Chapter 466: You Not Crying?

The Cui Tik before him was an impersonation by a high-level Playwright.

Facing a high-level Playwright alone, Li Banfeng was genuinely a bit nervous, his expression and tone both perfectly on point.

But what puzzled Li Banfeng most was why this Playwright had led him to Fool's City. How did he know the location of Fool's City?

Could it be...

The Playwright's eyes narrowed, just about to make a move on Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng quickly interjected, “Don't rush. A good play deserves a curtain call. Since we've reached this point, let's clarify things. Was the woman who entered my room earlier your accomplice?”

“You mean this woman?” The Playwright touched his face and instantly transformed into the woman who had entered the wooden house earlier.

He had impersonated both the woman and Cui Tik.

Li Banfeng praised, “Impressive technique. But when I heard Cui Tik's voice, you were right in front of me, while his voice came from outside the house.”

“Just some small tricks from the theater. You'd know if you went to plays more often.” As he spoke, the Playwright's lips remained still, yet his voice seemed to emanate from a distance.

“What exactly is your purpose in coming to Pro Province? To seize Yellow Soil Bridge? To conquer Seven Autumn City? Or just to secure any piece of land?”

The Playwright was happy to discuss theatrical knowledge, but for other questions, his patience quickly wore thin.

“What good does knowing all this do you? Do you plan to seek revenge in your next life?”

Li Banfeng chuckled, “The play's almost at its curtain call, and you still won't let me see the script?”

The Playwright shook his head. “In this grand play, you're just a minor extra. Your part is over; there's no need for you to see the script anymore.

However, if you're willing to tell the truth, I might be able to add a little more to your role. First, tell me, who leaked the news of my arrival in Pro Province?”

Li Banfeng shook his head. “Does this even need someone else to reveal it? What you did was outrageous. You defiled the child's father right in front of the child's mother—how could you do such a thing?”

The Playwright didn't see anything wrong with it. “Who doesn't have a hobby? Do you want to add a scene? I can give you an exciting one.”

Li Banfeng shook his head. “This scene won't work, and I'm not in a hurry for a curtain call. We'll meet again.”

With that, Li Banfeng turned and fled.

The Playwright laughed loudly, “You can't escape. In this city, you'll never get out, and no matter where you go, I'll find you!”

Li Banfeng ran all the way back to Changsan Academy. Yan Hong was practicing a song. Seeing Li Banfeng, she cheerfully exclaimed, “Sisters, quick, our manager is back!”

The girls flocked around him, ushering Li Banfeng into the back hall.

Yan Hong said, “Seventh Master, where's the rouge you promised to bring me last time?”

“I came in a hurry and forgot it. I'll make sure to bring it next time.”

Yan Hong pouted and walked away.

Yan Qing'er stepped forward. “Seventh Master, where's the beaded hairpin you promised her last time?”

“I forgot that too. I'll make sure to bring it next time.”

Yan Qing'er snorted and walked away as well.

Yan Cui'er stepped forward. “Seventh Master, where's the flesh and blood you promised her last time?”

“I brought that!” Li Banfeng said with a smile. “It's right behind me; it'll follow soon.”

Yan Cui'er was startled. “It'll follow soon... Is this person alive?”

Li Banfeng nodded. “Alive, yes!”

Yan Qing'er happily exclaimed, “Seventh Master brought us fresh ones?”

Yan Cui'er got angry. “Are they for you? They're for me!”

Yan Hong angrily retorted, “Such a large living person, do you really intend to devour it all by yourself?”

Tang Changfa rushed out from the inner room, holding a rolling pin. “What's all the fuss about? Manager, you're back? Did you go to see the City Lord?”

Li Banfeng glared. “Foolish! A live person will be here soon. Can we tell the City Lord about this?”

“A live person...” Tang Changfa glanced at the rolling pin in his hand. “So, are we still having noodles for lunch?”

Yan Hong poked Tang Changfa with her finger. “Look at you! Why eat noodles? The manager brought us meat!”

Yan Cui'er was still aggrieved. “The meat is mine!”

Li Banfeng told everyone, “This meat isn't easy to handle. You'll have to be careful.”

Tang Changfa returned to the kitchen with a confident expression, replacing the rolling pin with a cleaver. He then shouted to everyone:

“Yan Hong'er, welcome the guests at the door with an even sweeter smile.

Yan Qing'er, sing a song inside with a higher voice.

Yan Cui'er, lead the sisters in dancing, twisting your waist with more vigor.

Manager, you sit here and drink tea. The first piece of choice meat is for you!”

