Chapter 343: Breaking the Formation

Li Banfeng wrote the contract, meticulously detailing every item, including the principal and interest.

He had borrowed money from the Glove, so he needed to document it clearly and ensure it was repaid.

The Glove, standing nearby, said, "Boss, you're scolding me! I just said 'borrow' as a joke. What's mine is yours; just take whatever you need!"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "What's yours is yours. If it's borrowed, it must be repaid."

With the contract clearly written, Li Banfeng moved all the silver dollars and gold into the bedroom overnight, then summoned Feng Chongli and Feng Xincheng.

Feng Xincheng was stunned to see a room full of silver dollars.

He couldn't figure out where so much money came from. If he were Feng Chongli, he wouldn't dare undertake this business.

But he wasn't Feng Chongli.

Feng Chongli stared at the silver dollars for a moment, his expression solemn. He then told Li Banfeng, "It's still short three hundred and fifty-two yuan."

Li Banfeng didn't hesitate, immediately pulling out his wallet.

Why was he so quick to comply?

Because Li Banfeng and the Glove had calculated it together, they knew it was indeed short by over three hundred yuan.

As expected of a high-level Business cultivator, he was remarkably sensitive to money.

Feng Chongli took the banknotes and said to Li Banfeng, "Mr. Li, please wait here for a moment."

Soon after, Feng Chongli returned to the room, holding a pair of rectangular huanghuali wood boxes, which he handed to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng opened the boxes. Inside each box was an iron ruler.

The iron rulers weren't particularly shiny, showing some wear in places and even a bit of rust.

Manager Feng couldn't discern anything unusual and dared not speak lightly. He truly didn't understand why these two iron rulers were so valuable.

Li Banfeng pretended to examine them for a long time, then nodded and said, "Mr. Feng, please wait a moment as well."

He couldn't tell if they were genuine or fake at all; this was his first time seeing an iron ruler.

Leaving the room, he went downstairs and opened another room, then entered the Portable Abode. He first asked the Glove, "Do you think these are real?"

The Glove straightened its body and said, "Boss, what are you saying? I've never seen an iron ruler before. How would I know if they're real or fake?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "You're right, you haven't seen one. Then who do you think might have?"

The Glove clasped its thumb and middle finger together, wiggling its index finger as it said, "If you ask me, since it's something from our manor, we should naturally ask the manor itself."

Li Banfeng nodded in agreement. "But the manor has so many rooms. Which room would be most suitable to ask about this?"

The Glove tried its best to maintain a steady stance, thought for a moment, and replied, "When our manor stole oil back then, it was put in the Third Room. I think the Third Room is still quite spiritual."

Li Banfeng also found this very reasonable. He took the iron rulers to the Third Room and said to the Glove, "The manor can't always respond to me. How do you think I should ask the manor?"

The Glove tried its best to control its trembling body, thought for a moment, and replied, "I think, since it's something from the manor, we might as well put it on the ground and see how the manor deals with it."

"That makes sense."

Li Banfeng placed the pair of iron rulers on the floor of the Third Room.

A moment later, the pair of iron rulers gradually melted, sank into the ground, and disappeared.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

Whoosh!

A whistle blew, and all the rooms trembled in response.

The Portable Abode was very excited.

Li Banfeng had acquired the genuine items.

He put on the Glove and returned to the inn.

Feng Chongli and Feng Xincheng were waiting in the room. Seeing that Li Banfeng hadn't brought the iron rulers back, Feng Chongli was somewhat displeased.

"Mr. Li, our deal isn't finalized yet."

Li Banfeng said, "The deal is done. I've verified the items are genuine, and you've counted the money—it's all there. The transaction is complete; we'll take our leave now."

As Li Banfeng was about to leave, Feng Chongli said, "Wait, we still need to draw up a contract. Once the goods and money are exchanged, these iron rulers will have nothing further to do with me. Any future loss or damage will not concern me."

"Alright!" Li Banfeng agreed. "Eight hundred thousand silver dollars, paid in cash. You've counted it in person, so from now on, whether it's more or less, it won't concern me either."

Feng Chongli nodded. "For this transaction, Feng Xincheng will serve as witness. From now on, for whatever reason, neither you nor I shall harm the witness!"

So, there was such a rule.

No wonder Tu Shumei didn't kill Lu Yuesan to silence him.

Lu Yuesan, as Tu Shumei's accountant, was dishonest and couldn't keep a secret. Logically, Tu Shumei shouldn't have kept him.

But according to Feng Chongli's rule, a witness known to both parties was required. Tu Shumei didn't know this rule beforehand, and at the time, the only suitable person nearby was Lu Yuesan, so she made him the witness, which meant she couldn't kill him.

What if she had disregarded Feng Chongli's rule and killed Lu Yuesan?

That would depend on the strength of both parties.

Tu Shumei's cultivation was not low, nearly reaching the eighth level. What was Feng Chongli's cultivation level?

He was Feng Xincheng's elder brother, yet looked younger than Feng Xincheng. If he hadn't altered his appearance like Tu Shumei, it proved that Feng Chongli had extended his lifespan and his cultivation had reached the 'Cloud' level.

