Chapter 452: You Say What Kind of Person He Is

He Jiaqing's grandfather, He Caiyuan, suddenly appeared and urged He Jiaqing and the Greenwater Beggar to leave the area immediately. He demonstrated his "words worth a thousand gold" technique. Honestly, He Jiaqing had never witnessed such a powerful scholarly skill; he was a bit scared, yet he didn't leave.

The Greenwater Beggar certainly wouldn't leave either. Things had escalated too far to be resolved with mere words.

He Caiyuan sighed, "People aren't afraid of lacking true ability; they're only afraid of having a little and then overestimating themselves."

As soon as he spoke, the four large characters "自不量力" (overestimating oneself) materialized in the night sky. The characters "自" and "不" flew towards the Greenwater Beggar, while "量" soared towards He Jiaqing.

Cui Tik quickly adjusted his stance, trying to keep his distance from the Greenwater Beggar. He had heard Li Banfeng mention that the Greenwater Beggar had a habit of using people as weapons.

Sure enough, the Greenwater Beggar reached back to grab Cui Tik but found nothing. He had no other weapons on him; even his clothes had been burned off. He broke a branch from a tree and used it to shatter the character "不". However, the character "自" had a more compact structure, and after two attempts, the Greenwater Beggar couldn't break it.

The character "量" that He Jiaqing faced was even more difficult to handle. Its structure was somewhat intricate, and its attack methods were equally complex; it could stretch its vertical strokes into weapons and detach its horizontal strokes to use as hidden projectiles.

The remaining character "力" was still being played with in He Caiyuan's hand. He casually flicked it, sending it deep into the forest.

"Here's another one who overestimates themselves!"

Seeing the character "力" flying towards him, Li Banfeng quickly parried with his Tang saber. The character "力" struck with considerable force, directly knocking the Tang saber away and then attacking Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng dodged with his Kuibu technique, then turned and counterattacked with Tapo Wanchuan. Shattered stones struck the character "力", kicking up clouds of dust. Though slightly damaged, the character could still pursue and attack Li Banfeng. Having previously fought Murong Gui twice, Li Banfeng had experience battling with characters. While fighting a single character might sound comical, Li Banfeng dared not show the slightest bit of complacency.

He first used Duanjing to clear a path, positioning a stone on the ground to block the character "力"'s way. The stone was shattered by the character "力". Li Banfeng adjusted his angle and used Tapo Wanchuan again, finally breaking the character "力" apart.

Outside the forest, the Greenwater Beggar used a branch to break apart the character "自". He Jiaqing continuously stole strokes, dismantling the character "量".

He Caiyuan chuckled, "Still want to fight? An ant trying to shake a tree—how pathetic and laughable."

"蚍蜉撼树" (an ant trying to shake a tree) — these were still four characters, and the division of labor was the same as before. The characters "蚍蜉" entangled the Greenwater Beggar, "撼" entangled He Jiaqing, and "树" traveled deep into the jungle to find Li Banfeng. These four characters had many strokes and could be broken down for combat, especially "树," which could split into three separate characters.

While the three of them did have methods to deal with these characters, continuing to fight this way was not a sustainable solution. Getting rid of a single character required significant effort, but for He Caiyuan, these characters didn't even need to be written; a casual utterance was enough. If they continued, all three of them would be utterly exhausted. After wrestling with the character "树" for a moment, Li Banfeng deployed a special tactic he had prepared earlier.

He sprinkled a seed along with some potion. The projector understood, immediately using light and shadow to conceal the seed's location. The character "树" split into "木", "又", and "寸," surrounding Li Banfeng from all directions. The seed quickly broke ground, growing into a cabbage. A toad then emerged from the cabbage and croaked twice.

Hearing the croak, Chu Shaoqiang and He Caiyuan were simultaneously startled. He Caiyuan immediately entered the forest, leaving Chu Shaoqiang to fight the Greenwater Beggar and He Jiaqing.

