Chapter 378: There Really Is a Win-Win Solution

He Yuxiu spent three days effortlessly clearing the land.

Li Banfeng hired a few people from Meng Yuchun's territory to help He Yuxiu build a house. He also bought food and wine from the chef and set up a table in the tent to celebrate He Yuxiu's success.

He Yuxiu picked up a roasted lamb's head, took a bite, and praised repeatedly, "This chef's skill is truly excellent. Culinary cultivators are rare now. If he weren't a seed from the new land, I would really want to take him back to Luoshui City."

As a descendant of a renowned family, He Yuxiu, despite her impulsiveness, had extensive knowledge and could discern the origin of the food and wine.

Although satisfied with the food and drink, He Yuxiu slightly furrowed her brows while looking at the wooden house being built. "Brother," she asked, "do I really have to live here permanently?"

When outsiders were present, He Yuxiu called Li Banfeng "brother," as they had agreed.

"They brought me long leaves that should have been short, thorny plants that should have been flowered ones. And after finally finding the right ginseng, those idiots couldn't even dig up the root; they just brought back the leaves! What good is that?"

"This is great stuff!" He Yuxiu exclaimed, gazing at the cabbage man from all angles. "It looks exactly like the real thing."

"No problem!" Zhang Wanlong immediately took out a small bag of seeds and gave them to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng told it to move, but the "cabbage man" didn't understand the command.

The cabbage core was crisp and sweet, but like watermelon, it was incredibly astringent. The astringency made Li Banfeng break out in a sweat, and the sweat carried a fishy cabbage smell.

"With a station, I can park," the Portable Abode replied.

"My lord, you're making things difficult for your humble servant. Your territory is still so remote. If you were to go to Luoshui City and something happened here, even if you sensed it, you wouldn't be able to rush back."

"It's different. Parking at a station is called normal parking; parking elsewhere is called temporary parking."

"Talking about money is unnecessary between friends. I want to be your friend, so these seeds are a gift."

The one-li plot was neither too big nor too small. Besides the golden mountain and farmland, Zhang Wanlong had also specifically created a garden.

"What's the point of building a station?" Li Banfeng didn't understand what the Portable Abode meant.

He Yuxiu tapped Youtao's nose bridge, smiling without a word.

Zhang Wanlong had planted several acres of crops, not for humans to eat, but specifically for strange creatures.

Li Banfeng thought for a long time and remembered his previous experience dealing with the watermelon people.

"What's the difference?"

He Yuxiu touched the cabbage man's clothes. "He's even wearing a white tunic. Seventh Brother, did you prepare this for him?"

The type of fruit produced depends on whose blood is used for breeding.

"Before these seeds are planted, they need to drink a drop of blood. The fruit they bear will resemble whoever's blood they drank."

"Run!"

How did it turn into cabbage?

Shouldn't it be an eggplant?

Could it be that eggplant people and cabbage people have different functions?

Li Banfeng cut open the cabbage with a knife, and a man emerged from inside.

He was now a seven-level House Cultivator, possessing techniques for peaceful living and prosperity. If he didn't return home for an extended period, his luck would be severely affected.

Zhang Wanlong's cultivated plot indeed didn't look like new land. The one-li square territory was crisscrossed with paths, and crops grew very lushly. Even before it was fully cleared, he had already managed it meticulously.

He could return himself, but the key couldn't. Once he went to the plot, Li Banfeng couldn't return home quickly.

"Where can't you park?"

Knowing He Yuxiu likely had private matters to discuss with Li Baisha, Youtao found an excuse to leave the tent. He Yuxiu then lowered her voice and asked, "Is there any news from Luoshui City?"

Li Banfeng shouted, "Go!"

They carried woven baskets on their backs, filled with various herbs.

Li Banfeng brought a portion of food and wine into the plot to congratulate the two. They were busy and didn't have time to eat yet.

Li Banfeng carried the food container, sighing inwardly. No matter how exquisite a chef's methods, the aroma of the food and wine ultimately couldn't compare to the might of the golden mountain.

The phonograph picked up a seed with its needle, observed it for a moment, and seemed to discern something special.

