Chapter 226: Zhao Xiaowan (Nuclear Energy in This Chapter)

Li Banfeng sat on the chair, the shadow of his hat obscuring his face.

The man named Luo Zhengnan in front of him spoke some truths and some falsehoods.

The falsehoods were easy to discern: he claimed he only brought two subordinates, but in reality, there were more.

Sun Xiaoan, from the Second Branch of the Medicine King Hall, was selling sundries in the fortress, and Luo Zhengnan hadn't mentioned him.

The truths were harder to distinguish, but a few statements were certainly accurate.

If he could infiltrate Iron Gate Fortress, others could too.

Zhao Xiaowan, as a dwelling spirit, was clearly a magnet for trouble. Once news of her spread, Iron Gate Fortress was destined to become Blood Gate Fortress.

But what should be done about this?

Dismissing Luo Zhengnan wasn't difficult, nor was dealing with the Jiangxiang Gang. However, Zhao Xiaowan was so formidable that even his wife might not be her match, making her not someone Li Banfeng could easily handle.

After a moment of silent contemplation, Li Banfeng said to Luo Zhengnan, "Please come back in three days. I will give you my answer then."

"I await your news," Luo Zhengnan said, rising to take his leave.

Li Banfeng added a warning: "Take all your people with you, not just the two vegetable sellers. If they don't leave now, I'll be sending them away myself soon."

Luo Zhengnan was startled, not expecting Li Banfeng to have discovered others. He cupped his fists again in a salute and exited the room.

He walked around the street, and the three people who had accompanied him understood his meaning and left Iron Gate Fortress individually.

This was the way smart people dealt with each other; the matter had been made clear, and there was no need for further pretense.

Late at night, after the fortress gates were closed, Li Banfeng asked Wu Yongchao, "Do you know who Zhao Xiaowan is?"

"Of course! General Zhao Xiaowan, the Flying General, who secured the land with a single long spear!" Wu Yongchao was very excited when speaking of Zhao Xiaowan.

"From what era was she?"

"She was an ancient figure. If you ask about a specific dynasty, there's no verifiable record."

"How do you know about this general? Not from historical records?"

"Well..."

This was difficult to explain.

Wu Yongchao had attended school, but his school didn't teach history.

There was no place in the entire Puro Province for systematic historical study. Most historical texts were held by prominent families, and the few that occasionally appeared on the market were not only extremely rare but also difficult to verify for authenticity.

So how did Wu Yongchao know about Zhao Xiaowan?

Her origin was even more complex.

According to legend, Zhao Xiaowan was a famous general in a certain dynasty of Puro Province, leading tens of thousands of troops to defeat the invading Demonlanders. Many stories about her have been passed down.

Zhao Xiaowan featured in storytellers' narratives and in plays performed in theaters large and small.

From masterpieces by famous dancers to folk songs by kiln girls, from serialized novels in newspapers to street vendors' storybooks – wherever there was a story, Zhao Xiaowan was present.

"Zhao Xiaowan was a master of martial arts and possessed unparalleled beauty. If she herself appeared on the battlefield, the battle would be won without a fight."

Li Banfeng paused, "Won without a fight? How?"

Wu Yongchao slapped the table, much like a storyteller striking a gavel, and stated with a focused expression, "Half were enchanted to death by Miss Zhao, and half were scared to death by General Zhao!"

Li Banfeng was at a loss for words.

Seeing Li Banfeng's disbelief, Wu Yongchao became displeased.

To Wu Yongchao, Zhao Xiaowan was an inviolable figure.

"Fort Lord, I'm not just making this up; I have evidence."

Li Banfeng's eyes lit up. "What kind of evidence?"

"Please wait."

Wu Yongchao returned to his room, and shortly after, came running back, carrying a wicker box.

"Fort Lord, take a look."

He carefully opened the box, which contained sixteen books and over fifty portraits, neatly categorized.

Li Banfeng unrolled a portrait and asked, "Is this Zhao Xiaowan?"

Wu Yongchao nodded with a solemn expression.

Li Banfeng went through the fifty-plus portraits one by one. Each of the fifty-plus 'Zhao Xiaowans' had different facial features, makeup, clothing, and body types.

"Are these all the same person?"

Wu Yongchao remained silent, his expression seeming off.

Li Banfeng didn't press further, realizing he had said the wrong thing.

For a dwelling cultivator like Wu Yongchao, some things were beyond question.

