Chapter 530: Spirituality of the Domain

On the new land, five thousand Three-Heads were preparing to cultivate.

One Three-Head carried an offering table, learning from experienced cultivators how to arrange the tributes. Another Three-Head held paper and a pen, learning how to write contracts from a cultivator. One Three-Head chatted with Pan Dehai, "Uncle, are you here to cultivate too?"

Pan Dehai smiled and shook his head, "I'm just passing through."

After a while, Pan Dehai left.

Accompanying him were Bai Muyu and Gao Shuxia. Since failing to seize Bei Wushuang's territory, these two had been following Pan Dehai.

Once they were a hundred *li* away from that territory, Bai Muyu shot Pan Dehai a contemptuous look. "Lord Pan, did we come all this way just for a walk?"

Pan Dehai chuckled, "If you two young ladies always stay at Seacroft Ridge, you won't gain any skills, just weight. A change of scenery isn't a bad thing."

Bai Muyu scoffed, "Oh, Old Pan, are you mocking us? Are you implying we haven't served you well enough?"

Pan Dehai waved his hands repeatedly. "I am a virtuous man. Young ladies, you must choose your words carefully. We are merely partners in business. I have never harbored any improper thoughts about either of you."

This was the truth. After spending so much time together, these two women had helped Pan Dehai a great deal, and Pan Dehai had given them many benefits, but there had never been any boundary-crossing actions between them. Business was business, and personal affection was personal affection; Pan Dehai distinguished these two points very clearly.

If Old Pan truly returned to Seacroft Ridge, Gao Shuxia would be displeased. "Old Pan, are we really just going back? That's not what we said when we came!"

Pan Dehai sighed, "There are five thousand Three-Heads, all from the City of Sinners. If they were to turn hostile and fight us to the death, what would you two young ladies use to resist?"

Gao Shuxia looked back at the territory, a new land unconstrained by the Inner State, truly captivating.

Pan Dehai didn't stop for a moment. "You two young ladies, you'd best walk faster. If we encounter Green Scarabs in a while, I'm afraid you won't be able to leave even if you want to."

Ma Wu, under the banner of the Green Scarabs, had openly brought these five thousand people to the new land. Whether by the reputation of the Green Scarabs or the strength of the five thousand Three-Heads, ninety-nine percent of people wouldn't dare covet this new land.

However, the food and water for five thousand people became a problem. Food could be managed; a few carts of compressed biscuits would last two days. Water, however, was difficult. A single load of water transported from Blue Poplar Village would be mostly consumed on the way. To solve the water problem, cultivation was essential.

Li Banfeng wasn't greedy. He selected five hundred strong Three-Heads to first cultivate twenty plots, each one *li* in size. This new land was lacking something: since Li Banfeng acquired the plots, not a single monster had been found here. In fact, this was normal; the Inner State had promised to grant land, not monsters. Perhaps He Yuxiu herself was expected to cultivate these monsters. But cultivation was imminent, and without monsters, what would be used for the trial?

He Yuxiu's idea was simple: "Since there are no monsters, we won't conduct a trial. We'll just cultivate directly."

Li Banfeng had also considered this matter. He also had a new plot of land and always worried about the trial. The last time Chu Er cultivated, Li Banfeng had problems with the trial, unreasonably increasing its difficulty. The purpose of the trial was to verify whether the cultivator had the ability to manage the plot. These Three-Heads clearly possessed such ability, making the trial seem unnecessary.

So, could they skip the trial? As far as Li Banfeng knew, no one had ever done so. Meng Yuchun constantly hoped for someone to cultivate, and when Li Qi finally appeared, the steps of arranging offerings and establishing contracts were simplified, but the trial portion was never omitted. Qiu Luoye, eager to cultivate at the time, made all trial stages a mere formality in the later stages. But even this formality, Qiu Luoye never dared to overlook. Even for the very last plot, he would call two monsters to fight a battle there.

