Chapter 308: New Technique of the Record Player

An old farmer claimed Xiao Genzi's golden liquid was of poor quality.

Xiao Genzi was displeased.

"Old man," Xiao Genzi said, "don't let this small scoop fool you. If you spread it evenly, it can fertilize an acre of land. If you still think it's not enough, I can give you this whole bucket. But I don't appreciate you casually saying it's poor quality. Do you even know what kind of cultivation path I follow?"

The old man smiled. "What else could your path be? Looking at your attire, you're clearly a Gold Cultivator."

Xiao Genzi was taken aback. Gold Cultivators were extremely rare, yet this old man recognized him.

"Since you know I'm a Gold Cultivator," Xiao Genzi asked, "how can you still say my product is of poor quality?"

"Poor quality is poor quality," the old man replied. "Your golden liquid doesn't even have a smell." As he spoke, he touched the liquid in the scoop.

Xiao Genzi quickly pulled back the scoop. "Elder," he exclaimed, "you mustn't touch that. It's difficult to wash off."

The old man had already touched it. Xiao Genzi quickly looked for medicinal powder to help him wash his hands.

The old man waved his hand. "Don't bother," he said. "Smell it yourself. Does it have a smell?"

Xiao Genzi sniffed the old man's hand. Indeed, there was no smell at all.

Had he taken the wrong golden liquid? Or did this old man possess other abilities?

It was impossible to take the wrong golden liquid, which made Xiao Genzi a little scared.

The old man put down his hoe and asked with a smile, "What cultivation level are you?"

"That's not for you to ask," Xiao Genzi replied, stepping back two paces.

The old man said, "I see you're carrying five buckets. Could it be that you have five levels of cultivation?"

Xiao Genzi puffed out his chest. "Yes, I have five levels!" he declared.

Of course, he didn't have five levels of cultivation. The last time he encountered a peddler, he bought ten buckets; he carried five on his back, and the remaining five were too heavy, so he kept them as spares.

The old man shook his head. "If you truly had five levels of cultivation," he said, "this quality would be far too poor. Five-level golden liquid, with a single sprinkle, can turn a living person into mud."

The old man waved his hand, and one of the buckets on Xiao Genzi's back disappeared.

To his astonishment, the old man took a small scoop from his pocket, stirred it twice in the bucket, scooped out a spoonful, and flicked it onto a nearby stone.

With a continuous sizzling sound, the stone instantly turned into mud.

Genzi was terrified; the bucket almost slipped from his grasp.

Holding the small scoop, the old man smiled. "Tell me the truth," he asked, "what level are you, really?"

Genzi tried to maintain his composure. "It's five levels!" he insisted.

"You're boasting without knowing your limits!" the old man snapped, growing angry. "Your golden liquid is barely enough for a third level!"

Enough for three levels?

Genzi was a second-level Gold Cultivator, able to concoct third-level golden liquid. In the past, he would have been a little proud.

But this was not the time for pride; he didn't know the old man's origins.

"There's still someone on the path who's determined," the old man chuckled. "Concocting golden liquid isn't just about hard work; there's a knack to it. Put down your buckets and watch my technique."

Li Banfeng arrived at Lanyang Village with Cao Zhida, searching everywhere for Xiao Genzi.

Many people in Lanyang Village knew Genzi. They all said he had gone off to cultivate with his buckets, but no one could say where he had gone, nor did anyone want to watch him cultivate.

The land reclamation couldn't rely solely on Xiao Genzi. Li Banfeng instructed Cao Zhida to recruit a group of pioneers in Lanyang Village.

Lanyang Village had many hunters, and many of them had experience in land reclamation. Li Qiqian paid well, so many people signed up. However, the rules had to be made clear: after reclamation, they would become landlords.

Cao Zhida said, "Seventh Master, this land is being reclaimed for you. You should be the landlord. The money is all in place; why are you spoiling them?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "The rules of this local land deity are different," he explained; "the pioneers must become landlords."

Cao Zhida was stunned. "There are such rules?" he asked. "Isn't this making things too easy for these hunters?"

"Whether it's easy or not, that's another matter," Li Banfeng replied.

The next day, Xiao Genzi didn't return, which was a common occurrence. Genzi would sometimes disappear for days and nights when he went to cultivate.

Li Banfeng took over fifty people to the new land. He had returned in less than a day initially because he was a sixth-level Wanderer Cultivator.

These people didn't have such speed; it would be a long journey for them.

