Chapter 503: New Land in Another Province

Qin Tianjiu owned a small courtyard in Yaowang Gully, where an old locust tree stood. A young woman was in the locust tree, and Li Banfeng, using his Golden Eye Micro-Discernment technique, had seen her then. Unexpectedly, their next encounter was in the black market of Yuezhou City.

The young woman's eyes were vacant. She wore the same clothes as before, still clutching locust tree leaves in her hand, but now she was an item for sale in the black market. Where did those few locust leaves come from? Could they be from Little Fatty's courtyard? How long had she been here? And why hadn't those leaves withered?

The woman beside her asked, "So, are you interested? This girl can both sleep and fight!"

Li Banfeng asked, "You said she has a seventh-tier cultivation. What kind of sect does she belong to?"

The woman chuckled, "This sect is quite rare. She's a 'Cold Cultivator'."

Li Banfeng was startled. "There's a sect like that?"

The woman laughed. "That's why I said it's uncommon. Cold face, cold body, cold heart. She's invincible like ice and frost. The colder she is, the better she fights."

Li Banfeng frowned. "If she's that good at fighting, how am I supposed to... Can I even defeat her?"

The woman straightened her expression. "Don't let her stay cold. Make her warm. Once a Cold Cultivator gets warm, they lose their strength."

Li Banfeng scrutinized the black market woman, then asked, "Do you think I'm easy to fool, just making up a sect to trick me?"

The woman put out her cigarette. "I've been in this business for a full decade. Go ask around; who doesn't know me, Yin Siniang? Would I tarnish my own reputation for your single transaction? Furthermore, the Cultural Palace venue has its rules. If I played tricks on your deal, would I still be able to operate here in the future? Brother, this is a good item from Pruo Province. I'm using Pruo Province slang, so I don't know if you'll understand. My name, Yin Siniang, isn't just known in Yuezhou; I'm someone important in Pruo Province too. Even if a deal doesn't go through, integrity remains. It's fine if you're unfamiliar with the trade, but please don't speak so harshly."

Li Banfeng paused. "You're someone important in Pruo Province too?"

"What, you don't believe me?" Yin Siniang scoffed. "Have you heard of the Lu Family in Pruo Province? Lu Dongliang, the family head, has a major subordinate named Zuo Wugang. He's my sworn brother."

Li Banfeng was taken aback. "You said Zuo Wugang is a subordinate of which family?"

"The Lu Family!"

Li Banfeng asked again, "Who did you just say was the head of the Lu Family?"

"Lu Dongliang!"

Li Banfeng was silent for a moment, then asked, "How long has it been since you last visited Pruo Province?"

Yin Siniang became displeased. "Is that any of your business? Do you want to buy this ghost servant or not? If not, let's move on to the next one."

Li Banfeng looked at the young woman in green and said, "Since she's a good item from Pruo Province, name your price."

"A seventh-tier ghost servant, so beautiful, untouched, a rare sect, and her cultivation is intact. The price is two hundred, non-negotiable."

"Two hundred?" Li Banfeng didn't understand what currency she was referring to.

"First time at the black market?" Yin Siniang frowned. "It's certainly not two hundred. It's two million."

Two million for a seventh-tier ghost servant from such a rare sect didn't seem high to Li Banfeng.

"Give me an account number, and I'll transfer the money." Ma Wu had arranged for someone to open an account for Li Banfeng in another province, so two million was no problem.

Yin Siniang shook her head. "We only accept cash here. Leave a deposit first, then come back when you've gathered all the cash."

Li Banfeng smiled; cash was even easier, as he had it readily available in his portable residence. He first left the Cultural Palace, found a discreet corner on the street, hid his key, and returned to his portable residence. Soon after, Li Banfeng pushed two suitcases into the cinema, called the snack vendor over, and proceeded to Private Room 205, where he paid on the spot.

Seeing the two boxes of cash, Yin Siniang gave a thumbs-up. "Boss, you're impressive! Two million in cash, just like that!"

The snack vendor urged, "Quickly count the money and check for fakes."

Yin Siniang counted on the spot. Her speed showed she was an experienced businesswoman; she'd flick a stack of banknotes, not missing a single one, counting them precisely. Ten minutes later, with the two million counted, Yin Siniang immediately handed the young woman's deed to Li Banfeng.

