Lán and Youlan got to work, they needed to quickly and quietly set the groundwork for the festival. They needed to recruit as many businesses as they could before word eventually got out and reached the ears of the Jinzi Merchant Union.

Lán was happy to be right about Su Youlan, she was an excellent businesswoman and her uncanny ability to know just what each person wanted proved to be the perfect tool for the job. 

Many small businesses that were unaligned quickly joined them sensing an opportunity, and the larger businesses that were actively opposing the Jinzi Merchant Union needed only a few words and slight suggestions from Su Youlan to think that the whole thing was their idea. They happily gave the Húchéng Summer Festival Committee the starting gold they needed to begin the first part of their operation.

They gave each business explicit instructions to start buying resources and network with each other to avoid the ears of the Jinzi Merchant Union while steadily growing their influence.

Once they had the seed money, they started giving out low-interest loans to would-be business men to build hotels, inns, restaurants, and other necessary tourism infrastructure. Naturally many con artists and grifters came but they were quickly rooted out by Su Youlan’s discerning eye.

Once they laid the groundwork, they spread news of the festival with the help of Shú, the contacts they had made recently in the Imperial Palace once again helped fan the flames of the festival even further. Soon, many of the small businesses they had helped set up became full with reservations in anticipation of the festival.

As news spread, some of the businesses that had a shaky or forced alliance with the Jinzi Merchant Union found ways to sever their connection, hoping that the revenue from the festival would offset their losses of doing so.

And so, four months came and went. Lán sat in his office with Youlan, Shu, Baek and Saman Pa. With one month to go for the festival, the small office resembled a sea of paper and ink, with hundreds if not thousands of notices, contracts and books filling every corner of the crowded office.

Their workflow was interrupted by a familiar ruckus in the front gate of the family estate.

“I demand you let me in!” Guan Baocai screamed “How dare a punny family cut us out on potential business, let me in I said!” he was accompanied by another merchant and a small retinue of private guards

The Lúse Family guards at the entrance were struggling with the group until Lán stepped outside to calm things down.

“Please, esteemed guests, there is no need for arguing” Lán said calmly “What can I help you with?”

“Did you seriously think your little plan was going to work?” Baocai sneered “You can try to pry business away from us, but the fact that we own every single supply route in and out of Húchéng remains” “We can snip your little festival in the bud if we wanted to”

Lán led the businessmen into the main hall to keep them from causing a scene. Once they settled in they began discussing business.

“So, you were saying” Lán replied calmly.

“Young Master, I’m He Suanpan” the other businessman spoke up “As my partner was saying, it's been extremely rude of you to cut the Jinzi Merchant Union out of this festival, however we are willing to be kind and not end your event if you cut us into the profits”

"Of course we expect a majority of the profits, at least seventy percent, and we expect you to pick up the tab” Baocai smirked.

“That’s ridiculous and you know it” Youlan said as she stepped into the hall. She stared Guan Baocai down as they both sneered at each other.

He Suanpan pulled out a contract “I'm afraid you don't have much choice, as we said, we can end this charade of yours in an instant” he said, starting to lose this patience.

“You are welcome to try” Lán said as he pulled a ledger from under the table “These are the buy orders for all of the materials and resources necessary for the festival, we bought them from you months ago”

Guan Baocai stood up in shock “How!? Surely, these are made up”

He Suanpan grabbed the ledger and inspected it closely, the buy orders were real, the Húchéng Summer Festival Committee had used the new businesses they started with low-interest loans and bought the necessary resources through them.

“They seem real” He Suanpan glowered.

“Enough of this trickery!” Guan Baocai shouted as he stood up, fully intending to strike someone. He was quickly stopped by Baek and promptly escorted outside

He Suanpan stood up and threw the ledger back at Lán “You might have outfoxed us, but trust me, this is not over”

The festival started without a hitch and with even better results than expected, the renown Húchéng had gained due to the Lúse Elena Medical Clinic had already put the busy town in the limelight, but with the summer festival, nobles from all over China came, and with them came attendants, administrators and businessmen to experience the festival for themselves.

The gambit paid off, for the two weeks the festival lasted, the Húchéng Summer Festival Committee managed to redirect business to the members of the committee and pulled a considerable profit.

All sorts of sights, sounds and smells filled Húchéng, revitalising a city that had been under the scar of a terrible attack three years ago. With just a festival, Húchéng regained its former luster. 

A day before the festival officially ended, Lán found himself in his fathers balcony looking over the city. The lake shimmered beautifully as thousands of lights reflected on its surface. 

“You’ve done a great job son” Li said.

“It was only because of your help that we succeeded father” Lán replied

Li sighed “Thats the thing son, this only happened because of you” Li rubbed his face and turned to face his son “Son, Im planning on leaving Húchéng to you”

“What do you mean? You are still young there is no need to retire” Lán looked at his father with worry

“Ive always known that I’m not cut out for the pen, my path lies with the sword” Li stared at his sons face, he was attempting to memorise it “My training has stalled, and your mother’s killers are still out there” “China is facing an invincible enemy, once the festival ends, I will head out into the Murim to face them”

Lán looked at his father, he felt a pang of sadness as he realized his father had already made up his mind. Li wasn't planning on coming back.

Father and son embraced for a final time, they stayed together in silence, enjoying each other's presence under the moonlit night.