If it were just to silence Lu Yuesan, Tu Shumei wouldn't have risked offending Feng Chongli. This was why Lu Yuesan was able to survive.

But why wasn't Feng Chongli willing to tell others about this rule?

There was no way to infer this, and Li Banfeng didn't concern himself with these matters. He wrote down the contract, all three pressed their handprints, and the deal was thus concluded.

Li Banfeng couldn't stay a moment longer. He immediately took Manager Feng with him, bought tickets for the evening train, and returned to Yaowanggou.

Feng Chongli took out a money bag from his pocket, grabbed the silver dollars, and put them into the bag.

How many silver dollars could one money bag hold?

There were hundreds of thousands of them, plus a large box of gold.

Yet, Feng Chongli's money bag could truly contain all of these items.

An hour later, all the money was packed away. Feng Chongli returned to his room, slept for the night, and at dawn the next day, headed straight for the train station.

Halfway there, he suddenly heard someone call out from behind, "Stop! Where are you going?"

Feng Chongli turned his head and saw a rickshaw puller, pulling a rickshaw and catching up.

"Oh, you're back," Feng Chongli quickly greeted him.

"Nonsense, how could I not come back? Didn't we agree to wait until tonight? Why did you leave early?"

"My apologies, my business here is already concluded."

The rickshaw puller was startled. "'Business concluded,' what do you mean by that?"

"That item has already been sold."

"To whom?"

"That's not convenient for me to disclose to you."

Clang!

The rickshaw puller threw the rickshaw to the ground. "How could you be like this! Didn't we have an agreement? I went back to raise money! I even brought you a million silver dollars!"

Feng Chongli smiled. "There's nothing I can do about it. You didn't pay a deposit or sign a contract back then. This customer came with cash, so I naturally had to conclude the deal with him."

The rickshaw puller's eyebrows shot up. "Are you messing with me?"

Feng Chongli also dropped his smile. "What are you talking about? I'm a businessman, and business has its rules. It's your fault for being a step late."

The two men stared at each other for a long time. The rickshaw puller then picked up his rickshaw again. "I'll remember this grudge."

Feng Chongli said, "Why hurt our amicable relations? You still have important matters to attend to here; we'll have more dealings in the future. And this rickshaw, don't keep throwing it. There's something very important hidden inside. If you break it, where will you find another one?"

Upon arriving at Yaowanggou, Manager Feng returned to the general store. Li Banfeng hid the key, entered the Portable Abode, and stared at the bag of bloody soil before him, clearing his mind and simply watching.

Bloodstains were in his eyes, bloodstains were in his mind. Li Banfeng needed to find the next bloodstain.

The next bloodstain would certainly have a different shape and be in a different environment. The deviation might be significant. Could he find it by searching like this? It involved following two distinct paths, and that would depend entirely on the Portable Abode's ability!

After waiting a few minutes, a whistle sound came from his ears.

Just as Li Banfeng picked up his shovel and was about to head out, the Madame called out, "Oh, husband, wait a moment!"

A cloud of steam enveloped the soil, and two phonograph needles flew up and down.

A few minutes later, the Madame picked out all the bloody soil and put the remaining non-bloody soil back into the bag.

"My dear husband, after you've dug up the bloodstains, fill the soil back into the pit. Don't let that scoundrel, the Misfortune Star, get suspicious!"

"My wife, you've thought of everything!" Li Banfeng hoisted the mud bag onto his shoulder.

The Gramophone instructed, "Bloody Pendulum sister, help your husband create some cover-up. With hundreds of blood-spattered spots, the Misfortune Star won't look too closely. Make the new and old soil look convincing for your husband!"

The Bloody Pendulum replied, "Don't worry, Madam!"

"Two-Knife, prop the door open. Don't let the main door close until my husband returns."

Tang Dao shouted, "Understood!"

"Husband, Two-Knife can't hold on for too long. Hurry up and come back!"

Tang Dao indeed couldn't hold on for long, as the Portable Abode only recognized Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng was half-in, half-out of the door, frantically digging soil.

Over ten minutes later, Li Banfeng returned, carrying a bag of bloody soil.

"Find the next spot!"

At Qiu's Pharmacy, Luo Zhengnan had prepared his subordinates. Today, they were going to take a gamble by taking a Doom cultivator out of Yaowang Valley to test them.

Qiu Zhiheng was selecting people in the pharmacy, choosing someone whose cultivation wasn't too high and whose skills weren't too good, to prevent them from escaping midway.

After selecting for a long time, he couldn't pick anyone suitable, and Qiu Zhiheng started sweating.

Luo Zhengnan stepped forward to check the situation. "Master Qiu, what's wrong?"

"Hall Master Luo, we captured thirteen Doom cultivators in total. Why are there fourteen people here?"

"What are you saying, Master Qiu? With just a few people, can't you even count them?"

Luo Zhengnan counted them as well and was stunned after finishing.

There really were fourteen?

"Master Qiu, this is no laughing matter!"

"It's not a joke, there really is an extra one!"