The trial stage must have a special significance. Li Banfeng pondered if he should move some monsters from his own new land. The key was, how many? Li Banfeng intended to cultivate all his plots in the future, and three or five monsters would certainly not be enough. Most of the monsters on his own territory had come from Qiu Luoye's territory and had just settled down. Now they would have to endure this trial. He Yuxiu had five thousand Three-Heads, and the land would soon become settled land. Then these monsters would have to be relocated again. How many monsters could endure such torment? Or should he borrow some from surrounding new lands? The problem was that he wasn't too familiar with the local gods of the surrounding lands, and they might not agree to lend their monsters.

Li Banfeng was fretting over this, but He Yuxiu saw things more clearly. "Seventh Brother, we don't need to make things difficult for ourselves. If no monsters come here for the trial, must we go looking for them ourselves? We must certainly abide by the rules of cultivation. After they arrange the offerings, I will respond first. If the land responds, then let them prepare for the trial. We'll send out the message: if any monster comes, I definitely won't stop them. But if no monsters are willing to come, then it's just the cultivators' good luck, and we shouldn't make things hard for them."

What she said made sense. Li Banfeng was also impatient and immediately agreed, "Let's try one plot first. If there are no issues, we'll continue cultivating. If there are issues, we'll find another way."

The first batch of Three-Heads arranged their offerings, and He Yuxiu prepared to respond. When Li Banfeng first responded to cultivation, he relied on the Judge's Brush for flight and a projector to create an atmosphere. He Yuxiu was more straightforward. She found a mask to cover her face and went straight to the plot, shouting to the cultivators, "Are you here to cultivate?"

The twenty-five Three-Heads looked at He Yuxiu, not daring to breathe, only nodding frequently.

"Approved!" He Yuxiu stepped forward and took a bottle of good wine from the table. She poured half of it on the ground and drank the remaining half clean.

Li Banfeng sneered. With such a casual approach, how could she possibly light up the plot? Just as his laughter subsided, a gasp erupted from the crowd; the plot truly lit up. These Three-Heads had never experienced cultivation before. Seeing the plot's boundary lines for the first time, they were all very surprised. Li Banfeng was even more surprised than they were. He Yuxiu just said a few words, and the plot lit up? He had tried so many times back then. How did this count?

Li Banfeng thought for a long time, finding a reason for himself. He Yuxiu's cultivation was high; she had already reached the Cloud Realm. Li Banfeng was still at the Ground Realm back then. The difference was mainly in cultivation level.

With the Local God's approval for cultivation, all that remained was preparation for the trial. The next day, the trial officially began. The twenty-five Three-Heads stood ready, not daring to be careless during their first cultivation. He Yuxiu anticipated no monsters would appear and watched coolly from the side.

Li Banfeng suddenly felt danger approaching. He peered into the distance and saw a massive figure drawing closer in the night. What was that thing? That shape looked familiar! "Old Five, did you call Swallow?"

Ma Wu glanced and shook his head. "That's not Swallow. That's not our family's Moth Lady!"

"Then whose is it?" Li Banfeng walked closer and saw a giant Moth Lady, chewing on leaves as she crawled towards the plot. "Young lady, what are you doing here?" Li Banfeng greeted her.

The Moth Lady's cheeks flushed. "Young Master, you're quite a talker. I'm here for the trial."

Li Banfeng pointed at the Three-Heads on the plot. "You're here to test them?"

"Yes, isn't this land going to be cultivated?"

Li Banfeng thought for a moment and asked, "You're a roaming monster, aren't you? Roaming monsters shouldn't participate in trials."

The Moth Lady nodded. "By rights, I shouldn't be here, but I have an invitation!"

"Who sent the invitation?"

"Chu Yaoxian, Madam Chu!"

Li Banfeng didn't understand. "Chu Yaoxian is a Local God of a new land, right?"

"Yes!"

"Why isn't she guarding her own territory? Why is she causing trouble here?"

