Chapter 490: Carrying the Sedan Chair Three Times

Li Banfeng walked down the bluestone path into the alley. The lair of the Starlight Sect's Boundless Camp was located in a residence deep within the alley.

This alley was not flat; it was a steep slope, a continuous flight of steps ascending upwards, quite strenuous for an ordinary person to walk.

In Ye Songqiao, such sloped paths were commonplace. Sedan bearers could be seen at almost every alley entrance, outnumbering rickshaw pullers. There was also a local saying, often recited by the sedan bearers: "The sedan pole lifts three times, and good fortune comes rolling in."

A sedan bearer approached him. "Care for a ride?" he asked.

Li Banfeng subtly shook his head.

The sedan bearer frowned. "Are you taking a ride or not? Just say so. Are you looking down on me?"

Li Banfeng glanced at the sedan bearer, a smile on his face. "No, thank you," he replied.

The sedan bearer persisted, but Li Banfeng's eyes gleamed with a cold light.

Seeing this, the sedan bearer asked no further questions and lowered his head, moving elsewhere to solicit business.

Li Banfeng looked back at the sedan bearer, a trace of caution entering his mind. It wasn't because of the man's rude attitude, but because the sedan bearer had seen him.

Dwelling Cultivators possessed the innate ability to go unnoticed. Normally, this sedan bearer should have overlooked Li Banfeng, but exceptions could occur.

Currently, there were no other pedestrians in the alley. It was possible the sedan bearer was so eager for business that he had been constantly watching the alley, greeting anyone he saw.

Being unnoticed wasn't invisibility; there was a certain chance of being noticed by someone highly focused.

Of course, another possibility couldn't be ruled out: this sedan bearer might have a significant cultivation level and was here to act as a lookout for the Boundless Camp.

Logically, a lookout shouldn't speak so aggressively or be so conspicuous, but it was always wise to be extra cautious.

Still about a hundred meters from the residence, Li Banfeng touched the Thread-Pulling Earring by his ear.

After waiting for about ten seconds, the earring responded, "Master, no movement."

How could there be no movement?

Could it be that the Boundless Camp's lair was empty in broad daylight?

Perhaps the Thread-Pulling Earring simply hadn't detected anyone.

Mosonov had said that the Starlight Sect's Boundless Camp consisted entirely of elites. It was plausible that there were masters among them who could evade the Thread-Pulling Earring.

Li Banfeng returned to his Portable Dwelling, took out a painting, and used the Golden Pavilion Hidden Beauty technique to create a beautiful woman.

Li Banfeng had put considerable effort into this portrait of a beauty, blending Western painting techniques taught by Pendulum with the ink wash painting techniques taught by Hong Ying. The image was realistic yet evocative, the woman lifelike and full of spirit.

The only flaw was that Li Banfeng had only painted half of her face; the other half had to be covered by her hair.

When he looked at this half-faced beauty at home, she seemed quite lovely, but taking her out onto the street suddenly made her a bit unsettling.

No matter, as long as there was no wind to blow her hair away, the flaw should not be noticeable.

Li Banfeng stood by the street, watching the half-faced beauty quietly infiltrate the residence, then released his control over her.

He remembered the characteristics of Sleep Cultivators' techniques, which had a counter-ability against energy transmission techniques. There might be Sleep Cultivators in the Boundless Camp, so it was best to be cautious.

Five minutes later, the half-faced beauty returned, pressing the hair on her left cheek, and shook her head at Li Banfeng.

Indeed, there was no one in the residence.

Given the current situation, there were three possibilities.

The first possibility was that the information was incorrect, and the Boundless Camp's lair was not here.

Li Banfeng was not familiar with Ye Songqiao. Many clues had been gathered by Luo Zhengnan's subordinates, and Luo Zhengnan himself didn't know much about the Starlight Sect. So, incorrect information was quite normal; this could simply be an empty, uninhabited residence.

However, the half-faced beauty extended her hand towards Li Banfeng, her pale palm spotlessly clean.