Zhang Wanlong chuckled, "Seventh Master, you're a joker. If they all look like me, what's the point of planting them?"

These strange creatures weren't here to cause trouble; they were here to eat.

Li Banfeng thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a good solution.

Li Banfeng returned to the Portable Abode with the seeds, took out one, placed it on the table, unscrewed the Blood-Infused Pendulum, and sprinkled a drop of blood onto the seed.

He Yuxiu also noticed the problem. "This doesn't seem like clothes. It feels like cabbage core."

"There's a way: build a train station here."

"You don't want to stay on the territory, but you still want to manage affairs on it. Your humble servant truly cannot think of such a perfect solution."

Youtao said from beside her, "Sister, whatever you want to say, tell me."

He Yuxiu, naturally unafraid of the cabbage, smashed its head with a single punch.

It knew no fear.

He Yuxiu nodded. "Haiqin is ruthless in his actions. He eliminated all the formidable individuals from the branch families, making them obedient. But when real trouble arises, they're utterly useless; not a single one can handle things. Now that Haiqin is gone and Haisheng is in another province, if I don't show my face, the He family will likely be finished."

"The difference is that with temporary parking, the doors are closed, but at a station, they're open."

Li Banfeng looked at Zhang Wanlong's plot, observing the lush crops in the farmland, and murmured to himself, "It's certainly troublesome, but it's also truly a good thing."

"Hiding in the new land might not be safe either," He Yuxiu said, looking outside the tent. "I've seen many cultivation masters, but never one this strange. Look at his plot; it doesn't even look like new land anymore."

The cabbage man slowly walked forward.

Li Banfeng returned to the Portable Abode to sleep.

Li Banfeng patted the "cabbage man's" face with a sickle, but the "cabbage man" showed no reaction.

A dining table was set amidst the flower bushes, making the meal truly enjoyable.

"What a powerful method! This method has great use! Perhaps it can, perhaps it can..."

He Yuxiu sighed. "When I was young, I didn't want to come to the new land. This place is always dark, full of talking birds and beasts but few talking people. After a long time, it can truly stifle a person to death."

It felt unreal to the touch, but looked flawless.

Li Banfeng buried the seed in the plot He Yuxiu had opened. He didn't have Zhang Wanlong's techniques, so this thing grew much slower. After waiting for over an hour, only the roots had just begun to sprout.

Zhang Wanlong shook his head. "We're not here to acquire land. We truly came here for cultivation. If we expand too much territory and fail to attract popularity, wouldn't that be equivalent to bothering the local land gods?"

Li Banfeng held the seeds and asked, "After these are planted, will they all look like you?"

"Just one drop of blood."

Considering the function of these seeds, one thousand silver dollars was truly not expensive; it could even be said to be ridiculously cheap.

"Kill!"

Fortunately, He Yuxiu was well-informed. Seeing the cut-open cabbage nearby and then this dull-eyed person, she realized this must be something cultivated by that strange Land Cultivator.

Li Banfeng nodded. "If it stays in our hands, it's indeed a good thing."

The cabbage man didn't answer, seemingly unable to speak.

Li Banfeng had indeed gathered some information through Luo Zhengnan: "The bad news is that the Border Commissioner is still targeting the He family, and their business is declining day by day. The good news is that none of the He family branches are causing trouble, so things are relatively peaceful within the family for now."

The next afternoon, the three days were up, and Zhang Wanlong successfully cultivated the land, a result that was without suspense.

The cabbage man immediately quickened its pace.

The cabbage man turned its face towards Li Banfeng, seemingly sensing something from him.

"Can you sell me some of these seeds?"

Li Banfeng then said to the "cabbage man," "What's your name?"

Genzi no longer needed to search for gold dust with a spoon and fork; piles of golden mountains were right before him, ready for his use.

"Alright, I'll remember this gesture of sincerity. I'll take the seeds now, and you can send the money tomorrow."

What he said was fine, and what he did was also fine.

Li Banfeng said, "If you show your face and fall directly into the Border Commissioner's hands, wouldn't the He family be finished even faster?"

"Perhaps what?" Li Banfeng didn't understand why his wife was so excited.

His wife paused, then sang, "Oh, my lord, your humble servant spoke nonsense for a moment. You need not mind."