The Moth Lady thought for a moment and shook her head. "Young Master, that's not for me to answer. I'm just here to conduct the trial. If I succeed, I'll go to Madam Chu to claim my cultivation. I know nothing else." Her answer was indeed flawless. It was common in new lands for Local Gods to hire roaming monsters for tasks. For example, Mountain-Mover Lord once hired a roaming monster to attack Meng Yuchun's territory.

The Moth Lady said no more and continued to crawl towards the plot. Li Banfeng asked, "Young lady, you have at least eight layers of cultivation, don't you?" According to common knowledge in the new lands, the Moth Lady's cultivation was proportional to her size. This young lady's figure was much larger than Swallow's, making Li Banfeng suspect she had reached the Moth Lady's limit.

The young lady turned back and said, "Young Master, you have a keen eye. After earning this cultivation, I'll reach the ninth layer. After the ninth layer, I'll no longer be a Moth Lady. I'll transform into a proper, beautiful young lady." So, a Moth Lady transforming upon reaching the ninth layer was a new revelation. But that wasn't the point. The point was an eighth-layer monster conducting a trial for a one-*li* plot. Wasn't that ridiculous?

Li Banfeng chased after the Moth Lady, shouting, "Young lady, please don't go to the plot yet. Whatever cultivation Chu Yaoxian promised you, I'll pay you in full."

"Young Master, next time. I've already promised Madam Chu. I'm a person of my word."

Li Banfeng frowned. This was the first cultivation on the territory, and he couldn't let this Moth Lady ruin it. Just as he was about to intervene, He Yuxiu blocked his path. "Old Seven, don't interfere. I'll handle her."

The Moth Lady looked at He Yuxiu. "Who are you?"

He Yuxiu said, "I am the Local God of this place. I forbid you from coming here for the trial."

The Moth Lady frowned. "Oh, you arranged a trial but won't let me participate? Isn't that against the rules?"

He Yuxiu sneered, "You, an eighth-layer Moth Lady, testing a one-*li* plot? Is that fair?"

"If there were local monsters here for the trial, I certainly shouldn't interfere. But since there are no local monsters, you shouldn't stop me." This Moth Lady was quite reasonable. She made it very clear: if there were monsters, she wouldn't cause trouble, but since there weren't, her participation as a roaming monster for a trial was perfectly valid.

But He Yuxiu had no intention of reasoning today. "I will stop you. I won't let you conduct the trial."

The Moth Lady was not intimidated. "If you're willing to risk your reputation as a Local God, then let's fight right here!"

As the two were about to clash, Ma Wu stepped forward and stopped He Yuxiu. "Sister Xiu, it's not worth it. Young lady, what's your name?"

Their gazes met, and the young lady seemed to shy away slightly. She lowered her head and said, "My name is A'rou."

"A'rou, let's talk aside for a moment." Ma Wu kept his gaze on A'rou.

"Then make it quick." A'rou lowered her head, feeling a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, but still followed Ma Wu.

While Ma Wu went to deal with A'rou, an old man soon arrived at the plot.

The old man saw He Yuxiu and first bowed respectfully. "Are you the Local God of this place?"

He Yuxiu nodded.

"Please sit here. I have something to discuss with you." The old man wiped a stone block with his sleeve and invited He Yuxiu to sit.

This one was sensible. He Yuxiu was about to sit down when Li Banfeng, holding a peach with one hand, prevented her from touching the stone block. He Yuxiu's face turned red. "Seventh Brother, what are you doing in front of so many people?"

Li Banfeng said to the old man, "You are Fengqu Weng, aren't you?"

The old man nodded. "You have a keen eye."

"Are you also here for the trial?"

"I have an invitation! An invitation from Lord Rong Sijiao!"

