Chapter 213: He Is My Junior Apprentice Brother

Gold Cultivation costs 100 yuan, but Deception Cultivation costs 300,000 yuan? This price difference is outrageous.

Sui Donglan looked Li Banfeng up and down. "Are you really the peddler?" she asked.

Li Banfeng snorted, ignoring Sui Donglan. He pushed his cart, rattling his drum, and continued on his way.

Sui Donglan quickly stopped Li Banfeng. "Don't rush off. First, tell me, what kind of cultivation is Gold Cultivation?"

"A fine path!" Li Banfeng produced a chamber pot and a toilet brush. "First, put this on your back. It's for collecting 'golden liquid'. And this brush is for mixing the 'golden liquid'!"

Li Banfeng hadn't managed to buy a scoop for the 'golden liquid'; such an item was uncommon.

Sui Donglan flinched, pushing the pot aside. Covering her nose, she exclaimed, "What kind of path is this? This is just muck-raking!"

"Young lady, your words are quite unseemly!" Li Banfeng retorted. "If you don't want it, then don't. Wait for next time!" He put away the chamber pot and brush and continued pushing his cart forward.

Sui Donglan caught up to him. "I want to try Deception Cultivation," she said.

"Such a pretty girl, in the prime of your life, why insist on Deception Cultivation?" he said. "I won't sell it to you. Wait for next time and choose a proper path."

The girl stopped Li Banfeng again. "I just want this path!" she insisted.

"You're quite stubborn," he scoffed. "So what if you want to enter this path? I simply won't sell it to you!"

As Li Banfeng pushed his cart to leave, Sui Donglan realized some rumors might be true. Her previous two attempts to find the peddler hadn't failed due to bad luck; the peddler had deliberately avoided her. There was no mistake; this person before her was the true peddler.

In Greenwater City, she had once been told that the peddler didn't sell his powders for profit, but to deliver them to the right individuals. He might think I'm not suited for Deception Cultivation.

"I genuinely want to pursue Deception Cultivation," she pleaded. "Please sell it to me!"

The more Li Banfeng resisted, the more Sui Donglan believed he was the true peddler. After her repeated pleas, Li Banfeng reluctantly agreed.

"The powder is 300,000 yuan," he stated. "Not a penny less."

Sui Donglan's face fell. "How could I have that much money?" she asked, her voice tinged with grievance.

"If you don't have the money, why waste my time?" he scoffed.

Sui Donglan grabbed Li Banfeng's arm. "Can you sell it for less? Would 200,000 be acceptable?"

This girl certainly knew how to act; her pitiful, vulnerable look genuinely tugged at heartstrings.

Li Banfeng gritted his teeth. "Alright," he said, "seeing how sincere you are, if you choose Gold Cultivation, I can even give you an extra bucket."

"I'm not choosing Gold Cultivation..."

"Deception Cultivation is non-negotiable. It's 300,000."

Seeing that the peddler wouldn't budge, Sui Donglan gritted her teeth and agreed. Did she really have 300,000 yuan? Money from Dwelling Cultivators was easy to come by; she had conned over 500,000 yuan from them in Iron Gate Fort. Now, having to part with more than half of it, she felt a pang of heartache. However, if she could truly enter the cultivation path, this sum would quickly be recouped.

She returned to her dwelling, retrieved her hidden cash, and handed it to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng counted the money, confirming the amount. He then grabbed a handful of "powder" from a jar and told Sui Donglan, "Come, put your face forward."

Sui Donglan froze, astonished. "Why do I have to put it on my face?" she asked.

Li Banfeng frowned. "Then where do you want to put it?" he retorted.

Sui Donglan rubbed her chest. "Isn't it always applied to the fleshy parts of the body?" she asked. She seemed quite knowledgeable about such matters.

"Aren't you ashamed?" Li Banfeng scolded. "A young lady exposing herself in front of a man like me!"

Sui Donglan didn't even blush. "You're a master from beyond the mortal world," she said. "If you saw it, you saw it. Why would you care about such a trivial thing from me?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Other cultivation paths are applied to fleshy parts," he explained, "but Deception Cultivation must be applied to the tough-skinned areas. For this path, the toughest part is the face."

Sui Donglan didn't quite believe him; she had never heard of such things.

Li Banfeng maintained his stance. "If you don't want to buy it, then forget it. I'll give you your money back."

Sui Donglan quickly stopped Li Banfeng. "I'll buy it, I'll do as you say..." For some reason, the more conflicted Sui Donglan felt, the more trustworthy she found the peddler.

Li Banfeng took a brush from his cart, mixed the powder with water until it was smooth, and told Sui Donglan, "Stand still!"

Sui Donglan didn't dare to move.

Holding the brush, Li Banfeng wrote the character "Pian" (Deception) on her left cheek and "Xiu" (Cultivation) on her right cheek. "You have now begun your Deception Cultivation!"