This was to tell Li Banfeng that she had found no dust inside the house.

This was not an empty house; someone had been living there recently. But where had everyone gone?

Then, consider the second possibility: the Boundless Camp had mobilized completely to carry out a mission.

The probability of this situation was low. No matter how urgent the mission, it was unlikely they would leave no one behind to guard the premises.

The third possibility was that the Boundless Camp had received some intelligence and had gone into hiding.

Were they intentionally hiding from him?

Li Qi had wiped out a camp of the Starlight Sect at the Conqueror Restaurant, so it was normal for them to hide from him.

But the question was, how did they know Li Qi had come to Ye Songqiao?

Li Banfeng considered the people who had come with him: members of the Lu family and the He family. Their composition was a bit complex. Could someone among them be a mole?

It was hard to say.

Li Banfeng and Wu Yongchao had not known that there were Starlight Sect followers in Iron Gate Fort.

Even Duan Shaoxia was unaware that two branches of the Lu family had joined the Starlight Sect. The sect's followers had an extremely wide reach and excellent concealment, which was their most troublesome characteristic.

If there truly was a mole among his companions, who could it be?

Li Banfeng returned to He Yuxiu's residence, using his Dwelling Cultivator's ability to go unnoticed to carefully observe every member of his entourage.

As dusk approached, Zheng Siyi, the Garrison Commissioner of Ye Songqiao, arrived at the residence to invite Li Banfeng for dinner. He Yuxiu chuckled, "You're only inviting Old Qi? Are you looking down on me?"

Zheng Siyi waved his hands repeatedly. "Miss He, please don't misunderstand. I've invited Mr. Li because there are some private matters between men that we need to discuss."

"Matters between men? Can't I listen?"

"It's not that you can't listen, but if you did, I'd feel embarrassed. Once this matter is settled, I'll host a separate dinner for you, Miss He, and I hope you'll honor me with your presence then." Zheng Siyi's words were witty and he showed proper respect, so He Yuxiu didn't press further and conveyed the message to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng didn't know Zheng Siyi. Although the other party seemed sincere, he took full precautions before attending the dinner.

The dining location chosen was Misty Cloud Tower, the most famous restaurant in Ye Songqiao, situated right next to Misty Cloud Lake. Every night, looking out from the upper floors onto the lake, the rising mist resembled a bluish smoke connecting directly to the clouds in the sky, a major scenic wonder of Ye Songqiao.

Upon reaching the private room, Zheng Siyi stood respectfully by the door without entering. It wasn't he who wanted to invite Li Qi to dinner; waiting inside the private room was Liao Zihui.

"Commissioner Liao?" Li Banfeng smiled. "When did you arrive in Ye Songqiao? You didn't come specifically to find me, did you?"

Liao Zihui chuckled, "Originally, I had other matters to attend to, but now only your matter remains, Younger Brother Li. Please, sit, and let's talk while we eat."

The signature dishes of Misty Cloud Tower were all specialties from Misty Cloud Lake: fish, crab, shrimp, and soft-shelled turtle were all on the table, making for a very sumptuous feast.

After a few pleasantries, Liao Zihui got straight to the point. "Younger Brother Li, you came to Ye Songqiao this time for matters concerning the Starlight Sect, correct?"

Old Liao's information was truly well-informed.

What did he want to do?

Seeing Li Qi remain silent, Liao Zihui continued, "You wiped out a camp of the Starlight Sect in Green Water City. Younger Brother, your actions were truly ruthless."

Li Qi smiled. "Did that make things difficult for you?"

Liao Zihui raised his wine cup. "We've had our share of grievances in the past, and it's inevitable we'll have more bumps in the road. Putting other matters aside for now, I toast you with this drink, and I thank you for this matter."

Li Qi blinked, not quite understanding Liao Zihui's meaning. "What are you thanking me for?"

"Those scoundrels have been a persistent worry for me, and a major hidden danger for Prole Province. Prole Province absolutely cannot fall into their hands. You did what I couldn't conveniently do, so I must thank you." With that, Liao Zihui raised his cup and drained it.

