Chapter 163: The Greatness of Virtue

Li Banfeng called out, "Old Pan!"

Niu Fuzhi didn't know who he was calling.

He looked at his wife in the kitchen.

His wife was still upset about the pickled pork.

“Uh, benefactor, what exactly were you saying just now…?”

Before Li Banfeng could answer, Niu Fuzhi clamped his mouth shut.

He felt he shouldn't ask, couldn't ask. He felt it was disrespectful to Li Qi to ask such a question.

Li Qi was his benefactor, the benefactor of their entire village. He just wanted a quiet place to talk, and here he was asking all sorts of questions. Was that appropriate?

Not only did Niu Fuzhi feel guilty, but his wife did too.

When their benefactor wanted to eat, she begrudged the rice; when he wanted vegetables, she begrudged cutting the meat. She wished she could just disappear into the ground.

They couldn't stay in the house any longer, so the couple retreated together outside the door, and then out of the courtyard.

This was the means and power of a Virtue Cultivator.

Li Banfeng sat silently in the room, watching an old man with a round hat on his head, round-rimmed glasses on his face, wearing a long gown, leaning on a cane, dressed like a relic from a previous dynasty, who then sat down in front of Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng had guessed correctly; this man was Pan Dehai, the local deity of Haichi Ridge!

"Young man, you can actually see me," Pan Dehai said, smiling at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng didn't smile. His expression was normal as he said, "What's so strange about seeing you?"

Actually, it was quite strange.

Pan Dehai was not alive; he was a departed soul. Few people could see departed souls. Even some high-level cultivators of the Daoist sects couldn't see them without the aid of spiritual artifacts.

Pan Dehai also possessed special techniques to conceal his form.

When he ambushed Feng Daiku, she hadn't even noticed him.

For such a young man to see through his disguise today surprised Pan Dehai.

He didn't know that the "Golden Eyes, Autumn Hair" technique was a special skill granted to Li Banfeng by the Gramophone.

"Young man, what magical artifact did you use?" Pan Dehai probed further.

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "I didn't use a magical artifact. This is my technique."

Pan Dehai's gaze darkened, and his tone became somewhat cold. "Don't you dare lie in front of me."

Li Banfeng sneered, "If you can't even distinguish a lie, what good is your cultivation?"

Pan Dehai grew even more surprised.

Virtue Cultivators were experts at discerning lies.

What Li Banfeng said was indeed the truth; he used a technique.

But how could this young man possess such a powerful technique?

What puzzled Pan Dehai even more was Li Banfeng's attitude.

In his presence, why did this young man show no reverence at all?

Under normal circumstances, Li Banfeng was very respectful of elders, such as Old Mr. Yao and the Coachman.

However, today's situation irritated Li Banfeng.

Pan Dehai had exploited Niu Fuzhi's family, their sincerity and simplicity, to make Li Banfeng feel guilty and force him to hand over the prescription. Li Banfeng found this behavior utterly disgusting.

Pan Dehai scrutinized Li Banfeng, asking slowly in an interrogative tone, "Did Old Yao send you?"

Li Banfeng picked up his wine bowl and took a sip. "You asked Old Mr. Yao for medicine, and I've brought it to you."

Pan Dehai's tone grew sterner. "A formidable young man indeed! To earn Old Yao's appreciation, you must be no ordinary person. What Daoist sect are you from, and what is your cultivation level?"

Li Banfeng retorted expressionlessly, "Why should I tell you?"

Pan Dehai was stunned for a long time. Li Banfeng was neither humble nor arrogant, completely unaffected by his intimidation.

He changed his demeanor, a slight smile on his face. "I am a few years older than you and have cultivated for a few more years. Would it be offensive if I asked you a few trivial questions now?

When you first arrived at Laobing Village, did you see me?"

He was probing Li Banfeng.

"No," Li Banfeng answered truthfully.

He indeed hadn't seen Pan Dehai at that time, because Pan Dehai wasn't even in Laobing Village.

When did he enter Laobing Village?

It was when Li Banfeng said, "I'm here to deliver medicine."

The three words "deliver medicine" were an imprint, an imprint Pan Dehai had placed on Haichi Ridge.

He knew Old Yao was sending him medicine, so he etched these three words into everyone's hearts. As long as someone in Haichi Ridge heard these words, Pan Dehai would sense it, so he immediately rushed to Laobing Village and influenced the behavior of all the villagers.

Pan Dehai then asked, "Then when did you know I was in Laobing Village?"

Li Banfeng replied, "I had a feeling you were in Laobing Village the moment I entered."

Pan Dehai frowned deeply; Li Banfeng's statement was still the truth.

This young man sensed me as soon as he entered the village?

I had just arrived in the village myself. Could he see my every move?

What level was he really?

What kind of person did Old Yao find after all?

In truth, Li Banfeng hadn't sensed Pan Dehai's presence at that moment. While itinerants possessed techniques for avoiding ill fortune and seeking good, Pan Dehai's status was clearly beyond Li Banfeng's range of perception.

