115. Ruthless Step by Step

Gu Fei parted ways with the Feng family grandfather and grandson at the crossroads of the East Market. Neither she nor Feng Puyu had much to say, so they simply exchanged nods and went their separate ways.

"Miss, what should we do now?" Nightingale had never encountered such a situation before. Every faction in the Yizhou ink-making industry had turned against Gu Fei overnight. She was filled with worry and felt completely at a loss.

Gu Fei rested one hand on the armrest, rubbed her brow, and half-closed her eyes, the chill on her body gradually dissipating. "Let us return first, then we shall devise another plan."

You Er looked back at the main gate of Songbai Manor. The two stone qilins were imposing and intimidating, and the vast courtyard beyond the open gate was largely obscured by a massive screen wall, making it impossible to see what was happening inside.

"Miss, I heard from my big brother that now is not the time to kill Mo Geyi." Fearing that Gu Fei might do something desperate, You Er hurriedly cautioned her.

Gu Fei rubbed her delicate brow bone and glanced at You Er, not at all surprised. "I am aware. You need not remind me of this now."

After a pause, she added, "Those words earlier were merely to avoid appearing weak and to keep up appearances, as well as to make Mo Geyi wary so he wouldn't dare act too brazenly for the time being. As long as he continues to scheme, there will always be a way to break the deadlock."

You Er nodded, half-understanding. After a long moment, he reacted, "If only my big brother were here; he would always be able to help you find a way to deal with this."

Mentioning You Hu, Gu Fei suddenly recalled his peerless, handsome face. She thought to herself that even if You Hu had a plan, she would not dare use it. Once bitten, twice shy; she would never give anyone a second chance to exploit her.

Upon returning to Qingmo Courtyard, the other members of the Gu family had not yet returned. Gu Fei had a light meal, indifferent to the need to explain her true identity to the family, and continued as if nothing had happened.

By the afternoon, when Gu Min returned, there was still no movement from the main branch of the family. No one was sent to question her, nor was there any mention of forcing her out of the Gu estate, as if the Chamber of Commerce ceremony had never occurred and her true identity had never been exposed.

For this reason, the young maid Nightingale had worried for quite some time, even going so far as to consult Mother Ku about where they might find shelter if they were kicked out.

As it turned out, everything remained calm. Were it not for the rumors in the streets attacking her reputation, Gu Fei might have thought Mo Geyi had simply let it go.

Fortunately, the Xuanzhu Workshop had always been managed by Ziyuan, with Gu Fei and Feng Lizhi acting as the behind-the-scenes master ink-makers. As a result, no one in all of Yizhou knew that the shop belonged to Gu Fei, and orders had continued to pour in.

Gu Fei was certain that the main branch of the Gu family would not dare evict her. Setting aside the poison in Gu Min’s body—for which they still relied on her to find the eccentric Doctor Nine—there was the rumor that she possessed the secret ink-making formulas of the Dajing Mo family. Given Gu Zhong’s nature of never engaging in a losing business, he would not let her leave the Gu family easily.

At the very least, as long as she was under their watch, should they ever reach a dead end, a few leaked formulas would be enough to make the Gu family an existence in Yizhou comparable to the Lesser Mo family. At worst, if Mo Geyi pushed them too hard, they could always kidnap her to offer as a gesture of submission, thereby establishing a connection with the Dajing Mo family.

No matter which path they chose, the Gu family would not lose. Thus, Gu Fei felt perfectly secure staying in the estate.

However, after only two days, she frowned as she looked at the orders sent from the Xuanzhu Workshop.

Ziyuan sat in a chair with her feet up, lazily resting her head on one hand, poking at a small pastry on a plate with her finger until it crumbled into dust. "Miss, there is no need to worry. I have told them that the master ink-makers may need a few extra days to produce these."

Gu Fei counted them; there were over twenty orders in the stack. Usually, Feng Lizhi would take half, leaving her with about ten, but this time, the number had more than doubled.

She sighed, thinking of the events at the ceremony. "Lizhi... is he alright?"

Ziyuan shook her head, grinding the pastry crumbs with her fingertips. "Not well. I haven't seen him myself. The Feng family servants say the young master has locked himself in his room for days and hasn't come out. One wonders if he can overcome this."

Gu Fei was stunned. This was exactly what she had expected. Feng Lizhi was a man of such pride, disdainful of the filth of the world; such a person either truly lives free and untethered, with a heart so strong that nothing can touch him, or he snaps under pressure and meets an early end.

Feng Lizhi had reached that critical juncture. If he survived, his future would be limitless; if he could not break free, his life would be ruined.

Gu Fei silently gathered the twenty or so orders, and after a long time, said, "Tomorrow, I shall pay a visit to the Feng family."

After all, she was largely to blame for this situation.

Unexpectedly, Ziyuan straightened up, her face full of surprise. "Miss, are you sure you want to go out alone? Do you know what the rumors outside are saying about you?"

Gu Fei gave a dismissive laugh and brushed her sleeve. "Rumors stop with the wise. Besides, the pure remain pure, and the muddy remain muddy; why should I feel the need to explain? As for my reputation—to me, that is something I could have cast aside long ago."

A flash of pity crossed Ziyuan’s face, though it was unclear what she was lamenting. "Then what does Miss intend to do next?"