He Caiyuan knew the exact location of the willow tree and rushed there, seeing a toad squatting deep in the forest. This toad was a bit small, but it resembled Ge Junma. In this emergency, there was no time for verification, and He Caiyuan dared not be careless. The "Peeking Cultivator" Wang Fuqi was dead, communication had been cut off, and he had no idea what condition Ge Junma was in.

He Caiyuan tentatively called out, "Master Ge?"

The toad did not respond.

Li Banfeng ran frantically around the willow tree. The Judge's Brush leaped out, piercing the character "木" and then "又." Both characters immediately lost their will to fight, slowly falling through the air until they vanished. The remaining character "寸" was led by Li Banfeng to the toad's side, striking it directly.

"Ribbit!"

The toad's body shattered into pieces on the ground, and He Caiyuan immediately retracted the character "寸." In fact, a closer look would have revealed that although both were green, it was the cabbage that shattered, not the toad. But He Caiyuan, in his extreme tension, was stunned for a moment.

"You slave!" Li Banfeng exclaimed, waving his teapot. Tea spilled onto the ground, forming two barriers that encircled He Caiyuan. The tea water rapidly surged upwards, but He Caiyuan, unhurried, simply uttered, "Open!" The barrier, the Old Teapot's pride, instantly shattered, and the tea receded.

Li Banfeng's figure flashed, and he immediately broke into a sprint, intending to use Zouma Guanhua. He Caiyuan shouted, "Chase!" The character "追" pursued Li Banfeng relentlessly, acting as He Caiyuan's eyes and keeping his gaze locked on Li Banfeng. This was a Cloud Cultivator; Li Banfeng simply could not escape He Caiyuan's sight.

"Kill!" He Caiyuan spoke again. The character "殺" closely followed "追," caught up with Li Banfeng, and used its weapon, a "shu" spear, to injure Li Banfeng's left shoulder. The battle then became simple for He Caiyuan; a few more words would be enough to surround and kill Li Banfeng.

At this crucial moment, Cui Tik appeared before He Caiyuan and shouted, "Old sir, I love you!" He unbuttoned his clothes, revealing his chest adorned with a tattoo—not of characters, but a series of lines spiraling outwards.

He Caiyuan pressed a hand to his forehead, his steps faltering slightly. Cui Tik's tattoo wasn't solely for expressing affection; these lines induced vertigo in He Caiyuan. He Caiyuan shouted, "Heal!" The character "愈" (heal) appeared on He Caiyuan's forehead, and the vertigo vanished instantly.

Li Banfeng continuously used Tapo Wanchuan, shattering the character "追". The Judge's Brush maneuvered twice before piercing "殺". As "殺" fell, Li Banfeng's figure vanished from He Caiyuan's sight. He Caiyuan's chest tightened, and his body swayed. Cui Tik squeezed a blister, seizing the opportunity to fling a splash of liquid onto He Caiyuan. Rashes immediately appeared on He Caiyuan's body, and Cui Tik was overjoyed, realizing he had seized the initiative in the battle.

Li Banfeng moved behind He Caiyuan, who shouted, "Blade!" More than a dozen long blades stabbed towards Li Banfeng's face. The Judge's Brush frantically blocked, but Li Banfeng had no time to dodge, gaining a cut on his face and several new wounds on his body. Li Banfeng, enduring the long blades, activated Tapo Wanchuan. He Caiyuan bled from his mouth and nose and collapsed to the ground.

Had they won?

Li Banfeng and Cui Tik felt a surge of delight until they suddenly saw He Caiyuan's corpse explode, transforming into the character "分" before vanishing. Cui Tik was stunned, unable to comprehend the situation before him. Li Banfeng understood the situation but was equally stunned. What they had killed with all their might was merely a clone of He Caiyuan.

Outside the forest, the Greenwater Beggar and He Jiaqing pressed closer, putting Chu Shaoqiang in a difficult position. He Caiyuan's true body appeared and activated Shumo Xunhang. Large, disordered masses of characters surrounded He Jiaqing and the Greenwater Beggar. He Caiyuan, bringing Chu Shaoqiang, moved through the safe zones between the characters and stood aside, quietly observing the battle.

