Chapter 529: Open and Aboveboard

Li Qi was still applying medicine to He Yuxiu, a little at a time, ensuring a sufficient dose while also making sure He Yuxiu wasn't hurt.

After taking the Heart-Piercing Pill, He Yuxiu's qi and blood were vigorous, and her pain perception was extremely sensitive. She was a strong-willed person, trying her best to endure when she could. When she truly couldn't, a couple of sounds escaped her lips.

These two sounds were heard by He Haiqin.

He was currently standing in the clearing outside the forest, ready to enter at any moment.

He Haisheng transformed into a wisp of smoke, blocking He Haiqin's path.

He Haiqin looked at the smoke, a hint of anger in his voice: "Our sister is ascending to the cloud realm. I've experienced it once and know the difficulties involved. I want to help her. What's the meaning of you blocking my way?"

He Haisheng remained in his smoke form and replied, "Brother, can you first tell me how you found this place?"

He Haiqin countered, "How did *you* find this place?"

He Haisheng said, "Don't worry about how I found it. I'm not here to plot against our sister or against this territory. I'm here to find *you*!"

He Haiqin asked, "Why are you looking for me?"

"Brother, I've been keeping an eye on you since you returned to Puluo Prefecture. You've been wandering around Greenwater City for days, haven't returned home, haven't seen any family, and haven't asked about family matters. You've been asking around about Li Qi's whereabouts. Others don't know, but they might think you're related to him. I heard Li Qi arrived in Greenwater City, and you rushed here ahead of him. What's the real reason behind all this? Can you tell me?"

"I have nothing to say to you! My affairs are none of your concern! Get out of my way!"

He Haisheng concentrated the smoke into a mass: "No. Brother, as long as I'm here, you won't touch our sister."

He Haiqin chuckled, "Are you so pathetic? Has our sister ever truly looked at you, growing up? Among all our siblings, aren't you the one she dislikes the most?"

He Haisheng had never thought that way. "I've never felt my sister disliked me. When I was bullied as a child, she always stood up for me."

He Haiqin burst out laughing, "She stood up for any of us who were bullied. Is there anything special about how she treated *you*?"

He Haisheng replied, "I didn't ask for anything special. She was good to me, and I remember that."

He Haiqin's face darkened. "Get out of the way!"

The smoke hovered. He Haisheng said, "No!"

"Third Brother, don't blame me for this. You're asking for it!" As he finished speaking, He Haiqin opened his mouth, his lips stretching from beneath his nose to his ears, and his jaw dropping straight down to his navel. This was the Ninth-Level Eating Cultivation technique, "Swallowing Mountains and Rivers."

This technique naturally countered Daoist paths like Smoke Cultivation, Water Cultivation, and Fire Cultivation. If He Haisheng remained in his smoke form, He Haiqin could swallow him whole.

He Haisheng quickly materialized, though a portion of his smoke essence was still swallowed by He Haiqin.

"Get out of the way!" He Haiqin roared.

"No!" He Haisheng rubbed his fingers together, creating a ball of flame. Before He Haiqin could understand what this technique was, he felt a sudden burning sensation in his stomach.

This was He Haisheng's specific countermeasure against Eating Cultivators. A part of his body had been consumed by He Haiqin; it was impossible to retrieve it, so he simply decided to burn it. Now, a portion of He Haisheng's limbs was burning inside He Haiqin's body.

For an ordinary person, He Haisheng could burn them from the inside out until their intestines ruptured, but this move was clearly not enough against He Haiqin. The higher an Eating Cultivator's level, the tougher and thicker their digestive organs. He Haiqin rubbed his stomach, let out a satisfied belch, and exhaled some smoke and fire. He chuckled, "Is that all you've got?"

"It's not over yet!" He Haisheng rubbed his fingers again, and the smoke rapidly expanded, distending He Haiqin's stomach.