Li Banfeng also drank his wine. It was rare for the two of them to reach a consensus on anything.

Setting down his cup, Liao Zihui asked, "Younger Brother, did you find anything during your visit to Ye Songqiao this time?"

Li Qi shook his head. "I drew a blank."

Liao Zihui poured another cup of wine. "To be honest, Younger Brother, I came here for this very reason, because I also drew a blank here in Ye Songqiao."

"There's a reason why both of us drew a blank. You did what I couldn't conveniently do, and now I must do what you can't conveniently do."

Li Qi found it truly perplexing. "I really don't understand what you mean."

Liao Zihui shook his head. "You definitely won't understand, because even I can't fully explain it. Just wait for my news. This matter originated with me, and I must provide an explanation."

The two drank another cup. Liao Zihui then asked, "Younger Brother, do you know that the Boundless Camp consists of the Starlight Sect's elites?"

"Yes, I know that."

"Do you know why these elites came to Ye Songqiao?"

Li Banfeng truly didn't know this; even Mosonov was unaware of the reason.

Liao Zihui said, "I've put a lot of effort into investigating this. Ye Songqiao is an unusual place. Do you have any business here?"

Li Qi shook his head.

Liao Zihui said, "Not only do you not, but the Lu family and the Chu family also have no business here. The Ma family has a small venture, but it has never amounted to much. Over ninety percent of Ye Songqiao's businesses are held by the He family."

The He family indeed had a lot of business in Ye Songqiao. From daily necessities like food, clothing, and shelter to entertainment, He Yuxiu had to oversee every large and small venture in Ye Songqiao.

Why did all the businesses in this place belong to the He family? Was it because others looked down on them?

From a purely business perspective, they were indeed not very appealing.

Liao Zihui gave an example: "Ye Songqiao is rich in timber, but the timber here is not cheap. After deducting transportation costs, how much profit is left?"

"I've calculated it, and it's less than half a percent. With any slight variable, the business would result in a loss."

"There are many places in Prole Province that produce timber, and profits elsewhere are at least thirty percent. So why does the He family insist on holding onto Ye Songqiao?"

Li Qi said, "Because the timber in Ye Songqiao is of good quality?"

Liao Zihui said, "The pine wood from Ye Songqiao is indeed of good quality, but not to an irreplaceable degree. And the He family holds all the timber business in Ye Songqiao."

"The He family has never suppressed prices. They monopolized the business here but never manipulated profits. Isn't there something significant about that?"

The situation in Ye Songqiao was indeed special. He Yuxiu had already lost interest in the businesses there.

But why had the He family operated here for so long before? Did the He family have a special attachment to this area?

Li Banfeng asked, "Has Ye Songqiao always been like this?"

Liao Zihui shook his head. "I investigated this. Twenty years ago, the timber prices in Ye Songqiao were much lower than they are now. Doing timber business here yielded at least a thirty percent profit."

"But after He Haiqin intervened in Ye Songqiao's business, the market changed. He raised local timber prices by purchasing at high prices."

"With his capital raised, he then turned around and started selling at low prices, squeezing out his own profits and driving other families' businesses to ruin."

"In other words, He Haiqin invested a huge amount of capital to deliberately create this unprofitable business. Why would he do that?"

Li Qi pondered for a moment. "So that no one would compete with him."

Liao Zihui nodded. "Exactly. Since there was no profit to be made, most indeed weren't willing to compete with him. But Lu Dongliang did."

"Lu Dongliang fought He Haiqin in Ye Songqiao for three full years. At that time, Lu Dongliang's foundation wasn't as strong as He Haiqin's, and he lost a considerable portion of his family assets. Ultimately, he couldn't defeat He Haiqin, and that's how their feud began."

"Why would such an unprofitable business be worth these two fighting so fiercely over?"

Li Qi rubbed his chin. "Because there's something good here."

