Chapter 247: This Place Name

Ren Wenlie had his throat slit by Li Banfeng. His two junior brothers, Pei Maojin and Gao Yangting, remained standing still.

They dared not look back or move forward, as Li Banfeng had told them that staying put was their best option.

Li Banfeng patted their heads and smiled, asking, "Are you disciples of the Sage?"

Pei Maojin stammered, "The Sage's power is limitless. You've made a grave mistake, but it's not too late to turn back now!"

Gao Yangting chimed in, "We'll speak well of you to our master, and this matter will be dropped. We won't pursue you further."

Li Banfeng nodded. "You truly are disciples of the Sage, kind-hearted and broad-minded. Come, both of you, join me in my cave dwelling."

Xiao Yeci stood rooted to the spot, her clothes drenched in sweat.

Li Banfeng looked at the woman with great appreciation. "You've earned credit today. I'll have a good talk with these two Sage disciples first; there will be another reward for you tonight."

Xiao Yeci turned and watched Li Banfeng's retreating back, unsure what kind of reward he was referring to.

Inside the cave, Pei Maojin's demeanor remained strong. "I see you're a reasonable person. The Sage is waiting for our report, so we should leave as soon as possible and not waste any more time here."

As he spoke, Pei Maojin was on the verge of soiling himself, yet he still believed that if he uttered a couple more threats, the bearded man in front of him would let him go.

Gao Yangting, however, had realized the situation was dire.

He knelt abruptly before Li Banfeng, weeping, "Benevolent Master, I was forced to come here! I've been studying for so many years, and every year they said my destiny wasn't strong enough. Today, for some reason, I suddenly became a Sage disciple.

"They just tricked me into coming here to die. I didn't want to, but I didn't dare refuse. Benevolent Master, please spare my life!"

At this critical moment of life and death, their reactions were starkly different.

Where did this disparity come from?

Li Banfeng brought them into his portable dwelling for a thorough examination. After just a couple of questions, he found the root cause.

Pei Maojin was born and raised in Muxian Village. In his eyes, the Sage was omnipotent and omnipresent.

Gao Yangting grew up on Black Stone Slope and was sent to Huai'en Village by his family at the age of fifteen. He knew that important figures like the Sage typically wouldn't intervene for people like them.

Li Banfeng asked Pei Maojin where they were. Pei Maojin replied, "This is the barren mountain next to Muxian Village. It has no name."

"I'm asking what the entire area is called."

"This is the Sage's territory. The entire world belongs to the Sage."

In Pei Maojin's limited worldview, the world was no bigger than that.

The same question yielded a vastly different answer from Gao Yangting.

"Benevolent Master, do you want to hear what people outside say, or what's said on the inside?"

There was no need to hear the inside story; Li Banfeng had heard it too many times.

Gao Yangting explained that there were two outside perspectives. "My father told me this is Mount Sheng'en, where the Sage imparts his wisdom.

"But on the way here, I heard people say it's not called Mount Sheng'en. They call it Bastard Ridge."

Bastard Ridge!

Li Banfeng recalled Old Yao's map and Ma Wu's description of the latter third of Puro Prefecture. Every time he heard the name Bastard Ridge, Li Banfeng wondered what kind of place would be given such a name.

Now, he wasn't curious anymore.

Since arriving here, Li Banfeng had encountered so many bastards that those who didn't want to be one had become anomalies.

Li Banfeng was surprised, but the gramophone was even more so.

"My lord, how did you end up at Bastard Ridge?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "It's a long story, my dear. Have you been to Bastard Ridge?"

The gramophone replied, "Oh, my lord, I haven't been to Bastard Ridge myself, but I've heard of it."

Li Banfeng nodded. "Hmm, heard of it."

"Oh, my lord, this place is unusual!"

"Indeed, it is."

Why did the gramophone sound a bit hesitant?

"Oh, my lord, Bastard Ridge is very hard to find, and it's become increasingly difficult in recent years. It's said that very few people who come here ever leave. We might be trapped here for a while."

Li Banfeng blinked. "I've already been trapped for a while, about ten-plus days now."

"Ten days isn't long. I once heard of someone being trapped here for decades before they could leave."

Li Banfeng waved his hand. "I can't stand it. It won't take decades. Give it three to five years, and I'll probably have wiped out all the bastards here."

"My lord, you truly can't rush this. From listening to your interrogation of those two just now, the Sage they spoke of is certainly no ordinary person. You must be careful, my lord. In a few days, he might come seeking you himself."

To be able to send out a fifth-level expert so casually, along with powerful subordinates like the Cocoon Breaker, this person was indeed extraordinary.

Li Banfeng looked at the gramophone, sensing she knew more but wasn't saying it.

If she didn't want to speak, he wouldn't press her.

Li Banfeng brought Pei Maojin and Gao Yangting over. "My dear, it's time for a meal."

Gao Yangting continued to cry. "Benevolent Master, spare my life! I was forced to come!"

Pei Maojin, however, didn't forget to hurl threats. "I don't care who you are or where you come from. You've harmed a Sage disciple, and you won't survive! Release me at once, and I'll plead with my master. The Sage might still show mercy…"

A wisp of steam shot out, slicing off Pei Maojin's tongue.

The gramophone was not in a good mood; she found Pei Maojin too noisy.

Once Li Banfeng left the portable dwelling, the gramophone was in no mood to slowly absorb their souls. She simply devoured both of them directly.

The gramophone pondered for a long time, then asked Hong Ying, "You wench, when you saw that Cocoon Breaker just now, did it look familiar?"

