Chapter 169: Good Stuff Arrives

Toudaoling, Shaomai Street, Wonton Alley.

In a private residence, the woman of the house carefully opened a tin box, then opened a wooden box inside it. From the wooden box, she scooped out two bowls of rice and quickly closed both containers. The man of the house was also in the kitchen, cautiously holding a fly swatter. The woman quickly rinsed the rice and put it in the pot. Only then did the couple relax slightly.

Wiping sweat, the man said, "It's been half a month since we saw any mosquitoes. I think they're really extinct."

"Who can say for sure!" the woman retorted, unconvinced. "Didn't that Lu Dongjun say he'd eradicated the mosquitoes last time? But when they came, where did he go? If I hadn't been quick enough to save this bit of rice, you blockhead would have starved."

The man gave his wife's cheek a hearty kiss. "That's why I say you're virtuous! You start dinner, and I'll go buy some incense and candles on the street."

"Why buy that? Do you have spare money?"

"Just a little. We need to pay respects to Master Seven. Everyone outside is saying Master Seven cured the insect plague, and every household is burning incense. If anyone isn't sincere, the mosquitoes will go to their house next year."

Hearing "mosquitoes," the woman shivered. "Really? Who told you that?"

"It's true, it's spread everywhere! They're even building a temple for Master Seven in Sandaoling."

A temple was indeed being built in Sandaoling. In Laobing Village, a temple was under construction. Niu Fuzhi called over the village's only craftsman, Niu Xiaoxian, and frowned as he asked, "How is this statue of Master Seven supposed to be built? You can't even see his face!"

Niu Xiaoxian scratched his head. "I don't remember what Master Seven looks like. Do you?"

Niu Fuzhi also couldn't recall. "Well then, why don't you ask others? Is there really no one in our village who remembers?"

"No one remembers, I've asked everyone! What else can we do?"

In Erdaoling, Guokui Town, Li Banfeng saw many people going out to buy incense and candles. People couldn't even afford food, yet they were buying incense and candles? While all other businesses in Erdaoling were struggling, incense and candle shops were thriving.

"Maybe we should open an incense and candle shop too!" Li Banfeng bought two bowls of porridge and six guokui from a breakfast stall and ate them in an alley with Cui Tike. This breakfast stall was the first eatery to open in Guokui Town. Although there weren't many customers, the owner put effort into his cooking, and the guokui tasted excellent.

As Cui Tike ate, he habitually placed his begging bowl in front of him. Li Banfeng was puzzled. "You're not short on money, so why do you insist on begging?"

Cui Tike replied very seriously, "This is out of respect for the Daoist patriarch. Until the sores on my body heal, I will continue to follow his path of cultivation."

Li Banfeng looked at the begging bowl, then thought of Green Blossom's appearance, and goosebumps rose on his skin. "Will your patriarch heal your sores?"

"No," Cui Tike shook his head. "Though I've only met him once, I'm certain he's a ruthless person. The only one who can probably heal my sores is the Peddler."

"Then why don't you follow the Peddler's path of cultivation, push a cart, and go sell things?"

Cui Tike pointed to his face. "I'd love to go out and sell, but in my condition, would anyone buy anything from me?"

After wandering around Erdaoling for several days, no mosquitoes were seen on the streets at all. Li Banfeng bought a newspaper; mosquitoes had also vanished from Toudaoling.

"Looks like we got the job done." Li Banfeng glanced at Cui Tike. Someone dropped a few copper coins into Cui Tike's worn bowl, and Cui Tike was thanking them. After putting the coins into his pocket, Cui Tike took out some white rice, placed it in the bowl, and waited for half a day, but saw no mosquitoes. They had conducted similar experiments several times; the insect plague in Haichiling seemed to have been genuinely brought under control.

Of course, the Earth God had the final say.

After lunch, Pan Dehai's voice reached his ears: "Young man, the infertile mosquitoes are truly extinct this time. Though you are audacious, you are a virtuous person. I'm going to give you one more item. What do you wish for?"

