Chapter 542: Ghost King Stealing Peaches

Sun Tiecheng forced Guijianchou to go to Sage Peak, threatening to harm his private parts if he refused. Beside him, Ah Xiong advised Guijianchou, "Go, you must protect your manhood." Helpless, Guijianchou could only agree. "City Lord, I'll go. Please release your spell." Sun Tiecheng smiled, putting down the Red Lotus. "I didn't use a spell. You can move whenever you wish." The moment he finished speaking, Guijianchou could move. Before Sun Tiecheng, Guijianchou was utterly helpless.

After quickly packing his belongings, Guijianchou set off, with Sun Tiecheng walking him out to the courtyard gate."City Lord, you don't have to see me off."Sun Tiecheng said with a serious expression, "But I must! Sage Peak is so perilous; you might not return, and I might never see you again."Guijianchou gave a wry smile. "Thank you for your kindness, City Lord, but please don't come any further."Sun Tiecheng looked reluctant. "We've spent so many days together; I've grown quite fond of you. I definitely have to see you off."Guijianchou looked up at the sky, a look of terror on his face. "City Lord, please, you really mustn't see me off."

"What's wrong?" The moment Sun Tiecheng looked up, a beam of bright light descended from the heavens, striking him directly. He had been struck by heavenly light. Guijianchou, startled, ran several yards away, while Sun Tiecheng remained rooted to the spot. Shortly after, the halo dissipated. Sun Tiecheng clasped his hands and squatted down. "So there really is heavenly light; this Red Lotus is the real deal." He had just touched the Red Lotus, and immediately, he was struck by heavenly light.

"My carelessness," Sun Tiecheng slapped his forehead. "This Red Lotus cannot be touched directly. I've always used a method before; how could I forget today?" Given Sun Tiecheng's cultivation level, being struck by heavenly light once wasn't life-threatening. Guijianchou advised, "City Lord, you should rest for a while and expel some of the Dao energy from your body." "Expel Dao energy?" Sun Tiecheng touched his limbs. "I don't feel much Dao energy, but this inner heat is quite strong. I really do need to release some of it."

As he spoke, Sun Tiecheng stretched his lower back and looked at Guijianchou. Guijianchou's cheeks tightened, and he retreated a few steps. "City Lord, are you looking to relieve yourself?" "Indeed!" Sun Tiecheng's eyes lit up as he stared at Guijianchou. "City Lord, I'm heading to Sage Peak right now! I won't return to see you until the task is complete!" Guijianchou took off running. "What's the rush? It's not too late to leave after I've released my heat!" Sun Tiecheng tried to chase Guijianchou, but his body suddenly shivered. "This heat is really intense. I'll have to find someone to help me out." Sun Tiecheng waved his hand, and the Red Lotus returned to its drawer. He walked out of the courtyard gate with his hands behind his back and vanished in an instant.

At Jianrengang, in Jingde Village, several Daolao ghosts were shaking dice and gambling at the village entrance. Guijianchou was puzzled; Daolao ghosts typically shouldn't possess such high intelligence. How had they learned to seek entertainment now? Daolao ghosts were a unique type of creature. Though called ghosts, they weren't true ghosts, and demonic cultivators' methods were useless against them. Guijianchou summoned a Sleep Cultivator ghost servant. The ghost servant silently approached the Daolao ghosts and placed a bet of two silver coins. The Daolao ghosts first looked at the ghost servant, then at the two silver coins, felt their eyelids grow heavy, and promptly fell asleep. While the Daolao ghosts were asleep, Guijianchou used spiritual artifacts to trap them.

Ah Xiong interjected, "Master, let's just kill them all; they're nothing but trouble!" Guijianchou frowned. "This is why you don't know how to handle things. We're here for peaches, not to conquer the mountain. If something goes wrong, we need to leave room for reconciliation and not make enemies for life." Upon entering the village, Guijianchou found a farmhouse to settle in. He then summoned a ghost servant created by fusing a Performance Cultivator and a Thief Cultivator. The technique for creating fused ghost servants was called Soul Vein Fusion, a Cloud-level technique. The resulting ghost servants were divided into two types: "Pulse Interlink" and "Single Pulse Born." Pulse Interlink meant one ghost servant carried multiple consciousnesses, while Single Pulse Born meant one ghost servant retained only a single consciousness. This particular ghost servant had only one consciousness and was named A-Zhong.

