Chapter 548: Sleepless Town

Li Banfeng solved the riddle. Guo Gaoge pondered for a moment, then said, "Actually, there are some misunderstandings between Water Brother and me, and between you and me. My true intention was never to seize Water Brother's land. Water Brother's misfortune this time wasn't caused by me—"

Mid-sentence, Li Banfeng's figure abruptly vanished.

Guo Gaoge clutched his chest, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He had been struck by the Horseback Riding Through Flowers technique, and the timing was perfect.

The two sentences he had just spoken were about to reveal two new riddles: first, who truly intended to seize Water Spring's land, and second, why Water Spring met with misfortune.

Li Banfeng had no interest in solving riddles with him.

Red Lotus was right: seize the opportunity, and don't hold back, as holding back inevitably leads to a disadvantage.

The previous riddle was solved, and Guo Gaoge's combat ability was now negatively impacted. This was an excellent chance.

Li Banfeng reappeared before Guo Gaoge, ready to strike him again with Horseback Riding Through Flowers.

Guo Gaoge leaped, aiming a kick at Li Banfeng.

The jump was high and the kick fierce; it appeared to be Guo Gaoge's killing move.

Unfortunately, Guo Gaoge's combat power was suppressed, and his kick didn't even brush Li Banfeng's shadow.

"Mouth! Mouth!" Guo Gaoge lay on the ground, stretching his neck and bellowing.

The sound was extremely loud and sharp, causing a stinging pain in Li Banfeng's eardrums.

What kind of technique was this?

Was Guo Gaoge not just a Riddle Cultivator, but also a Sound Cultivator?

Guo Gaoge got onto all fours, leaped again, and abruptly charged at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng tried to counter with Breaking Ten Thousand Rivers, but before he could launch the kick, Guo Gaoge preempted him, kicking Li Banfeng directly in the chest.

Li Banfeng raised both arms to parry but was still sent back over a zhang.

Strange. How could he suffer such a disadvantage? And in terms of speed, no less?

How had Guo Gaoge's speed become so fast?

As he pondered, Guo Gaoge lunged forward again.

Li Banfeng again attempted Breaking Ten Thousand Rivers, but Guo Gaoge once more got ahead, ramming his head into Li Banfeng's chest.

Left with no choice, Li Banfeng parried again and was knocked back a considerable distance.

He had been struck twice in quick succession. If it weren't for the robust physique gained from his Home Cultivation, Li Banfeng would have been seriously injured.

Being preempted twice by Guo Gaoge was not just because Guo Gaoge was fast; Li Banfeng realized his own speed had slowed.

Not only had his speed decreased, but his techniques were also unresponsive. Breaking Ten Thousand Rivers used to be instantaneous, but today it couldn't keep pace.

Was this due to the influence of a Sound Cultivation technique?

Guo Gaoge moved on all fours, leaping back and forth on the ground, his "mouth" sounds incessant.

Was he a Riddle Cultivator and a Sound Cultivator?

His movements resembled those of a child, and "child" was similar to his name. Could he also be a Body Cultivator?

Three cultivation paths in total: Riddle, Sound, Body Cultivation.

This person actually possessed three paths, just like Li Banfeng!

While circling, Guo Gaoge approached again. Li Banfeng finally managed to execute Breaking Ten Thousand Rivers.

*Crack!*

He stomped and shattered a stone. A shard struck Guo Gaoge's face, leaving a bloody mark.

Was that all its power?

Guo Gaoge's Sound Cultivation technique had an enormous impact!

Guo Gaoge spread his arms, his fingertips like sharp blades, stabbing at Li Banfeng's head from left and right.

Li Banfeng narrowly dodged. Guo Gaoge's fingertips then aimed for Li Banfeng's throat. Li Banfeng used his footwork to evade. Guo Gaoge's fingertips then aimed for Li Banfeng's chest.

This time, there was no escaping. Li Banfeng endured the blow with his Home Cultivator's resilience.

The fingertips didn't penetrate. Guo Gaoge thought Li Banfeng was wearing armor, and then grabbed at Li Banfeng's head.

He transformed his ten fingers into sharp blades, striking swiftly, flowing like water, his attacks fluid yet fierce and precise.

Could he also be a Martial Cultivator?

Could one person cultivate four paths simultaneously?

Li Banfeng's speed grew increasingly sluggish. Unable to create distance from Guo Gaoge, he needed to prioritize his Home Cultivation techniques.

