Chapter 244: Shared Language and Regulations, Words Come True

A pebble the size of a fingertip hit the back of their heads. Ren Wenlie, being slightly off-center, was relatively fine, developing a hematoma on the back of his head.

Qu Jingzhang, however, took several direct hits, cracking his skull.

Both realized they had been ambushed. Qu Jingzhang immediately turned around, while Ren Wenlie took off running.

Their differing reactions weren't due to their cultivation levels but primarily to their experience.

Qu Jingzhang had encountered itinerant cultivators before and knew he couldn't keep his back to Li Banfeng; it would be a death sentence.

Ren Wenlie had also seen itinerant cultivators and knew not to turn his back on Li Banfeng. However, his experience focused on Qu Jingzhang; he was familiar with Qu Jingzhang's temperament and knew Qu Jingzhang would certainly turn back to fight for his life.

Seeing Ren Wenlie flee, Qu Jingzhang panicked. He wanted to turn and run too but dared not show his back to Li Banfeng.

Yet, a Virtue Cultivator had minimal chances against an Itinerant Cultivator in a one-on-one fight.

Now, it was too late to run. Ren Wenlie was already far away, and the bearded man would surely target the person closest to him.

Amidst his hesitation, Qu Jingzhang barely managed to parry two attacks, then made another foolish decision.

He tried to reason with Li Banfeng.

If he had simply focused on combat, he might have lasted a bit longer. But at this point, still trying to employ techniques, Li Banfeng wouldn't give him any more chances.

"Young man, listen to me..."

Qu Jingzhang's head fell to the ground. The Tang Blade sneered, "Each strike takes an enemy's head."

With that, the Tang Blade flew back to Li Banfeng's side.

Li Banfeng caught up to Ren Wenlie in two strides, just about to strike, when he heard Ren Wenlie shout, "Do not pursue a cornered foe!"

What did that mean?

Was he trying to preach morality to me again?

Did he think a Virtue Cultivator shouting a few slogans would be omnipotent?

I could withstand your techniques earlier. Now, in his panic, what could a single sentence do to me that I couldn't resist?

Li Banfeng swung his blade again, but though it swept through the air, it failed to strike the man.

Li Banfeng was startled, unsure if there was an issue with his blade or his hand.

He swung again, only to find neither his blade nor his hand was at fault. The problem was with his feet.

Li Banfeng's pace had slowed. Ever since hearing Ren Wenlie's "Do not pursue a cornered foe," his steps had unconsciously slackened.

This wasn't a restraint from a moral bottom line, nor was it manipulation by willpower.

It was a sudden, emerging fact: Li Banfeng's speed was restricted; he couldn't catch Ren Wenlie.

Ren Wenlie had a life-saving magical artifact; his long robe whipped up a whirlwind, carrying him swiftly until he vanished into the forest.

Li Banfeng returned to the cave, contemplating the recent battle.

He was certain these two were sent by the Saint, but their identities still needed careful analysis.

If they were the Saint's disciples, it would prove the Saint possessed genuine power, and he would need to be constantly on guard when facing him next.

If they were assassins hired by the Saint, the situation would be easier to handle. However, in Li Banfeng's experience, Virtue Cultivators typically didn't act as assassins, and the probability of two Virtue Cultivators working as assassins together was even lower. This sect clearly wasn't suited for such work.

And what technique did the one who escaped earlier use?

With a cry of "Do not pursue a cornered foe," his steps automatically slowed. This shouldn't be a Virtue Cultivator's method; Li Banfeng hadn't felt any guilt at the time.

He had originally intended to return to his portable dwelling to ask his wife, but the scene of their encounter had been witnessed by Xiao Yeci, who recognized the technique.

"Benefactor," Xiao Yeci said, "the person just now used a Literature Cultivator technique: 'Shared Text, Shared Rules'."

"What level technique is that?"

"It's a third-level technique, extremely difficult for Literature Cultivators to master. When the practitioner speaks a sentence, the opponent must understand it and grasp its underlying principle. Then, that sentence becomes a legal provision, a restraint, a rule that both parties must obey."

