Chapter 189: Autumn Falling Leaves

Late at night, Li Banfeng familiarized himself with the terrain in the canyon.

The terrain offered significant advantages. The ten-li canyon was over a zhang wide, winding and twisting with thick vines everywhere. Running at full speed from end to end, it took Li Banfeng over two minutes to traverse. As a third-level Traveler-Cultivator, it still took him that long. If the enemy sent ordinary cultivators, unless their level was exceptionally high, they would find it difficult to get out of the canyon within ten minutes.

So, is defending for ten minutes enough?

But what if the Local God came in person? Thinking of the ghost fire's speed—it arrives in an instant, crossing the ten-li canyon in less than a minute. Can every Local God transform into ghost fire? Even if Qiu Luoye might not transform into ghost fire, what if there are other anomalies similar to Traveler-Cultivators on the enemy side?

Li Banfeng slowly paced through the canyon, carefully observing every spot. Reaching a bend, Tang Dao spoke, "My Lord, this is an excellent place for an ambush." Tang Dao had fought in battles and was the only magical artifact with military experience. Li Banfeng marked this spot and continued through the canyon, making over twenty marks in total. From these, Li Banfeng and Tang Dao carefully selected three prime locations. All twenty marked spots were useful, but these three were crucial for an ambush.

Arriving at the canyon entrance near Luoyeping, Li Banfeng saw shattered offering tables scattered on the ground and thick mist in the distance. "Brother Li Qi, don't go any further. If you do, you'll enter Qiu Luoye's territory. You and I have a contract, and even if you're one of my people, since the war hasn't begun, you cannot enter Qiu Luoye's territory. Cross that boundary, step into that mist, and you'll die." Shui Yongquan floated to Li Qi's side, appearing in human form this time.

Li Banfeng stared at the mist for a moment. It was dense, but he could vaguely make out some figures within it. Shui Yongquan looked at the offering tables on the ground and said to Li Banfeng, "These were left by those pioneers. Three times in a row, they chose the canyon entrance. One time might be a coincidence, twice also a coincidence, but three times? Someone is causing trouble."

Li Banfeng wasn't interested in his analysis of the situation; he continued to familiarize himself with the terrain. Shui Yongquan praised, "Brother Li Qi, you're truly dedicated. But where's Brother Ma Wu? Don't tell me he's not coming." "He's coming. I've arranged it with him; he's only responsible for fighting, I'll handle the troop deployment," Li Banfeng gave a perfunctory explanation.

Shui Yongquan chuckled, "Troop deployment? No need for that. When Local Gods fight, do you think it's like armies clashing? There aren't so many rules here. When the fighting starts, everyone acts immediately. Delay for even a moment, and morale will scatter. People fight you to gain cultivation. If you want to fight, don't hold back. Whoever is quicker, whoever is more ruthless, will win!"

Li Banfeng frowned, "Isn't that just a mob?"

"What do you think? Qiu Luoye's subordinates are all just a mob!"

This deviated from Li Banfeng's expectations. He had hoped to read a declaration, negotiate for a while, and buy some time before the battle. But if it was an immediate fight, things became more difficult. The tactics would have to be revised.

Shui Yongquan sighed, "You're the one who signed the contract, whether you find Ma Wu is your business. Young man, I'll give you just one piece of advice: an extra helper on the battlefield means an extra life for you. Even if you just have someone help hold the main gate, one more person means more strength. I'm talking seriously here; it won't be easy for you to hold Water Gate by yourself."

Li Banfeng looked at the cliffs on both sides. "Water Gate can only hold for three minutes. Relying solely on Water Gate won't work."

Shui Yongquan smacked his lips. There were some things he didn't want to say, but Li Banfeng had already signed the contract, so even if he revealed them, Li Banfeng couldn't back out. After careful consideration, he decided to give Li Banfeng a hint: "If Qiu Luoye himself charges into the valley, only Water Gate might be able to stop him."

Li Banfeng frowned, "Will he come in person?"

"Hard to say."

"Only Water Gate?"

Shui Yongquan pondered for a long time before saying, "Besides Water Gate, there are some special techniques. Qiu Luoye isn't very clever, but any Daoist sect that can disrupt one's mind can counter him. Joy Cultivators are one such type." He still wanted Ma Wu to participate. Li Banfeng didn't consider Ma Wu; he asked Shui Yongquan, "Do Virtue Cultivators count as a Daoist sect that disrupts the mind?"

Shui Yongquan nodded, "They do."

"What about Dream Cultivators?"

"They also count. If you can find helpers among Virtue Cultivators and Dream Cultivators, you can delay them for a while longer." Shui Yongquan passed through the canyon and returned to his own territory.

