Chapter 147: Feng Miss

In the new land, there are two signs of successful pioneering.

The first is seeing light from the sky.

This is not the light Li Banfeng shined, but a faint light from the sky that projects onto the plot of land. Although the halo of light from the sky is not obvious, there is indeed light.

The second is finding a water source.

Now, water is coming out of the pit!

Li Banfeng was very excited, but he wasn't sure if it was a water source. Caution, he must be cautious.

He fetched a bucket, carefully walked down to the pit, drew a bucket of water, and returned to his Portable Residence.

His wife looked at the water in the bucket and responded with a soft hiss, "This water is a bit murky, but it's not poisonous. It will be usable after it settles for a while."

There was water.

The pioneering was successful!

Li Banfeng was overjoyed and quickly rushed out of his Portable Residence.

This new land was now his. Although there was nothing on the plot, Li Banfeng felt every handful of soil he picked up was incredibly precious. This was the first piece of land he had ever owned since birth.

He shouldn't have been so conservative at first; he should have prepared more offerings to open up a three-li radius. Three li was still too little; he should have gone for ten li, the largest possible. Since he was just staying inside his Portable Residence anyway, opening a larger area wouldn't have been an issue!

It wasn't too late now! The offering table was still there, and he still had excellent aged wine in his Portable Residence.

Li Banfeng moved the offering table out to his plot, arranged six bottles of aged wine and six cans, symbolizing "six sixes bring great fortune," and made an offering to the local deity. He also set out incense and candles, all of which were available in his Portable Residence. The only thing missing was a contract.

The contract was easy to create; its content was very simple, and Li Banfeng had heard it once and remembered the general idea. After writing the contract and burning it to ashes, as the ashes drifted, Li Banfeng saw a cluster of bluish-green flames.

It's here! The local deity had arrived!

The wine on the table was emptied, and the cans were opened and quickly eaten clean. The local deity accepting the offerings meant the contract was accepted.

Li Banfeng looked around, but he didn't see the halo of the boundary line. It didn't light up...

What's happening? Could it be that the plot given by the local deity was too large to see the end of it? Highly possible!

Li Banfeng started running into the distance. After running for a long time, he still couldn't see the halo. A cold wind blew. Rain suddenly began to fall. It should be snowing at this time of year; why is it suddenly raining?

Amidst the sound of the rain, Li Banfeng faintly heard a low, aged voice. It kept repeating one phrase:

"Bah! The shameless one!"

It ate my offerings. And didn't give me land! It even called me shameless! Who's the shameless one, you or me? If I couldn't beat you, I'd certainly have a good talk with you about this.

Since the local deity refused to give land, Li Banfeng had no choice but to retrieve the offering table and bring it back to his Portable Residence.

There was light, there was water, and the land had been opened, yet Li Banfeng still felt something was missing. What exactly was missing?

Where was Ma Wu? Hadn't they agreed that Ma Wu would come find him at the plot when the time came? Did he forget the time? Impossible. Ma Wu carried a pocket watch, and he had a very strong sense of time. Had something happened? Had he broken a rule in the orange grove?

Li Banfeng rushed all the way to the orange grove. After wandering for a moment, he saw the owner of the grove.

"Young man, craving oranges again?"

Li Banfeng nodded, "I actually am a bit tempted."

The old man picked an orange and handed it to Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng ate it as he asked, "Has any young man visited the orange grove in the past couple of days?"

The old man thought for a moment and said, "Someone did come, picked a few oranges, and left again."

Ma Wu picked oranges and then left? Why wasn't he staying in the orange grove? What was he running around for? Was this person Ma Wu?

The old man seemed to know Li Banfeng's thoughts and continued, "Since you left, only one person has visited the orange grove. I assume that's the person you're looking for. He went east. You can go and see, but I advise you not to. The person you're looking for might have encountered an extraordinary individual."

An extraordinary individual? If the grove owner called them extraordinary, their background must be unusual.

What was Ma Wu's situation now? Assuming the person who came for oranges was Ma Wu, and assuming Ma Wu really encountered this extraordinary individual, what was his purpose in getting oranges? The only purpose he could think of was eating. Ma Wu was looking for food, which indicated he still had some freedom of movement. He didn't eat in the orange grove or seek refuge there, which suggested Ma Wu was looking for food not just for himself, but also for that important figure. It seemed they were getting along quite well. The fact that the important figure didn't come to the orange grove personally suggested their condition wasn't very good.

Of course, this was all just his own speculation. But even if his speculation was true, he still needed to find Ma Wu quickly. He had heard his wife say that high-level cultivators recover very fast.

