Chapter 100: The Way to Wealth Creation

Ma Wu mentioned Li Banfeng; it was very sudden.

Li Banfeng put down his chopsticks and quietly watched Ma Wu.

The atmosphere wasn't tense. Li Banfeng knew that if Ma Wu intended to harm him, he wouldn't be sharing a meal at the same table, much less openly revealing his intentions.

Ma Wu chuckled, "Brother Li, I'm talking about Li Banfeng, not you. Li Banfeng is a friend I met in Yaowanggou. Although I've fallen on hard times, I still hear things. I heard Li Banfeng offended the Lu family, and they're looking for him in Yaowanggou. If you know Li Banfeng, please pass a message to him: if he hides in Green Water Bay, he'll have made the right move. Green Water Bay is the foundation of all major noble families; no single family dares to make big moves there. Puluozhou is vast, and finding one person is difficult. Although the Lu family's influence is considerable, if they can't find Li Banfeng in Yaowanggou, they won't look elsewhere, because this is ultimately just Lu Xiaolan's word. Besides, many recent rumors say that Li Banfeng vanished after going to the He family mansion, and many believe he died at Lu Xiaolan's hands. People from powerful families don't have infinite patience. With Li Banfeng's continued silence, they will focus on Lu Xiaolan, believing she lied. This applies to both the Lu and He families. Over time, Li Banfeng will gradually be forgotten. Brother Li, you must find a way to deliver this message: tell Li Banfeng not to go to crowded places and to patiently endure; he will surely get through this tribulation."

This was the perspective of a young master from a prominent family.

It was Ma Wu's way of repaying Li Qi.

He knew Li Qi was Li Banfeng; the person in front of him was indeed Li Banfeng.

He knew Li Qi was from another province and bore some resemblance to the Li Banfeng in the pictures.

Moreover, the timing of Li Qi's appearance matched the Lu family's description of Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng took a sip of wine and said to Ma Wu, "You could tell the Lu family that Li Banfeng is in Green Water Bay. They'd give you a significant reward, perhaps even an estate."

Ma Wu nodded, "I've considered it, but I can't do it. When I was starving, Li Banfeng gave me food."

After a moment of silence, Li Banfeng refilled his cup.

Ma Wu poured himself a cup as well.

Both raised their cups simultaneously and drained them.

Li Banfeng took a bite of braised beef, "What are you planning to do next?"

Ma Wu chuckled, "I've counted my days; I have at most five or six left. I'm planning to show you around Lanyang Village and explain the unique aspects of Green Water Bay."

Only five or six days remained.

"Since you only have five or six days left, why aren't you focusing on cultivation? Do you truly not want to live?"

Ma Wu shook his head, smiling, "Back in the day, with so many women throwing themselves at me, I never thought cultivation would be difficult. But now that I'm down and out, the difficulties are immense. If I want a partner, forget about emotional connection; it's all about real money. Passing even one stage is out of the question for me. Let's say, strictly following the routine, I'd need to cultivate three times a day, and even those three payments aren't easy to afford. Brother Li, I know you're a generous person, and you might offer to cover these costs for me. I thank you for your kindness, but this is a bottomless pit that no one can fill. Moreover, I've interrupted my cultivation for ten days, and my body is severely damaged. Even if a woman were delivered to me now, I'd be useless."

Li Banfeng blinked, "Are you saying there's no hope at all?"

Ma Wu chuckled, "Brother Li, you're very direct. It's not entirely hopeless. My meridians are withered but not yet damaged. If I had some elixirs, they could be nourished back. Once they're damaged, I'd only be able to rely on Soul-Reviving Soup to prolong my life. But this isn't Yaowanggou; elixirs aren't easy to buy here, and they're terribly expensive. As for Soul-Reviving Soup, don't even think about it; I don't know where the peddler is. My fate has simply run its course."

Li Banfeng asked, "What kind of elixir could restore you?"

Ma Wu said, "The most common is the Snake-Marked Elixir. I don't know if Brother Li has heard of it. Taking seven of them would be enough for recovery, but the Snake-Marked Elixir..."

Let alone seven, Ma Wu couldn't even afford one Snake-Marked Elixir now.

"I don't have Snake-Marked Elixirs, but I wonder if this one will do." Li Banfeng produced a red pill and handed it to Ma Wu.

Ma Wu examined it for a moment, then his eyes widened. "Is this a Profound Blazing Elixir?"

Li Banfeng asked, "Can this elixir save you?"

"Yes, yes!" Ma Wu was extremely excited, but then he asked, "Why would you save me?"

Li Banfeng shook his head, "It's not really about saving you. I haven't had a chance to sell this elixir, and I need money myself, so I'm selling it to you for now. If you recover this time, find a way to earn money quickly and pay me back immediately. If you can't pay it back right away, give me an IOU, and we'll clarify the principal and interest. If you take this elixir, extend your life, and then just wait to die again, then I'll consider myself unlucky, and this elixir will just be buried with you."

Li Banfeng was being truthful; he genuinely wanted to sell the elixir to Ma Wu.

Ma Wu clutched the elixir, his fingers trembling, feeling somewhat overwhelmed. "Brother Li, I don't know how I can repay this kindness. I..."

"Why are you saying you don't know again? Are you pretending to be confused? Didn't I just say to repay me with money? You're good at making money. So, how do you plan to earn it?"

