Chapter 457: The Stranger with the Portable Curie

Journeying Through a Thousand Mountains by Intent.

Literally, it means traversing vast distances by mental intent to gain spiritual power.

Li Banfeng was a natural at this eighth-level skill, as 'Journeying Through a Thousand Mountains by Intent' is inherently very compatible with the unique properties of the Portable Abode.

When Li Banfeng thought of a certain location within the Portable Abode, it could transport him there. During this process, his spiritual power also grew to a certain extent by virtue of moving with the abode. Although the underlying principles were different, the process and outcome were somewhat similar.

This also explained why, when Li Banfeng was at the Ink Fragrance Shop, he didn't move but still felt his spiritual power increasing.

He had been reading travelogues, mentally traversing mountains and rivers through the books, thereby completing his regular cultivation in an alternative way.

It seemed this skill was primarily for increasing spiritual power.

“Yingying, with this skill, will we – or rather, you travel cultivators – no longer need to wander everywhere?”

Hong Ying shook her head. “It’s not that simple,” she said. “Our sect is unique; travel cultivators must journey through vast landscapes. But sometimes, it’s not convenient for a cultivator to go out. Just like when I was in the army, if I stepped out of the barracks without permission, that wicked woman would beat me. If cultivation is delayed for too long, one will surely suffer a cultivation backlash. The ‘Journeying Through a Thousand Mountains by Intent’ skill can somewhat compensate for spiritual power, thereby mitigating the risk of cultivation backlash. However, with Seventh Brother’s current spiritual power, he can’t compensate much; two or three tenths would be difficult enough. He'll still have to journey through the rest himself.”

Li Banfeng lowered his head and said, “I’m not a travel cultivator; I’m just borrowing the skill.”

Hong Ying stroked Li Banfeng's cheek. “Seventh Brother, don’t hide it anymore,” she said. “It pains me to see you like this. How about we find a place to talk in detail, where that wicked woman won’t hear us?”

Smack! Smack!

The gramophone was furious and gave Hong Ying ten hard slaps.

Hong Ying rubbed herself for a long time, caught her breath, and then continued, “I’ve seen many travel cultivators treat the ‘Journeying Through a Thousand Mountains by Intent’ skill as merely a way to compensate for spiritual power. This is a misconception. Intent can traverse a thousand mountains; a thousand mountains can be traversed by intent. The true wonder of the ‘Journeying Through a Thousand Mountains by Intent’ skill lies not in compensating for spiritual power, but in its battle application.”

Battle application?

This skill can also be used in combat?

Li Banfeng envisioned a combat scenario:

When fighting an enemy, Li Banfeng would first unfold a painting, look at it, and then increase his spiritual power…

This seemed unfeasible.

“Yingying, I don’t understand this battle application.”

Hong Ying suddenly looked up, exuding an imposing aura.

Li Banfeng abruptly stood up, thinking Hong Ying had gone mad, and quickly prepared for battle.

Hong Ying's long hair swayed, as if she could launch a surprise attack at any moment.

To be safe, Li Banfeng took two steps back, when he suddenly felt a dangerous presence attacking from behind.

Li Banfeng glanced with his peripheral vision, and his hairs stood on end in fright.

He couldn't retreat any further.

Less than five centimeters from his heel, there was a bottomless cliff, with birds soaring around the rock face.

“Is this an illusion?” Li Banfeng asked Hong Ying.

“It’s not an illusion; you’d really be shattered if you fell,” Hong Ying said as she pulled Li Banfeng. The cliff behind him instantly vanished. “This cliff is a treacherous place I passed through during a war. I just moved it here. This is a genuine transfer; this is what ‘A Thousand Mountains Can Be Traversed by Intent’ means.”

“Moved here?” Li Banfeng asked, stunned. “You moved a cliff into the Portable Abode?”

Hong Ying shook her head. “What I moved wasn’t the cliff itself, but its treacherous essence,” she explained. “We travel cultivators excel at fighting in treacherous terrain. If we can move such treacherous elements to the battlefield, we’ll gain a complete advantage over our enemies.”