Li Banfeng ate an orange, carefully made a plan, grabbed his feather duster, and left the orange grove, heading east. His plan was as follows: first, confirm if Ma Wu was with that important figure. Then, confirm the important figure's condition. And then, confirm the important figure's attitude. If the important figure was benevolent, the situation would be easy to resolve. If the important figure was malevolent but in poor condition, he would fight them. If the important figure was malevolent and in good condition... This situation was the most complicated, and Li Banfeng didn't know how to deal with it.

But one thing was clear. Ma Wu was Li Banfeng's friend. Ma Wu had come out to pioneer with Li Banfeng. No matter what the situation, Li Banfeng would do everything in his power to save him.

After walking over ten li, the road gradually became muddy, and Li Banfeng saw Ma Wu's footprints. His special shoes had deep treads, making them easy to identify on the muddy path. Following the footprints, Li Banfeng didn't perceive any danger. This didn't mean there was no danger. The orange grove owner's age had long surpassed the limits of normal humans, and the important figure he spoke of likely surpassed him in strength and status. At such a high level, Li Banfeng's fortune-seeking and danger-avoiding skill was completely ineffective.

After walking another ten li, Li Banfeng saw a bamboo forest. Deep within the bamboo forest, he faintly heard the sound of a zither. Li Banfeng touched his sickle and Tang blade, then his pendulum and iron ruler. All these pieces of equipment were in their respective places, but in reality, none of them could be of much use.

Only two items could be useful now. One was the Silken Earring, which could pick up sounds. The other was the key, crucial for survival.

Li Banfeng had the Silken Earring follow the zither music. First, he heard a woman's voice. "Your friend has arrived." Immediately after, he heard Ma Wu's voice. "He's a good person; he's always been kind to me." He then heard the woman's voice again: "If he treats you well, he must be a good person. I will also..."

Li Banfeng heard half of it, and then the sound abruptly stopped. It wasn't because the sound cut off, but because the silk thread of the earring had broken. In other words, its hook had malfunctioned. Li Banfeng told the Silken Earring to track the zither music again, but the Silken Earring was afraid. "Master, I can't listen to that woman's voice. If I hear a few more sentences, I'm afraid this servant will be annihilated."

Li Banfeng took a deep breath and followed the footprints and zither music deeper into the forest, where he saw a small hut made of bamboo. In front of the hut, a stunningly beautiful woman was playing the zither. The new land was very dark, so Li Banfeng couldn't actually see the woman's face clearly, but he just felt that she was exquisitely beautiful, with flawless features. Li Banfeng himself couldn't explain why he had this feeling.

Ma Wu was building a fire nearby, with a kettle of water boiling over it. He had no idea where the water came from. Seeing Li Banfeng, Ma Wu excitedly called out, "Brother Li, you've finally arrived!"

Li Banfeng nodded, "I'm here. We should leave."

Ma Wu's eyebrows twitched for a moment, then he shook his head and said, "I can't leave yet. Miss Feng hasn't fully recovered, and I need to stay and take care of her."

"Miss Feng?" Li Banfeng looked at the woman playing the zither.

The zither music stopped. Miss Feng stroked the strings, looking at Li Banfeng. "Young Master Li, I've heard Wulang mention you. You're a good person. Young Master Wu saved my life, and I will certainly repay this kindness. However, I haven't fully recovered yet and still need Wulang's care. In a few days, Wulang will go home, so Young Master Li doesn't need to worry."

Ma Wu said from the side, "Brother Li, Miss Feng cannot be left alone. I really can't leave. You should go back first."

Hearing this, Li Banfeng said, "Since the lady needs help, why don't I stay too and assist Young Master Ma in taking care of her?"

"That wouldn't be very convenient," Miss Feng said, her cheeks flushing.

Ma Wu shook his head repeatedly. "Brother Li, there are many private matters involved here that you can't help with. Listen to me, go back first."

As he spoke, Ma Wu kept staring at Li Banfeng. He was clearly conscious, signaling Li Banfeng to leave as quickly as possible, or there would be danger.

The zither music started again, the melody the same as before, but the tempo slightly faster. Listening to the music, Li Banfeng suddenly felt a wave of dizziness.

Ma Wu exclaimed, "Miss, Brother Li is my closest friend!"

Miss Feng lowered her head to play the zither, her brows slightly furrowed, appearing somewhat angry. This time, Li Banfeng felt malice, a very strong malice. This was a signal intentionally released by Miss Feng. Li Banfeng realized he was no match for this woman.

