The King of Black Fog

1928, April 28th, the weather was clear and spring was in the air.

Practicing the "Thunder Map" required energy, and it could only be done three times a day when at full capacity. With Li Changzhou's rule-breaking full capacity of four aspects, he could practice it 49 times a day.

After practicing it 46 times that day (leaving three for fighting — only three, to manage the evening engagement), he didn't rush to practice the newly acquired "Snake Step." Instead, he strolled around the Commander Mansion.

Seeing the high-level architecture of one hundred years ago was also a way to increase his knowledge, which might even improve his "Ability."

The Commander Mansion was magnificent, filled with trees and blooming flowers. No matter where he was, a shout would bring servants to attend to him at any time.

Powerful people, in any era, lived lives beyond ordinary people's imaginations.

Passing through a Moon Gate, he probably reached the western garden; the yard in front of him was half-shadowed under a robust grapevine.

The green grapevines already bore small grapes, and the leaves piled up like little hills above his head, casting mottled light and shadow on the ground and naturally calming the mind.

"Why has Second Brother come?"

Li Changzhou followed the voice and saw a woman sitting and reading on a garden chair under a porch surrounded by large and small bonsai, resplendent in deep red and light purple, with a maid attending by her side.

Li Biwei, the third young mistress of the Li Family, seventeen or eighteen years old, looked as fresh and tender as a just-picked peach.

"Little Sister." Li Changzhou smiled, his expression slightly genuine because of her status as his sister.

He didn't walk over but instead strolled around the yard, looking up at the grapes above, and then studied the potted plants one by one.

"How do you like this place, Second Brother?" Li Biwei put down her book, stood up from the chair, leaned on the gallery railing, and looking down at him.

"Not bad, perennial spring," Li Changzhou nodded.

"It's still missing a bit." Li Biwei smiled, "Second Brother, plant a few maple trees for me. Start now, and it will be like spring here in autumn too."

"Planting maple trees for spring?" Li Changzhou looked up and laughed.

Li Biwei wore a white satin robe, her chest adorned with a pearl necklace that rivaled a monk's string of 108 Buddha Beads, standing gracefully like a white pear tree.

"The books all say that when a beauty smiles, the whole world turns to spring. You plant the maple trees for me, and when the leaves turn red and I smile, won't my courtyard become spring?"

Li Changzhou laughed heartily, "I've never seen anyone more narcissistic than you!"

"There are a few over there," Li Biwei disdainfully glanced in the direction where the madams lived.

"Aren't you afraid of offending them with such talk?"

"If they're offended, so be it. I just don't like them. If it comes to it, I can learn from my older brother and move out. If they push me too much, I'll go abroad. Then, Second Brother, you must sponsor me. Not too much, ten to twenty million will do."

Li Changzhou grew a little fond of her then, this manner of asking her brother for money, reminiscent of Li Qianxia.

"Alright, if you want to go abroad, I'll give you ten million," Li Changzhou said with a laugh.

"Really?" Li Biwei's eyes lit up.

"Really."

It wasn't his money anyway, and he was about to leave in a blink.

He wouldn't say such things to Yang Qinglan; he only made promises to her that he was sure he could keep.

"I don't believe you." Li Biwei coyly glanced at him, "You can plant the maple trees first."

"Let's plant them, let's have someone do it today," Li Changzhou said laughing.

"Xiaoyu," Li Biwei called her maid, "go find the accountant, tell them Second Brother wants to plant several maple trees in the courtyard for me, and it needs to be now."

While Xiaoyu, who had quietly been watching the siblings talk, first sneakily glanced at Li Changzhou, seeing him standing there smiling without objection, she acknowledged with a "yes," passed through the Moon Gate, and headed to the front courtyard.

Was taking advantage of an elder brother a tradition of the Chinese nation?

Li Changzhou mused, about to leave, when Li Biwei tapped the gallery railing and said, "Second Brother, come up here, I have something to tell you."

Her expression was meaningful, and a thought struck Li Changzhou, could this be a plot trigger?

"Don't tell me it's to ask for money again." He smiled as he walked into the flowers and onto the gallery.

"Have a seat first." Li Biwei pushed him toward the garden chair.

"Looks like you're asking for quite a sum," Li Changzhou said grandly, settling comfortably into the chair.

"Who's asking for money?" Li Biwei chided with a smile then suddenly sat down on his lap.

Li Changzhou jumped in surprise!

Close sibling relationships were one thing, but physical contact, even between him and Li Qianxia, had only ever been accidental during fights. After they had grown up, there had never been such ambiguous acts as sitting on each other's laps.

"What are you doing?" He dared not move.

"Come off it, what's with the pretense? You entering and checking everything out, I knew what you were thinking!" Li Biwei poked his nose with her finger, coquettishly humming.

Just moments ago, she was a white pear tree, and now she had hints of pink.

Li Changzhou, oh Li Changzhou, what have you done?

It's one thing with your sister-in-law, it's immorally acceptable, but what's the situation with your sister? Are you mimicking King Xiang of Qi? (As recorded in "Historical Records · The Family of Qi Taigong", King Xiang of Qi had an incestuous relationship with his younger sister Jiang Zhu'er.)