For a Nightmare Cultivator, a deed was a crucial means to control a ghost servant, but Li Banfeng wasn't a Nightmare Cultivator, nor did he know how to use one. Yin Siniang, however, didn't concern herself with such details. As the seller, her only interest was a clean transaction.

What was the name of this young woman in green? Feng Yuqiu. Her name was written on the deed.

Li Banfeng took the deed, wondering how to communicate with the young woman. To his surprise, she voluntarily emerged from behind the screen and stood beside him.

Yin Siniang chuckled. "This girl has taken a liking to you, boss. Tonight, take care of your body. It's a pleasure doing business with you. My name is Yin Liting, also known as Yin Siniang. What should I call you, boss?"

Li Banfeng replied, "My surname is Lao, my given name is Laoban [Boss], and people call me Big Boss. We'll meet again."

With that, Li Banfeng left with the ghost servant. Yin Siniang frowned slightly but said nothing. The snack vendor took his two hundred thousand commission and went downstairs to continue tending to his business.

Back at his residence, Li Banfeng had the young woman in green sit in the living room. "Is your name Feng Yuqiu?" he asked.

The young woman nodded, remaining silent, her face devoid of expression.

Li Banfeng then asked, "How did you get to another province?"

The young woman looked up at Li Banfeng for a long time but still didn't speak.

Could this so-called Cold Cultivation actually be a form of 'Lazy Cultivation'?

Li Banfeng stopped trying to communicate with her. He took out his phone and called Luo Zhengnan.

"Old Luo, how are the investigations in Yesongqiao progressing?"

"Seventh Master, since I arrived in Yesongqiao, I've found a total of seventeen areas of 'wind-sand land'."

Wind-sand land is what Pruo Province calls hidden spaces. The sand blinds the eyes, making things unclear, so land that cannot be seen is called wind-sand land.

"How large are these seventeen areas?" According to records on deeds, over half of Yesongqiao's land was invisible.

Luo Zhengnan replied, "That's hard to say, Seventh Master. For most wind-sand lands, I can only open the entrance. If I go inside, I can't get back out."

Luo Zhengnan indeed faced this difficulty when exploring hidden spaces. He could find the entrance, but in most cases, he had to guard it, as it would close the moment he entered the hidden space.

"Seventh Master, I considered finding someone to help me, but this task you've assigned definitely involves secrets, and I can't let anyone else know."

Old Luo was indeed thorough. Li Banfeng said, "Note down the entrances. When I return, we'll examine them carefully. I need to find two people, and I'll need your help with that."

"Just give the order, Seventh Master."

"Find out the recent status of Qin Tianjiu from the Three Heroes Sect. If you can locate him, please pass a message on to him for me. Also, there's a person named Yin Liting, nicknamed Yin Siniang, who claims to be Zuo Wugang's sworn sister. Can you ask Old Zuo if there's any truth to that?"

"Please await my news."

Li Banfeng hung up the phone. The young woman in green, Feng Yuqiu, stood up, extended her hands, and gestured towards Li Banfeng. With both hands, she formed a large spherical shape, as if indicating a huge watermelon. Her hands then slowly moved closer, as if the sphere was shrinking. Her lips parted and closed; she wanted to speak but couldn't. Her face remained expressionless, but her eyes were fixed on Li Banfeng. A big sphere, getting smaller.

Li Banfeng asked, "Are you talking about Qin Xiaopang [Little Fatty Qin]? Qin Xiaopang, who has gotten thinner?"

Feng Yuqiu nodded.

"You came to another province to find him?"

Feng Yuqiu's mouth was open, but she still couldn't speak. Although her face showed no expression, Li Banfeng could sense she was very anxious. What exactly was she trying to express? Could Madam know?

Li Banfeng didn't want to bring Feng Yuqiu into his portable residence. Once inside, he knew she wouldn't come out alive. Should he bring Madam out and ask her a few questions? Few who had seen Madam lived to tell the tale.

Li Banfeng arranged a bedroom for Feng Yuqiu and had the pendulum watch over her. He returned to his portable residence alone and asked Madam, "Is there a sect called Cold Cultivation?"

