Chapter 539: Blood of Brothers

The distribution plan was agreed upon, but before the items could be divided, Zhang Gunli's storeroom had to be opened.

Gui Jianchou and Mu Yuejuan each held a walnut and tapped them together twice, but there was no reaction. They tapped them twice more, still to no avail. Gui Jianchou complained that Mu Yuejuan wasn't strong enough, while Mu Yuejuan countered that Gui Jianchou wasn't aligning them precisely. Growing increasingly impatient, Mu Yuejuan simply handed her walnut to Gui Jianchou, saying, "The distribution has already been settled, you can open the door yourself."

Gui Jianchou tried several more times, but still, nothing happened.

Mu Yuejuan looked at He Jiaqing and asked, "Young Master He, these walnuts are real, aren't they?"

He Jiaqing frowned slightly. "Would I dare to deceive two seniors?" he replied.

Mu Yuejuan let out a cold laugh. "That's hard to say," she retorted. "Back on Sage Peak, both the Sage and the Imperial Seal vanished in an instant."

He Jiaqing shook his head repeatedly. "This matter truly has nothing to do with me," he insisted. "At that time, I was trapped in a cage, without even food or drink."

Feng Chongli looked at the walnuts. "Could I try?" he asked.

Gui Jianchou handed the walnuts to Feng Chongli. After Feng Chongli tapped them a few times, something in his sleeve responded. Holding the walnuts in his right hand, he plunged his left hand into the space between them. His left hand passed directly through the walnuts and then through the palm of his right hand, disappearing to an unknown place.

After fumbling for a while, Feng Chongli pulled out a handful of silver dollars from the center of the walnuts. "Everyone," he announced, "the storeroom is right here, in the center of these two walnuts."

Gui Jianchou looked at Mu Yuejuan. "Don't just stand there," he urged, "let's all reach in!"

"Bah! Shameless! Who wants to touch you!" Mu Yuejuan spat, but still reached her hand into the space between the walnuts.

Inside, there were things—many things.

The two repeatedly rummaged for over half an hour, using various techniques, before they finally emptied the storeroom. Gui Jianchou and Mu Yuejuan weren't particularly concerned about the exact amount of money; they simply let Feng Chongli count it. They trusted that he wouldn't try to manipulate the figures.

There were over three hundred magical artifacts, spirit objects, and weapons in total, of varying quality. This part depended on luck and discernment; the four of them took turns picking, and whatever they chose was theirs. The remaining pile of elixirs was also divided among all four.

However, there was one item that was difficult to divide: the storeroom itself. Everyone present could see that the storeroom itself was a priceless treasure.

Mu Yuejuan said, "I currently lack a place to store my paintings; this storeroom should be mine!"

Gui Jianchou disagreed. "Miss Mu," he said, "isn't that inappropriate? Such a valuable item, just handed over to you like that?"

Mu Yuejuan's face darkened. "Then who do you suggest it goes to?" she retorted. "Zhang Gunli's soul and body are already yours; you shouldn't be too greedy, should you?"

Gui Jianchou raised his eyebrows. "I never said it had to be mine," he replied.

Feng Chongli remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Two seniors," he offered, "I'll forgo all the silver dollars, magical artifacts, spirit objects, and weapons I've just acquired. All I want in exchange is this storeroom. Would you two be willing to agree?"

Mu Yuejuan remained silent. Feng Chongli, a merchant cultivator, possessed keen foresight, and she knew anything he chose would be valuable. However, she felt that such a trade would still give him an unfair advantage. Gui Jianchou also said nothing, his thoughts aligning with Mu Yuejuan's.

He Jiaqing looked at everyone. "How about this," he suggested, "I'll also contribute my share and give it to the two seniors. As for this storeroom, let's give it to Brother Feng."

Feng Chongli was startled. "Young Master He," he exclaimed, "I wasn't trying to—"

He Jiaqing waved his hand. "We can discuss our matters later," he said. "Two seniors, all of Zhang Gunli's possessions have been handed over to you both. We only want a storeroom; that's not asking for too much, is it?"

Gui Jianchou nodded. Mu Yuejuan also agreed.

