Chapter 428: Desolate Village Blood Case

Qiao Shaofin hurried along, with Li Banfeng close behind. The journey filled Li Banfeng with trepidation. This woman's martial arts were strange and her attacks ruthless; a single misstep could cost Li Banfeng his life. He dared to follow her because he noticed her poor perception skills. Earlier, when he buried "Li Banfeng" in the swamp, she didn't even realize "Li Banfeng" was made of cabbage.

He followed her all the way to a desolate village. When Qiao Shaofin entered a large mansion, Li Banfeng stopped pursuing. This was Qiao Shaofin's residence. The "Madam Wuqin" she mentioned should also live here. Li Banfeng didn't linger. He immediately left the desolate village, returned to the new territory, and spent the night searching for a suitable route, but found none. He had intended to bypass the new territory and return to Qiu Luoye's domain, but he hadn't anticipated how difficult it would be. Even knowing the direction, he couldn't find a walkable path.

As dawn approached, Li Banfeng circled back to Wuqin Village, used a mechanism to open the boundary, and returned to Qiu Luoye's domain from the main territory. The domain was silent. After returning to the main territory, people quickly resumed their regular day-and-night routines. At daybreak, households began to wake up. Pioneers each sought a way out, while Three-Headed Men rebuilt houses and tended to farmlands. The morning was relatively peaceful, but by afternoon, pioneers, anxious to return home but still unable to find a way out, caused disputes to erupt across the domain.

Qiu Luoye informed Li Banfeng about the situation with Wannian Lao. Li Banfeng wanted to meet him, but Shui Yongquan advised him to wait.

"Seventh Brother," Shui Yongquan said, "you want to bypass the new territory to reach Wuqin Village. Wannian Lao is useless for this. The domain has changed, and he himself doesn't know where Wuqin Village is. He even mistook us for people from Wuqin Village before. Qiu Daxiang fought him, and Wannian Lao was at a disadvantage then due to his limited strength. If we go to him again now, he'll definitely be on guard and might even set traps. We should be careful."

Li Banfeng deliberated repeatedly but still decided to visit Wannian Lao's domain. Just as he was about to leave, Juanzi invited him into the house.

"Seventh Master," Juanzi began, her expression troubled, "there's something I've been hesitant to tell you..."

Mengzi urged from the side, "What are you waiting for? Can't you see Seventh Master is in a hurry? Just take it out!"

Xiaoshan also persuaded, "Sister, just show it to Seventh Master."

Li Banfeng stood up and said, "If it's not meant for me to see, then don't show it. Don't trouble yourself." He wasn't blaming Juanzi; he spoke sincerely. Everyone has their secrets, and Li Banfeng never demanded unconditional honesty from those around him.

Juanzi stopped Li Banfeng and pulled a map from her pocket. "Seventh Master, this was given to me by my benefactor. I promised not to show it to anyone else. Now, I'm breaking that promise to show it to you. If there's any fault, it's all mine. If my benefactor ever finds out, I'll bear the punishment alone."

Li Banfeng took one look and immediately understood the map's significance. It was a route map of the new territory. Juanzi had relied on this map to travel all the way from Sinner City to Qiu Luoye's domain. However, the map was no longer accurate because Qiu Luoye's domain had become a main territory, situated between Wuqin Village and the Ink Fragrance Shop. Nevertheless, the map recorded the layout of the surrounding new territory. Li Banfeng had seen some of the mountains and rivers depicted on it just last night in the new territory. With this map, Li Banfeng could find his way!

Who gave Juanzi this map? Juanzi was unwilling to reveal her benefactor's identity, and Li Banfeng had no intention of pressing her. A traveler-cultivator was highly sensitive to maps. Li Banfeng returned the map to Juanzi; he had only looked at it once but remembered every route clearly.

Shui Yongquan was still discussing with Qiu Luoye how to borrow a path from Wannian Lao. Li Banfeng drew the path for Shui Yongquan. "Brother Shui," he said, "if you're eager to return, we wouldn't dare keep you."

Shui Yongquan waved his hand. "Don't try to keep me. I really am in a hurry. Your place has become a main territory, but where I am, even the pioneers aren't responding."

Li Banfeng smiled. "I was just about to discuss the main territory with you. If you're not in such a rush, stay and let's do some business."

Shui Yongquan looked surprised. "Business? Shouldn't we focus on finding a way out for your subordinates first?"

"The business *is* the way out, Brother Shui," Li Banfeng replied. "Looking at Brother Qiu's main territory, don't you want a piece of it? I don't have a whole piece, but half a piece is negotiable."

"Half a main territory?" Shui Yongquan didn't quite understand what Li Banfeng meant.

Qiu Luoye, standing nearby, showed a smile. Shui Yongquan frowned. "What are you laughing at? Do you understand?"

Qiu Luoye shook his head. "No, I don't understand, nor do I need to. I'll just follow Seventh Brother's lead."

Li Banfeng said, "Whether this succeeds or not depends on Brother Shui. The key is not to reveal our tracks."

Qiu Luoye laughed. "Don't worry about that. Old Shui might not have other skills, but his concealment is genuine. When he attacked my home back then, I didn't detect a single movement."

