Chapter 309: Emotional Heartbreak

On the twelfth day, Li Banfeng led everyone to Meng Yuchun's territory.

Last night, there was heavy rain, and Cao Zhida's tent flooded. He seemed to have caught a cold, and with a heavy nasal voice, he said to Li Banfeng, "I don't think those hunters got a good deal. Who would want to be a landlord in this desolate place?"

Li Banfeng said, "Let me tell you, after you successfully cultivate the land, you'll need to come here regularly to maintain it. You're not allowed to let the land go fallow. This is the local deity's rule and will be written into the contract."

Cao Zhida grimaced and said, "Seventh Master, isn't this too difficult? Why don't we just surrender and admit defeat in cultivating the land?"

"Here, you can't surrender when cultivating land. You must fight to the death."

The hunters panicked. "That won't do! If we can't beat them, we can't beat them. We can't sacrifice our lives!"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I'll discuss it with the local deity. This rule is a bit unreasonable."

Upon reaching Li Banfeng's plot, the large toad was inspecting the mountain wolf and golden eagle outposts. Li Banfeng was very pleased and handed the toad five pills. "As long as you're diligent and responsible, you'll get one every month. This is an advance payment."

The large toad puffed out its chest and said, "With Seventh Master's word, not a single mosquito will fly into your territory!"

As it spoke, a mosquito indeed flew right up to it.

The large toad flicked out its tongue and ate the mosquito on the spot.

Dozens of people suddenly arrived in the territory, and Meng Yuchun soon hurried over.

Unlike other local deities, she didn't arrive as a ghostly flame; she directly manifested her true form before everyone.

The group of hunters stared, dumbfounded.

Where did this beauty come from?

Was she a monster?

If all monsters looked like this, they too could create legends like Fifth Master's.

Meng Yuchun wanted to say she was the local deity, but local deities don't easily appear before humans.

Fearing she would scare the hunters, Li Banfeng introduced her, "This young lady is an envoy sent by the local deity."

An envoy?

An envoy for cultivating land here?

This was the first time they'd seen such a thing.

Since Seventh Master had called her an envoy, the hunters naturally didn't doubt it. They crowded forward, introducing themselves one by one.

"Sister, I'm not good at other things, but I'm definitely a master at cultivating land. In Lanyang Village, I claim second place in land cultivation, and no one dares to say they're first."

"Don't listen to his nonsense! The best land cultivator in Lanyang Village is our Fifth Master, and after him, it has to be me!"

"They're just talking aimlessly. Let me say something serious: I've been in the land cultivation business for over ten years and have never failed."

Cao Zhida shouted, "What are you doing? You can't even show an ounce of skill, yet you're boasting as if you have twelve! Aren't you ashamed?"

The hunters were unconvinced but dared not talk back to Cao Zhida.

Cao Zhida stepped forward and cupped his hands. "Young lady, I'm an expert at land cultivation. Just tell me how much land you think is appropriate to cultivate."

Meng Yuchun delightedly asked, "How about ten li?"

Cao Zhida thumped his chest. "Leave it to me!"

The group of hunters was stunned and retreated to a distance.

Ten li of land?

Isn't that suicide?

Even Li Banfeng was stunned.

"What do you mean, 'leave it to me'?" Li Banfeng grabbed Cao Zhida and said to Meng Yuchun, "We can't cultivate ten li. At most, we can manage a one-li plot."

"Only one li?" Meng Yuchun was very disappointed.

Cao Zhida said to Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, the local deity has sent an envoy. We should just follow her arrangements; it's called 'doing as the Romans do.'"

Li Banfeng stared at Cao Zhida, frowning.

What's wrong with Old Cao?

Meng Yuchun was indeed beautiful, but Cao Zhida used to be a retainer of the Lu family and had seen many beauties. He shouldn't be acting like this.

Li Banfeng pulled Meng Yuchun aside and whispered, "These people are with me; they follow my arrangements. They can cultivate at most a one-li plot."

