are chain stores really this standardized?

Not only are the storefronts the same, but the layout inside the bookstores is also exactly the same.

"You're buying books?" Boss Lu stepped forward to greet the customer.

Even the boss is exactly the same!

Li Banfeng asked, "Didn't you used to do business in Medicine King Gully?"

The shop owner's eyes lit up. "You know me? I did work in Medicine King Gully before, but my business got better and better, so I moved to Green Water City."

So that's how it is.

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "I want to buy a newspaper."

"This way, please."

"Here are the newspapers you requested. Check if the dates are correct." Boss Lu handed a stack of newspapers to Qiu Zhiheng, Qiu Zhiheng paid and took the newspapers back to Qiu Family Business's Pharmacy.

His wife, standing nearby, said, "Why did you bring back so many old newspapers?"

Qiu Zhiheng said, "I haven't managed the business in Medicine King Gully much before, so I need to take a closer look at the situation here."

His wife laughed and said, "You've weathered so many storms in your life, can't you see the situation in Medicine King Gully clearly at a glance?"

Qiu Zhiheng shook his head and said, "At most, you can get a general idea at a glance. If you miss a single detail, you'll be in big trouble."

Just then, the medicine deliveryman arrived.

The wife smiled and said, "That young girl who delivers the medicine is so adorable, I'm going to go see her."

Qiu Zhiheng casually asked, "Which little girl?"

"The Xue family from Sanpu Village, Outer Valley, has a daughter named Xue Yingying."

Qiu Zhiheng thought for a moment, then shook his head and asked, "Has she been here?"

"How come I've never been here before? She was the one who brought the medicine last time. Her nickname is Cao Ye."

PS: In Chapter 164, Lu Dongjun's Jiangyuan Leather Factory was acquired by Shen Rongqing. At the time, Lu Dongjun was unaware of this, but there was a photo of him shaking hands with Shen Rongqing in the newspaper.