Chapter 491: 杠修

The sedan chair carrier smiled at Li Banfeng. “Are you looking for me? Do you want me to carry the sedan chair for you?”

Li Banfeng didn’t answer. Instead, he retorted, “Are you the local deity of Yesong Bridge?”

The sedan chair carrier nodded. “I am. Your destiny has arrived. Get into my sedan chair; I’ll carry you for a while. The first carry will boost your cultivation.”

Li Banfeng looked around. It was the middle of the night, and there was no one else in sight.

The sedan chair carrier chuckled, “Stop looking. It’s just you and me here. I’ve been waiting specifically for you. Don’t you believe me? Come on, get in the sedan chair!”

Should he go?

Just now, while they were talking, the sedan chair carrier had been engaging in a verbal joust. After three such jousts, Li Banfeng sensed an intense danger. Earlier, Li Banfeng had asked if he was a sedan chair carrier, to which he replied he was a “Jousting Cultivator.”

Now, the danger was gone, and the sedan chair carrier’s expression had softened considerably. However, Li Banfeng distinctly felt that the previous danger was not an illusion; it was a chill rising from his spine.

Li Banfeng pulled down his hat brim. “To have met you, Senior, is satisfaction enough for this junior. I hope we meet again.”

The sedan chair carrier pulled the white towel from his neck and wiped his sweat. “What’s wrong? Are you scared?”

Li Banfeng turned and walked away, but the sedan chair carrier caught up to him in two steps. He had caught up to Li Banfeng, a Level Nine Traveler Cultivator.

“Well, no wonder you’re so fast; you’re a Traveler Cultivator,” the sedan chair carrier said, suddenly whipping the towel at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng dodged the towel with a quick flicker of his body. The towel struck a nearby stone, pulverizing it into an invisible dust, so fine no fragments could be seen.

Li Banfeng sprinted along the flagstone path by the river. The sedan chair carrier followed alongside him. “Hey young man, weren’t you looking for me? Why are you running? Don’t you want this great opportunity?”

Li Banfeng leaped directly from the riverbank to the opposite side. The sedan chair carrier pursued him to the other bank, chuckling, “Avoiding misfortune and seeking good fortune? Your skill at this level is far more powerful than other Traveler Cultivators.”

How could it not be powerful? This was a skill personally taught by the Coachman, a master of avoiding misfortune and seeking good fortune.

“Young man, don’t be in such a hurry to leave. Let me finish what I’m saying,” the sedan chair carrier said, throwing the towel at Li Banfeng again.

Li Banfeng stopped dodging. Being chased and attacked like this was not a solution. He used his ‘Benevolent Heart, Resilient Body’ technique to forcefully withstand the blow, and before the sedan chair carrier could retract his move, he unleashed ‘Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers’ and kicked out. The sedan chair carrier’s towel strike was incredibly fierce. Even with his technique pushed to its limit, Li Banfeng was visibly shaken. His ‘Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers’ kick was also powerful, sending thick flagstones flying in all directions.

As the dust settled, the sedan chair carrier wiped a small bloodstain from his face. There was a tiny cut on his cheekbone, barely visible if not for a close look — this was the full extent of the damage Li Banfeng’s attack inflicted.

What kind of cultivation path was this? So powerful in attack, and so resilient?

The sedan chair carrier nodded in admiration. “Your ‘Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers’ is also quite unique. I’ve seen Cloud Realm Traveler Cultivators, but none strike as fiercely as you.”

Li Banfeng struggled to regain his balance and continued running, but the sedan chair carrier followed effortlessly right behind him. He threw the felt hat from his head towards Li Banfeng. The hat spun rapidly, aiming to settle on Li Banfeng’s head. If it did, Li Banfeng would surely die.

