Chapter 486: Iron Gate Fortress Has Only One Lord

At noon, Dick Chen finished lunch and sat quietly in the courtyard of the inn, waiting.

The coachman asked, "How long do you intend to wait? You've cost me a day's work; I'll need compensation for the fare."

Dick Chen nodded, "I am a man who values fairness. I won't shortchange you a single cent of what's due. I'm waiting here for my warriors. Once they've all arrived, we'll depart."

"You have warriors here?" the coachman asked, surprised. "Are your people still in Iron Gate Fortress?"

"That depends on how you define Iron Gate Fortress," Dick Chen chuckled. "If we only count the canyon where the House Cultivators reside, yes, I have people there, though not many. But if we include all the surrounding villages within Iron Gate Fortress's scope, then my forces are considerable indeed."

The coachman nodded, "It's good that you have people under you, but let me make one thing clear: Iron Gate Fortress has a local deity. With my cultivation level, if I were to act recklessly within the fortress, it would attract the deity. A strong dragon doesn't oppress a local snake; I wouldn't gain an advantage against the local deity, and you'd suffer the consequences too. So, I cannot make the first move in this matter."

Dick Chen had anticipated this. "There's a forest east of Iron Gate Fortress. You just need to be ready to provide support there. If I enter the forest, it means I've encountered trouble. You must eliminate all pursuers behind me and ensure my safe departure."

The coachman nodded, "That's simple enough."

As they spoke, people began to arrive at the entrance, one by one.

Dick Chen waved them over. The newcomers entered the courtyard and respectfully stood by Dick Chen's side.

These individuals included men and women, old and young. Among them was a House Cultivator named Jin Yuankang, who was considered a person of some standing within Iron Gate Fortress.

Dick Chen asked Jin Yuankang, "Old Jin, did you try to persuade them?"

Jin Yuankang sighed, "I did, but they wouldn't listen. They kept saying..."

"No need to elaborate," Dick Chen interrupted, wanting only the result, not the process.

By one o'clock, a total of thirty people had gathered in the courtyard.

Dick Chen stood in the center of the courtyard and addressed the crowd: "My name is Chen Weixin. Most of you know me. I meticulously selected you through various stages, setting you on the path to pursuing light, on the path to rebuilding Proza State. You gained new life, and you gained faith. Today, we are about to fight our first battle for that faith. We will cleanse all the corrupt forces blocking Proza State's progress. If anyone among you is afraid, speak up now. I will allow you to leave without any repercussions for your actions. We are comrades with shared ideals. Among us, there is only fairness and willingness, absolutely no coercion or force!"

Upon hearing these words, everyone remained expressionless, their steadfast gazes showing no trace of retreat or hesitation.

For the coachman, such resolute eyes were utterly incomprehensible.

He shifted his gaze towards the entrance, as if noticing something unusual.

He saw a very faint spiderweb shimmering outside the door. As a Cloud Cultivator, the coachman struggled to see it, while the others in the courtyard couldn't perceive it at all. Anyone choosing to leave would have to exit through the main gate, and would certainly be ensnared by this web. What the consequences of being ensnared would be, would depend on how the renowned detective Daboynes decided to handle it.

With everyone assembled, Dick Chen led his people out. The coachman went ahead to guard the forest, and Daboynes retracted the spiderweb, awaiting Dick Chen's command.

Dick Chen instructed, "You stay here and ensure the safety of the long spear. If I fail to capture Iron Gate Fortress, immediately leave with the long spear."

Daboynes bowed respectfully and watched Dick Chen's group depart.

The thirty people followed Dick Chen to the entrance of Iron Gate Fortress. The fortress's steam-powered gate was tightly shut, and House Cultivators were heavily fortified on the archway above and on both flanks of the valley.

Outside Iron Gate Fortress, there was a chalk-lined boundary, precisely one hundred meters from the iron gate. For the relatively dogmatic House Cultivators, discerning the 'appropriate time to act' was often difficult. However, a defined boundary made it much simpler and more intuitive: if anyone crossed the line, the House Cultivators would immediately retaliate.