"A third-level Literature Cultivator technique?" Li Banfeng was astonished. The old man just now was clearly a Virtue Cultivator, yet he could use a third-level Literature Cultivator technique.

Xiao Yeci had indeed heard of such cultivators. "Benefactor, it's said that 'literature and virtue are not separate.' There truly are cultivators who practice both Literature Cultivation and Virtue Cultivation."

For dual cultivators from similar sects, judging by the strength of the "Virtuous Emulation" technique, the man's Virtue Cultivation was likely around the fifth level, and his Literature Cultivation was above the third. Such a person would indeed be difficult to deal with.

Li Banfeng then asked Xiao Yeci what other Literature Cultivator techniques she knew, besides the third-level one.

"There's also a second-level technique, 'A Word Comes True'. This one can use something real to turn something false into something true."

Li Banfeng shook his head repeatedly. "I don't understand."

Xiao Yeci explained carefully, "It's indeed hard to understand. I've only heard seniors mention a few examples. One example tells of a Literature Cultivator and a Virtue Cultivator fighting. The Virtue Cultivator, being older, asked the Literature Cultivator to let him have three moves.

The Literature Cultivator acknowledged the Virtue Cultivator's age and recited an ancient poem that spoke of 'three thousand lengths of white hair.' As a result, the Virtue Cultivator grew a head of long hair, which, though not three thousand lengths, was still over ten meters long.

During their fight, the Virtue Cultivator accidentally tripped over his own hair and was then killed by the Literature Cultivator.

'Hair growing three thousand lengths' is false, but this ancient poem does exist. Using something real to make something false true is what 'A Word Comes True' means."

This time, Li Banfeng understood.

He had seen this technique before.

When the Three Heroes of Tieyang attacked Zhengjing Village, Du Shuping, a sixth-level Literature Cultivator, had used this technique.

He had said, "You search high and low to no avail," and directly caused Zuo Wugang's shoes to rip apart.

Xiao Yeci continued, "'A Word Comes True,' though only a second-level technique, is as difficult to learn as the third-level one, perhaps even more so.

Furthermore, both second and third-level techniques consume cultivation, and if the cultivation gap is too large, no matter how many tricks are spoken, the technique will be useless."

Literature Cultivator techniques were hard to learn, but truly formidable once mastered!

How many more experts like this did the Saint have under his command?

If all of them were used for alchemy...

Thinking of alchemy, Li Banfeng took out a Golden Origin Pill and consumed it with a Blue Leaf Pill.

One Golden Origin Pill was equivalent to a hundred days of cultivation. Li Banfeng calculated the elixirs he had consumed over these days, combined with the time accumulated from his travels, and realized his Itinerant Cultivation might be nearing the fifth level.

But Li Banfeng still didn't know what the fifth-level technique was.

Who knew about the fifth-level technique of Itinerant Cultivation?

It seemed that person wasn't too far away.

Once his Itinerant Cultivation reached the fifth level, combined with his Home Cultivation, he would have ten levels of cultivation. Could ten levels of cultivation defeat the Saint?

The Saint's disciples cultivated both literature and virtue; it was highly probable the Saint himself was also a dual cultivator. If he also combined his cultivation levels, he would likely surpass Li Banfeng.

Given such formidable power, why hadn't he attacked me yet?

Did he not want to bully the weak?

That was nonsense; bullying the weak was the most important survival rule for powerful figures.

Was he bound by some rule, preventing him from attacking ordinary people?

Like characters such as the Insect Overlord, who attacked the people of Haichi Ridge and were directly dealt with by the Peddler.

There was a possibility, but the nature of these two incidents was different.

The Insect Overlord had killed tens of thousands of people in Haichi Ridge at the time, so the Peddler naturally wouldn't spare him.

But if the Saint only targeted Li Banfeng, the Peddler would likely not intervene, as he couldn't handle every such matter.

Besides this, what other reasons could there be?