Without further hesitation, he turned and left the bamboo forest. Reaching the edge of the bamboo forest, Li Banfeng planned to change his strategy and find another way to rescue Ma Wu. As he was observing the surrounding terrain, the zither music suddenly drifted into his ears. Li Banfeng felt a dizzy spell, and Miss Feng's voice once again sounded in his ears:

"Young Master Li, I was severely injured in a battle and need a man to help me heal. Wulang is loyal and righteous, a fine young man. I am fond of him, and he treats me with sincerity. I bear him no ill will at all, so please rest assured. As a token of my gratitude, I will give you something: this is a piece of flesh and blood I obtained during my battle with that person."

As her words fell, a piece of flesh appeared before Li Banfeng. It was palm-sized, bloody, and still wriggling. Li Banfeng dared not touch the flesh. A gentle breeze blew two bamboo leaves, which wrapped the meat, carefully tied with a grass stem, making it look like a zongzi, and delivered it to Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng took it in his hand. Miss Feng softly murmured, "Go quickly, go..."

Li Banfeng felt another dizzy spell, and his body uncontrollably moved away from the bamboo forest.

The water boiled. Ma Wu brought a bowl to Miss Feng. "He is my closest friend. Don't harm him."

Miss Feng smiled. "Rest assured, Wulang. I'm just sending him back. I will protect him on his journey. As long as he doesn't encounter that beggar, no one in this new land can harm him."

Ma Wu was startled. "Which beggar are you talking about?"

Miss Feng touched Ma Wu's cheek. "You come from wealth, but you don't know much. That's not your fault; people in this realm are often like this nowadays. That beggar is very powerful. Even if I weren't injured, I might not be his match when I'm in perfect condition."

At her touch on his cheek, Ma Wu shivered, and his entire face, from his cheekbones to his earlobes, turned red. Miss Feng chuckled, "Last night, during our intimacy, you were so valiant. Why are you shy now?"

Ma Wu lowered his head and chuckled, "Please don't tease me, Miss. I'm hardly valiant. You keep me by your side simply for amusement."

Miss Feng's brows slightly furrowed, and her eyes were filled with grievance. "Wulang, do you think I deceived you?"

Ma Wu sighed softly. "When we first met, I saw you trapped by a green snake vine and rushed to save you without hesitation. Now that I think about it, with your cultivation, how could you be trapped by such a low-level entity? Wasn't that just toying with me?"

Miss Feng took Ma Wu's hand, placed it on her chest, and slowly said, "Wulang, I truly didn't deceive you. At that time, I was severely injured and indeed no match for that snake vine. If not for you, I wouldn't have recovered so quickly. I will always remember this kindness. Wulang is a joyous cultivator, and the path of cultivation requires a good physique. So, I will give Wulang a good physique as a form of repayment."

Ma Wu asked, surprised, "What kind of good physique?"

"You'll know in a moment." Miss Feng, blushing, took Ma Wu's hand and entered the hut.

Li Banfeng quickly passed through the Little Yellow Spring and traveled all the way to Iron Thread River. He didn't want to walk so fast, but he couldn't stop. There were countless thoughts in his mind, each with equal say. But most of his thoughts converged on one idea: he wanted to return to Lanyang Village. His entire being was focused on moving towards Lanyang Village, even forgetting to avoid any risks.

At Iron Thread River, he couldn't go forward anymore; any further, and he would fall into the river. Yet, Li Banfeng actually rushed towards the river. A small part of his consciousness desperately tried to stop Li Banfeng: Stop, stop, you can't go any further! Li Banfeng also knew he had to stop, but he found it hard to curb the impulse to keep moving forward. He couldn't do anything but walk forward. Stop! Stop! I want to go home!

At the critical moment, his 'Homeward Bound' skill activated. Li Banfeng struggled to pull out the key. With his limbs nearly out of control, Li Banfeng used the key to open the door of his Portable Residence, then desperately threw the key to the opposite bank of the river.

After entering the door, the 'Homeward Bound' skill became ineffective. Li Banfeng opened the door again, intending to go out. He wanted to return to Lanyang Village. An uncontrollable thought dominated his mind.

The gramophone was awake at this moment. The water in the bucket had cleared, and she was adding water to herself. It was fortunate she was awake, as she noticed Li Banfeng's abnormality.

"Oh, husband, what's wrong with you?" A cloud of steam blocked Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng's face was distorted, and he muttered indistinctly, "Crazy lady, crazy lady..."

"You shameless madman, why are you mentioning other ladies in front of me? Which lady is so crazy she's enchanted you like this? Husband, have you been possessed or something? What lady were you just talking about? Was it that hussy Feng Daiku?"

By the Iron Thread River, the Portable Residence key was on the opposite bank, less than ten centimeters from a wriggling horsehair worm. A horsehair worm stretched its slender body towards the bank. When it retracted its body, it coiled the Portable Residence key into the Iron Thread River, into the torrent of horsehair worms.

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(End of chapter)