This technique was called "Falling into a Sea of Smoke." Originally, it was used to create mist and illusions with smoke. Now, the technique was deployed inside He Haiqin's stomach, directly filling his intestines and stomach.

Filling up an Eating Cultivator to prevent them from eating more was considered a good tactic.

He Haiqin rubbed his belly and chuckled, "Third Brother, you're not using these smoke cultivation techniques for their proper purpose; they're all being used against me. Have you always had your eye on the family head position?"

He Haisheng shook his head. "I've never wanted to be the family head. Eating Cultivation counters Smoke Cultivation; I practiced this move for self-defense. Big Brother, don't push me further. Just go."

After saying that, He Haisheng rubbed his fingers again, and He Haiqin felt an intense pain in his abdomen.

This was a Smoke Cultivation technique, "Smoke Dissipates, Clouds Scatter." He Haisheng could make smoke disappear, and simultaneously, he could cause enemies to disintegrate along with the smoke.

Despite such a fierce technique, He Haiqin wasn't afraid. After rubbing his belly a couple of times, He Haiqin's stomach shrank, and he had digested all the smoke.

He Haisheng was greatly alarmed; He Haiqin's strength had increased too much. Before he could react, He Haiqin suddenly transformed into thick smoke, surrounding He Haisheng.

This was the Eating Cultivation technique, "A Hundred Swallows, A Hundred Transformations."

He Haiqin had consumed a part of the Smoke Cultivator's body, gaining access to smoke cultivation techniques for a short period.

He Haisheng also wanted to turn into smoke but held back. He Haiqin, now in smoke form, still retained his ability to devour. If He Haisheng were to turn into smoke now, it would be like serving himself up to his brother. The smoke condensed into a solid form, and He Haiqin transformed into a giant hammer, violently smashing He Haisheng in the chest, sending him crashing into the forest.

He Haisheng struggled to get up. He Haiqin transformed into a giant hammer again and lunged towards He Haisheng's forehead.

At this point, he had no choice but to turn into smoke; otherwise, he would surely die. He Haisheng transformed his head into smoke, but his movement was slightly too slow. He took over thirty percent of the force, was knocked to the ground, and couldn't get back up.

He Haiqin reverted to human form, intending to finish off He Haisheng, but then he heard He Yuxiu's breathing.

Having been siblings for so many years, He Haiqin understood one truth deeply: never underestimate He Yuxiu, no matter the circumstances.

He Yuxiu didn't want to make a sound, but she was in too much pain to control herself. Moreover, there was no need to control it now; He Haiqin was right in front of her, only about a hundred meters away, so he must have seen her.

Had he really seen her?

He Haiqin looked around but genuinely didn't see anyone. The sound was right by his ear, so why couldn't he see the person?

He Haiqin snorted, "An illusion? Quite skillful!"

He opened his mouth wide again, preparing to use the "Tiger's Roar, Whale's Devour" technique.

Li Banfeng didn't understand. If he suspected it was an illusion, why would he try to devour it? Could Eating Cultivation techniques even devour illusions?

Indeed, they could.

In the early stages, Eating Cultivators had few techniques; they could simply fight, endure, and possessed brute strength. They seemed capable of everything but specialized in nothing. However, it was vastly different in the later stages. Eating Cultivators, by using various techniques interchangeably, could devour intangible, imperceptible, non-physical methods like illusions, charm spells, poison arts, curses, and magic.

If Li Banfeng had used the projector to conceal himself and He Yuxiu, He Haiqin's devour would indeed have swallowed the projector's image, and possibly even the projector itself.

But He Haiqin devoured for a long time and still couldn't see He Yuxiu. Why was that?

Because He Yuxiu was not in the same space as him.

Li Banfeng used his bowl to find a dark-dimensional space in the forest, where he brought He Yuxiu to ascend.

Different dark-dimensional spaces had different characteristics. This particular dark-dimensional space allowed those inside to see and hear outside. Those outside could hear inside but couldn't see in. He Haiqin could hear He Yuxiu's movements but couldn't see her. He had no way to open the dark-dimensional space and simply couldn't touch He Yuxiu or Li Banfeng.

