Chapter 311: Serving the Old Man

Mengde gained the upper hand in the argument, and Li Banfeng sensed a shift in the technique.

The old man continued to patiently reason, and he truly managed to construct a plausible argument: "Regardless of whether it was a 'Wounding Demonic Aura' or not, that woman was going to harm your master. I saved your master, so this 'offering' must surely count."

Mengde was speechless once more, and Li Banfeng's right leg, which had just loosened, began to twitch uncontrollably again.

"What more is there to say?" the old man asked, raising his short knife again.

Li Banfeng asked, "How did you know that woman intended to harm me?"

The old man replied, "She provoked me without reason; naturally, she had ill intentions!"

Mengde seized the opportunity: "That's not necessarily true. Perhaps the woman was genuinely attracted to my master and was sincerely throwing herself at him!"

The old man shook his head, saying, "Such an explanation is truly absurd!"

Li Banfeng retorted, "Why is it absurd? How do you know what that woman was thinking? Could it be that she's your accomplice?"

Li Banfeng had hit the nail on the head; the woman was indeed the old man's accomplice.

The old man's arm trembled violently; the backlash this time was severe.

Mengde seized the chance and launched a fierce attack: "You shameless scoundrel, colluding with a brazen woman, using vile tricks to entice my master! My master, with his unwavering integrity, remained unaffected, yet you, a thief crying 'stop thief,' staged this farce, still speaking of 'offerings' and demanding 'rewards'! With such despicable methods, you should be scavenging for scraps in the gutter! How dare you stir up trouble and act so outrageously here? You've lived a long life, yet you truly don't know the meaning of 'despicable'!"

This torrent of curses left the old man wide-eyed and speechless.

Li Banfeng felt the restriction on his legs loosen by seventy to eighty percent, just waiting for the right moment to retrieve his key.

He couldn't rush it.

Grandfather Train had warned Li Banfeng that his small gesture of taking out the key would draw attention.

The old man didn't notice Li Banfeng; he was still arguing with Mengde.

How strange, he wants to control me, so why does he keep arguing with Mengde?

Could it be that his reasoning wasn't meant for me?

Then who else could he be talking to?

The old man was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "Let's set aside the matter of me saving him. I still gave him three 'offerings'!"

What did he mean by that?

The old man said, "I invited him to watch a good show. Doesn't that count as an 'offering'?"

That counts too!

He can play it like that?

The old man had indeed put on a show, and Li Banfeng had certainly watched it.

But Li Banfeng hadn't wanted to watch this show.

Apparently, whether he wanted to or not, if he saw it, he owed the old man.

Li Banfeng couldn't think of a response, but Mengde remained remarkably composed.

She calmly unbuttoned her collar.

What was she doing? Had she learned bad habits from the Projector?

Mengde pulled back her qipao, revealing her fragrant shoulders.

The old man was stunned too: "What is the meaning of this?"

Mengde smiled and said, "Do you see? Is my show pleasing?"

The old man angrily declared, "I don't want it! This doesn't count as payment!"

Mengde scoffed, "If you don't want it, then don't look. But you did look, so you've accepted it!"

A 'Virtuous Cultivator' could actually restrain his Dao technique.

The old man was furious and trembling all over.

The restriction on Li Banfeng's legs completely vanished.

He immediately pulled out his key, opened his portable dwelling, grabbed Mengde, and ran into the room.

"Stop!" the old man reached out to grab Li Banfeng, but Li Banfeng seized the chance to quicken his pace, dragging the old man into the room.

The room was dark, with only a glimmer of candlelight.

Next to the candle was a mirror, and a long spear was primping itself in front of it.

A long spear was primping itself...

This situation made the old man fall into contemplation.

Behind him, gongs and drums suddenly sounded, followed by a clear singing voice.

"Hey, you wretched woman, your eyes are clearly blind, so why are you looking in a mirror?"

"I love looking in the mirror because I'm beautiful."

"What's beautiful about you?"

"My face and waist are both beautiful, much better than your ghostly appearance."

The old man looked behind him; a phonograph was arguing with the long spear.

The old man gritted his teeth and said, "I've lived this long, and today I've truly seen a demon!"

Hong Ying turned her face towards the sound and said, "Who are you calling a demon?"

The old man looked at Li Banfeng and said, "Demon, is this your lair?"

