Chapter 205: Want to leave, then leave

"Eat when you're hungry."

The Judge's Brush suddenly uttered this, and then fell silent.

The fortune teller didn't possess the skill to discern spiritual sounds, so he couldn't hear the Judge's Brush. However, he sensed a slight shift in the room's atmosphere.

It seemed as though some dew drops had formed on the gramophone's horn.

"We can't eat him, we can't eat him," the gramophone murmured. "We still need this old man to take husband out of the city."

His wife wasn't in dire need of food, so she immediately dismissed the thought.

But Li Banfeng didn't dismiss it: "Wife, eat him!"

"Husband, we can't eat this person yet..."

"Eat him, quickly."

"If we eat him now, how will husband..."

Li Banfeng looked at the gramophone and said, "Are you not listening to me?"

The gramophone pondered for a moment, and then mist billowed from its horn.

The fortune teller was greatly alarmed: "What are you doing? Young man, don't you want to leave? Do you want to be trapped in this city forever? I can take you out; I know the way out. I'll take you..."

Li Banfeng kicked the fortune teller, who stumbled forward, landing near the gramophone.

A whirlwind erupted from the large horn, and the fortune teller's soul was swallowed by the wife. There was no complete body left on the ground, only scattered fragments of flesh and blood.

Li Banfeng looked at Honglian: "Eat!"

Honglian glanced at the flesh and blood on the ground but didn't touch it.

She was unwilling to eat common things.

But a cultivator's corpse wasn't common.

Could this flesh and blood not be part of the fortune teller?

Then what was the purpose of this flesh and blood?

Was it merely a disguise, to make the fortune teller appear more human?

There was no need.

Li Banfeng could tell he was a ghost because he possessed the 'Golden Eye of Discernment' skill. Ordinary people entering Fool's City would see them as normal individuals and wouldn't be able to discern they were departed spirits.

He decided to put aside the purpose of the flesh and blood for now and consider its origin.

If this flesh and blood wasn't part of the fortune teller, then it shouldn't have been generated by him either; he must have acquired it from somewhere else.

A shiver ran down Li Banfeng's spine as he considered this.

The innkeepers had been chasing Li Banfeng, and the fortune teller had also been following him. Their objective must have been his flesh and blood.

If Li Banfeng hadn't had the habit of staying in his Portable Abode, he would surely have died at the inn. The innkeeper was a Level 4 Foolish Cultivator, certainly much harder to deal with than this fortune teller.

There were many other Foolish Cultivators in the city, but why hadn't they attacked him?

The ointment seller, the onlookers, the auntie who gave him directions...

That auntie!

She didn't give him directions.

She told him to enter her house for water.

If he had entered her house, would she have made her move then?

Just as when he entered the inn, it was equivalent to entering the innkeeper's abode, which allowed him to kill him.

As for the others, because he hadn't entered their dwellings, they couldn't kill him.

Was this the rule of Fool's City?

But why did the fortune teller want to kill him?

Did he enter his dwelling?

He did.

The abandoned house was his dwelling.

This fortune teller was truly devious; he actually tricked him into entering his dwelling.

Li Banfeng hugged the gramophone and kissed its large horn: "Wife, I've figured it all out! Don't you think I'm much smarter now?"

Not only had Li Banfeng become much clearer-headed, but his wife had as well.

"Oh dear, husband, did this servant also fall prey to his technique?"

Silence filled the Portable Abode. A few seconds later, his wife roared, and all three horns started smoking: "A Level 2 Cultivator made this old woman fall for his technique? What kind of logic is that?"

Honglian didn't mock the gramophone; just a moment ago, even her own thoughts had been in disarray.

The techniques of Foolish Cultivators were incredibly powerful.

Li Banfeng sat on the edge of the bed, deep in thought for a long time, formulating a simple yet brutal plan.

"Wife, in a moment, I'll push out the other gramophone and play some music to lure the departed spirits into the house. As soon as one enters, I'll close the door and hand it over to you for interrogation, until we get the method for leaving the city."

"Husband, getting the information is easy, but discerning its truthfulness is difficult."

"No need to distinguish. I'll capture another one, and you can interrogate them both. If their testimonies match, it proves they're telling the truth."

His wife exhaled a puff of steam: "That's a plan."

Li Banfeng pushed the windmill gramophone out from the third room. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard Mengde say, "Sir, it's time for you to sleep."

"Sleep? Are you trying to make me enter a dream again?"

Mengde said with a shy expression, "I also contributed to that fight just now."

Li Banfeng retorted angrily, "What contribution did you make? You cursed 'immoral,' and it ended up getting me into trouble! Do you call that a contribution?"

Mengde lowered his head, looking very wronged: "That was an unintentional mistake."

Seeing Li Banfeng was very angry, the gramophone advised, "Husband, eat something and rest for a night. You're exhausted."

Li Banfeng ate two cans of food, then lay down and slept to Mengde's beautiful singing.