Seeing Dick Chen leading his group, Wu Yongchao ordered everyone to prepare for battle. Someone pointed at Jin Yuankang and said to Wu Yongchao, "Old Jin is with them."

Wu Yongchao was momentarily stunned. "Isn't Old Jin sick? Wasn't he resting at home? When did he go out?"

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, unable to answer. Outside the gate, Dick Chen began to address them: "Brothers and sisters of Iron Gate Fortress, I am Chen Weixin. I have come here today not to bring war or slaughter, but to bring you light. I want to give Iron Gate Fortress a new beginning, a complete reconstruction and reform. I want to bring true happiness to Iron Gate Fortress and restore the light that rightfully belongs to this world to every person in Iron Gate Fortress."

Dick Chen's words were very captivating, but most of the House Cultivators didn't fully understand them. To be precise, they understood every word individually, but strung together, they had difficulty comprehending the meaning.

Dick Chen continued, "My brothers and sisters, from this day forward, I, Chen Weixin, am your fortress lord. You can confide all the suffering you've endured to me, and I will dedicate my life to healing your inner wounds. I am willing to be your father, the father of all Iron Gate Fortress, to cherish every person in Iron Gate Fortress as if they were my own flesh and blood. Please open the gates now and welcome your future, your new life, and your new fortress lord!"

After speaking, Dick Chen took a step forward.

He was only three steps from the hundred-meter boundary. Dick Chen took two steps, and the House Cultivators showed no reaction. With his third step, Dick Chen directly crossed the boundary. Before his foot even landed, a feathered arrow flew towards his face.

Dick Chen dodged the arrow and took a step back.

This arrow was shot by Wu Yongchao.

A second feathered arrow was nocked, still aimed at Dick Chen's head.

Dick Chen shouted, "I am Chen Weixin! I am your fortress lord! Why are you pointing your weapons at your new fortress lord!"

Wu Yongchao replied, "Iron Gate Fortress has only one fortress lord! The fortress lord of Iron Gate Fortress is not named Chen Weixin! The people of Iron Gate Fortress only obey the fortress lord!"

These were the rules of Iron Gate Fortress, the three ironclad laws established by Li Banfeng.

These words, the House Cultivators understood clearly.

Dick Chen said, "I am your fortress lord now, because I am here, and your fortress lord is not!"

Wu Yongchao replied, "Whether the fortress lord is here or not, he is our fortress lord. Alive, he is our fortress lord; dead, or even if he turns into a ghost, he is still our fortress lord."

Dick Chen frowned, "What kind of logic is that?"

Wu Yongchao explained the logic to Dick Chen: "When you go to bed, you recognize your wife; when you get out of bed, you recognize your shoes. When you leave the fortress, you recognize the way back; when you enter the fortress, you recognize the fortress lord. We recognize our fortress lord. Whatever else you say is useless. Dare to take another step forward, and today will be your last!"

Do not underestimate these House Cultivators. When they followed Zhou Anju, they had already shown some combat capability. Later, Li Banfeng invited the bandits from Flying Eagle Mountain, and with their vigorous cooperation, the House Cultivators developed a high level of combat proficiency.

Hidden in the shadows, Li Banfeng was very satisfied with the House Cultivators' current performance.

Dick Chen estimated the distance to the steam gate and signaled his subordinates to charge forward with him.

His subordinates followed him, but still hesitated.

Dick Chen rolled his eyes upwards, his eyelids closed, then quickly opened them again.

His thirty subordinates performed the same action, first closing their eyes, then opening them.

After opening their eyes, their hesitation vanished. They lifted their heads and marched in unison towards the steam gate.

What was happening?

Li Banfeng didn't quite understand this scene.

Was Dick Chen a Thought Cultivator, controlling his subordinates' minds?

It seemed possible.

Of course, the distance to the large iron gate was too far; a Thought Cultivator's technique shouldn't be able to reach the House Cultivators behind it.

