Chapter 465: Dancing

In Lushui City, at the Qianyue Restaurant, Lu Dongliang hosted a banquet, publicly announcing his intention to reclaim leadership of the Lu family. Both the main and extended branches of the Lu family received invitations. Anyone who attended that evening would demonstrate their continued recognition of Lu Dongliang as the family head.

First, the branch of Lu Maoxian, who had been expelled from the family by Lu Chunying, all came. This was their chance to rejoin the Lu family. Some of Lu Dongliang's loyal supporters also returned. They had never recognized Lu Chunying, but with Lu Dongliang absent, and unwilling to align with other families, they had temporarily followed Lu Chunying. Now that Lu Dongliang was back, these individuals returned to acknowledge him as their leader.

Lu Dongliang’s influence was indeed significant. Of the ten tables prepared, seven were filled. Besides members of the Lu family, he also invited many guests, including an important figure: Ma Chunting, the head of the Ma family. Those present were somewhat puzzled to see Ma Chunting. Previously, Ma Junyang had a conflict with an external province, and Ma Chunting sent his son to attend the song festival at Xiaoyao Dock. Everyone had assumed the father and son had reconciled. Now, Ma Junyang was clearly on Lu Chunying's side, yet Ma Chunting supported Lu Dongliang, seemingly at odds with his son once again. A few people whispered among themselves, believing that Old Ma was truly aging; at his age, others couldn't see clearly, and neither could he.

At precisely 7 PM, the banquet began. Lu Dongliang raised his glass first: "I have been away for many days, and the Lu family has undergone so many changes, causing much trouble for everyone. I offer this drink as my apology!" With that, Lu Dongliang drained his cup. His posture, his aura, and the measured tone of his words—who would dare say he wasn't Lu Dongliang?

After finishing his drink, Lu Dongliang raised his glass again: "Now that I have returned, the rules of the Lu family must also be restored. Here, I will announce three matters. First, members of the Lu family will always be members of the Lu family. Regardless of past grievances, from today onwards, all will be forgiven and forgotten!" As his words resonated, everyone applauded. The head of the Lu family, the dominant figure in Prozhou, spoke with such authority.

Lu Dongliang continued: "Second, the Lu family's wealth will always belong to the Lu family. All business dealings that were given away during my absence must be reclaimed!" After these words, many still applauded, but some remained impassive. During this period, the Lu family had indeed relinquished many business ventures, most of which went to Li Qi. Li Qi was a formidable individual, daring to challenge the Frontier Guardian. Not only did he suffer no loss, but he also managed to halve shipping costs. He had also transformed an entire new territory into cultivated land, which now, connected with Wuqin Village, became his own Qiqiu City. Li Qi was at the height of his influence. It wouldn't be easy for Lu Dongliang to reclaim all the businesses from him. None of those present wanted to offend Lu Dongliang, nor did they want to offend Li Qi. They wondered if there was a solution that would satisfy both sides.

Lu Dongliang continued: "Third, the Lu family's friends will always be the Lu family's friends. Today, Mr. Ma has come, and all of you friends have come. I will always remember this bond of friendship. And please convey this message: for those who did not come today, I also remember that resentment. I have never been a forgiving person, so when you seek my help in the future, do not blame me if my demeanor is unpleasant!" Applause filled the hall. Everyone secretly congratulated themselves for not having defied Lu Dongliang.

After three rounds of drinks, everyone began to eat. Lu Dongliang instructed his subordinates to prepare the agreements. Just coming to eat without signing an agreement would mean the meal was for naught. A subordinate arrived at the private room and asked, "Are the agreements ready?" He Jiaqing chuckled, "They're already prepared. I'll take them to the master now." The subordinate stopped He Jiaqing and said, "Who are you to handle this? Give me the agreements!" He Jiaqing frowned, "I've always been in charge of these agreements. It doesn't seem appropriate for you to take them now, does it?" "Stop talking so much, just give me the agreements..." Before he could finish, the subordinate froze in place, eyes glazed over, unable to move.