The gramophone told the monthly calendar: "Tomorrow there will be more fighting; don't let him have nightmares! You didn't perform well in the fight today, so I won't punish you, but if there's a next time, I won't go easy on you."

Mengde quickly bowed: "Thank you for your generosity, Madam."

The Judge's Brush snorted: "Still too much."

The gramophone let out a puff of steam, scalding the Judge's Brush red: "Too much of what, exactly?"

"Hmph!"

The scalding hurt, but the Judge's Brush was too lazy to move, remaining where it lay.

That night, Li Banfeng arrived at Iron Sheep Mountain. Da Piao Ba Rong Yeguang wasn't there, leaving only Lu Xiaolan to guard the mountain gate.

Li Banfeng used his Portable Abode to infiltrate the mountain stronghold, killed Lu Xiaolan, stole 100,000 silver dollars, and then set the entire stronghold ablaze!

"Hahahaha!" Li Banfeng stood in the center of the stronghold, laughing wildly.

Then Li Banfeng woke up.

Such a good dream, just like that, it ended.

He couldn't remember most of what happened in the dream, but Li Banfeng knew it had been a good one.

Seeing Li Banfeng's fierce gaze, Mengde trembled continuously inside the monthly calendar: "Sir, you woke up laughing from your dream; this truly isn't my fault. Madam, please say something!"

Li Banfeng wasn't in the mood to deal with Mengde; he still needed to go out and capture departed spirits. The gramophone called out to Li Banfeng: "Husband, go ask the Judge's Brush. He seems to have a way to deal with Foolish Cultivators."

What method could he possibly have?

However, he had indeed spoken yesterday.

Li Banfeng picked up the Judge's Brush and sincerely asked, "Brother Brush, if you have a way to leave the city, please tell me. You surely don't want to be trapped in this place either."

The Judge's Brush deliberated for a long time; it had the desire to express itself but was simply too lazy to speak.

Figuring a few words wouldn't be clear enough, Li Banfeng tried a different approach: "First, tell me, is my plan effective?"

"Too much," the Judge's Brush said, only two words.

Li Banfeng wasn't angry. He seriously pondered the meaning of these two words: "Are you saying I'm thinking too much, or doing too much?"

"Both," it replied.

"How is it too much?"

"Someone formidable is watching," it replied.

Someone formidable?

"Do you have a simpler method?"

"Sigh," the Judge's Brush sighed, and after waiting for over two minutes, it uttered four words: "A fool's many thoughts..."

Li Banfeng had heard this idiom before: 'A fool's many thoughts always yield something useful.'

"But according to you, I've still thought too little."

The Judge's Brush felt an inexpressible helplessness. After another two minutes, it spoke four more words: "Obsessed with gains and losses."

"A fool's many thoughts, obsessed with gains and losses?"

What kind of idiom was that?

"Brother Brush, I don't understand."

The Judge's Brush said helplessly, "If you want to leave the city, just walk."

"I can't just walk out! If I could, why would I be expending all this effort?"

The gramophone grew impatient: "Husband, it's this servant's fault. Don't ask him anymore; let's get to business."

Just as Li Banfeng pushed the windmill gramophone to the doorway, he suddenly heard the Judge's Brush say, "You blockhead, return my capital!"

It had spoken so many words at once that Li Banfeng couldn't process it.

What capital?

Oh no!

Back in Hundred Tendril Valley, the Judge's Brush had once moved the Great Autumn Elephant, over two *li* away.

It had always been too lazy to ask for its capital back, but now it suddenly spoke up.

It had exerted considerable effort then, and if it were to demand its capital now, Li Banfeng would be lazy for a very long time.

What could he do?

"Brother Brush, let's discuss this. After I leave Fool's City, then..."

Too late.

Li Banfeng stopped halfway through his sentence, too lazy to continue.

The Judge's Brush had already taken its capital back.

He looked back at his bed. He really wanted to lie down.

Lie down instead of sitting.

No, he couldn't lie down.

If he lay down now, there was no telling how long he'd stay there.

The key was still outside. Yesterday, during his struggle with the fortune teller, Li Banfeng had casually thrown it into the abandoned house.

Leaving it in the courtyard indefinitely wasn't a solution. Foolish Cultivators were so cunning; if the fortune teller had accomplices, it might very well be picked up.

He had to go out and check, at least to move the key to a different spot.

That damn Judge's Brush, demanding its capital today of all days, I swear...

Never mind, he was too lazy to lecture it.

Li Banfeng gritted his teeth and pushed open the door, then looked back at the windmill gramophone.

Should he push it out?

Why push it? It's so heavy.

Li Banfeng simply went out empty-handed, too lazy to even bring a single magic item.

Outside the door, Li Banfeng picked up the key and immediately wanted to go back inside and lie down.

No, he first needed to find a place for the key.

Was there a good spot in this house?

Since he had to guard against the fortune teller's accomplices, he certainly couldn't hide the key inside the house.