Chu Shaoqiang asked with concern, "How is Master Ge?"

He Caiyuan shook his head and replied, "I didn't see Master Ge. There's a lunatic in the forest who tricked me with an illusion." As he spoke, He Caiyuan casually waved his hand, and another large mass of characters flew into the forest, surrounding Li Banfeng and Cui Tik. He Caiyuan reminded Chu Shaoqiang, "Prepare the tools for opening the door. Don't get entangled with these ants anymore."

The Greenwater Beggar and He Jiaqing broke apart large groups of characters, both of them considerably exhausted. Li Banfeng and Cui Tik also managed to scatter the characters, but both were covered in wounds. He Caiyuan fanned himself with a folding fan and sneered, "Still want to fight?"

He Jiaqing realized they couldn't fight anymore; the disparity in strength between him and his grandfather was too vast. So far, He Caiyuan might have used less than half of his full power. The Greenwater Beggar was unwilling to give up. If this were his territory, if his combat power could recover quickly, he would still have the confidence to continue fighting He Caiyuan. But none of these assumptions held true.

The Greenwater Beggar shouted towards the forest, "Retreat!" Cui Tik was also unwilling. For him, the patriarch's condition was still too good; it would be difficult for him to "get on his way" anytime soon. The Greenwater Beggar urged, "Hurry and leave!" Cui Tik replied, "Yes, I'm leaving. It's just a business deal; only by surviving can I complete it!" This was a reminder to Li Banfeng that they couldn't fish in muddy waters, and this business deal was over.

The Greenwater Beggar's figure vanished; he had entered the Unnamable Land. He Jiaqing glanced into the forest, and then his figure also vanished. Cui Tik waited for a moment; he wanted to leave with Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng returned to the willow tree. Cui Tik didn't understand. "This is just a business deal."

Li Banfeng didn't respond. He tore off several pieces of adhesive tape given by Ling Miaoying and quickly wrapped them around his wounds. After waiting a moment, Cui Tik sighed, turned, and left.

"One day, I will eradicate everyone in this world with a plague. But if one person remains, I hope it is you. Li Qi, live well."

With the Greenwater Beggar's faction gone, only Li Banfeng remained in the forest. Li Banfeng now had to face Chu Shaoqiang and He Caiyuan alone. This sounded like a joke.

Li Banfeng touched his Tang saber. "My lord, we can't defeat them." Li Banfeng patted his gloves. "Boss, these bastards fight by writing characters; I can't even use my strength!"

After confirming all his magic treasures were present, Li Banfeng pulled down his hat brim and stood silently under the tree. He faintly detected a scent—the fragrance of ink. This scent wasn't emanating from a specific location; the Ink Fragrance Shop always carried this ink fragrance. Li Banfeng hadn't been accustomed to it when he first arrived, but now he found the aroma delightful.

The Judge's Brush said, "Qi, you leave; I'll fight." Li Banfeng shook his head. The Ink Fragrance Shop was too important; under no circumstances could it be left to them. The Judge's Brush wanted to fly Li Banfeng out of the garden. Li Banfeng twirled the Judge's Brush in his hand. "No," he said, "I'm fighting them."

"See them out!" From outside the forest, He Caiyuan sent another large mass of characters. Li Banfeng swung his Tang saber, activating the Zaixin Renhou technique. The Judge's Brush blocked in front of Li Banfeng, fighting desperately. The wine gourd spat fire, the old teapot poured tea, the sickle hovered overhead, the pendulum guarded Li Banfeng's chest, and the glove, holding a battle-axe, protected his back.

Inside the Suishen Ju, the Madam anxiously inquired about the battle's progress. A metallic scent of blood wafted from the room. The Madam's voice trembled as she pleaded, "Old Master, please, let me out." The Old Master sighed, "Old Train once said that the Ink Fragrance Shop was very important, but I still don't understand why. Perhaps Ah Qi does?" Hong Ying exclaimed anxiously, "Why are you still talking about this? Let me go out and fight them!" The Old Master remained silent for a long time, then slowly said, "Hong Ying, prepare for battle."