The Projector shone a light, attempting to use its ‘Withering’ technique to collect the hat, but its focus couldn’t keep up. The Glove also chose a position, intending to grab the hat, but its move was too slow, hitting nothing but air. The Tang Blade and the Sickle blocked the hat from left and right. The hat spun rapidly on the Tang Blade, which desperately held it back with its tip, aided by the Sickle. They finally managed to repel the hat. The sedan chair carrier had only used this single item, and Li Banfeng didn’t even know if the hat was a magical artifact. Yet, simply by casually throwing it, he had put Li Banfeng in such a predicament.

Ahead was a dead end. Li Banfeng ran towards it; a dead end was advantageous for him, as he had ways to escape, whether by ‘Unimpeded Passage’ or ‘Clearing a Path’.

“Where are you going?” The sedan chair carrier’s form flickered, suddenly appearing in front of Li Banfeng. Could he not even outmatch him in speed?

Li Banfeng could have continued running by taking a detour. As long as he found the right direction, he could have kept sparring with the sedan chair carrier. But he didn’t want to prolong it. The power gap between them was too vast, and the longer the battle dragged on, the worse it would be for Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng let out a loud cry: “Huuu-yaaa-yaaa!” The piercing howl caused the sedan chair carrier to hesitate slightly. Seizing the opportunity, Li Banfeng charged directly at the sedan chair carrier. His ‘Stubborn Perseverance’ technique elevated Li Banfeng’s speed to another level.

The sedan chair carrier didn’t dodge; he was planning to meet Li Banfeng head-on. As Li Banfeng charged, the sedan chair carrier suddenly felt a weakness in his heels. Looking down, he saw a sheer cliff beneath his feet. Li Banfeng had used his ‘Traveling Through a Thousand Mountains’ technique to bring a cliff from Iron Gate Fortress here.

Was Iron Gate Fortress’s cliff the best choice? Not really. Li Banfeng had seen many dangerous places, but in such a tense battle, he also had to use his ‘Grand Mansion’ technique to borrow skills from his wife and his ‘Stubborn Perseverance’ technique to charge forward. ‘Traveling Through a Thousand Mountains’ couldn’t demand too much of his energy, and since he was sufficiently familiar with Iron Gate Fortress’s valley, he immediately brought it over.

Seeing himself at the edge of a cliff, the sedan chair carrier didn’t let down his guard. He recognized the ‘Traveling Through a Thousand Mountains’ technique and suspected Li Banfeng might have other tricks, so he tried to evade Li Banfeng’s assault. However, this wave of attacks wasn’t so easy to evade. Li Banfeng used all his trump card techniques, stepping forward and kicking the sedan chair carrier in the chest. The sedan chair carrier trembled from the kick but didn’t fall off the cliff. Li Banfeng took off from the spot, flying into the distance. This was ‘A Thousand Miles Apart’.

Was it wise to use ‘A Thousand Miles Apart’ without anyone to pinpoint the direction? It depended on the opponent. When facing this sedan chair carrier, it was an extremely wise method; fleeing for his life came first. Li Banfeng kept watching the sedan chair carrier from the air. The sedan chair carrier merely shivered in place; he didn’t fly. To think ‘A Thousand Miles Apart’ hadn’t sent him flying — this sedan chair carrier’s strength was terrifying.

Li Banfeng flew quite far. Unable to sense direction, he didn’t know where he would land. When the technique dissipated, Li Banfeng plunged with a splash into Misty Cloud Lake. Being in the lake wasn’t a big problem; Li Banfeng could swim. With a stroke of his hand and a kick of his foot, he was about to surface when a chilling sensation washed over him, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

Danger! There might be an ambush on the lake surface. Who would ambush me here? The Boundaryless Camp of the Light Chasers? Possibly. Having just escaped the old sedan chair carrier, if he were to fall into the hands of this troublesome group again, things would be troublesome.

Li Banfeng dived back to the lakebed and opened his Portable Residence. The moment Li Banfeng opened the door, lake water instantly flooded into the main room. He was quick and immediately closed the door. Fortunately, not much water had entered.

The Phonograph exclaimed in astonishment, “Darling husband, where have you been?”