Hong Ying replied, "My dear husband, yes, there is such a sect. They can turn water into ice; it's very powerful..."

A single smack made Hong Ying shiver. The Phonograph grumbled, "You know nothing, yet you shamelessly babble nonsense!"

Hong Ying rubbed her peach and asked, "What did I say wrong?"

Ignoring Hong Ying, the Phonograph turned to Li Banfeng and said, "My darling husband, turning water into ice is 'Ice Cultivation,' completely different from 'Cold Cultivation'. The Cold Cultivation sect cultivates temperament. The colder a person is, the higher their combat power. I haven't seen any Cold Cultivators from the clouds, but I've seen a seventh-tier Cold Cultivator from the ground defeat a ninth-tier Literary Cultivator. This sect is indeed powerful, but once they become fervent, their combat power rapidly declines. That seventh-tier Cold Cultivator was eventually killed by a third-tier Martial Cultivator, which clearly shows the unique nature of this sect."

A seventh-tier cultivator defeating a ninth-tier one, then dying at the hands of a third-tier — this sect was truly fantastical.

"Madam, what exactly is 'cold,' and what is 'fervent'?"

Madam aimed at Hong Ying's peach and gave it a hard smack, making Hong Ying shiver.

"My dear husband, it's like with this wretched Hong Ying. If I ignored her all day, didn't scold her, and didn't hit her, she'd act as if she couldn't live. That's 'cold'. But if I were to comb her hair, paint her eyebrows, apply rouge, and then play and joke with her for a while, she'd blossom with joy. That's 'fervent'. A Cold Cultivator must be cold towards others to enhance their cultivation and combat power. Therefore, for a Cold Cultivator to achieve anything, they must be unburdened, heartless, and without affection. Once they develop genuine feelings for someone, their life is in peril."

Feng Yuqiu had been so eager to find Little Fatty Qin. Could it be that she had developed genuine feelings for him? Was it precisely because she developed genuine feelings that she was subdued and became a ghost servant?

This was just speculation.

Li Banfeng explained Feng Yuqiu's situation to the Phonograph: "She wants to say something but can't. I suspect she couldn't speak even when she was alive. Madam, do you have a way to communicate with her?"

"My dear husband, most Cold Cultivators do not speak, not because of an illness, but to prevent developing genuine feelings. From the moment they begin their cultivation, Cold Cultivators rarely speak to others. At a certain level, they wish to speak but cannot open their mouths. At an even higher level, they cannot write or draw, they don't smile when happy, they don't cry when sad, and everything they wish to express becomes unclear, turning them completely into wooden figures."

This matched perfectly. Feng Yuqiu was in this exact state, having almost completely lost the ability to express herself.

"Madam, are there any methods to restrict departed souls?"

The Phonograph pondered for a moment. "My dear husband, your little servant knows a few ways to restrict departed souls, but not to control them to perform tasks like a Nightmare Cultivator."

Li Banfeng said, "I don't intend to control her. I'm just concerned she might cause trouble when I'm not around, especially since she's a seventh-tier Cold Cultivator."

The Phonograph stated, "If I could carry my combat power, subduing her would be no problem, but our Old Master would never allow me to take my combat power outside."

Li Banfeng inquired, "Old Master, can there be any flexibility with this?"

The portable residence immediately refused: "No discussion!"

No matter how many good items Li Banfeng offered, the portable residence would not agree to let the Phonograph take her combat power outside.

The Phonograph said, "My dear husband, don't trouble the Old Master. Even if he let your little servant out, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to meet that woman."

Li Banfeng nodded. "I've worried about that too. I planned to have the Projector create a diversion so she wouldn't see Madam."

"Rather than go through so much trouble, it would be better to establish rules with her. Although Cold Cultivators are often callous, they are still reasonable."

Li Banfeng set three rules, then went outside his portable residence and told Feng Yuqiu. The first rule was that when Li Banfeng was present, she must obey his commands. The second rule was that when Li Banfeng was absent, she must not leave the residence. The third rule was that in an emergency, if Li Banfeng was not nearby, she must obey the commands of the Blood-Infused Pendulum.

