Chapter 150: Family Banquet

A horsehair worm wriggled on his cheekbone, its head emerging from the inner corner of his eye.

Li Banfeng saw its head, disturbingly close to his eyeball.

The worm had a mouth on its head; Li Banfeng couldn't make out its exact state, but he knew it was positioned directly over his eyeball, poised to bite.

Li Banfeng jumped ashore, grabbed the horsehair worm, and pulled with all his might.

The horsehair worm's skin was incredibly rough and thick, dotted with tiny barbs. As Li Banfeng forcibly tore it from the corner of his eye, it ripped away a large chunk of flesh and blood.

He tossed the worm onto the ground, intending to stomp on it, but found his feet had lost all sensation.

His leather shoes were riddled with holes, countless horsehair worms having burrowed into his feet.

Using his key, he opened the portable residence, then threw the key as far away as he could before staggering inside.

He collapsed onto the floor, his body tingling and itching as hundreds of worms writhed beneath his skin.

A cloud of steam enveloped Li Banfeng's entire body, seeping into his wounds and systematically killing the worms.

Three phonograph needles extended toward Li Banfeng, first pulling off his shoes, then tearing his socks to shreds.

His feet were riddled with countless holes, each the size of an incense stick's tip, and some still had creatures wriggling within them.

"Oh dear, they're not all gone!" the Phonograph sighed. "Where did these vile creatures come from? Iron Thread River? The worms from there shouldn't be this resilient."

Li Banfeng heard the words but lacked the strength to reply.

He couldn't answer, nor did he know what was wrong with these worms.

The Phonograph stripped Li Banfeng's clothes as a cloud of steam hovered around him. After about fifteen minutes, the worms wriggling in the holes ceased to move.

While killing these worms was simple for the Phonograph, she worried about harming Li Banfeng.

A phonograph needle pierced a hole in Li Banfeng's ankle bone, probed for a moment, and then hooked out a horsehair worm over ten centimeters long.

All three phonograph needles worked together, meticulously extracting the dead horsehair worms one by one.

Li Banfeng's body twitched in spasms as he stammered, "Wife, gently, please be extremely gentle with the sensitive areas."

There were indeed many worms in those sensitive areas.

The Phonograph deliberately prodded him a few times.

"Oh, dear husband, why didn't you ask for 'gentle' when you were oiling me? Now you know how it feels, don't you? Hahahaha!"

Surrounded by his attendants, Lu Dongjun stepped off the train, having traveled from Greenwater City to Sea-Eat Ridge.

As he exited the platform, reporters immediately swarmed him.

"Mr. Lu, are you here for disaster relief?"

Lu Dongjun smiled faintly. "As I've said before, disaster relief is futile before we eradicate these pests. My purpose here is to completely wipe out the Barren Mosquitoes of Sea-Eat Ridge, leaving not a single one."

"Mr. Lu, the entire Sea-Eat Ridge is severely affected. Where do you plan to begin?"

"I intend to start with First Ridge."

Sea-Eat Ridge comprises three mountain ridges: First Ridge, the most prosperous, is a medium-sized city; Second Ridge consists of three towns; and Third Ridge is relatively remote, dotted with dozens of villages.

A reporter pressed, "Mr. Lu, major families have exhausted all options, and considerable resources from other provinces have been deployed, yet none have been able to curb the Barren Mosquitoes. How confident are you in your approach?"

Lu Dongjun looked at the reporter, his expression calm. "I am absolutely confident," he stated.

Cameras clicked incessantly.

These words genuinely stunned the reporters.

"This isn't me boasting," Lu Dongjun declared. "I believe that in Pro Province, any major family, if they truly apply themselves, has the capability to completely eradicate these pests.

But have they truly applied themselves? They fear revealing their family's power, they fear attracting unnecessary trouble. Even now, as the people of Sea-Eat Ridge suffer from hunger, these families are still preoccupied with their schemes and rivalries.

The Lu family, however, is different from them. I, Lu Dongjun, am different. I declare today: I will not leave Sea-Eat Ridge until every last Barren Mosquito is wiped out!"

The reporters were stunned. One cautiously asked, "I've heard about some conflicts within your family. Would you be willing to share any details?"

Lu Dongjun chuckled. "The 'conflict' you're referring to is about Qiu Zhiheng, isn't it? Is his surname Lu? Is he a member of the Lu family? What right does he have to dictate the affairs of the Lu family?