Guijianchou instructed, "A-Zhong, disguise yourself as a Daolao ghost and go to Sage Peak to retrieve the Golden Thorn Peaches for me." A-Zhong looked at Guijianchou. "Master, you want me to go alone?" Guijianchou replied, "Too many people easily lead to errors. I'm sending you because I trust you!" "I can't go alone—" Ah Xiong angrily retorted, "What do you mean, you can't? A soldier trained for a thousand days is used for a single moment. Are you worthy of your master's patronage, dragging your feet at a time like this?" A-Zhong glared at Ah Xiong; he had previously called Ah Xiong useless, and now Ah Xiong was getting his payback. Seeing Guijianchou about to get angry, A-Zhong reluctantly set off for Sage Peak.

On the main peak of Sage Peak, the original abode of the Sage, under the command of Cui Tike, the Daolao ghosts dismantled the Sage's residence and constructed a massive altar. The altar was dedicated to three deities: the Ancestor of Illness Cultivators on the left, the Daolao War God on the right, and the Plague Sovereign in the center. Cui Tike first led a group of Daolao ghosts to worship the Ancestor of Illness Cultivators on the left. The idol of the Ancestor of Illness Cultivators was identical to Green Water Bow. After worshipping the Ancestor of Illness Cultivators, they then worshipped the Daolao War God on the right. The idol of the Daolao War God was identical to Wan Jinxian. Could Daolao ghosts possess such exquisite carving skills? Of course not. These two statues were, in fact, Green Water Bow and Wan Puxian themselves. They certainly wouldn't willingly remain as statues, but they had succumbed to Cui Tike's petrification illness. Most of their bodies had turned to stone, with only a few organs remaining functional.

Cui Tike offered sacrifices to the two deities, who were attended by specialized priests. These priests fed them and cleaned their bodies regularly. Having worshipped the two subordinate deities, it was now time to worship the principal deity. The idol of the principal deity was shrouded in mist. Cui Tike took out a folding fan and waved it twice, dispersing the fog. The principal deity's statue emerged, and all the Daolao ghosts lowered their heads. This statue of the principal deity had been personally carved by Cui Tike. It was composed of six triangular pyramids and six spheres. No one could accurately describe its form; its shape would change with every second it was observed. Staring at it for more than five seconds would cause one to contract the petrification illness. Daolao ghosts afflicted with petrification illness would be placed beside Green Water Bow and Fang Puxian, becoming followers of the two subordinate deities.

The sacrifice followed the traditional rites of Puluo State: three kneelings and nine prostrations, requiring over seventy acts of kneeling and more than two hundred bows. The ritual was designed by Cui Tike because he found Puluo State's rites to be stricter and more binding. Controlling such a vast number of Daolao ghosts was a severe challenge for Cui Tike, and the Puluo State's rituals were clearly more effective. After the ritual, the Daolao ghosts were also given ample space to relax. Cui Tike built a massive dance hall, acquired numerous musical instruments, and ensured planting and hunting tasks were completed. Amidst the wild and unrestrained Amikan Western music, the Daolao ghosts began their daily three-hour carnival. Within the dance hall, two factions emerged: one group of Daolao ghosts worshipped the Ancestor of Illness Cultivators, while the other worshipped the Daolao War God. Conflicts frequently arose between the two groups during the carnival, and Cui Tike generally adopted a hands-off approach to such clashes. Conflicts within a certain scope were beneficial to Cui Tike. If the two sides ceased to clash, Cui Tike would face trouble, as they would unite against their newly appointed leader.

Today's carnival had an additional segment: the Daolao ghosts collectively welcomed a new member, an undead being who looked very much like a Daolao ghost but wasn't one. This new member hid himself so well that Cui Tike and the other Daolao ghosts initially couldn't tell the difference. It wasn't until the final stage of the carnival, when male and female Daolao ghosts embraced and danced, that A-Zhong, the ghost servant disguised as a Daolao ghost, finally gave himself away. He was unfamiliar with the carnival's rules. In the early stage of the carnival, the two factions played separately. In the middle stage, they would challenge each other. In the later stage, intense conflicts would erupt between them. But in the final segment of the carnival, the Daolao ghosts would break down factional boundaries and embrace each other to dance. A-Zhong, unaware of these rules, refused to dance with women from the opposing faction, repeatedly turning down several individuals. Cui Tike noticed the anomaly and ordered the Daolao ghosts to seize the undead being and bring him before the Plague Sovereign for judgment. The so-called judgment was simply to stare directly at the idol.