Li Banfeng replied, “To the bottom of the lake.”

“Come quickly, husband, change your clothes so you don’t catch a cold.”

Li Banfeng shook his head. “It’d be pointless to change; when I go out, I’ll still be underwater.”

The Portable Residence said, “Don’t rush out yet; the sedan chair carrier has caught up.”

Caught up? How did he catch up? Li Banfeng had flown here using the ‘A Thousand Miles Apart’ technique, traveling in a straight line, ignoring all obstacles, at a speed so fast that the scenery on either side was a blur. The sedan chair carrier had remained stationary, yet he could still pursue him?

“Where is he?” Li Banfeng worried the sedan chair carrier might have found the key.

The Portable Residence sighed. “I can’t keep looking outside; I have to watch the path.” That was too abstract. Not looking outside, but still watching the path? Wasn’t the path outside?

Li Banfeng was burning with anxiety and wanted to go out and scout, when the Projector spoke up: “Director Seven, this opponent is too formidable. It’s best not to be reckless. We have another way to see what’s happening outside.”

The Projector indeed had a method. He went to the Fifth Room. A chilling killing aura emanated from the Fifth Room. The Projector felt a little nervous but quickly calmed down. He cranked a hand-cranked phonograph and played a song titled ‘Unchanging Heart’: “You are my soul, you are my life, we are as close as mandarin ducks, singing in harmony like luan and phoenix…” As the song reached its climax, the Projector said affectionately, “My dear girl, I think of you every moment.”

The moment the girl in the Fifth Room spoke, she asked a soul-piercing question: “Then where on earth have you been all these days?”

The Projector decisively answered, “I was pursuing art.”

“Then continue pursuing it. Why come to me?”

“I encountered danger on my path to pursuing art.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“The danger is outside, and only you can see it.”

“Why should I help you?”

“Only if you help me can I survive.”

“Why should I let you survive?”

The Projector replied with deep affection, “Because my art exists for you.”

Li Banfeng thought the Projector’s way of confessing was too old-fashioned, but to his surprise, a halo of light appeared on the walls of the Fifth Room. The girl in the Fifth Room loved that! Above the halo, some blurry lines appeared, becoming slightly clearer, as if looking through a white veil, revealing the scene at the bottom of the lake. In Misty Cloud Lake, there were fish, crabs, various insects and water plants, and a sedan chair carrier swimming about.

He really did catch up, and he even knew I had jumped into the lake. This proved that he had been relentlessly pursuing me after I flew away. Just how high was this sedan chair carrier’s cultivation?

Simply by inferring from the scale of the territory, Yesong Bridge was not much different from Medicine King Gully. The cultivation of a local deity came from popularity, so this sedan chair carrier’s cultivation should be similar to Old Yao’s. Old Yao was at Cloud Realm Level Three. Was this guy also at Cloud Realm Level Three?

Li Banfeng had a Nine-plus-Eight cultivation, but before this sedan chair carrier, he had no power to retaliate, no ability to parry, and even the chance to escape was extremely rare. Yet, this sedan chair carrier didn’t seem to be using his full power, and there was even a hint of playfulness in their fight. Was this the overwhelming dominance of a Cloud Realm Level Three cultivator over a top-tier local domain? This feeling of being utterly overwhelmed was too intense. The sedan chair carrier didn’t seize the initiative, nor did he sneak attack; he simply held the absolute advantage in advance, retreat, attack, and defense, even dominating in speed. Li Banfeng had fought Cloud Realm cultivators before, but this was the first time he encountered such a situation.

As Li Banfeng pondered, the sedan chair carrier surfaced and vanished. Li Banfeng was wondering whether to go out, and the Projector suggested observing a bit longer, but the girl in the Fifth Room was starting to lose energy: “Let me rest for a while, and then tell me more about art.”

The Projector then projected his imagined films, combined with recent observations, scene by scene onto the walls. Having not visited the Fifth Room for so many days, the girl in the Fifth Room was filled with resentment towards him. But when she saw the Projector’s film, the chilling killing aura lingering in the room instantly dissipated considerably.