So the key element of 'Journeying Through a Thousand Mountains by Intent' was about treacherousness. Li Banfeng asked, “Then why isn’t it called the ‘Skill of a Thousand Difficulties and Myriad Dangers’?”

Hong Ying chuckled. “Because sometimes it’s a real transfer, and sometimes it’s an illusory one,” she said. “And what’s transferred isn’t always treacherous; sometimes it’s even cosmetics.”

Li Banfeng was puzzled. “What would you do with cosmetics?” he asked.

“Seventh Brother, watch carefully!” Hong Ying said. A scent of cosmetics wafted into his nostrils. Li Banfeng looked around. This time, he didn't see cliffs or precipices, nor a hail of spears and swords. Instead, he saw a group of alluring, unclad women.

“What’s the use of this?” Li Banfeng asked.

“This method can be used against lecherous individuals,” Hong Ying replied. “On the battlefield, anyone who has seen this scene has become a ghost under the blade. It works every time.”

The group of women vanished in a blink. “Were these also genuinely moved here?” Li Banfeng asked.

Hong Ying shook her head. “No, this wasn’t a real transfer; this was an illusory transfer,” she said. “Seventh Brother can’t learn the illusory transfer skill yet.”

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. “What’s the difference between the two?” he asked.

“With the real transfer skill, what’s moved is genuinely real,” Hong Ying explained. “When Seventh Brother saw the cliff just now, did you hear birds chirping?”

“I heard them, and I saw a few birds too.”

“That proves there were indeed birds on that cliff at the time,” Hong Ying continued. “To use the real transfer skill, you must have personally seen the place and know its treacherous points. By concentrating your will on it, you can bring the real scenery and genuine treacherous elements onto the battlefield. Only then can the skill be successfully deployed. The second time, I used the illusory transfer skill. Those girls weren’t real; they were figments of my imagination. This skill already involves the Cloud realm, and Seventh Brother cannot learn it for now.”

Figments of imagination?

Li Banfeng recalled the previous scene. One of the girls was conducting two kinds of business.

“Yingying, what do you usually think about?”

Hong Ying stammered in reply, “J-just random thoughts.”

The gramophone sneered. “When she was in the army, she read ‘Stories of Added Fragrance’ every day, never letting go of the book. What do you think she usually thought about?”

“I read that book for war,” Hong Ying retorted, “to seize the initiative on the battlefield!”

“For war, huh…” the gramophone scoffed. “Next time, I should pull down your pants and beat you to see if you have any shame!”

With the illusory transfer skill, whatever one imagines can appear. This is equivalent to changing the combat environment at will.

What a powerful skill!

Although he couldn’t learn the illusory transfer, the real transfer skill seemed sufficient. Li Banfeng had also visited many treacherous places.

He said flatteringly, “Yingying, please demonstrate the skill one more time. Tomorrow, I’ll make you a pair of gold earrings.”

“Seventh Brother, it’s not that I don’t want to teach you,” Hong Ying said, “but I need to take it easy. With my current physical state, the ‘Journeying Through a Thousand Mountains by Intent’ skill can only be used up to three times a day. I just used the illusory transfer skill, which consumed too much energy. I probably can’t use it today.”

Li Banfeng was anxious. “You used the skill too quickly just now; I didn’t see it clearly,” he said.

“Seventh Brother, even if I recovered to my peak, this skill wouldn’t be much slower,” Hong Ying replied. “My current physical state is even worse. With the real transfer skill, I can only sustain it for at most three breaths. With the illusory transfer skill, only a bit more than one breath.”

Three breaths, six or seven seconds.

A bit more than one breath, around three seconds.

This was too short, and Li Banfeng likely couldn’t sustain it for even that long.

Seeing Li Banfeng remain silent for a long time, Hong Ying advised, “Seventh Brother, don’t worry. Let’s first learn the essentials, right here, to infuriate that wicked woman.”

The gramophone wasn't angry; instead, she was worried about something else. “My dear husband, you know about the ‘Parting for Ten Thousand Miles’ skill,” she said. “By going it alone, you can still forcibly increase your cultivation level. Don’t blame your humble servant for being talkative, but using a skill beyond your level could truly cost you your life. You absolutely must not be reckless again, husband.”