Gui Jianchou had a multitude of ghost servants, who quickly moved all the items away. Mu Yuejuan possessed a painting into which all her items could be moved, taking little time. The two packed their belongings and departed. Feng Chongli remained, holding the two walnuts, and looked at He Jiaqing. "Leave me an IOU," he said. "I will definitely repay what I owe you."

He Jiaqing shook his head. "You don't need to repay me," he said. "You helped me get my revenge; this friendship cannot be measured by money."

"Then what should it be measured by?" Feng Chongli didn't quite understand He Jiaqing's meaning.

He Jiaqing smiled. "I don't know what to measure it by either," he said. "In the future, Senior, if you think highly of me and have a need for my services, just let me know, and I, your brother, will be there whenever you call."

Feng Chongli was stunned for a moment. "At my age," he asked, "is it appropriate for me to call you brother?"

He Jiaqing replied, "Everyone around me refers to each other as brothers, regardless of age or closeness."

Feng Chongli looked at He Haisheng and asked, "Does he also call you brother?"

He Haisheng coughed twice and looked away. This person wasn't very eloquent.

Feng Chongli then looked at Shen Rongqing. "Does he also call you brother?"

He Jiaqing was a little awkward, but Shen Rongqing wasn't. "That's right," she said, "he and I also address each other as 'brother.'" After speaking, Shen Rongqing continued searching for her IOU.

There were many IOUs on the ground, and Shen Rongqing checked them one by one. She didn't know how long it would take to find hers, and apart from her, no one else present seemed to care about the matter.

"Let me help you find it," Feng Chongli said, squatting down and quickly scanning the stacks of IOUs.

Shen Rongqing said, "Thank you, Senior. My name is—"

"I know your name," Feng Chongli interrupted. "The most talented woman in Puro Prefecture. It is my honor to know you." After scanning for a moment, he pulled a document from the middle of a stack and handed it to Shen Rongqing. "Is this the one?"

Shen Rongqing took it and saw that it was indeed her IOU.

"Thank you, Senior." Shen Rongqing felt a sense of relief. She was about to tear up the IOU when Feng Chongli stopped her.

"Miss, you mustn't tear this," Feng Chongli warned. "There's a curse embedded in this IOU, and it might not even originate from Zhang Gunli. He always has a backup plan, and if this IOU is destroyed, you could be in danger."

Shen Rongqing was momentarily at a loss. He Jiaqing then asked Feng Chongli, "Senior, do you have a way to neutralize this curse?"

Of course, Feng Chongli had a method; he had previously used his 'Debt Settled with Goods and Money' technique to burn his own IOU.

"I can certainly do this," Feng Chongli said, "but let's clarify first: are you asking me to do this, or is Miss Shen? If you ask me to do it, I still owe you a debt. If I can resolve this curse, how much of that debt will it offset?"

He Jiaqing was put in a difficult position. Feng Chongli immediately brought up money, showing no regard for reputation or personal feelings. He Jiaqing had given up a portion of Zhang Gunli's assets, intending to win favor. But if Feng Chongli were to use Shen Rongqing's IOU to clear his debt with He Jiaqing, He Jiaqing would feel like he was losing out significantly.

It couldn't fully clear the debt, but how much could it offset?

After hesitating for a while, He Jiaqing noticed another serious problem: Shen Rongqing was looking down, her face completely expressionless. She was waiting for He Jiaqing to calculate the price, to determine how much she was worth.

He Jiaqing quickly said, "Senior Feng, Rongqing and I are as close as kin. Whatever price you name, that's the price."

Feng Chongli looked at Shen Rongqing, who, still looking down, softly said, "Thank you for your trouble, Senior."

"Are you asking me to do this?" Feng Chongli confirmed again.

Shen Rongqing nodded.

Feng Chongli's tone remained flat. "I, Feng, never do anything for free," he stated. "Even if Miss Shen herself asks, payment is always required. I will charge Miss Shen one silver dollar."

Shen Rongqing looked at Feng Chongli in surprise. He Jiaqing was also astonished. After a moment of surprise, he quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Senior."

Feng Chongli ignored He Jiaqing and continued to Shen Rongqing, "One silver dollar, do you have it? If not, we can discuss it slowly."

