Kiyomi Tsuki and His Fox

Chapter 2

"It's not worth that much! You're extorting me!" Before Zhang Sanlin could finish shouting, the little white fox angrily snapped its sharp white teeth, making a crunching sound that sent chills down Zhang Sanlin's spine. "I'll pay, I'll pay." He was in great pain, but had no choice but to take out fifty taels of silver to compensate Xiaoqian.

Qing Jianyue, with her sharp eyes, noticed that he still had thirty taels of loose silver and said, "If you don't want people to talk about it, you have to pay to bribe them. There are three people here who saw this, so each of them will get ten taels."

He stretched out his hand. Zhang Sanlin was so angry that his nose bled.

Watching them walk away, arguing and cursing, Xiaoqian was stunned. Aunt Zhang and Xiaozhen timidly emerged from a distance, picked up the loose silver coins from the ground, and helped Xiaoqian up.

After washing and grooming herself, and with her sword strapped to her side, Lu Qingcheng stood before a huge portrait. The painting depicted a young man, sword in hand, smugly talking to a horse as if it would be slaughtered if it didn't obey him. The man's appearance was strikingly similar to Lu Qingcheng's, but his nonchalant expression and the tiger-skin hat on his head made him look utterly comical.

This is a portrait of my father, Lu Ji, when he was young.

Twenty-two years ago, my father married Tong Fengxian, the daughter of the owner of Baishi Manor, who was my mother. Less than a month after the marriage, he abandoned my mother and ran off to Yunnan to live a life of luxury and freeloading with the White-Clothed Holy Sect. My grandfather was so angered by this that he fell seriously ill. He only returned once after my grandfather's death; I was two years old that year. After arranging my grandfather's funeral, he left the entire Lu Family Fortress to my mother and never returned for twenty years.

Hmph! This is my father!

Lu Qingcheng stared at the portrait, his eyes like icy scissors, dark as midnight, sinister and heavy, filled with terror. Suddenly, he raised his hand and tore the portrait away, twisting it silently, venting all the resentment and pain in his heart onto it.

A report came from outside: "Kiyomizuki is here to see you."

Lu Qingcheng's hand trembled, and she stopped tearing the portrait, throwing it into the corner of the wall.

The footsteps approached lightly and quickly, entering the side hall without stopping. Kiyomi Tsuki seemed to bring a refreshing breeze, carrying the fragrance of grass, and suddenly appeared in front of him, brushing his cheek, blowing away the darkness in his eyes, and as if inviting the bright morning glow from the horizon into the room, instantly warming his cold heart.

A fiery light flashed in Lu Qingcheng's eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

"Greetings, Lord of the Castle."

Kiyomi Tsuki bowed in greeting, and the little white fox that had been lying on his shoulder leaped to the ground, stretching its body with obvious pleasure. As Kiyomi Tsuki straightened up, his gaze swept over the portrait that had been abandoned in the corner and was now unrecognizable.

Lu Qingcheng looked him over with great interest. "Jianyue, this hairstyle is beautiful. It makes you look not only handsome, but also rich and dashing."

"I don't like it. I woke up early in the morning and two butterflies flew in from somewhere, fluttering around me and playing with me until they were done. When I looked in the mirror, I looked like this. But it's okay, if I ever run away, this body will be enough for me to eat, drink and relieve myself."

His words made Lu Qingcheng burst into laughter.

Qing Jianyue asked, "Lord of the Fortress, what is it you wish to do by summoning me here?"

How did you know something was wrong?

"I've been here in this fort for a month, and this is the first time you've called me by name."

"I called you here because I have something to tell you. My mother has returned to White Stone Manor."

Qing Jianyue was taken aback. "I know that your mother went back to Baishi Manor to visit relatives and has been gone for ten days."

Lu Qingcheng's expression darkened. She looked out the window, her gaze becoming unfathomable, yet filled with a terrifying determination. "I've made up my mind!"

Kiyomi Tsuki was stunned again, completely unable to understand what he was trying to say, so she could only look at him quietly.

Lu Qingcheng's deep gaze shifted, locking onto his eyes. "I need your help. You understand what I mean."

For a moment, Kiyomi Tsuki's heartstrings seemed to be plucked by a merciless hand, but he quickly regained his composure. Looking directly at him, Kiyomi Tsuki smiled calmly and without any fear, "Yes, you spent a lot of money to hire me, of course you didn't just raise me for nothing. Otherwise, if you paid money to hire me but didn't use me, and just waited to fatten me up, sooner or later I would turn into a pig, and a white knife would go in and a red knife would come out."

Lu Qingcheng laughed, "You're really smart. Now I'm going to the council hall, you stay by my side."

He strode out of the hall, his long black robes fluttering in the wind. Kiyomi Tsuki followed closely beside him, with servants protecting him on both sides.

He didn't tell me what to do? Kiyomi Tsuki thought: He is truly an unfathomable man, as still as the Dead Sea, but the more silent he is, the more terrifying he is, because it foreshadows a great upheaval that is about to begin.