Li Banfeng was startled: "Are you calling me a demon?"

The old man pulled a handful of wild fruits from his right pocket, about to throw them to the ground.

A cloud of steam suddenly bound the old man's right hand, preventing him from throwing the fruits.

"Oh, Husband, you've brought back a 'Bounty Seeker'."

Li Banfeng was taken aback: "What's a Bounty Seeker?"

The phonograph explained, "It's a type of wandering monster from the New Lands. It gives three offerings and demands three rewards. This thing's level isn't low! This is our home; if those wild fruits land on the ground, it means we've accepted his things, which would be like accepting his offering again, wouldn't it?"

The old man's left hand was about to reach into his pocket again when a surge of power struck him, startling him into a shiver. With a swish, his left hand fell to the ground.

"Who... my hand!" The old man didn't know why his hand had come off.

Hong Ying remained seated in front of the mirror, primping, as if she hadn't moved at all.

The phonograph scoffed, "Wretched woman, you took one of his hands; that counts as one offering."

"Is that so?" Hong Ying put down her rouge and picked up her eyebrow pencil.

With another sound, both of the old man's legs were severed at the knee.

The old man wanted to speak; with one hand and two legs, he had received three offerings, so he could demand payment.

Unfortunately, he couldn't speak anymore.

Hong Ying drew a line on her face with the eyebrow pencil, and a hole appeared in the old man's throat.

Now the Bounty Seeker couldn't speak.

The phonograph angrily said, "Wretched woman, don't kill him completely! I haven't eaten yet!"

Hong Ying continued drawing her eyebrows: "His soul is yours; give me some of his flesh and blood to eat."

"Oh, you wretched woman, don't you usually abstain from mortal food?"

"It's different now," Hong Ying chuckled. "I'm a grown woman with a proper home. These past few days are special, so I need to eat something to replenish my qi and blood."

"Special days, indeed!" the phonograph sneered. "Why don't you just give birth to a baby?"

"Soon enough. When the time comes, I'll ask you, you wicked woman, to look after my child!"

The phonograph was somewhat annoyed, but Red Lotus, far away in the Seventh Room, was even more upset.

"Hong Ying, you wretched woman, can't you just eat souls? Why do you insist on eating flesh and blood?"

Hong Ying finished drawing her eyebrows and asked affectionately, "Seventh Master, do you think I'm beautiful?"

"Seventh Master, I'm asking you a question!"

"Seventh Master, where are you?"

Li Banfeng was behind the phonograph.

The phonograph giggled, "Oh, Husband, don't touch your little servant's belly, it tickles so much!"

"Let your husband touch it and see if his wife has gained weight."

"Husband, why do you always wish for your little servant to get fatter?"

"Whether a family prospers or not depends entirely on whether the wife is plump!"

Hong Ying's body trembled violently, her loose hair shaking with her.

The Bounty Seeker's right hand broke free from the steam, dipped in his own blood, and tried to write on the ground.

Hong Ying swayed, then chopped off his entire right arm.

"Wicked woman, hurry up and eat; don't cause any more trouble." Hong Ying, in front of the mirror, grumpily combed her hair with a comb.

The phonograph suppressed a laugh and said, "Husband, don't fool around for now; let's finish the serious business first."

Although the Wife and Hong Ying handled the situation easily, they did not underestimate the Bounty Seeker in the slightest.

The Bounty Seeker, using the broken bone of his arm, was still writing on the ground.

The Wife bound the Bounty Seeker with steam and began to suck his soul.

Li Banfeng found it hard to understand: "What is he writing for?"

While sucking the soul, the Wife sang, "Bounty Seeker, Bounty Seeker, recite the scriptures before collecting your debt."

"What does that mean?"

"It's an old folk rhyme that describes the habits of a Bounty Seeker: before demanding payment, they must first clearly state the rules. If the rules aren't made clear, they cannot act."

"This is a Bounty Seeker's habit?"

"Not a habit; it's a law. Not only Bounty Seekers, but all 'Offering Cultivators' abide by this law. A Bounty Seeker is formed from a high-level Offering Cultivator. Judging by the quality of this soul, this Bounty Seeker should be at the eighth tier."

"What kind of Dao sect are 'Offering Cultivators'?"