Silver dollars were everywhere in the room; the ones He Jiaqing had used to repay Feng Chongli's debts were piled on the ground. Yet Feng Chongli didn't even glance at those silver dollars; he only looked at Shen Rongqing.

Shen Rongqing's residence had been renovated by He Jiaqing, and many of her personal belongings, including her savings, were no longer in the house. She rummaged through her belongings, and after searching for a long time, she only found some loose banknotes in her pocket. She handed all the banknotes to Feng Chongli. He counted out five hundred Yuan of Huan Kingdom currency and returned the remaining banknotes to Shen Rongqing.

Shen Rongqing refused to take them. Feng Chongli's expression grew serious. "Miss Shen," he said, "if it weren't for your life-risking planning, it would have been impossible to trick Zhang Gunli so easily. By rights, I shouldn't even charge you this one silver dollar. However, this is a matter between you and Young Master He, and I, Feng, should not intervene. I named a price of one silver dollar, and you didn't haggle, so I will accept this one silver dollar. This is a businessman's duty."

Putting the banknotes into his pocket, Feng Chongli picked up the contract. He held it between his index and middle fingers and gave it a strong flick. The contract immediately caught fire and burned to ashes.

Shen Rongqing quickly thanked him, but Feng Chongli waved his hand repeatedly. "Gains and losses, neither owes the other," he said. "Farewell, you two."

Feng Chongli then left.

A great weight lifted from Shen Rongqing's heart, and she felt much more at ease.

He Jiaqing said, "Rongqing, you earned the greatest merit this time. Whatever you want, just say the word, and I'll agree."

What did she want?

At that moment, Shen Rongqing only wanted Ma Wu. She simply wanted this man, the man who was willing to risk his life for her. But she couldn't say that out loud.

"Jiaqing, I know there's a grudge between you and Li Qi, and I also know that Ma Junyang will eventually be affected by this. I only ask you for one thing: if one day Junyang falls into your hands, I hope you will spare his life, considering our kinship."

He Jiaqing nodded. "Ma Junyang and I also share a friendship," he said. "He was a great help today, and I won't forget that kindness. You don't need to worry about him; first, tell me how you'd like to be rewarded."

Shen Rongqing shook her head. "This is my only request; I don't want anything else," she said.

"Are you really sure you don't want anything?" Ma Junyang asked, touching the snail shell.

The Snail Girl trembled twice and said, "No, I don't."

Ma Wu laughed. "You're the one who said no," he teased, "don't regret it later."

The Snail Girl retorted, "We'll talk about 'later' when 'later' comes."

In Green Water City, Ma Wu and Shen Rongqing had staged a major act, even spreading news of his death. Of course, he wasn't truly dead; it was merely to make the act convincing. With the commotion not yet subsided, Ma Wu had come to the Soda Kiln to avoid trouble, and incidentally, to visit this confidante from the Inner Prefecture.

After dozens of exchanges in combat, Ma Wu grew stronger with each move, and the Snail Girl found herself somewhat overwhelmed. Taking advantage of a ceasefire, Ma Wu asked a few questions.

"What was the name of the large crucian carp guarding the gate here previously?"

The Snail Girl snorted. "What do you mean, 'large crucian carp'?" she retorted. "Your words are truly unpleasant. His name is Yu Songkai, and he's a person of status among his people."

"Why would a person of status be guarding the gate?"

The Snail Girl twitched her antennae. "There's another story behind that," she said, "but I don't know what it is."

Ma Wu then asked, "Are you considered a person of status among your people?"

"Of course, I have status!" the Snail Girl replied, quite proudly. "If I didn't have status, would I dare to settle such a significant matter with you, giving you an entire new territory?"

Ma Wu nodded. "Since you are a person of status," he said, "may I ask your esteemed name?"

The Snail Girl was startled. "What do you mean by that?" she asked. "My name is Luo Lijun! Are you going to deny knowing me after everything is done?"

Ma Wu smiled. "Miss," he said, "you are not Luo Lijun."

The Snail Girl was somewhat annoyed. "What exactly are you trying to say?" she asked.