Rong Sijiao was also a Local God of a new land. Fengqu Weng's cultivation was usually around the seventh layer. Li Banfeng had once dealt with a Fengqu Weng; these types of roaming monsters were very troublesome. Just like He Yuxiu, if she had sat on that stone block, she would have accepted Fengqu Weng's "service." After three such services, she would have to wait for Fengqu Weng to collect his due. Li Banfeng certainly couldn't let Fengqu Weng enter the plot. If he did, those simple Three-Heads would be tormented to death.

"Elder, don't be in a hurry to conduct the trial. I have something to discuss with you—" Before Li Banfeng could persuade Fengqu Weng, another chef arrived from behind. Li Banfeng knew this chef; he was one of Meng Yuchun's subordinates.

"Brother, you've come too?" Li Banfeng didn't know what to say.

The chef saw Li Banfeng and quickly bowed. "Seventh Master, is this your territory? Then I won't come."

"Wait," Li Banfeng asked, "Did you also receive an invitation to conduct a trial?"

The chef nodded. "I have a friendship with Local God Sha Dingzhong; he invited me. I discussed it with Miss Meng, and she also approved."

"Sha Dingzhong was sent by the Inner State to intentionally cause trouble, wasn't he?" Li Banfeng remembered He Haiqin mentioning this. A group of Local Gods were coming to seize territory, and Sha Dingzhong, Chu Yaoxian, and Rong Sijiao were among them.

"I truly don't know about that," the chef dared not speak carelessly and cupped his hands again. "Seventh Master, please continue your business. I won't disturb you."

"Brother, don't leave yet. There are some things I'm not too clear about, and I need your guidance," Li Banfeng stopped the chef. "If a territory consistently has no suitable person for a trial, can we simply skip the trial, with the Local God directly acknowledging it as successful cultivation?"

Li Banfeng had indeed asked the right person. The chef was well-traveled and had years of experience in the new lands, knowing a great deal. "Seventh Master, cultivation must have a trial. Skipping the trial will definitely not succeed."

"If the Local God recognizes it, won't the cultivation be successful?"

The chef shook his head repeatedly. "The world has many misunderstandings about cultivation, thinking that if the Local God nods, cultivation is successful. But even if the Local God nods, if the territory doesn't acknowledge it, this plot won't be successfully cultivated. The lit boundary lines won't extinguish, and the cultivators inside the boundary won't be able to leave; if they do, it counts as a cultivation failure. And outside cultivators won't be able to enter; even if they do, their participation in the cultivation won't count."

"The territory must respond," Li Banfeng analyzed the concept carefully.

"Seventh Master, I only have a partial understanding of this, but I'll tell you what I know," the chef explained earnestly. "A Local God is the lord of a place. To become a Local God, one must first become familiar with the territory."

Li Banfeng knew this. To ascend to the Cloud Realm and become a Local God, one had to be extremely familiar with the territory to stabilize one's position.

The chef continued, "The process of becoming familiar with the territory is about communicating with it, sensing each other. Only when the territory responds does it acknowledge its lord." Hearing the chef, Li Banfeng gained some understanding.

The chef went on, "Cultivation is the same. It's about selecting a small plot within the territory and establishing a small lord. This small lord needs to be recognized by the Local God and also by the territory. The trial is the process by which the cultivator gains recognition from both the Local God and the territory. Seventh Master, imagine if you were the territory and I were the Local God. If I invited a friend, carved out a piece of land, declared it theirs, and nodded in agreement, without caring if you agreed or not, would you be happy? If you're not happy, cultivation certainly won't succeed, and there might even be a rift between the territory and the Local God. To put it plainly, the territory gets angry. If this happens too often, the rift between the territory and the Local God deepens, and over time, the territory will no longer recognize that Local God. I've encountered such a thing. There was a Local God whose territory was very close to Blackrock Slope. Every year, many people came to cultivate. He was a very amiable and approachable person. Many wealthy families from Pu Luo Province were willing to send people to cultivate there. This person was also eager for quick success and wanted to turn his territory into settled land. He conducted trials very perfunctorily, and some plots were even given away directly without a trial. At that time, over three thousand plots of wasteland were cultivated on his territory, and many thought his territory would truly become settled land. Who would have thought that one day, his contract would suddenly emerge from the ground on its own? That Local God was unaware at the time, but later realized he was unwell. Unfortunately, it was too late. When the contract emerged, his cultivation dropped. Due to untimely treatment, his soul was damaged, turning him into a Wounded Demonic Fiend. A promising territory was lost just like that. This is an example of a territory retaliating against its Local God. So, Seventh Master, you must handle the trial very seriously."