Liao Zihui said, "More accurately, it's because there's a great opportunity here. Younger Brother Li, have you heard the saying, 'The sedan pole lifts three times, and good fortune comes rolling in'?"

Li Qi nodded. "I've heard it. Sedan bearers often say that."

Liao Zihui said, "At first, I also thought it was just an auspicious saying from the sedan bearers. But after a long investigation, I learned that a secret was hidden within that phrase."

"In Ye Songqiao, there's a special opportunity. If a person is chosen by the local deity, they will encounter three opportunities, and their strength will be elevated three times. This is also called being 'lifted by the sedan three times'."

"The first 'sedan lift' elevates cultivation. One year of cultivation in Ye Songqiao is equivalent to three years elsewhere."

"The second 'sedan lift' elevates one's level. A fifth-level cultivator who encounters this opportunity can directly advance to the sixth level, or even the seventh, saving twenty years of time."

"The third 'sedan lift' elevates one's standing. It is said to be able to elevate ground-level cultivators to the clouds."

"Younger Brother Li, you should understand now why He Haiqin was so determined to control Ye Songqiao, shouldn't you?"

Of course, he understood.

This temptation was too great; it rivaled the Mystical Red Lotus.

Li Qi pieced together the events. "So, the conflict between Lu Dongliang and He Haiqin was also for this opportunity?"

Liao Zihui nodded. "I've compiled all of Lu Dongliang's experiences in Ye Songqiao from back then. He fought He Haiqin fiercely and also entangled himself with local socialites."

"Lu Chunying, in fact, was conceived by Lu Dongliang during that time. Lu Dongliang was a lecherous man, but he didn't seek out just anyone; he specifically sought out established families with long histories, gathering information from them to search for the whereabouts of the local deity."

As he spoke, Liao Zihui handed a document to Li Banfeng. "Younger Brother, these are the families Lu Dongliang interacted with in Ye Songqiao back then."

"He Yuxiu likely doesn't know about Ye Songqiao's secret. She has a good relationship with you, so she probably won't be too wary."

"I'll leave this great opportunity to you, Younger Brother. For the Starlight Sect matter, consider this my thank-you gift. For our past grievances, consider this my apology."

"You're still young, Younger Brother. Whether you want this opportunity in Ye Songqiao is up to your own heart. But please, do stay in Ye Songqiao for a couple more days. Regarding the Boundless Camp matter, I must give you an explanation."

Li Banfeng asked, "What kind of explanation exactly?"

"You were correct about the Boundless Camp's lair. They also came to Ye Songqiao to find this opportunity. But since the location was right and the timing was right, why couldn't either of us find those scoundrels?"

Li Banfeng said, "Because someone leaked the information."

"So, for this matter, I must provide an explanation to you, and to myself. Pay close attention to tomorrow's newspaper," Liao Zihui said, taking a travel pass from his pocket and handing it to Li Qi.

"This is a travel pass with no time limit and unlimited uses. In Prole Province, those who can obtain such a pass can be counted on one hand. I'm giving it to you."

Li Banfeng took the pass and glanced at it. "Commissioner Liao, what's gotten into you today? Why are you giving me so many good things? Are you really going to retire?"

"Retirement is still a long way off," Liao Zihui said, pouring another glass of wine. "I'm demonstrating my sincerity, my sincerity to cooperate with you, Younger Brother Li. We absolutely must cooperate on this Starlight Sect matter, or Prole Province will be ruined. Once we've dealt with these bastards, then we can go back to being at odds."

Back in his Portable Dwelling, Li Banfeng took the documents Liao Zihui had given him and carefully read through them.

Lu Dongliang had accumulated quite a few romantic entanglements during his three years in Ye Songqiao. The families he had interacted with indeed possessed some information about the local deity, and much of this information had been compiled by Liao Zihui in the documents.

Why was Liao Zihui compiling all this?

According to the information Li Banfeng had, Liao Zihui was not a Dark Energy practitioner; he had no cultivation.

However, cultivation itself was invisible. If Liao Zihui truly wanted to conceal his strength, it would be difficult for ordinary people to detect.