The Projector lowered his voice. “Director Seven, the following scenes go beyond the scope of realism. Please avert your gaze for a moment.”

Li Banfeng cautioned, “Be extremely careful. Call me immediately if anything goes wrong.”

The Projector was confident in the current situation. Li Banfeng left the Fifth Room and returned to the main chamber, where he heard his wife ask, “Husband, what kind of opponent did you encounter?”

Li Banfeng didn’t know how to describe it, as he couldn’t discern the opponent’s cultivation path. “I encountered an opponent who is faster than me, fiercer than me, more resilient than me — stronger than me in every way. I suspect he is the local deity of Yesong Bridge.”

The Phonograph was astonished. “Faster than husband? Is this local deity a Traveler Cultivator?”

“Why do you say that?”

The Phonograph started to explain, then seemed somewhat reluctant. Hong Ying, standing nearby, said, “Seventh Master, when a Traveler Cultivator reaches Local Domain Level Nine, they are already far superior to other cultivation paths in terms of speed. Even if the opponent is a Cloud Realm cultivator, as long as their level isn’t too high, it’s difficult for them to be faster than you, Seventh Master. That’s the good thing about us Traveler Cultivators; as long as we’re not ambushed, we can always find a chance to escape…”

“What’s there to brag about escaping!” The Phonograph swung her board and gave Hong Ying a thorough beating.

Hong Ying slowly massaged her ‘peaches,’ let out a deep hiss, then quickly exhaled, feeling refreshed and clear. After savoring the sensation several times, Hong Ying returned to the mirror and continued applying her makeup. The Wine Gourd couldn’t understand why, given Hong Ying’s speed, she should have been able to dodge. Before, she couldn’t see, so not dodging was understandable. But now that she could see, why still not dodge?

His wife’s anger had not yet subsided, but Li Banfeng was thinking about something else. After a moment of thought, he said to the Phonograph, “My dear wife, that local deity is likely not a Traveler Cultivator. If he were to use Traveler Cultivation techniques, I would probably be dead by now.”

The sedan chair carrier’s attacking methods were incredibly simple: he used a towel and a felt hat. Yet, with just these two methods, Li Banfeng couldn’t defend himself. If he were a Traveler Cultivator and used a technique like ‘Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers,’ Li Banfeng certainly wouldn’t have survived.

The Phonograph hummed softly, “Not a Traveler Cultivator, yet faster than husband? Then he must be a high-level Cloud Realm cultivator. Did you know him before, husband?”

Li Banfeng thought for a moment. “I wouldn’t say I know him. I met him once before, but we didn’t speak. Could he have held a grudge against me just for that?”

“He wants to kill you just because you didn’t speak to him? Are Cloud Realm cultivators so petty?”

The Glove interjected, “His tolerance certainly isn’t great, and he loves to verbally joust.”

“Loves to verbally joust?” The Phonograph asked the Glove, “Do you think he’s a Jousting Cultivator? How many years has it been since anyone from that path was seen?”

The Glove replied, “Actually, there are quite a few people in that path, because the initial cultivation powder is very cheap.”

“Cheap is useless. Far too few Jousting Cultivators survive.”

Li Banfeng asked, “What exactly is a Jousting Cultivator’s path?”

The Phonograph explained, “It’s a cultivation path that relies on verbal jousting for cultivation and fighting. Without verbal jousting, they can’t do anything.”

Fighting by verbal jousting?

Li Banfeng mused, “Are you talking about Moral Cultivators?”

The Glove shook a finger. “Master, these two paths are quite different. Moral Cultivators oppress others through preaching, while Jousting Cultivators improve themselves through verbal jousting. I don’t know much about the specifics of how they improve.”

Improving oneself through verbal jousting? So, the sedan chair carrier kept trying to engage me in verbal jousts to enhance his own strength?

“Wife, why did you say earlier that very few Jousting Cultivators survive?”