He Yuxiu shook the cabbage juice from her hands and said to Li Banfeng, "Seventh Brother, don't underestimate this cabbage. One or two are easy to deal with, but hundreds would be a real problem. If there were thousands, even tens of thousands, they could probably walk sideways through the entire Province of Puro."

"Then what... wait a minute!" Li Banfeng suddenly realized. "So, if I build a station on this territory, you can bring me here without closing the car doors?"

Zhang Wanlong smiled, "If it were anyone else, I might not sell them no matter the price, but you, Seventh Master, are different. Whenever you come to buy from me, seeds of this quality will always be this price."

However, the remaining cabbage body continued to tear at He Yuxiu. He Yuxiu swung her fist and utterly pounded the "cabbage man" into a pulpy mess. Even with only a few lingering remnants, the cabbage man still tried to fight He Yuxiu.

Two-faced sheep, headless cattle, donkey-headed maggots, and eight-legged rabbits arrived in droves on Li Banfeng's territory.

Back in the Portable Abode, Li Banfeng sat on the edge of his bed, lost in thought.

He Yuxiu shook her head. "If this thing can't move, it's pretty useless."

He cut off two pieces of the cabbage core with a knife and chewed them.

Its use didn't seem small.

Li Banfeng said, "Isn't that price too low?"

Zhang Wanlong shook his head. "They can only do some rough work, Seventh Master. Look at the herbs in this basket; eight or nine out of ten are unusable."

After eating and drinking their fill, Zhang Wanlong and Genzi went about their respective tasks. Li Banfeng took a stroll around the plot; the land was full of proper crops, and the eggplant-version "Zhang Wanlongs" that had been planted earlier were all gone.

The phonograph asked, "Oh, my lord, what's bothering you now?"

"How much for this bag of seeds?"

Zhang Wanlong nodded. "Seventh Master speaks frankly. Since you're offering sincerity, I won't ask for too much. This bag of seeds costs one thousand silver dollars."

Li Banfeng nodded. "At least for a few months."

The cabbage man turned and rushed towards He Yuxiu because, besides Li Banfeng, He Yuxiu was the only other person present. Li Banfeng carried the scent of cabbage, so the cabbage man wouldn't attack cabbage.

After two cups of wine, Li Banfeng asked Zhang Wanlong, "With your skills, opening another three to five li of new land wouldn't be a problem, would it?"

The next morning, they saw a cabbage over a meter tall growing in the field.

Li Banfeng said, "I don't want to stay in the new land indefinitely, but some matters on the territory require careful handling. If anything changes, I need to be able to come back and check on it."

Zhang Wanlong laughed, "Seventh Master, this isn't a dining area. Please wait a moment, and I'll prepare another spot."

She recognized this man; he was a disciple of the Soda Hall from the Jiangxiang Gang, who had died at Li Banfeng's hands and had a significant amount of blood drained by the Blood-Infused Pendulum before his death.

Li Banfeng repeatedly compared these cultivated "Zhang Wanlongs" and found that they had subtle differences from the original, though these weren't noticeable without close inspection.

If something was sensed on the territory, could he just use his thoughts to have the Portable Abode bring him back to the plot?

Li Banfeng shook his head. He hadn't prepared any clothes for the cabbage man; the tunic and trousers had come out of the cabbage with him.

Where had all the eggplant people gone?

As Li Banfeng was about to leave the plot, he saw several "Zhang Wanlongs" returning.

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I don't accept things for free. If you don't name a price, I can only return them."

He Yuxiu had just come out of the tent, preparing to wash up. Upon seeing this man, she almost attacked him.

The crops Zhang Wanlong planted for them were non-toxic, harmless, and quite delicious. The sole purpose of having them eat these crops was to have them produce materials for Genzi to make the gold-adjusting liquid while they ate.

Li Banfeng looked at the real Zhang Wanlong. "It seems your cultivated good things not only entertain but also do a lot of work."

The Portable Abode suddenly trembled, and an aged voice echoed in Li Banfeng's ear:

Li Banfeng asked in surprise, "Just one drop of blood?"

"As long as it's within normal parking times at a station, the doors will be open."