First, he would use Deep Mansion to break Guo Gaoge's Sound Cultivation technique.

Li Banfeng opened his mouth, but for a long time, no sound emerged. He couldn't borrow his wife's technique.

This situation was highly unusual!

He wanted to use the Closed Doors and Gates technique to create a halo, but Guo Gaoge was too fast. Li Banfeng was busy parrying, with no chance to even use his blood-related techniques.

He tried to use Shadow Companion to release his shadow.

But after several attempts, the shadow simply wouldn't appear.

Li Banfeng was entirely on the defensive, barely managing to hold his ground against Guo Gaoge with his dwindling speed.

Inside the wooden hut, the Stage Manager stomped out his cigarette and sighed, "A grandson is a grandson. Even if he changes his tactics, he's still a grandson. Why can't he see through it?"

The Wild Boar approached and asked the Stage Manager, "What are you muttering about? Who are you calling a grandson?"

The Stage Manager ignored the Wild Boar, his eyes gazing into the distance.

"Mouth!"

Li Banfeng heard Guo Gaoge's cries again, his brain throbbing with pain, feeling agitated.

This Sound Cultivation technique was too potent. Was Guo Gaoge's Sound Cultivation even higher than his Riddle Cultivation?

And considering his fierce combat style, had his Martial Cultivation also reached the Cloud level?

Could he be—

Wait, what was he doing?

Was he solving a riddle?

Li Banfeng finally realized something: he had fallen victim to a Riddle Cultivation technique.

A Fool Cultivator could trick others without speaking, and a Riddle Cultivator could also make an opponent enter a riddle without uttering a word.

During their fight, Li Banfeng had been constantly pondering Guo Gaoge's paths and cultivation levels. This was akin to solving a riddle. Even if he didn't voice his thoughts, the Riddle Cultivation technique had taken effect.

From the current situation, Li Banfeng had clearly guessed wrong. His combat power was greatly suppressed, while Guo Gaoge's combat power was fully enhanced, creating a massive disparity.

How could he reverse this disparity?

Was it too late to guess again?

If it were a multiple-choice riddle, guessing wrong once and trying again might not count.

Crucially, there was more than one binary riddle: Was he a Sound Cultivator? Was he a Martial Cultivator? Was he a Body Cultivator?

Li Banfeng didn't know which he had guessed wrong or right. He had already missed several times. If he made one more mistake, his combat power might be completely nullified.

He couldn't be wrong. He had to be right from the start.

"Li Qi, what are you thinking? It's useless to think anymore. You're wrong, completely wrong!" Guo Gaoge lunged at Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng dodged, and a large tree behind him, thick enough for two people to hug, was snapped by Guo Gaoge.

Li Banfeng shouted, "Fingers into blades! You truly are a Martial Cultivator!"

Guo Gaoge laughed, "I told you you're ridiculously wrong. Prepare to die!"

Indeed, this was a riddle Guo Gaoge had prepared beforehand.

Li Banfeng dodged and yelled, "Learning martial arts is cultivation, and a body full of martial skills is cultivation. Is it wrong to say you're a Martial Cultivator? I never said what level of Martial Cultivator you are!"

"What nonsense are you talking about—" Guo Gaoge reached out, suddenly feeling a loss of power in his arm.

What was happening?

Had the riddle been broken?

Guo Gaoge wasn't a Martial Cultivator. Li Banfeng hadn't guessed correctly, so how could the riddle be broken?

"Learning martial arts is cultivation, and a body full of martial skills is cultivation"—such words seemed far-fetched. Could this truly count as solving the riddle?

But on second thought, there was some logic to what he said…

Guo Gaoge's speed slowly decreased, and Li Banfeng's speed recovered.

Guo Gaoge dared not delay, wanting to end the fight quickly. Li Banfeng shouted again, "You are a Sound Cultivator!"

Guo Gaoge immediately denied, "I am not a Sound Cultivator!"

"Sound Cultivators defeat enemies with sound. Anyone who uses sound to defeat enemies is a Sound Cultivator."

"What kind of logic is that?" Guo Gaoge didn't want to admit it because Li Banfeng's reasoning was absurd. Why would anyone who uses sound to defeat enemies be a Sound Cultivator?

But verbal denial was useless. He admitted it internally. For a moment, his mind couldn't keep up, and he couldn't find a flaw in Li Banfeng's reasoning.

