Chapter 201: Bias Toward Tiger Mountain

"Old Five, do you know what the Old Land is?"

Ma Wu nodded. "I know the Old Land. It's a great place to make money."

"How do you make money there?"

"Well, you make money there by first... Old Seven, can we send the band out before we talk business?"

Ma Wu was at his wit's end. They were discussing important matters in the council hall, and Li Banfeng had brought in a band that was making a racket.

It would have been fine if they were good, but the drummer was off-beat and the trumpeter was off-key.

Li Banfeng knew the band wasn't very good, but the key was the atmosphere. "Just bear with it. I'll recruit more people in a few days."

"Don't you still have a phonograph? Can't you just play music on that?"

"That phonograph has another purpose. I'll tell you about it later. Let's talk about the Old Land first."

Ma Wu couldn't stand it. "Old Seven, I'm about to share some confidential money-making secrets. Are you sure you want them to hear this?"

Li Banfeng immediately sent the band out. Confidential matters should not be taken lightly.

Ma Wu began explaining about the Old Land. Compared to Zuo Wugang, his communication skills were much better. His conceptual introduction was largely the same as the Madame's, but his focus was different; he explained how to make money.

"Making money in the Old Land is different from the New Land. In the New Land, you acquire objects, both living and inanimate. In the Old Land, you acquire spiritual essences, both living entities and ethereal essences."

Li Banfeng had heard the terms "living entities" and "ethereal essences" before, but Ma Wu's intended meaning was clearly not the literal one.

"In the Old Land, human energy is gone, leaving only ghostly energy. Undead souls who have lingered in the human realm for countless years can live freely in the Old Land.

When these undead souls stay in the Old Land for a long time, becoming unrestrained, their intentions will change, and they'll begin to perceive themselves as human.

Once an undead soul believes itself to be human, it forgets how to protect its soul. Over years, the soul gradually dissipates, leaving only its spiritual essence. This spiritual essence is called 'ethereal essence,' and it's an excellent material for refining magical artifacts and spiritual items."

Li Banfeng understood this.

Before refining a magical artifact, Honglian would first have the Madame consume the soul, leaving only the spiritual essence. This would imprint the artifact, making it easier to control.

Ma Wu continued, "Some undead souls haven't been in the Old Land long, or they naturally possess methods to protect their souls. Their souls are still intact, and these are called 'living entities.'

These living entities cannot be used to refine magical artifacts or spiritual items; even if refined, they won't obey. However, they are the source of danger in the Old Land.

Among hunters, there's a saying: 'Better to roam the New Land for ten years than to walk the Old Land for a day.' This means the Old Land is far more dangerous than the New Land.

Most anomalies in the New Land lack intelligence, and even if they have it, they are ultimately inferior to humans. Moreover, anomalies are restricted by local deities; they wouldn't dare do anything too extreme.

The Old Land is different. The intelligence of ethereal essences is slightly lower than humans, but living entities have intelligence comparable to humans. Because they have lived for many years, many living entities are even more intelligent than ordinary mortals.

Hunters who go to the Old Land face near-certain death, and most hunters don't even have the means to collect ethereal essences.

The 'Thorn-Swallowing Pearls' we hunted before are good for capturing spiritual essence, but a high-quality pearl costs hundreds of thousands. How could an ordinary hunter afford that?

Even if they have a magical artifact for capturing spiritual essence, and even if the hunter is clever and skilled enough, even if they actually capture spiritual essence, they might not make any money."

Li Banfeng frowned. "Still no money? As far as I know, even a spiritual item costs tens of thousands of silver dollars, not to mention a magical artifact.

Spiritual essence is crucial for magical artifacts and spiritual items, so it must fetch a good price. In Huanguo currency, selling it for a million or so wouldn't be excessive."

Ma Wu nodded. "Yes, it can sell for a million or so, but you have to pay a toll.

There are bandits in the Old Land who guard all the major transportation routes. Once a hunter enters the Old Land, to get out, they must pay a toll. If they don't have money, they can exchange the spiritual essence they collected.

If a hunter enters the Old Land and returns empty-handed, they've suffered a huge loss.

If he only collects one ethereal essence, that ethereal essence still belongs to the bandit chief.

Old Seven, if you're thinking of hunting in the Old Land, forget it now. We don't lack that money, and we don't need to take that risk."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I'm not thinking of hunting. I just want revenge. I got some information from the Three Iron Sheep Heroes.

Lu Xiaolan is now a high-ranking commander on Iron Sheep Mountain. Iron Sheep Mountain sent her to sweep our territory, and they almost succeeded. This revenge must be taken.

If we don't retaliate, they'll come again, and they'll be even more ruthless."

