Chapter 190: Waiting for Me to Return

The horse-headed creatures were almost wiped out. The other anomalies didn't want to be cannon fodder either, so they all watched from the canyon mouth.

Qiu Luoye decided to lead the charge himself, taking a dozen or so still-loyal subordinates into the canyon. With each step, the entire valley trembled.

Li Banfeng ran towards the canyon mouth and soon saw Qiu Luoye's silhouette.

Li Banfeng controlled the pendulum on the rock wall, severing a large section of vines.

Boulders bound by vines fell, and one massive rock, comparable in size to Qiu Luoye, struck him.

Qiu Luoye swished his trunk, smashing the boulder to dust as if swatting a fly.

"Shui Yongquan, come out! Show me what you've got!"

He didn't pause, continuing to charge forward.

Although his body was enormous, Qiu Luoye was not slow. By Li Banfeng's estimation, he would break out of the canyon in five minutes at most.

What about the remaining seven minutes?

What could stop him?

The gate could hold for three minutes.

Could the traps along the way delay him for four minutes?

Li Banfeng himself leaped onto one cliff face, controlling a paper figure that leaped onto another.

How were there still paper figures?

Weren't all the paper figures scattered and broken?

Those were printed paper figures; these were drawn, hidden beforehand in the Portable Abode.

Li Banfeng had spent two and a half days drawing three figures. These drawn paper figures contained Li Banfeng's essence and were vastly different from the printed ones.

These three paper figures could stand still for half an hour, or last three minutes in intense combat.

The paper figures and Li Banfeng continuously cut vines and triggered traps from the cliff face, with the pendulum assisting.

A dozen giant nets woven from vines successively blocked Qiu Luoye's path.

These were traps carefully woven by the centipede mother and daughter. Li Banfeng had tested them; the vines were incredibly strong, even the pendulum couldn't cut through them.

Qiu Luoye walked straight ahead, crashing into the vine nets. It was like a normal person running into a spiderweb; he only felt annoyed, and it had no effect on his speed.

A dozen giant nets shattered one after another, but Qiu Luoye's steps didn't falter for a moment.

It didn't delay him by even a second.

This was the Local God.

At 5:11, Qiu Luoye had traversed five li through the valley in less than two minutes.

Around the corner ahead was the second ambush point, and it was crucial!

There was a pit in the ground, dug by a wild boar and two bears for Li Banfeng.

The pit was twenty meters deep, and the centipede mother and daughter had skillfully disguised it, making it invisible from the surface.

If Qiu Luoye, with his massive size, fell in, it shouldn't be easy for him to get out.

But with the Local God's knowledge, would he fall for a trap?

How could the centipede mother and daughter, with their cultivation levels of three or four, possibly fool the Local God?

Boom!

Qiu Luoye stepped on the trap and fell into the pit.

He really did fall in.

Just as Shui Yongquan had said, Qiu Luoye wasn't too bright.

This was also why he usually fought in his true form; if he transformed into ghost flames, he might be easily outsmarted.

But he had still been outsmarted by Li Banfeng. Such a deep pit, Li Banfeng estimated, could hold him for at least a minute.

Li Banfeng was wrong.

Five seconds later, Qiu Luoye lifted his head, swung his trunk, and, with his four limbs pressed together, leaped out of the pit.

Five seconds! The pit the wild boar had worked so hard all day to dig only delayed him for five seconds!

These five seconds also bought Li Banfeng a chance to act.

In his hand, the Old Teapot's water began to boil!

Two barriers rose in the valley, one in front and one behind, trapping Qiu Luoye.

Qiu Luoye crashed into one of the barriers.

The Old Teapot coughed several times. "This old elephant, what immense strength."

A large quantity of tea water rapidly welled up from the ground, the scalding liquid submerging the elephant's ankles.

The Old Teapot was the key to the second ambush point.

Although he had lost most of his memories, the Old Teapot was confident. "Brother, I thought the Local God wouldn't give me a chance to act, but if I succeed, I can hold him for at least two minutes!"

Two minutes!

How precious those two minutes would be!

The tea water quickly spread to his knees. The elephant stared at the water for a moment, then extended his long trunk into it.

Slurp!

All the tea water on the ground was drunk!

"Quite good!" the old elephant burped.

The Old Teapot was startled. "This old elephant... I'm afraid I can only hold out for a minute."