As his words landed, Sui Donglan felt a surge of joy. After the initial joy, an unbearable, sharp pain followed. Sui Donglan clutched her face, crying uncontrollably from the pain. This was normal; other cultivators had mentioned that introductory powders hurt immensely even when applied to the chest, let alone the face.

A moment later, Sui Donglan felt as though her entire face was being peeled off with a knife. The pain blurred her vision, made her whole body tremble, and left her gasping for breath. *This is normal, just bear with it a bit longer and it will pass…*

She endured a bit longer, but then the terrible pain shifted from her flesh to her skull. Sui Donglan couldn't bear it anymore; she collapsed to the ground, writhing. With tears streaming down her face, she looked at Li Banfeng. "It hurts too much," she whimpered. "Do you have any painkillers? It's unbearable..."

Li Banfeng sat on his cart, a smile on his face. "So you know pain?" he said. "Did you ask those honest people you tricked if they hurt?"

"You..." Sui Donglan finally realized she had been tricked. She lunged forward, intent on fighting Li Banfeng to the death.

Li Banfeng dodged swiftly, and Sui Donglan crashed into the cart, never even seeing his shadow. Why were his movements so swift? Even the bandits on Soaring Eagle Mountain weren't as agile as him. Old Liu, the dried fruit vendor, had said the peddler was a master. He truly was the peddler! But why did he trick her?

Realizing that a direct confrontation was useless, Sui Donglan quickly began to explain herself. "Peddler master," she pleaded, "I didn't trick them. I just sold flowers, and they bought them willingly."

Li Banfeng chuckled. "Considering what you're saying," he countered, "weren't you also willing to buy my powder?"

"I... I..." Sui Donglan stammered, then after a pause, she replied, "I was willing. Peddler master, I know I was wrong. I won't dare to do it again!"

Li Banfeng sighed. "Alright," he said, "I am a magnanimous man. Go back to Iron Gate Fort and return all the money you scammed, house by house. After you've done that and kowtowed three times to each person, I'll give you the antidote. Go on."

Sui Donglan fell to her knees with a thud. "Peddler master," she pleaded, "I'll do exactly as you say immediately. But please, ease this pain first; I truly can't bear it anymore."

The intense pain made her whole body convulse. Li Banfeng took out his wine gourd, poured a cup of wine, and handed it to Sui Donglan. Sui Donglan took the cup and drank it in one gulp. Soon after, the pain subsided.

"Thank you, Peddler master!" Sui Donglan kowtowed twice, then rose to leave.

Was she really going to return the money? The money would not be returned. Having been swindled 300,000 yuan by the "peddler," her heart was still bleeding. How could she possibly bring herself to part with more money?

Seeing her about to leave, Li Banfeng tossed her a mirror. "Don't be in such a hurry," he said. "First, take a look at your face."

Sui Donglan looked into the mirror and saw the character "Pian" written on the left side of her face and "Xiu" on the right.

"Peddler master..."

Li Banfeng's smile vanished. "Didn't you want to become a Deception Cultivator?" he said. "I've granted your wish. These two characters will never wash off. No matter where you go, everyone will know you are a Deception Cultivator."

"Peddler master, please spare me this one time! I truly know I was wrong!" Sui Donglan cried, rushing back to Li Banfeng and continuing to kowtow.

Li Banfeng frowned. "Why are you kowtowing to me?" he asked. "Go to Iron Gate Fort!"

"Master," she wailed, "how can I face anyone looking like this?"

"If you don't want to see people, then just wait for death," he stated. "By this time tomorrow, when the wine wears off, you'll be in pain again, agonizing until you die. And even in death, those two characters will remain on your face."

With that, Li Banfeng pushed his cart, rattling his drum, preparing to leave. Sui Donglan clutched his pant leg, weeping. "Master," she cried, "I'll go return the money right now! But... but I gave all my money to you. I don't have any left to take out..."

Li Banfeng turned back and smiled. "You gave it all to me? You didn't keep any for yourself?"

"I kept some..." Sui Donglan admitted, not daring to lie.

"Take it all out!"

Sui Donglan returned to her dwelling and retrieved the remaining 200,000-plus yuan.

Li Banfeng said, "First, return the money you have on hand. As for the remaining 300,000, you'll still return that, but it's what you owe me, so you'll repay it yourself."

Sui Donglan blushed. "Then can I have a title?" she asked.

"Yes, you'll have a title," he replied. "From now on, you'll be a cart-puller!"

A cart-puller? What kind of title was that?

Li Banfeng handed his cart over to Sui Donglan, then walked towards Iron Gate Fort, rattling his drum. Sui Donglan followed behind, pulling the cart. As they walked, Li Banfeng questioned her about Iron Gate Fort.

"How many Dwelling Cultivators are there in Iron Gate Fort?"

Sui Donglan replied, "There are two to three hundred households. Iron Gate Fort is very large; it stretches for over a dozen *li* from the entrance."

"Is there another exit at the end of the mountain gorge?"

"No, Iron Gate Fort is a dead end," she answered, "with only one entrance and exit."

"Did these Dwelling Cultivators join the cultivation path inside Iron Gate Fort?"

