Li Shi nodded, spitting vehemently, "Yes, I must catch the culprit and get revenge for my precious daughter!"
While Luo Qian Qi and the other were talking, I was staring at Luo Qian Ping behind them the entire time.
As expected, at this moment Luo Qian Ping wasn't worried at all, instead he even had a look in his eye, as if he was watching a good show.
With the matter finished, Luo Qian Qi went back to his room, with me following behind him.
This time Luo Qian Qi did not look at his book; instead he crossed his arms, sitting in front of the desk with a cold face.
I walked up to Luo Qian Qi, "Who is Li Yan Xin to you?"
Luo Qian Qi raised his head to look up at me, "A very distant cousin; Li Shi is her father!"
"Oh!" I nodded, then obediently sat on the desk and didn't say anything more.
Luo Qian Qi saw that I wasn't saying anything, poking fun at me as he smiled, "How come you've quieted down today?"
I looked at Luo Qian Qi, confused, "What?"
Luo Qian Qi smiled and shook his head, "Every day, once you sit down you will talk nonstop, it seems strange that today you've become so quiet!"
I smiled a little, "Hasn't something happened in your Thousand Jade Hall? If I kick up a fuss, wouldn't it break your train of thought?"
Luo Qian Qi watched me and let slip a little smile, "I didn't think that you would even think of this!"
I smiled and didn't say anything else.
Luo Qian Qi raised his head and asked, "How do you view this matter?"
I shook my head, "Don't ask me, think about it yourself!"
Luo Qian Qi smiled and gazed at me, then sunk into deep thoughts.
After being immersed in his thoughts for three minutes, Luo Qian Qi looked at me and said, "We must take the initiative!"
I nodded, then asked Luo Qian Qi, "Then what do you plan on doing?"
Luo Qian Qi looked at me, "You have your people continue tailing them, we will first attack the three houses of Yang, Lu, and Peng and damage the relationship between them and Luo Qian Ping, then we will wait for an opportunity to continue the attack!"
I nodded my head, "Then which house do you plan on attacking first?"
The corner of Luo Qian Qi's lips let out an evil smile, "Everyone knows that the Lu family's official son Lu Xiu is cowardly and afraid of death, if it weren’t for the Lu family's elders, do you think that the Lu family would have continued on till today?"
I laughed mischievously, "You mean…"
Luo Qian Qi coughed twice, "If you know it that's good enough, don't say it out loud!"
I grinned and nodded my head, then we went to look for the Lu family's offical son Lu Xiu.
We made an appointment with Lu Xiu for a meeting at Fragrant Mint Restaurant's room 701. 1
This isn’t coming from me, but Fragrant Mint Restaurant's food was not the ordinary type of expensive. Just a plate of shelled peanuts was already enough to cover three days worth of my meals.
Luo Qian Qi's main reason for scheduling an appointment with Lu Xiu in room 701 was because this room's soundproof quality wasn't an ordinary kind of good.
Nobody really knows how the Fragrant Mint Restaurant was built, but the other room's soundproof quality was only so so, but as for sound inside this room, outside you would not be able to hear a thing.
It was also because of this that the price of room 701 was at least twice the price of other rooms.
I sat next to Luo Qian Qi, my two hands propping up my chin as I looked at Luo Qian Qi, "It's already been three minutes since the scheduled time, that Lu Xiu isn't standing you up, right?"
Luo Qian Qi looked at me and laughed, "Don't worry, he will definitely come, doing this is only to show an initial display of strength is all; to stand me up, I estimate that the Lu family doesn't have that kind of courage!"
Indeed, Luo Qian Qi's voice only just fell, I didn't even manage to get in a word before there was someone opening the door and entering the room.
Walking in were two people, the first a white-haired, white-bearded old man, behind him was a man who seemed to be around Luo Qian Qi's age. As for his looks, they were just so so!
I looked at the two before turning to Luo Qian Qi, "Luo Qian Qi, between the two which is Lu Xiu?"
Luo Qian Qi did not reply to my question, and instead laughed towards Lu Xiu and that white-bearded old man, "Lu gong zi2, I didn't think that you invited your Lu family's elder Elder Qing Ping along!"
Lu Xiu walked up to the opposite of Luo Qian Qi and sat down, then he gestured for the white-bearded man to sit down.