“Because of their sharp tongues, especially in the Proland region. These people, upon entering the path, get beaten to death in large numbers before they even reach a higher level. Even after reaching higher levels, Jousting Cultivators are still significantly weaker than cultivators of the same rank and are still destined to get beaten.”

“Where are Jousting Cultivators lacking?”

“They are lacking because their techniques are troublesome to use. The entire Jousting Cultivation path has only one technique, called ‘Flowering on the Bar’.”

Li Banfeng blinked. “Is that a term from a mahjong table?”

“Oh, husband, that has nothing to do with mahjong. This technique is the lifeline of a Jousting Cultivator. In ordinary times, a Jousting Cultivator who hasn’t initiated a joust has no special combat power, almost like a regular person.”

Like a regular person? Then what’s the point of cultivating this path?

“Is that only for low-level Jousting Cultivators?”

“Not at all, husband. Even a Cloud Realm Jousting Cultivator is like this. To engage someone in combat, they must first initiate at least one joust.”

Li Banfeng recalled his first encounter with the sedan chair carrier: the carrier first asked if he wanted to ride the sedan chair, and Li Banfeng shook his head. The carrier then started to provoke him, asking why Li Banfeng didn’t speak. Li Banfeng didn’t engage, and as he prepared to act, the carrier left first.

“Wife, if I don’t engage in conversation, does that mean the joust isn’t initiated?”

“Yes, husband. One person talking isn’t a joust. If a Jousting Cultivator wants to fight you, there must be a back-and-forth exchange, a verbal joust, only then can they gain half of their proper combat power.”

“Only half?”

“That’s why this path isn’t flourishing. Jousting with people already makes one prone to being beaten, and their combat power is significantly weaker than others. However, if the opponent engages in two consecutive jousts with the Jousting Cultivator, the Jousting Cultivator gains their full combat power. A Jousting Cultivator with full combat power is fast, strong, and physically robust. At that point, when fighting cultivators of the same level, they won’t be at a disadvantage.”

Li Banfeng asked, “What if there are three consecutive jousts?”

“With three jousts, the Jousting Cultivator’s combat power doubles. At that point, they have no equal at their level, and can even contend with higher-level cultivators for a few rounds.”

It was now confirmed: this sedan chair carrier was a Jousting Cultivator. During their first meeting, the joust failed, so he didn’t dare to attack, as he had no combat power. Seeing Li Banfeng’s anger, he quickly fled. During their second meeting, Li Banfeng actively sought him out. The carrier initiated three jousts, his combat power doubled, and thus a crushing victory, leaving Li Banfeng helpless, was presented. The Jousting Cultivation path was truly unique; the success or failure of a verbal joust directly determined the outcome of the battle.

“Wife, if a Jousting Cultivator wants to fight me, can he first verbally joust with someone else, and then come fight me after he’s ready?”

“No, he can’t. To fight someone, he must verbally joust with that specific person. If he jousts with others, he still won’t have combat power when fighting you, husband.”

Li Banfeng thought of a good strategy: “Tomorrow, I’ll bring He Yuxiu here. I’ll let the Jousting Cultivator try to joust with me, and I’ll have He Yuxiu deal with him.”

The Phonograph laughed. “That’s true in theory, but Jousting Cultivators aren’t foolish. If you bring help, how could he easily show himself?”

“My wife is right,” Li Banfeng sighed. “Next time I encounter this sedan chair carrier, I’ll just avoid engaging in verbal jousts with him.”

“It’s already too late, husband.”

“How is it too late?”

“The ‘Flowering on the Bar’ technique lasts for a very long time.”

“How long?”

“That depends on how long the Jousting Cultivator lives.”

Li Banfeng was startled. “You mean he’ll be ‘jousting’ for a lifetime?”

“Yes, husband. Once a Jousting Cultivator initiates a joust, it truly lasts a lifetime. From now on, whenever he faces you in combat, he will always have double his combat power.”