Li Banfeng said, "If we encounter a territory without monsters, and there's no way to conduct a trial, will this wasteland remain uncultivated forever?"

The chef shook his head. "Seventh Master, I've explained all this, but what I mainly want to say is one thing: territories have sentience. You must treat them like living beings. I've never seen a territory without monsters, but I have seen plots cultivated without monster trials. Some cultivators chose plots in remote areas where monsters were already scarce. Moreover, the cultivators were quite strong, and most monsters weren't willing to risk their lives for cultivation. Even if the Local God forced them, they wouldn't come. After three days, the trial would end, and no monsters would come to fight, but it would still be considered successful cultivation because the territory understood the circumstances. Seventh Master, I indeed haven't seen monsters on your plot, but that doesn't mean no one has come for the trial. Roaming monsters have come. They're not here to cause trouble; they're here for the trial. If you don't let those roaming monsters participate, it's deliberately cheating, and the territory will definitely not agree."

Li Banfeng listened intently. The concepts the chef introduced gave Li Banfeng new insights into territories, Local Gods, and cultivators. Thinking about it, it felt truly strange. Li Banfeng found these concepts strikingly familiar, though he couldn't immediately pinpoint why. A territory recognizing a Local God, and the Local God and territory together protecting the cultivators—this seemed similar to a residence, its spirit, and its cultivators...

While Li Banfeng was still pondering, Fengqu Weng, taking advantage of Li Banfeng's distraction, had already entered the territory. "Friends, you've worked hard. Please, sit." Fengqu Weng swept the stone slabs on the ground with his sleeve.

Just as a few Three-Heads were about to sit, Li Banfeng called out, "Don't sit! He's here to test you!" The twenty-five Three-Heads suddenly realized, and Fengqu Weng gave Li Banfeng a glare before engaging the Three-Heads.

The Three-Heads had physical advantages, but their combat experience was limited, and their tactics were very basic, relying solely on brute force. In less than ten minutes of fighting, six Three-Heads inadvertently received three "services" from Fengqu Weng, losing their combat ability and only able to watch from the side. He Yuxiu was anxious. If the fight continued like this, the Three-Heads had almost no chance of winning. Li Banfeng wasn't anxious; it was useless to be anxious, as he couldn't intervene in this matter.

He took out two Golden Yuan Pills from his pocket and handed them to the chef. The chef was startled; this gift was too valuable. "Seventh Master, I can't accept this—"

"Take it, brother." Li Banfeng watched the battle of the cultivators, then looked at the five thousand Three-Heads waiting for water. This was clearly another ruthless move by the Inner State. The Inner State had given Li Banfeng a new land without monsters, which increased the justification for roaming monsters to come for trials. Roaming monsters had extremely high combat power, which brought great difficulty to cultivating the new land. If Li Banfeng wanted to borrow roaming monsters from surrounding territories, no one would dare to lend them to him. If any family's monsters came, that family's Local God would effectively offend the Inner State. If Li Banfeng wanted to move roaming monsters from his own territory, it would mean exposing his new land. At that time, the Inner State would definitely investigate Li Furong thoroughly, and the new land's contract might even backfire on Li Banfeng. This situation was difficult to break.