Li Banfeng hadn't figured it out yet, so he dragged Qu Jingzhang's body back to refine it into elixirs.

Ren Wenlie returned to Sage Peak to report, describing the battle in Benefactor's Stronghold from beginning to end.

What he said was largely true, but he exaggerated some details. After all, Qu Jingzhang had lost his life, and only Ren Wenlie had returned. Without an unforeseen factor, it would only prove they hadn't given their best effort.

The Saint still resided in the inner room, his gasping breaths coming in continuous waves.

After calming slightly, the Saint asked, "You said you didn't know he was an Itinerant Cultivator, and that's why you suffered a loss? Now that you know he is, dealing with him shouldn't be difficult, should it?"

"There are still some difficulties..." Ren Wenlie was sweating. He didn't want to face the Peddler's senior martial brother again.

The Saint scoffed, "You've said so much, but it just means your methods aren't as good as his. I knew this person's origin wasn't that simple."

Ren Wenlie wiped away sweat and said, "Then let the other senior martial brothers..."

He meant that he was ineffective and suggested his master send someone else.

The Saint agreed with his idea. "Let your Eldest Senior Martial Brother go. Shixiang is old; you must accompany him."

"Eldest Senior Martial Brother..."

"Haha," the Saint chuckled, "What, are you looking down on your Eldest Senior Martial Brother? He raised you children little by little; have you all forgotten that kindness?"

Ren Wenlie felt a pang of guilt and dared not say more. He ran to the summit of Sage Peak to invite his Eldest Senior Martial Brother.

The Eldest Senior Martial Brother lived alone, without servants. Ren Wenlie knocked on his door for a long time without a response, so he simply pushed it open and entered.

There was no one in the front courtyard, so Ren Wenlie entered the main courtyard.

The main courtyard was also empty, as was the back courtyard. Ren Wenlie finally found his Eldest Senior Martial Brother, Cong Shixiang, in the east wing.

The corpulent Cong Shixiang was catching insects in the sun.

He held a small knife and made an incision on his arm.

Peeling back layers of aged skin, Cong Shixiang probed through the deep fat for a moment and pulled out a maggot about the size of his pinky finger.

This maggot had a slender rat's tail and was covered in a layer of dark yellow grease.

Cong Shixiang threw the maggot into the bonfire in front of him. The insect struggled for a moment, and white smoke billowed from the grease on its body.

Cong Shixiang suddenly felt itchy again and reached for behind his ear with the short knife.

Ren Wenlie stepped forward and said, "Senior Martial Brother, let me help you catch the insects. Give me the knife first, don't cut off your own ear."

"Mmm, mmm..." Cong Shixiang squeezed out two sounds from his throat, then handed the knife to Ren Wenlie.

The metallic smell of the knife, combined with the odor of fat and the unique stench of maggots, blended into a distinct aroma.

Ren Wenlie forced himself to endure the smell, cutting open Cong Shixiang's flesh slice by slice, digging out the maggots one after another.

He couldn't dig out too many, or Cong Shixiang would have too many wounds, affecting his combat effectiveness.

When the maggots in the bonfire were about medium-rare, Cong Shixiang took one out and offered it to Ren Wenlie.

Ren Wenlie waved his hand. "Senior Martial Brother, you eat it."

Cong Shixiang crammed the plump insect into his mouth. Lacking teeth, he held it, savored the taste for a while, then stretched his neck and swallowed it.

There was a hole beneath his throat, and Ren Wenlie clearly saw the insect slide down.

Cong Shixiang ate with great satisfaction; he enjoyed the taste.

After eating all the insects, Cong Shixiang stood up from beside the bonfire, his pair of withered eyes fixed intently on Ren Wenlie.

Ren Wenlie took two steps back, trying to maintain distance from Cong Shixiang. "Senior Martial Brother, let's go down the mountain. Our Master has a task for us."

"Heh, hehe..." Cong Shixiang chuckled twice and followed Ren Wenlie out of the large residence.