According to Lightbulb, Liao Zihui's greatest wish was to retire successfully in Prole Province.

If he did possess cultivation and had kept it hidden, was it possible he aimed to ascend to the clouds after retirement?

He handed these documents to me. If I could successfully navigate the "sedan lift" path, I should be able to help him again in the future.

To be honest, the three opportunities in Ye Songqiao were indeed very tempting, especially the third one, which directly elevated one's level. Li Banfeng's plan to ascend to the clouds could be put into practice immediately.

But was this information real?

Judging by the documents compiled by Liao Zihui, most of the content consisted of legends, and the legends from different families contained numerous contradictions. Li Banfeng was highly skeptical about the credibility and value of this information.

"My dear wife, have you heard of the local deity of Ye Songqiao?"

"My beloved husband, I've heard of Ye Songqiao; it's said to have beautiful scenery. But regarding its local deity, your humble servant truly knows nothing."

His wife didn't know, and Hong Ying knew even less; she hadn't even heard of Ye Songqiao.

The Wine Gourd seemed to recall something. "I think I heard Old Yao mention it once. I've forgotten the exact details, but I remember something about 'three lifts'."

Li Banfeng said, "The sedan pole lifts three times, and good fortune comes rolling in."

The Wine Gourd thought for a moment, then swayed. "That seems to be it."

Old Yao had also mentioned this saying. It seemed the rumors were true.

He had to find a way to locate this local deity.

Early the next morning, Li Banfeng first went to Misty Cloud Lake. Among the documents Liao Zihui provided, there were over a dozen theories about the local deity's dwelling place. The most widely accepted theory was that it was at the bottom of Misty Cloud Lake.

How was he supposed to search the bottom of Misty Cloud Lake?

Just dive into the water and search around the lakebed?

With Li Banfeng's current cultivation level, he could certainly do that.

But was the local deity's dwelling place openly visible, or hidden in a special location?

After a moment's consideration, Li Banfeng abandoned the idea of diving into the lake.

Because He Haiqin had explored this lake, Lu Dongliang had explored it, and Liao Zihui had most likely explored it too.

How did he know these people had explored the lake?

The rumor that the local deity resided at the bottom of the lake was too widespread. Not only Lu Dongliang but certainly He Haiqin also knew about it. They would definitely have searched for it, yet neither of them had found this local deity. If they truly had, they should have ascended to the clouds in Ye Songqiao.

So why did so many people say the local deity lived at the bottom of Misty Cloud Lake?

In fact, it wasn't hard to understand. One just had to stand from a distance and observe to see the truth.

Misty Cloud Lake was covered in mist year-round. From its appearance, it seemed like a mystical, ethereal place. If you asked a few people on the street where the local deity was, likely eight out of ten would think of this lake. That's probably how the legend originated.

Revisiting the documents and scrutinizing them again, were the other dozen or so locations mentioned actually real?

If even one of those locations were real, Liao Zihui, with his official position, should have found it.

These documents essentially provided Li Banfeng with a process of elimination; the places mentioned in them were basically not worth considering.

Liao Zihui's investigation results were unusable. Whose results could be used then?

He Haiqin had also failed. It seemed the only ones who might have made actual progress were the Starlight Sect's Boundless Camp.

Where had the Boundless Camp gone now?

After spending a day roaming Ye Songqiao, Li Banfeng passed an alley entrance in the evening, encountered a newsboy, and bought a newspaper.

Ye Songqiao's newspaper office was one of the few businesses not monopolized by the He family. This newspaper office was owned by the Ling family. Li Banfeng quickly scanned the news and found a piece of information in the lower right corner of the front page.

An accident had occurred at Ye Songqiao Station: a train conductor and two station staff members were killed by a train.

This news was somewhat strange.

Li Banfeng hadn't had many encounters with station staff, but he knew the strength of a train conductor. It would only take one strike to knock Li Banfeng off a train. How could they have been struck by a train and died? Even if they couldn't stop a train, they should at least be able to dodge it.