Sui Donglan shook her head. "I haven't been here long," she said, "but I haven't seen anyone enter the path here. The Dwelling Cultivators I know all moved here from elsewhere."

Li Banfeng looked back at Sui Donglan, suspecting she wasn't telling the whole truth. "How can Dwelling Cultivators just move house?" he asked. "Wouldn't they abandon their dwelling and dwelling spirit?"

"I wouldn't know," she admitted. "I'm just a novice and don't understand much about cultivation. I only heard an uncle say he carried his dwelling spirit with him."

Moving house with a dwelling spirit? The essence of Dwelling Cultivation lies in the balance between the dwelling, its spirit, and the cultivator. A dwelling spirit turns into an evil spirit if it leaves its home. What immense risk did this uncle take by moving with his dwelling spirit?

"Why did he move to Iron Gate Fort?"

"He said Iron Gate Fort is a good place, and the fort master is a good person."

"Is the fort master also a Dwelling Cultivator?"

"I heard he's an eighth-tier Dwelling Cultivator," she replied, "but I've never seen him. That uncle only saw him once: when bandits from Soaring Eagle Mountain broke into the fort, the master personally intervened and drove them away."

Dwelling Cultivators came to Iron Gate Fort, it seemed, to seek protection. The fort master is an eighth-tier master. It seems I can truly learn a lot this time. But what channel could he use to approach the fort master?

"I have a friend who wants to settle in Iron Gate Fort," he said. "Does he need the fort master's permission?"

Sui Donglan nodded. "First, you need the fort master's permission," she explained. "Then you buy a piece of land from him, build a house according to his rules, sign a contract, and pay monthly rent. Only then can you settle in Iron Gate Fort."

"If I buy a house, why do I still have to pay rent?"

"That's Iron Gate Fort's rule," she said. "Not only do residents pay rent, but anyone doing business here must also pay rent to the fort master."

As they spoke, the two arrived at Iron Gate Fort. Sui Donglan, tears in her eyes, said, "Master, please give me another dose of medicine to remove these characters from my face first."

Li Banfeng smiled kindly. "That won't do," he said. "First, return the money to those people, then we'll talk."

Sui Donglan sniffled twice, found a scarf to wrap around her face, and went from house to house to return the money. The two large characters for "Deception Cultivator" were impossible to completely hide with the scarf. The Dwelling Cultivators who had been swindled reacted differently when Sui Donglan appeared at their doors to apologize, return the money, and kowtow.

Some chose to forgive her. Some not only forgave her but even pitied her. Others were furious but, after receiving their money, did not pursue the matter further. The young man who had given Li Banfeng directions belonged to this group. He was deeply annoyed with Sui Donglan but profoundly grateful to Li Banfeng. He voluntarily offered his name and cultivation level.

"My name is Wu Yongchao, and I'm a fourth-tier Dwelling Cultivator," he said. That was just the kind of person he was: if someone treated him kindly, he'd give his whole heart.

Li Banfeng, a straightforward man himself, replied, "I am the peddler."

Wu Yongchao stared at Li Banfeng for a moment, then shook his head. "I've seen the peddler before," he said, "and you seem..." Dwelling Cultivators were very particular about life and rarely forgot a person's appearance. He remembered the peddler looking different.

Li Banfeng explained, "The peddler you met was my junior brother."

"You're from the same master's lineage, so your cultivation level must also be like his..." In Wu Yongchao's impression, the peddler's cultivation level was very high.

Li Banfeng tactfully replied, "I am a bit different from him."

Wu Yongchao watched Sui Donglan apologizing from house to house and wholeheartedly agreed with Li Banfeng's words. "If something like this happened, that other peddler wouldn't bother," he remarked. "Your character is much better than his."

Li Banfeng sighed. "In short, it's not quite the same..."

Sui Donglan completed her round of apologies. All the money she could return, she did; there was nothing she could do about the rest. Some of the money had already been spent.

"I do business here, and I have to pay rent to the fort master," she explained. "I couldn't help but charge the Dwelling Cultivators a bit more."

Li Banfeng frowned. "Even tricksters pay rent?"

"Yes! Even more!" she confirmed. "The fort master said people like me shouldn't be allowed in the fort at all, so I have to pay double."

Knowing she was a trickster, why did he let her in? Li Banfeng frowned inwardly.

"Peddler master, I've returned all the money," she pleaded. "Please give me an antidote."

"No rush," he replied. "I have other things to ask you. Do you know where the fort master lives?"

Sui Donglan shook her head. "I haven't seen the fort master," she said. "I've only seen two of his subordinates..."

Before she could finish, a loud whistle suddenly blared.

Woo-woo-woo!

Wu Yongchao was startled. "Oh no," he exclaimed, "the great iron gate is closing!"

Sui Donglan cried out, "Peddler master, hurry! If we don't leave now, we'll be trapped!"

Bandits were coming! What methods would an eighth-tier Dwelling Cultivator possess? He was quite eager to find out!