Li Banfeng was very sure about this.

Lu Xiaolan wouldn't give up; for Honglian, she would keep harassing them.

Ma Wu was silent for a moment, then nodded. "We definitely need to take revenge, but the key is how?

If the Iron Sheep Mountain bandits were right in front of us, we'd have to fight them to the death.

If they came out of the Old Land, we'd also have a chance to act.

But if they hide inside the Old Land, we're completely helpless.

Back then, the He family collected a Great Fiend from the Old Land. They passed through Iron Sheep Mountain without notifying Rong Yeguang, and the Great Fiend was stolen."

Li Banfeng asked, "What is a Great Fiend?"

"A Great Fiend is also a type of ethereal essence, a special ethereal essence formed when dozens or hundreds of undead souls aggregate together over many years.

It was extremely difficult for the He family to capture a Great Fiend. After it was stolen, the He family was furious and led an attack on Iron Sheep Mountain. They attacked for half a month but couldn't take it down.

That was the He family, and even they couldn't do it. What chances do we have?

Those ruthless bandits have lived in the Old Land for years; they know the roads, the people, and the rules. Attacking their stronghold in the Old Land is pure fantasy."

"We have to go. Even if we can't defeat them, we at least need to know where they live so we can find an opportunity to deal with them later." Li Banfeng was truly determined to confront Iron Sheep Mountain.

"I really don't know where Iron Sheep Mountain is. Let's find someone to ask."

Ma Wu went to inquire about Iron Sheep Mountain, while Li Banfeng pushed the phonograph and began pulling out hooks on the plot.

He first placed the record on the turntable, wound the spring fully, positioned the needle, flicked the switch, and then, pushing the phonograph, he started running frantically.

"Oh, what a sham, what a sham, why must one be so fake? You want to see, you need to see, then look closely and clearly..."

Li Banfeng darted past the warehouse, leaving Chuanzi standing frozen, muttering, "What's gotten into Master Seven?"

*Bang!* Something burst in the warehouse.

Amidst the song, a hook was pulled out.

Xiao Genzi was preparing the 'golden liquid.' His earlier conjecture was correct: the combination of an anomaly's golden liquid and an ordinary person's golden liquid created a very subtle change.

His cultivation progress was constantly accelerating, and he was already preparing to ask the peddler to buy a third bucket.

Ahead was a high-quality lump, hot enough and pure enough, not contaminated with too many impurities.

Just as Xiao Genzi was about to go over, Li Banfeng got there first.

That high-quality lump was flattened by Li Banfeng's foot.

Xiao Genzi was very regretful, but looking at the shoe print on it, he still reluctantly collected it.

"What's up with Master Seven? Why is he so flamboyant today?"

Indeed, he was flamboyant.

With a large pinwheel hanging behind the phonograph, constantly spinning, how could he not be flamboyant?

Not only was the phonograph flashy, but the tune was also catchy.

"Pretending to Be Proper" was a staple at all dance halls. The melody and lyrics were catchy, and most importantly, the Madame sang it with vigor, her playful and lovely voice echoing throughout the entire plot of land.

Li Banfeng covered most of the area on the plot in the time it took to play one song.

After one song, the phonograph needed three days to rest. Li Banfeng counted and found he had picked six hooks along the way.

These must have been left by Lu Xiaolan during her previous infiltration. She had really committed to it.

Spy-cultivation was too difficult to guard against; he would have to intensify clean-up efforts in the future.

Li Banfeng returned the phonograph to his portable residence, then explored the surroundings alone for half a day, accumulating enough cultivation. He then walked to Zuo Wugang's door and pushed it open.

Zuo Wugang was engaging in intense combat with a centipede lady. They were going back and forth vigorously. It seemed like they had just begun.

Li Banfeng discreetly withdrew for a moment.

Less than a minute later, the centipede lady left.

Li Banfeng entered the room and asked, "Do you know where Iron Sheep Mountain is?"

Zuo Wugang was getting dressed. He knew the Three Iron Sheep Heroes, so Li Banfeng thought he might know the location of Iron Sheep Mountain.

But he genuinely didn't know. "Master Seven, the Lu family and Iron Sheep Mountain did business a few times, always in the Proper Land. I was a liaison and saw them a few times.

Then, once, the goods Iron Sheep Mountain provided weren't up to standard—ethereal essences mixed with living entities. A dispute arose between the two sides, and they fought a few battles. I exchanged blows with the Three Iron Sheep Heroes, which is why I recognized them."

"Did the Lu family eventually win?"

"No, they didn't! Those bandits from Iron Sheep Mountain disregard all rules. If they gained the upper hand, they'd fight to the death; if they suffered a loss, they'd run back to the Old Land.

