Chapter 415: The World Misunderstands Deeply

"I've given it all, I'll give more..."Hong Ying chopped off one of the beggar's hands and stuffed it into his mouth. "Is that enough?" she asked.

Li Banfeng was curious how Hong Ying, being blind, managed to be so precise. Perhaps due to his usual beatings, the mendicant beggar was incredibly resilient. He spat out the hand and tried to use his technique again, "I've given it all, I've given it all..."

A cloud of steam, rising from his feet to his head, stripped a layer of skin from the beggar. In excruciating pain, he finally gave up resisting.

"Spare my life! I am a local guardian deity. I was sent here by someone, I was sent here, I didn't mean to harm you!"

Hong Ying paused for a moment upon hearing this, then said to Li Banfeng, "Qilang, this isn't Yuan Shoulou."

Li Banfeng feigned surprise. "Oh, is that so?"

Hong Ying shook her spearhead. "Yuan Shoulou may have escaped, but he's not a coward."

Upon hearing this, Tang Dao straightened up.

The Phonograph asked, "Who sent you?"

"I... I..." The beggar coughed uncontrollably.

"Not speaking?" The Phonograph sneered, sending cloud after cloud of steam back and forth over the skinless beggar.

"Uh, uh..." The beggar was still coughing, apparently having lost the ability to speak.

Hong Ying shouted, "You wicked woman, don't be so harsh! We haven't gotten the information yet!"

"It seems we won't get anything," the Phonograph said, poking the beggar's throat with its stylus. "He can't speak. Someone tampered with him."

"If you can't speak, write!" Hong Ying roared. The beggar dipped his finger in his own blood, trying to write on the ground. His finger instantly festered.

"Something's wrong!" The Phonograph instantly boiled the beggar with steam. "Husband, keep your distance from him!"

Li Banfeng scratched his cheek. It seemed the situation had already gone awry.

In the wilderness, Cui Tik was still searching for traces of the beggar when he suddenly heard Li Banfeng call from behind him, "Dr. Cui Tik, it's so late. Are you out for a stroll?"

Cui Tik slowly turned around and smiled at Li Banfeng. "You can see me." He possessed the power of the Greenwater Beggar, so technically, Li Banfeng shouldn't have been able to see him. However, through the Golden Eye's meticulous technique, Li Banfeng could. To Cui Tik, this was Li Qi's true strength.

Cui Tik relaxed his shoulders. "It seems I still underestimated you. To be frank, I'm here looking for that beggar."

Li Banfeng deliberately asked, "Which beggar?"

Cui Tik chuckled. "There's no point in playing innocent now. Given the current situation, he's probably already dead by your hand. Li Qi, I've always wondered, back in Yaowang Gully, when we first met, both Daboyins and I tried to apprehend you. Neither of us was truly your match, so why did you hide from us then?"

Li Banfeng certainly wouldn't admit he couldn't defeat them at the time. He rephrased it, "Because I genuinely wanted to befriend you."

Cui Tik nodded. "Your insincerity is truly touching. If I'm not mistaken, the beggar I was looking for is already dead by your hand, and I've appeared at the wrong place at the wrong time. What you want to do now is silence me. But I don't want you to kill me. Can we find a compromise?"

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "That depends on how deep our friendship is."

"I don't trust friendship, but I do trust business. How about we make a deal?"

"Tell me more."

Cui Tik said, "I genuinely don't know where that beggar is now, so I'll assume you killed him. I'll report his death to a very important person, but I won't say it was you. I'll say it was someone dressed in white, which is also what I truly saw. Can you accept this arrangement?"

The person in white referred to Honeydew Hong Ying, who wore white clothing. This indeed made it difficult to connect the incident to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng thought for a moment before replying, "Whether I can accept depends on what kind of leverage you can offer."

Cui Tik said, "I can cure your illness. Do you feel an itch on your face?"

He was right; Li Banfeng's face was indeed itching intensely. No one else in the household showed any abnormalities, including Hong Ying, who had already grown flesh. Only Li Banfeng's face itched agonizingly, which was why he had temporarily left his residence.

Cui Tik informed Li Banfeng, "This is an illness from my Daoist sect's patriarch. It's deadly, but far stronger than the festering sores I once contracted. I can cure your illness. Do you think that's enough as leverage?"

"Your Daoist patriarch? The Greenwater Beggar?" Li Banfeng was tense, but his expression remained calm. "To my knowledge, there's no way to cure the Greenwater Beggar's illness except by finding him directly." Qiu Zhiheng had once told Li Banfeng that even Elder Yao couldn't decipher the Greenwater Beggar's technique.

But Cui Tik was confident. "I now possess the ability to do this. You can choose not to trust me, or you can kill me right away. Perhaps you have other ways to cure yourself, but that will take time. As long as the patriarch's illness is on you, he can pinpoint your location and find you at any moment. You surely don't want him to find you, so this deal is a good option for you, don't you think?"