Wu Yongchao ordered a counterattack. House Cultivators at the first and second levels had no fixed techniques, so their combat methods varied. Those with ranged combat abilities all took action: some used bows and arrows like Wu Yongchao, some threw darts, some used slingshots, and others simply threw stones. Their combat methods seemed rudimentary, but their lethality was considerable. When dealing with the bandits from Flying Eagle Mountain, Wu Yongchao's arrows never missed, each piercing a head. Today, however, his arrows weren't as accurate. More precisely, the enemies dodged incredibly fast; arrows could graze their faces and injure their skin, but they couldn't hit vital spots.

Everyone else was in the same situation. Dick Chen, with his thirty subordinates, quickly reached the iron gate.

Wu Yongchao ordered the steam valve opened, and scalding steam blasted out. The enemies in the front ranks were burned, their skin peeling and flesh rotting.

Yet, they seemed not to feel pain.

One after another, they rushed to the steam gate, gripping the smooth, scalding door panel with their hands, attempting to pull it open.

Was this because their cultivation was too high, or they had strong defenses?

No, that shouldn't be the case. They were injured; Li Banfeng noticed many were badly hurt, yet they showed none of the reactions expected from injured individuals. These thirty people were very strange. They were genuinely human, yet they didn't quite seem real. They must have been affected by Dick Chen's technique, but it didn't seem quite like a Thought Cultivator's technique.

The next scene was even stranger.

The steam gate was powered by a steam engine, and its outer surface didn't even have handles. Yet, these thirty people, seemingly without much effort, managed to pull the gate open.

Screeeech!

The steam gate cracked open.

Iron Gate Fortress's strongest defense, breached just like that?

Wu Yongchao was alarmed and quickly ordered the Engineering Cultivators to increase the steam engine's power.

The Engineering Cultivators shouted, "The pressure gauge is about to burst, but the gate itself isn't responding!"

"Not responding?" What did that mean?

Wu Yongchao didn't understand engineering principles, so he couldn't grasp the Engineering Cultivators' explanation. He could only direct the other House Cultivators to defend the gate with all their might.

In the midst of the chaos, as Dick Chen and his group were about to storm the fortress, Li Banfeng, hidden on the hillside, pulled out his teapot and splashed a pot of tea water towards the enemies.

The tea water landed, creating a barrier, and more tea water surged upwards from the ground.

The teapot's properties were extremely effective against lower-tier cultivators, but stopping Dick Chen would be incredibly difficult. Li Banfeng's intention was to buy the House Cultivators some time to react.

The House Cultivators quickly calmed down. Since the gate had fallen, they prepared for street fighting. House Cultivators at the fourth level and above swiftly retrieved their stone carvings, clay sculptures, and paintings, preparing their 'Golden House Concealment' techniques.

But to Li Banfeng's surprise, the old teapot's barrier was quickly breached.

The thirty enemies steeped in the tea water, their skin below the ankles scalded to the bone. Yet, just like how they opened the steam gate, they pressed their hands onto the barrier until it slowly vanished.

How did the barrier disappear? It certainly wasn't shattered by these thirty-odd people.

Li Banfeng was still trying to figure out the reason when he suddenly saw the teapot fly up, its spout pointing at him.

"Rebel, old thing!" the Glove exclaimed, quickly swallowing the teapot.

The teapot's sudden betrayal was something Li Banfeng had never anticipated.

Looking down at the fortress, Dick Chen was leading his subordinates deeper inside. The female House Cultivator, Li Zhijuan, was controlling her sewn cloth dolls, leading a group of stone statues and clay sculptures to battle the enemies.

These House Cultivators were skilled in their 'Golden House Concealment' techniques, and initially, they dominated the battle.

However, after a short while, the cloth dolls, stone statues, and clay sculptures all became motionless.

Li Zhijuan and a group of House Cultivators also stopped moving.

Wu Yongchao had intended to control the beauties in his paintings to fight the enemies, but he noticed something was wrong with the current situation.

Any puppet touched by the enemies stopped moving.

The owners of the puppets also stopped moving.