Petrification illness could infect undead beings. A-Zhong, feeling the power of the idol, stood before it, head held high, eyes closed, and shouted to Cui Tike: "I'm a tough one! When alive, I was a ruthless person; in death, I'm a vengeful spirit. My master sent me here to find Golden Thorn Peaches. He's currently waiting in Jingde Village down the mountain. I won't reveal another word about anything else!" Cui Tike ordered, "Go to Jingde Village and meet our guest." A-Zhong, with a defiant stride, walked ahead of the group. "I won't lead the way for you. I just want to return to my master as quickly as possible." A-Zhong got his wish and soon returned to Guijianchou's side.

Seeing the heavily surrounded Daolao ghosts, Guijianchou strongly wished to obliterate A-Zhong, but he held back. Fear of death is human nature. Guijianchou had foreseen that if A-Zhong, sent on such a dangerous mission, failed, he would immediately surrender. Moreover, executing A-Zhong now would be useless. The immediate priority was to break out of the encirclement. Guijianchou had a ghost servant skilled in flight observe the overall situation of the encirclement. He then selected a relatively weak point and prepared to break through. Cui Tike was outside the farmhouse. He knew that someone like Guijianchou was not to be provoked easily. If they attacked with full force, the Daolao ghosts would suffer significant losses. However, if they could capture Guijianchou, Sage Peak would gain another powerful combatant. After some deliberation, Cui Tike first engaged Guijianchou in negotiation. "Stranger, what is your purpose in pilfering the Golden Thorn Peaches? Do you intend to mix them with poison to harm people?" Cui Tike recognized Guijianchou, as they had met on Sage Peak before. However, Guijianchou couldn't recognize Cui Tike in his current appearance.

From the questions posed, it seemed this Daolao ghost leader possessed a certain moral standard. Guijianchou replied from inside the farmhouse, "I came for the Golden Thorn Peaches not to harm people, but for medicinal purposes, to treat illnesses." Upon hearing "treat illnesses," the Daolao ghosts who worshipped the Ancestor of Illness Cultivators became furious, emitting a synchronized, low hiss from outside the farmhouse. Guijianchou felt a tingling itch in his chest. He knew the roar had considerable power, and he couldn't wait any longer; he had to fight his way out with all his might. Cui Tike stopped the Daolao ghosts and shouted towards the farmhouse, "I'll give you some Golden Thorn Peaches. Take them to prepare your medicine. Next time you come here, let me see your medicine and what kind of healing effect it has." Two Daolao ghosts threw a bag of Golden Thorn Peaches into the courtyard. Guijianchou had a ghost servant retrieve the peaches. Golden Thorn Peaches were valuable auxiliary materials for alchemy and precious medicinal ingredients. Guijianchou had seen them before, so he naturally wouldn't mistake them. Cui Tike had the Daolao ghosts clear a path, allowing Guijianchou to leave.

Guijianchou exited the farmhouse, cupped his fist towards Cui Tike, and said, "Mountains remain, and rivers flow. I will remember this kindness today. When we meet again, I assure you I will not be lacking in courtesy. Farewell!" Guijianchou departed. Cui Tike led the Daolao ghosts back to the main peak. Because their spirits had been dampened by the ghost servant earlier, Cui Tike extended the carnival time by an hour.

In the office, Li Banfeng sipped tea, quietly observing Du Wenming. Du Wenming's previous stance had been firm, agreeing to only one condition from Li Qi: waiving the transportation fees. But now, Du Wenming's attitude had changed. Because Li Qi had been delaying, any further delay would jeopardize the promotion. "Five thousand," Du Wenming offered a new price. "I'll immediately ask for instructions from above. As long as we confirm Inner State won't start a war, this matter is ninety percent certain." "Five thousand won't do, and ninety percent certain won't do either," Li Banfeng stated his demand clearly. "Ten thousand is the bottom line, and we see the people first before proceeding." Du Wenming disliked Li Qi's negotiating style but ultimately agreed.