Lu Xiu watched the white-bearded old man sitting next to him and turned to laugh at Luo Qian Qi, "For protection, this is a necessity!"
I looked at Lu Xiu and let out a disdainful "che," then my line of sight fell on that white-bearded old man.
Luo Qian Qi sipped a bit of tea. He looked at Lu Xiu and laughed, "For protection; do you, Lu gong zi, feel that your situation is dangerous?"
Lu Xiu smiled but did not say anything.
Qing Ping gazed at Luo Qian Qi, his voice cold as he said, "Hall Master Luo, inside this room, other than us three, is there someone else here?"
I laughed at Qing Ping, since I did not worry a single bit that he might have seen me; as for why he would ask Luo Qian Qi such a question, it might have been because he felt that the atmosphere in the room did not seem quite right.
When a ghost is is present it is hard to not leave a trace of ghost aura. If the ghost is powerful enough, they can completely hide all traces of their aura.
I for one could be counted as one of those ghosts who can completely hide their aura. My leaving a sliver of my ghost aura was only to scare off those small ghosts.
Luo Qian Qi also knew that Qing Ping couldn't see me at all and only felt that there was some cold air.
Luo Qian Qi chuckled, "No, I think that Elder Qing Ping is asking this only because you felt a little bit cold!"
Following this, Luo Qian Qi picked up the air conditioner's remote control on the table and pressed down on it, making the room warm again.
At the same moment Luo Qian Qi pressed the remote control, I took back the trace of my ghost aura.
After Luo Qian Qi turned off the air conditioner, Qing Ping couldn't feel the trace of the aura anymore, and so his guard lowered a lot.
Lu Xiu ate some food, chuckling as he said to Luo Qian Qi, "I didn't expect that Hall Master Luo would use such a big hand to prepare a feast in Fragrant Mint Restaurant, I, Lu Xiu, really do not know how to repay this gift!"
Luo Qian Qi drank a sip of tea, he looked at Lu Xiu and laughed, "You don't need to repay the gift, even then you still know the reason for the appointment, right?"
Lu Xiu nodded, "We know, but we already agreed to Luo Qian Ping, we would not go against it and help you!"
Qing Ping jabbed Lu Xiu, giving him a look, conveying that he shouldn't say things so directly.
Qing Ping and Lu Xiu's movements to the finest details were all noticed by Luo Qian Qi and I.
Luo Qian Qi looked at Lu Xiu and laughed, "Lu gong zi, you don't have to say this so absolutely, it's possible that there may come a time when you change your mind!"
Lu Xiu looked at Luo Qian Qi and laughed, "I absolutely will not!"
Luo Qian Qi watched Lu Xiu and Qing Ping, letting out a strange smile.
Lu Xiu and Qing Ping glared at Luo Qian Qi coldly, Qing Ping saying, "Hall Master Luo, I know that you are very powerful, [but] have you heard of the saying two fists are hard-pressed to beat four hands?"
Luo Qian Qi gazed at Lu Xiu and Qing Ping, laughing coldly, "Other people want my life; if I don't destroy them at their most isolated and vulnerable moment, then in the future they will be my greatest threat!"
"Bang," Lu Xiu slapped the table in fury, bellowing, "Luo Qian Qi, you are not all that extraordinary, it's just that people huddle around you trying to protect you; now even your blood brother is going against you, it really shows how much of a failure your position of Hall Master is!"
"Tsk tsk!" I looked at Lu Xiu, then turned to Luo Qian Qi, laughing, "Luo Qian Qi, beat him up!"
Luo Qian Qi let slip a smile, then a fist slammed down on Lu Xiu's face, quickly causing Lu Xiu to be pushed back.
Qing Ping saw the situation had escalated to this and immediately swung his fist forward.
Luo Qian Qi looked at Qing Ping, the corner of his lips raising into a cold smile, and with a slight move of the body he dodged Qing Ping's attack.
After Luo Qian Qi stabilized himself he raised his foot towards Qing Ping's gut but was blocked by Qing Ping's hand.
At this, Luo Qian Qi did not give up. He used his right hand and forcefully punched towards Qing Ping's chest.