"Master Qiu, the people have been here with you. Can't you tell which one is extra?"

Qiu Zhiheng was astonished for a long time. He truly couldn't tell.

He knew all fourteen of these people!

Luo Zhengnan shouted, "Bring the roster! Check them one by one!"

Before the roster could be brought, they suddenly saw an old man reveal a slight smile.

Luo Zhengnan lowered his voice and said, "Who's this old fellow?"

Qiu Zhiheng was immediately bewildered. He couldn't recall the man's name.

"Go!" Qiu Zhiheng instantly rushed to the old man, slapped his shoulder, and the old man's veins bulged.

His blood surged upward, and his blood vessels could burst at any moment.

But the old man showed no panic. Instead, he exclaimed, "What a powerful Joyful cultivator! Eighth level, perhaps?"

As his words fell, Qiu Zhiheng's foot slipped, and he fell heavily to the ground.

A few days ago, there had been a hailstorm which had damaged a roof tile. There was a little accumulated water on the ground, which had settled in the gaps between the floor tiles, barely visible. Qiu Zhiheng happened to step right in it.

How could it be such a coincidence?

With a room full of Doom cultivators, how could it not be a coincidence?

The old man ignored Qiu Zhiheng, casually pushed a Doom cultivator, who stumbled, crashed into a pillar, and instantly died from the impact.

The impact was severe; roof tiles fell, killing two more Doom cultivators.

As the old man was about to strike again, he suddenly felt a wave of numbness. He looked over and saw sparks bursting from Luo Zhengnan's ten fingers, with the sparks hitting him.

The old man was very surprised. A cultivator like Luo Zhengnan was rare in Puro Province. "What sect are you from? Electric cultivator? Does Puro Province still have this sect?"

Qiu Zhiheng struck again. The old man leaped up and burst through the roof.

Tiles fell everywhere, and the Doom cultivators scattered and fled.

The falling tiles landed point-down, all hitting the Doom cultivators on the head.

Such a coincidence, such bad luck, such misfortune.

The remaining eleven Doom cultivators, none were spared, all killed by the falling tiles.

This was the ability of the Misfortune Star.

Qiu Zhiheng was covered in blood. Fortunately, his Zhongshan suit was a magic treasure, and it had absorbed the fatal injuries for him.

Luo Zhengnan dodged the tiles but was drenched by the accumulated water on the roof. He immediately convulsed all over, having electrocuted himself.

The old man stood on the roof and said to the two, "You damn fools have wasted so many days of my time. You should have died long ago. Wait till I come back to deal with you!"

The old man disappeared, and Luo Zhengnan felt a change in the room.

He put on a pair of glasses, and sparks flew from his fingers, charging the glasses.

He saw a mass of departed souls in the room, flying out of the roof, following the old man.

Luo Zhengnan wanted to stop them, but couldn't.

Whoever kills a Doom cultivator, that Doom cultivator's departed soul will cling to them. This was a characteristic of Doom cultivators.

Things happened too quickly, and Luo Zhengnan wore an expression of astonishment.

Qiu Zhiheng reacted. "Doom Gate Formation!"

A heavy, gloomy aura permeated the air. Even Bai Gaozi, who wasn't a cultivator, could sense the abnormality in Yaowanggou.

With thirteen Doom cultivators killed, the Doom Gate Formation would bring unimaginable disaster.

Qiu Zhiheng scrambled to his feet, stumbling, pulled out a yellow paper, immediately burned it, and sent a message to Elder Yao.

The Misfortune Star would surely go after Elder Yao. If Elder Yao killed the Misfortune Star, there might still be a turn for the better.

But Luo Zhengnan shook his head repeatedly. He knew more about the Doom Gate Formation. "Killing the Misfortune Star is useless. Even if the formation master dies, the Doom Gate Formation won't stop. It's over; Yaowanggou is doomed."

Qiu Zhiheng was stunned for a long time, then quickly rushed out of the pharmacy. "Quickly, break the Doom Gate Formation!"

"How do we break it?" Luo Zhengnan was at a loss.

The Doom Gate Formation has hundreds of blood-spattered points. How can it be broken?

Li Banfeng, covered in mud, returned to the Portable Abode, utterly exhausted.

He had dug out a hundred and seventy bloodstains, so tired that he couldn't straighten his back.

The Gramophone picked out the bloodstains from the mud, made an estimation, and said, "Husband, if you dig out three more spots at most, the formation will surely be broken!"

"Good! Wife, give me some strength!"

Boom! Boom!

The Gramophone started beating war drums, and the booming drumbeats made Li Banfeng forget his fatigue.

Amidst the sound of war drums, the whistle was even louder than before!

Li Banfeng walked out of the Portable Abode once more.

Hong Ying was somewhat disbelieving. "Did he really break the Doom Gate Formation?"

"Oh, that's my man!" The Gramophone's singing voice was very loud.

"Don't think this is all your man's credit. He wouldn't have been able to do it without this manor!"

"Let me tell you, in a while, he'll be able to do it even without the manor! That's my man!" The Gramophone's singing voice grew even louder.