What kind of cultivation path was this? His combat power is specifically targeted at one person? Engaging in three jousts with him means being marked by him for life? The key is, why did this person have to target Li Banfeng? Was he truly the local deity of Yesong Bridge?

The Phonograph offered Li Banfeng advice: “Jousting Cultivators, in their practice, constantly engage in verbal jousting with others, making it difficult for them to conceal their malice. Husband, as long as you effectively use your ‘Avoiding Misfortune and Seeking Good Fortune’ technique, you can evade the Jousting Cultivator.”

But constantly hiding wasn’t a solution either.

Li Banfeng was organizing his thoughts when the Projector returned from the Fifth Room. “Director Seven, the girl from the Fifth Room has once again shown us the outside. The sedan chair carrier has indeed left.”

The Phonograph said, “To be able to see outside our house, this woman’s cultivation is not low. She probably won’t help us for free.”

The Projector replied, “Madam is right. The girl from the Fifth Room said she helped us this time, but next time, she will demand payment. She hasn’t decided what kind of payment yet.”

The Phonograph reminded Li Banfeng, “Be extremely careful when dealing with her.”

Li Banfeng exited the Portable Residence, swam from the bottom of the lake to the shore, and returned to Xiao Yeci’s mansion. He changed into dry clothes, slept, and the next morning, Li Banfeng found He Yuxiu to inquire about rumors concerning Yesong Bridge. He Haiqin had occupied Yesong Bridge for so many years. Even if He Yuxiu didn’t know the exact reasons, she must have heard some legends and strange tales.

He Yuxiu thought for a long time, then told Li Banfeng, “I did hear Haiqin talk about some things, but I’ve forgotten what exactly he said.”

“Xiu’er, you truly are a straightforward person.” Li Banfeng didn’t know how to describe his feelings at that moment.

He Yuxiu felt a little ashamed. “You can’t blame me for this. Those were baseless stories; I just listened for entertainment. How could I remember them?” At this point, He Yuxiu remembered someone: “Xiao Yeci loves these kinds of things. She often tells them to Youtao, and Youtao enjoys listening and then telling them to me. But Youtao doesn’t tell them well, and I’m too lazy to listen. You should ask Xiao Yeci; she’s originally from Yesong Bridge and should know a lot.”

Li Banfeng found Xiao Yeci, and as soon as he mentioned it, Xiao Yeci immediately perked up. “Benefactor, do you truly wish to hear, or are you just making fun of me?”

Li Qi exclaimed, “Why would I make fun of you? If you tell me stories, I’ll listen carefully, and if you tell them well, I’ll even give you a reward!”

Hearing this, Xiao Yeci was delighted. “Then I’ll just share my humble tales!” She had a storyteller’s clapper. Sitting behind the table, she gave it a ‘pat’ and began to tell, with great poise, the story of Liu Yuansheng, the talented scholar of Yesong Bridge.

“Liu Yuansheng came from a poor family but was diligent and eager to learn. In his early twenties, he was already a renowned scholar in Yesong Bridge! Not only did he write excellent essays, but he was also skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting!” With his intelligence and wisdom, Liu Yuansheng did many good deeds for the people of Yesong Bridge. Later, he was recognized by the local deity of Yesong Bridge and gained significant cultivation.

Xiao Yeci sighed with emotion. “This is what they call ‘good and evil eventually meet their reward, whether sooner or later.’ A good person like Liu Yuansheng deserves such good fortune!”

“What happened next?”

Xiao Yeci replied, “Liu Yuansheng, now with cultivation, left Yesong Bridge and traveled far and wide, continuing to do good deeds!”

“What good deeds did he do?”

Xiao Yeci scratched her head. “That part’s unknown. The story ends there!”

“Well told, a reward for you!” Li Banfeng placed two silver dollars on the table. Xiao Yeci certainly wasn’t short on money, but she happily accepted the reward.

“I have more good stories, Benefactor, would you like to hear them?”

“Yes, I’d love to. Tell me as many as you have!”