Therefore, Li Banfeng was not in a hurry at all, calmly and methodically applying medicine to He Yuxiu.

Li Banfeng asked, "Is the dosage enough?"

He Yuxiu gritted her teeth and said, "A little more."

He Yuxiu had an excellent physique, and the flesh below her waist was thick enough to endure. Li Banfeng applied a bit more, and He Yuxiu shivered, enduring it with effort. "That should be enough. Third Brother, he..." He Yuxiu struggled to get up. He Haisheng was on the verge of death, and she couldn't just watch.

"You rest first. I'll handle this." Li Banfeng took a blanket, covered He Yuxiu with it, and then began to discuss matters with himself.

"Brother, no matter how much we usually fight, we're still family. You have to help me with this."

"I can help you, but why should you stay here and look after Xiuer while I go risk my life?"

"Why are we still distinguishing between ourselves?"

"If there's no distinction between us, then you go out and risk your life, and leave Xiuer to me!"

"We can't just consider your opinion; we also need to consider Xiuer's feelings."

Xiuer was dumbfounded. What was happening? Li Qi was talking to himself, but with two completely different tones and voices, as if there were two people.

"You two stop arguing! It's embarrassing to bicker like this. Hand Xiuer over to me, and both of you go risk your lives!"

"I think I'm more meticulous. Leave caring for others to me; you two handle the life-risking business!"

Xiuer's eyes widened. There were more than just two people!

He Haiqin outside was even more surprised. There should only be one Li Qi with He Yuxiu, so why were there so many people now? He hadn't even seen one person yet, but he found himself about to be surrounded.

Li Banfeng and his alters collectively agreed on the matter, and the surroundings gradually quieted down.

He Haiqin intensified his vigilance. Suddenly, a dark figure darted out, flashing past He Haiqin.

"A Fleeting Glimpse"? He Haiqin knew Li Qi was a Journey Cultivator and had to guard against "A Fleeting Glimpse."

Watching Li Qi disappear into the night, He Haiqin unhesitatingly followed, keeping his gaze firmly fixed on Li Qi.

An Eating Cultivator who had eaten his fill was indeed fast, and the dark figure wasn't running too quickly either.

Running deeper into the forest, He Haiqin gradually caught up with the dark figure, but found that the figure was extremely dark, making it difficult to distinguish in the night.

What technique was this now? Probably a concealment spell.

According to the information He Haiqin had, Li Qi's cultivation wasn't high. He must be trying to use a concealment spell to avoid detection and seize the opportunity to use "A Fleeting Glimpse."

A lion uses its full strength even to catch a rabbit. He Haiqin didn't underestimate his opponent and once again activated "Tiger's Roar, Whale's Devour" to swallow the concealment spell on Li Qi.

As his mouth opened wide, a whirlwind erupted, and even the dark figure showed slight distortion, demonstrating the technique's power.

If He Haiqin's cultivation was high enough, he could have swallowed Li Qi's shadow. But he was still a bit lacking. Since arriving in the Inner Prefecture, he had only just reached the first layer of the cloud realm.

Seeing no change in the dark figure, He Haiqin rushed forward to attack. The dark figure suddenly vanished, and He Haiqin, momentarily stunned, felt a sharp pain in his back, tumbling to the ground.

He had been hit by Li Banfeng's "Treading Through Myriad Rivers." "Wait, the rumors were wrong! Why is this kid's 'Treading Through Myriad Rivers' so vicious? His cultivation isn't low! Who was that dark figure just now? Did he bring helpers?"

Li Banfeng released his shadow using the "Shadow Binding" technique to distract He Haiqin. Unfortunately, Li Banfeng hadn't mastered the technique perfectly; when using "Shadow Binding," he couldn't use other techniques. Therefore, he had to retract the shadow first before he could use "Treading Through Myriad Rivers."