With the talent of house cultivation, combined with the power of his residence and house spirit, Li Banfeng might indeed be able to neutralize the Greenwater Beggar's technique, but Cui Tik was right – it would take time.

Li Banfeng nodded. "I think this deal is very reasonable."

Cui Tik walked closer to Li Banfeng, his eyes fixed on Li Banfeng's face. "Don't worry, I won't ambush you; that would be foolish. Give me a moment, and the problem will be resolved quickly."

A few minutes later, Li Banfeng felt the itching subside. Cui Tik's face twisted repeatedly, and dense bumps appeared on his cheeks. He had transferred the illness left by the Greenwater Beggar onto himself.

"The Patriarch's taste is truly unique..." Cui Tik struggled to say. "I've fulfilled my promise. May I leave now?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Before you go, can you reveal some of your patriarch's intentions? Was this beggar sent by him?"

"He sent him. He's very concerned about your land reclamation efforts."

"Why is he concerned about my land reclamation? Is it because I've gathered a lot of people in Greenwater City?"

Cui Tik shook his head. "I don't know the exact reason, but my advice to you is to continue doing what you want to do."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because the Greenwater Beggar is that kind of person. Even if you wanted to stop now, he wouldn't let you go. Farewell, my friend. And don't touch that beggar's corpse again."

Li Banfeng didn't need to worry about that. The beggar was already in his family's stomachs, and the scarce remains had been cleanly disposed of by Honglian. After everyone finished their meal, his wife had disinfected them all with steam. What truly worried Li Banfeng was what the Greenwater Beggar would do next.

Cui Tik returned to the hospital and immediately prayed to the Greenwater Beggar, "Great Patriarch, I have been monitoring that beggar's movements as you commanded, and now he is no longer in this world."

Shortly after, the Greenwater Beggar appeared before Cui Tik. "Speak more clearly. Is he dead?"

"Yes," Cui Tik nodded.

"What about the body?"

"I destroyed it."

"Why?"

"Because his body bore the Patriarch's power. If others found his corpse, they might use it to track your whereabouts, Patriarch."

The Greenwater Beggar smiled. "You did very well. Do you want to know who that beggar was?"

"Provided, Patriarch, that you are willing to tell me, and that it is something I am permitted to know."

The Greenwater Beggar chuckled. "It's still hard for me to hear you speak, but what you said just now was quite pleasing. That beggar was named Dogtail Grass, the local guardian deity of the new land next to Lanyang Village. He's crossed paths with me several times over the years, and I've taken over more than seventy percent of his territory. His cultivation was about to drop to rock bottom. Now that he's dead, there's no need to leave him what little land he had left. I'll take it all. In the future, if you're fortunate enough to cultivate to the cloud-level, you can come to me for a piece of territory."

"Thank you for your generosity, Patriarch."

The Greenwater Beggar shook his head. "Don't thank me yet. The matter isn't finished. Did you see who killed him?"

Cui Tik answered truthfully, "I didn't see the confrontation itself. I only saw a figure dressed in white."

The Greenwater Beggar laughed. "That scoundrel on Jianren Ridge, to protect Li Qi, actually let Zhong Huaien and that garment intervene. What level has that garment reached to be able to kill Dogtail Grass? It seems I can't just sit idly by. I need to give them a response."

Cui Tik bowed respectfully. "I am willing to do everything in my power to help you win this war, Patriarch."

"War? I'm not used to the words you're using," the Greenwater Beggar chuckled. "I've already made my move. I suspect Chu Shaoqiang won't be able to withstand it, just like back then."

In a Western-style house next to Yangjiao Garden, Chu Shaoqiang, the former head of the Chu family, sat on a sofa wearing a grayish-white overcoat, listening to the white-clad youth Zhong Huaien report the results of his investigation.

"Mr. Chu, Li Qi has returned to Greenwater City. He contacted the He family, and his relationship with He Yuxiu seems very close. He's recruited even more land reclaimers. Should we make a move against him?" Zhong Huaien stroked his chin.

Chu Shaoqiang shook his head. "No need to rush that matter. I'd rather talk with Qiu Luoye, especially since his contract is still under Neizhou's control. I've heard that the Commissioner of Border Defense has made some moves, seemingly aimed at me."

Zhong Huaien knew about this and was about to tell Chu Shaoqiang, "Chief Commissioner Liao sent people to the Qing Shou Society, hoping for an audience with you."

"No," Chu Shaoqiang flatly refused. "I'd also advise you not to have too much contact with him. You must have heard something about my past."

Zhong Huaien scratched his cheek. "But Master says that if we want to reclaim our territory, we can't do without the Commissioner of Border Defense's support."

Chu Shaoqiang shook his head and chuckled. "The Commissioner of Border Defense won't support you. Only Neizhou can help you."

"But Master says..." Zhong Huaien vigorously scratched his cheek as clear, crystalline blisters slowly began to rise on his face.

Chu Shaoqiang frowned, stood up, and moved away. "Have you seen the Greenwater Beggar?"

