Chapter 135: Burning with Fury

Lady Wang felt the sharp, menacing aura radiating from Luo Kui. A cold chill seemed to settle upon her face, and her breathing grew shallow and labored.

Luo Kui’s presence was simply too overwhelming. That air of authority, honed by years of standing above others, was enough to strike terror into anyone’s heart. Thinking of this, Lady Wang’s confidence began to waver; her previous fabrication would not stand up to any real scrutiny. In truth, no one had ever whispered rumors about Luo Kui and the Ninth Lady, but she knew that without such a story, the impact of her accusations would be far less effective. If she failed to achieve her desired result, all her efforts would be in vain.

Lady Wang would never stand by and watch things turn against her. She had to take remedial action; even if it meant fabricating facts, as long as it stirred the pot, it was a viable strategy. In the end, the process was irrelevant; only the result mattered.

After a long silence, Luo Kui said in a low, heavy voice, "Take me there to see for yourself. If it is as you say, I will punish them without mercy. But if I discover this is merely your wild speculation, I think you know what the consequences will be."

Lady Wang dared not object and hurriedly agreed. Her heart was filled with bitterness, yet mingled with a sliver of excitement. As long as the information leaked by Shen Yuqin was accurate, she was almost entirely certain of success. Once it was done, she would reap endless benefits. Luo Kui had never valued her before, and only by demonstrating her worth could she secure her own interests.

As Luo Kui left the room and prepared to summon a large group of guards, Lady Wang stopped him.

"What is it?" Luo Kui asked.

A thought crossed Lady Wang’s mind, and she replied thoughtfully, "My lord, this matter is different from our usual affairs. It would be best not to make a public spectacle. Only by catching them off guard can we achieve our goal. If we march there with a grand procession, we will only alert them. If they are prepared and simply refuse to admit to anything, all our efforts will have been for nothing."

"Your words make sense," Luo Kui agreed, nodding. He abandoned his original plan and instead selected a few of his finest guards to accompany him. The guards he recruited were far superior to ordinary men; within Ghost City, aside from the official yamen, there was no power that could make him feel uneasy.

***

Guided by Lady Wang, Luo Kui and his men headed straight for the Makeup Pavilion. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they arrived at their destination.

Upon seeing Luo Kui, the carriage driver was stunned, his face turning pale with shock. Just as he was about to step down to pay his respects, Luo Kui gestured for him to stop.

"Do not make a sound. If you expose my presence, you will regret it," Luo Kui said, his eyes sharp as lightning, his voice low.

The driver nodded blankly, not daring to defy him. After all, Luo Kui was the master of the house. Though he served the Ninth Lady, his true allegiance—and indeed that of everyone in the Luo household—lay with Luo Kui.

"Tell me, how long has the lady been inside?" Luo Kui asked, his face darkening.

Though he refused to believe it, he could not deceive himself. A raging fire burned in his heart, and he longed to tear the two wretches to pieces to satisfy his hatred.

"About an hour or more," the driver answered truthfully.

"Wretch!" Luo Kui spat the word through gritted teeth. His face was shrouded in gloom, a sight chilling enough to make one tremble from a distance.

Lady Wang, standing to the side, felt a surge of fear and had to take a deep breath to steady herself.

"You lot, wait outside. Ensure that no one leaves this place," Luo Kui commanded. "The rest of you, come inside with me. Kill anyone you see, without hesitation. Whatever trouble arises, I will take responsibility!"

After delegating his orders, Luo Kui strode into the Makeup Pavilion. Neither Mu Lan nor the owner was in sight; only a shop assistant remained.

"Where is your boss?" Luo Kui demanded, getting straight to the point.

"Who... who are you?" The assistant looked at the group with growing anxiety. They did not look like kind folk; they were clearly here with ill intent.

"I am asking you a question. Are you deaf? Where is your boss? Answer me!" Luo Kui’s patience was wearing thin, and a murderous glint flashed in his eyes as he glared at the assistant.

"You... don't do anything rash! Lord Gu has a stake in this place. If you have something to say, just say it directly, there is no need for such aggression," the assistant said, forcing himself to be brave despite his fear.

Luo Kui let out a cold laugh and retorted sharply, "Ha! Even if Gu Hanguang were here himself, I would not fear him in the slightest. And as you just admitted, he only has a partial stake, not full ownership. Once I destroy this place, I will simply compensate his losses. I doubt he will have any objections."

"You were nothing when you had a backer, and now that you have none, what waves do you think you can stir up?"

In ordinary times, he might have chosen to show some respect to Gu Hanguang for minor matters. But this was different. He would not retreat, nor would he allow himself to. No matter who stood in his way, he would push forward and strike them down.

Gu Hanguang, the official in charge of the local branch of the yamen, secretly invested in various businesses, and the Makeup Pavilion was one of them. He hadn't spent a single cent; he merely provided protection when necessary, effectively acting as the pavilion's patron in exchange for thirty percent of the annual profits. Gu Hanguang was more than happy with this arrangement. Everyone knew the shop was under his protection, so incidents were rare.

In short, Gu Hanguang’s protection was bought with money, and relationships built on gold were the most fragile of all. Luo Kui knew that after the deed was done, a small, insignificant price paid to compensate Gu Hanguang would be more than enough to satisfy him.