Before He Haiqin could get up, a halo of light emanated from beneath Li Banfeng's feet, scraping off another layer of flesh from He Haiqin.

For an ordinary person, they would surely wonder where this halo came from. If they thought about it for a while, Li Banfeng could make a few more passes, and the battle would be over. But He Haiqin was different. This man had fought hundreds of battles and had been tempered in the Inner Prefecture. At this point, he didn't care about its origin; he only thought about how to respond.

Eating Cultivators could endure. He Haiqin, bearing the severe pain, rushed forward and hugged Li Banfeng, opening his massive mouth to swallow Li Banfeng's head.

Li Banfeng was held firmly by He Haiqin, unable to dodge, watching a huge mouth rushing towards his head. Just barely, just barely. If He Haiqin had truly swallowed his head, Li Banfeng, no matter how many techniques he possessed, would not have escaped.

Fortunately, at the crucial moment, Li Banfeng freed both his hands. With one hand, he grabbed He Haiqin's upper jaw, and with the other, he grabbed He Haiqin's chin. With a burst of strength from both hands, he dislocated He Haiqin's jaw.

He Haiqin was greatly surprised. Li Qi was a Journey Cultivator; how could he have such strength?

This was the Ninth-Level Abode Cultivation technique, "Expanding Land and Territory." Li Banfeng hadn't fully mastered this technique, but within the halo, for Li Banfeng, it was no different from being inside his abode. Both his speed and strength increased by a level.

He Haiqin forcefully shook off Li Banfeng, reset his jaw with his left hand, and whipped out a back-scratcher from his sleeve with his right hand.

The back-scratcher lunged towards Li Banfeng's face. Li Banfeng bent down to dodge, but the back-scratcher automatically changed direction, splaying its five prongs and revealing inch-long nails, aiming to scratch Li Banfeng's head.

He Haiqin was preparing a sneak attack. If Li Banfeng continued to dodge, he would move right into He Haiqin's hands.

Tang Dao reacted quickly enough, leaping from Li Banfeng's waist. It first parried the back-scratcher. Seeing He Haiqin closing in, Tang Dao slashed at He Haiqin's forehead.

He Haiqin dodged Tang Dao, and the back-scratcher seized Tang Dao's blade from behind. The back-scratcher's five prongs interlocked, twisting with force, trying to snap Tang Dao. Tang Dao was genuinely unable to break free for a moment.

The pendulum jumped out and struck the back-scratcher's handle, causing the back-scratcher to lose balance and its grip. The pendulum and back-scratcher began fighting. Having just been refined with the golden bead, the pendulum's speed had significantly increased, allowing it to exchange blows with the back-scratcher. Tang Dao, seizing the opportunity, struck the back-scratcher, chopping it into two pieces.

He Haiqin was in a difficult situation. Li Banfeng was in front of him, and the halo was behind him. Crossing the halo would cause injury, and fighting Li Banfeng inside the halo would also put him at a disadvantage.

Previous opponents Li Banfeng had faced would hesitate for a moment within the halo. He Haiqin, however, didn't hesitate at all. He sacrificed a layer of flesh and directly leaped out of the halo.

Li Banfeng inwardly praised He Haiqin; his actions were incredibly decisive. "Leaping out is fine; I'll just catch up and keep fighting."

Li Banfeng's speed was greater than He Haiqin's. Seeing the halo about to pass beneath his feet again, He Haiqin picked up a nearby stone and shoved it into his mouth.

Gulp! With the stone in his stomach, He Haiqin's entire body became as tough and thick as rock. Where the halo passed, he sustained virtually no damage.

He Haiqin, having swallowed the stone, turned and crashed into Li Banfeng. What seemed like a casual counterattack was actually executed with full force; just the speed of the impact made it difficult to dodge.

Li Banfeng parried with "Thick-Hearted Abode," but was still stunned by He Haiqin's impact. Before Li Banfeng could recover, He Haiqin opened his mouth and swallowed the back-scratcher from the ground.