No flaw meant that if Li Banfeng's reasoning was sound, it proved he had guessed correctly from the start.

The riddle was broken again. Guo Gaoge felt a wave of humiliation.

*Boom!*

Li Banfeng's Breaking Ten Thousand Rivers successfully launched.

Beneath the dust, Guo Gaoge was injured. Seeing Li Banfeng's slow recovery from the move, he endured the severe pain and grabbed at Li Banfeng's crown.

He grabbed empty air. Li Banfeng had evaded with Free and Easy.

His speed was still somewhat lacking, but his techniques had largely recovered. Li Banfeng fought and conversed with Guo Gaoge: "You know, your fighting style is quite distinctive, isn't it? Leaping and jumping, using claws to harm people. Isn't this called Child's Fist? You must be a Child Cultivator?"

Guo Gaoge had no time to speak. His fighting style was indeed distinctive; he deliberately imitated a child's movements to mislead his opponent into thinking he was a Body Cultivator. In reality, this was part of the riddle, meant to trick the opponent.

But Li Banfeng didn't think so: "Your Child's Fist is so fluid; you must be talented. You're a Body Cultivator, and your original form was a child. Am I wrong?"

Body Cultivator?

And his original form was a child?

This was all absurd.

Guo Gaoge leaped high, his sharp claws descending: "I am not a Body Cultivator! Stop guessing wildly!"

This was even more absurd. Even Guo Gaoge himself found it ridiculous. Did he really need to explain such things to Li Banfeng?

Actually, he wasn't explaining to Li Banfeng; he was reminding himself. He had to emphasize that he truly wasn't a Body Cultivator.

He didn't know what spell he was under. Whatever Li Qi said, became true for him. He had to clear his mind quickly.

"Body Cultivators don't need initial powder. Your talent is excellent; you entered the path yourself without even realizing it. Look at yourself—paint yourself green, and you'll be just like a living child. Grasp this talent, and you'll achieve great things in the future."

The more Li Banfeng spoke, the more Guo Gaoge's movements resembled a child, his footwork becoming more skilled, but his combat power weakening.

Originally, Li Banfeng had guessed the riddle wrong, and had been wrong three times in a row, but he somehow managed to turn the wrong answers into correct ones. This was equivalent to breaking three riddles consecutively.

Guo Gaoge grew weaker and weaker, while Li Banfeng quickly recovered to his original state, even gaining significant combat power.

In the small wooden hut, the Stage Manager looked into the distance. The battlefield was now silent.

He turned to the Wild Boar and said, "Let's start working."

The Wild Boar shook his head, "Seventh Master hasn't given the word. Who dares to start? Let's wait."

The Stage Manager smiled, looking afar, and whispered, "These Riddle Cultivators, they only have this much skill. If they fought a bit longer, I'd feel bad for you."

Inside the Portable Residence, Li Banfeng grimly looked at Guo Gaoge. "Where is Water Spring?"

Guo Gaoge gritted his teeth. "You guess!"

A burst of steam scalded Guo Gaoge, making him cry out. The Gramophone chuckled, "Dying, and still daring to use techniques! Yingying, keep sharpening the knife. Today we'll have one meal after another, good food endlessly."

"You two eat," Hong Ying looked at her waist in the mirror. "If I get too fat, Seventh Lang might not like me."

The Gramophone playfully slapped Hong Ying. "Eat without worry. Grow the meat in the right places; your husband will adore it."

"Really?" Hong Ying carefully examined Guo Gaoge, contemplating cooking methods and techniques.

Terrified, Guo Gaoge dared not pose any more riddles. He stammered the truth: "My real name isn't Guo Gaoge; it's Guo Erning. The name Guo Gaoge was a kind of riddle."

Hearing the name Guo Gaoge (which sounds like "sing loudly"), one would always think he was a Sound Cultivator.

Guo Gaoge continued, "I really didn't want to kill Water Spring. I only wanted his territory. Water Spring agreed to give me the territory. He truly agreed and handed over the iron deed and the land seal. I even specially arranged a residence for him to recover from his injuries."

Li Banfeng frowned, "Did you specially arrange a residence, or did you lock him up?"

Guo Gaoge whispered, "I didn't originally intend to lock him up. I was afraid he'd go to Qiqiu City and alert Autumn Fallen Leaves."

Now Li Banfeng understood what Water Spring had endured.

