Two orange affixes fused into one red affix.
Though he had already expected it.
When that brand-new red affix truly appeared,
Lu Jing'an still felt his heart
clutched tight by an invisible hand,
thumping wildly,
a mixture of barely restrained nerves and burning anticipation.
After all, his previous red affix, [Fist Master],
had benefited him immensely.
What kind of surprise
would this newborn red affix bring?
[Ghost Shadow Instant Kill] (Red) [Note]: A red treasure forged and ascended from two orange affixes. It perfectly inherited and fused all the attribute bonuses and effect enhancements of its predecessors. It also granted 3 permanent Agility points. In addition, the affix granted its user the ability to unleash [Instant Kill] once. When activated, the next strike was guaranteed to achieve "Move Breaking" and "Defense Breaking." Its power and speed would also be multiplied fivefold. After each use, it could not be used again for one hour. After use, all attributes would temporarily be reduced by eighty percent. ...
Lu Jing'an's gaze swept word by word across the text.
His breathing unconsciously grew deep and slow.
After he finished reading, a scorching excitement surged from the depths of his heart, instantly sweeping through every limb.
He had expected the new affix to be powerful, but he hadn't expected it to be this formidable!
Not only had it fully preserved the entire foundation of both orange affixes,
it had also brought the unexpected bonus of 3 permanent Agility points.
But that final "Instant Kill" trait
was the true trump card, a killing move worthy of the name.
A hundred percent chance to break moves and defenses!
That meant that even against his master, Chen Xuan, an opponent of unfathomable depth,
a surprise attack with this move would surely inflict effective damage.
How severe that damage would be was another matter.
In any case,
it had pried open a crack in the door to the "high-level game" for him,
even if only for an instant.
As for the weakness that followed its use,
the corner of Lu Jing'an's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
This negative effect was practically tailor-made for him.
He even thought the reduction could be harsher.
If it could weaken him by a full ninety percent, that would trigger [Battle-Hardened]'s replenishment mechanism.
Then his condition would be restored to full in an instant—that would be best.
Even if he could only maintain his full strength for an hour, that would be enough.
Whether to slay a powerful foe or flee a thousand miles,
one hour was enough to determine the outcome.
Lu Jing'an was thoroughly satisfied with this brand-new red affix.
Having dealt with the new red affix,
Lu Jing'an turned his attention to the soul of the mysterious Great Martial Cultivator.
Lawrence's soul had already brought him many surprises.
Now, faced with another being of the same level,
Lu Jing'an was also full of anticipation.
He glanced out the window. Dawn was breaking, and the streets were about to stir.
After lying low for many days, things had finally settled, at least for now. His spirits lifted.
"Lanhua,"
Lu Jing'an turned and instructed the maid standing nearby,
"go make yourself presentable. Your young master will take you out for a proper breakfast."
Ever since the assassination attempt in the middle of the street, Lu Jing'an had kept to himself.
Later, even when he went out to keep watch on Li Jinglin, he had mostly hurried back and forth.
Now that the gloom had lifted, it was time to get some fresh air.
Lanhua accepted the order, joy flashing in her eyes. She replied cheerfully and withdrew to get ready.
Before long, Lanhua reappeared before Lu Jing'an, looking completely transformed.
She wasn't wearing her usual dress.
Instead, she had changed into a neatly tailored, modified maid outfit.
The black-and-white color scheme was simple and crisp.
The skirt fell to her knees, giving her a lively, nimble look.
She had also carefully pinned up her hair with a plain silver hairclip, lending her a touch of charm.
Most striking of all was the rare pair of stockings, which seemed to brighten the entire courtyard.
Lu Jing'an couldn't help giving her a few extra glances, his eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny and surprise.
Under his gaze, Lanhua's cheeks reddened. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her skirt as she murmured:
"Young master... does this outfit not look good?"
"It looks good."
Lu Jing'an looked away, his tone calm but certain.
"Keep dressing like this from now on."
Lanhua's heart leaped with joy. She lowered her head, but couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from rising.
She had heard, while chatting with Cui Jieyi some time ago,
that certain fashionable households liked this sort of outfit.
So she had quietly kept an eye out and bought one.
She'd never had a chance to wear it before. At last, today she could show it off in front of the young master.
Lu Jing'an took Lanhua with him and picked two capable attendants, then headed toward the main gate of the estate.
But as soon as they reached the entrance, the gatekeeper looked troubled.
He stepped forward and bowed, blocking their way.
"Young master, please wait."
"Hm?" Lu Jing'an raised an eyebrow.
The gatekeeper hurriedly explained:
"Please hear me out, young master. The merchants and officials waiting to see the master of the house
have been blocking the entrance all night, and they still haven't left.
If you go out through the main gate now, you'll likely be surrounded at once, ruining your mood for no reason."
Hearing this, Lu Jing'an peered through the crack in the gate.