The Lu family didn't want to get entangled with them in the Old Land, so the matter was eventually left unresolved.

Master Seven, I know you can't stomach those scoundrels trespassing on our territory.

But you absolutely cannot fight them in the Old Land. Although their chief bandit is at the sixth level of cultivation, comparable to mine, their mountain has all sorts of people and all sorts of methods. Anyone who goes there will suffer a great loss."

Both the He family and the Lu family had suffered losses on Iron Sheep Mountain.

Iron Sheep Mountain was indeed formidable!

How could Lu Xiaolan find such a powerful backer?

Li Banfeng became even more interested in Iron Sheep Mountain.

He returned to his portable residence and asked the phonograph, "Madame, where is Iron Sheep Mountain?"

"My dear husband, why do you want to go to Iron Sheep Mountain?"

"To clear my mind." Li Banfeng thought he had come up with a good reason.

The Madame was silent for a moment, then said, "Oh, my dear husband, your little servant remembers there being a place called Iron Sheep Mountain, but only that it's in the Old Land. Your little servant truly doesn't remember how to get there.

My dearest husband, listen to your little servant: if you want to go to the Old Land to clear your mind, you'll have to wait until your cultivation has advanced further."

It was unclear if the Madame genuinely didn't remember, but in any case, he couldn't get the information from her.

Li Banfeng returned to the council hall and continued drilling the band.

The band, having learned that Li Banfeng liked the song "Pretending to Be Proper," practiced it all afternoon in the council hall.

Now, everyone was getting carried away; the entire territory was caught up in the fever.

The warehouse manager sang as he weighed goods.

The accountant sang as he counted money.

Yanzi and Ah Qin sang as they fought.

Ma Wu hummed the tune as he walked back, telling Li Banfeng, "Old Seven, there's a hunter in our territory who claims to know where Iron Sheep Mountain is."

Li Banfeng was delighted. "Where is he? Take me to him."

"I don't know if he's telling the truth. Old Seven, we really can't be rash about this."

"It's fine. Let's just meet him and see."

Ma Wu ordered someone to bring the hunter to a plot about a li away, which was relatively safe.

On the way, Ma Wu asked Li Banfeng, "Should we give this ten-li territory a name?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I've decided. We'll call it Proper Village."

Ma Wu thought for a moment, then nodded repeatedly. "That's a good name."

The hunter's name was Sun Tiecheng. He was over fifty, dressed simply, and had an honest face.

Upon seeing Li Banfeng and Ma Wu, the hunter quickly bowed. Li Banfeng directly asked for the location of Iron Sheep Mountain, and the old hunter replied:

"That depends on whether you gentlemen are approaching from the outside or from the inside."

Li Banfeng frowned. "What do you mean, outside or inside?"

Ma Wu clarified, "He's talking about the New Land and the Proper Land."

Sun Tiecheng said, "If you go from the Proper Land, it's safer until you reach the Old Land, but with my legs, it would still take half a month.

If you go from the New Land, you can reach the place in just one day."

The hunter could get there in one day.

If Li Banfeng went, would he be able to get there in an hour?

"Old man, what's your cultivation path?"

"A traveling cultivator, third level."

What a coincidence!

Ma Wu said to the hunter, "Draw us a map and tell us how to get there."

The hunter drew a map, but after he finished, Li Banfeng couldn't understand it.

The hunter was also apologetic. "Gentlemen, I don't know how to draw, and I can't write. I've barely held a pen."

"This one will do, just make do with it," Ma Wu took the map and gave Sun Tiecheng two silver dollars. "You go deliver your goods now, and then leave quickly."

Ma Wu genuinely didn't want Li Banfeng to go to the Old Land; he didn't even want to bring this hunter here.

However, if he hadn't brought the man, it would have seemed like he didn't take Li Banfeng's concerns seriously. And if Li Banfeng later found this hunter, it would appear that Ma Wu was dishonest.

This way of handling it was just right: a map, vaguely understood, still held by Ma Wu, and the matter of going to Iron Sheep Mountain could be discussed later.

The hunter returned to "Proper Village," delivered his goods in the village, didn't linger, and then continued into the depths of the New Land.

Half an hour later, after walking five or six li, Sun Tiecheng suddenly felt someone following him. He turned around and saw Li Banfeng behind him.

"Sir, are you...?" Sun Tiecheng was very nervous.

Li Banfeng frowned slightly. "Aren't you a third-level traveling cultivator? You're not walking very fast, are you?"

The hunter wiped sweat from his brow. "Sir, with you following behind, I didn't dare walk fast."

Li Banfeng took out thirty silver dollars and put them into the hunter's hand. "I want to go to Iron Sheep Village. Can you lead the way for me?"