Chapter 543: Two Great Experts Song Qianhun

Gui Jianchou and his ghost servants were all sick with a contagious illness that spread through speech. From their condition, they seemed gravely ill. Gui Jianchou kept clutching his chest and found it difficult even to stand up.

The ghost servants held up white papers and bowed to Li Banfeng, hoping he would intercede with Sun Tiecheng to save their lives. But if they wanted to find Sun Tiecheng, why come to Songling Village? Shouldn't they have gone to Fool's City instead?

Li Banfeng still didn't fully understand the situation. He asked the group, "My senior brother is in the city, isn't he?"

Gui Jianchou nodded repeatedly.

Li Banfeng said, "Wait here for now; I'll go find him."

Songling Village was deserted, with only Gui Jianchou and his ghost servants remaining. Where had the villagers gone? Where was Maocao Ye? First, find Senior Brother Sun, cure Gui Jianchou, and then everything should become clear after asking him.

Just as Li Banfeng was about to leave, a man in his forties appeared at the farmhouse door. He was dressed in a cross-collared white jacket and black riding pants, his hair neatly combed and shiny.

"What are you doing here?" The man stared at Gui Jianchou, sizing him up. From his tone, it seemed these two knew each other.

Gui Jianchou bowed and saluted the man repeatedly. A ghost servant nearby held up a white paper with words written on it: "We've contracted a disease that spreads through speech. Please save our lives."

Was this man a medical cultivator? To be able to cure such a strange illness, his medical skills must be extraordinary.

The man sneered, "That's an interesting thing to say. You came here and nearly caused a disaster. Why should I save you?"

Gui Jianchou glanced at a ghost servant, who quickly wrote, "Because you are the world's greatest hero and champion. You cannot bear to stand by and watch us die!"

The man scoffed, "What's the use of such flattery?"

After speaking, the man took Gui Jianchou's wrist and checked his pulse. After examining the pulse, the man stroked his beard slightly and sighed, "Strange, this is truly strange."

Gui Jianchou pursed his lips, wanting to complain but daring not speak.

A nearby ghost servant held up a white paper: "Do you understand medicine?"

The man shook his head, answering very candidly, "No!"

Li Banfeng didn't know how to react. If he didn't understand medicine, why was he checking pulses? Gui Jianchou's behavior was even more incomprehensible. He seemed to know the man didn't understand medicine, yet he still begged him for help.

The man stood up and said to Gui Jianchou, "Alright, I'm soft-hearted after all. I'll give you one chance, just one. If you win, I'll cure your illness. If you lose, leave immediately. Even if you can't walk, you'll have your subordinates carry you out. You're not even allowed to leave your corpse here. Do you agree?"

What did he mean? Was this a martial arts contest? Gui Jianchou's current condition didn't seem suitable for a fight.

Gui Jianchou's expression was serious as he nodded to the man.

"Good!" The man took out a dice cup, put three dice inside, and shook it vigorously. So, it was a dice game.

The man's technique was extremely skillful. The dice cup first spun three times around his head in his right hand, then moved to his left hand, gliding all the way from the back of his left hand to his shoulder, then from his left shoulder to his right shoulder, and finally back to his right hand. With a flick of his right fingertip, the dice cup flew into the air. When it landed, the man pressed it onto the table and said to Gui Jianchou, "Place your bet!"

Gui Jianchou looked at a ghost servant, who brought the paper closer to him. Gui Jianchou clutched his chest, picked up a brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote one word on the paper: "Large!"

The man said to Gui Jianchou, "Are you sure? You're betting your life. There's no regretting it once it's set!"

Gui Jianchou nodded forcefully, indicating he would not regret it.

"Good! Open!" The man lifted the dice cup to reveal three dice showing four, five, and six points, which indeed made "Large."

The man remained silent for a long time, then sighed, "Very well, this is fate. I will save you this once. Uninvolved persons, please step aside for now."

The only uninvolved person was Li Banfeng. Hearing this, Li Banfeng quickly retreated from the courtyard, and two ghost servants closed the gate. With Li Banfeng's current cultivation, he had many ways to eavesdrop and spy, but he chose not to. Gui Jianchou was seeking treatment, and he shouldn't interfere with serious matters just out of curiosity.

After about half an hour, the gate opened.