“Then I’ll tell you the story of the heroine Wang Saihong. Wang Saihong wasn’t originally from Yesong Bridge. When she was seventeen, she came to Yesong Bridge and performed martial arts in the streets for money. At that time, a group of ruffians, seeing how beautiful she was, harbored ill intentions…”

Unlike Liu Yuansheng’s story, Wang Saihong was a martial arts heroine. The plot had fewer intellectual battles and more martial arts scenes. Whenever she reached a climax, Xiao Yeci would strike two poses. Li Banfeng greatly enjoyed Xiao Yeci’s stage presence, and his cheers never ceased. However, these two stories, despite their completely different styles, had the same ending. The heroine Wang Saihong, having done many good deeds by quelling violence and bringing peace, was recognized by the local deity, gained significant cultivation, and eventually left Yesong Bridge to continue her heroic deeds elsewhere.

Li Banfeng pulled out another stack of silver coins. “These stories are great. Do you have more?”

Seeing Li Qi’s enthusiasm, Xiao Yeci was very happy. She told stories from morning until night, recounting over ten tales. Each story had a different style, but the ending was always the same: the protagonist gained the local deity’s recognition, acquired significant cultivation, and then left Yesong Bridge. These stories weren’t made up by Xiao Yeci; she had collected them from various sources. This type of ending was indeed common in folk tales, but for over ten stories to share the exact same ending made the situation quite unusual.

As Li Banfeng was contemplating the connections within the stories, an aide reported that Zheng Siyi, the Garrison Commander, had come to invite Seventh Master. Zheng Siyi and Li Banfeng had no particular acquaintance, so his visit to Li Banfeng was most likely at Liao Zihui’s behest. Sure enough, Zheng Siyi invited Li Banfeng for tea, and upon arriving at the teahouse, it was Liao Zihui waiting in the private room.

Upon seeing Li Qi, Liao Zihui smiled. “Brother Li, you’ve seen my ‘explanation,’ haven’t you?”

Li Banfeng nodded. “Commander Liao certainly acts decisively.”

“Only by thoroughly dealing with the moles can the subsequent matters be accomplished,” Liao Zihui said, pulling out a map. “Brother, have you ever been to Shilou Mountain?”

Li Banfeng looked at the map. “I passed by once, but I didn’t go up the mountain.”

“I’ve just received intelligence that the Boundaryless Camp of the Light Chasers is hiding on this mountain. Tomorrow at noon, I’ll lead men to eradicate them. We’ll treat them all as mountain bandits and deal with them entirely. However, leading troops there will inevitably cause a stir, and these troublesome ‘bandits’ will surely flee. If even one escapes and spreads the word, I’ll have a difficult time resolving this. I’ll trouble you, brother, to provide support in secret. Anyone who slips through the net, make sure they’re dealt with. Don’t leave any alive.”

Li Banfeng looked at the map. “I’ll go to the mountain first to scout the routes.”

“Scouting is scouting, brother, but this is a matter between the two of us. You mustn’t stir up the grass and alert the snake.”

“Rest assured,” Li Banfeng said, taking the map and leaving the teahouse.

He had barely taken two steps when Li Banfeng suddenly felt danger approaching. Someone whispered in his ear, “Sir, would you like to ride the sedan chair?”

Li Banfeng’s head buzzed, and he immediately started walking. The sedan chair carrier wiped sweat from his face with the towel and then pursued him closely.

Liao Zihui heard a commotion, glanced out from the teahouse, and saw chaos below, though he couldn’t discern the situation. One of his subordinate Scout Cultivators said, “Commander, someone is ambushing Li Qi.”

Liao Zihui was startled. “Who?”

Zheng Siyi, the Garrison Commander of Yesong Bridge, said, “It must be the Light Chasers again.”

Liao Zihui gritted his teeth. “These wretched devils! They dare to openly challenge me. Tell the brothers to grab their weapons, protect Li Qi, and capture all the Light Chasers!”