Without the tea water, the Old Teapot believed his barrier could last a minute.

He was too optimistic.

Boom!

The elephant swung his long trunk and struck the barrier with his tusk.

The Old Teapot shuddered, and the barrier cracked.

The elephant roared and struck again.

The Old Teapot spat out a mouthful of tea water and fell silent.

The barrier shattered, and the Old Teapot directly fell into a deep slumber!

Qiu Luoye broke through the Old Teapot's barrier with just two strikes!

"Body Cultivator!" The Wine Gourd was astonished. "I've never seen such a powerful body cultivator before!"

As he spoke, the Wine Gourd shot into the air, spilling out all its remaining wine.

Li Banfeng struck a match, about to light it, when the elephant swung its long trunk, sucking in all the alcohol mist from the air.

The Wine Gourd gritted its teeth. "Let that bastard get dead drunk!"

This was the Medicine King's wine!

Qiu Luoye's body swayed slightly, and he rubbed his eyes with his trunk.

Was he drunk?

No.

"Good wine! Potent!" Qiu Luoye continued forward. Aside from his skin turning a bit red, there were no other changes.

What kind of monster was this?

The Medicine King's wine had no effect?

What could possibly stop him?

Li Banfeng recalled his initial strategy: leading ten thousand archers and crossbowmen to ambush from the valley's flanks, killing enemies with a barrage of arrows.

Thinking about it now, no wonder his wife had laughed at him.

Forget bows and arrows; even if you set up two rows of cannons, would they be effective against him?

Even two rows of missiles here, would they be of any use?

A paper beauty severed a vine, causing a shower of boulders to fall.

The boulders didn't harm Qiu Luoye, but the paper beauty shattered.

The intensity was too great; she had reached her limit.

The fox came up to the elephant, pointing at the cliff and shouting, "Master, there's someone on the cliff!"

She saw Li Banfeng.

Qiu Luoye sneered. "A mere mongrel. I saw him long ago."

The fox requested to fight. "Master, we should capture this person first!"

"No need!" Qiu Luoye's strategy was clear. "Don't get bogged down in the valley. Quickly get to Shui Yongquan's territory, overturn his lair, dig out the contract, and make him a wandering ghost."

The elephant roared forward, with over a dozen other anomalies following close behind!

The main force was still observing from the canyon mouth. Since they couldn't claim the first merit anyway, it wouldn't be too late to charge in after Qiu Luoye broke through the valley.

Li Banfeng checked the clock on the back of the calendar card: 5:13.

Two minutes had passed, and Qiu Luoye had been walking for one and a half minutes of that time.

The second ambush point, originally planned to hold him for two minutes, had only delayed him for half a minute.

What about the next seven minutes?

Li Banfeng had no time to think, rushing towards the third ambush point.

The third ambush point was eight li into the valley, only two li from the canyon mouth.

At this ambush point, Li Banfeng had to act himself.

He ran ahead of Qiu Luoye. Seeing Qiu Luoye approach from a distance, his entire body trembled with the ground.

Facing the Local God directly was incredibly difficult.

Li Banfeng tensed his body, controlled his trembling hands, and rushed into a thicket of vines.

Granny Ku was walking on the dirt road in Kucai Village when she saw a vegetable leaf fall by her feet.

Used luck again?

The second time?

It seemed this boy had encountered quite a few things.

Li Banfeng slipped into the vines. Qiu Luoye arrived in an instant, seeing a large area of vines blocking his path. Qiu Luoye swung his long trunk, sending vines flying in all directions.

Li Banfeng darted out from the vines and unfurled a calendar card in front of Qiu Luoye.

He was over ten meters from Qiu Luoye. If Qiu Luoye didn't stop, it would be too late for Li Banfeng to run.

Because when using the calendar card, Li Banfeng couldn't move; this was the card's inherent characteristic.

Not only could he not move, but nothing sentient around him could move either.

Magic artifacts couldn't move, nor could spiritual items.

If anything moved, the calendar card's effect would fail.

Qiu Luoye retracted his trunk and glanced at Li Banfeng. "Have you come to seek death?"

He moved, and he spoke.

But did he truly move?

No.

Li Banfeng didn't answer. The beautiful woman on the calendar card spoke, "Stop!"

Qiu Luoye was stunned. "You say stop, and I'll stop?"