Gui Jianchou was profusely thanking the man: "Junior Brother Song, I, your elder brother, owe you a life. My entire family owes you. If you ever need anything, just say the word."

Gui Jianchou could speak now. This proved he was cured. Was this man his junior brother?

Gui Jianchou stepped forward and introduced, "Seventh Brother, this is my junior brother, Song Qianhun. He is a master of the Dual Gate cultivation, and in my eyes, he is a phoenix among men, a pinnacle of talent!"

Song Qianhun scoffed, "You still say such flattering words? You are truly a repulsive hypocrite!" With that, Song Qianhun took out his folding fan and fanned himself twice, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. He didn't seem too repulsed.

Song Qianhun, that name was distinctive. Combined with being Gui Jianchou's junior brother, he should be a demonic cultivator. Gui Jianchou said he was a master of the Dual Gate. What was his other cultivation path? Was he a medical cultivator? But he had just said he didn't understand medicine.

Song Qianhun and Li Banfeng exchanged respectful clasped-fist salutes and a few polite words, officially introducing themselves. Song Qianhun then turned back to Gui Jianchou and said, "Senior Brother, I've figured out your illness, but I still don't understand its origin. I've never heard of a disease that can be transmitted through speech."

Gui Jianchou dared not tell the truth. Going to Sage Peak was a task given to him by Sun Tiecheng, and even if he had a hundred times more courage, he wouldn't dare reveal that.

"I don't know where this disease came from. I was originally going to Greenwater City today, but as soon as I reached the city gate, I felt a tightening sensation in my chest. At first, I could endure it, but then it became increasingly uncomfortable. I have a medical cultivator among my ghost servants, so I had him examine me, but he didn't cure me; instead, he caught the illness himself."

As he spoke, Gui Jianchou glanced at Li Banfeng. The key point of this statement was that Gui Jianchou had a medical cultivator among his ghost servants. This effectively told Li Banfeng that Song Qianhun himself didn't understand medicine. Like Gui Jianchou, he was a demonic cultivator, and he relied on his ghost servants for healing.

Li Banfeng's thoughts stirred. Relying on ghost servants for healing? He seemed to have heard something like this before.

Gui Jianchou continued, "The ghost servant himself didn't know how he got sick. Later, when he discussed things with other ghost servants, they all caught it as soon as he spoke, and they all felt chest pain. I really had no choice but to rush to Iron Gate Fortress to find you, but when I got to the village, I found you were hiding and didn't want to see me. My heart just turned cold!"

As he spoke, Gui Jianchou glanced at Li Banfeng again. This sentence had two key points. First, Gui Jianchou came to Iron Gate Fortress to find Song Qianhun, and only sought Li Banfeng's help when he couldn't find Song Qianhun. Second, Gui Jianchou did not mention Sun Tiecheng, and Li Banfeng should also avoid mentioning him.

Song Qianhun said, "Senior Brother, you were wrong in this matter. You knew you were infected with a plague, yet you still came to this village. Aren't you afraid that everyone in this village would be harmed by you?"

Gui Jianchou lowered his head and said, "Junior Brother is right; I was wrong in this matter."

Song Qianhun pondered for a moment: "You just said you contracted this illness when you went to Greenwater City. Could it be the work of Green Huazi?"

Gui Jianchou nodded, "I suspect it was Green Huazi. I'll definitely settle this score with him!"

Hearing this, Li Banfeng felt a little nervous. Was this really Green Huazi's doing? Had Green Huazi escaped from Dao Ghost Ridge?

Song Qianhun, hearing this, turned his back and said, "I have little interaction with Green Huazi and no grievances. I find it inconvenient to interfere in the conflict between him and Senior Brother."

Gui Jianchou waved his hands repeatedly, "I wouldn't dare trouble Junior Brother with revenge. I will handle it myself. I will remember Junior Brother's kindness. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving first. Seventh Brother, why are you here to..."

Gui Jianchou wanted to take Li Banfeng with him, but Li Banfeng couldn't leave yet.

Li Banfeng looked at Song Qianhun and said, "Senior Song and I still have something to discuss."

"Then you must discuss it carefully. In this Iron Gate Fortress area, when speaking with Junior Brother Song, you must be extremely mindful of your words."