The Inner Prefecture had used a curse, crippling his cultivation. Guo Gaoge took advantage of his weakness and forced him to surrender his territory.

Water Spring was forced to hand over the territory but was then imprisoned by Guo Gaoge.

Li Banfeng asked, "Even after locking Water Spring up, you weren't at ease, so you killed him anyway?"

Guo Gaoge shook his head, "I really didn't want to kill him, but the Inner Prefecture wanted his identity. They sent Lord Ni Shangqiu to impersonate Water Spring, and Ni Shangqiu, fearing exposure, asked me to kill the real Water Spring."

The Gramophone asked, "Did you kill him or not?"

Guo Gaoge mumbled, still reluctant to speak clearly.

Hong Ying, holding her knife, said, "Xiaowan, you're right. Eat meat to grow meat. Let's eat meat first, then grow it where Seventh Lang likes."

She made over a dozen cuts on Guo Gaoge. Guo Gaoge couldn't bear it anymore: "I told Lord Ni Shangqiu I killed him, but I actually didn't."

Hong Ying ran her finger along the blade, "You released him? Are you that kind-hearted?"

"I didn't release him, but someone abducted him."

Li Banfeng asked, "Who?"

"The local deity of Sleepless Town, Wang Zaimian."

Sleepless Town?

Ma Wu had mentioned this place. It was part of the Former Third Land, but Li Banfeng didn't really know what kind of place it was.

"What kind of person is Wang Zaimian?"

Guo Gaoge said, "I'm not too familiar with him. I only know he has a great reputation and high prestige. He wanted to take Water Spring, and I didn't dare refuse."

Li Banfeng's brows relaxed. He patted Guo Gaoge. "You made that so difficult to say; you scared me. So Water Spring is still alive?"

"Alive." Guo Gaoge nodded.

Li Banfeng smiled, "If you had told the truth earlier, you wouldn't have suffered so much."

Guo Gaoge said, "Once I'm out, please don't say that. If Lord Ni Shangqiu finds out, he'll never forgive me."

Li Banfeng waved his hand, "Don't worry. Ni Shangqiu is at my house. You can discuss it slowly when you meet."

Guo Gaoge shivered, "Lord Ni is here? What should I do? What if he finds out?"

Seeing Guo Gaoge's pitiful state, the Gramophone also offered advice, "Don't be afraid. You really don't need to be afraid about this. Lord Ni definitely won't blame you."

Li Banfeng asked Guo Gaoge, "First, tell me, where is Water Spring's deed buried?"

Guo Gaoge was reluctant to say. This was the territory he had fought so hard to seize.

Li Banfeng frowned, "If you don't say it now, it'll be too late when you meet Lord Ni."

What did that mean?

Why did it sound like Li Qi had some dealings with Lord Ni?

Could it be that Li Qi had also defected to the Inner Prefecture?

Although still unwilling to give up the territory, to save his life, Guo Gaoge told Li Qi the location of the deed.

Li Qi left. Guo Gaoge also wanted to leave, but couldn't open the door of the Portable Residence.

Guo Gaoge cried, "I've told the truth, why won't you let me go?"

The Gramophone puffed steam, "Don't be afraid. I'll take you to see Lord Ni."

Li Qi dug up Water Spring's deed in Hundred Vine Valley. Li Banfeng was familiar with this place. Earlier, to obtain a Xuanqing Flower from Water Spring, Li Qi and Autumn Fallen Leaves had fought there, almost losing their lives.

Afterward, Water Spring kept his word, giving Li Banfeng the Xuanqing Flower and ten *li* of territory. Relying on this ten *li* territory, Li Qi and Ma Wu established Zhengjing Village.

Recalling these events, they seemed so recent, yet now Water Spring had fallen to such a state.

Li Banfeng took the Green Water Bow's alms bowl, found a dark dimension in Water Spring's territory, and buried Water Spring's deed there.

Having become an Injured Demon Fiend, it was said that his cultivation would no longer change. In other words, Water Spring could no longer be a local deity.

However, it was rumored that some rare arcane arts might bring a turning point. Gao Shuxia was an example; though an Injured Demon Fiend, she kept seeking territory, still striving for a higher status, which proved she still had means to advance.

Regardless, he first had to bring Water Spring back. Whether he could recover was uncertain, but with Guo Gaoge and Ni Shangqiu dead, the Inner Prefecture would likely come calling soon. He had to prepare early.

