Outside the Golden Dragon Bank.

Yu Hongxi and Lu Qing'er were at the entrance with Li Luo. The expensive herbs had all been loaded up onto wagons, ringed by Lei Zhang and other protectors.

Yu Hongxi looked at Li Luo and sighed. "Li Luo, you might have managed to procure these herbs, but there's no guarantee that the resonance artificers can be saved.

"Your enemy has planned this for a long time. I'm afraid they won't let you stop them so easily."

Li Luo looked thoughtful for a moment, then he smiled. "Thank you, President Yu. I'll do my best to deal with it."

"Sometimes, your best is not enough.

"If the Suncreek Villa is destroyed beyond all hope of recovery, it might be time to lose the tail to live."

Li Luo started. "Er, like a lizard?"

"The Golden Dragon Bank can buy the Suncreek Villa from you. I will give you a good price for it. When House Luolan stabilizes, you can buy it back at the original price," Yu Hongxi said.

Li Luo was taken aback by this offer. It was very generous, a get-out-of-crisis-free card, as it were. The capital he would receive for the Suncreek Villa could tide House Luolan over for a long time, and then eventually he could buy it back.

It was an offer that was very kind to him indeed.

Li Luo could sense that she meant well, and that was perhaps the most surprising thing of this entire offer. After all, the Golden Dragon Bank under her rule had never been close with House Luolan.

Regardless, goodwill alone was not going to make him accept the offer. "You have my profound thanks, President Yu. If the time comes for such a drastic step, I will consider all options. But before that, I must do my best to save the Suncreek Villa. It's my parents' legacy. I can't abandon it so lightly."

She nodded, not surprised by his answer.

"I'll take my leave now." He bowed slightly to her, and delayed no longer. With a wave of his hand, the convoy left at speed.

"That Li Luo kid might seem gentle as a meandering river, but there's a streak of pride in his bones running as deep as his father's."

Lu Qing'er clung onto Yu Hongxi's arm happily. "Thanks, Mom."

"Whatever for?"

"For all your help today, and then even giving Li Luo a last-resort option." Lu Qing'er beamed. She knew that her mother never made bad deals, but she wasn't going to be earning much with the Suncreek Villa deal that she had offered.

The Suncreek Villa was an empty shell right now. And even the shell was tainted by rumor.

From what she knew, Yu Hongxi had never treated House Luolan with any intimacy before, especially after Jiang Qing'e had taken over the reins. There was brief, occasional business, but even then, House Luolan was the weakest connection the bank had among the five Great Houses.

Which was why her mother's generosity today was so unexpected.

Yu Hongxi's lip twitched. Back when Li Taixuan and Tan Tailan were running the house, she had not wanted to connect with them. And then the whirlwind changes at House Luolan took place, and Jiang Qing'e had taken charge. She was an outstanding person, but the disciple was all too similar to her mistress. She couldn't help but be reminded of Tan Tailan every time—the only woman who had bested her before.

Both Yu Hongxi and Jiang Qing'e were strong personalities. They handled business in a professional manner but went no further.

Li Luo was different. He had a warmer, more flexible personality; he knew when to stand firm and when to bend. Of course, she had to admit that he looked a lot like Li Taixuan...

That really helped in getting her interest.

...

In a luxurious suite, while Li Luo was rushing back.

"Li Luo managed to get the herbs?" Pei Hao snickered as the news reached him. "Impressive."

"Is the Suncreek Villa out of danger, then?" Pang Qianchi asked worriedly.

"As if it would be that simple," Pei Hao said with a bite of impatience. "This special poison is my finest work. You would be underestimating me to think it could be so easily nullified.

"Those herbs are indeed useful, but only in the right hands. Those healers Li Luo brought won't be able to do a thing."

"You..." Pang Qianchi gawped. "You checked all the healers that he employed?"

"What, you think I've just been sitting around drinking tea?" Pei Hao said from his chair, drinking tea.

The golden sword earrings he wore glittered as he leaned back. "There are only a few healers capable of dealing with my poison. And I arranged for all of them to take temporary leave from Xia City."

Pang Qianchi looked at him with renewed wariness and respect. Those great healers were all important people. To be able to convince them to leave... It meant Pei Hao's backers were incredibly powerful.

"Then allow me to congratulate you, Sir. The Suncreek Villa will be in ruins from this day." Pang Qianchi smiled at him.

Pei Hao shook his head. "Actually, no, I do not want the Suncreek Villa to be in ruins. After all, my master and mistress left it behind. I just didn't want it to rise so quickly in that young lord's hands.

"With a bit more time, he would have grown it into a rock-solid treasure that would see House Luolan flourish and grow stronger." He looked out the window, his expression unreadable.

"I truly underestimated that young lord before."

As reports on Li Luo's movements had come in recently, each was a disturbing enough nudge that moved Pei Hao from indifference to alarm.

All in the short span of half a year.

As the young lord's reputation began to grow in House Luolan, Pei Hao realized that even those he had turned were starting to whisper otherwise. Although he had quashed the stray thoughts amidst his followers, he could not help but sit up and notice Li Luo's influence.

After all, Li Luo was the rightful heir of House Luolan.

Even Jiang Qing'e could not compare in that regard, let alone a namesake disciple like himself.

Plus, Jiang Qing'e and Li Luo were engaged. The two worked as one. They might well stabilize House Luolan by working together.

In another half a year, it would be time for House Luolan's housemeet. Pei Hao had originally planned to come to Xia City and have a showdown with Jiang Qing'e over House Luolan at that time.

But Li Luo's rise had forced him to change his plans, moving them ahead.

"Pei Hao, you are skilled and wise, and Li Luo is only a fledgling. If not for his lineage, how could he ever hope to compare to you?" Pang Qianchi smiled ingratiatingly.

Pei Hao shook his head slowly in distaste. "Exactly. It's frustrating. All my years of hard work, and he strolls in with the name of 'rightful heir' to take it all. And those two House Lords left him quite a lot before they left."

Pang Qianchi laughed weakly, unsure of how to reply. 

“Well... of course Li Luo would be doted on by his parents. What were they going to do? Favor a namesake disciple like you instead?”

But he understood Pei Hao, who had worshiped the very ground the two House Lords stood on. His idolization was extreme, and it had twisted him. The slightest sign of affection for Li Luo was like a dagger in his heart.

It was... pitiful.

Oblivious to his underling's thoughts, Pei Hao continued to gaze out at the Suncreek Villa, a small smile playing across his lips.

“Li Luo, what I can't have, I will never let you have. Not even if I have to destroy it.”