He spread his hands, and his fingernails elongated. He Haiqin now had a pair of sharp claws, which he used to grasp at Li Banfeng's head.

Li Banfeng narrowly dodged, then seized He Haiqin from behind, using the "Homeward Bound Like an Arrow" technique.

Within the halo, it was akin to being inside his abode. Li Banfeng already had an advantage in strength, and with "Homeward Bound Like an Arrow," He Haiqin couldn't resist and was dragged by Li Banfeng to the doorway.

He Haiqin didn't know where he was going, but he knew he absolutely could not enter that big door.

He struck a match, swallowed the flame, and from head to toe, burst into raging fire.

Li Banfeng's clothes and hair caught fire, but he continued to tug at He Haiqin, pulling him fiercely towards the house.

He Haiqin grabbed the doorframe, refusing to enter.

The gramophone instructed, "Yingying, we have a guest. Hurry and greet him."

Hong Ying stepped forward and, through the flames, looked at He Haiqin's face. This person had such a large mouth; he was clearly an Eating Cultivator. She punched He Haiqin in the back. He Haiqin cried out in pain, vomiting up all the large quantities of food he had previously eaten, along with the stone, the match, and the back-scratcher.

With that vomit, the Eating Cultivator's combat power dropped by more than half, and the flames on his body extinguished.

With a surge of strength, Li Banfeng dragged He Haiqin into the house and closed the door.

He Haiqin immediately got up and saw a human-shaped object before him, with a face like a spearhead. He Haiqin opened his mouth to devour, but Hong Ying stepped forward and kicked He Haiqin, flipping him onto the ground.

He Haiqin exclaimed in admiration, "What a good magic treasure!"

Hong Ying delivered another kick. "Who are you calling a magic treasure?"

He Haiqin, whose breastbone was fractured by the kick, clutched his chest and looked around again. This was a house. Recalling the techniques Li Qi had used, with the halo on the ground and his combat power soaring within it, this was clearly an Abode Cultivator's fighting style.

He Haiqin came to a seemingly contradictory but uniquely logical conclusion: "Li Qi, are you both an Abode Cultivator and a Journey Cultivator?"

Li Banfeng remained silent.

He Haiqin looked at Hong Ying and said, "You're not a magic treasure; you're his abode spirit!"

Hong Ying had originally intended to kick He Haiqin again, but his words actually sounded somewhat pleasant, so she decided to let him off.

He Haiqin was astonished. "Such a thing exists? Abode and Journey cultivation can truly be dual-cultivated? No wonder Li Qi is so troublesome! No wonder many ruthless individuals..."

A blast of steam scalded He Haiqin, leaving him covered in blisters, and his thoughts were interrupted.

He said Hong Ying was an abode spirit, and the gramophone didn't like the sound of that.

He Haiqin looked at the gramophone, not knowing what kind of magic treasure this was. He didn't dare ask more and turned to Li Qi, saying, "You're Jiaqing's friend, aren't you?"

Li Qi remained silent.

He Haiqin smiled. "Back then, I thought Jiaqing had given the Red Lotus to you. The Lu family was trying to find out your whereabouts everywhere, and I even worried for you."

How artfully he phrased that. He claimed to have worried, implying he had never harmed Li Banfeng and had even been concerned for him. However, the reality was that at the time, the He family had targeted Lu Xiaolan, completely disregarding Li Banfeng. What was Li Banfeng's status back then? In the He family's elder's eyes, he wasn't even considered a person. How could they worry about him? Li Banfeng still said nothing.

Seeing Li Banfeng's attitude, He Haiqin no longer brought up old matters and spoke of the current situation: "My coming here today was indeed due to some misunderstanding with my sister. There are some things I just wanted to clarify with her; I never intended to actually fight her. I truly didn't know before now about the relationship between you and my sister."