"If you won't let me speak, I'd rather not talk to you anyway," He Jiaqing glanced at the agreements and chuckled, "It says everyone who came today is considered his relative. Given how this is written, I have a Brotherhood Alliance; perhaps he can just have a Kinship Alliance from now on." How did He Jiaqing end up becoming Lu Dongliang's subordinate? Of course, he had no such inclination. He had merely disguised himself as a servant to borrow something from this peculiar "Lu Dongliang." As an old acquaintance, He Jiaqing had put effort into his disguise. Holding the agreements, He Jiaqing bowed respectfully and delivered them to Lu Dongliang.

Lu Dongliang glanced at the agreements and said, "Have everyone sign them." He Jiaqing nodded repeatedly, then his foot slipped, accidentally bumping Lu Dongliang. Lu Dongliang frowned, and He Jiaqing profusely apologized. Lu Dongliang didn't pay much attention to the young man; his subordinates were all newly recruited, and he wasn't very familiar with them.

He Jiaqing distributed the agreements one by one. Everyone read them very carefully, and someone even handed them fountain pens, but no one was in a hurry to sign. Could there be another twist here? Lu Dongliang stood up, raised another toast, and urged everyone to sign the agreements. Everyone agreed vocally, but still no one picked up a pen. Lu Dongliang sent his subordinates to inquire about the reason. These newly recruited servants were naturally unreliable; they failed to gather any information for a long time, but many guests had already left.

Ma Chunting stood up and said, "Brother Lu, I'm getting old and can't stay up late. I need to be in bed by 8 PM." Just yesterday at 2 AM, Ma Chunting was still visiting a pleasure house. Now he was saying he'd go to bed by 8 PM? Lu Dongliang didn't stop him and escorted Ma Chunting downstairs. After Ma Chunting left, the guests gradually departed, and soon almost everyone was gone. What was happening? Had they all changed their minds about signing the agreements?

Lu Dongchun finally uncovered the news: "Lu Chunying is hosting a banquet at Xiaoyao Dock the day after tomorrow to welcome the family head home." "Welcome whom?" Lu Dongliang didn't understand. Lu Dongchun knew it was awkward but repeated, "The Lu family head, Lu Dongliang." "Which Lu Dongliang?" Lu Dongchun couldn't explain: "You'll have to ask Lu Chunying about this. The 'Lu Dongliang' they found has been recognized by Duan Shaoxia and has already moved into the Lu family mansion. The invitations just arrived, so I assume everyone present received the news and left."

Lu Dongliang looked at the invitation, gritted his teeth, and cursed, "This person deserves to die!" "Brother, are you talking about Lu Chunying or Duan Shaoxia?" "They all deserve to die, but killing them is useless," Lu Dongliang tucked the invitation into his pocket. "Hosting a banquet at Xiaoyao Dock, that's Li Qi's idea."

Lu Dongchun said, "Since they dared to send us an invitation, let's go to the banquet. At Xiaoyao Dock, we'll confront them directly and expose them. Duan Shaoxia allowed a man of unknown origin into the Lu family mansion; her reputation is ruined, she must be eliminated. Lu Chunying acknowledged a thief as her father; she cannot be spared either. Li Qi stirred up trouble in all this; from now on, he will be an enemy of our Lu family, and every Lu family member should be able to eliminate him!"

It was rare for Lu Dongchun to say so much, but in Lu Dongliang's view, the first point was unfeasible. "Going to Xiaoyao Dock to confront a fake Lu Dongliang in front of Li Qi? What kind of person do you take me for? If I do that, I've already lost." "Then what do you plan to do, Brother?" "First, find an opportunity to eliminate Li Qi." "He's elusive, and such an opportunity is hard to find. Besides, he's a Traveling Cultivator, very skilled at escaping." Lu Dongliang's eyes gleamed coldly: "I have a way to ensure he can't escape."

Two days later, at Xiaoyao Dock, guests arrived in droves, filling the main hall. Lu Chunying greeted guests at the entrance, while Duan Shaoxia, arm in arm with "Lu Dongliang," went table by table to offer toasts. Duan Shaoxia greeted each guest individually, while "Lu Dongliang" only offered one line: "Those who are willing to come today are all members of my Lu family!" This was a newly learned tactic. A melon puppet had limited responses, and saying too much would reveal its flaws. He Yuxiu and Chu Huaiyuan both raised their glasses, helping to enliven the atmosphere. But atmosphere alone wasn't enough; this "Lu Dongliang" was somewhat stiff, and those present inevitably grew suspicious. It was rumored that fake "Lu Dongliangs" were swindling people across Prozhou. Why was everyone else's fake, but this one real? Guests continuously whispered among themselves. Duan Shaoxia, looking anxious, quietly asked, "Where is Li Qi?"