While he was deep in thought, the battle concluded. In about half an hour, all twenty-five Three-Heads were defeated by Fengqu Weng. This Fengqu Weng was very measured. He used his cultivation techniques to control the twenty-five people, making them leave the territory on their own. He didn't kill anyone, and although a few resisted fiercely and were injured by Fengqu Weng, their injuries were not severe. This Fengqu Weng was very skilled at his job; he didn't anger Li Banfeng or He Yuxiu, and still managed to earn cultivation.

An eagle flew overhead. Fengqu Weng looked up and saw the eagle circle the plot three times. Fengqu Weng then walked out of the plot. His successful defeat of the cultivators had been recorded by the eagle, which would report to Rong Sijiao, who would then pay Fengqu Weng his reward. Fengqu Weng could choose to stay and continue the trials here, or he could choose to take his earnings and leave immediately. But this old man was very shrewd. He didn't make the choice himself; he handed it over to the Local God. "Madam, I have only this much ability, and I still want to earn a living here. Will you grant it or not?"

He Yuxiu wanted to beat him up. How could she let him stay and continue the trials? Li Banfeng, however, wanted to keep Fengqu Weng, because if Fengqu Weng left, other monsters would come for trials, and they might not be like Fengqu Weng, fighting only for victory and not taking lives.

The chef saw Li Banfeng's thoughts. Having received two Golden Yuan Pills, the chef felt uneasy and wanted to help Li Banfeng. "Seventh Master, these cultivators have some skills, but they don't know much about combat tactics. With some guidance, they could put up a fight against roaming monsters."

Li Banfeng was pleased. "Brother Chef, you must help me with this."

The chef nodded. "Since Seventh Master holds me in such high regard, first listen to my method. Firstly, we cannot cultivate one-*li* plots anymore. We must start with at least three *li*. Roaming monsters usually have cultivation above the fifth layer. Fighting roaming monsters for a one-*li* plot is simply not worth it. The first thing we need to do is increase the size of the cultivated land to three to five *li*. We'll only let one or two roaming monsters into the plot at a time for combat. This way, the cultivators can handle it, and the territory will find it acceptable." A one-*li* plot was one unit of land. A three-*li* plot was nine units, and a five-*li* plot was twenty-five units. The chef hit on the key point: fighting roaming monsters shouldn't just yield one unit of land; the battle had to be worth it!

The chef continued, "The second thing we need to do is teach these cultivators how to fight. They like to fight head-on, just charging forward. This tactic actually works well against Moth Ladies; with their strength, they can fight a Moth Lady. But it's not suitable for Fengqu Weng. In a while, gather another group of cultivators, set up the offerings again. Tomorrow, I will undergo the trial with them and teach them some combat tactics along the way."

The chef was truly generous. Li Banfeng thanked him repeatedly and quickly gathered cultivators. For a three-*li* plot, Li Banfeng gathered a hundred Three-Heads. The chef shook his head. "Seventh Master, this isn't a case of the more people, the better. If one of them gives up and crosses the boundary, all our efforts will be in vain. I'll select thirty from these hundred; that's enough."

The chef selected the people, wrote the contract, and arranged the offerings. He Yuxiu was about to step forward to respond when a man suddenly came up to speak. "Miss He, please don't be in a hurry. I have something to discuss with you."

He Yuxiu stared at the man, examining him for a moment, then asked, "Are you Feng Chongli?"

Hearing that name, Li Banfeng also looked over. Why was Feng Chongli here? Was he also interested in this territory? He was from Snowflake Port.

He Yuxiu was not mistaken; the man was indeed Feng Chongli. Feng Chongli took off his top hat and bowed to He Yuxiu. "Miss, that you remember me is truly an honor for me. I've come today to discuss a big business deal with you, a big deal worth three million silver dollars."

"Three million silver dollars?" He Yuxiu smiled. "That's no small sum. A single Paramount only costs eight hundred thousand silver dollars. First, tell me what kind of business it is?"

Feng Chongli pointed to the ground. "It's this land, a hundred *li* in circumference. I'm willing to pay three million silver dollars to buy this land."