He Haisheng got off the train and casually bought a newspaper at the station.

The newspaper headline read: "Lu Family's Special Train Attacked, Eleven Guards Killed."

Who was audacious enough to attack the Lu family's special train?

This wasn't just targeting the Lu family; attacking on a train offended even the Border Defense Commissioner.

He Haisheng quickly scanned the article, then called a rickshaw at the station entrance and went to the He family mansion.

He Haiqin was in the dining room, gnawing on a pig's trotters. Hearing that He Haisheng had returned, he quickly went to the main hall to greet him. "Third Brother," he said, "why are you back? Didn't I ask you to look after Jiaqing?"

He Haisheng looked around, and He Haiqin, understanding his unspoken meaning, led him into the study.

"What happened?" He Haiqin asked.

He Haisheng lowered his voice. "Brother," he said, "Jiaqing's condition isn't right."

He Haiqin was startled. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Are those doctors in the outer state not treating him properly? Has Jiaqing's injury worsened again?"

"Brother, I'm not talking about his injury," He Haisheng said, sighing repeatedly. "I think he's hiding something from you."

He Haiqin remained calm. "What is he hiding from me?" he asked.

"This is what I found in Jiaqing's hospital room," He Haisheng said, taking out a wooden box.

He Haiqin took the wooden box, broke its seal, and opened the lid. A rich medicinal fragrance wafted out.

"Golden Core Pills?" He Haiqin murmured, examining the quality of the pills.

He Haisheng said, "Superior-grade Golden Core Pills, all thirty of them. Where do you think these came from?"

He Haiqin looked at the pills. "I guess Red Lotus refined them," he said.

"Wasn't Red Lotus brought back to Puro Province?" He Haisheng countered. "Whether by his friend Li Banfeng or his fiancée Lu Xiaolan, they were brought back. These pills shouldn't be in Jiaqing's hands. So how did they end up in the hospital?"

He Haiqin put the pills back into the box. "Where were these pills found?" he asked.

"The toilet," He Haisheng replied. "That day, I really couldn't resist wanting a cigarette, so I lit one in the hospital room's toilet. The cigarette smell allowed me to detect a medicinal scent, and behind the toilet, on the wall, I found a secret compartment with these pills. This secret compartment must have been opened by Jiaqing, and these pills must have been hidden by him. Brother, you were right before; Jiaqing is indeed hiding something from us."

He Haiqin was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

His smile carried a long-lost sense of relief.

He Haisheng was startled. "Brother, what are you laughing at?"

He Haiqin sighed as he laughed. "If he truly wanted to hide them, you wouldn't have found them at all."

"What do you mean?" He Haisheng asked.

"He can deceive Puro Province; do you think he can't deceive you?" He Haiqin explained. "He deliberately left these pills in the toilet because he wanted you to see them, and he wanted you to bring them to me." He Haiqin put away the pill box, returned to the dining room, and continued gnawing on his trotters.

His appetite was exceptionally good. He even pulled up a chair for He Haisheng. "Don't just stand there," he urged, "join your brother and eat!"

He Haisheng ate two pieces of beef and shook his head. "Brother," he said, "I still don't understand."

He Haiqin smiled. "You don't need to understand," he said. "Just go to the outer state quickly and look after my son for me."

He Haisheng ate with him for a while, then returned to his room to rest.

He Haiqin, full and satisfied, also returned to his room, opened the pill box, and mumbled to himself, "Although he played a trick, he still knows to show filial piety to his old man. I didn't raise him in vain."

He thought about taking a pill but still hesitated.

"Never mind," he decided. "Tomorrow, I'll find a Medicine Cultivator to check for toxicity."

He Haisheng returned to Yue Province, arrived at the Third Hospital, sat by the bedside, and silently watched He Jiaqing on the bed.

He leaned down and whispered something into He Jiaqing's ear:

"Third Uncle, please lie here for me for a few days. Once I'm done with my business, I'll let you go."

Inside the Portable Residence, Hong Ying was grooming herself in front of a mirror.

She suddenly turned and said to the Phonograph, "Xiaowan, do you think my eyes are captivating?"

The Phonograph burst into continuous laughter. "What eyes?" it scoffed. "Those are clearly painted on with rouge!"

"So what if they're painted?" Hong Ying retorted. "Don't they look good? I have a face now; you wouldn't even have a place to paint if you wanted to!"

Lately, Hong Ying's spear tip had become more rounded, no longer as cold as before, and even had a slight hint of blood color. If one didn't look closely, it truly resembled a human face.