Li Banfeng chuckled. “How could I do such a thing?” he said. “And that ‘Parting for Ten Thousand Miles’ skill isn’t very useful anyway.”

Hong Ying was displeased to hear this. “That’s not how you put it!” she exclaimed. “The ‘Parting for Ten Thousand Miles’ skill is extremely useful!”

Li Banfeng pulled up a chair and sat down, asking earnestly, “I really don’t believe it. What exactly is this skill used for?”

Hong Ying began, “The key to this skill is…”

The gramophone actually tore Hong Ying’s pants, then swung the board and gave her a brutal beating. “Chatterbox, chatterbox, so incredibly talkative!” it scolded. “Tomorrow I’ll glue your mouth shut with paste.”

Li Banfeng studied for a whole day and tried to move things for a whole day, but failed to move anything.

That evening, Li Banfeng took Chuanzi and went to Blackrock Slope by train. Not long after they left, a group of newly hired bricklayers for the Seven Lords Restaurant arrived.

One bricklayer asked the foreman, “Do you know where Seventh Master is?”

The foreman frowned. “What do you want with Seventh Master?” he asked.

“My family encountered difficulties; I want to ask Seventh Master for help.”

The foreman actually went to ask around. He had worked with Li Qi for quite some time and was familiar with Li Qi’s character: whenever his subordinates encountered trouble, regardless of their status, Li Qi would surely offer a hand if he could help.

The next morning, the foreman found the bricklayer and said, “You came at an unfortunate time. Seventh Master left on business; he took the train last night.”

The bricklayer was startled. “Left? Where did he go?”

The foreman frowned. “Is that any of your business to ask?”

The bricklayer lowered his head and remained silent. The foreman said, “Alright, if Seventh Master isn't here, go find Fifth Master. If Fifth Master isn’t around, you can go to Manager Zuo. It’s the rule among Seventh Master’s people: anyone who can help you will do so without hesitation.”

The bricklayer nodded and went to mix mortar on the side.

By lunchtime, the bricklayer was gone. He hadn’t even collected his half-day’s wages.

Upon arriving at Blackrock Slope, Li Banfeng went directly to the newspaper office.

Blackrock Slope had changed somewhat from before. Li Qi and Ma Wu had taken over most of the local businesses, and wages were much higher than in the past.

Workers had money and could afford things. Many more shops appeared on the streets, and the newspaper and publishing business was more prosperous than ever.

The ‘Night Jasmine’ newspaper office was still in the old factory, but its layout had changed considerably. The front yard housed the boiler room and printing factory.

The first row of workshops had been converted into the sales department, where newspapers were folded, magazines bound, film reels packaged, goods shipped, and counts taken.

The second row of workshops was the photography studio, used exclusively for filming and photography.

The third row of workshops was relatively quiet; this was the writers’ office area. Editors and reporters wrote articles here, and Bai Qiusheng, Yuwen Qi, and others also worked here.

Li Banfeng walked around the newspaper office and frowned. “Why is it so crowded?” he asked.

Bai Qiusheng chuckled. “Seventh Master, our business isn’t like before,” he said. “We control thirty percent of Blackrock Slope’s book and newspaper trade. Business has expanded, and we have more staff, so the space naturally feels small.”

Li Banfeng said, “If there’s not enough space, buy more! If you need money, just tell me!”

Yuwen Qi said, “Seventh Master, our space isn’t small. You won’t find a second newspaper office this large in Blackrock Slope.”

“You still say it’s big?” Li Banfeng was displeased. “I just saw the workers’ dormitory; eight people in one room, it’s incredibly cramped. Buy all the surrounding buildings. Everyone should have their own room. Also, bring me all the newspapers and magazines from the last three months.”

Back in the Portable Abode, Li Banfeng carried the thick stack of newspapers to the sixth room. He examined them one by one until dawn, but found nothing special.

He then looked at some magazines for a while. The girls looked good, and their poses were creative, but Li Banfeng still grew sleepy.