No advanced combat techniques were observed from the enemies; they simply extended a hand and touched.

The battle was unfavorable, so tactics had to change quickly. Li Banfeng pulled out a brass gong and ran along the cliff, striking it as he went.

His movements were too fast for others to see his form, but they could hear the sound of the gong. Once the gong was heard, all House Cultivators were to return home to defend; this was a rule Li Banfeng had established in the fortress.

Wu Yongchao didn't know who had ordered the gong struck, but most of the surrounding House Cultivators had already left. With no other option, he retreated to his residence. As he reached the entrance, an enemy grabbed Wu Yongchao from behind. This was his doorstep, and Wu Yongchao could have easily broken free, yet he stood motionless at the entrance. Even his House Spirit grew anxious, hissing, "Child, what are you doing? Come back quickly!"

Li Banfeng, running along the edge of the cliff, was about to descend to save him when he suddenly heard the Glove shout, "Master, don't go! I've recognized the opponent's sect: this person is a Slumber Cultivator!"

Dick Chen was a Slumber Cultivator?

Li Banfeng said, "So he's controlling these people through dreams?"

"Master, dreams are dreams, and slumber is slumber. Dreams affect the mind, while slumber affects the body. These are two different things. His subordinates, including himself, are all asleep, and after falling asleep, they came under his control. These sleeping individuals have no distracting thoughts, react quickly, strike fiercely, and feel no pain. The most difficult thing to deal with is that if you touch them, you will also fall asleep."

Li Banfeng said, "Li Zhijuan didn't even touch the enemy. She just used her Golden House Concealment technique. How did she fall asleep too?"

"Master, some techniques involve power transmission. Techniques that transmit power are also susceptible to Slumber Cultivator's control. Our old teapot suddenly turned against us just now because its power transmission was controlled by the Slumber Cultivator."

"Slumber Cultivation techniques can control magical artifacts too?"

"More than that! Master, the large gate in the fortress has also fallen asleep."

The gate?

The steam gate?

That thing had no sentience; it was purely mechanical.

A Slumber Cultivator could make machinery fall asleep?

This cultivation path was a bit unreasonable.

More and more people in the fortress fell asleep. Dick Chen kept moving deeper into the fortress, and House Cultivators stood one after another by the roadside like clay figures, as Dick Chen approached the Fortress Lord's residence.

Li Banfeng let out a roar: "Hu ya ya ya!"

He wanted to use his wife's Sound Cultivation technique to awaken the sleeping House Cultivators.

But the House Cultivators did not wake up.

The Glove reminded him, "Master, shouting at them is useless; even boiling water won't wake them. We need to find a way to wake up the Slumber Cultivator himself."

Li Banfeng approached Dick Chen and shouted again: "Hu ya ya ya!"

Dick Chen's steps halted, his face contorted slightly, but he still didn't wake up.

If his wife's Sound Cultivation technique couldn't wake him, how high was this person's cultivation level? Or perhaps Sound Cultivation techniques simply didn't affect him?

The Music Box vibrated continuously in his pocket. She wanted to try.

He almost forgot, the Music Box's techniques should originate from Slumber Cultivation.

Li Banfeng wound up the Music Box and approached Dick Chen with it. Although Dick Chen was asleep, his basic reactions were more agile than when awake. Li Banfeng acted with extreme caution, playing a melody from the Music Box. This melody was specifically designed to awaken people. The Music Box played half a song, but Dick Chen showed no reaction.

The Music Box's cultivation level wasn't high enough; it couldn't wake Dick Chen.

The Tang Saber said, "My lord, cover me! I'll cut this fellow down with one strike!"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "You can't go. If he controls you, the Glove might not be able to contain you."

"Seven Guide, I might be able to fight!" the Projector volunteered.

The Glove said, "Ah Ji, you definitely can't go. They're asleep, so illusions won't affect them."

"I won't use illusions; I'll use the technique of Wither."

The Glove said, "I believe your Wither technique also involves power transmission, so it would definitely be controlled by the Slumber Cultivator."