He should go out and look; perhaps there was a good spot outside.

Stepping out the door, Li Banfeng looked around. The area outside the abandoned house was quite spacious, with no good places to hide a key.

Why was he always thinking about hiding the key?

Didn't he want to leave the city?

This road was quite wide. If he just walked straight ahead, would he be able to leave the city?

There's no such luck! He'd walked for two days and couldn't get out. Did he expect to leave by just wandering aimlessly?

Never mind, he might as well go back and lie down.

He looked back at the abandoned house behind him, and Li Banfeng hesitated again.

Since he was already out, he was too lazy to go back.

If he didn't go back, should he keep walking out?

That was tiring too.

Or maybe just lie down right here?

Li Banfeng's will was still quite strong. He suppressed the urge to just lie down on the ground and sleep, and continued walking straight along the alley.

Leave the city, I must leave the city!

After walking for a moment, the alley turned.

To leave the city, he should walk in a straight line. Should he climb over the wall?

Never mind, climbing walls was too tiring.

A slight turn wasn't much; he'd just follow this road.

He continued walking in a daze, Li Banfeng focusing on resisting the urge to be lazy, not thinking about anything else.

He passed through the alley and reached the main street. Ahead, an old woman asked, "Child, are you lost? Come, dear, have a bowl of water at my place."

Still trying to trick him into drinking water? Didn't she have anything new?

Li Banfeng walked on without a word, too lazy to speak.

Before long, he saw the ointment seller again: "This is my ancestral secret recipe, effective with just one application! Friend, you've used my ointment before, tell me, is it effective? Friend, give me a word! If it's not effective, I'll compensate you ten thousand; we'll go to my house right now to get the money!"

Your medicine is useless!

Go to your house for money, enter your door, and then you'll kill me?

Did you think he'd fall for that?

Li Banfeng was too lazy to respond to him.

Ahead, a street magician crumpled a piece of white paper in his hand, and it transformed into a dove that fluttered away.

The magician called out to Li Banfeng: "I have two tricks here, would you like to learn, friend? If you want to learn, give me two coins as a tip; consider it a bit of fun. If not, just clap your hands to show your support."

Li Banfeng was too lazy to look at him.

After a short while, a person who looked like a doctor, carrying a medicine box, approached: "Friend, you have a mole on your face that's bad for your parents. I can remove it for you for just ten cents."

Li Banfeng was too lazy to even scold him.

He didn't even know who his parents were, and this man was telling him this.

Ahead was a breakfast vendor who seemed to recognize him. Should he walk around?

So what if they recognized him? Detouring was too much effort. No detours!

Further ahead was Youlai Inn. Surely he had to go around it this time?

No!

It was because he'd been aimlessly detouring that he couldn't find the city gate!

He refused to believe the people in the inn were constantly watching him!

Even if they were, there was no need to be afraid.

Fight if he could win, run if he couldn't. Why detour?

He just kept walking like that. After more than two hours, Li Banfeng looked up and realized he had reached the city gate.

He was out?

Just like that, he was out?

Without thinking about anything, he was out!

This was too...

Never mind, it was nothing.

Li Banfeng was too lazy to be happy.

He decided to run at full speed and leave this place immediately.

After hesitating for a moment, Li Banfeng gave up.

He couldn't run.

Too tired.

He'd just walk slowly.

His wife had said that only one sect in the world could restrain Foolish Cultivators, yet was powerless to fight them.

Could this sect be the Lazy Cultivators?

Did 'powerless to fight' mean literally that?

Not that Lazy Cultivators couldn't win, but that they were too lazy to fight?

Was that really the case?

Li Banfeng was too lazy to think about it.

After walking for more than ten *li*, he saw a middle-aged man standing ahead.

Li Banfeng was too lazy to look at him, but then he felt the man looked somewhat familiar.

Who was it?

Sun Tiecheng!

The hunter!

That bastard!

He was supposed to take him to Iron Sheep Mountain, but he brought him to Fool's City!

Once inside the city, he even took him to a crooked inn!

This whole ordeal was his fault, and he dared to wait for him here.

"You..." Li Banfeng glared at Sun Tiecheng, then continued on his way.

He was too lazy to bother with him.

Sun Tiecheng still maintained his honest, simple appearance. He called out to Li Banfeng: "Sir, would you mind coming over for a word?"

"No," Li Banfeng was too lazy to speak.

"Li Qi, you've passed my test."

He knew his name was Li Qi!

What did he mean, 'test'?

Li Banfeng was too lazy to ask.

"Li Qi, don't rush off, I have something good for you!"

Li Banfeng was too lazy to want it.

"Li Qi, wait!" Sun Tiecheng somehow produced a bed and placed it in front of Li Banfeng.

This was utterly malicious!

Did he think he'd fall for that?

After struggling for a moment, Li Banfeng lay down on the bed, yawned, and said, "Go on, speak."

This was the pure essence of a Lazy Cultivator.