The Phonograph snorted coldly. "What's the rush?" it scoffed. "With a few more tries, I can do it too!"

Hong Ying laughed. "How many times have you tried?" she said. "You've learned a lot of useless skills, but you can't even grow a single strand of hair."

The Phonograph didn't care much. "What's the use of having so much hair?" it retorted.

"How can you say it's useless?" Hong Ying said, delicately combing her hair. "Without this hair, what kind of woman would I be?"

The Glove whispered to the Tang Saber, "A long spear combing its hair in front of a mirror... how terrifying is that?"

Hong Ying lifted her foot and kicked the Glove into the wall.

The Tang Saber retreated a few steps, then gave two dry laughs. "General Hong's hair is beautiful," it stammered. "This humble subordinate finds it very beautiful!"

Holding the comb, Hong Ying said to the Phonograph, "Let me tell you, I don't just have hair on my head; I have it elsewhere too!"

The Phonograph sneered. "What? Have you grown a beard now?"

"Wicked woman, keep your venomous tongue," Hong Ying snapped. "In a couple of days, I'll charm your man away, and we'll see if your heart aches."

"You wretch," the Phonograph retorted, "you'd have to have the skill."

"Why wouldn't I have that skill?" Hong Ying scoffed. "I have everything now. In a couple of days, when I grow a mouth, I'll be able to eat, drink, and relieve myself. A living, breathing beauty, isn't that much stronger than you, a mere machine?"

"Let's see how capable you are!" the Phonograph shrieked. "I'll tear your face apart right now!"

A cloud of steam rushed forward, scalding the spear tip crimson.

Hong Ying didn't show weakness either, stepping forward to fight the Phonograph.

Li Banfeng pushed the door open and walked in. The Phonograph quickly spun its needle, released Hong Ying's hair, and said softly, "Oh, darling husband, you're back!"

"I'm back!" Li Banfeng said, hugging the Phonograph and showing affection for a moment.

Hong Ying also stepped forward to greet Li Banfeng, but he walked past her and lay down on the bed.

No matter how much Hong Ying changed, Li Banfeng acted as if he didn't notice, something Hong Ying simply couldn't understand.

Warm steam enveloped Li Banfeng. The Phonograph asked with concern, "Darling husband, was the journey to the new land tiring?"

"It wasn't particularly tiring, it's just..." Li Banfeng didn't know how to explain.

A one-day journey had taken ten days, and they still hadn't arrived.

That night, everyone camped in the wilderness. Li Banfeng found an opportunity to return to the Portable Residence; traveling with non-Wanderer Cultivators was truly agonizing for him.

"Husband," the Phonograph said, "the new land doesn't distinguish between day and night. If you stay there too long, people forget the passage of time, and some strange creatures will take advantage of this to harm them. Take Mengde with you and check it from time to time to remind yourself, at least so you don't forget to come home."

"Carry a month-plate with me?" Li Banfeng looked at Mengde's size and found it inconvenient.

"No problem," the Phonograph said, "your humble servant will just modify it for you, husband."

"What are you going to modify, Madam?" Mengde asked, shivering in fright.

"Don't be afraid, it won't hurt at all," the Phonograph assured. A cloud of steam covered the month-plate, and amidst the swirling steam, the month-plate began to twist and deform.

Mengde let out a piercing cry: "Madam, spare me! This is too terrifying!"

"You wretch, if you cry again, I'll tear your mouth off!" the Phonograph threatened. It worked on the modification for half an hour, merging Mengde with Li Banfeng's pocket watch.

"Husband," the Phonograph said, "open it and see."

Li Banfeng pressed open the pocket watch and found Mengde trembling on the watch face.

"Husband," the Phonograph instructed, "try pulling the watch stem."

Li Banfeng pulled the watch stem, and the pocket watch extended in all directions, transforming back into a month-plate.

"Wife, how did you do that?" Li Banfeng asked, very surprised.

The Phonograph chuckled. "Husband," it said, "this is a small trick your humble servant just learned."

"This doesn't seem like a small trick," Li Banfeng said. "It looks more like the technique of a Craft Cultivator, right?" He was certain that Xiao Chuanzi couldn't do this.

"Oh, husband," the Phonograph said, "your humble servant has learned many new tricks. Some of them you might really find useful."

Hong Ying scoffed and mumbled, "What are you showing off for? You still can't learn what you most want to learn!"