Meng Yuchun thought for a moment and said, "Alright then, one li per person..."

"Not one li per person, but one li total!"

"More than fifty people for only one li total!" Meng Yuchun refused. "Li Qi, are you trying to trick me?"

Li Banfeng wasn't trying to trick Meng Yuchun. These hunters were recruited and not well-acquainted with each other. He wasn't sure of their cultivation levels, so he wanted to start with a one-li plot to test their capabilities.

Meng Yuchun asked, "If you cultivate it this way, who will be the landlord?"

Li Banfeng replied, "That depends on who is the most capable and who can take responsibility for this land. The others won't have come for nothing; I won't shortchange them on the payment for cultivating the land. If someone truly has the ability to cultivate a plot by themselves, we can arrange that later."

Meng Yuchun reluctantly agreed, but Cao Zhida refused. He insisted on cultivating a plot by himself.

Since Meng Yuchun was willing and Cao Zhida was willing, Li Banfeng couldn't say anything more.

As before, all rules were simplified. Meng Yuchun drew the boundaries and immediately began the assessment.

After three days of intense struggle, both plots of land were successfully cultivated.

These fifty-plus hunters mostly had experience in land cultivation, so opening up a one-li plot wasn't difficult.

Cao Zhida, however, had a truly tough time, fighting fiercely for three days alone and sustaining many injuries.

Meng Yuchun greatly admired Cao Zhida, praising, "Among this group, you are the most capable."

This remark caused trouble.

Cao Zhida thumped his chest. "Young lady, give me another three li of land, and I'll show you my true abilities!"

Li Banfeng grabbed Cao Zhida. "Are you crazy?"

Cao Zhida calmly looked at Li Banfeng. "Seventh Master, I usually listen to you in everything. Please grant me this one favor today and let me gain some face in front of Miss Meng!"

Li Banfeng asked, "Are you gaining face at the cost of your life?"

"I don't care," Cao Zhida shook his head. "As long as I can stay with Miss Meng from now on, I'm willing to throw my life away here!"

Cao Zhida was determined to cultivate the land, and no one could dissuade him.

The large toad hopped closer and said to Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, this man has probably eaten 'sweet snot'."

Li Banfeng angrily retorted, "Nonsense! Snot is clearly salty!"

"I'm not talking about that kind of snot. It's a type of wandering monster, called a 'Love-Sorrow Slug' according to the books."

"Wandering monster? Uncontrolled by local deities?"

"Ribbit!" The toad's cheek pouches swelled. "Seventh Master is right. Wandering monsters are not controlled by local deities, and their cultivation levels are not low. A Love-Sorrow Slug is formed from the souls of several cultivators of love that have bonded together. These souls, having been in the New Land for a long time, have lost their ghostly appearance but have developed bodies resembling slugs. They specifically burrow into the nostrils of those who are deeply in love. Brother Cao genuinely has feelings for Miss Meng. He's been affected by the 'sweet snot,' and now it's uncontrollable."

Li Banfeng looked at Meng Yuchun. "Doesn't she know about this type of wandering monster?"

"Ribbit. To my knowledge, she rarely came to the New Land when she was human, and she's only been a local deity for less than a year. Sweet snot is usually rare, so she might not recognize it. Besides, when affected by sweet snot, there are no symptoms other than being deeply in love. Most people wouldn't be able to tell. I only suspected he was affected because Brother Cao's voice sounded nasally."

"Is this thing deadly?"

"It depends on the person. Brother Cao is smitten, but Miss Meng is uninterested. Even if we stop him from cultivating the land, he'll still die of lovesickness in the future."

Cao Zhida's gaze never left Meng Yuchun. Li Banfeng asked the toad, "Can he still be saved?"

"Since Seventh Master asked, I'm willing to try. Success or failure depends on his own fortune. Seventh Master, can you find a way to make him fall asleep first?"

Making Old Cao sleep wouldn't be easy. He had fought fiercely for three days in the New Land without closing his eyes and was still incredibly energetic.