In the basement of Xiaoyao Dock, Luo Zheng'nan fed coal dust, finer than flour, into the furnace through a hopper. Fierce flames burned the boiler's tubes, causing the water within to constantly evaporate. Once steam pressure was sufficient, the main steam valve opened, and the steam turbine began to spin. All sound cultivation artifacts operated at full power, isolating noise. Luo Zheng'nan drew two wires from the end of the generator: one connected to Li Banfeng's head, and the other directly to his own.

"Seventh Master, I still want to remind you, your method is too risky. Just tell me what you want to say, and I can relay everything I hear to them. I can even transmit your music box tunes. You don't need to suffer with me." Li Banfeng shook his head, "This cannot be relayed. I must tell them myself, and they cannot know it came from me. They must feel it's something they've realized themselves." Luo Zheng'nan understood Li Banfeng's idea. He wanted the people in the ballroom to hear a certain sound without leaving any trace, a sound that seemed to come from within, rather than being externally implanted. Luo Zheng'nan could achieve this, just as he could make others hear music box tunes in their minds. However, with so many people in the large ballroom, the cost to Luo Zheng'nan would be too great.

"Seventh Master, with your method, once the power is on, I'll immediately pass out. Please be very careful; the duration cannot exceed one minute, or both of us will be in serious trouble!" Luo Zheng'nan entrusted his life to Li Banfeng, who naturally wouldn't take it lightly. Once the power was connected, Luo Zheng'nan's eyes rolled back, and he fainted. Li Banfeng's eyebrows twitched, revealing a faint smile. It was quite exhilarating, a tingling sensation on his temples! He first put on his top hat to prevent the wires from slipping, then began repeating a phrase in his mind: "Lu Dongliang is here. His physique is material evidence, his appearance is material evidence, and his yellow woolen coat is material evidence. The Lu family members are here: his wife is a witness, his daughter is a witness, and the entire Lu family are witnesses! With both personal and material evidence, it's an ironclad case. This is Lu Dongliang!"

After repeating it three times, just over thirty seconds had passed. Li Banfeng immediately cut the power, removed the wires, and woke up Old Luo. Old Luo gasped for breath, stared at Li Banfeng for a long time, and finally recognized him. "Fort Master, I wish to follow you. If you agree, I will be a member of Iron Gate Fort from now on!" Li Banfeng paused for a moment, then helped Luo Zheng'nan sit down: "Old Luo, rest for a bit. You'll be fine after you recover."

He pulled a lever, stopping the steam turbine. The boiler's steam exhaust valve released a large cloud of water mist, which was drawn by the exhaust fan into the ventilation shaft and routed directly into the sewer. The white mist continuously surged upwards through the sewer, eventually erupting from the ground. From the outside, Xiaoyao Dock looked like an ethereal wonderland above the clouds, scaring the cleaner at the entrance who quickly fled to the second floor.

In the grand ballroom, guests took turns toasting Lu Dongliang; not a single person suspected he was fake. Even Lu Chunying felt a little weak in the knees: "Sister Xiu, is this really my father?" He Yuxiu, despite knowing it was a melon puppet, now felt that Lu Dongliang was real, and might even come to seek revenge on her. Duan Shaoxia was the most nervous. She felt that Li Qi had deceived her and that the real Lu Dongliang was right there. She was sure he would kill her son when they returned home that night.

Li Banfeng took Old Luo back to his room to rest. He straightened his suit, adjusted his top hat, pushed open the ballroom doors, and entered. He did not use his Home Cultivator abilities; he walked into the ballroom under everyone's gaze. Seeing Li Qi arrive, everyone came forward to greet him. They didn't want to offend Lu Dongliang, nor Li Qi. Tonight, they had found a way to satisfy both.

Chu Er approached, and with a lady's shyness, quietly asked, "Seventh Brother, may I have this dance?" A gentleman should not refuse a lady's invitation. Chu Er had been a great help today, and Li Qi was in a good mood. He accepted. On stage, Jiang Mengting had originally planned to sing "Moon Full, Flowers Blooming." Seeing Chu Er so demurely invite Li Qi to dance, she immediately turned and told the band to change the song. The prelude was a lively orchestral piece, infused with Prozhou's unique jazz style. With a sincere smile, Jiang Mengting dedicated this song to the dignified and reserved Miss Chu Huaiyuan.