The Phonograph was right; Shui Yongquan hadn't put all his chips on Li Qi; he had kept a backup plan for himself.

The Wild Boar was also lurking near the canyon entrance, searching for ambush spots. The Centipede mother and daughter had already chosen their positions and were currently arguing. "Mom, can you please show some self-respect? We're here for serious business, stop obsessing over that Ma fellow." "Hmph! Who gave you the audacity to meddle in your mother's affairs?" Centipede Mother occasionally peered into the canyon, hoping to see Ma Wu again.

Shui Yongquan snorted, "If you two want to guard the canyon, I won't stop you." Centipede Mother swayed her body and said, "Oh, Lord Shui, we don't have that capability. Once inside the canyon, there's only one path, and we'd have nowhere to escape if we were surrounded." Shui Yongquan knew they weren't capable; these were just stragglers. Their task was to hold the canyon entrance and continue to delay the enemy after Li Qi fell. The real fighting force was the monsters in Hundred-Leg Cave. Their levels varied, but they were fiercely loyal to Shui Yongquan!

An eagle flew over and whispered into Shui Yongquan's ear, "Qiu Luoye is prepared for both paths, and the forces on both sides are evenly matched." Shui Yongquan sneered, "I knew he'd do that. If he sees people, he charges; if he doesn't, he splits his forces to guard. That blockhead of his only knows this blockhead strategy. Go to the canyon and make some noise, but don't overdo it. Make Qiu Luoye send more people to the canyon side."

Li Banfeng emerged from the canyon and, using the sensation from his Silk Earring, found the Wild Boar hiding in the tall grass. "Old Boar, I want to discuss something with you." The Wild Boar didn't move, believing it was well hidden and Li Banfeng couldn't see it. "Old Boar, I see you." The Wild Boar still didn't move, sneering inwardly: *Don't listen to his bluff, he can't see me at all.* "I have something good for you." Li Banfeng took out a Profound Crimson Pill. The Old Boar smelled the pill's fragrance and stood up from the tall grass. "What do you want me to do? I won't guard the canyon with you." "I'm not asking you to guard the canyon. I just want you to help me move some rocks, the bigger the better." The Centipede Daughter lowered half her body from the tree. "Pills for moving rocks? How many do you want us to move?" Li Banfeng smiled, "That depends on how much strength you have. After the rocks, you'll also have to move wood." Centipede Mother flicked the antennae on her head. "You want us to help you make traps, right? My daughter and I are actually quite good at that, but you can't skimp on our pills." "Don't worry, you'll get them. Who else knows how to make traps?" Two bears, six deer, three centipedes, and a python all emerged from the grass and trees, looking at Li Banfeng.

The next day, Li Banfeng stayed inside his Portable Dwelling during the day, and at night, he continued to use pills to enlist the help of those near the mountain pass to set up traps. On the third day, Li Banfeng was painting inside his Portable Dwelling.

The Phonograph's wheezing continued. The Pendulum rested against Li Banfeng's hand, coloring along with him. Tang Dao was sharpening itself back and forth on the whetstone. The Wine Gourd smacked its lips and said, "I really want a sip." The Old Teapot chuckled, "If you want to drink, come have some tea. The wine is impossible to drink now; save it. You'll have to wait until tomorrow." The Earring sobbed, "Master, I'm scared." The Pendulum spat, "You worthless hussy, if you're scared, don't go out. Just wait for Second Madam to refine you." The Earring started crying aloud. The Judge's Brush snorted, "What time is it?" Three words! Even the Judge's Brush was taking things seriously.

Li Banfeng looked at the monthly calendar hanging on the wall. The monthly calendar, an item still in use in Puro Province. It could be called a New Year's print or a wall calendar; a picture hung on the wall with dates and solar terms below the image. Li Banfeng's monthly calendar was over a meter tall, featuring a beautiful woman seated in the center of the image. Hearing Li Banfeng's question, the beautiful woman quickly held up a dial, "Sir, it's 3:30 now." From now on, they would rely on the calendar's dial for timekeeping because the pocket watch wasn't accurate enough.

Xiaochuanzi entered Ma Wu's wooden hut: "Fifth Master, I just went to Seventh Master's plot, and he's not there." Ma Wu opened his pocket watch. It was 4:00 AM. *Old Seven already left? Impossible! If he was leaving, he should have informed me.* Zuo Wugang said from the side, "Fifth Master, I haven't seen Local Gods fight, but I know this is a matter of life and death. Seventh Master has already left, you should depart too." Ma Wu walked to the doorway and saw Yanzi, Xianxian, and Qiaocui all ready. "Young Master, when do we leave?" Ma Wu frowned deeply. *Did Old Seven really leave?*

It wasn't until 4:30 AM that Tang Dao came before Li Banfeng, bowed respectfully, and declared, "The jade tablets bid farewell to the phoenix tower, iron cavalry encircles the dragon city! My Lord, it is time to depart for battle!" Li Banfeng looked at Tang Dao, feeling he resembled a general today. "Can you cut one more time?" "Still three cuts, but each cut will take an enemy's head!" "Good."