Li Banfeng instructed his mother and daughter to start the theater troupe's work and told Swallow to quickly restore order in the village.

The Wild Boar was surprised: "Who said they were going to start work just now? We're really starting today. Where's that Stage Manager? The one who was standing at the door?"

The head Stage Manager replied, "Lord Boar, we have all our Stage Managers here, none missing."

The Wild Boar looked at each one. None of them were the Stage Manager from before.

"Was that person new?"

The head Stage Manager shook his head. "No new Stage Managers today."

The Wild Boar felt that person wasn't new, almost like he'd known him before, but he just couldn't recall his name.

Li Qi returned to Chu Er's new land and called Ma Wu. "Brother Water is in trouble. His status and cultivation are gone. His territory was also taken." After hearing Li Qi's description, Ma Wu was shocked. He turned to Feng Daiku and said, "Miss Feng, I have a favor to ask."

Feng Daiku thought they were going to seize territory and intended to scout the opponent's strength first.

Li Qi shook his head, "I've already reclaimed the territory. Now I plan to bring him back. Water Spring is currently with Wang Zaimian. Miss Feng, are you familiar with this person?"

Hearing that Li Banfeng had reclaimed the territory, Ma Wu was startled. This meant Li Qi had defeated a local deity.

They had entered the cultivation path on the same day. At Lan Yang Village, the gap wasn't that big. In less than three years, Li Qi could defeat a local deity?

Of course, it was also possible that Li Qi had found help. It was said he was familiar with the peddler, so the peddler must have helped.

Feng Daiku wasn't surprised. She had known for a long time that Li Qi was extraordinary: "Young Master Li, the Wang Zaimian you mentioned, is he the local deity of Sleepless Town?"

Li Banfeng nodded.

Feng Daiku said, "This person has extremely high prestige among local deities, but I don't interact with him much. Perhaps it's because he looks down on Belt Cliff; he's always been somewhat dismissive of me."

Li Banfeng said, "Then I won't trouble Miss Feng. I'll find another way."

Feng Daiku shook her head, "It's not really trouble. I'm not that delicate. He saved Water Spring in his time of need, which shows his integrity and righteousness. Such a good reputation is well-deserved. I've met him and know where he lives. I can introduce you two, which will save you a lot of hassle."

Feng Daiku led the two through the new land towards Sleepless Town.

On the way, Li Banfeng asked Ma Wu, "Do people not need to sleep in Sleepless Town?"

The Former Third Land had special territories, like Eat-All Ridge and Belt Cliff, which had certain effects on people.

Ma Wu said, "Not completely sleepless, but people there sleep very little, only two or three hours a day." "Then this place must be very lively at night. If we opened a dance hall, we could probably make a fortune."

Ma Wu shook his head, "A dance hall can't be opened there. People there aren't interested in that. I don't want to do business there either; that place makes me uncomfortable."

"How does it make you uncomfortable?"

"I can't explain it. You'll understand when you go there. I just feel that business shouldn't be done that way, and people shouldn't live that way."

Feng Daiku knew the way and had a Traveler Cultivator artifact. The three reached Sleepless Town in less than a day.

The town was about the size of Medicine King's Gully, filled with factories, giving Li Banfeng a sense of déjà vu, like he was in Black Stone Slope.

No, this was different from Black Stone Slope.

Li Banfeng checked his pocket watch: 2:30 AM. Factories large and small were brightly lit, smoke billowed, crowds bustled, and the roar of machinery was incessant.

This place was indeed lively, but not in the way Li Banfeng imagined.

A white-haired man slept on the street, deeply and soundly, despite the noisy environment.

He hugged blueprints in his hands and wore work clothes. As the night wind blew, he huddled by the roadside, shivering intermittently, but never woke up.

A woman, wearing the same style of work clothes and thick glasses, came up to the man and forcefully woke him up.

"Xiao Liu, why are you sleeping here?"

The white-haired man rubbed his eyes and looked at the woman, "I was a bit tired and wanted to sit by the roadside for a while. I didn't expect to fall asleep."

The woman was somewhat disappointed and shook her head, "Xiao Liu, you can't be like this. Over a hundred people in the factory are watching you. I recommended you to the factory because I saw your ability to endure hardship and your indomitable spirit. Our factory just got several big orders; how many people haven't closed their eyes for half a month? Have you heard any of them complain? Now you tell me you're tired. What will others say about you if they hear this? What will they say about me? What kind of person did I recommend? Three big silver dollars a month—go ask if there's any other place that pays so much?"

