Chapter 364: Blood Investment

The sickle and my lady both came from Feng Ji's General Store. It's accurate to say they came from the same place.

Whirring.

The phonograph slowly said, "When I was in the general store, I didn't notice you. You probably didn't have sentience then."

The sickle replied, "I don't know what you mean by 'sentience,' but I remember you. I even remember the songs you sang back then."

Li Banfeng paused, surprised, and asked, "So, she already had sentience back in the general store?"

The phonograph was silent for a moment. "Oh, my dear master," it said, "I dare not claim to be vastly knowledgeable, but my discernment is quite good.

Back then, I saw many strange things in Feng Ji's General Store. If this sickle truly had sentience, there's no way I wouldn't have known."

Late at night, a fortune teller still had his stall open at the alley entrance. He saw the peep show operator approaching from afar and whispered, "Old Mei, where's the cart?"

The phonograph gently tapped the gourd with its needle. "Sister," it said, "you're more experienced. Put more thought into teaching this sickle, teaching her hand by hand."

Li Banfeng closed the back compartment of the phonograph's casing and sat down seriously beside it.

"All of us?" The fortune teller was very surprised.

The peep show operator stopped moving. Its spiritual essence had been depleted, and its mission was complete.

"Tell him that only he can watch this film. He'll know what to do afterwards."

"The main warehouse is waiting. All our brothers, with the children, are to go to Warehouses Six and Five."

This blood could easily attract attention.

This sickle might have indeed remembered some things back then, but that would only count as having some spiritual presence. There are too many things with spiritual presence in this world.

Objects crafted with exquisite workmanship have spiritual presence, and so do things with innate skill.

The phonograph observed very carefully. This was a characteristic of a self-generated spirit; some techniques it hadn't learned yet.

It felt uncomfortable, but couldn't pinpoint why.

By the time Luo Zhengnan returned to the warehouse, Li Banfeng had already taken care of everything. Everyone from the Black Stone Branch had been sent away, with not even a single corpse remaining.

The peep show operator shook his head. "I don't know about that. What's my standing? The branch leader only gave one instruction, and I didn't dare ask more."

In terms of combat ability, Li Banfeng wasn't worried. Judging from its performance today, the sickle's combat experience was quite good.

But the phonograph was still uneasy. If this sentience's origin was unknown, it might threaten Li Banfeng's life.

The peep show operator replied, "The business is done, and everything is settled."

"Where's the branch leader?"

This sickle is a weapon Master often uses. If it truly has become a self-generated spirit, it would be a rare treasure. However, if we interrogate it too harshly, it might damage its temperament, which could later be detrimental to Master.

Li Banfeng listened very carefully. Whenever my lady lectured, her tone and demeanor always made Li Banfeng's heart tremble.

The phonograph wanted her to be more cautious and to act against the sickle if necessary.

The sickle flew to the side of the corpse and made a cut in the flesh.

Everyone entered the main warehouse together. The peep show operator and Luo Zhengnan closed the main warehouse door, securing it with the bolt and lock.

Luo Zhengnan had been frantic. Seeing Li Banfeng safe and sound, his heart finally settled.

This was a limitation of the Art of Housing Beauty in a Golden House: blood had to be spilled within the residence to maintain its spiritual essence.

Any painting by a high-level painting cultivator carries spiritual presence. Our family's projector, and the films it records, also carry spiritual presence.

A group of Jiang Xiang Gang disciples gathered the children they had previously abducted, tied their hands and feet, blindfolded them, gagged them, and loaded them into carriages, sending them all to the main warehouse.

This was the difficult aspect of the Art of Housing Beauty in a Golden House: whether it was a painting or a sculpture, the more beautiful the creation, the stronger its combat ability.

This aligned with the characteristics of a self-generated spirit.

The peep show operator shivered. The sickle cut several times, wanting to eat, but unsure how to begin.

In the main room of the Portable Residence, upon seeing flesh and blood, all magical artifacts had a desire to consume it, and the sickle was no exception.

Luo Zhengnan said, "Seventh Master, if you don't leave, I absolutely won't leave either."

Li Banfeng was already prepared. "Go to the train station immediately. Return to Greenwater City tonight."

With that, the peep show operator left. He was acting according to the rules, so no one suspected anything.

"This is the branch leader's order."

Keeping a self-generated spirit by its master's side is the best way to cultivate its temperament.

Soon after, two people arrived at the branch and asked the peep show operator, "Did the branch leader really tell all the brothers to go? Are the brothers from all the other sub-branches going too? Shouldn't at least two stay behind to guard the place?"

"Seventh Master, it's all my fault. I didn't think things through thoroughly. You can punish me however you like!"

No one dared to delay; they quickly went to gather their men. Fortunately, the Black Stone Branch didn't have many people to begin with.

He found some soil and spread a layer under the door crack, covering the blood. Then he drove the cart, handed the children over to friends, and had them sent back to their homes one by one.