Once I've finished here in Sea-Eat Ridge, I will return to Greenwater Bay to put our house in order. I owe an explanation to my elder brother, to the Lu family, and to Pro Province!"

These very phrases were meticulously prepared by Wan Jinxian, and Lu Dongjun had them memorized perfectly.

Reporters still wanted to inquire about the conflict between Lu Dongjun and Qiu Zhiheng, but Lu Dongjun lowered his palm to halt them. "The immediate priority is not my trivial family matters," he stated. "Ensuring the survival of the people of Sea-Eat Ridge is currently paramount.

I have prepared for a life-or-death battle against these pests. I hope that the major families and gangs of Sea-Eat Ridge can set aside their grievances and fight alongside me. I believe that as long as we work together, we will surely succeed..."

Just as his speech reached its climax, a mosquito flew into Lu Dongjun's mouth, making him choke and cough twice.

Normally, such an amusing mishap wouldn't befall an eighth-level martial cultivator.

However, Lu Dongjun was somewhat agitated, and the mosquitoes in Sea-Eat Ridge were truly abundant, pervasive to an extreme degree. Fortunately, these mosquitoes only consumed grain and did not feed on blood, posing no direct threat to humans.

The mosquitoes had gathered, attracted by the grain Lu Dongjun had brought.

This grain, specially treated by Wan Jinxian and sealed in glass boxes, was not for consumption but for exterminating mosquitoes.

While Lu Dongjun inadvertently swallowed a mosquito, it was merely a minor flaw in what was otherwise an impressive speech.

After leaving the train station, Wan Jinxian led Lu Dongjun to a private estate.

This was the accommodation he had prepared for Lu Dongjun. Though not as luxurious as his Greenwater Bay residence, it was fully equipped with every necessity.

Once settled, Lu Dongjun summoned Wan Jinxian. "If it were up to me," he said, "we'd start tomorrow and clear out the mosquitoes from First Ridge first!"

Wan Jinxian shook his head. "Master, you are too impatient. For this, you must heed my advice. Let's wait two more days to act. We need the reporters to build up momentum so that everyone in Sea-Eat Ridge knows who truly saved them!"

The publicity campaign indeed grew immense. He Yuxiu, reading the newspaper, burst into angry laughter. "Damn it, that bird Lu Dongjun! His words are so sickening, as if he's the only one doing anything while everyone else just watches. I'd like to see what he uses to wipe out those Barren Mosquitoes!"

He Haiqin, the head of the family, sat in silent contemplation for a long time before slowly shaking his head. "Lu Dongjun dares to make such pronouncements," he mused, "which suggests he must have some trick up his sleeve."

He Yuxiu scoffed, "What tricks could he possibly have? His brain is so tiny it wouldn't even weigh an ounce. He's nowhere near as capable as his brother. I suspect he couldn't hack it in Greenwater City anymore and just ran off to Sea-Eat Ridge to put on a show and get by."

"We mustn't be careless. If he truly eradicates the mosquitoes, Sea-Eat Ridge will fall under his sway. Haisheng!" He Haiqin called over He Haisheng, the third eldest of the He family and He Jiaqing's third uncle.

"Go to Sea-Eat Ridge," he instructed. "Be discreet. Watch Lu Dongjun from the shadows and see what tricks he's truly playing!"

*Hiss, hiss*

After eradicating all the worms from Li Banfeng's body, the Phonograph turned its attention to the piece of flesh from Pandehai.

The sound of a huqin began, followed by an old song:

"The pipa plays too gracefully,The song is sung too heartbreakingly,Worldly matters are truly hard to comprehend, truly hard to comprehend,Beautiful flowers lack appreciation,How can a crow match a phoenix?"

This song, "Crow and Phoenix," had a mournful and poignant melody, with lyrics steeped in resentful melancholy. Sung by his wife, it possessed a unique kind of charm.

What kind of charm, you ask?

The kind that made Li Banfeng explode with fury!

"Why are you singing this? Are you implying I'm not worthy of you?" Li Banfeng, covered in bandages, glared furiously at the Phonograph.

"Oh, dear husband, your humble servant wasn't referring to you. I was talking about this piece of meat. This meat is a valuable thing, but at your current level, you cannot consume it. If we leave it as is, watching it lose its vitality, wouldn't that be a waste?"

Her words circled around the point, but the core message was clear.

"If you're hungry, just eat it! Why call me a crow? Why not a toad?!" Li Banfeng was still fuming.