Ma Wu accepted the elixir and seriously began to explain his methods for earning money to Li Banfeng:

"The speed of earning money depends on two things: initial capital and risk. Earning a hundred from one is extremely difficult. Earning ten thousand from a hundred is much less challenging."

Li Banfeng said, "What if I want to turn a million into ten million?"

Ma Wu pondered for a moment, "The fastest way is to hunt in the New Land. There are risks, but they're not too great. There's a 30% chance of losing half your investment, a 20% chance of losing everything. The remaining 50% will yield profit, with a 20% chance of earning over ten million. For the remaining 30%, the amount is hard to say."

Li Banfeng nodded, "I'll go get you a million first. Let's get started."

Ma Wu stopped Li Banfeng, "Brother Li, I just told you something: I'm being targeted. As soon as I have any money, someone comes to rob me."

Li Banfeng frowned deeply. "How can someone be like that? Robbery is wrong! Next time, introduce him to me. I'm an upright person; I'll give him a good talking-to."

Ma Wu didn't understand Li Banfeng's meaning. "Brother Li, I should warn you, the people who come for me are different every time, making it impossible to guard against them."

"Different every time?"

Li Banfeng frowned, "Do you know them?"

"No."

"If you don't know them, how do they recognize you and find you?"

Ma Wu couldn't figure out the reason either.

As Li Banfeng pondered a solution, he suddenly heard a knock at the door. Opening it, he saw Landlord Wei.

"Gentlemen, apologies for disturbing you. Here's two months' rent, five thousand yuan in total. Please take it."

Li Banfeng was taken aback. "What does this mean? Are you kicking us out?"

Landlord Wei shook his head, pointing to the bandages covering his face. "I'm not asking you to leave. Please stay as long as you wish. These two months' rent are my way of repaying your kindness."

He had just seen Ma Wu intervene to help him.

"Tomorrow night, in the wasteland duel, I'll face that son of a bitch Yu Mazi in a 'Chaos Arena' fight. If I survive this, it'll be my luck, and you two can stay here for a hundred years; I won't charge you rent. If I don't make it through tomorrow night, I'll have 'crossed the bridge,' and Wei won't be able to help you with your lodging anymore."

After speaking, Landlord Wei bid them farewell and left. Ma Wu let out a bitter laugh, "This is Lanyang Village for you, where even finding a stable place to live is difficult."

Li Banfeng asked, "What did he mean by 'duel,' 'Chaos Arena,' and 'crossing the bridge'?"

Ma Wu explained, "'Duel' means a challenge. A 'wasteland duel' means fighting in the areas of Lanyang Village that have been demolished but not yet rebuilt. This is a rule in Lanyang Village: major and minor disputes can be settled by dueling. Minor matters are fought out on the street with neighbors as witnesses; whoever wins decides. Later, they might renege on the agreement. For major matters, they go to the wasteland, with the Song family as witnesses. Again, whoever wins decides. If someone doesn't honor the outcome later, the Song family steps in to uphold justice."

"The Song family?" Li Banfeng paused. "Who are they?"

Ma Wu said, "The Song family are the bosses of Lanyang Village. In Lanyang Village, even if you set up a stall to sell fried dough sticks, you need the Song family's permission. Even if you only earn one yuan a day, fifty cents of it goes to the Song family. For wasteland duels, the Song family acts as witnesses. If the fight is during the day, it's called a 'Clear Sky Arena,' and it continues until one side concedes. If it's at night, it's called a 'Chaos Arena,' and it continues until one side dies. Landlord Wei and Yu Mazi chose the 'Chaos Arena,' meaning they intend to fight to the death. If Landlord Wei 'crosses the Bridge of No Return' tomorrow, meaning he dies in the wasteland, the properties here will belong to Yu Mazi, and we'll have to move out promptly."

Li Banfeng exclaimed, "Then we should go and see who wins."

Ma Wu shook his head, "Tomorrow, all the idle villagers will go to the wasteland to watch the excitement. You shouldn't go; it's best for you to avoid crowded places. I really do need to go, and while I'm there, I'll find some help. We need to hunt in the New Land three times. The first time will require a lot of manpower, and we'll need to gather a good amount of stinky fish. First, for bait, and second, as a diversion. Earning money isn't hard; the difficulty lies in deceiving the Song family's eyes."

"Can we avoid the stinky fish?" Li Banfeng detested the smell of fish, and the stench of rotten fish was unbearable.

Ma Wu looked at Li Banfeng earnestly, "We're people who do great things. It's only right to endure a little hardship."

That evening, Li Banfeng continued to go out to familiarize himself with the surroundings.

Ma Wu took the elixir and slept until dusk the next day.

After sleeping for a day and a night, Ma Wu's complexion greatly improved. He went to the wasteland to watch the duel.

Li Banfeng, meanwhile, was in the village purchasing supplies, preparing for the hunt.

At 1:00 AM, Ma Wu returned, bringing good news and ten young men.

The good news was that Landlord Wei had won the wasteland duel, meaning Li Banfeng and Ma Wu wouldn't have to move for now.

These ten young men were their helpers for hunting in the New Land.

Ma Wu brought out paper and pen and immediately signed a life-and-death agreement with the young men. "I, Ma, am a straightforward person. If you work with me, money will certainly not be an issue. But if anyone chickens out during the task or blabs outside, don't blame me for being ruthless."