But is it possible that its nature is deceitful, and it's intentionally putting on an act?

The phonograph deliberated carefully, then said to Li Banfeng, "Master, take this sickle with you. In daily life, teach her more rules—don't act casually when she shouldn't. And during battles, teach her more techniques."

Li Banfeng's craftsmanship was lacking, which made the Art of Housing Beauty in a Golden House his least proficient technique.

"Sickle Sister, since we're family, we must eat the same food. Consider that person's flesh and blood a reward for you."

Li Banfeng boarded a small train, sitting by the window and watching the street scenery pass by.

After working for over an hour, Li Banfeng left the Portable Residence and quickly ran back to Black Stone Slope.

Arriving at the entrance of Warehouses Six and Five, the peep show operator was standing by the door, gesturing for them to quickly enter.

The phonograph said, "Oh, Master, are you trying to use the Art of Housing Beauty in a Golden House? With his appearance, you can't make him into a beauty no matter what you do, and anything you create from him won't have much combat ability."

My lady continued, "However, self-generated spirits are not so rare in the residences of house cultivators. Many house cultivators' house spirits are generated by the residence itself, utilizing the spiritual essence of the earth.

Passing the Patrol Office, Li Banfeng pulled down his hat brim.

The gourd understood that fighting didn't need to be taught; this sickle had a natural talent for it.

The peep show operator said, "I brought back five today. I'll take them to the main warehouse first."

There were some bloodstains left in the warehouse. Luo Zhengnan said, "Seventh Master, you don't need to worry about this. I'll find someone to deal with it.

Please pack up quickly. We need to leave Black Stone Slope as soon as possible. I've inquired, and the Patrol Commissioner here has just been replaced. This person has quite a temper, and I estimate something big will happen in the next day or two."

"What about the travel permits?"

The Jiang Xiang Gang members started lifting children from the carriage to unload them, but the peep show operator shook his head. "Leave them by the entrance for now, and wait for the branch leader's instructions."

The sickle hovered around Li Banfeng, seeming a bit uneasy. "Li Lang," it said, "could you please stop talking about these things with her? I don't want to hear anything related to me."

The phonograph encouraged it, saying, "Eat, sister. This is good stuff. Everyone in this room knows it's good stuff."

Li Banfeng waved his hand. "This isn't your fault. The Jiang Xiang Gang was too thoroughly prepared beforehand.

I'll go to their branch in a bit and draw them all out. You do me a favor and rescue all the children."

Test her again.

Li Banfeng took this opportunity to bring the skin back to the Portable Residence and sprinkled some blood on it again.

"Things with spiritual presence have memories, but spiritual presence is far from sentience. This sickle's sentience is only recent, and I cannot understand its origin."

"But our residence has no foundation; logically, it shouldn't be able to generate a house spirit. So, Master, please pull out the oil brush and let your humble servant catch her breath."

"Even if it encounters one by chance, if its spiritual essence doesn't align with its spiritual presence, it won't become a self-generated spirit. It might even transform into a demon due to spiritual conflict."

Should he put away the sickle and slowly examine it?

The phonograph reconsidered, thinking this was not appropriate.

"That's not something we should worry about."

"My lady, you just said she was a self-generated spirit. What exactly is a self-generated spirit?"

Moreover, this peep show operator was truly unattractive. No matter how good his skills were, he couldn't be described as handsome.

Fortunately, Li Banfeng didn't require him to be strong in combat. Being able to exchange a few words was enough. After all, Li Banfeng was a seventh-level house cultivator; achieving this shouldn't be difficult.

The sickle looked at the peep show operator.

The pendulum was very smart; it understood Li Banfeng's meaning and found some rags and waste paper to fill the skin.

The peep show operator offered no explanation, and the fortune teller dared not hesitate, quickly returning to the branch.

"A self-generated spirit is an object with spiritual presence that gains its own sentience through the nourishment of external spiritual essence.

Under normal circumstances, self-generated spirits are extremely rare. For an object with spiritual presence to encounter external spiritual essence depends purely on chance."

Luo Zhengnan waited for a moment at the door, then saw fresh blood flowing out from under the door crack.

The phonograph played a slow tune and sang softly, "Since it wasn't generated by the residence, then where did this sentience come from?"

It could say some words, but not very clearly.

"You must go; there's something important to do," Li Banfeng said, taking out a roll of film and handing it to Luo Zhengnan. "Give this film to Ma Wu. Make sure you hand it to him personally, and don't let anyone else see it.

Li Banfeng looked at the peeled skin and said to the pendulum, "We need to make something good, and I'll need your help in many places."

Passing a Jiang Xiang Gang sub-branch, it was pitch black inside, seemingly empty, but Li Banfeng wasn't sure if there were any stragglers.

Luo Zhengnan put away the film and quickly headed to Greenwater City.

He knew the Patrol Office would surely take action. He wanted to see how much effort the Patrol Commissioner would put into helping the Jiang Xiang Gang.