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. Initially, he wanted money. But Li Banfeng had ways to earn money, so he should ask for something more valuable given such a good opportunity. Ask for another magic artifact for the Bronze Lotus to reforge? That fan hadn't been reforged yet; the Lotus seemed to be having difficulties. After much thought, Li Banfeng came up with a good idea. "Elder Pan, do you have any more of your essence to spare?"

Pan Dehai was furious. "Immoral! Unscrupulous! Shameless! I shouldn't have paid any attention to you, you brazen fellow!"

As his words fell, a worm appeared before Li Banfeng. Thumb-sized, legless, a white worm.

"What's this worm for?"

"This is a treasure of the food cultivators, the Gastro-Silkworm. It's a unique rarity of Haichiling. If a food cultivator swallows it, their appetite will greatly increase, even more so than if they were in Haichiling itself. If you don't wish to eat, you can carry it with you; it will help you obtain food in dire straits."

"What does 'obtain food in dire straits' mean?"

"In places without ingredients, you can make hard-to-swallow items edible as food."

The explanation was so obscure that Li Banfeng had to ask for a long time before he understood. His meaning was actually quite simple: in places where there is no food, other things can substitute for it. For example, eating leaves, eating grass, or chewing wood; even sand and stones could barely fill one's stomach.

Li Banfeng held the worm and looked at it for a while; the worm lay motionless in his hand, stiff. "It's not alive?"

"It is alive, just not awake. It will be alive if you eat it, but you are not a food cultivator, so it's best not to swallow it, otherwise you won't be able to withstand the hunger. I've given you the item, and my intention is clear. Young man, we'll meet again."

Pan Dehai left. Li Banfeng kept the worm with him, and it wasn't long before he felt hungry. Just carrying it around had such a big effect? This was truly a rare treasure.

Li Banfeng went to buy more guokui, ate half himself, and gave the other half to Cui Tike.

Cui Tike looked at Li Banfeng and said, "Are you leaving?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Everything in Haichiling is done."

Cui Tike was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "If one day, I cause everyone in this world to die from herpes, I hope one person survives, and I hope that person is you."

Li Banfeng waved his hand. "That day will never come. If you truly dared to do that, you'd be the first to die."

Watching Li Banfeng's departing back, Cui Tike murmured, "Perhaps that day isn't so far off."

Shortly after Li Banfeng left, the sound of a rattle drum gradually resounded in Cui Tike's ears: "I have excellent vanishing cream here. Shall I sell you a bottle?"

Cui Tike's face lit up with surprise. "Can it remove the patriarch's power from my body?"

"No, it cannot."

Cui Tike's eyes dimmed. "Then what's the use of this vanishing cream?"

"It can turn Green Blossom's pus and blood into a layer of cultivation."

Cui Tike was profusely grateful. "Tomorrow, I'll tattoo four words on my chest: 'I love the Peddler.'"

The Peddler was silent for a moment. "If you really intend to do that, there won't be a tomorrow for you."

"The insect plague in Haichiling is really cured?" He Haiqin flipped through the newspaper, greatly astonished. He had received similar news before and thought it was like previous situations, where only a portion of the mosquitoes were temporarily eliminated.

He Haisheng had just returned from Haichiling and confirmed the news: "Brother, this time it's different. The mosquitoes in Haichiling are truly extinct."

He Haiqin put down the newspaper and said, "Quick, go to Haichiling and get our family's half of the business up and running."

He Haisheng shook his head. "Brother, you sold all the business to Ling Miaoying."

He Haiqin slapped his forehead. "That doesn't count! We sold it to him for peanuts back then. The price isn't the same now."

He Yuxiu, standing by, said, "Right, it doesn't count. I'll go burn down his studio and get the contracts back."

He Haisheng advised, "Brother, sister, the three Ling brothers aren't that easy to deal with. We underestimated this situation."

He Haiqin rubbed his forehead. "Lu Dongjun was killed by us, but the Ling family reaped the benefits. How is it that I feel we've been played?"

He Jiaqing, lying in a hospital bed, received news from Ling Miaoying. The insect plague in Haichiling had been cured.

"Who did it?"