Hong Ying retorted viciously, "Wicked woman, do I have eyes? How could anything look familiar?"

She almost forgot that Hong Ying was blind.

The gramophone asked again, "Have you heard of this place, Bastard Ridge?"

"Never heard of it. All those place names you mentioned—Green Water Bay, Medicine King's Gully, Sea Devourer Ridge—I haven't heard of any of them. I haven't even heard of Iron Gate Fortress."

Wasn't that a bit absurd? Hong Ying had been trapped in Iron Gate Fortress for many years, yet she hadn't even heard its name.

Indeed, she hadn't. Deaf and blind, she had lost the ability to receive external information. She had no idea where she was, nor was she aware of the many changes in the world over the years.

"You wicked woman, you seem to know a lot. It appears you've had quite a few experiences since your death." Hong Ying's voice grew much darker.

In the past, if Hong Ying had proactively brought up that old story, the gramophone would have been furious.

But today, the gramophone was in no mood to be angry. She had been concerned about Bastard Ridge for a long time.

The gramophone's horn turned towards Red Lotus, and it asked, "Do you know something about this?"

Red Lotus remained silent. It was unclear if she truly didn't know or simply didn't want to answer. She was still diligently refining Cong Shixiang's corpse.

Li Banfeng returned to Benevolent Master Stronghold and first instructed people to repair the damaged wooden houses and main gate.

The people in the stronghold looked at Li Banfeng with changed eyes.

They had previously sought refuge with the Benevolent Master because they heard he dared to challenge the Sage and snatch his possessions.

Today, however, they had personally witnessed the Benevolent Master kill Sage disciples—several of them.

From this day forward, Li Banfeng's orders no longer needed to be repeated, and even for things he hadn't explicitly commanded, they would proactively consider and carry them out.

Xiao Yeci's status also significantly improved. The Benevolent Master himself had stated that she was an eighth-level scholar, an eighth-level master.

They had no idea what an "eighth-level" truly was, but anyone esteemed by the Benevolent Master naturally earned their respect.

That night, Li Banfeng found Xiao Yeci and gave her a hundred silver dollars.

This was the additional reward he had promised during the day. Li Banfeng always kept his word.

Xiao Yeci refused to accept it. "Benevolent Master, I cannot take this money."

Li Banfeng paused. "Is it too little?"

Xiao Yeci waved her hand. "One hundred silver dollars is not a small sum for my daughter and me, but I didn't help you today, Benevolent Master. One shouldn't receive reward without merit. Besides, I owe you so much already, and I don't know when I'll ever be able to repay it.

"Moreover, in this place, money is useless. We don't dare go to the village to buy things, and even if we did, the villagers wouldn't sell to us."

"Then save it for later use."

Xiao Yeci lowered her head. "Benevolent Master, there are some things I can't tell Nannan, but I want to tell you. I don't know what I'll become, and I don't want to think about it.

"That senior brother who came today, even now, my chest aches when I think of him. I don't know if he was a human or a demon. I've read so many books, but none of them described anything so terrifying.

"Benevolent Master, when you fought him, I was truly terrified. I never imagined you could win. I just thought we'd both die fighting here."

Li Banfeng chuckled. "What? Do you regret following me?"

Xiao Yeci shook her head repeatedly. "No regrets at all. When I was little, I lived under others' roofs, and before I even grew up myself, I became a mother.

"I wandered everywhere with Nannan, trying to make a living. I finally found a wealthy family, but they couldn't even tolerate me.

"This lifetime, only these past few days have I lived with dignity. Benevolent Master, to speak shamelessly, even if I truly can't leave this place in this life, I would willingly follow you forever. Benevolent Master, I..."

Xiao Yeci looked up and realized Li Banfeng was gone, leaving only a bag of silver dollars beside the straw mat.

Xiao Yeci bit her lip and muttered to herself, "Did I say something wrong? What must he think of me?

"I don't have those intentions. I have a daughter. How could I ever be worthy of him?"

Li Banfeng had left quietly, not because Xiao Yeci had said anything wrong, but because he had sensed danger.

Although he didn't know the exact technique, Li Banfeng's journey cultivation had reached the fifth level, and he knew the danger was right outside the stronghold gate.

Arriving at the gate, Li Banfeng saw a young man in white quietly waiting. The few guards stationed at the stronghold entrance stood like clay figures, temporarily devoid of normal human reactions.

The young man in white scrutinized Li Banfeng. He wanted to know who this person was, and why he had caused his three senior brothers, including his eldest, to disappear without a trace.

He longed to take another look, but then he heard Li Banfeng exclaim, "Look not at what is contrary to propriety!"

The young man in white quickly lowered his head and explained, "I mean no harm. I haven't injured your people; they are merely temporarily unconscious…"

Li Banfeng sternly added, "Speak not of what is contrary to propriety!"

The young man in white dared not speak further.

Li Banfeng was silent for a moment, then asked, "Did your master send you?"

The young man nodded. "He wishes to meet you."

Li Banfeng said, "If he wants to see me, he should come himself."

The young man didn't know how to respond. His master's intention was for Li Banfeng to pay a visit, but Li Banfeng apparently had no such inclination.

After a brief pause, the young man continued, "My master said he wants to meet you in ten days and advised you to prepare."

Li Banfeng frowned. "Why in ten days? Can't it be today?"

The young man lowered his head. "That's what my master said…"

Li Banfeng thought for a moment, then agreed. "Go back and tell your master that in ten days, at ten o'clock in the evening, I will be waiting for him here."