Li Banfeng smiled. This was truly a master, rambling and circling, trying to talk his way out of the situation.

"First, let me ask you something: how did you find this territory?" Li Banfeng spoke.

He Haiqin said, "Shen Jinzhong, the Great Golden Seal of the Three Heroes Gate, told me."

"How would Shen Jinzhong know He Yuxiu's whereabouts?"

"Shen Jinzhong and my sister had a relationship when they were younger. To this day, they haven't lost contact. My sister must have told him."

Li Banfeng nodded slightly, inwardly praising He Haiqin. Lies had to be fabricated this way; only then could one see the skill involved.

If Li Banfeng were truly He Yuxiu's lover, just these two sentences would completely shift his attention to Shen Jinzhong.

He Haiqin spoke convincingly, "If you don't believe me, you can summon Shen Jinzhong, and I'll confront him face to face." Li Banfeng shook his head. "No need for Shen Jinzhong to come. I believe you."

The gramophone intentionally spoke from the side, "Why don't we still have Shen Jinzhong come? Don't wrongly accuse the Great Golden Seal."

Li Banfeng said, "It's not convenient, my dear. Shen Jinzhong went to Soda Kiln to see his old flame."

The gramophone asked, "Who's his flame?"

"Luo Lijun," Li Banfeng tapped He Haiqin's face, "The girl who looks like a snail. Do you know her?"

He Haiqin pondered for a moment, saying nothing. Li Banfeng had directly exposed his past, making it difficult to continue fabricating the story.

Since he couldn't continue the fabrication, Li Banfeng did it for him. "Old He, I don't want to make things difficult for you. You're right, Jiaqing is my friend. When I first came to Puluo Prefecture, your He family indeed didn't trouble me. If you hadn't been entangled with the Lu family back then, I might not have gotten to where I am today."

Li Banfeng started building his narrative.

"Back in Soda Kiln, Yuxiu and I were harmed by the Jiangxiang Gang. If we hadn't fought for our lives to break through, both our lives would have ended up in their hall."

He Haiqin nodded slightly; he actually knew about this.

The event was real, the friendship was real, and with ironclad proof, the narrative flowed even more smoothly.

"Furthermore, a few days ago, Jiaqing and I ran into Green Blossom in the outer prefecture. You know how powerful Green Blossom is, but we still defeated him. What does that signify? It signifies that when brothers are united, their strength can cut through metal!"

He Haiqin truly didn't know about this matter. Li Qi and Jiaqing had fought Green Blossom? Did they have a grudge against Green Blossom?

"Then why are you still working for Green Blossom? And getting him five thousand Three-Headed people?" He Haiqin was falling for it. Although he had doubts, he began to follow Li Banfeng's line of thought.

Li Banfeng chuckled, "In the pugilistic world, how can there be overnight grudges? Once something is past, why dwell on it, fighting to the death? Brother He, Yuxiu and I are truly in love, and Jiaqing and I are true brothers. Can our bond be fake? We fought today, let's consider it a mutual welcoming gift between brothers, and let's turn the page on this matter. Let's resolve this grievance now, and in the future, bring Jiaqing along, and we can all become sworn brothers together."

The seniority calculations were a bit messy, but He Haiqin didn't dwell on it. "Can our grievances truly be resolved?"

Li Banfeng chuckled, "I put in a lot of effort to get a piece of land from Luo Lijun. Others wouldn't give it to me, but I'll give it to our Xiuer. Look at this affection; can you still not trust me?"

He Haiqin nodded. "Alright, I trust you. Since you've told me the truth, I won't hide anything from you. I came here today precisely for this new territory. The ones who told me the news are those people from the Inner Prefecture. They not only told me the news but also told others. The news has spread like wildfire, and those people will be arriving one after another. The Inner Prefecture has declared that whoever manages to claim this land will own it, and whoever obtains it will no longer be subject to the Inner Prefecture's jurisdiction, becoming a free local deity."

Li Banfeng frowned. "Many people already know about this?"