Hearing this, Gu Fei curled her lips into a smile, one that was as deep as ink, turning into ice crystals before it could reach her eyes. "Intend? Since Mo Geyi gave me such a grand gift, if I don't reciprocate, it would make me seem small-minded."

Ziyuan chuckled, whispering to herself, "You are quite small-minded..."

However, seeing that Gu Fei had not been crushed by Mo Geyi, Ziyuan finally felt she could set her mind at ease. Once relieved, she couldn't sit still. She stretched languidly—though not particularly gracefully—her long sleeves slipping down to reveal arms as tender as lotus roots. "I must be getting back. Does Miss have any other instructions?"

Gu Fei thought for a moment. "These days are chaotic; there is no need for you to come over unless necessary." She then seemed to recall something. "How is the relationship between the Linglang Pavilion and the Governor of Yizhou?"

Ziyuan tilted her head to think. "It's alright. The Governor of Yizhou is surnamed Guo. He is a man accustomed to playing both sides, a bit greedy, but he knows what's important when it comes to major affairs. His wife’s surname is Ouyang, and she is a regular at the Linglang Pavilion. The two are a devoted couple; I have never heard of Governor Guo keeping concubines."

Gu Fei tapped her fingers on the armrest of her wheelchair—a habit she had developed when deep in thought. "Devoted, that is good. The influence of a pillow talk can sometimes be underestimated."

Ziyuan covered her mouth with her sleeve and giggled, her peach-blossom eyes bright and shimmering like spring water. "Miss, are you planning to break the deadlock through this Governor Guo?"

Gu Fei did not answer, instead waving her hand to signal Ziyuan to leave. "Go back and wait. If there is anything, I will send someone to find you."

Although curious, Ziyuan knew what shouldn't be asked. She bowed gracefully and retreated.

Gu Fei collected her thoughts and went to check on Mother Ku. Seeing that her wounds were healing and she could barely get out of bed, she instructed her not to worry, as Nightingale and Bailu were there, and she had You Er for protection. Finally, she told Nightingale to prepare for the visit to the Feng family the next day.

...

The night passed in silence. The next day, Gu Fei dressed simply, wearing only a single white jade hairpin, and headed out.

You Er had hired a carriage, avoiding the use of the Gu family’s, and was waiting at the door. Seeing Gu Fei come out, he was uncharacteristically nimble; he lifted the curtain and, with one crouch, hoisted her and the wheelchair into the carriage. He then flicked the whip and headed straight for the Feng family.

But upon arriving at the Feng family residence, before Gu Fei could even disembark, she saw a crowd of men dressed in servant's attire surrounding the gates, shouting insults and calling them "frauds."

You Er made a quick inquiry and whispered the situation to Gu Fei through the carriage curtain. "Miss, it is those who previously commissioned Master Feng to make ink. Having heard about the ceremony, they are shamelessly demanding refunds for their ink balls and insisting that the Feng family return the money they paid."

The light inside the carriage was dim, and Gu Fei’s pale face remained in the shadows, a flash of ferocity passing through her eyes. She didn't need to think twice to know this was instigated by Mo Geyi.

With the backing of the Dajing Mo family, he was far more powerful than the Feng family. He only needed to drop a hint of his dissatisfaction, and countless people would be eager to act as his pawns. She had seen this tactic used many times by Mo Qingge; these two siblings were always fond of such underhanded methods to coerce others.

"Which families are they?" Gu Fei asked.

You Er glanced at their clothing, some of which bore family crests. "The Yang family of Yizhou, the Li family..."

He recited five or six family names in one breath. Some were in the ink-making industry, while others were simply wealthy social climbers. None of them had hesitated to bring carts of silver to beg for ink balls in the past, yet they were now the first to kick the fallen.

"Remember them all, one by one. Sooner or later, I will settle this with them collectively," Gu Fei said coldly. Even through the curtain, You Er felt a shiver run down his spine. He looked at the crowd with pity. He had realized over time that Gu Fei, much like You Hu, was not a person to be trifled with. If she kept someone in her mind, it would be a disaster that would rob them of their peace.

As they spoke, the tightly closed gates of the Feng residence creaked open. The old steward of the Feng family walked out, bowing his head. "Everyone, please be calm. My master has said that for those of you who wish to return your ink balls, the Feng family accepts. Please come forward one by one; allow me to check the ledger, verify the price at the time of purchase, and we shall return the money in full."

Hearing that they would be refunded, the crowd quieted down.

Gu Fei lifted the curtain slightly and saw the old steward set up a desk at the gate. For every ink ball returned, they checked the ledger and had the accountant ensure every cent was refunded.

After only a dozen people, Gu Fei estimated that the Feng family had already paid out at least five thousand taels of silver. Given Feng Puyu’s reputation, these people had paid exorbitant prices for the ink balls, and the loss to the Feng family was staggering.

Gu Fei shook her head repeatedly. The Feng family’s actions were no different from drinking poison to quench thirst. She could foresee that more people would come demanding refunds. Mo Geyi wanted nothing more than to see the Feng family’s decline, and this played right into his hands. Once the family was ruined, he would have little trouble seizing their ancestral techniques.

This chain of calculated moves was truly vicious. The Feng family had always been a single line of succession; Mo Geyi had not only struck at Feng Lizhi, ensuring the decline of the Feng descendants, but also coveted their ancestral craft, leaving them with absolutely no way out.