Li Banfeng didn't drink tea; he wasn't that relaxed. He found an opportunity to return to his Portable Residence, informing his wife and Hong Ying to prepare their techniques for battle. He also needed to discuss contingencies with the Old Master.

Tang Changfa waited in the main hall for the meat. A woman, around twenty years old, arrived at the entrance of the academy and asked, “Did a man just come in?”

Yan Hong'er was startled. “You came here looking for a man?”

The woman snorted. “Can't I look for one here?”

Yan Hong'er frowned. “Do you think that's appropriate?”

“I just saw that man enter your academy!”

Yan Hong sniffed the air and paused for a moment. This person had a smell of blood about them.

So this is the live person the manager brought back?

She returned to the main hall and told Yan Cui'er, “Stop dancing; your peaches are almost shaking off.

Old Tang, the manager brought back a woman. She's not falling for our tricks!”

Hearing this, Tang Changfa spat twice on his hands, adjusted his hair, tucked the cleaver into his back waistband, and with a determined smile, said, “I'll go.”

He went just like that, and the sisters were a little worried:

“Can he manage like that?”

“I heard he usually practices martial arts; he should have some real skills!”

“What real skills does he have?”

He came to the door and asked the woman, “Are you here looking for a man?”

The woman nodded.

“No requirements for how long or short?”

The woman scoffed, “If you can't satisfy for long or short, what kind of business are you running?”

Tang Changfa lowered his head, a bit ashamed and a bit defiant. “If you're so picky, there's nothing I can do. I'm the only man in this academy.”

“Nonsense,” the woman stepped forward and hooked Tang Changfa's chin. “You have another man here, a man from outside the city. I came here to find him.”

Tang Changfa was stunned for a moment. “There are no other men here, truly just me!”

The woman's smile vanished, and her face darkened. “Why are you hiding him? Do you just want his flesh and blood?

This is easy to resolve. Hand him over, I'll kill him, and all his flesh and blood will be yours.”

Tang Changfa gave a simple, honest smile. “What you're saying... we're not running a crooked business here.”

Yan Qing'er watched anxiously from behind the screen. “What are you waiting for? Get her in here quickly.”

Yan Hong'er lowered her voice. “This person seems to have some connections.”

Yan Cui'er wanted to go out and help. “Who cares about connections? Either way, it's fatty meat sent by the manager.”

The woman touched her face and suddenly transformed from a woman into a man—it was the Playwright who had been tracking Li Banfeng all along.

Yan Cui'er had just peeked out and quickly pulled back in fear.

Yan Hong asked, “What happened?”

Yan Cui'er trembled for a while. “It's Young Master Gu!”

Young Master Gu Rusong, the personal senior disciple of Fool's City Lord Sun Tiecheng!

Yan Qing'er was startled. “How did Young Master Gu come here? What should we do?”

Yan Hong'er said, “From what he said, it seems he's here for the manager!”

Yan Qing'er said, “Where's the manager? I'll go find him!”

Yan Cui'er angrily retorted, “You dare! If you betray the manager, I'll fight you to the death!”

Yan Qing'er also got anxious. “Why fight me to the death? It's not me who provoked Young Master Gu!”

Tang Changfa turned back and shouted, “Stop your damned yelling! This is a male guest. Get yourselves ready to meet him.”

Gu Rusong frowned. “Tang Changfa, don't play dumb with me. Don't you know who I am?”

Tang Changfa shook his head. “It's so dark, I really can't see who you are.”

Gu Rusong smiled. “I'm so close, and you still say you can't see clearly. You might as well just get rid of those eyes.”

“Alright, as you wish, I don't need them.” Tang Changfa gouged out his own eyes and threw them on the table, leaving only two deep holes in his face.

“Guest master, I really can't see now. My eyes are out, ironclad proof,” Tang Changfa said calmly. “If you think highly of our academy, pick a girl here. If you don't, then you're free to leave.”

Gu Rusong sighed. “Why go through all this trouble? Don't you feel pain?”

Tang Changfa smiled. “It does hurt, but what can I do? You said not to, so we won't. Isn't this giving you face?”

Losing a pair of eyes, Tang Changfa paid a considerable price.

His eyes were fake, but he believed them to be real, just as he believed he was always alive.

Without these eyes, he couldn't see.

He made such a large investment to use his technique to force Gu Rusong back.

Gu Rusong felt a chill run down his spine; he knew he had been hit by a technique.

But he had Cloud-level cultivation and was a Playwright. Despite the fear in his heart, his face showed no flaws. Gu Rusong said with a relaxed smile, “You haven't given me enough face. If you're capable, dig out your heart and liver for me to see!”