Gui Jianchou left. This was his third hint, and Li Banfeng understood clearly: this Song Qianhun was the local protector of Iron Gate Fortress. Li Banfeng had once asked the coachman to find the local protector but couldn't. Today, he met him here.

Song Qianhun stared at Li Banfeng for a moment: "If I'm not mistaken, you are the Fortress Master of Iron Gate Fortress, aren't you? The Fortress Master who is named Fortress Master."

Li Banfeng didn't deny it: "You are correct, Senior."

Song Qianhun nodded with a look of approval: "You've done a lot of practical work for Iron Gate Fortress. I can see you have a good heart and considerable skill. However, I must state clearly that I will absolutely not hand over the position of local protector."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "Senior worries too much. I've never thought about becoming the local protector of Iron Gate Fortress. I came here today to find a friend of mine. His name is Maocao Ye, a young man who sells rice. He disappeared after arriving in Songling Village, and the villagers here are also gone. Senior, you must know their whereabouts, right?"

Song Qianhun nodded: "I do know, but why should I tell you?"

Li Banfeng frowned: "Senior means?"

Song Qianhun pulled out a handful of silver coins, flicking them from his left hand to his right, then from his right hand to his left. As the silver coins danced, they sometimes flowed like a silver waterfall, sometimes leaped like a silver dragon; his technique was very flamboyant. With a flash of silver, Song Qianhun gathered his hands and placed them before Li Banfeng: "Let's make a bet. If you win, I'll tell you the truth. If you lose, leave Songling Village immediately and pretend you never met me."

"Agreed!" Li Banfeng accepted.

Song Qianhun extended his right hand and said, "Guess if the silver coins in my hand are an odd or even number?"

Li Banfeng said, "It's an odd number."

Song Qianhun frowned: "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Li Banfeng said. "You took out a total of eleven silver coins, five in your right hand and six in your left. I couldn't be mistaken."

Song Qianhun was silent for a moment, then opened his right hand. There were indeed five silver coins in his right hand. His technique was certainly flamboyant, but because he showed off too much, the silver coins hovered in the air for too long, allowing Li Banfeng to see them clearly just before he closed his hands.

Song Qianhun was also very honest; he didn't renege on his bet: "I concede. I'll tell you the truth. I knew my Senior Brother Gui Jianchou had arrived in Songling Village, and I knew he carried a plague. I was worried he would spread the plague throughout the village, so I used some spells to move the villagers to my residence. The young man who sells rice was also among them. They are all currently asleep at my residence. Once they wake up, they will all return to the village."

Li Banfeng said, "Senior's actions truly surprise me a little."

Song Qianhun was taken aback, then chuckled, "You didn't expect me to care about the lives of these villagers?"

Li Banfeng nodded, "The people of Iron Gate Fortress have been oppressed by fraudsters and bandits for years, yet I never saw Senior intervene."

Song Qianhun said, "I rarely get involved in disputes among ordinary people, but my Senior Brother is not an ordinary person. The plague he brought could be a catastrophe for Iron Gate Fortress. I cannot ignore this matter."

This was Song Qianhun's principle as the local protector. Li Banfeng offered no further comment: "According to my calculations, the peddler should have arrived in Iron Gate Fortress. Have you seen him, Senior?"

Song Qianhun nodded: "I have. He arrived in my territory this morning. I was just about to buy something from him, but as soon as we met, the peddler had an urgent matter and left immediately."

"What urgent matter?"

Song Qianhun said, "The peddler's whereabouts should not be disclosed casually, but I know you are his friend. You once claimed to be his senior brother, and he didn't blame you when he learned the truth, which shows your friendship is deep. How about this: let's make another bet. If you win, I'll tell you the peddler's whereabouts. If you lose, you must leave Songling Village immediately, tell no one you met me, and especially tell no one you gambled with me."

This local protector seemed very skilled at gambling, very likely a gambling cultivator. He had just unexpectedly lost to Li Banfeng, which might severely affect his reputation. However, he had also lost a round to Gui Jianchou earlier, indicating his luck was poor today. Regardless, Li Banfeng had to gamble with him if he wanted to know the peddler's whereabouts.

The two agreed on the bet. Song Qianhun took out a set of Pai Gow tiles.

Li Banfeng was stunned; he didn't know how to play Pai Gow.