Ling Miaoying replied, "We haven't found any clues yet. We've only heard rumors among the people that a deity named Master Seven saved Haichiling, and a trend of worshiping Master Seven has emerged in Haichiling."

"Master Seven?" He Jiaqing had never heard of such a figure. "How are they worshiping? Is it by burning incense or offering sacrifices?"

"It varies by location. In Toudaoling, they just set up a memorial tablet and burn some incense. In Erdaoling, they make offerings, and some even erect statues. In Sandaoling, the incense offerings are booming; some villages are even building temples for Master Seven."

"What do the statues look like?"

"They come in all forms: young, old, ugly, handsome – their appearances vary."

"Do they have anything in common?"

"If there's a commonality, these statues all seem to have lush beards."

Beards? He Jiaqing pondered for a long time, then told Ling Miaoying, "Go investigate the Earth Gods of the new lands surrounding Haichiling. Report any clues to me immediately."

Ling Miaoying agreed, then asked, "The He family came to reclaim the business. They say the half of the business they sold us before was too cheap, and they want to renege."

He Jiaqing sneered. "Do I still need to teach you this? If soft methods don't work, use hard ones. If overt means fail, resort to covert ones."

"There are many ways, but that's your family."

"I've told you many times, don't worry about such things. Didn't Old Wan go to Greenwater Bay? If absolutely necessary, let him visit my father again. The foreigner's whereabouts are unknown. If my father gets a rash again, I'll see if he's scared."

Outside the hospital room door, someone's gaze was directed towards the bed. He Jiaqing immediately cut off contact with Ling Miaoying and quickly fell into a deep slumber. The one watching him was Chen Changrui, captain of the Public Security Team of the Dark Star Bureau. At this moment, he was asking the attending physician about He Jiaqing's condition.

"Still no idea when he'll wake up?"

The attending physician shook his head.

Leaving the hospital, Captain Chen got into his car. "Tangyuan" You Xuehan quickly took out a notebook, awaiting Captain Chen's instructions. Captain Chen pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "We still don't know when he'll wake up. If he's alright, it's best to send him back to Protozhou quickly. Having him stay in Yuezhou makes people uneasy."

"Lightbulb" turned to look at Chen Changrui. "What kind of place is Protozhou, exactly?"

Chen Changrui chuckled. "You want to go see? You really ought to get some training, kid."

Jiaozi Town, Sanxian Village.

Li Banfeng unfolded the map Elder Yao had given him and arrived at the entrance to the New Land. With the matters in Haichiling concluded, he was preparing to return to Lanyang Village. Just as he was about to step into the New Land, the Wine Gourd suddenly spoke: "Little brother, can I discuss something with you?"

"Go ahead," Li Banfeng said, smiling at the Gourd.

"I'd like to go back to Medicine King's Gully and tell Elder Yao about Haichiling. I won't say anything extra, just about the insect plague. Once this is done, I'll have fulfilled my obligation to him, and then I'll follow you steadfastly."

Li Banfeng readily agreed. "Sure, I'd like to see Elder Yao again too."

The Pendulum stirred twice in his pocket. Li Banfeng touched the Pendulum, signaling her not to worry. Many thoughts had contended in his mind. The decision Li Banfeng made was the result of those many thoughts reaching a consensus.

As Li Banfeng was about to change his route, he suddenly heard the sound of a rattle drum approaching. "Cling-clang, cling-clang!" "Foreign soap, vanishing cream, a cart full of good goods for you to choose from!" The Peddler?

Li Banfeng turned around and saw the Peddler approaching, pushing his cart. "Old customer, come take a look. There are quite a few good things today. Prices are negotiable; I'll sell if I break even."

"What good things do you have?" Li Banfeng was quite interested and walked over to the cart.

"Plenty of good things! How about this?" The Peddler picked up a huge locust head, its antennae still twitching.

Li Banfeng was startled. "What's that for?"

The Peddler chuckled. "This thing has many uses! You can stew it into soup, boil it into porridge. It's delicious and great with rice. I'll sell it to you for twenty yuan. Do you want it?"