Blackrock Slope clearly didn’t have the powerful order of the Ink Fragrance Shop, and Li Banfeng didn’t have such a strong desire to learn. There was a bed in the sixth room, so after a quick wash, Li Banfeng slept there.

Two hours later, the door slowly opened, and the projector floated in, its lens aimed at the newspapers on the table.

Under the light, nearly half of the stack of newspapers was gone. The projector silently left the sixth room.

Li Banfeng sat up in bed, quietly watching the door.

A faint light seeped through the door crack. He knew the projector was in the next room.

When he first acquired the projector, it barely moved, only projecting images from a fixed angle.

After spending some time in the Portable Abode and consuming many good things, the projector could now move, but it moved very clumsily, even more awkwardly than a music box.

Now, the projector not only could fly, but it flew so nimbly. There must be a reason behind this.

What was it doing with the newspapers?

Was it upset with him, deliberately going against him?

Things were probably not that simple.

Li Banfeng used his ‘Discernment of Spirit Sounds’ skill to listen for a moment. There seemed to be some movement in the fifth room. It sounded like someone was speaking indistinctly, but he couldn’t hear clearly.

The Thread-Pulling Earrings weren’t with him, so Li Banfeng wasn’t in a hurry. He turned over and went back to sleep.

The next day, Li Banfeng left the Portable Abode and found Bai Qiusheng. “In Blackrock Slope, besides our ‘Night Jasmine,’ which other newspaper is famous enough?” he asked.

Bai Qiusheng replied, “There used to be ‘A Bright Pole,’ but that newspaper office is struggling now; their content is too straightforward, and fewer and fewer people read it. Now, the only one comparable to us is ‘Full Spring Fragrance.’ Their content does have some quality. For Blackrock Slope’s book and newspaper business, we hold thirty percent, they hold twenty percent, and the remaining fifty percent is split among others.”

Yuwen Qi said, “Seventh Master, are you going to deal with this newspaper office? I’ve wanted to act against them for a long time. This newspaper office is truly awful. When we release a special edition, they release one too. When we give away illustrated magazines, they do the same. Whatever we do, they do, constantly working against us.”

Li Banfeng chuckled. “Business is about give and take,” he said. “If you shut down ‘Full Spring Fragrance,’ maybe a ‘Full Autumn Fragrance’ will pop up tomorrow. If we destroy everyone else’s business, won’t we just become bullies? Bring back copies of ‘Full Spring Fragrance’ from the last three months too. Buy as many as you can. If you can’t find any, just get the last two days’ editions.”

Li Banfeng didn’t insist, because he knew it wouldn’t be easy; it was hard to collect old newspapers from other companies. But Bai Qiusheng didn’t find it difficult. He instructed his subordinates to buy them, and soon enough, the newspapers were bought and brought back—all three months’ worth, not a single one missing.

Li Banfeng was somewhat surprised. “Where did you buy these?” he asked.

His subordinate replied, “From Lu Family Bookstore. They have everything, though the prices are a bit high.”

Lu Family Bookstore again?

Has he opened another branch?

Li Banfeng nodded. “Someday I’ll visit this Lu Family Bookstore myself,” he said.

Carrying the newspapers back to the Portable Abode, Li Banfeng spent another whole day reading them, but still couldn’t find anything special.

Where exactly was the power of text in Blackrock Slope manifested? The main content of these newspapers, besides 'Conscience' and 'Peach', was 'Threshold'.

Li Banfeng couldn’t discern any underlying order.

After tidying up the newspapers, Li Banfeng still slept in the sixth room that night, but he wore the Thread-Pulling Earrings.

In the early hours of the morning, the projector entered the room again. Its lens swept over the newspapers on the table, and half of ‘Full Spring Fragrance’ was gone.

The projector silently returned to the fifth room. A faint light still flickered through the door crack.

Li Banfeng put on the Thread-Pulling Earrings, crouched outside the door, and listened carefully. He finally heard the projector’s voice.

“Is it beautiful?”

Who was it talking to?

“Oh, how embarrassing!”

Who was this person?

Sweat beaded on Li Banfeng’s forehead.

He was in the Portable Abode, and he heard the voice of an unfamiliar woman.