Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'-Chapter 716 - 474 Obsession

The Jiang Xiang Gang’s main hall had been wiped clean. He Yuxiu suggested, "Burn this damned place to the ground. Leave the Jiang Xiang Gang nothing but ashes."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Such a fine estate, what a waste to burn it! Sister Xiu, haven’t you been renovating an outer property lately? Why not just take this estate for yourself?"

"No way!" He Yuxiu waved her hand. "I find this place ominous, and it’s not just the bad luck."

He Yuxiu left the rest of her sentence unspoken; saying it would damage her prestige.

Chu Er said it for her, "Brother Seven, the Jiang Xiang Gang might be second-rate, but they have many disciples spread far and wide. A centipede dies hard; their local halls and sub-branches could still resurface. If the Jiang Xiang Gang were to seek revenge, this main hall’s territory would definitely be their primary target."

This was a serious matter, and Li Qi had already made his plans. "Old Luo, you’re the most familiar with the Jiang Xiang Gang. Starting today, begin the sweep and eradicate them completely from Puluo State."

"Cutting the weeds and pulling out the roots"—this was the proper way to handle things. Luo Zhengnan deeply agreed with Li Qi’s decision but needed to state something upfront. "Seventh Master, this won’t be an easy task."

Li Qi nodded. "Indeed, it won’t be easy. I’ll cover all the manpower and money; you just focus on the task at hand."

With these words, Luo Zhengnan was reassured. He Yuxiu spoke from the side, "Old Qi, you can’t take this on alone. The He Family must also contribute. I, your sister, also want a share of this renown."

She spoke very frankly; He Yuxiu truly desired this reputation.

Was reputation important to the He Family? It wasn’t before, but things were different now. The major families had weathered various turmoils, and their prestige in Puluo State was a shadow of its former self. Eradicating the Jiang Xiang Gang, a major undertaking, would help these families re-establish their authority.

Lu Chunying said, "Count the Lu Family in too."

Chu Er smiled. "Naturally, I’ll follow Brother Seven."

Together, they contributed funds and manpower, fully assisting Luo Zhengnan in dealing with the remnants of the Jiang Xiang Gang.

With the matter settled, He Yuxiu said, "Old Qi, let’s all head home for dinner tonight. We can gather again another day."

Everyone was hungry; aside from Cui Tiq, nobody had really eaten that evening.

Once the group had dispersed, Luo Zhengnan took Li Banfeng on a tour around the main hall. They searched the storerooms and secret chambers thoroughly. Except for land deeds and property titles, they found nothing of value.

Li Banfeng handed the land and property deeds to Luo Zhengnan. "From now on, this place is yours. If you really don’t want it, you can sell it off."

Luo Zhengnan gave a wry smile. "I’m afraid no one would dare to buy this place; the Jiang Xiang Gang has committed too many atrocities. I’m thinking of opening a charity hall here, to help them atone for some of their sins."

Li Banfeng nodded. "Let’s do just that. I’ll cover the expenses. Also, inform our newspaper that the news about the Jiang Xiang Gang’s annihilation must be published as soon as possible."

After leaving Jiang Xiang Garden, Gloves said to Li Banfeng, "This doesn’t add up. Such a big Gang, and their main hall has nothing of value? Even if there are no Magical Treasures, there should at least be some real gold and silver!"

Li Qi wasn’t surprised at all. "Xiao Zhenggong intended to scrap the Jiang Xiang Gang’s name, and he didn’t want this main hall either. Any valuables would have been sent away long ago."

Back in the Portable Residence, his wife had already completely devoured Xiao Zhenggong’s Soul. "My dear husband," she said, "judging from the quality of this Soul, this person should have reached the Ninth Layer. His cultivation level was indiscernible, so there might be some discrepancies."

Xiao Zhenggong was not old, yet his cultivation level was remarkably high, an extreme rarity among the prominent families of Puluo State.

Was this boon from the Inner State, or granted by the Outside Provinces?

After the Phonograph had finished its meal, the others began to eat. Although their cultivation levels were not low, they were, after all, not beings "Above the Clouds." The family ate without any squabbling, treating it as a simple home-cooked meal.

Gloves didn’t rush to eat, instead spending a long time rummaging through Xiao Zhenggong’s clothes.

Li Banfeng asked, "What are you looking for?"

Gloves, rubbing his thumb along his index finger, was lost in thought. "Boss," he said, "you mentioned the main hall was unwanted and had no valuables, which is understandable. But Xiao Zhenggong must have carried something valuable on him, right? Personal Magical Treasures wouldn’t need to be transferred out, would they?"

He had a point. Given Xiao Zhenggong’s status, he surely wouldn’t lack personal Magical Treasures.

Li Banfeng searched through Xiao Zhenggong’s clothes. Gloves shook his index finger. "Boss, no need to search. I’ve already gone through them twice. There isn’t even a wallet. Even if he were the Gang Leader of the Beggars’ Sect, he’d still carry a couple of banknotes. This is fishy!"

While they were deep in thought, a roar suddenly came from the Portable Residence: "Ah Tao! How long are you going to hold onto that thing?"

He’d almost forgotten! The good stuff hadn’t been handed over to the Portable Residence yet.

Li Banfeng and Gloves went to the Third Room together. The Portable Residence trembled, seemingly impatient.

Gloves wasn’t in a rush. He first handed a pair of Stone Cones to Li Banfeng. Even if the Old Man himself had asked, items were always given to the head of the household first.

Li Banfeng placed the Stone Cones on the ground. Stone flakes gradually peeled off them, revealing the true nature of these treasures.

They weren’t made of stone, but iron, very similar to the Iron Ruler previously acquired from Feng Chongli.

As the pair of treasures slowly melted away, vanishing before their eyes, the Portable Residence could no longer contain itself, bursting into a deafening laugh.

"BWAHAHAHA! Eight strips now!"

His laughter made Hong Ying shudder. "What ’eight strips’? Are you going to say ’nine disks’ next?"

In the Third Room, Li Qi asked the Portable Residence, "Old Man, with eight strips of iron track, your strength should be able to reach a new level, right?"

The Portable Residence didn’t answer immediately. Instead, it said to Gloves, "Ah Tao, go eat."

Gloves didn’t respond.

"Ah Tao? Ah Tao! What are you thinking about?"

Gloves looked up. "Old Man, were you calling me?"