Qing Ping, seeing the situation, immediately stretched out his hand to block it. Qing Ping's palm hit Luo Qian Qi's fist and, unable to hold up against the fist's power, Qing Ping was forced backward by seven steps.
"Pu," Qing Ping held his chest and vomited a mouthful of fresh blood, while Luo Qian Qi safely and soundly stood where he was before. It was clear that Luo Qian Qi's ability was above Qing Ping's.
Lu Xiu saw the situation and hurried over to Qing Ping's side, supporting him.
Luo Qian Qi put his hands behind his back, watching Lu Xiu and Qing Ping as he laughed coldly, "Today, even if both of you attack me, you still will not be my opponent!"
I stood up from the chair and walked to Luo Qian Qi.
I looked at Luo Qian Qi, smiling, "Luo Qian Qi, you have my respect!"
Luo Qian Qi smiled and didn't say anything. I knew that he just didn't want Lu Xiu to know of my presence.
Qing Ping raised his head and glanced at Luo Qian Qi, hmphing disdainfully as he said, "Hall Master Luo, if you kill us, are you not afraid of the Lu family coming to seek retribution?"
Luo Qian Qi laughed coldly, "This will depend on whether they have the guts!"
Lu Xiu and Qing Ping looked at each other. It was clear that there was doubt in their hearts.
I brought out two black cinnabar pills and handed them over to Luo Qian Qi, saying, "These two pills are ghost pills, have them take these!"
Luo Qian Qi took the ghost pills I handed to him, while in Lu Xiu's and Qing Ping's eyes, it looked like from thin air two pills materialized in Luo Qian Qi's hand.
Luo Qian Qi held the ghost pills and walked up to Lu Xiu and Qing Ping, smiling, "Take these pills and I'll spare you!"
Lu Xiu glanced at Qing Ping, clearly seeking Qing Ping's opinion.
Qing Ping looked at Luo Qian Qi and harrumphed coldly, "So it's ghost pills!"
"Not bad, it really is ghost pills!" Luo Qian Qi watched Lu Xiu and Qing Qing, smiling, "So will you be eating it or not?"
With a face full of laughter, I said to Luo Qian Qi, "You are so venomous!"
Luo Qian Qi smiled, not saying anything.
Qing Ping harrumphed coldly, "In any case we'll die either way, we will eat it!"
Saying this, Qing Ping snatched a ghost pill from Luo Qian Qi's hand, then opened his mouth and swallowed it down.
After seeing the situation as it was, Lu Xiu hesitated for a moment, then took the other pill in Luo Qian Qi's hand and swallowed it down.
Watching Lu Xiu and Qing Ping swallow down the ghost pills, Luo Qian Qi laughed and clapped his hands, "Not bad, you may leave!"
Lu Xiu glanced at Qing Ping, who harrumphed coldly towards Luo Qian Qi before taking Lu Xiu and leaving the private room of the restaurant.
Once Lu Xiu and Qing Ping left, I asked Luo Qian Qi, "You're going to let them leave just like that?"
Luo Qian Qi looked at me and laughed, "Yes, or else what should I have done?"
I watched Luo Qian Qi and laughed, "At least you should first beat them up, then let them leave!"
Luo Qian Qi stared at me blankly for a few seconds, then laughed, "Zhang Xiao Qi, why are you so violent?"
I looked at Luo Qian Qi and smiled mischievously, "I'm not violent, I'm just…"
Luo Qian Qi watched me and smiled, "Just what?"
I stuttered for a few moments, then said, "You mind your own business!"
Finishing my sentence I turned around and left the private room. Luo Qian Qi watched me and laughed, then followed after me.
Footnotes:1. Fragrant Mint Restaurant is translated from 藿香楼(huo xiang lou), 藿香(huo xiang) meaning Patchouli, a type of mint, and 楼(lou) meaning floor, storied building, or in this case, restaurant. ↩
2. gongzi is the pinyin (romanization) of 公子. It is the honorific for a son of nobility, and I didn’t find any honorific with a similar meaning that I liked, so pinyin it is.↩
T/N: I’ve been playing around with the whole “family” thing, as in “three families Yang, Lu, and Peng” and so-and-so’s family. I’ve been considering using only “house” instead of “family”, but it doesn’t sound that great in all contexts. I would really appreciate it if you would please submit the following poll (you can write any comments in the “Other” box):