Li Banfeng smiled. "Brother Qiu understood. Brother Shui, do *you* understand?"

As night fell, Qiao Shaofin inspected the area near the new territory's entrance, then circled the border. She looked at Qiu Luoye's domain, her expression as indifferent as ever. The frontier guard had a grudge against these people, and Qiao Shaofin didn't want any involvement. Kill one if one emerged. Qiao Shaofin had not only clearly stated her stance but also her methods.

Wuqin Village wasn't large. After completing her patrol and finding no outsiders, Qiao Shaofin returned to the desolate village. At the village entrance sat a tall, strong man carrying two baskets of sweet potatoes, resting on a stone. Qiao Shaofin approached, glanced at him, and asked, "Where are you from?"

The man looked up and replied innocently, "From this village."

Qiao Shaofin didn't believe him. "From this village? You dare come here?" This desolate village was a forbidden area in Wuqin Village.

The man blinked. "I haven't been here before either. I was walking at night tonight and somehow ended up on this road. I was planning to go to the market first thing tomorrow morning."

Qiao Shaofin asked, "You say you're from this village. Which village do you live in? What's your village chief's surname? How many people are in your family?"

"I live in..." Qiu Luoye looked gravely at Qiao Shaofin, then stopped speaking. In fact, Li Banfeng had prepared lines for Qiu Luoye in advance. But there were too many lines, and Qiu Luoye hadn't memorized them.

Qiao Shaofin sneered, "If you can't answer, then don't blame me." In truth, even if he had answered, it wouldn't have mattered. From the moment she saw him enter the desolate village, Qiao Shaofin had no intention of letting him go.

Qiao Shaofin coughed and spat at Qiu Luoye's feet. Before the spittle could hit the ground, Shui Yongquan darted to Qiu Luoye's feet, slurped it up, and then spat out a blob of mud.

Qiu Luoye laughed. "Old Shui, tasted good, didn't it!"

Shui Yongquan cursed, "This thing is a mud cultivator! I've been terribly wronged this time, Qiu Daxiang. When this is over, you have to let me pick the location first!"

Qiao Shaofin was startled, realizing something was wrong. She turned to run, but suddenly a figure flashed in front of her. Who was this? Qiao Shaofin felt a shock in her chest, spat out a mouthful of blood, and something seemed to explode inside her stomach.

Li Banfeng, hidden in the distance, frowned secretly. He had just used "Quick Glimpse" on Qiao Shaofin. "Quick Glimpse" only caused this much damage? What level of cultivation did Qiao Shaofin possess? Li Banfeng felt the damage wasn't enough, but for Shui Yongquan, gaining this much time was sufficient.

He unstrapped the water gourd from his back and splashed its contents towards Qiao Shaofin. Thousands of water droplets, like bullets, created numerous bloody holes all over her body. This was "Water Dropping Through Stone," a Level 3 Water Cultivation technique. The technique level wasn't high, but its lethality was precise. Qiao Shaofin bled profusely, but the holes quickly healed. Li Banfeng was surprised by Qiao Shaofin's recovery speed, but Shui Yongquan showed no surprise at all. This was characteristic of high-level mud cultivators. "Water Dropping Through Stone" hitting a mud cultivator was like poking holes in mud with a sharp tool.

Shui Yongquan waved his water gourd again, and a curtain of water enveloped Qiao Shaofin. Li Banfeng had seen this technique before; it was a high-level skill, "Water Curtain Seal," an 8th-level Water Cultivation technique. Once trapped by this water curtain, one absolutely shouldn't move. This water curtain was like blades, capable of slicing a person into a pulp.

Qiao Shaofin, without a second thought, directly plunged through the water curtain. Even with her high cultivation, the moment she passed through the water curtain, she was reduced to a pile of fleshy mud on the ground. Being reduced to mud didn't matter. The mass of mud squirmed on the ground for a moment, then expanded and reformed, turning back into Qiao Shaofin. Although she was a bit disfigured and lacking flesh, Qiao Shaofin still wasn't severely injured.

She pulled out a hairpin from her hair and threw it at Shui Yongquan. A torrent of mud poured down, almost trapping him. Shui Yongquan freed himself from the mud, and his sleeves suddenly elongated, wrapping around Qiao Shaofin. Qiao Shaofin tried to tear the sleeves, but they were made of water. Her hands plunged into the water, and no matter how she pulled, she couldn't exert any force. Yet, when she tried to struggle free, the sleeves turned solid again, binding Qiao Shaofin tightly from head to toe, seemingly capable of strangling her at any moment. This was "One Garment, One Stream," a Level 9 Water Cultivation technique, where the sleeves could be solid or liquid depending on offensive or defensive needs.

With a muffled thud, Qiao Shaofin's body was crushed by Shui Yongquan's sleeves, her entire form exploding into a pile of mud again. The mud was still wriggling, on the verge of reforming. Qiu Luoye tried to step on it but was stopped by Shui Yongquan.

"Old Shui, I've watched you two fight for several rounds now," Qiu Luoye said, finally unable to contain himself. "You're both going back and forth, not in the least bit hurried. Are you interested in her?"