“Easily done!” Tang Changfa picked up a knife, sliced open his stomach, and pulled out his steaming heart and liver, placing them in front of Gu Rusong.

“What else do you want? Just say it!”

“You're using techniques on me again! First, it was ‘ironclad proof,’ then ‘inviting a challenge,’” Gu Rusong took out a handkerchief and covered his nose. “But your technique has a smell; I dislike it.”

Tang Changfa stammered, “What, what smell?”

“The smell of a dead person, do I need to spell it out?” Gu Rusong fanned himself with the handkerchief. “How disgusting is this smell? How do you bear it every day? Doesn't it sicken you to smell yourself?”

Tang Changfa shivered. Some things, in their world, couldn't be touched.

Yan Hong'er was startled. “Seizing the Weakness, Old Tang is going to back down.”

Gu Rusong continued, holding his nose with the handkerchief: “How many years have you been dead? Do you really not despise yourself at all? Still running this academy, still doing business here. When have you ever had business? Who would be willing to come to you? Looking at your appearance, don't you feel like vomiting? It might be better now that it's cold, but in a few days when it gets hot, aren't you afraid of getting maggots?”

After these words, Tang Changfa trembled all over, unable to speak or move.

He had previously used the Foolish Cultivator's 'Inviting a Challenge' technique on Young Master Gu Rusong. The essence of the technique lay in self-harm: 'inviting a challenge' meant asking you to strike me; if you didn't, I'd do it myself.

Tang Changfa gouged out his own eyes and cut open his own heart and liver, creating immense psychological deterrence for his opponent.

Even though Gu Rusong was Cloud-level, Foolish Cultivator techniques were still effective against him. At this moment, Gu Rusong's combat power and fighting spirit were greatly weakened.

But Gu Rusong also knew Foolish Cultivator techniques; he used the 'Seizing the Weakness' technique.

All Tang Changfa had done before was endure and yield, only wanting to force Gu Rusong back. Logically, he had paid such a high price without any offense; what he did was not at fault.

But Gu Rusong ignored all this. The essence of the 'Seizing the Weakness' technique lay in clinging to weaknesses and pain points.

He seized Tang Changfa's most painful spot, tearing open the wound little by little.

Tang Changfa instantly lost his ability to resist. Gu Rusong seized the opportunity to enter the academy's main hall, pushed Tang Changfa aside, and walked straight inside, saying as he went, “You few living dead, listen up: get out immediately. Don't sicken me any further.

You know who I am. If I see you one more time, I'll tear apart your rotten bones, throw them all into the latrine, then destroy your souls, leaving you to vanish into thin air!”

The three girls behind the screen gritted their teeth and clenched their fists.

Yan Hong'er was the first to jump out from behind the screen, pointing behind the Playwright and saying, “He's there! Young Master Gu, behind you.”

Gu Rusong paused, startled. What was behind him?

Yan Cui'er walked out. “Don't listen to her nonsense, there's no one behind you!”

Yan Qing'er also walked out. “What are you talking about behind? There's nothing back there!”

Gu Rusong frowned. What were they trying to do?

Such crude acting, are they trying to trick me into turning around?

Do they want to ambush me when I turn?

Do they have the guts to ambush me?

Have they forgotten who I am, forgotten my identity?

Is there really someone behind me?

Amidst his dilemma, Gu Rusong sensed a sound behind him, turned abruptly, and saw Li Banfeng right there.

With the means of a Cloud-level Playwright, he could instantly complete a sneak attack. Standing his ground and striking, Playwrights were incredibly fast and stealthy, no less than Wanderer Cultivators.

The opponent would find it difficult to dodge or parry, and even Li Banfeng's current ‘Kindheartedness’ technique wouldn't be able to withstand it.

But Gu Rusong was still in a dilemma.

The three women behind him were still talking incessantly.

Should he put all his effort into killing Li Qi, or should he also guard against the living dead behind him?

This hesitation clearly slowed his move.

As his action slowed, Li Banfeng dodged.

In the blink of an eye, Li Banfeng's figure vanished.

Riding Horse to View Flowers!

Gu Rusong's eyes darted quickly, immediately searching for Li Banfeng's trace.

Several women shouted from behind, “Young Master Gu, he's on the left.”

“Young Master Gu, he's behind you again.”

“Young Master Gu, he's above, quick, look!”

A Thousand Thoughts of a Fool!

These three women were all using techniques!

Amidst Gu Rusong's struggle, his attention was diverted, and the 'Riding Horse to View Flowers' technique succeeded, his chest bursting, and blood seeping through his clothes.