Chapter Two: Three Lords Killed in Three Slashes

Lu Qingcheng barged into the council hall with her attendants, startling Liu Jianhua. He couldn't understand why this usually carefree playboy, who never cared about important matters or trivial ones, had suddenly rushed in like a wolf into a sheepfold. What was he up to?

"Lord of the castle, what brings you here?"

Liu Jianhua probed him tentatively, still uneasy. This powerful lord of Lujiabao was in his thirties, with a fair complexion, short, worm-like eyebrows, and a pair of sharp, triangular eyes.

"Liu Jianhua, are you saying I shouldn't have come?"

Lu Qingcheng lazily sat down in the chair, accepted the fragrant tea offered by the maid, and sipped it elegantly. He wore a well-tailored long robe, the material and color of which were exquisite and elegant. His posture appeared quite relaxed, but in Liu Jianhua's eyes, he was like a male leopard stretching and dozing in the warm sun, exuding an even more alluring yet dangerous and terrifying aura.

"No, no, I didn't mean that," Liu Jianhua forced a smile, "I was just worried about tiring you out."

Lu Qingcheng's handsome face, which combined all the best features of her parents, remained expressionless. She glanced at him coldly and said casually, "Don't worry, brother-in-law, I didn't go to prostitutes last night, nor did I sleep in your sister's bed. I'm refreshed now and guarantee I won't doze off in the middle of the meeting."

The people in the hall couldn't help but smile.

As everyone knows, Lu Qingcheng married Liu Jianhua's younger sister, Liu Mei, three years ago. This spring, Liu Jianhua's wife, Tong Xiaoyun, who is technically Lu Qingcheng's cousin, went to Nuanyunwo with her maids and servants and beat a beautiful woman who had been given to Lu Qingcheng, leaving her bruised and battered. The scale of the incident was terrifying. The young mistress of Lu Family Fortress encouraged her sister-in-law to join in the beating, and while they managed to drive the woman away, she herself made a huge fool of herself. After three years of marriage to Lu Qingcheng, she was still a virgin.

This incident immediately became the talk of the town in the entire fortress. As a result, Madam Lu, the highest ruler of Lu Family Fortress, summoned her son to Yixin Garden and gave him a severe scolding. However, it was all in vain; Lu Qingcheng refused to step into the Plum Garden, and absolutely forbade that esteemed young mistress from entering his study. Even with Madam Lu's immense power, she couldn't possibly strip her son naked and force him into bed, could she?

Regardless of what others thought, Liu Jianhua didn't care at all and still smiled and said, "In that case, let's discuss the matter. It is truly a great fortune for our fortress that the fortress lord is concerned about its safety. However, the fortress lord doesn't need to worry too much. The Sky Eagle Sect is nothing to worry about. In terms of strength, it is not even a third as strong as our fortress. Our fortress only needs to send out an elite force to wipe out their invasion."

Second Lord Tong Sen stood up, his face covered with a thick, bushy beard that even obscured his lips. This man was Lu Qingcheng's maternal cousin, and among the eight lords, he was the oldest, nearly fifty years old, but his body was still strong and robust, and every move he made was full of imposing power.

He said, “We have already devised a foolproof plan and sent someone to inform you, Madam. You can rest easy and do not need to interfere. Go back and see the young mistress. Don’t quarrel with her over such a small matter. It’s only something a child would do if a husband and wife ignored each other when they met. Go back, go back.”

"Hmm, well said. Lord Tong San, please take a seat." Lu Qingcheng seemed not to understand what he said, still with that lazy look that said it didn't matter if the sky fell. "Zhonghe, are you still not awake? Stand up and sing me a song."

Cai Zhonghe was the fourth lord of Lu Family Fortress, possessing the handsome appearance of a noble young master. His robes were magnificent and exquisite, yet not gaudy, perfectly accentuating his slender figure. A sword hung at his waist, adding a touch of imposing presence to his refined appearance.

His hands were very well-maintained, with each of his ten fingers resembling a jade tube. A priceless, uniquely crafted ring showed that he was a person of great taste.

He rose from his seat, bowed respectfully, and didn't even glance at Tong Sen. "The Sky Eagle Sect has always dominated the West, and its influence has grown stronger in recent years. Their sphere of influence is also gradually expanding and infiltrating into the Central Plains and the South, which shows their ambition. This time, their surprise attack on our fortress's three money shops and five casinos, as well as the destruction of the Weiyuan Escort Agency and the killing of our fortress's three banner leaders, clearly shows that they are fearless and have planned this all along. Their spearhead is aimed directly at our fortress!"

Qing Jianyue thought to herself: What a magnetic voice! The intonation is melodious and beautiful, full of emotion. No wonder Lu Qingcheng wanted to hear him sing a song. If he were to busk on the street, he would definitely make a fortune.

"We absolutely cannot underestimate the Sky Eagle Sect. It is said that every man in the Sky Eagle Sect is brave and skilled in battle, and is known as the Desert Eagle. The leader of the Sky Eagle Sect, Li Tieying, is fifty-six years old this year, and has one wife and four concubines. He seized the position of sect leader at the age of thirty-five by killing his brother. He is suspicious and fears that his son will try to take his place."