Whose technique doesn't involve power transmission?

The Wine Gourd said, "Little brother, my technique doesn't transmit power. Once the wine is splashed out, it's out, and it no longer concerns me."

That was true, it had no connection. But what to do after splashing out the wine? Set fire to them? Burn the House Cultivators and Iron Gate Fortress along with them? Li Banfeng had no intention of doing that.

The Wine Gourd didn't forget to offer a suggestion: "Let Mengde try. She's a Dream Cultivator; she has some restraint over Slumber Cultivators."

Dream Cultivators could manipulate dreams, perhaps exerting some influence over Dick Chen.

But how significant would that influence be?

The Glove was not optimistic. "Master, this Slumber Cultivator's level is too high. Even the Madam's technique couldn't wake him. How much use would Mengde be?"

The Pendulum said, "Could it be that his level is even higher than the Madam's?"

Li Banfeng surveyed the battle.

More and more House Cultivators were falling asleep, but many had also escaped back to their residences. The sleepers were spreading like zombies. Whether it was the House Cultivators themselves or the puppets in their hands, as soon as they touched Dick Chen or his subordinates, they would stand rigid in the middle of the road. The first few House Cultivators to be 'infected' had already joined the invaders' ranks, making their way towards the Fortress Lord's residence.

But it was only these few.

The others had merely fallen asleep; they weren't fighting alongside Dick Chen. Why was that?

The number was limited!

Why did Dick Chen only bring thirty subordinates? Was it because it was hard to find more people? If he had brought three hundred subordinates, put them all to sleep, made them impervious to pain or fear, and had them storm Iron Gate Fortress simultaneously, how could they be resisted? He could make everything around him fall asleep, even the steam iron gate. With such an ability, why didn't he assemble a vast mechanical army?

His failure to do so proved he couldn't.

Thirty people might be his limit. He could perhaps handle a few more, but beyond that, newly converted sleepers wouldn't fight alongside Dick Chen; they would simply remain in slumber.

What if he continued to add more?

Then an experiment was in order.

Li Banfeng returned to his portable residence and retrieved a stack of paper figures. These paper figures were printed, requiring little effort, of poor quality, and low combat effectiveness. Li Banfeng had no intention of making them fight. He simply tossed them among the enemies, without even basic control, letting them fend for themselves. Any control would result in the 'power transmission' the Glove spoke of. Simply put, it meant retaining a connection with these paper figures, and even a slight connection could cause him to be dragged into slumber with them.

Over two hundred paper figures were thrown out. Upon contact with the enemies, they all fell into slumber. Li Banfeng threw out another hundred-plus. About eighty of them fell asleep, while a dozen or so did not. He then threw out thirty more; not a single one of the thirty paper figures fell asleep.

This was Dick Chen's limit; he could no longer make more people fall asleep.

Li Banfeng had a rough estimation of Dick Chen's cultivation level.

"His level is definitely higher than Mengde's and the Music Box's, but it can't be higher than the Madam's. The Madam's Sound Cultivation technique couldn't wake him because it was affected by my restrictions, and Slumber Cultivators themselves are also wary of sounds. Dick Chen's thinking ability was clearly limited after falling into slumber. Now that he can't make more people fall asleep, it's time to properly deal with him."

Li Banfeng first had the Tang Saber conduct an experiment, slashing at the old House Cultivator Jin Yuankang. If Jin Yuankang had still retained his House Cultivator abilities, that single strike might not have killed him. But now he was just one of Dick Chen's many puppets. Like the other puppets, he reacted quickly but couldn't outpace the Tang Saber, and his body, though rough, couldn't withstand the Tang Saber either.

A cold light flashed, and the Tang Saber cut down from his left shoulder, emerging from his right waist, cleaving Jin Yuankang in two. Just before dying, Jin Yuankang, abandoned by Dick Chen, broke free from slumber and shouted loudly, "Send me back to my residence! There's still hope! There's still..."

Li Banfeng stomped on Jin Yuankang's skull, crushing it completely.