The news report was concise, with almost no mention of the accident's cause, only a brief description of the aftermath.

Li Banfeng put away the newspaper, recalling what Liao Zihui had said.

Why had he drawn a blank upon arriving in Ye Songqiao?

He was going to give him an explanation.

Li Banfeng's eyebrow slightly raised as he understood the implication.

The mole wasn't among his group; it was at the train station.

Whenever Li Qi traveled by train, he used anonymous travel passes and tickets, yet some station staff and conductors still managed to track Li Qi's itinerary and reported the information to the Boundless Camp.

The Conqueror Restaurant incident had just passed, and the Boundless Camp knew Li Qi was targeting the Starlight Sect. Upon learning of Li Qi's arrival in Ye Songqiao, they chose to relocate immediately.

This was why both Li Qi and Liao Zihui had drawn a blank. There were moles at the train station, and these moles were likely Starlight Sect members. This was something Liao Zihui could never tolerate, which was why he said he needed to give an explanation to himself and to Li Qi.

The three people who died in the accident were the "explanation" Liao Zihui had provided. He wanted more cooperation with Li Qi in the matter of eradicating the Starlight Sect.

Li Qi had never had a good impression of Liao Zihui, but this time, cooperation seemed acceptable.

Putting away the newspaper, Li Banfeng was about to return to the residence when a sedan bearer nearby asked, "Boss, care for a ride?"

Li Banfeng looked back and saw that the sedan bearer wasn't talking to him, but to another man.

Such things happened often; Li Banfeng was a high-level Dwelling Cultivator, often overlooked by people.

But there was one sedan bearer who didn't seem to overlook him.

"The sedan pole lifts three times, and good fortune comes rolling in." Another sedan bearer helped the man into the sedan. The two bearers then carried the man up the steps and into the alley.

Sedan bearers always appeared in pairs; one person couldn't carry a sedan.

But the sedan bearer he had encountered that day was alone.

Could it be that he was the local deity of Ye Songqiao?

Such a coincidence? He just happened to encounter him like that?

Thinking about it carefully, it wasn't such a coincidence.

Li Banfeng had gone to find the Boundless Camp. The Boundless Camp came to Ye Songqiao to find the "sedan lift" opportunity, which meant they were looking for Ye Songqiao's local deity.

Their lair surely wasn't chosen randomly; it must have been investigated beforehand. That location was likely very close to the local deity's dwelling.

Coupled with his fundamental ability of seeking good fortune and avoiding ill luck, he had encountered that sedan bearer at the right moment. And that sedan bearer was the source of the opportunity, the local deity of Ye Songqiao.

Realizing this, Li Banfeng immediately went to the alley he had passed through yesterday. He didn't expect to be so lucky as to encounter that specific sedan bearer again, but he might find some clues.

Unexpectedly, upon reaching the alley entrance, he indeed encountered that very sedan bearer.

The sedan bearer was slumped beside his sedan. Li Banfeng stepped forward and greeted him, "Waiting for a fare?"

The sedan bearer glanced at Li Banfeng. "What do you think? If I'm not waiting for a fare, am I waiting to die?"

Li Banfeng pointed to the slope. "Carry me up. How much?"

The sedan bearer chuckled, "Just pay what you think is fair. If I asked you for a hundred thousand silver dollars, could you afford it?"

Li Banfeng asked, "Are you carrying me alone?"

The sedan bearer frowned. "What kind of question is that? One person carrying is a 'back carry,' two people carrying is a 'lift.' Can't you count?"

Li Banfeng maintained his smile, but a wave of uncontrollable anger surged within him.

As the anger swelled, Li Banfeng suddenly felt a sense of danger approaching.

The sedan bearer smiled, looking at Li Banfeng. "The sedan pole lifts three times, and good fortune comes rolling in. Are you here to find me?"

Li Banfeng asked, "Are you a sedan bearer?"

The sedan bearer stood up. "I'm the one who lifts the pole."