Li Banfeng carefully reviewed the paintings for a long time, finally finding one commonality among them.

Whether in a lady's boudoir or on the battlefield, whether in military attire or elegant gowns, every 'Zhao Xiaowan' was accompanied by a red-tasseled long spear.

"This is Xiaowan's weapon," Wu Yongchao explained carefully. "The spear is twelve feet long, its tip seven point seven inches. Its red tassel dances in the wind—who can rival the Flying General?

As long as the Flying General is here, the red tassel is here. With the red tassel here, bandits lose their courage. Zhao Xiaowan and her red-tasseled spear are inseparable."

"What a fine recitation!" Li Banfeng complimented, rarely seeing Wu Yongchao display such eloquence.

Zhao Xiaowan and her red-tasseled spear were inseparable.

Was this why she transformed into the red-tasseled spear after her death?

It must be said, among these fifty-plus paintings, only the long spear was depicted with similar consistency.

The function of these paintings was limited; trying to determine Zhao Xiaowan's true appearance from them was too difficult.

Li Banfeng looked at the dozen or so books. "Can I borrow these books to read for a couple of days?"

Wu Yongchao looked a bit troubled. "If the Fort Lord wishes to borrow them, I shouldn't hesitate. It's just that I worry the Fort Lord might not handle them with care..."

"Don't worry, if even a corner is bent or a page damaged, I'll replace it with a new copy."

Wu Yongchao lowered his head and said, "These books are hard to come by. The Fort Lord had better be careful."

The books were left, and Wu Yongchao departed.

Li Banfeng opened the dozen or so volumes and read through them one by one.

It had to be said, the writing of these authors was quite good; he read for several hours in the room without feeling bored.

However, the crucial information he sought was not mentioned in any of these books.

Li Banfeng couldn't find the dynasty Zhao Xiaowan belonged to; he only knew she fought for Puro Province.

At that time, Puro Province still had an emperor, but he was only mentioned in passing.

Her enemies were called Demonlanders, and this was the part Li Banfeng was most concerned about.

If Zhao Xiaowan was his wife's mortal enemy during her lifetime, then his wife might very well be a Demonlander.

However, seeing the description of the Demonlanders in the books, Li Banfeng found it hard to connect his wife with them.

"A stature of ten feet, a waist ten times its circumference, thick hair and beard, indistinguishable as male or female..."

Could it be that...

Li Banfeng dismissed the unsettling thought from his mind and continued searching for Zhao Xiaowan's ending in the books.

Among these sixteen books, Zhao Xiaowan had three different endings.

One ending was the most common: after Zhao Xiaowan repelled the Demonlanders, she was adopted by the emperor as his foster daughter, became a princess, found a consort, and lived a happy life.

Nine of the books had this ending, more than half.

The second ending was that the Demonlanders temporarily retreated, and Zhao Xiaowan remained guarding the frontier, fighting them throughout her life.

Six books used this ending. According to Li Banfeng's conjecture, this was Wu Yongchao's favorite ending, based on the fact that these six books were dog-eared from frequent reading. Wu Yongchao likely favored this ending because it did not feature a consort.

The third ending, however, was tragic. The pages bore many watermarks, presumably from Wu Yongchao's tears.

Only one book featured this ending, describing how Zhao Xiaowan, after repelling the Demonlanders, incurred the imperial court's suspicion due to her overwhelming merit that overshadowed the lord, was falsely accused and entrapped, leading to her imprisonment and enduring humiliation and torture.

Later, the Demonlanders attacked again. The emperor, shamelessly, ordered Zhao Xiaowan to fight once more. Prioritizing her country, Zhao Xiaowan set out again and ultimately died on the battlefield.

This ending was not a peaceful one, and Li Banfeng believed it was probably the closest to Zhao Xiaowan's true fate.

Putting the books away, Li Banfeng returned to his Portable Dwelling.

Ultimately, the one who knew Zhao Xiaowan's identity best had to be his wife.

There were some things his wife preferred not to say, but one matter had to be confirmed with her.

Li Banfeng entered the Portable Dwelling, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Wife, have you ever heard the name Zhao Xiaowan?"

The phonograph was silent for a moment, then asked, "Husband, why are you suddenly asking about this person?"

Li Banfeng spoke truthfully: "I suspect the fierce dwelling spirit in the annex is Zhao Xiaowan."

Da-da-da, "Hmph!"