"Can we change the game?"

Song Qianhun shook his head, "I proposed the bet, so I set the rules."

The Glove, from Li Banfeng's upper pocket, whispered, "Master, don't be afraid. Leave this to me; I'm an expert!"

With the Glove's assurance, Li Banfeng felt relieved. The two drew their tiles and each took a look. Song Qianhun remained composed, but his fingertip trembled slightly.

The Glove immediately spoke, "Master, he's cheating! He's hiding a tile in his sleeve. If he doesn't believe it, make him shake it out!"

Li Banfeng coughed, "Senior, I sincerely consult you. If you resort to trickery, it becomes meaningless."

Song Qianhun's face flushed slightly, and he put away the Pai Gow tiles. This was his good quality; he never reneged on a bet.

"Since my trick was exposed by you, I naturally lose. I'll tell you the peddler's whereabouts now. The peddler received news that people from Neizhou had infiltrated Prouzhou. He couldn't even attend to his business and immediately rushed to handle the matter."

"Did he say where the incident occurred?"

Song Qianhun shook his head: "I've also heard about people from Neizhou infiltrating Prouzhou. The peddler will surely know how to handle it. You don't need to worry about this."

Li Banfeng said, "After the peddler deals with the Neizhou people, he should still come to Iron Gate Fortress, right?"

Song Qianhun thought for a moment: "That's not necessarily true; it depends on how smoothly the matter is handled."

Li Banfeng said, "If the peddler does come to Iron Gate Fortress again, please deliver a message for me, Senior Song."

Song Qianhun scoffed, "It's not impossible to deliver a message for you, but I'm a lazy person and don't want to get involved in some troubles. If you absolutely insist that I deliver this message..."

Li Banfeng interjected, "Do I need to gamble with you again, Senior?"

Song Qianhun nodded, took out two dice cups: "Each of us will have a set of dice. We'll compare points, one round to decide the winner. If you win, I'll deliver the message for you. If you lose, leave immediately and tell no one about today's events, and especially don't tell anyone you gambled with me. What do you say?"

"Agreed!"

Li Banfeng took the dice cup. Before he could even act, Song Qianhun began shaking his.

Hearing the sound, the Glove secretly whispered, "Not good!"

"What's not good?"

"Master, that dice cup is making too much noise. He's using the dice-cracking technique, meaning he's going to shake the dice into two halves."

"What's the use of that?"

"If the dice are shattered, the original three dice will become six. Added together, they will total twenty-one points. Master, we've met an expert; it's going to be hard for us to win. I'll do a trick in a moment; at most, we can aim for a draw. If he finds out, we should just concede early. This person should be a gambling cultivator. If we renege on a debt in front of a gambling cultivator, we'll suffer a great loss!"

Renouncing a debt wasn't necessary. If Song Qianhun really didn't want to deliver the message, Li Banfeng would find another way.

As they spoke, the sound of the dice shaking grew louder and louder.

Song Qianhun slammed his dice cup on the ground and looked at Li Banfeng, "Why aren't you acting?"

Li Banfeng said, "I'm waiting for Senior to..."

"No need to wait, you have no chance!" Song Qianhun lifted the dice cup. The three dice were shaken to powder, turning into a pile of dust.

The Glove didn't understand. Li Banfeng didn't understand either.

"Senior, what's the score?"

A gust of cold wind blew through, scattering all the dice dust, leaving nothing behind.

The Glove whispered, "He seems to have put too much force into it."

The scene was incredibly awkward. Song Qianhun pursed his lips, put the dice cup back on the ground, and said to Li Banfeng, "You don't need to shake yours. Tell me, what message do you want to deliver?"

All the artifacts around were mocking Song Qianhun, but Li Banfeng didn't laugh. Playing dice was probably Song Qianhun's hobby. Regardless of whether it was a good or bad hobby, he at least took it very seriously.

Li Banfeng said, "I've gathered some information concerning the safety of Prouzhou. If Senior encounters the peddler, please ask him to wait for me in Iron Gate Fortress."

Song Qianhun nodded: "Don't worry, I will deliver the message. If the peddler comes, I'll have our rice-selling friend deliver a message to you. I now want to send the villagers of Songling Village, along with our rice-selling friend, back. If you don't leave, we'll have to gamble again."