"They are a Dao sect that cultivates solely through offerings: one offering, one reward. Bounty Seekers, influenced by the New Lands, are a special case; they must give at least three offerings before demanding a reward, otherwise, they will suffer a backlash in their cultivation. This type of entity is very rare to encounter in the New Lands. How did you come across him, Husband?"

"He used a woman to trick me, but I didn't fall for it. Then he moved a stone for me to sit on, gave me a branch as a walking stick, and even created a gust of wind to wipe away my sweat, claiming it counted as three..."

The Bounty Seeker struggled for a moment, and Li Banfeng warned, "Wife, be careful, this old fellow is very fast."

"His attacks aren't necessarily that fast, but his footwork is indeed quick, though it depends on who he's facing. This is an Offering Cultivator's technique called 'Debt Collection Pursuit.' Anyone who accepts his offerings will be relentlessly pursued by him. Husband, you've managed to contend with him for so long; your footwork isn't slow either!"

Uh...

Li Banfeng quickly changed the subject: "Wife, what is he writing?"

"Nothing interesting. He's just writing down his rules again. These rules don't necessarily have to be spoken; writing them down works too."

"Who is he writing them for? If we don't look, his technique won't work."

"He's not writing them for us. When an Offering Cultivator recites scriptures, they recite them for themselves. The technique only works if they understand it themselves. Your little servant can't explain the exact reason, but I only know that this Dao sect places great importance on one's temperament and inner nature."

After the phonograph finished consuming the soul, Hong Ying took some flesh and blood from the Bounty Seeker and applied it to her spearhead.

After applying it, the spearhead appeared even more lustrous red.

She wanted to ask Li Qi if she looked good, but then she heard Li Qi joking with the phonograph again.

Hearing the phonograph's laughter, it seemed Li Qi was still rubbing its belly.

After Hong Ying finished, the Pendulum and the Earring rushed forward together, and the Tang Blade was not to be outdone, snatching a piece of flesh and running off.

The Judge's Brush snorted, wanting to eat, but too lazy to move.

The Wine Gourd and the Old Teapot each took a bite. The phonograph took some fresh blood and poured it onto the adhesive tape; the tape, which had been more than half used, began to grow rapidly, soon forming a full roll.

The Projector sighed deeply, saying, "Why are you all so cruel!"

It released a girl, who cut a piece of flesh for it and placed it in the film chamber.

The Glove repeatedly shook its head, saying, "I really can't watch this anymore."

It entered the Third Room, closed the door, and, when no one was looking, spat out a piece of meat, trembling with excitement:

"This piece of meat is the best; those crazy old fools don't understand!"

Hong Ying sat silently for a moment, then suddenly felt a change in her body.

Her conscience was growing, her breasts were growing, and her cultivation was also recovering.

"No wonder you're all so gluttonous; eating flesh and blood in this room really is quite different!"

Hong Ying rushed forward, joining the others in scrambling for more.

Li Banfeng cut a piece of meat and saved it for Mengde.

"You contributed greatly to this battle. When Hong Ying hit you earlier, she was too heavy-handed; don't hold a grudge."

Mengde covered her breasts, looking aggrieved, and said, "Master didn't even offer to rub them for me."

"Hmph!" the phonograph angrily retorted, "Wretched woman, do you want another beating? Go hang on the wall!"

The family ate their fill, and little remained of the Bounty Seeker.

Li Banfeng brought Red Lotus over and placed it next to the Bounty Seeker: "Eat."

Red Lotus trembled for a moment, unfolded its petals, and seemed to say something to the phonograph.

The phonograph impatiently said, "I know, if there's less flesh and blood, there will naturally be fewer elixirs. I won't blame you."

Red Lotus was very angry. Li Banfeng frowned and said, "If you don't want to eat, then don't. We'll leave it for them for the next meal."

Red Lotus no longer hesitated, absorbing the Bounty Seeker completely, leaving not a single drop of blood.

The phonograph reminded him, "Husband, the origin of this Bounty Seeker is still unknown. In your little servant's experience, one doesn't encounter such a thing for no reason. You should be more careful."

He should indeed be more careful. First, it was a Slime, now a Bounty Seeker. Where are all these high-level wandering monsters coming from?

And the matter wasn't completely resolved yet.

Li Banfeng asked the Projector, "Did you remember the appearance of the Bounty Seeker?"