His wife, humming a slow tune, sang softly, "Oh, husband, what do you intend to do with that dwelling spirit?"

Li Banfeng replied, "I want to claim that dwelling spirit."

"Claim her? How will you claim her, husband?"

"I want to call out her name in front of her," Li Banfeng explained his plan. "As a dwelling cultivator, if I speak her name directly, and she doesn't resist, it's equivalent to forming a contract with me. As long as the dwelling doesn't object, she will become my dwelling spirit."

His wife chuckled, "Husband, are you tired of me and want to claim her as your dwelling spirit instead?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "If I claim her as a dwelling spirit and bring her back into our dwelling, we, as husband and wife, can surely work together to kill her."

"Why do you want to kill her, husband?"

Li Banfeng said, "Because she is your enemy, wife. This revenge must be exacted. While I am still in Iron Gate Fortress, let me help you fulfill this wish."

Flames blazed and steam swirled as the phonograph turned its horn towards Li Banfeng, observing him.

She was observing whether Li Banfeng was speaking the truth.

Li Banfeng was indeed speaking the truth.

He wanted to claim Zhao Xiaowan; on one hand, he didn't want this dwelling spirit to invite disaster, and on the other hand, he genuinely wanted to avenge his wife.

No matter how nonchalant his wife appeared, revenge for murder had to be exacted.

His wife remained silent for a long time, her large horn swaying from side to side.

The stylus settled onto a record, and a tender rendition of "My Dearest Darling" slowly began to play.

His wife sang and spoke simultaneously. (She had two trays).

"My dearest husband, your thoughtfulness fills this humble servant's heart with endless gratitude. This humble servant entrusts her life to you, willing to serve you wholeheartedly for all eternity.

But this matter of revenge, now is truly not the time. That dwelling spirit is blind and deaf; even if you speak her name, husband, how would she hear it?

Furthermore, for a dwelling spirit to accept a master, both parties must be willing. That dwelling spirit harbors immense resentment. If you provoke her with even a slight misstep, husband, you may not escape unscathed."

Li Banfeng argued, "That dwelling spirit just lost her master. Wouldn't it be the perfect time to claim her while her heart is empty?"

The phonograph chuckled, "Husband, your words make this humble servant jealous. Even if that wretched woman were willing to agree, you haven't yet integrated with that annex. You might not even be able to bring her out.

Husband, you are this humble servant's heart and soul. If anything were to happen to you, this humble servant would not wish to live on alone. Let us set this matter aside for now."

His wife wanted to set it aside, but could the Jiangxiang Gang do the same?

Li Banfeng sighed and left the Portable Dwelling.

"Hahahahaha!" A burst of hearty laughter suddenly echoed from Room Six.

"Wretch, what are you laughing at?" the phonograph cursed angrily.

Honglian trembled with laughter, dewdrops forming all over her.

The Jiangxiang Gang couldn't let it go, but Luo Zhengnan could.

He wasn't as stubborn as Xiao Zhenggong.

His thinking was that if the Fort Lord was willing to sell Zhao Xiaowan, he would pay to acquire her. If the Fort Lord was unwilling, then the matter would be dropped, and he would consider his visit a wasted trip.

He was a magnanimous person; doing his best was enough, and he absolutely wouldn't risk his life.

However, He Jiaqing was not so magnanimous.

The fortune teller had delivered him news: Luo Zhengnan had already infiltrated Iron Gate Fortress.

"This is bad, Luo Zhengnan is capable of achieving things!" He Jiaqing immediately grew anxious. "We can't wait any longer. Old Wan, go to Donggang Village and find a man named Han Juncheng."

"He's a sixth-rank dwelling cultivator. Find a way to get him into Iron Gate Fortress and bring Zhao Xiaowan out."

The fortune teller was somewhat concerned. "Zhao Xiaowan is no ordinary figure. Relying solely on a sixth-rank dwelling cultivator might not be stable enough."

He Jiaqing said, "I know it's not foolproof, which is why I haven't had him act yet. But the situation is urgent now, and we can't afford to consider so many things.

Han Juncheng is proud and arrogant, speaks annoyingly, and lacks experience in action. You'll have to accommodate him somewhat.

He's a hidden asset I've kept for years, with great future use. Don't quibble with him over small matters, and take good care of him in important ones. After the task is done, take your things and leave Puro Province immediately; he will remain in Iron Gate Fortress."