Song Qianhun's intention was clear: he didn't want Li Banfeng to see his transportation method.

Li Banfeng waved his hand: "Let's not gamble anymore. I'll take my leave now, Senior. It's fine to have a hobby, and it's okay for entertainment, but please don't gamble money. You'll go bankrupt in the blink of an eye."

Li Banfeng turned and left the village.

Song Qianhun watched Li Banfeng's retreating back, frowning, "You've only won two rounds, and look how arrogant you've become!"

The dice cup floated in front of Song Qianhun and snorted, "Embarrassed, aren't you? Made yourself a laughingstock? You're an Above-Cloud gambling cultivator, how can your technique still be so bad?"

Song Qianhun angrily retorted, "In that last round, if you hadn't used hidden force, could I have completely shattered the dice?"

The dice cup scoffed, "If I hadn't used hidden force, let alone the dice, even I would have been shattered by you! You're just not cut out for this!"

"Not cut out for this? How could I have cultivated to the Above-Cloud realm then?"

The dice cup sneered, "That's because you're diligent. If it weren't for me looking after you all these years, you would have lost your pants!"

"Pah!" Song Qianhun spat, "Last time at Yanlou Village, when we set up that game, I didn't even keep my pants!"

Li Banfeng returned to his Portable Residence and lay on his bed, unable to think of a solution. His wife comforted him, "Husband, this matter cannot be rushed. Even if you tell the peddler, he might not have a way to deal with it."

Yes, what could the peddler do? Ultimately, it was just running around, catching people wherever he could.

His wife continued, "Prouzhou is like a dilapidated house. When a big rain comes, the peddler pushes his cart, patching here and mending there. If he really can't fix it, he just holds a basin to catch the water himself. Husband, the peddler has such great abilities, but there are times when he's stretched thin. If you join him in patching and mending, who knows what kind of shape this dilapidated house might take."

Li Banfeng pondered for a long time. He then took the deed for the new land and went to Greenwater City first.

"A'gui, you've done a good job! I must reward you handsomely." Sun Tiecheng first had Red Lotus collect the Golden Spiked Peach. Layers of light shimmered around Red Lotus, indicating it had begun alchemy.

Sun Tiecheng nodded with satisfaction, then said to Gui Jianchou, "Release Zhang Gunli's soul as well. I'll help you discipline it!"

Gui Jianchou was pleased. Zhang Gunli was a high-level cultivator, and his soul still contained many spells and mechanisms. To control his departed spirit, one had to be extremely cautious; a backlash leading to ghost servants killing their masters was not unheard of. Now, as long as Sun Tiecheng applied some techniques to make Zhang Gunli recognize Gui Jianchou as his sole master, it would guarantee his unwavering loyalty and prevent any future rebellion.

Gui Jianchou took out a porcelain bottle, unsealed its mouth, and released Zhang Gunli's soul.

Zhang Gunli stood before Sun Tiecheng and said fiercely, "So it's City Lord Sun. Long time no see." Sun Tiecheng looked at Zhang Gunli and chuckled, "You brute, even as a ghost, you're still so arrogant?"

Zhang Gunli also laughed, "You homeless dog, neither human nor ghost, how many more years do you plan to cling to life?"

Sun Tiecheng exclaimed, "Oh, you even speak with a touch of scholarly flair. You've made progress, lad."

Gui Jianchou laughed, "Not only does he have a scholarly flair, but he also planned to find a scholarly woman. He lost his life for the foremost talented woman in Prouzhou."

Sun Tiecheng chuckled for a moment, then suddenly paused, turning to ask Gui Jianchou, "What did you just say?"

Gui Jianchou said, "It was a scheme set up by He Jiaqing and Shen Rongqing, asking him to borrow something. When the time came, Zhang Gunli went to collect the debt, and that's how he fell into our hands, City Lord. I told you about this."

Gui Jianchou had indeed mentioned it, but Sun Tiecheng had only focused on the scheme to entrap Zhang Gunli and hadn't paid too much attention to the details.

Now looking at Zhang Gunli, Sun Tiecheng slowly frowned, "Old Zhang, are you short on women?"

Zhang Gunli laughed, "I'm not lacking in common beauties, but a woman of both talent and beauty is hard to find. I was genuinely moved. I've struggled in the jianghu my whole life, only to be felled by a woman in the end. Thinking about it, it truly feels chilling."