What Li Banfeng said was indeed true; from the moment he entered the village, he felt something was off.

Niu Fuzhi, with his considerable cultivation, was responsible for keeping watch at the village entrance. A misunderstanding arose between him and Li Banfeng, leading to a big fight.

Li Banfeng said he was there to deliver medicine, and Niu Fuzhi let him in.

He just agreed like that.

Was such a simple-minded person suitable for standing guard outside?

At first, Li Banfeng tried to understand Niu Fuzhi's reasoning.

Was Laobing Village so desperate for medicine that Niu Fuzhi relaxed his guard as soon as he heard someone was delivering it?

After eating a meal, Li Banfeng realized something was wrong. According to Niu Fuzhi's description, Laobing Village wasn't short on medicine at all. Peddlers had delivered many kinds of medicine, but many of them were no longer effective there.

After meeting the Plow Cultivator Niu Jingchuan and hearing Niu Fuzhi recount some past events, Li Banfeng realized the situation was even stranger.

Laobing Village had just suffered a great loss from rogue cultivators. Under such circumstances, they couldn't possibly easily take in outsiders.

Yet, these villagers showed no wariness towards Li Banfeng.

If the people of Laobing Village were all so reckless, they wouldn't have survived until now.

From that moment on, Li Banfeng suspected that these simple villagers were being influenced by some kind of power.

And as for the source of this power, the first person Li Banfeng thought of was Pan Dehai.

Li Banfeng naturally wouldn't voice these thoughts, but his silence profoundly affected Pan Dehai's judgment of him.

Unable to ascertain Li Banfeng's true level of cultivation, he spoke more politely:

"You call yourself Li Qi, so I'll call you Old Qi! Since you've come entrusted by Old Yao, shouldn't you hand over the prescription to me now?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "The prescription is easy enough to discuss, but you've questioned me for so long. As the saying goes, 'it's rude not to return a favor,' so may I ask you a few questions as well?"

Pan Dehai nodded and said, "Go ahead."

Li Banfeng asked, "Do you intend to lure the insect plague to Yaowang Ravine?"

Pan Dehai fell silent for a moment, then surprisingly didn't deny it. "Yes."

Li Banfeng paused, then asked, "And your fight with Feng Daiku, the head of Kudai Gorge, was that also about the insect plague?"

"Yes!" Pan Dehai still didn't deny it. "I wanted to lure the mosquitoes to Kudai Gorge, but Feng Daiku discovered me. That wicked woman insisted on fighting me."

He admitted it.

He admitted it so openly.

Without a trace of shame!

How utterly shameless this person was!

Li Banfeng forced a smile and asked, "Can you tell me why you're doing this?"

Pan Dehai said calmly, "I am doing it for Haichi Ridge."

Li Banfeng didn't understand. "If you lead the insects elsewhere, will the insects in Haichi Ridge disappear?"

Pan Dehai shook his head. "My purpose in doing this is to gather collective wisdom and effort."

Collective wisdom and effort?

Li Banfeng still didn't understand.

Pan Dehai sighed. "You've seen the disaster in Haichi Ridge: people turning on each other, countless starving corpses everywhere.

In my domain, countless tragedies occur daily. I witness them with my own eyes, and my heart aches, a pain like a knife twisting."

At this point, Pan Dehai coughed twice.

His heart truly ached.

Feng Daiku had gouged out a piece of his heart, and it hadn't fully healed yet.

After coughing, Pan Dehai wiped his eyes and continued, "Haichi Ridge is not a large place. It lacks capable people and sufficient financial resources.

If you speak of capable people, Yaowang Ravine has them—plenty of skilled medicine cultivators.

If you speak of ample financial resources, Greenwater Bay has them—piles of real gold and silver.

But have they cared about Haichi Ridge?

They send a bit of grain, a few prescriptions—can that save Haichi Ridge? Can that save the suffering common people?

They don't know pain, so I must make them feel it. Only by making them realize the severity of the insect plague will they devote their utmost efforts to find a solution. Only then can Haichi Ridge be saved!

My sincere efforts have only brought countless accusations. Who understands this pain?"

As he spoke, Pan Dehai clutched his chest again.

Li Banfeng had intended to take a slow sip of wine while listening, but he didn't drink. The wine bowl nearly slipped from his grasp and shattered on the ground.

"You mean, by dragging everyone into this mess, Haichi Ridge will be saved?"

Pan Dehai shook his head. "This isn't dragging them down; this is uniting the entire Puro State against a common enemy! This is great virtue."

This was truly a lack of great virtue.

Li Banfeng was truly enlightened!

"I have one more question. You just said that Greenwater Bay has the most financial resources. Why didn't you lure the insects there?"

Pan Dehai sighed, looking up at the sky, his eyes full of helplessness. "Because the Greenwater Beggar is fierce and brave, I cannot defeat him."

Because he couldn't win, he didn't dare.

He admitted it.

He just admitted it, openly.

Without a trace of shame!

How did such a person become a Virtue Cultivator?

Happy New Year! May all dear readers enjoy good health and all things go smoothly.