"What do you think?" He Haiqin pointed outside the door. "How do you think He Haisheng knew about this? This proves the news has already reached him! Let me tell you something real: several local deities from nearby new territories, including Luhuo Wang, Sha Dingzhong, Chu Yaoxian, Rong Sijiao, and Xie Laizi, are all coming this way. And there are big figures approaching from further away: Pan Dehai, Tao Xuehong, Hua Manchun, Dou Jiyan, Song Baijin – which of these can you afford to provoke? I understand your concern for Yuxiu, but if this territory were given to her, it would be equivalent to harming her!"

Li Banfeng pinched his chin, a look of horror on his face. "Brother He, if you hadn't reminded me of this, I would have almost ruined everything."

He Haiqin sighed, "It's not too late now that you've figured it out."

Li Banfeng stood up and removed all his magic treasures. "Brother He, I'll go persuade Yuxiu. We can't be reckless about this. We can't hold onto this territory, so we'll have to hand it over to you."

He Haiqin waved his hand. "I can't do it. I might not even be able to hold it either!"

Li Banfeng chuckled, "We're all family; there's no need to be so polite. Brother He has the Inner Prefecture standing behind him. No matter if it's Pan Dehai or Tao Feiyan, who would dare challenge the Inner Prefecture?"

He Haiqin shook his head, smiling modestly.

Li Banfeng said to the gramophone, "My dear wife, please arrange for everyone to eat first. I'll be right back. Don't forget to invite Brother He to the table; he's an honored guest."

Hong Ying picked up the conversation, "Don't worry, husband. If he doesn't sit at the table, what will we eat?"

"Who told you to call me husband! Who told you to talk nonsense!" The gramophone hit Hong Ying twice, then politely said to He Haiqin, "Brother He, you really should take a seat at the table."

He Haiqin felt something was wrong. When he saw Li Banfeng leave, he felt something was off. Recalling the words he had just exchanged with Li Banfeng, he felt the situation was even more amiss. "How could I have believed him? How could I have told him the truth?"

He Haiqin opened his mouth towards Li Banfeng's pile of magic treasures, ready to swallow them all and then fight to the death.

Hong Ying took a bottle of high-quality light soy sauce and shoved it into He Haiqin's mouth. "This soy sauce is good, very flavorful. Xiaowan, you eat your food. I'll marinate him first."

The glove walked to the doorway and heard two groans. The back-scratcher lay on the ground. Although it was broken in half and had been swallowed once by He Haiqin, this magic treasure had a tough life. It wasn't completely dead yet. "Keep it. The master might find it useful," the glove said, collecting the back-scratcher.

Back in the forest, Li Banfeng saw He Haisheng. He Haisheng had been sitting by He Yuxiu's side the whole time. He couldn't see He Yuxiu, but by just sitting there, he could hear his sister's breathing.

Seeing Li Qi, He Haisheng looked up and asked, "Where's my brother?"

Li Qi said, "He's gone. He rushed back for dinner."

He Haisheng understood Li Banfeng's meaning. They were all family; He Haiqin surely wouldn't have gone for a killing blow. Since he had left, the matter was probably over.

He Haisheng glanced in He Yuxiu's direction and said to Li Qi, "Thank you for looking after my sister."

Li Banfeng nodded slightly.

He Haisheng took two steps, then turned back and said, "You must treat her well."

Li Banfeng nodded again.

After He Haisheng had walked far away, Li Banfeng entered the dark-dimensional space. He Yuxiu was sitting against a pine tree, her eyes somewhat unfocused.

"Brother Qi, I really didn't expect that Third Brother would save me. Among all my siblings, he's the one I disliked the most."

Li Banfeng casually asked, "Why did you dislike him?"

He Yuxiu let out a bitter laugh. "I can't remember. I just disliked him ever since I was little. I remember he was especially sentimental, always wanting to cuddle in my arms. It was fine when he was five or six, and I could spoil him at seven or eight, but when he was fifteen or sixteen and still tried to cuddle in my arms, who could stand that?"