If any of these three rules were violated, the Blood-Infused Pendulum would destroy Feng Yuqiu's deed, and her soul would be scattered. Honestly, these three rules were not easy to follow, especially the third one. Feng Yuqiu was a seventh-tier cultivator, and for her to obey a magical artifact's command seemed somewhat unfair. But Feng Yuqiu agreed. This was the advantage of a Cold Cultivator: she didn't easily feel emotions or anger. She trusted Li Banfeng, so whatever he arranged was fine.

That night, Feng Yuqiu stayed in the guest room, while Li Banfeng slept in his portable residence.

The next morning, Li Banfeng went to the Dark Star Bureau and had Tangyuan retrieve the black market files. The Dark Star Bureau had conducted numerous black market clear-up operations. Specifically, the Cultural Palace black market had been raided more than ten times, each time with forceful action and fruitful results, only for it to resurface soon after.

Tangyuan suggested to Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, I recommend we launch a special operation to completely eradicate this persistent problem!"

"Eradicate?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "If it were a sore, perhaps it could be eradicated. But this is clearly a painting; you paint it, erase it, then paint it again. How can you eradicate that?"

Tangyuan lowered her voice. "I know there's collusion between black market members and our internal personnel, and I've gathered some clues."

Li Banfeng shook his head again. "This isn't collusion; it's tacit approval. Doesn't Captain Chen usually teach you these things?"

Tangyuan lowered her head, her cheeks starting to blush again. "The captain did say so, but I just feel... Never mind, Seventh Master will just laugh at me again."

Li Banfeng didn't laugh. He earnestly reviewed the documents, asking Tangyuan many questions in between. After reviewing the black market files, Li Banfeng asked Tangyuan to get him some information about Cold Cultivators. Tangyuan thought for a moment, then quickly brought over a document. Li Banfeng looked at the document's title: "The Ice-Bound." This document described the combat characteristics and some dark energy spells—what Pruo Province called techniques—of the Ice-Bound. The first technique Li Banfeng saw was Temperature Reduction, which used cooling to neutralize attacks from high-temperature weapons and increase survival chances in hot environments...

Li Banfeng skimmed through the "Ice-Bound" document and shook his head. "This isn't Cold Cultivation; this is Ice Cultivation."

Tangyuan looked confused. "This is the only cold-related profession I know of."

Li Banfeng said, "Bring me the documents for all other professions. I'll compare them one by one."

Tangyuan brought a stack of documents, and Li Banfeng went through them one by one. The documents she brought introduced a total of twenty-eight professions, and Li Banfeng could identify the corresponding sects through their descriptions. However, there were indeed no professions that matched the characteristics of Cold Cultivation. Not only was Cold Cultivation absent, but many other rare sects like Vow Cultivation, Mud Cultivation, Lever Cultivation, Mourning Cultivation, Electric Cultivation were also missing. Even the Oil Cultivation of the light bulb wasn't there, let alone sects like Fool Cultivation, which had been extinct for years.

Li Banfeng said, "Your information isn't complete!"

Tangyuan replied, "With my current authority, I can only access this level of information. Higher-level information requires higher clearance."

Li Banfeng's expression turned serious. "What level am I at now? I'm the Deputy Director. Are you still not letting me see it?"

"Currently, you don't have the clearance. Access to classified documents requires approval from the Director..." Tangyuan couldn't find a more subtle way to say it, so she spoke directly.

"He didn't give me clearance?" Li Banfeng picked up the phone and dialed Shen Jingye's number. "Little Shen, come to my office!"

What was happening? He was telling Director Shen to come to his office?

Tangyuan's face went pale. Daring not to stay any longer, she stood up and said, "Seventh Master, I'll be leaving now."

Li Banfeng asked, "What's the rush?"

"I have to use the restroom..."

"Can't you hold it a bit longer? Wait until Little Shen arrives and we finish talking before you go."

Tangyuan shook her head repeatedly. "I can't say anymore, Seventh Master, I can't hold it, I really can't..." With that, Tangyuan quickly left the office. Ten minutes later, Shen Jingye walked in, his face dark. "Director Li, what can I do for you?"

"Little Shen, let's talk about the classified clearance issue. Regarding this, your work attitude needs to be corrected, and your efficiency needs improvement..."