Playwrights didn't have such high defense. Taking a 'Riding Horse to View Flowers' directly, even if not fatal, caused a significant injury.

Strange, why were these three women helping Li Qi?

Why was Tang Changfa protecting Li Qi all along?

At first, he thought they were just greedy for this flesh and blood, but now he realized there seemed to be another connection between them.

He couldn't fight in this academy; it was too disadvantageous!

Gu Rusong took a step towards the academy entrance, and again heard the three women behind him talking incessantly.

Yan Hong'er shouted, “You can't go out, Young Master Gu, he's a Wanderer Cultivator. You'll lose your life if you go out!”

What she said made sense; outside, it seemed Wanderer Cultivators had an advantage.

Yan Cui'er shouted, “You have to go out, Young Master Gu. If a Playwright's identity is exposed, they must escape quickly. If you stay here, you're waiting for death.”

A few more girls came out from behind the screen, shouting loudly, “Young Master Gu, reason with him properly. This is our territory; there's nothing that can't be resolved!”

“Young Master Gu, you must be extremely cautious; that person is here again!”

Foolish Cultivators, the most difficult Daoist sect to deal with in the world.

A Cloud-level Playwright dealing with a local Foolish Cultivator had to be extremely cautious. Now, with a group of Foolish Cultivators causing trouble around him, how could this battle be fought?

Ignoring their nonsense, he walked directly out.

As soon as Gu Rusong took a step out, he found himself back in the main hall of Changsan Academy.

He had walked out of the hall, and now he was back in the hall.

How could a single threshold separate two main halls?

Li Banfeng used the 'Mind Travels Thousand Mountains' technique.

He wasn't proficient in the technique; he couldn't move complex things, but he could move what was in front of him.

He directly copied the main hall of Changsan Academy.

Gu Rusong was a Cloud-level Playwright, experienced and knowledgeable, aware of the 'Mind Travels Thousand Mountains' technique, but he hadn't expected Li Banfeng to operate it this way.

A group of women talking suddenly turned into two groups of women besieging him. Gu Rusong's ears buzzed, unable to distinguish which were real Foolish Cultivators and which were illusions conjured by Li Banfeng.

Should he first rush out from among the illusions?

Or should he stay put and wait for the opponent's technique to disappear?

The 'Mind Travels Thousand Mountains' technique lasted for a very short time; he could endure it for a while.

But Wanderer Cultivators struck quickly, and enduring this for a while might be difficult.

Amidst his dilemma, he again felt a murderous aura approaching from above.

Yan Hong'er shouted, “Quick, look up, he's coming!”

Yan Qing'er shouted, “Don't look up, he's behind you.”

This time, Gu Rusong had a response. He flicked a beaded hairpin from his sleeve, and it flew above his head.

Playwrights usually didn't easily use magic treasures, because using them made it easy for others to remember, making it harder to hide their identity next time.

But this beaded hairpin was very clever. When Gu Rusong disguised himself as a woman, it became a very normal and exquisite piece of jewelry, and others couldn't see anything unusual.

When it was time to fight, this beaded hairpin was worth one of Gu Rusong's arms, capable of engaging the enemy for several rounds.

The beaded hairpin flew up, saw the Tang saber chopping down from above, shook its beads, and went forward to meet the enemy.

Even though the Tang saber was much larger in size and weight than the beaded hairpin, the hairpin was not intimidated. It had seen many large weapons like this, and when it truly engaged in combat, the hairpin had plenty of means to use small to overcome large.

Just from the Tang saber's downward chop, the beaded hairpin had already spotted a flaw and aimed for the handle.

Unexpectedly, this flaw was sold to the beaded hairpin by the Tang saber. At this moment, the projector's lens had locked onto the handle. The beaded hairpin entered the lens's range, and with a flash from the projector, the beaded hairpin disappeared.

“All flowers in the world will wither, but flowers recorded on film will bloom forever, Director Qi. This is art; this is my unique 'Withering Technique.'”

The beaded hairpin disappeared, and the Tang saber chopped down.

Gu Rusong struggled to dodge, but his left shoulder was still cut.

The 'Mind Travels Thousand Mountains' technique failed. Gu Rusong wanted to quickly leave the academy, but under the siege of the Foolish Cultivators, he fell into another dilemma.

“You can't go out. On the street, you won't be able to fight him at all!”

“Young Master Gu, stay here. We are ultimately on your side!”

Gu Rusong also knew Foolish Cultivator techniques, but this didn't negate the damage Foolish Cultivator techniques inflicted on him.