"I'm just a weak woman, asking you, a strong man, to pause for a moment. Would you truly refuse?"

For some unknown reason, upon hearing the beautiful woman's words, Qiu Luoye actually stopped.

The fox beside him was startled, looking at Li Banfeng holding the calendar card.

Virtue cultivation?

The beautiful woman on the calendar card continued to ask Qiu Luoye, "Why are you entering the valley?"

Qiu Luoye answered her question seriously, "Today is the day of war, of course I can come in!"

The beautiful woman pointed to the calendar below the card. "The day of war is tomorrow. You've got the wrong date!"

"Tomorrow?" Qiu Luoye was stunned for a long time.

Did I really get the date wrong?

He looked back behind him and asked a pine tree covered in needles, "Isn't today the day of war?"

The pine tree thought for a long time before answering, "I don't know what a 'day' is. I know what a 'year' is. Every year, I grow a little thicker..."

"Get lost, you waste!" Qiu Luoye turned back to the calendar card and roared furiously, "You say I'm wrong, and I'm wrong?"

The beautiful woman on the calendar card sternly declared, "I am the calendar card. If I say you've got the wrong date, then you are wrong!"

Her words made so much sense!

A calendar card wouldn't get the date wrong!

The beautiful woman continued to scold him, "You attacked before the day arrived. You don't follow the rules at all. What kind of Local God are you?"

Qiu Luoye felt deeply ashamed, wishing he could immediately lead his people away.

He lowered his head and saw the fox by his feet, but noticed the fox neither spoke nor moved.

This fox was about to wake up.

The calendar card was a magic artifact refined by Honglian using the Songstress Flower and Pan Dehai's folding fan. Li Banfeng had named it Mengde.

The moment Li Banfeng unfurled the calendar card, Mengde plunged Qiu Luoye and his subordinates into a dream, using virtue cultivation techniques to make Qiu Luoye feel deep self-reproach.

This was very risky. At the Songstress Flower's level, it shouldn't be possible to make Qiu Luoye fall into a dream so quickly.

However, Pan Dehai's fan was very high-level. Under Honglian's refinement, Mengde's level was comparable to the fan, giving it a certain chance to make Qiu Luoye fall into a dream.

The exact probability depended on Li Banfeng's luck.

But even though Qiu Luoye had entered a dream, it wasn't foolproof.

Among Qiu Luoye's subordinates, if even one hadn't entered the dream, the dream would shatter as soon as that person moved.

Qiu Luoye had just been talking to the treeman; he seemed to have been moving constantly.

In reality, he hadn't moved. He was talking to the treeman in his dream; he had been standing still the whole time, right in front of Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng's luck was good; Qiu Luoye and all his subordinates had entered the dream.

Holding the calendar card, sweat dripped continuously from Li Banfeng. The clock on the back of the card was still there, displaying 5:15.

Qiu Luoye had been standing still for over a minute, and the calendar card had already overfulfilled its task.

For Li Banfeng, the wisest choice now was to immediately put away the calendar card and quickly escape.

But Li Banfeng wanted to delay him a bit longer.

Less than two li from the canyon mouth, if Qiu Luoye continued to charge, he would be out of the valley in less than a minute.

The Water Gate could only last three minutes. What about the remaining minute and something?

Just stall!

Stall for another minute, and hope would appear.

But Li Banfeng didn't expect that the fox by Qiu Luoye's side had already woken up, because this fox was also a dream cultivator.

Despite only having a second-level cultivation, this fox was highly intelligent and a capable subordinate of Qiu Luoye.

From the moment he entered the dream, he sensed something was wrong. Now his consciousness had broken free from the dream, but he wasn't in a hurry to wake Qiu Luoye.

This fox's thinking differed from Qiu Luoye's; he always believed they should first eliminate the hidden dangers in the valley before attacking Shui Yongquan's territory.

And Li Banfeng, right before him, was both cunning and persistent, making him the one who should be eliminated first.

He feigned still being in the dream, planning to kill Li Banfeng first, then wake Qiu Luoye, to prevent Li Banfeng from escaping.

The fox's paw barely touched the ground, making a slight sound on the dirt. The Thread-Pulling Earrings immediately warned, "Movement!"