Ten minutes later, Shen Jingye granted Li Banfeng the authority to view classified documents, though the printing and distribution of these files would still take time. Did he grant the authority to view *all* classified documents? Li Banfeng was deeply skeptical. The power of Fool Cultivation techniques was undeniable, but Li Banfeng felt he still hadn't accessed some deeper classified information.

Li Banfeng spent two days reviewing various documents. During these two days, Feng Yuqiu's condition remained very stable. According to the Blood-Infused Pendulum's description, she sat in her room all day, expressionless. Back at his residence, Li Banfeng tried to communicate with Feng Yuqiu using various methods, but she still couldn't demonstrate adequate expressive ability.

That evening, Li Banfeng intended to visit the black market again to gather information directly from Yin Siniang, when Luo Zhengnan suddenly called. "Seventh Master, where are you located?"

Li Banfeng told him his address, and Luo Zhengnan replied, "I'll be there in an hour."

"Old Luo, where are you?"

"I've already arrived in Yuezhou. There are some matters I need to report to you in person."

Luo Zhengnan was in Yuezhou? Wasn't he in Yesongqiao just the day before yesterday?

Li Banfeng was perplexed. Thirty minutes later, Luo Zhengnan indeed arrived. Seeing him soaked through, whether with sweat or water, Li Banfeng quickly got him a change of dry clothes.

Luo Zhengnan said, "Seventh Master, I asked about Yin Siniang for you. Zuo Wugang doesn't have such a sworn sister at all, and he doesn't know where this person came from."

Li Banfeng nodded. "And what about Qin Tianjiu?"

Luo Zhengnan replied, "It seems Qin Tianjiu encountered something half a month ago. He suddenly disappeared from the Three Heroes Sect, and no one has heard from him since."

Li Banfeng frowned. "Why was I not told about this sooner?"

"I found it strange too, and I specifically had someone inquire. When Qin Tianjiu first went missing, Shen Jinzhong, the Grand Golden Seal of the Three Heroes Sect, considered telling you about it, but never got the chance. At that time, Xia Shumin's matter hadn't been resolved yet, and you were also trapped in Yesongqiao. Later, after everything was settled, you traveled to many places and met many people, but you never once asked about Qin Tianjiu. Shen Jinzhong assumed there was a rift between you and him, so he didn't tell you. He continued to send people to search for Qin Tianjiu's whereabouts, but after all this time, there's still no news."

Li Banfeng frowned. "When something happens, he just makes wild guesses. Shen Jinzhong's mind is never used for proper matters."

When he left, Li Banfeng had indeed forgotten about Little Fatty. That was because Little Fatty held a high position in the Three Heroes Sect, carried an Intestine Cultivating Silkworm, and his cultivation was advancing rapidly. Li Banfeng couldn't imagine anything else to worry about concerning him. Unexpectedly, something had indeed happened to his friend.

Li Banfeng told Luo Zhengnan, "Contact Ma Wu and have him send people to search for Qin Tianjiu. Inform me immediately if there's any news."

Luo Zhengnan nodded in agreement, then pulled out a map. The map was sealed in his special pocket, remaining dry.

"Seventh Master, these are the wind-sand lands I found in Yesongqiao, all marked on the map. I've traveled to many places in Pruo Province, and everywhere I go, I often search for wind-sand lands. Every region in Pruo Province has more or less of them, but this is the first time I've seen so many, like in Yesongqiao. I think Yesongqiao might be a very special place. I was worried that something might happen to me halfway through my investigation, so I decided to give you this map first, so that my efforts won't be in vain and nothing will be left behind."

Li Banfeng took the map and gave Luo Zhengnan a land deed. "Old Luo, don't investigate further for now. Hearing you say that, I'm also worried something might happen to you. There will be plenty of opportunities later. When I return to Yesongqiao, we can investigate together and look out for each other. I previously acquired a restaurant in Lushui City. It's been sitting there; I haven't had time to open it. I'll hand it over to you."

Luo Zhengnan profusely thanked him, then asked Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, are you planning to rest, or would you like to go out for a stroll?"

Li Banfeng knew Luo Zhengnan had something to say. "It's still early. A stroll would be fine."

Luo Zhengnan said, "This is the best time to visit a park. The night view is good, and it's quiet."