Shui Yongquan laughed. "That was just foreplay. Now for the real thing!"

As he spoke, Qiao Shaofin had already regained her human form. Shui Yongquan stood still with his hands open, and a mist rose around him. Seeing Qiao Shaofin about to escape, Li Banfeng closed in with "Short Steps" and stomped the ground beside her using "Trampling Ten Thousand Rivers." Crushed stones flew, hitting Qiao Shaofin. Li Banfeng didn't expect to seriously injure her; if Shui Yongquan's techniques weren't effective, Li Banfeng's wouldn't be powerful enough either. He just needed to buy some time for Shui Yongquan.

To his surprise, Qiao Shaofin actually got injured. The shattered stones pierced her body, leaving numerous holes, but this time, the holes didn't heal quickly. Qiao Shaofin realized something was wrong. She wasn't bleeding much, but her wounds were excruciating, and her joints felt stiff and sluggish. She scraped some flesh and blood from her wound, intending to smear it on Li Banfeng, but he dodged swiftly. If he hadn't dodged, Li Banfeng would have immediately been enveloped in mud.

While Li Banfeng was at a distance, Qiao Shaofin tried to escape again, but Qiu Luoye, from behind, kicked her to the ground. Normally, Qiu Luoye's kick wouldn't have harmed Qiao Shaofin. If Qiao Shaofin had transformed into mud, she could have instead trapped Qiu Luoye. But now, Qiao Shaofin couldn't transform into mud. She spat at Qiu Luoye, attempting to create a mud pit for a final struggle. But what she spat out wasn't spittle; it was dry ash.

Having contended with two local gods and Li Banfeng until now, Qiao Shaofin's cultivation was indeed high, and her combat strength genuinely formidable. However, she had fallen for Shui Yongquan's scheme and was strategically outmaneuvered. After hearing Li Banfeng's description, Shui Yongquan immediately suspected Qiao Shaofin was a mud cultivator, but he wasn't sure if it was her own technique or if she used some magical artifact. So, he had Qiu Luoye act as bait to provoke Qiao Shaofin into making the first move. After Qiao Shaofin attacked, Shui Yongquan ingested a mouthful of her spittle, his goal being to confirm her cultivation path.

Once he confirmed she was a mud cultivator, Shui Yongquan's strategy was set. First, he used "Water Dropping Through Stone," then "Water Curtain Seal," and then "One Garment, One Stream." None of these techniques could inflict fatal damage on a mud cultivator; as Shui Yongquan put it, this was just foreplay. The sole purpose of the foreplay was to exchange water: gradually replacing the water within Qiao Shaofin's body with Shui Yongquan's. The essence of a high-level mud cultivator was a mass of mud, and extracting all the water from it wasn't easy. Shui Yongquan continuously used techniques for this purpose.

Once about half the water was exchanged, the main event began. When the main event arrived, it was time for the fatal blow. Shui Yongquan used two high-level Water Cultivation techniques: "Water Casts Water" and "Spilled Water Can Be Collected." First, he allowed his own water to thoroughly mix with Qiao Shaofin's remaining water, blending them until their properties were similar enough to respond to Shui Yongquan's call. This was the "Water Casts Water" technique. After the technique succeeded, Shui Yongquan retrieved most of the water. The mist around his body was the moisture he had collected back, which was the "Spilled Water Can Be Collected" technique.

Li Banfeng was fast, and during this process, he helped Shui Yongquan buy time. After these two techniques were deployed, Qiao Shaofin transformed from a watery mud-person into a dry mud-person, and her combat strength plummeted. Shui Yongquan also couldn't engage Qiao Shaofin directly anymore, because using any technique would essentially be giving her water. With Li Banfeng's current cultivation, it would also be difficult to kill Qiao Shaofin quickly. If she managed to stall for time and find water, she still had a chance to recover. But neither Shui Yongquan nor Li Banfeng needed to fight Qiao Shaofin anymore, because it was now Qiu Luoye's turn.

Qiao Shaofin shook her head, and her unbound hair transformed into worms made of mud, constantly biting Qiu Luoye and injecting venom into his body. Qiu Luoye wasn't afraid of insect bites, nor was he bothered by this bit of poison. He stepped forward with a smile and stomped, crushing half of Qiao Shaofin's body.

Qiao Shaofin shrieked, "Hero, brave man, spare my life! I'll do anything you ask. I admit my mistake, I'll kowtow to you."

Qiu Luoye chuckled, "We're not related, so why kowtow? I can't accept that!"

Qiao Shaofin desperately tried to drag her half-body, still searching for a water source. As long as she could stall for a little time, as long as she could find water, she would be able to recover. But with Qiu Luoye, stalling for time wasn't so easy; Li Banfeng knew this from experience.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Screams and dull thuds rang out ceaselessly. Qiu Luoye delivered a flurry of blows, reducing Qiao Shaofin to scattered fragments on the ground. Li Banfeng felt a pang of regret; his wife's meal was gone. He wondered if these fragments could still be taken back for alchemy. But the business was almost concluded.

The three of them exchanged glances and smiled, their excitement growing.