According to their agreement, Li Qi would first go to Soda Kiln to negotiate. After obtaining their intention to cease hostilities, he would inform Du Wenming. Du Wenming would then submit his request, transferring ten thousand people to Li Qi, who would then secure a substantive commitment for a ceasefire. With the terms settled, Li Banfeng immediately set off for Soda Kiln. Negotiations were no longer necessary; Li Banfeng had already reached an agreement with Luo Lijun and obtained the deeds. This trip to Soda Kiln was primarily to hand over the new land to Ma Wu. Li Banfeng had long wanted to entrust a piece of new land to Ma Wu. However, a new territory with complete deeds was extremely dangerous. Even He Yuxiu, with her Cloud-level cultivation, found it very difficult to defend her domain. With Ma Wu's current cultivation level, even with all his family's support, he would have no chance of holding onto the territory.

Fortunately, Ma Wu also had Feng Daiku. The terms proposed by Li Qi and Ma Wu were generous, but Feng Daiku declined. Her reason was that managing Kudai Kan and Soda Kiln already consumed too much of her energy, leaving her no capacity to manage new land. Energy wasn't the main point. The crucial factor was that a new territory with complete deeds would attract too much covetous attention, and Feng Daiku feared she couldn't defend it. Now, with the Three-Headed individuals, Feng Daiku gained some confidence. She agreed to help Ma Wu, and Li Banfeng left a piece of new land and five thousand Three-Headed individuals with them. The remaining five thousand individuals, Li Banfeng planned to take to Seven Autumn City.

Qiu Luoye was at home, eating pumpkins, taking one sweet, fragrant bite after another. Tiger reminded him, "We have a guest!" Qiu Luoye immediately put away the pumpkin, picked up a lamb leg from the table, and began gnawing on it. Seeing that it was Li Qi, Qiu Luoye was delighted and told Tiger to quickly prepare a banquet so they could eat and talk. When Li Qi mentioned the Three-Headed individuals, Qiu Luoye laughed, "You don't need to discuss this with me; just send them over." "Elder Brother Qiu, I also have a piece of new land that I'd like to entrust to your care." Qiu Luoye looked at the map and asked, "Is this land similar to the one your lover has?" "Which lover?" "The one with the sturdy build, who looks like she'd bear many children!" "Are you talking about He Yuxiu?" Li Qi nodded. "Yes, it's the same; both deeds are complete."

Qiu Luoye shook his head. "I can't help with this one, Seventh Brother. I treat you like my own brother, so I'll be frank with you. This territory is a good thing, but it's different from other new lands; it can't be left unattended, or it will definitely be snatched away. Seven Autumn City's territory is too vast; I can barely handle the miscellaneous affairs within its current boundaries. If I were to help you oversee this new land, I wouldn't be able to manage Seven Autumn City." Qiu Luoye was speaking the truth. The first batch of pioneers were protected by the local deity, and even after it became proper land, this protection remained effective. Qiu Luoye indeed had many matters to handle. Li Qi asked, "What if we give this territory to Elder Brother Shui?" Qiu Luoye thought for a long time but still shook his head. "Shui Yongquan won't do." "Are you afraid he can't hold it?" Qiu Luoye knew Shui Yongquan very well. "This person is very capable but too timid. If you give him the territory, he wouldn't dare accept it. Even if he did, he might hand it over if Inner State merely threatened him. So, this place definitely cannot be given to him." "Then who else would be suitable?"