Li Banfeng sent everyone away and took out Ling Miaoying's music box.

He wound it up, then adjusted the little figure on the turntable so its face was pointed towards Cao Zhida.

This was the method his wife had taught Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng flicked the switch. The little figure paused, facing Cao Zhida for a moment, then selected its target and began to slowly spin on the turntable.

A soothing piano melody drifted towards Cao Zhida, and after a short while, he fell asleep.

Li Banfeng put away the music box. The toad hopped next to Cao Zhida, extended its tongue towards Cao Zhida's nose.

A long tongue wriggled on Old Cao's nose, its tip gradually bifurcating, rising like two antennae.

The antennae rubbed against the nostril for a moment, and another pair of antennae emerged from inside his nose.

It's a slug!

It really was that wandering monster.

The slug wriggled out little by little. Throughout the entire process, the large toad made no sound.

Once the slug had crawled out more than halfway, the large toad curled its tongue around it, trapping it, and dragged it out of Cao Zhida's nose.

Was that success?

No.

Old Cao was saved, but now the large toad was in danger.

The Love-Sorrow Slug was extremely adept at parasitism and could burrow into the large toad's nose in the blink of an eye.

The large toad was already prepared. With a flick of its tongue, it flung the slug onto the ground.

If he hadn't heard the large toad explain the slug's characteristics, Li Banfeng might have simply stomped on it, crushing it to death. But if he had simply stomped on it, the slug might not have died. As an aggregate of love cultivators' souls, it would likely have scattered into several smaller slugs, going on to harm other creatures.

Li Banfeng had made special preparations for this.

As soon as the slug landed, it sensed a woman standing before it.

The woman's charming eyes shimmered, her face full of tender affection, as she gazed at the slug on the ground.

The slug, without hesitation, rushed towards the woman, leaping up and entering her nostril.

Li Banfeng gave the large toad a pill as a reward and signaled it to leave quickly.

The toad immediately jumped far away. Li Banfeng, holding a projector, returned to his Portable Dwelling.

The woman was an image projected by the projector.

The projector's lens closed, and the image vanished. The slug plopped onto the ground.

His wife pinned the slug with a phonograph needle, bound it with steam, and joyfully sang, "A Love-Sorrow Slug! This is a real treasure!"

Two phonograph needles moved up and down, quickly dismembering the Love-Sorrow Slug. Six souls of love cultivators, both male and female, entered the horn aperture one after another, uttering cries of varying pitch.

When the steam dissipated, a blob of mucus remained on the ground. Li Banfeng brought over Red Lotus. "Eat it," he said.

Red Lotus indeed wasn't picky and cleaned up the mucus completely.

Li Banfeng sighed, "You really aren't picky about your food."

His wife sang, "Of course she's not picky. This thing is truly rare. Husband, you can't let her eat it all. I've kept some spiritual essence inside it, and she needs to refine a spiritual artifact from it!"

A spiritual artifact.

What would be suitable to refine?

Li Banfeng surveyed his weapons.

The scythe couldn't be refined casually; it was very handy.

The shovel was also handy, so he wouldn't consider refining it for now.

What other weapon would be suitable?

Li Banfeng scanned the room. The glove clutching the Tang Dao trembled.

For a bit of snot, Li Banfeng couldn't possibly re-refine a magic treasure.

There was a pair of weapons that Li Banfeng had never found easy to use.

Mandarin Duck Axes. This pair of weapons was too complex. Li Banfeng placed them before the Copper Lotus. The Copper Lotus grumbled for a long time but still accepted the Mandarin Duck Axes.

When the lotus heart bloomed, Li Banfeng discovered that Ling Miaoying's lotus seed had fully ripened.

He peeled the lotus seed, and after a moment, six Golden Yuan Pills burst forth.

The previous exchange was still effective; at least this time, Golden Yuan Pills were indeed produced.

"A-Lian, is this number a bit too small?"