Li Banfeng looked back at He Yuxiu. "Fifteen or sixteen, and still cuddling in your arms?"

"Yes!" He Yuxiu nodded.

Li Banfeng looked towards the edge of the forest, towards where He Haisheng had departed.

He Haisheng had gone quite far, but he suddenly stopped and looked back at the distant forest. "You must treat her well," He Haisheng murmured to himself. After speaking, he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye with his sleeve.

Li Banfeng supported He Yuxiu as they traversed the new territory. He Yuxiu had to familiarize herself with the territory now, or she wouldn't be able to maintain her position.

He Yuxiu struggled to walk, needing to rest every three to five li. The two sat under a tree, and He Yuxiu said, "I still can't figure out how my two younger brothers found this place."

Li Banfeng said, "This is news spread by the Inner Prefecture. They've called people to seize this territory; whoever can grab it gets to keep it."

He Yuxiu pondered for a long time. "You know, what they're doing doesn't really violate the contract."

Li Banfeng nodded. "Exactly. It doesn't violate the contract. They're doing it openly, making it impossible for us to hold onto this territory, and giving us no fault to find."

"If all sorts of ruthless individuals come to seize the territory, how can we fight them?" He Yuxiu couldn't think of a solution, so she slapped her thigh decisively. "Brother Qi, since we can't hold this territory, let's just give it up. You go back to Greenwater City immediately. I'll wait at the contract. If worst comes to worst, I'll dig up the contract and destroy it on the spot. I'll risk my life, but I won't let them benefit from it!"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "This is our territory, and nobody is getting an easy deal. I anticipated the Inner Prefecture's move and have already made preparations."

He Yuxiu thought for a moment and said, "Are you talking about those three-headed ones...?"

Li Banfeng took out a simple telephone, attached a dial pad, and contacted Ma Wu through Luo Zhengnan. "Old Wu, send those five thousand people here."

Sending five thousand people to the new territory, especially Three-Headed people, was no easy task. Ma Wu roughly planned: "Old Seven, I plan to transport these people in ten batches, using large covered wagons, claiming we're shipping goods to the new territory."

Li Banfeng said, "No need for ten batches. Bring them all at once."

Ma Wu said, "This won't be covert then. Transporting five thousand people at once, what kind of vehicle can hold them?"

"No need to load them onto vehicles. They'll just walk here directly, walking proudly and openly!"

Ma Wu was stunned. "Old Seven, what's gotten into you? We can't be so reckless. Five thousand Three-Headed people walking together towards the new territory—wouldn't that spread throughout Greenwater City?"

Li Banfeng said very seriously, "If it spreads throughout Greenwater City, that would be ideal. If it doesn't, we'll put it in the newspaper. We'll announce that Li Qi found five thousand Three-Headed people for Green Blossom and sent them all to the new territory."

Ma Wu paused for a moment, then understood Li Banfeng's meaning. "Old Seven, you've had this move planned all along!"

He Yuxiu also understood. "Brother Qi, you also want to do things openly and honestly?"

"Exactly, openly and honestly," Li Qi said, looking into the distance. "Initially, we sought quiet for our ascension. If the territory were crowded and chaotic, variables would inevitably arise. Now that the ascension is complete, we will openly and honestly manage this territory. With Green Blossom leading five thousand Three-Headed people standing right here, let's see who dares to come and cause trouble."

He Yuxiu looked up at Li Qi, suddenly feeling an inexhaustible surge of strength. "Brother Qi, once they come to develop the land, do I also need to learn how to respond?"

"That's quite difficult; you'll have to learn it well," Li Banfeng said, looking around the wilderness as he spoke of development. "Xiuer, don't you feel like something's missing from this plot of land?"

Xiuer also felt something was missing. "It does seem a bit too quiet."

This chapter is so good, dear readers.