"This is a Thunder Strike event, don't you know?!"

But please, wait a moment—

What if the people of the twenty-first century have too filthy a mindset, filled with lewd trash, judging others through a colored lens?

What if the second young master and the third young mistress of the Li Family were just siblings who were too close, but actually nothing more?

Without investigation, there is no right to speak, let's investigate this matter first.

"I've recently learned a new French word—con… Changzhou," Li Biwei stretched out her arms, wrapped them around Li Changzhou's neck, and whispered in his ear, "What does this mean?"

"...I don't understand French."

After the investigation, it was indeed suspicious.

Li Biwei laughed a few times, her breath, laden with laughter, blowing on his neck.

"Let's go abroad, Changzhou," she rested her head on Li Changzhou's left shoulder, "to a place where no one knows us, shall we? I want to be with you every day, walking down the street arm in arm."

"..."

Seeing that he remained silent, Li Biwei suddenly became angry. She sat up and looked down at Li Changzhou.

"What's wrong?" she revealed a venomous smile, "Are you reluctant to leave behind the sister-in-law in the elder brother's room, or the dancer in the father's chamber? Or perhaps it's the fiancée who made you fall in love at first sight?"

"..."

Li Changzhou felt that his "Ability" must have progressed, as his views on life and the world had been turned upside down and expanded.

"Cough," he curled up his fist, covered his lips, and coughed lightly, "Biwei, is there anything else? If not, I'll leave first; I've been quite busy lately."

Li Biwei gazed at his clear eyes, his pale and slender knuckles, his handsome face, even the way he coughed enamored her.

Her expression softened, like a pear tree in the wind that suddenly moved a few times graciously.

"Changzhou," she changed the subject, "Father has put you in charge of Song City, why have you been staying at home for two days?"

"Still familiarizing myself with the situation. Haste makes waste," Li Changzhou replied.

After being targeted by an assassin, why would he run outside? How could this put the assassin's backers at ease? These people could very well be the ones who historically assassinated Commander Li and Li Bichang.

But what would threatening Li Changzhou accomplish? Was it to use Li Changzhou to threaten the Commander?

Regardless, it was better to leave the third young mistress for the moment, as she seemed more threatening than any assassin.

"I thought you were worried about the elder brother," Li Biwei teased, tapping a finger on his nose.

"Worried about the elder brother?" The originally intending-to-stand Li Changzhou relaxed again (although his heart tightened), "Why would I worry about him?"

"Stop pretending!" Li Biwei playfully poked his nose again and said somewhat mockingly, "You and that despicable Zhong Yingru, he's known about it for a while, and the assassin the night before last, I suspect he was behind it."

By the end, her face wore a cold smirk, a hint of murderous intent evident.

Li Changzhou felt threatened by her; Li Biwei, the young mistress, was no simple character.

He quickly retrieved all available information about Li Biwei in his mind, born to a favored aunt, much loved, currently studying at Song City Women's University, usually learning foreign languages with him.

The game's information was rudimentary, just enough to prevent players from easily giving themselves away.

"Does father know about this?" Li Changzhou asked again.

"What do you think? He's also in a tough position—what you did was wrong, seducing your sister-in-law, a crime of the highest degree (again poking his face), but you are his own son, he is reluctant to punish you, which is why I advised you before, you must seize this opportunity to manage Song City.

"Do it well, and not only will seducing your sister-in-law be overlooked, but the position of Commander could be yours; handle it poorly, and you'll just be waiting to be punished by family law!"

A transition seemed to occur, and Li Biwei revealed her signature venomous smile.

"That's not the end of it, you lost the Commander's position, and when father dies, guess how your violently-tempered elder brother will handle you? Death would be too kind for you. He might even make you a eunuch!"

Li Changzhou fell into deep thought.

"Don't rush to be scared, there's more," Li Biwei smiled again and continued, "If the elder brother finds out about you, the dancer, and also me, and tells father, do you think he'd still give you another chance?"

Li Changzhou looked up at her, "I'm in such danger, yet you seem not scared or worried at all?"

"What do I have to be scared of?" Li Biwei got up, adjusted the skirt on her hips, and sat on the railing of the porch.

She whispered, "I'd rather you were exposed and ran away with me."

Li Changzhou's gaze turned toward the Moon Gate, and the slightly blushing Xiao Yu ran inside.

"Third young mistress, it has been arranged with the accounting office, they will take the Money to purchase the finest maple trees immediately!"

"Understood." Li Biwei toyed with the necklace on her chest, as if playing with Buddha Beads, smiling cheerily at Li Changzhou, "Thanks, Changzhou."

"It's nothing, sister. Just tell me if you need anything else," Li Changzhou stood up from the lounging chair, "I should head back now."

"Take care, Changzhou."

Li Changzhou smiled, stepped down from the porch, and walked towards the Moon Gate.

At this point, he couldn't help but consider one question—was it possible that Commander Li and Li Bichang were killed by Li Changzhou?