With Jin Yuankang's death, Dick Chen, who had already reached his technical limit, seemed to gain some reserve power. This was normal, as one less sleeper was under his control. Li Banfeng pulled out a paper figure and tossed it among the enemies. The touched paper figure quickly fell into slumber, filling the slot in Dick Chen's freed technique.

Li Banfeng continuously unleashed 'Tread Through Ten Thousand Rivers,' and Dick Chen's subordinates were, one by one, riddled with holes. They truly felt no pain, but with their bones and flesh shattered, they would completely lose their combat capability.

Li Banfeng swiftly approached Dick Chen, intending to blast him with 'Glimpse of Life,' but the technique had no effect. Dick Chen was in a slumbering state, which was very strange. He could react to Li Banfeng's actions, but he couldn't perceive Li Banfeng's presence, so the prerequisite for 'Glimpse of Life' was not met. Combat techniques requiring direct contact were unsuitable. The best option was still 'Tread Through Ten Thousand Rivers.'

With that kick, Li Banfeng used his full strength.

With a thunderous boom, a large crater appeared on the ground. Dick Chen shed a layer of skin. His originally resolute gaze scattered for a moment before refocusing.

"I'm awake?" he asked, surprised.

"No, you're still asleep," Li Banfeng replied very genuinely.

"You're Li Qi?" Dick Chen couldn't quite process it.

"Yes, I am Li Qi. I shouldn't be in Iron Gate Fortress; I should be in Greenwater City. So, you haven't woken up yet." Li Banfeng's figure vanished.

Was he asleep or awake?

Dick Chen hesitated for a moment, then his chest exploded.

'Glimpse of Life!'

He knew Li Qi was a fifth-level Traveler Cultivator and would surely be prepared for the 'Glimpse of Life' technique. If he were in a dream, he wouldn't need to worry, but if he were awake, the problem would be severe. It seemed he had indeed woken up just now, but for some unknown reason, he fell into confusion. This confusion proved fatal. Dick Chen clutched his shattered chest and ran towards the exit of Iron Gate Fortress.

He woke up, and everyone in the fortress who had fallen into slumber woke up with him.

Only a dozen or so of Dick Chen's subordinates remained alive. Wu Yongchao shouted, "Charge!"

The House Cultivators and these dozen or so individuals engaged in a melee.

Li Banfeng ignored the battle inside the fortress; these House Cultivators would certainly find a way to deal with the remaining dozen subordinates. He focused entirely on pursuing Dick Chen.

Dick Chen was severely wounded but remained composed. As he turned to flee, he once again put himself into slumber. In his slumbering state, Dick Chen's consciousness was unclear, making it difficult to handle complex issues. However, his focus was extremely high, and he ran incredibly fast. Most crucially, his technique for drawing people into slumber was active. Around him, many people fell into slumber again, forcing Li Banfeng to maintain a certain distance from him.

Dick Chen rushed out of Iron Gate Fortress and ran towards the forest. Because his consciousness was unclear, he had only one thought left: he had to enter the forest. Once in the forest, he would be safe.

Whoosh!

Li Banfeng threw down a large number of paper figures, surrounding Dick Chen. Li Banfeng's deduction was correct: Dick Chen's Slumber Cultivation technique had strict numerical limits. He could control no more than thirty-five combatants, and could merely draw no more than three hundred and fifty people into slumber. These three hundred and fifty slots were all taken by the paper figures. Li Banfeng unleashed 'Tread Through Ten Thousand Rivers' with a kick, waking Dick Chen up again.

The heavily wounded Dick Chen looked at Li Banfeng and said, "Allow me to speak first. I came to Iron Gate Fortress only to verify the authenticity of a weapon. This matter has nothing to do with you."

"Are you done speaking?" Li Banfeng prepared to act immediately, suspecting an ambush in the forest.

Dick Chen said, "Wait a moment. If you continue to attack, I will activate my technique again. We will wear each other down for a long time. I don't know where you get these strange puppets from, but they're not inexhaustible. If something goes wrong and you fall victim to my technique, you know how severe the consequences will be. Just let me say a few words. After I'm done, we can both take a step back and leave. Wouldn't that be a good outcome?"