Li Banfeng put away the calendar card and turned to run. The fox leaped, pouncing towards Li Banfeng's back. The Tang Blade flew in, severing the fox's head with one strike.

The Insect Tyrant's antennae weren't eaten for nothing!

"Every strike takes an enemy head!" The Tang Blade praised itself, then followed Li Banfeng, quickly fleeing for its life.

From the moment the fox moved, Qiu Luoye had already woken up.

A large area of vines was trampled to shreds by him. Before reaching the canyon exit, Li Banfeng deployed his last trap.

This trap was of unknown effectiveness, and the chances of it failing were extremely high.

Ahead of him, a paper beauty held a Judge's Brush, drawing a circle, and was waiting within it.

Li Banfeng rushed through the circle; the paper figure didn't move.

Qiu Luoye charged into the circle. The paper figure shouted, "Fly!"

The Judge's Brush didn't move either; it was too lazy.

If it didn't move, then it didn't move. Li Banfeng hadn't placed much hope in the Judge's Brush anyway.

Qiu Luoye swung his trunk, shattering the second paper beauty. The Judge's Brush fell to the ground.

In Kucai Village, Granny Ku saw another vegetable leaf fall before her.

Third use of luck exhausted?

Used on something good, and its level wasn't low either.

Granny Ku smiled.

Grand-nephew, you owe a debt again.

Qiu Luoye continued to charge forward, and by sheer coincidence, stepped on the Judge's Brush.

"Oh, for f..." That step truly pained the Judge's Brush.

It was angry.

It suddenly carried Qiu Luoye into the air.

Qiu Luoye was walking forward when he suddenly found all four of his feet off the ground.

Before he could figure out what was happening, he had already flown back over two li.

What had pricked his foot just now?

Qiu Luoye looked down but didn't see the Judge's Brush.

The Judge's Brush had burrowed into the grass to hide; it knew if Qiu Luoye caught it, it would surely die.

Carrying Qiu Luoye for two li, the Judge's Brush had exhausted all the strength it had accumulated over the years.

It lay quietly in the grass, not making a sound.

These two li bought Li Banfeng a minute of time.

Li Banfeng had already rushed to the canyon mouth and erected the Water Gate.

He unfurled the calendar card and glanced at it.

The clock on the back displayed the time 5:16.

He could only hope Qiu Luoye would arrive a bit slower.

At 5:17, Qiu Luoye hadn't arrived, but his treeman subordinate ran over.

Li Banfeng didn't wait any longer, telling the last paper beauty to pour two jin of water onto the Water Gate.

Water droplets flowed down the doorframe, and the Water Gate rapidly rooted, an invisible barrier spreading towards the valley's flanks.

The barrier hadn't fully closed when the treeman crashed into it.

Li Banfeng, bracing behind the door, stumbled from the impact. The treeman's head poked through the gap in the door, aiming for Li Banfeng's chest.

The Tang Blade swung, lopping off half of the treeman's head.

After three slashes, the Tang Blade retreated into Li Banfeng's pocket.

The treeman felt no pain and continued to ram inside. Li Banfeng swung his sickle, hacking at the treeman.

The paper beauty wrapped her arms around the treeman from behind with all her might. Under their combined attack, the treeman recoiled half a step.

It turned, grabbed the paper beauty, and tore her to shreds. When it turned back to deal with Li Banfeng, it was stopped by the barrier.

The barrier had fully formed!

The clock face on the calendar card showed 5:17 and eight seconds.

It was done!

Success!

The Water Gate could hold for three minutes, until 5:20!

The treeman furiously rammed the barrier from outside, while Li Banfeng braced tightly against the gate from behind.

The Water Gate was very strong. Despite the treeman's desperate ramming, Li Banfeng only felt a slight tremor in his arms; most of the force was neutralized by the Water Gate.

Li Banfeng's heart eased. Now he just needed to wait until 5:20, then run, and then ask Shui Yongquan for the items. If he didn't give them...

Li Banfeng was sent flying from behind the door, landing on his back on the ground.

The two doors opened, more than a foot wide.

Qiu Luoye stood outside the door.

He had just casually kicked the barrier, sending Li Banfeng flying.

Li Banfeng immediately scrambled up, rushed to the door, and closed the two massive doors.

Another kick, and Li Banfeng was sent flying again.

Under the heavy impact, Li Banfeng broke two ribs, and his consciousness blurred.