Li Banfeng first took all his magical artifacts, went out once to arrange them in key positions. At 4:45, he returned to his Portable Dwelling and unfurled all 303 paintings. Three were hand-painted, and 300 were printed. Not until 4:50, Li Banfeng pricked his fingertip and began to sprinkle blood on the paper slips. After sprinkling the blood, Li Banfeng approached the Phonograph. He first filled the oil tank, then stared at the Phonograph for a moment. There was a speck of dust on the record platter, which Li Banfeng carefully wiped away. "Wait for me to return." Li Banfeng pulled down his hat brim, took all the Paper Beauties, and walked out of the Portable Dwelling.

The Phonograph's wheezing continued. At 4:55 AM, the Paper Beauties took their positions. Without doing anything, the printed Paper Beauties could last for fifteen minutes. At 4:58 AM, the mist dissipated slightly, and Li Banfeng, hidden among the vines, vaguely saw the enemy's figures. For the past two days, Shui Yongquan had continuously created a stir near the canyon. To be safe, Qiu Luoye had deployed sixty percent of his forces near Hundred-Vine Valley. He had superior overall strength, so there was no reason to defend. The battle began today, and he personally came to the valley entrance.

Li Banfeng hid among the vines, observing silently. In his understanding, the name Qiu Luoye (Autumn Falling Leaves) would be more suitable for creatures like butterflies. Or perhaps a flickering ghost fire. But Qiu Luoye, the Local God, did not appear as a ghost fire; he revealed his true form. He was five meters tall, with all four limbs on the ground, a large head, a long trunk, round ears, and no neck. This was an elephant. An elephant, why would it be named Falling Leaves?

*Ooomph!* At 5:00 AM, the horn blew again. The Local Gods were at war!

Qiu Luoye prepared to lead his forces into the canyon to battle Shui Yongquan. His tactic was simple: if Shui Yongquan was in the canyon, they would fight directly, and if forces were insufficient, he would call for reinforcements from near the cave. If Shui Yongquan launched a surprise attack from the cave, he would then lead his troops to support the cave. Just as Qiu Luoye was about to order a charge, within the misty depths of the valley, the vines trembled, as if a thousand armies were approaching. Shui Yongquan's forces were greater than Qiu Luoye had anticipated. Qiu Luoye ordered, "The entire army waits for my command. We will fight them once they exit the canyon."

At 5:01 AM, the enemy did not emerge. Dead branches and shattered leaves swirled in the valley, and the enemy seemed to be gathering forces at the canyon entrance. Qiu Luoye shouted, "Prepare to attack!" At 5:02 AM, dust flew in the valley. Qiu Luoye still hadn't given the order to attack; he was unsure how many enemy forces were truly inside the valley. A scorpion approached, lowering its voice, "They seem to outnumber us. We should send for more reinforcements." A fox nearby shook its head, "Don't act rashly. Let's observe the situation further."

At 5:03 AM, the valley suddenly fell silent. The fox said to Qiu Luoye, "Master, there's a trick here. The enemy must have an ambush." Why did it suddenly go silent? Qiu Luoye couldn't understand it either. The reason was simple: the Paper Beauties Li Banfeng created could only last three minutes when performing strenuous tasks. Shaking vines, throwing leaves, kicking up sand—these were all quite physically demanding. This was the tactic his wife had taught him: don't scatter too much bait, but make a huge commotion, making the enemy want to fight, yet hesitant to strike!

Neither attacking nor retreating, Qiu Luoye hesitated. A pheasant soared into the air, "I'll go in first to scout out the situation." According to the tactic his wife taught, any flying creature should be immediately shot down to blind the enemy. But Li Banfeng didn't have that capability. This pheasant had third-level cultivation and flew very high. Li Banfeng couldn't reach it, so he could only crouch among the vines and observe. The pheasant circled once and flew back, "Master, no enemy forces were seen in the valley." The fox asked, "Not a single enemy?" The pheasant cautiously replied, "I said I didn't see any. Hundred-Vine Valley is full of vines; I couldn't see clearly. Perhaps they are hiding." Of course, she couldn't see them. The Paper Beauties Li Banfeng made had all turned into shredded paper. Li Banfeng, a fourth-level Dwelling Cultivator, was overlooked by her.