Li Banfeng nodded, "Go on, I'm listening."

Dick Chen was desperately stalling for time. He knew the coachman was in the forest, but he had to wait for the right moment for the coachman to act: "Li Qi, your original name is Li Banfeng, correct? You're from out of state, and you obtained the Mystic-Born Red Lotus, correct?"

Li Banfeng's brow twitched. "How do you know that?"

Dick Chen smiled, "To clarify this matter, I first need to explain my identity. Do you know who I am? I am the Bishop of the Light Seekers, the one who brings light and faith to Proza State."

The Light Seekers?

Bishop?

Both terms were very rare in Proza State.

Dick Chen continued, "We believe in light, the light that can truly reshape Proza State. As an envoy of light, I would very much like to recruit an outstanding individual like you into our group, to become a like-minded, close comrade-in-arms."

"Those people attacking Iron Gate Fortress are your comrades, aren't they?" Li Banfeng chuckled. "Becoming your comrade doesn't seem like a good thing."

"They are too foolish and too weak; only such tasks are suitable for them. But you are different from them, Li Qi. You are a true powerhouse; you possess the ability to fight alongside me."

Li Banfeng chuckled, "Since you think so highly of me, how about this: introduce me to the leader of the Light Seekers and all the important figures below him. I'll see if I'm interested in joining you."

Dick Chen shook his head. "To join us, you must go through a strict process. We are not yet sure if you qualify to join the Light Seekers. For this matter, you'll need some patience."

Li Banfeng laughed, "First, you approached Ma Wu for business, then you turned around and said Ma Wu wasn't qualified to cooperate with you. Now you ask me to join the Light Seekers, and then you tell me I'm not qualified. All this talk is just a delay tactic, and your way of speaking is truly irritating."

As his words fell, Li Banfeng's figure vanished.

'Glimpse of Life' took effect, and Dick Chen's legs exploded.

The coachman hadn't appeared yet, so Dick Chen had to continue stalling.

He rolled his eyes upwards, preparing to enter slumber. Li Banfeng let out a long cry: "Hu ya ya ya!" If Dick Chen had fallen asleep, it would be difficult to wake him now. Li Banfeng's deduction was correct: Dick Chen possessed a technique to block out sound. But Dick Chen hadn't fallen asleep. Li Banfeng's continuous shouts prevented him from entering slumber. In an instant, Li Banfeng's figure reappeared, and Dick Chen's abdomen burst open. He wasn't sure if he could endure another 'Glimpse of Life.' But if he didn't fall into slumber, he couldn't possibly fight against a high-level Traveler Cultivator...

Dick Chen's neck exploded.

Seeing him lying motionless on the ground, Li Banfeng quickly had the Tang Saber move forward, pick him up, and transport him into the portable residence.

Dick Chen's consciousness was still present; he was gritting his teeth and holding on.

The coachman was coming soon. One more second of endurance meant one more chance of victory!

At the market in Iron Gate Fortress, a man bought two bags of rice. Carrying one in each hand was a bit strenuous, and stacking both on his back wasn't very stable.

Passing the market entrance, a rickshaw driver called out, "Sir, a ride?"

When had Iron Gate Fortress ever had rickshaws?

The man, having traveled outside and gained some experience, looked up and asked, "Brother, what brings you to this place with a rickshaw?"

The rickshaw driver chuckled, "Just passing through on a long journey, looking for some business along the way. Look how heavy your rice is; hurry and put it on the cart!"

The man was a bit hesitant. "Brother, I don't have much money."

The rickshaw driver laughed, "Money's not an issue. Just give what you can."

"You should still name a price!"

"Three Huan Kingdom notes, I'll take you and your rice home. How does that sound?"

The man calculated for a while, then grit his teeth and agreed. He placed the two bags of rice onto the cart and climbed in himself.

The rickshaw driver lifted the shafts and, with light and joyful steps, walked along the country road.