"Feigning, feigning, why be so pretentious!""Faking Seriousness"...It was a rare chance to dance with Li Qi, and Jiang Mengting sang this song, causing Chu Er's features to twist slightly. If Li Qi hadn't been there, Chu Er would have rushed onto the stage and torn Jiang Mengting's face apart. However, Chu Er quickly calmed down because Li Qi was dancing energetically. He seemed to really enjoy the song, and Chu Er found it hard to keep up with his steps.

A cleaner was sweeping in a second-floor private room when he heard He Jiaqing's voice: "Is Lu Dongliang still in the ballroom?" The cleaner tapped his broom three times, indicating he wasn't sure. "Go check the ballroom." The cleaner entered the ballroom, found Lu Dongliang, and was about to send a message to He Jiaqing. Jiang Mengting happened to be singing the chorus of the second verse: "Don't pretend to be so serious like this, don't put on such a stern face and scare people away!" This part of the song was very loud, and He Jiaqing's cheeks twitched repeatedly. "Leave the ballroom, quickly!" The cleaner was dumbfounded, not understanding what He Jiaqing intended to do. Just moments ago, he had been told to enter the ballroom, and now to leave it quickly. The cleaner left the ballroom, and as the singing faded, He Jiaqing rubbed his ears, muttering to himself, "It's that damned song again!"

The dance ended, and Chu Er, still wanting more, pleaded with Li Qi, "Seventh Brother, dance one more with me, please? Can we change the song?" "What's wrong with this song? It sounds so festive!" Li Banfeng said with a wide smile, gesturing for Jiang Mengting to sing it again. Jiang Mengting indeed sang it again. Chu Er wanted to scratch Li Banfeng's back, but then she thought she could still have one more dance, and felt she had gained something after all.

As the banquet drew to a close, Qiu Zhiheng found Li Banfeng: "Brother, I'm heading back to Yaowang Ravine." Li Banfeng said, "Brother Qiu, that fake Lu Dongliang knows where you live, so please be extra careful." Qiu Zhiheng genuinely wasn't worried about this. Elder Xu was in Yaowang Ravine and could ensure his and his family's safety. He was worried about Li Banfeng. Having offended this fake Lu Dongliang, Li Banfeng's situation in Lushui City was quite perilous. Li Banfeng himself was well aware of this. He instructed Old Luo and Kui Bafang to maintain strict vigilance, specifically monitoring "Lu Dongliang's" movements and preparing for battle at any time.

"Lu Dongliang" seemed to have vanished without a trace. The group of subordinates he had temporarily recruited, including Lu Dongchun, also disappeared without a word. Was he abandoning Lushui City to attack Huangtu Bridge instead? Huangtu Bridge was also prepared. Li Banfeng was considering whether to add another layer of defenses there. Three days later, Luo Zheng'nan suddenly tracked down "Lu Dongliang's" whereabouts.

"Seventh Master, Lu Dongliang might have gone to Zhengjing Village!" What was he doing in Zhengjing Village? "Is the information reliable?" "I can't say it's completely reliable. No one has seen Lu Dongliang, but Lu Dongchun was seen in Zhengjing Village. Some old hunters in Zhengjing Village had once helped the Lu family open up land; they recognized Lu Dongchun, greeted each other, and exchanged a few words." Lu Dongchun was in Zhengjing Village, so Lu Dongliang was likely there too. What were they doing in Zhengjing Village? Were they planning to ambush Zhengjing Village? That idea probably wasn't very wise, was it?

Zhengjing Village was within Shui Yongquan's territory. After the battle in Wuqin Village, Li Banfeng and Shui Yongquan's relationship had deepened. Teaming up to deal with a fake Lu Dongliang shouldn't be a problem. Was there a problem, then? Perhaps there really was a problem. The "Lu Dongliang" was sent by Neizhou, and Shui Yongquan might be hesitant to fight him. Shui Yongquan was somewhat timid when dealing with Neizhou, a common weakness among all local deities of newly established territories.