The Suishen Ju had broken its rules! It seemed Li Banfeng's situation was dire. The Gramophone shouted, "Old Master, let me go!" The Suishen Ju replied, "You prepare for battle first. Let Hong Ying take the vanguard." Hong Ying didn't ask further. She quickly donned the armor Tu Yinghong had given her, tied her hair tightly, coiled it inside her iron helmet, and stood at the entrance of the Suishen Ju. The Gramophone said, "I just made a new long spear; take it." Hong Ying shook her head. "I am the long spear," she said. "Why would I need another one?" The Gramophone angrily retorted, "Do you dare to disobey military orders? Are you going to charge out headfirst? Take the long spear!"

Li Banfeng repelled a large mass of characters, but his steps faltered, and he was about to fall when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his chest. He wanted to answer, but it seemed there was no opportunity.

He Caiyuan shouted from outside the forest, "Lunatic, aren't you leaving? What else do you want? What do you take yourself for?"

"You dog-bred slave," Li Banfeng said, wiping blood from his face with a smile. "What do you take yourself for?"

"Li Qi?" Chu Shaoqiang recognized Li Banfeng's voice.

He Caiyuan chuckled, "So you're Li Qi. You deserve to die. The matter with Autumn Falling Leaves must be related to you. Tell me the truth, and I'll spare your life."

"The truth?" Li Banfeng chuckled again. "Call your master. Do you, a mere slave, even deserve to hear it?"

"Slave." The two words were jarring.

He Caiyuan's face darkened. "Until the day you die, you will never see how ignorant you are," he said. "You fundamentally don't know for whom you should live or to whom you should be loyal as a human being. You will never know how worthless and insignificant you truly are! You deserve death!"

He Caiyuan wrote the four characters "死有余辜" (deserve to die) with his fan. These were explicitly written, not merely spoken or summoned. As he wrote, He Caiyuan's wrist trembled slightly. The four characters conveyed anger, infused with his supreme skill. The four characters entered the forest, and wherever they passed, rows of large trees instantly turned to ash.

Chu Shaoqiang immediately made his move, sending two magic treasures into the forest alongside the four characters "死有余辜." One magic treasure was shackles, intended to bind Li Qi if he was still alive. The other was a wooden casket, meant to contain Li Qi if he was dead.

Li Banfeng sensed the danger approaching and prepared to use his travel cultivation technique to resist. This wave of attack was distinctly different from the previous ones. If he couldn't block it, he would retreat to the Suishen Ju first, then re-engage the two opponents from there. The phone was still vibrating, but Li Banfeng had no time to answer. Only Luo Zheng'nan could reach him. The outcome didn't matter; before running out of options, Li Banfeng would stall with all his might, ensuring the Ink Fragrance Shop would not fall into their hands.

Inside the Suishen Ju, the door opened a crack, and the Suishen Ju shouted, "Hong Ying, go to battle!" Hong Ying pushed the door and was about to step out when, with a clang, it shut again. Confused, Hong Ying angrily yelled, "Old hag, you squeezed my hand! What are you doing?" The Suishen Ju replied, "I've changed my mind!"

"You stubborn old thing!" Hong Ying cursed. "You're going back on your word! What about Qilang?" The Suishen Ju said, "Someone's here." The Gramophone anxiously asked, "Who's here?"

*Clang-clang-clang-clang!*

Four distinct sounds of a rattle drum. The four large characters "死有余辜" were shattered to dust. The two magic treasures immediately vanished, their whereabouts unknown. Chu Shaoqiang tried to escape, but his feet wouldn't move.

He Caiyuan shuddered, then heard a voice whisper in his ear: "He's my brother. What kind of person do you say he is?" He Caiyuan wanted to speak but found himself unable to. He tried to write, but his hands remained immobile. The peddler's voice echoed in his ear once more: "For whom do you live? To whom are you loyal? Is it this thing?"

*Boom!*

A colossal toad corpse crashed into the garden, landing right before He Caiyuan.