Gui Jianchou burst out laughing, "Now you know it's chilling? Too late! Do you regret it terribly? Why don't you cry a bit for me to see!"

Zhang Gunli didn't cry, and Sun Tiecheng didn't laugh either.

Sun Tiecheng turned back to Gui Jianchou, "Tell me more about what happened then. How many of you fought Zhang Gunli at that time?"

"One of me, one Mu Yuejuan, one Feng Chongli, and one He Jiaqing."

Sun Tiecheng thought for a moment, then asked, "What was Feng Chongli's cultivation realm?"

"He was Above-Cloud, and he knew the peddler's unique technique, 'Honest Dealings.' Everyone said he was the peddler's direct disciple."

Sun Tiecheng was a little surprised: "The peddler has no direct disciples! Are you sure you saw this clearly?"

Gui Jianchou said, "I can't say for certain it was 'Honest Dealings,' but Zhang Gunli guessed it was, and it looked quite similar to me."

Sun Tiecheng said, "This Feng Chongli has some real skill. What about He Jiaqing?"

Gui Jianchou said, "He Jiaqing is a rogue cultivator, with an Above-Cloud cultivation realm. His specific level is unknown, but everyone says he has the Sage's imperial seal on him, so he has some ability."

"Anyone else?"

"No one else!" Gui Jianchou shook his head, "The remaining two, one named He Haisheng and one named Shen Rongqing, they didn't make a move; their cultivation was still at the Ground-level realm."

Sun Tiecheng pondered for a moment, then asked, "Did you use your full strength?"

Gui Jianchou thought, "Full strength, not really. He Jiaqing stole Zhang Gunli's walnuts, and we knew everything about him, so fighting him was naturally not difficult. I told you all this."

Yes, Gui Jianchou had indeed said all this beforehand, and it was Sun Tiecheng who had instructed him to deal with Zhang Gunli. But Sun Tiecheng hadn't personally experienced the battle, so he was indeed unclear about some details.

Sun Tiecheng murmured, "It's my fault for not asking enough questions. With Old Zhang's abilities, you all fought a bit too easily..."

Gui Jianchou said, "Mainly because we prepared thoroughly beforehand and didn't give Zhang Gunli a chance to recover."

Sun Tiecheng thought for a long time, then suddenly looked at Zhang Gunli's right hand. An abacus was wrapped around Zhang Gunli's right hand.

"Is this abacus still here?"

Gui Jianchou was very proud: "At that time, I collected Zhang Gunli's soul and also collected this abacus into the bottle. None of them noticed it; it's a good treasure."

Sun Tiecheng took the abacus from Zhang Gunli's hand. Zhang Gunli was startled and tried to snatch it back but was restrained by Gui Jianchou's technique.

Sun Tiecheng held the abacus and examined it carefully for a moment, then asked, "Did he use this abacus?"

Gui Jianchou said, "This is his unique weapon, so of course he used it!"

Sun Tiecheng looked closely at the abacus beads: "Did he really use it?"

Gui Jianchou thought again: "He should have used it. I remember the abacus beads flying everywhere at the time."

A Xiong reminded him from the side, "Master, you might be mistaken. Someone did use an abacus during the fight, but that was Feng Chongli. His weapon was also an abacus. I didn't see Zhang Gunli use an abacus."

"He didn't use it?" Gui Jianchou tried to recall carefully. The battle had been so tense that he really hadn't paid much attention to Zhang Gunli's abacus.

Sun Tiecheng held the abacus and waved it in front of Zhang Gunli's eyes. Zhang Gunli became very flustered, his soul becoming unstable.

"A'gui, hold onto it." Sun Tiecheng tossed the abacus to Gui Jianchou. As soon as Gui Jianchou took the abacus, Zhang Gunli struggled desperately, trying to snatch it back.

"A'gui, go further away!" Sun Tiecheng commanded. A'gui, carrying the abacus, walked out of the hall.

Zhang Gunli lost his strength, and his struggles grew weaker and weaker. When Gui Jianchou was ten meters away, Zhang Gunli's eyes dimmed, his expression became blank, and he stood still, unable to move. Sun Tiecheng shook his head slightly, "This is not Zhang Gunli."