"Oh, dear husband, your humble servant truly wasn't referring to you. How could my husband be a toad? Even if my husband were a toad, he'd be a golden toad!"

"Alright, alright, just eat!"

The Phonograph wasted no time, plunging two needles into the flesh and eagerly absorbing the spiritual energy from within.

Red Lotus doesn't consume raw substances, and the Phonograph doesn't consume dead ones; these are their distinct characteristics.

Was this piece of flesh considered living or dead?

It was difficult to determine. Judging by his wife's voracious consumption, the flesh seemed to exist between life and death, possessing spirituality but certainly not a complete soul.

It took his wife a full hour to completely absorb the spiritual essence from the flesh. The remaining portion would be given to Red Lotus.

Red Lotus was in the outer chamber, and Li Banfeng couldn't get out of bed. The Phonograph, for her part, avoided direct contact with Red Lotus, as they would immediately start fighting if they touched.

The Phonograph pushed open the door to the outer chamber and yelled, "Bitch, there's something good to eat! Come out and gorge yourself!"

Before Red Lotus could respond, someone outside the door suddenly rushed forward and shouted loudly, "I laugh to the sky as I depart; how could my kind be mere commoners!"

As the words faded, Tang Dao surged forward and sliced off a small piece of the flesh.

"Hahahaha!" Tang Dao was utterly satisfied with his piece of the flesh. Fearing retaliation from the Phonograph and Red Lotus, he swiftly retreated to the third chamber.

The Pendulum seized the opportunity to draw a few mouthfuls of blood, and the Phonograph didn't stop it. "That hussy has performed a great service," she muttered, "let her feed."

The Earring let out a whimper, "Master..."

Li Banfeng placed the Earring on the table. "Help yourself!" he said.

"Help myself?"

How was that easy?

The Earring couldn't move on its own and dared not overstep in front of the Phonograph.

"Madam..." The Earring respectfully bowed before the Phonograph.

The Phonograph scoffed, then used a cloud of steam to lift the Earring to the flesh, letting it soak up a generous amount of oily residue.

The Earring was delighted, thanking her repeatedly. The Phonograph responded coolly, "No need for thanks. This meal today is so all you hussies can eat your fill."

In the third chamber, Tang Dao burst into laughter. "We are men, not hussies!" he declared.

The Phonograph snapped, "Say another word, and I'll melt you down for scrap!"

The Copper Lotus didn't wait for anyone else; it conjured a whirlwind, gathered the flesh, closed its petals, and began refining elixirs.

Was there anyone else?

An aged voice began to weep. "I'm cold," it whimpered, "who will warm me up?"

It was the Teapot.

The Teapot given to Li Banfeng by the ascetic Zhong Desong.

Because this artifact was too high-level and its activation cost too immense, it had remained sealed. Yet, for some unknown reason, it could now speak.

In truth, his wife had deliberately enabled it to speak.

"Oh, you old ghost, so now you know what cold is, do you? Hahahaha! Want to eat? Have you learned your manners? If not, you'll only get to watch from now on."

"I understand the rules, Madam," it pleaded. "Please be merciful and give me a chance."

This Teapot indeed held great potential. Li Banfeng glanced at his wife, who responded, "Husband, don't be impatient. Once your humble servant adds another 'chamber' for you in the future, this Teapot will no longer dare to act out."

This implied that once Li Banfeng advanced another cultivation level, he would be able to control the Teapot.

Another level up again?

It was possible.

Pandehai's origins were certainly not simple. Given that his wife had consumed his flesh, she would likely recover a significant portion of her strength.

With House Cultivation at the fourth layer and Travel Cultivation at the second, wouldn't Li Banfeng risk being torn apart again when the cultivation backlash occurred?

This was non-negotiable. Firstly, he couldn't tell his wife about Travel Cultivation. Secondly, his wife never gave him advance notice before an upgrade.

He needed to find an opportunity to quickly advance his Travel Cultivation to the third layer.

*Hissing and sighing*

His wife yawned. "Oh, dear husband, please rest well inside and recover. Your humble servant is tired and needs to sleep."

This latest "ingredient" proved difficult to digest, and his wife soon fell into a deep slumber.

Why ask? Just walk along Iron Thread River, against the flow!

Is it really that simple?

Christmas Eve is here, and the New Year is fast approaching. Dear readers, please accept this blessing from Salad.

(End of chapter)