He could just make out a mass of figures outside.
He wasn't afraid of driving those flies away.
But just as the gatekeeper had said, it would certainly spoil his mood.
"Forget it."
Lu Jing'an waved a hand and turned around.
"We'll eat at home. You two,"
he said, pointing to the two attendants,
"go to Tongxing Restaurant and buy a few baskets of crab roe buns, then order a few light side dishes to bring back."
Tongxing Restaurant was the best restaurant in Yinshan County. Its crab roe buns, fragrant and piping hot with broth, were a renowned specialty.
The two attendants acknowledged the order and were about to turn around.
But the gatekeeper's eyes lit up, and he came closer to murmur:
"Young master, why trouble anyone with an errand?
The owner of Tongxing Restaurant is waiting outside the gate right now.
I'll go call him in.
I'll have him bring the chef and all his equipment to the estate.
Wouldn't it be even better to have everything made fresh and eat it right away?"
Lu Jing'an considered it briefly, then nodded. "That works too. Go arrange it."
"Yes!" The gatekeeper replied and swiftly slipped outside to make arrangements.
Lu Jing'an took Lanhua with him and leisurely returned to the small reception room in his own courtyard to wait.
Before even the time it took to drink a cup of tea had passed, the gatekeeper led in five or six chefs wearing white caps.
They wore clean, short jackets, and the young assistants following behind them carried boxes of various sizes.
Knives, ingredients, seasonings—they had brought everything.
"Young master, the chefs from Tongxing Restaurant are here," the gatekeeper reported respectfully.
The chefs clearly knew the youth before them held a distinguished status. They all bowed in unison. "Greetings, Young Master Lu."
The convenience brought by power and money was on full display at that moment.
Lu Jing'an merely nodded. "Thank you for coming. If you need anything, just ask the servants."
"Thank you, young master. We wouldn't dare trouble you."
The head chef cupped his hands, then turned and began giving quiet instructions.
Washing, slicing, chopping, mixing; rolling dough and preparing the filling—the quiet side courtyard
immediately filled with the rhythmic sounds of cooking.
The warmth of daily life and the faint aroma of food gradually spread through the air.
As they waited, Lu Jing'an took a sip of tea and asked Lanhua, who stood beside him:
"Has my master still not returned?"
Lanhua answered softly, "Master Chen went out last night and hasn't returned yet. Do you need to find him, young master?"
Lu Jing'an shook his head.
"No need.
The Lin Family and the Qian Family may be gone, but the aftermath hasn't settled.
There are still many matters that need my master to oversee.
Let him be."
Time passed amid the orderly bustle.
Before long, the assistants carefully carried over a specially made multi-tiered steamer.
The moment its lid was lifted, a cloud of rich, savory steam billowed out,
carrying the tempting aroma of crab roe mingled with meat filling.
Through the translucent skin of the buns, golden broth could just be seen quivering within.
Several plates of fresh, lightly stir-fried dishes were served at the same time, appealing to both the eye and the palate.
Lu Jing'an picked one up and carefully bit through its thin skin.
Scalding, savory broth instantly filled his mouth.
Lu Jing'an savored it carefully and nodded.
"Sure enough, food like this has to be made fresh and eaten fresh to bring out its true flavor.
You've done good work. Give each of them ten silver dollars."
At his words, the chefs all beamed and thanked him repeatedly.
The head chef even stepped forward, smiling ingratiatingly as he said:
"Before he came, the owner of our shop specifically told us that whenever Young Master Lu wanted a meal like this,
you need only send word, and we'll come serve you whenever you like.
We wouldn't dare spoil your enjoyment."
The flattery was blunt and blatant, but Lu Jing'an didn't take offense.
He'd fought tooth and nail for this leisure and respect. It was only natural to enjoy them.
After finishing the pleasant breakfast, Lu Jing'an began his daily exercises, as steady as ever:
Fist practice and stance training.
As sweat poured down him, the faint thunder of his bones rumbled, and his breath grew ever more composed.
The sun climbed higher. It was nearly noon.
Lu Jing'an had just sat down at the table, his chopsticks still untouched.
A servant in green hurried over from beneath the corridor.
When he came close, he lowered his eyes and spoke in a hushed voice:
"Young Master, the master asks you to go to his study at once. He says there's something urgent to discuss."
Lu Jing'an paused, glanced at the servant's expression, set down his chopsticks, and slowly rose.
"Understood."
Lu Jing'an straightened his clothes and looked toward the study in the main courtyard.
Something stirred in his heart, but he showed nothing on his face.
He set off toward the heart of the Lineage, where its course would be decided.
When he arrived at the study, Lu Jing'an found that his second and third uncles had come as well.
It seemed this was no small matter.
After they had exchanged greetings.
Lu Huaiqian furrowed his brow and said to Lu Jing'an, "Li Zhaolin is dead."
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