Li Banfeng went to Zhengjing Village that evening. The village was still flourishing. Hunters sold their goods here, farmers cultivated land, merchants ran small businesses, and Cui Titk had opened a clinic there. Li Banfeng entered the clinic and asked, "Doctor Cui, weren't you running a hospital in Lushui City? How did you end up here?" Cui Titk didn't answer, simply unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his chest. Li Banfeng saw his latest tattoo: "I love Zhengjing Village!" "I don't doubt that," Li Banfeng gestured for Cui Titk to button his shirt. "I wanted to ask about the deeper reason."

Cui Titk first wrote a prescription for the patient, then had the nurse take the patient to retrieve the medicine. In reality, whether the medicine was retrieved wasn't important; Cui Titk had already consumed the patient's lesions. He just wanted to send the nurse and patient away. With only two people left in the examination room, Cui Titk locked the door and told Li Banfeng, "I'm here for business." "What kind of business?" "The same business as last time: fishing in troubled waters." Li Banfeng was intrigued: "Which fish are you trying to catch this time?" Cui Titk paused for a moment and said, "If I told you the 'fish' is you, you wouldn't directly attack me, would you?" Li Banfeng blinked and said, "Aren't you considering a different 'fish'?"

Cui Titk explained, "You know me; I've never wanted to treat you as an enemy. Our friendship is so deep. But this matter is beyond my control. My master knows Lu Dongliang is near Zhengjing Village, and he wants to profit from the conflict between you and Lu Dongliang." "Why would your master target me and Lu Dongliang? Can't he find other places to fish?" Cui Titk replied, "Because he dislikes you very much, and he also dislikes Lu Dongliang. To my knowledge, he and Lu Dongliang had old grudges." That wasn't surprising. As Lushui City's former top figure, Lu Dongliang must have had dealings with Green Blossom. If Green Blossom got involved again, this situation would be beyond Li Qi and Shui Yongquan's ability to handle.

Li Banfeng said, "Perhaps Lu Dongliang and I don't have such deep-seated conflicts. Maybe some matters can be resolved peacefully. Your master might not find any 'fish' to catch with me." Cui Titk nodded, "My master also considered that point. If there are signs of reconciliation between you, I will spread a plague in Zhengjing Village and then pin the blame on Lu Dongliang." Li Banfeng didn't quite understand: "If a plague breaks out, it would certainly be your doing or Green Blossom's. How could it be pinned on Lu Dongliang?"

Cui Titk looked at Li Banfeng and said, "Friend, I truly cherish our friendship. There are some things I shouldn't tell you, but I'm telling you today. You know too little about illness cultivation, and not much about plagues. Coughs and fevers are plagues, as are herpes and abscesses. But you might not have seen bodies exploding, which can also be caused by plagues. Hundreds, even thousands of people exploding into a bloody mess in a short time, and then I quickly retrieve the disease's source. When you witness this, what will you think happened? I believe you will think that a high-level Traveling Cultivator carried out a massacre here, using 'Trample Ten Thousand Rivers' or 'Galloping Horse Viewing Flowers.' Lu Dongliang is a high-level Traveling Cultivator. Don't you think you'd suspect him?"

Li Banfeng lifted his hat brim and said, "You don't actually intend to do that, do you?" Cui Titk shook his head: "If the target were a city, it might be worth the risk, but to act in a village in a new territory—if it's exposed, I'd offend both the local deity and you. I truly don't think it's worth it. But as I said, this isn't something I can decide. If Lu Dongliang makes a move, I must seize some profit from your battle. If Lu Dongliang delays his move, then I will act. Even if I don't, my master might come here to act on my behalf, and you probably don't want to see him, do you?"

Li Banfeng pulled down his hat brim: "So, it seems there's nothing we can discuss." "We can discuss it," Cui Titk took out three small clay figures he had bought from a peddler in the village. "You're in the village, I'm in the village, and Lu Dongliang is also in the village. You and Lu Dongliang meet somewhere in the village. For some reason, you don't want to fight within the village, so you lead Lu Dongliang outside, to a place far away from the village. Both of you are high-level Traveling Cultivators, and as an Illness Cultivator, I would find it hard to keep up with you. So, this battle would ultimately be missed by me. Do you think this explanation is reasonable?" As he spoke, Cui Titk placed two small clay figures in the distance, with another little figure diligently chasing behind them.