Late at night, Luo Zhengnan took Li Banfeng to Hualake Park. "Seventh Master, how are your swimming skills?"

"They're decent."

"Then follow me!"

Luo Zhengnan walked to a Western-style house, took a hand-cranked generator from a pouch on his waist, and began generating electricity. After about five minutes, Li Banfeng noticed a change in the ground beneath his feet; the previously hard concrete slowly softened. The Thread-Pulling Earring warned, "Master, there's activity." Li Banfeng faintly heard a cry. Before he could identify the source of the crying, Luo Zhengnan increased the current, and the ground quickly transformed into a lake surface.

Luo Zhengnan fell into the lake, with Li Banfeng following close behind. Diving to the deep bottom of the lake, Luo Zhengnan continued to generate electricity underwater. A koi carp and a dark green crab watched nearby, observing the commotion. The current suddenly intensified, making the koi shiver and pass out, floating belly-up to the surface. The crab was in decent shape. Driven by curiosity, it swam with Luo Zhengnan to the center of the lake.

At the center of the lake was a whirlpool. Luo Zhengnan and Li Banfeng were pulled into it. The crab regretted its decision; it didn't want to follow. However, the whirlpool's pull was too strong. After a struggle, the crab was also sucked into the vortex. In the center of the whirlpool, water continuously surged upwards, pushing the crab to the surface. In the bushes by the lake, a spotted crab was looking directly at it. This was very strange. All other crabs it had seen before were green. Why was this one spotted? The crab from Hualake Park observed its surroundings and realized its environment had changed.

Li Banfeng wiped the water from his face, looked at the heavily fogged night sky, and asked Luo Zhengnan, "Is this the New Land?"

Luo Zhengnan nodded.

"There's New Land in other provinces too?"

Luo Zhengnan caught his breath for a moment, then said, "I haven't figured this out either. Five years ago, I went to Tiemen Fort to hunt in the New Land. The New Land in Tiemen Fort had a type of blue-skinned persimmon with excellent magnetic properties. I jumped in from Taohua Lake and searched for a day in the New Land until I found one of these persimmons. But to my surprise, the persimmon tree was exceptionally strong. I only picked one persimmon, and that tree chased and attacked me for two days and two nights. After finally shaking off the persimmon tree, I ended up deep within the New Land. There, I discovered a patch of wind-sand land, which is what you, Seventh Master, call a hidden space. At the time, my equipment wasn't great, and it took me a full two days to open up this wind-sand land. I only intended to peek from the outside, not go in, because I might not be able to get out. But to my surprise, that persimmon tree chased me again. I was unprepared and had nowhere to run, so I had to duck into the wind-sand land. I wandered there for a full half-month, eating everything edible, and I nearly starved to death. Eventually, I found this lake, and in it, I sensed an exit. To my astonishment, the exit led to another province. That was my first time in another province. People thought I had tried to commit suicide by jumping into the lake, so they rescued me and spent a long time counseling me. I told them I was just hungry and accidentally fell into the lake. A kind person bought me a bread and a bottle of mineral water. I was truly starving then, but after I ate the bread, when I looked up again, the kind person was gone, and I never had a chance to repay their kindness. That evening, I bought some more food, returned to the bottom of the lake, opened the exit, and re-entered this New Land. I groped my way back, a journey that took nearly a month, eventually returning to Tiemen Fort. Two New Lands, connected: one leading to another province, and one leading to Tiemen Fort. I've never been able to understand this, and I've never told anyone about it. Seventh Master, I told you before that you don't need to worry about Tiemen Fort. At my speed, I can walk from here to Tiemen Fort in a day and a night. At your speed, it won't even take half a day."

"Half a day," Li Banfeng said, looking into the distance. "Old Luo, you've done a great service."

As his words fell, there was a rustling sound in the bushes by the lake.

Li Banfeng asked, "Are there any anomalies here?"

Luo Zhengnan nodded. "Yes, and they're all of decent quality."

"If there are anomalies, are there local deities here?"

Luo Zhengnan thought for a moment. "There should be."

Li Banfeng pondered, then asked, "Then where do the local deities here come from? Are they native to this land, or were they appointed by the Inner Province?"