Zhong Huaien shook his head blankly. "I haven't seen him. I've been avoiding him as you instructed."

"It seems you didn't manage to avoid him!" Chu Shaoqiang prepared to leave the villa immediately.

Only then did Zhong Huaien realize he might have been afflicted by the Greenwater Beggar's technique. He quickly caught up. "Mr. Chu, please tell me what to do! Can the illness inflicted by Greenwater Beggar still be cured?"

Chu Shaoqiang offered advice, "Steaming yourself in boiling water for a few hours should resolve it."

"Steaming?" Zhong Huaien shook his head. "I can't withstand steaming; my cultivation isn't high enough."

Chu Shaoqiang maintained as much distance as possible from Zhong Huaien. "I'm speaking to the clothes on your body."

The white garment immediately left Zhong Huaien and went to the kitchen to boil water.

Wan Jinxian contacted He Jiaqing. "Jiaqing, Greenwater Beggar wants to join forces with us."

"Greenwater Beggar? Isn't he Neizhou's lackey? How could he possibly ally with us?" He Jiaqing was riding his electric scooter, delivering takeout. Several nearby residential areas were quite lively.

"He's fallen out with Neizhou. Neizhou sent Chu Shaoqiang, seemingly for a confrontation."

"Didn't Chu Shaoqiang die?"

"He's not dead. His cultivation has reached the cloud-level, and he even has some contact with Li Qi."

"How could Li Qi have contact with Chu Shaoqiang? What has he been busy with lately?" He Jiaqing suspected Wan Jinxian's information was incorrect.

"Li Qi has been busy with land reclamation lately. Last night, he returned to Greenwater City. Someone saw him enter the He family mansion, personally welcomed in by He Yuxiu. He didn't come out until the next morning."

*Clang!* He Jiaqing crashed into the curb, his takeout box overturned, spilling food all over the ground.

Wan Jinxian was still waiting for a reply. "Jiaqing, what about Greenwater Beggar?"

"Stall him for now. Don't give him a definite answer until I've investigated the matter thoroughly."

He Jiaqing cut off the call, stood next to his electric scooter, and cursed, "Shameless! Both of them are shameless! Don't they know the generational gap? Truly shameless!" His phone repeatedly chimed with reminders: "Your order has timed out."

Zhong Huaien arrived at Yaowang Gully, reaching Elder Yao's residence deep in the mountains. He knew something had happened to Yao Xin and that Xu Han lived here. This was Chu Shaoqiang's idea: if he wanted to live, he should seek out the Ancestor of Gold Cultivation. As long as Xu Han was willing to help him, there might still be a glimmer of hope.

Seeing Zhong Huaien covered in blisters, Elder Xu frowned and asked, "Child, have you been afflicted by Greenwater Beggar's technique?"

Zhong Huaien cried, "I'm just an ordinary citizen of Greenwater City. That day, I met a beggar covered in festering sores. I even gave him some money, but when I returned home, I ended up like this. Later, a master told me to come to Yaowang Gully to find you, saying I might still save my life. That's why I..."

Xu Han interrupted Zhong Huaien. "Child, don't rush. First, explain yourself clearly. You say you're an ordinary citizen, but I don't think so. If I'm not mistaken, you should be a disciple from Sage Peak, correct?"

Seeing that his identity was exposed, Zhong Huaien didn't dare to argue. "Elder Xu, I know you have some grievances with my Master. I truly know nothing about the matters between you two elders. Please, in your great generosity, save my life."

Zhong Huaien knelt on the ground. This routine was second nature to him from Sage Peak; kneeling for days and nights was no problem.

Xu Han quickly helped Zhong Huaien up. "What do the matters of our older generation have to do with a child like you? Since you've come, how can I stand by and do nothing? Stay here for two days. After I'm done with my current tasks, I'll prepare some medicine for you."

Zhong Huaien remained kneeling. "Elder Xu, I can't wait. The itching on my body is unbearable; I can barely live."

Elder Xu, left with no choice, immediately prepared a large barrel of golden liquid for Zhong Huaien. "Come, child, soak in this for three days, and your illness will be cured."

"Here, soak..." Zhong Huaien found it somewhat difficult.

Xu Han frowned. "Child, this is treatment. How can you be so picky? If you can't endure even this, how will you save your life?"

Zhong Huaien gritted his teeth, stripped off his clothes, and entered the barrel, immersing his entire body in the golden liquid.

"That's right. Lower your head further, immerse both your mouth and nose. When you need to breathe, let your nose out, but absolutely do not let your mouth out."

Zhong Huaien, with a gurgling voice, asked with difficulty, "Can this really cure the illness?"

"You came to me, and you still don't trust me? Child, keep soaking here. I'll go up the mountain to find more medicinal herbs for you."

Elder Xu left the courtyard, sighed softly, and murmured to himself, "The world misunderstands me too deeply. Why do they all take me for a good person?"