Li Banfeng frowned: "Fighting outside Zhengjing Village doesn't seem to give me an advantage." Cui Titk shook his head: "Fighting in Zhengjing Village might not give you an advantage either. The local deity here is Shui Yongquan, and he's your friend; I'm well aware of that. If you want to defeat Lu Dongliang, you must rely on Shui Yongquan's power. Leave Zhengjing Village, but don't leave Shui Yongquan's territory. You can still get his help, and you won't have to ruin your beloved Zhengjing Village. Why wouldn't you do that?" Li Banfeng put the clay figure representing Lu Dongliang back in its original place: "If I want to leave, and he refuses, insisting on fighting me in the village, I can't just abandon the village." "I can help you," Cui Titk said, stroking the figure representing himself. A layer of dark green pus quickly appeared on the figure. "I imagine Lu Dongliang wouldn't want to face an Illness Cultivator while dealing with you." He was right; no one wanted to face an Illness Cultivator.

The two reached an agreement, and Li Banfeng left the clinic. He didn't return to Zhengjing Village but went back to his own territory, the mile-long stretch he had originally opened up near Shui Yongquan. The wooden house was still there, usually looked after, and the interior was quite tidy. Li Banfeng sent others away, pricked his palm, and sprinkled blood on the ground. Soon, a ball of ghostly fire appeared above Li Banfeng's head, hovered for a moment, and sternly asked, "Who are you?" "Li Qi." Li Banfeng was startled, wondering what kind of joke Shui Yongquan was playing. "How did you originally cultivate this wasteland?" "I found a place and hid for three days."

Shui Yongquan suddenly appeared, staring at Li Banfeng for a long time. Li Banfeng noticed scars on his face and asked, "Have you fought Lu Dongliang?" Shui Yongquan shook his head, "Not Lu Dongliang, but a Drama Cultivator. He disguised himself as you and came to find me. I fell for it and almost suffered a great loss." A Drama Cultivator? So, Neizhou had sent a Drama Cultivator to impersonate Lu Dongliang. Li Banfeng asked, "How did he find you?" "He sprinkled blood on this territory." Li Banfeng didn't understand: "This is the territory I cultivated. If he spilled blood here, how would you sense it?" Shui Yongquan explained, "High-level Drama Cultivators can replicate a person's blood. He must have obtained your blood before." "How would he have gotten my blood?"

Li Banfeng was still pondering when he heard Shui Yongquan ask again, "How did Ma Wu cultivate his land?" Li Banfeng said, "That story begins with a pair of centipedes. The situation back then was..." Shui Yongquan suddenly spat a mouthful of water at Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng, drenched from head to toe, wiped his face and said, "Brother Shui, couldn't you wait for me to finish speaking?" Shui Yongquan waved his hand, "No need to say more, Old Seven, I know it's you now." Li Banfeng said, "This Drama Cultivator managed to injure you, so he must be quite skilled." "It's hard to say about a Drama Cultivator's overall skill. They don't have other abilities, but their sneak attack methods are top-notch. This Drama Cultivator has reached the Cloud Realm. One sneak attack from him could be fatal." At this, Shui Yongquan gave a wry smile: "I truly am getting old. Even though I knew he was a Drama Cultivator, I still fell for his trick. I don't know why I forgot to be on guard at that moment." How could someone as cautious as Shui Yongquan forget to be on guard? There must be another reason behind it.

"Old Seven, this person is from Neizhou, right?" Li Banfeng didn't hide it: "He was likely sent by Neizhou to seize territory. I'll find a way to lure him away and try not to involve you." Shui Yongquan smiled: "Brother, you underestimate me too much. I'm not as reckless as Qiu Daxiang, but if he comes knocking at my door, I won't tolerate him. For the next couple of days, stay within my territory, be extra cautious of those around you, and if anything happens, immediately spill blood to summon me. I've already found a way to deal with him. No matter what he transforms into, he won't deceive me. The next time I encounter that bastard, I'll make sure he pays with his life!"