After thinking for a long time, Qiu Luoye said, "You have another lover, the one who knows many characters. That girl can be trusted!" "Are you talking about Xiao Yeci?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "She's only at Earth Skin Level 2, a long way from becoming a local deity!" "Yes, she's a bit far," Qiu Luoye pondered for a moment longer, then turned to Li Qi. "Seventh Brother, why don't you keep such a good territory for yourself?" Li Banfeng replied, "I'm in Outer State, and I simply can't manage it." "Then there's no other way. It can only be given to that disappointing lover." Li Banfeng chuckled. "Do I have so many lovers? And which one is the disappointing one?" "The crazy one." "Are you talking about Chu Er? Her cultivation doesn't seem high either." Qiu Luoye smiled. "Her cultivation might not be high, but her foundation is solid. Her master is Granny Ku, and her father is Chu Shaoqiang. Not many people dare to provoke her." Li Banfeng frowned slightly. "Chu Shaoqiang is from Inner State." Qiu Luoye shook his head. "Seventh Brother, you don't need to worry about that. We're giving the territory to that girl, not to Chu Shaoqiang. To be honest, I truly don't care for that girl; she's fiery, ruthless, and has a poisonous temperament. If you made her your main wife, I, your elder brother, would be a hundred times unhappy. But that girl is beyond reproach when it comes to you. For your sake, she fought for her life against her father—I saw it with my own eyes. I genuinely feel at ease with the territory in her hands." Considering all this, Chu Er truly was the most suitable candidate.

Every time Li Banfeng drank with Qiu Luoye, he felt invigorated. The two exchanged toasts and drank quite a bit, but Qiu Luoye, though holding the lamb leg, didn't eat much of the meat. "Elder Brother, eat," Li Banfeng said with some concern. "Has your body not fully recovered?" "Fully recovered, it's been fine for ages, eating, eating!" Qiu Luoye gnawed on the lamb leg; he genuinely disliked the food.

With the new land's destination decided, Li Banfeng inquired about Inner State. "Elder Brother Qiu, you mentioned before that pure-blooded Inner State people come in all forms—some resembling chickens, ducks, geese, or dogs, and some resembling humans. If those who look human come to Puluo State, wouldn't they be hard to distinguish?" Qiu Luoye waved his hand. "They're easy to distinguish. They may look human, but they're covered in hair and are very large, at least as tall as that tree." Li Banfeng glanced into the courtyard. The tree Qiu Luoye referred to was at least five meters tall. "So, anyone who is a pure-blooded Inner State person, we'll be able to recognize?" "Definitely," Qiu Luoye said, lowering his voice slightly. Even though he was now a local deity of proper land, he was still very cautious when mentioning Inner State. "Let me tell you, brother, if you see a pure-blooded Inner State person in Puluo State, don't rush to act against them yourself. Go directly to the peddler. The peddler kills every one he sees."

Li Banfeng asked, "What if an Inner State person uses an illusion spell to appear indistinguishable from a Puluo State person? How should that be handled?" "There's no such method!" Qiu Luoye waved his hands repeatedly. "Neither illusion spells, thought manipulation spells, nor disguise spells—no spell can transform an Inner State person into a Puluo State person. Even if they manage to look seventy or eighty percent similar, a flaw would be visible in an instant. The bloodline of Inner State people is too different from ours." Li Banfeng pressed on, "What if there is such an Inner State person who can transform themselves into a Puluo State person without us being able to spot any flaws? What then?" "That would be terrible! Wouldn't that allow Inner State people to infiltrate?" "And if Inner State people were to infiltrate, what would be the consequences?"

Qiu Luoye put down the lamb leg. "As for the exact consequences, I can't say for sure. When my cultivation was still at the Earth Skin level, I remember a pure-blooded Inner State person transformed into a house and infiltrated a haunted deserted village in Puluo State. No one had lived in that village for many years because it was haunted. At first, it was just a single tiled house with a small courtyard, and no one noticed it in the deserted village. In less than a month, one tiled house became two. There was a vengeful ghost in the village who hadn't left for years because her bones were still there, so she couldn't stray far. She noticed something was wrong and told everyone she could, but people avoided vengeful ghosts; who would believe her ghostly tales? Two days later, the two tiled houses became a courtyard house, which then turned into a large mansion. Initially, only this one house changed, but later all the houses in the village followed suit, even scaring the vengeful ghost into becoming a benevolent one. She kowtowed at the village entrance, begging passing travelers to take her bones away, but no one was willing to help her. Until one day, the peddler passed by the village entrance. The vengeful ghost finally found her savior. At that time, I happened to be looking for the peddler to buy some ointment. I heard the vengeful ghost explain the situation. The peddler got angry and said this was an Inner State person coming to breed, and he pushed his cart directly into the deserted village. I wanted to follow and see what was happening, but the peddler wouldn't let me, telling me to hide far away. In less than half an hour, the peddler came out, bringing the vengeful ghost's bones with him, and told her to leave quickly. I was truly curious, so after the peddler left, I went to look at the village. I found that the village was gone. All the houses were gone; even their foundations had been dug up clean. I was terrified and never went back to that village again."