Creak-creak-creak

The two massive doors slowly opened. Li Banfeng immediately scrambled up from the ground and rushed to close them.

He couldn't let the doors open three feet, or the barrier would vanish.

The door panel slammed into Li Banfeng's face. Blood flowed from his mouth and nose, and his cheekbones shattered.

He had just closed the main doors when Qiu Luoye, in a furious rage outside the barrier, crashed into them head-first.

Li Banfeng was sent flying high and far, landing heavily on the ground, breaking his leg.

"Damn it, that old dog Shui Yongquan only knows how to use this trash!" This impact also dazed Qiu Luoye a bit; his head felt a little dizzy.

Creak-creak-creak

The two massive doors separated again, opening nearly two feet.

Almost three feet...

Someone had to brace the doors, otherwise the Water Gate would open faster and wider.

Li Banfeng truly hadn't expected this. He thought erecting the Water Gate was enough for success.

He didn't realize holding the doors shut would be so difficult.

The calendar card was in the grass, the clock showing 5:18.

Two more minutes.

What could hold for two minutes?

There was no hope.

Gone...

In the Portable Abode, the phonograph's breathing was as faint as a silken thread.

Honglian sighed, "Vile woman, you dominated your life, but in the end, you couldn't overcome this calamity. I wonder if that madman is still alive? If he went with you, it would be a complete end for both of you. But what about me, trapped here for all eternity?"

Li Banfeng propped himself up in the tangled grass. He was still alive.

His leg was broken; he couldn't stand. He used both hands to laboriously crawl to the door.

He closed the main doors, pulled a vine from his waist, and threaded it through the two door rings.

This vine was very strong; even a knife couldn't cut through it.

He leaned his back against the main doors, tying himself to them with the vine.

The door panels shook, and Li Banfeng vomited blood.

The blood was coppery and salty.

Qiu Luoye crashed into the barrier again.

Li Banfeng's vision went black.

Li Banfeng felt no pain; he felt nothing at all, only knew that blood was continuously gushing from his mouth.

I don't know your name.

You probably don't know mine either.

From the day we met, you called me husband, and I called you wife.

Wife, wait for me to return.

That time when I returned, I invited Lady Suomo into our home.

I wronged you.

You sent me to the outer room. I stood outside the door, listening to you desperately fight Lady Suomo...

I stood outside the door...

I knew you were fighting Suomo desperately,

You saved me, but I couldn't save you,

And you ended up so injured.

I wronged you...

That time, I couldn't save you.

This time, you must wait for me to return.

The vine snapped.

The blood-soaked and battered Li Banfeng lay sprawled on the ground.

Creak-creak-creak

The main doors opened.

Qiu Luoye was right behind the doors.

The doors opened two feet wide.

The doors had to be closed.

Time wasn't up yet.

The doors had to be closed.

Couldn't let the doors open three feet...

Li Banfeng's hands fumbled on the ground; he couldn't stand up.

He raised his head, wanting to see the time on the calendar card.

At the exit of the canyon, a colossal figure appeared.

Lady Suomo...

How could thinking of Lady Suomo make him see Lady Suomo?

An illusion?

No, it wasn't an illusion.

Ma Wu, riding on Swallow, rushed to Li Banfeng's side.

"Water Gate!" Swallow recognized the spiritual item and immediately braced against the doors.

Swallow was pushed back slightly. Ma Wu stepped forward and closed the main doors.

Ma Wu was sent flying, his left arm bone broken. Zuo Wugang stepped forward and closed the main doors.

Zuo Wugang took two steps back. Xianxian and Qiaocui rushed up, and three Suomo moths together braced against the main doors.

Ma Wu rushed back again.

Xiao Genzi and Xiao Chuanzi rushed up together to brace against the main doors!

RUMBLE!

After holding for over a minute, there was no longer any sound from outside the doors.

Qiu Luoye wasn't ramming anymore?

Could he no longer ram?

It was impossible for him to be unable to ram.

Had the gate's barrier failed?

Li Banfeng looked at the clock on the calendar card.

5:19.

It wasn't 5:20 yet.

How could this be...

There should still be time...

How could the Water Gate not hold?

Shui Yongquan's voice came from mid-air:

"Qiu Luoye, you lost."

A flower appeared in Li Banfeng's hand, its petals rotating around the center.