Ma Wu firmly believed his judgment. "Your appearance, figure, voice, and even your habits in every word and action are very similar to Luo Lijun," he said. "But you are not her, because the 'flavor' is different. I never mistake that."

"I don't know what you mean, I'm going back!" The Snail Girl turned to return to the pond, but Feng Daiku suddenly appeared and blocked her way.

Ma Wu continued, "Miss, we don't want to cause any trouble. I just want to ask you one thing: where exactly is Luo Lijun?"

The Snail Girl waved her antennae, ready for a fight. "If you want to fight, I'm ready," she said. "If you don't dare, then don't block my way! I am Luo Lijun, and if you ask a hundred times, it will still be the same answer!"

Ma Wu shook his head. "Not a hundred times," he said. "Really, there's no need."

"Indeed, not a hundred times. Three times is enough."

On the new land outside the Soda Kiln, in a wild expanse, Gui Jianchou sighed repeatedly. An ordinary person arriving at the Soda Kiln would certainly not escape Feng Daiku's notice. But Gui Jianchou was no ordinary person; having just returned from Green Water City, he went to the Soda Kiln to gather information. Not only did he avoid detection by Feng Daiku, but he also gained a great deal. He had just been to the factory building and witnessed Ma Wu's interrogation of the Snail Girl. "Three times, indeed just three times," he remarked. "After three times, she said whatever she was asked. Do you think you can achieve that?"

These words were spoken to a ghost servant named Axiong, who, in his life, was a pleasure cultivator of the first cloud layer and one of Gui Jianchou's fierce generals. Seeing Axiong silent, Gui Jianchou grew more displeased. "Tell me," he demanded, "if this were you, how many times would you need?"

Axiong lowered his head and said softly, "That snail... I, I can't do that—"

"You're still picking and choosing! You truly have no shame!" Gui Jianchou exclaimed angrily. "Look at Ma Junyang! Look at his methods! Look at his techniques! And look at his sense of timing and restraint in his movements! I heard he's only at the fifth level of Earth Skin cultivation and is just twenty years old this year. What's your cultivation level? How old are you? How many battles have you been through? Compare yourself to him; wouldn't you be flustered? For all these years, how much money have I spent, how many elixirs have I bought, feeding you generously? Tell me yourself, are you useful?"

The other ghost servants pointed and whispered: "Axiong is useless, I know that."

"How do you know? Did you try him or something?"

"Still need to try? One look at him and you can tell he's useless."

"After crossing over, his cultivation was damaged. He's far worse than when he was alive."

"He wasn't much when he was alive either; many of his accomplishments were just boasts!"

Axiong gnashed his teeth. Normally, he wouldn't let any of those scoundrels off the hook; he'd give them a good beating. But now that his weakness had been exposed, he couldn't say much.

Gui Jianchou sighed and murmured to himself, "Should I tell Old Sun about this?"

Axiong whispered, "Better tell him. If their core is broken, they'll all become useless."

Gui Jianchou kicked Axiong. "Damn it," he cursed, "you're useless at work, but your mouth is quite insolent. Once this matter is done, I'll give you a month to take down Mu Yuejuan for me. If you can't, I'll cut off all your powerful elixirs in the future!"

Axiong's face showed difficulty. "Someone as formidable as Mu Yuejuan," he said, "can't be taken down so easily."

Gui Jianchou became even angrier. "You say the snail girl isn't good-looking, and I'll concede that," he retorted. "But is Mu Yuejuan also not good-looking? If you can't take them down regardless of their looks, what use is it for me to keep you?"

Yuezhou City, Hengchun Avenue, Yueshan Residential Area.

Li Banfeng stood outside the residential area gate, observing the location of Unit 1605 on the sixteenth floor of Building Five. A person named Quan Jinfeng lived here. According to Tong Yousan's oral account, it was this person who had given him the contract to summon Lu Dongjun, instructing him to resell it to the Chamomile Witchcraft Association, and paying Tong Yousan a generous reward for his service. Given his cultivation, he must have known the consequences that contract would bring. What was his purpose in doing so?