Shui Yongquan left, and Li Banfeng returned to Zhengjing Village. Drama Cultivators could disguise themselves as anyone, which truly presented a challenge. There were many acquaintances in the village, and Li Banfeng had to remain vigilant toward everyone. Entering his wooden house, Li Banfeng was about to take out his key to go to his portable dwelling when he suddenly heard footsteps outside the door. Li Banfeng opened the door to see a woman in her twenties, looking flustered, standing at the entrance. "Who are you?" Li Banfeng didn't recognize the woman. The woman lowered her head, her cheeks flushed, and said, "You're Seventh Master, aren't you? Everyone in Zhengjing Village has heard of Seventh Master's reputation, but few have actually seen you. I wanted to meet you once; then my life wouldn't have been lived in vain."

Li Banfeng kept his distance from the woman, lowering his hat brim. "You've already seen me." The woman pleaded, "Seventh Master, please say a few more words to me. When I go home, I can brag about it to my sisters for a year." Before Li Banfeng could speak, Cui Titk's voice came from outside the door: "Madam, you are too greedy. You just said that meeting Seventh Master once would make your life worthwhile, and now that you've seen him, why are you still lingering here?" As he spoke, a patch of green pus appeared on the woman's face. The woman gasped, turned, and fled. By the time Li Banfeng chased her outside the wooden house, she was gone.

Cui Titk rubbed the abscess on his face and told Li Banfeng, "She has my pus on her; I can sense her location." Li Banfeng said in surprise, "You certainly arrived at the right time tonight." Cui Titk smiled, "You might not believe this, but there's a woman in my clinic who looks exactly like her. That lady is still receiving an IV in my clinic. I went out for a walk, and then I saw her again, at your room. Whether it's a clone technique or a disguise, I don't think this matter is that simple. We could go to the clinic first to see that lady and ask if she has a twin sister..." Li Banfeng waved his hand, "Let's not talk about your clinic for now. Let's catch that person first!" Cui Titk chuckled, "He's affected by my technique. Even with Cloud Realm cultivation, he'll lose a lot of combat power. In this situation, the initiative is ours; there's no need to rush..." "Stop chattering and let's go!"

Cui Titk ran ahead, with Li Banfeng following behind. After running for dozens of miles, Li Banfeng grew impatient: "Can't you go any faster?" Cui Titk replied, "I'm not a Traveling Cultivator; I'm an Illness Cultivator. The speed difference between us is insurmountable. You'll have to get used to it before we find this woman..." "Fine, I'll adapt!" Li Banfeng said with a helpless expression, having no choice but to follow Cui Titk's unhurried pace.

After another hour of running, an ancient city appeared ahead. Cui Titk pointed at the ancient city and said, "That woman fled into this city." Li Banfeng looked surprised: "How can there be a city in a place like this?" Cui Titk said, "I find it strange too. Shall we go in and take a look?" Li Banfeng looked back: "How far have we run?" Cui Titk shrugged: "You're a Traveling Cultivator, you shouldn't be asking me about distances. But by my estimation, we are still within Shui Yongquan's territory. If we encounter danger, you can request help from the local deity. So, are you going into the city or not?" Li Banfeng hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth: "As long as we're still in Brother Shui's territory, there's nothing to fear. We've chased her all the way here, so there's no harm in going in and looking!"

The two entered the ancient city. Cui Titk watched the people coming and going, then whispered, "I sense that woman; she's nearby, very close to us." Li Banfeng nodded and said, "Why are you helping me so much?" Cui Titk was startled, then replied, "For our friendship, and for my love of Zhengjing Village." Li Banfeng chuckled, "Do you truly love Zhengjing Village?" Cui Titk nodded: "A heartfelt love." "What proof do you have?" "What more proof is needed?"

As they spoke, "Cui Titk" walked towards Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng put out a hand, signaling him not to approach: "Who exactly are you?" "Cui Titk" remained silent for a moment, then said, "Asking who I am now, don't you think it's a bit late?" Li Banfeng continued, "Why did you have to lure me to this place?" "Because I didn't want to fight Shui Yongquan again. He found a special technique that can wash away my disguise. Nor did I want to watch you run away. You're a high-level Traveling Cultivator; if you truly ran, I wouldn't be able to catch you." The person opposite smiled. He was not Cui Titk, and there was no longer any need to maintain the disguise. A Cloud Realm Drama Cultivator showed almost no flaws in appearance.

Li Banfeng looked around, his expression frantic: "What exactly is this place?" The Drama Cultivator shook his head: "You don't need to know what this place is. No one here can save you, and you can't escape. Just wait quietly for your death."