After hearing Qiu Luoye's description, Li Banfeng was even more perplexed by the life forms of Inner State. A house suddenly appearing in Puluo State was within the scope of what could be defended against, but how could one guard against an ordinary person appearing in Puluo State? This matter needed to be reported to the peddler immediately. According to Qiu Luoye's estimation, the peddler should currently be at Iron Gate Fortress.

Li Banfeng was very familiar with this place. He ran as fast as his feet could carry him to Iron Gate Fortress. Upon inquiring inside the fortress, he learned that the peddler hadn't been there for the past two days. "Brother, has the peddler not arrived, or have you simply not noticed him?" Wu Yongchao truly couldn't make a guarantee, as he rarely went out. "Fort Lord, please don't worry. I'll go ask around." He inquired throughout the fortress. Several house cultivators were also waiting to buy things from the peddler, and they indeed hadn't seen him. House cultivators rarely ventured far, so the peddler might not have reached the vicinity of the fortress yet. Li Banfeng quickly contacted Luo Zhengnan. Previously, when Chen Weixin was causing trouble at Iron Gate Fortress, Li Banfeng had asked Luo Zhengnan to plant informants there.

Not long after hanging up, Luo Zhengnan called again. "Seventh Master, our contact is unreachable!" Li Banfeng frowned. "When was the last time you contacted him?" "We contacted him yesterday. A few passing marauders caused trouble near the fortress and were driven off by Wu Yongchao and his men. But today, there's been no news from him." "What's this brother's name?" "His surname is Mao, and his name is Maocaoye. He's in his early twenties, a second-level martial cultivator. He usually poses as a rice vendor, doing business in the fortress every day, and lives outside the fortress in Dongjing Village." The peddler was missing, and Luo Zhengnan's informant was also missing. Were these two incidents connected? Regardless of whether they were linked, his subordinate was missing, and he couldn't leave it unaddressed.

Li Banfeng first went to Dongjing Village and found Maocaoye's residence. Maocaoye rented a room there, sharing a courtyard with the landlord. Li Banfeng first asked the landlord, who replied, "The young man is diligent. He left with his cart early this morning; he must have gone to sell rice." Li Banfeng returned to the fortress and summoned Wu Yongchao. "Brother, have you seen Maocaoye today?" "Who is Maocaoye?" Wu Yongchao looked bewildered. "He's a rice vendor." "Male or female?" "Male, in his early twenties." With that description, Wu Yongchao knew who he was. He often bought rice from Maocaoye, who spoke kindly and never short-changed customers. Wu Yongchao had a good impression of him but had never known his name. "He was here this morning, arriving around eight o'clock. Many people were waiting to buy rice from him. By just before ten, all the rice was sold out." After selling all his rice, Maocaoye left the fortress. Where could he have gone?

An old man who also sold rice in the fortress told Li Banfeng, "He probably went to the surrounding villages to collect rice. Since there's no more rice to collect in the nearby villages, he must have gone to Songling Village." Songling Village was not close. Li Banfeng walked over twenty *li* of mountain road to reach the village entrance. The village was completely quiet. There were no people visible in any of the houses, paddy fields, or dry lands. Arriving at a farmhouse gate, Li Banfeng noticed someone in the courtyard. He looked closer and recognized the person. "A-Gui?" Guijianchou, clutching his chest, sat in the courtyard and looked up at Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng entered the courtyard and asked Guijianchou, "What happened?" Guijianchou, his face pale, pointed to his mouth, signaling that he couldn't speak. A ghost servant nearby, one hand on his chest, used his other hand to take out a white piece of paper and wrote four characters: "We are sick." "What kind of sickness?" Guijianchou shook his head; he didn't know what kind of illness it was either. The ghost servant then wrote another line: "This disease is contagious; it spreads if you speak." What kind of disease was that? Li Banfeng couldn't quite figure it out. The ghost servant continued to write: "Find City Lord Sun to save us." After writing, the ghost servant bowed with clasped hands to Li Banfeng. Guijianchou, along with a group of ghost servants, all bowed with clasped hands to Li Banfeng.