The craftsman is an artisan cultivator. He could be Grandfather Train's disciple or one of his subordinates, perhaps intending to release Lu Dongjun through this contract to reveal Grandfather Train's coordinates in the Inner Prefecture. This was Li Banfeng's speculation, but there were clear inconsistencies within it. If the person who rescued Lu Dongjun was indeed Grandfather Train, and Grandfather Train maintained some connection with the Outer Prefecture, intending to escape through an inside-outside collaboration, why wouldn't he directly disclose his location to Quan Jinfeng? Why did he have to transmit these coordinates through Lu Dongjun?

Perhaps this was due to the unique nature of the Inner Prefecture. Chu Shaoqiang had once given Li Banfeng a map of the Inner Prefecture, explaining that locations there could not be directly described using direction and distance, and that the map itself only functioned within the Inner Prefecture. Based on this, it was also possible that Grandfather Train could only send the coordinates out of the Inner Prefecture through some kind of carrier, and this carrier was Lu Dongjun. But why did Grandfather Train choose Lu Dongjun? A figure like Lu Dongjun arriving in the Outer Prefecture was bound to cause commotion. If the coordinates fell into the hands of certain special individuals, Grandfather Train might not necessarily be rescued and could even face a more severe crisis. This series of illogical questions all required answers, and the answer might lie with Quan Jinfeng. Of course, Quan Jinfeng might not necessarily hold the answer, and there could also be a trap. Therefore, this probing had to be conducted with extreme caution.

Li Banfeng walked around the residential area once, found an secluded spot, and was about to jump over the fence when he suddenly heard the projector quietly say, "Director Qi, the makeshift phone is ringing."

Leaving the residential area, Li Banfeng answered the phone and heard Ma Wu's voice: "Old Qi, something has changed in the Inner Prefecture. Luo Lijun has been replaced, and the Inner Prefecture might have other intentions. You must be extremely careful. It would be best if you could come to the Soda Kiln."

Putting away his phone, Li Banfeng looked up at the residential area. He didn't enter through the fence but instead turned and went to Huali Park.

Ma Wu paced back and forth in the factory, restless and uneasy. Feng Daiku advised, "Wulang, don't worry too much. Li Qi is a smart man, and his cultivation isn't low. It won't be easy for the Inner Prefecture to harm him."

Ma Wu remained worried. He had just received news from Shen Rongqing: "Zhang Gunli was also a clever man, and his cultivation was ridiculously high. Yet he still fell into He Jiaqing's hands, didn't he? I'm just afraid of intentional schemes against the unsuspecting."

After waiting for half a day, Li Banfeng arrived at the Soda Kiln. Ma Wu first recounted Zhang Gunli's matter: "Shen Rongqing didn't give many details, but Zhang Gunli is definitely dead, and the Smiling Ghost King was also involved. I heard Miss Feng say that these are all legendary figures from Puro Prefecture."

The Smiling Ghost King must be Agui, right? He is now Senior Brother Sun's subordinate. Why would Senior Brother Sun get involved in this? Was it for money? Senior Brother Sun certainly had many ways to make money. Or was it for magical artifacts? How useful could Zhang Gunli's magical artifacts be to Senior Brother Sun? Feng Chongli had previously sold a pair of Judge's Brushes to Li Qi, earning 800,000 silver dollars. He had major businesses on hand and was also from Snowflake Harbor. With such a status, would he still need to borrow from loan sharks? Li Banfeng had significant doubts about the situation at Snowflake Harbor.

Putting that matter aside for now, Li Banfeng's main purpose for coming this time was the Snail Girl. Ma Wu introduced, "Her name is Luo Yanjun, Luo Lijun's twin sister."

Li Banfeng stared at Luo Yanjun, looking her over several times. He truly couldn't tell the difference between her and Luo Lijun, nor did he understand how Ma Wu had distinguished them.

"Are you Luo Yanjun?"

"Yes."

Even her voice was identical.

"Why did you take over from Luo Lijun as the gatekeeper here?"

Luo Yanjun shook her antennae. "Neither my sister nor I are gatekeepers," she said. "This entrance has a new gatekeeper arranged separately; he is a lower-caste person who has always been inside the gate and has never shown his face. Our family belongs to the upper caste; guarding gates is not something we do."

Li Banfeng didn't quite understand. "What is an upper-caste person?" he asked.