He Yuxiu shook her head. "Not for sale."

Feng Chongli pulled out his abacus. "If you think it's too little, the price can be negotiated further. You name a price first, and I'll recalculate."

He Yuxiu wasn't one for lengthy negotiations. She didn't waste words with Feng Chongli. "You don't need to calculate. I won't sell it for any price."

Feng Chongli clicked the abacus beads, persuading again. "Miss, you really need to calculate this deal carefully. You must clearly figure out the gains and losses here. I know you want this land to ascend to the Cloud Realm. I can find you another new land; this new land won't cost anything, I'll give it to you. Of course, the new land I give you will have an incomplete contract, only one piece. But since it's for ascending to the Cloud Realm, having one piece is enough; having more is actually a burden. This territory now has two pieces of contract, attracting a lot of attention, with many people craning their necks to look. I am a businessman, offering money to buy it from you. But others may not abide by these rules. They might not offer money, and might even try to take your life. Calculate yourself which is the main profit and which is the main loss."

He Yuxiu didn't want to bother with Feng Chongli any longer. "What you're saying is useless. This territory is not for sale. Get out."

"I assume you can't make the decision on this matter," Feng Chongli turned to Li Banfeng. "Li Qi, what do you think? Can this business be done?"

Li Banfeng was thinking. He wasn't thinking about how to do business; he was thinking about how to fight this battle. If it were anyone else, the name of the Green Scarabs, plus the might of five thousand Three-Heads, would have scared them away. But Feng Chongli couldn't be scared away. He wasn't afraid of the Green Scarabs, and he seemingly wasn't afraid of these five thousand Three-Heads either. According to the clues provided by An Zongding, Feng Chongli's cultivation had already surpassed the Cloud Realm. Li Banfeng's own House and Journey paths were both close to Cloud Realm two layers, and He Yuxiu had just reached Cloud Realm, not yet having a layer, and her body hadn't fully recovered. Relying solely on the two of them, they certainly couldn't defeat Feng Chongli. Even bringing all five thousand people into the fight, it was hard to say if they had a chance of winning. Li Qi knew that cultivators above the Cloud Realm could not attack the local god of a settled land. Did they also need to follow this rule when facing a Local God of a new land? Li Banfeng wasn't quite sure about this.

If he wasn't sure, he'd just ask directly. Li Banfeng said, "If we don't want to sell, are you going to force the purchase?"

Feng Chongli chuckled, "You've really hit the nail on the head. I'm determined to have this land. Whether you sell it, *cough cough*, sell, or don't sell it, *cough cough*, still have to, *cough* sell—" While speaking harshly, Feng Chongli kept coughing, which severely damaged his momentum. Li Banfeng was also curious why Feng Chongli suddenly started coughing.

It turned out that a middle-aged man had arrived next to him, smoking. Whatever tobacco was in his pipe was very pungent. Feng Chongli watched the man smoke pipe after pipe, and when the tobacco in the bowl was almost burned out, Feng Chongli specifically asked, "Are you done smoking?"

The middle-aged man tapped out the ashes and immediately packed another pipe. "Not yet, I smoke three pipes at once!"

Feng Chongli nodded slightly. "If I'm not mistaken, you are Three Pipes of Yellow-Tipped Leaves, Elder Ye."

"You're mistaken. My surname isn't Ye, it's Huang." Huang Jiantou lit his pipe and took a puff with a chuckle.

Feng Chongli bowed. "Elder Huang, are you also here for this territory?"

Huang Jiantou exhaled smoke and shook his head. "I'm not here for the territory. I'm here for my brother. Old Seven, I heard you've opened for business, so I've come to congratulate you!"

Li Banfeng didn't recognize Huang Jiantou, but he remembered something Tang Changfa had said at Changsan Book House. City Lord Sun had found two helpers: one was A'gui, and the other was A'huang. Li Banfeng chuckled and walked towards him. "Brother Huang, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"