Qiu Luoye grew increasingly anxious, unsure whether to storm the valley. The fox advised him to continue observing, but the pheasant warned, "Master, if there are no enemy forces, we should charge straight through. The brothers don't want to wait!" These monsters were not an army. Just as Shui Yongquan said, Qiu Luoye's subordinates were a disorganized mob. They followed the Local God to fight to gain cultivation. Gathered together, they wanted to finish the battle quickly. No one wanted to waste time here; any further delay would cause morale to scatter.

In his anxiety, Qiu Luoye called over a Horse-Headed man: "You and your subordinates go in first to scout the path." The Horse-Headed man was reluctant to go; he didn't know the situation inside the valley. Qiu Luoye nodded, "I'll credit you with the first merit!" The Horse-Headed man agreed. First merit meant double the cultivation reward. Twenty Horse-Headed men charged into the valley.

Were these Horse-Headed men highly cultivated? No. All were at the second level. But they ran incredibly fast, no less swift than second-level Traveler-Cultivators. In less than a minute, they had run over three li. According to his wife's tactics, such individuals should be ignored; under no circumstances should they be chased. But Li Banfeng couldn't ignore them. According to his agreement with Shui Yongquan, if even one person managed to break out of the canyon, Li Banfeng would lose.

The group of Horse-Headed men saw no enemy forces along the way. Their leader snorted, "It was all a bluff!" He stretched his neck, preparing to neigh three times to report back to Qiu Luoye. Li Banfeng controlled the Pendulum, which severed vines on the cliff face, sending massive rocks thundering down. These were traps set by the Wild Boar, Centipede, and others who helped Li Banfeng. Three Horse-Headed men were crushed beneath the giant rocks. The Horse-Headed leader neighed three times, two long and one short, signaling an ambush in the valley. The leader continued to sprint forward with his subordinates, running over another li until they reached a bend in the valley where no more rocks fell. It wasn't that Li Banfeng hadn't prepared enough rocks; it was that the Pendulum simply couldn't keep up with these Horse-Headed men.

"Just a small skirmish!" The Horse-Headed man was about to neigh again when a strong smell of alcohol assailed his nostrils. *Where did the alcohol smell come from?* The Horse-Headed man realized something was wrong and shouted, "Run—" Just as he uttered these two words, Tang Dao suddenly appeared and decapitated the Horse-Headed leader with a single strike. This was the first ambush point Li Banfeng had chosen, and Tang Dao had been waiting there. With their leader dead, the remaining Horse-Headed men didn't know where to run. Should they continue scouting, or run back? While they hesitated, Li Banfeng struck a match, ignited the alcohol mist, and quickly moved to the upwind area. Fierce flames erupted, and the alcohol mist, as if alive, clung to the Horse-Headed men. The Horse-Headed men successively caught fire. Without their leader, they fell into disarray. Some ran back and were met with rocks from the Pendulum. Others ran forward, trapped in the flames of the alcohol mist. One catty of wine was too limited; more than half was used up in a flash. The Wine Gourd sealed its mouth, saving the remaining small portion. When the flames subsided, three Horse-Headed men were still alive. One charged towards the end of the valley, while two avoided the falling rocks and turned back the way they came. He ignored those who turned back. The one rushing forward could not be allowed to escape. Li Banfeng sprinted, caught up to the Horse-Headed man, took a short step behind him, swung his sickle, and pierced through the Horse-Headed man's skull.

The first wave, successfully overcome! Li Banfeng checked his pocket watch: 5:08 AM! Eight minutes passed! He'd make another feint in a bit, buying three more minutes. Although the Wine Gourd didn't have much wine left, Li Banfeng had set many traps, which could hold for another three minutes. And relying on Water Gate for another three minutes. It also took time for the enemy to walk. Seeing how large Qiu Luoye was, if he walked slower, that would buy another three minutes. Wouldn't that be enough time?

An elephant's roar! Li Banfeng froze. Qiu Luoye didn't give Li Banfeng another chance to bluff; he charged in himself. Was he that reckless? Wasn't he afraid of my ambush? Qiu Luoye truly wasn't afraid. After hearing the Horse-Headed men's descriptions, he was even less afraid. "Throwing rocks! Setting fires! Shui Yongquan! Who do you think I am? Can't you bring out some real skills?!"

Hearing the footsteps, Li Banfeng still hadn't seen Qiu Luoye's figure. But he knew why this Local God was named Qiu Luoye (Autumn Falling Leaves). With every step this elephant took, dead leaves from the vines rained down like raindrops.

The End.