Luo Yanjun explained, "Our clan is divided into upper and lower castes. The Luo family belongs to the upper caste, holding a very high status among them. My sister also once performed a great service, and her words carry a lot of weight within the clan."

Her words did not answer Li Banfeng's question directly, but they conveyed a piece of information. Luo Lijun was not a simple mouthpiece; in the matter of exchanging new land for Li Banfeng's guarantee, she had played a significant role.

Li Banfeng said, "Continue, I'm listening."

Luo Yanjun said, "As for why they asked me to take over for my sister, I'm not clear about it either. The court issued a document, and I came. The document clearly stated that I was to assume my sister's identity. My sister and I grew up together, and it's not the first time I've impersonated her. My appearance is naturally similar, and I can even perfectly imitate her temperament. Once, when my sister made a big mistake, I took her punishment, and even our own mother couldn't tell the difference when I was being beaten. Who knew Ma Junyang would actually be able to tell—"

Li Banfeng looked at Ma Wu, who was also very curious about this. Ma Wu, with a calm expression, asked, "Stop saying these useless things. Just tell me why Luo Lijun was replaced?"

"I truly don't know," Luo Yanjun shook her head repeatedly. "Since receiving the document, I haven't seen my sister again. I suspect she might have been imprisoned."

Li Banfeng was surprised: "Your sister is a prominent figure of the upper caste, how could she be imprisoned?"

Luo Yanjun's communication skills seemed poor. She tried her best to explain: "There's more than one prominent figure in the upper caste, and what they want to do isn't always the same. Just like my father, when he was most powerful, the clan listened to him in everything. But when he fell on hard times, he also became a prisoner."

Her statements were disjointed, as if she was constantly answering besides the point. Did this young woman truly have a communication impediment? She was the daughter of a prominent family, with considerable status even in the Inner Prefecture. It was unlikely she couldn't explain a single matter clearly. Carefully dissecting her words, Li Banfeng discovered a lot of information about the Inner Prefecture. From the perspective of the Outer Prefecture and Puro Prefecture, the Inner Prefecture was a single entity, with pure-blooded Inner Prefecture natives at the top, enslaving Puro Prefecture natives who went there to cultivate. But in reality, there were also different levels and factions among the pure-blooded Inner Prefecture natives, with struggles and infighting among themselves.

After a long silence, Li Banfeng said to Ma Wu, "I suspect she still hasn't told the truth."

Ma Wu nodded. "I think so too, Old Qi," he said. "Please step aside for a moment; I'll question her more carefully."

Luo Yanjun hurriedly said, "Don't come any closer. What I said is truly the truth. I can only say this much; I haven't lied to you."

"Only this much?" Ma Wu laughed. "Just by hearing that, I know there must be a hidden secret here! Old Qi, you don't need to step aside anymore; I'm going to act now!"

Luo Yanjun waved her antennae. "I truly don't want to lie to you," she said. "Even if I did lie to you, it wasn't my intention."

Ma Wu didn't want to waste more words and prepared to use force directly!

"Wait!" Li Qi stopped Ma Wu. He then asked Luo Yanjun, "Why exactly did you tell us these things?"

Luo Yanjun pointed her antennae towards Ma Wu. "For him," she said.

"Is that the truth?"

Luo Yanjun shook her head.

Ma Wu became even angrier. What did this mean? Was she clearly telling him she was lying?

Li Banfeng asked again, "Are there some things you cannot say on your own initiative?"

Luo Yanjun straightened her body. "You can ask about things I cannot say," she replied. "I may not be able to answer everything you ask, but I can answer some of it."

Ma Wu became even more confused, but Li Banfeng, however, understood a little more. "They have taboos, taboos that we cannot currently understand."

Ma Wu understood. This was a taboo against speaking directly, similar to some curses in Puro Prefecture. Luo Yanjun didn't have a communication problem; she was simply unable to express certain things.

Li Banfeng thought for a moment and asked, "Are you telling us these things because you want to ask for our help?"

Luo Yanjun still didn't answer the question. Instead, she started talking about family matters: "My father became a prisoner. He said he would surely find justice, but later he died in prison."