The man lowered his head, "Sister, I've disgraced you. I've let you down."

The woman shook her head, "You haven't let me down, you've let yourself down! If you don't strive when you're young, you'll achieve nothing when you're old, and it'll be too late for regret. Hurry and deliver the blueprints. We'll listen to any revision suggestions. If they can be changed on site, change them immediately. If not, come back and discuss slowly. We need to show them our determination!"

The man nodded repeatedly and scurried off to deliver the blueprints.

Li Banfeng watched from the street. The two people talking just now didn't notice Li Banfeng, nor Feng Daiku, who had also used special means to conceal Ma Wu.

"Young Master Li, we're here to find the local deity. Let's not watch this spectacle," Feng Daiku urged.

Li Banfeng was curious, "That man just now, by his appearance, looked at least fifty. The woman called him Xiao Liu, meaning she's even older. They're so old but look so young; their cultivation must be high."

Ma Wu shook his head, "You've misjudged, Old Qi. That man isn't fifty something. If I'm not mistaken, he should be in his early twenties."

Li Banfeng was surprised, "He looks like that in his early twenties?"

Ma Wu sighed, "That's why I said I don't want to do business here. Business isn't done this way, and people shouldn't live this way."

Feng Daiku reminded, "Fifth Lang, when we meet the local deity, don't speak carelessly. Wang Zaimian values etiquette, and he's from Snowflake Creek, so he has a bit of pride. Be very careful not to offend him with your words."

Ma Wu nodded, his expression somewhat displeased.

He truly disliked this place, but for Water Spring, he had to make the trip no matter what.

"Old Qi, you should also be careful. Let's try to speak as little as possible—" Ma Wu turned his head and found Li Qi had stopped.

Feng Daiku said, "Young Master Li, what are you—"

Li Banfeng said, "You just said Wang Zaimian is from Snowflake Creek?"

Feng Daiku nodded, "I don't need to elaborate on Snowflake Creek's status in Luopo State."

Li Banfeng asked, "What path does Wang Zaimian cultivate?"

Feng Daiku said, "He's an Industrious Cultivator."

"What's an Industrious Cultivator?" Li Banfeng had never heard of this path.

Ma Wu said, "That woman just now was an Industrious Cultivator. See how well she spoke."

Feng Daiku frowned, "Fifth Lang, I just reminded you to be careful with your words here. Industrious Cultivation is a good path that encourages diligence and progress. Wang Zaimian's disciples are everywhere in Sleepless Town, so be extremely careful with your words."

Li Qi asked no more questions and followed Feng Daiku to the town center, in front of a large mansion.

The mansion was quite large. The main house was a five-story Western-style building, flanked by two three-story auxiliary buildings. Behind the main house was a garden with about ten large and small Western-style houses. This mansion was even more luxurious than the great houses of the He and Lu families.

Feng Daiku didn't enter directly. Even with her status, she had to send a gatekeeper to announce their arrival: "Feng Daiku from Qishui Kiln, bringing two friends, Li Qi and Ma Wu, requests to see Elder Wang."

The gatekeeper went to deliver the message.

Logically, this wasn't the time for a visit, but in Sleepless Town, the concept of time was different; 2 or 3 AM was not considered too late.

After waiting for over half an hour, the gatekeeper came out and led the three into the main hall.

Wang Zaimian sat in the hall, wearing a white suit, his long hair neatly combed back. He had thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a handlebar mustache. By his appearance, he was a civilized gentleman in his forties.

After pleasantries, the host and guests were seated. Wang Zaimian said, "Miss Feng, how may I help you?"

Feng Daiku humbly replied, "Visiting late at night, I wish to introduce two friends to you."

She briefly introduced Li Qi and Ma Wu. Wang Zaimian looked at Li Qi and said, "You are Li Qi?"

Li Banfeng nodded slightly.

Wang Zaimian lit a cigarette, took a deep puff, and said, "I've heard your name. You're young and promising, truly commendable. But don't become complacent over a little achievement now and waste your precious time."

Li Banfeng said, "I came to ask you about Water Spring."

Feng Daiku flinched, looking at Li Qi.

His way of speaking was a bit too direct.

Ma Wu wasn't surprised. Old Qi always spoke this way to people like Wang Zaimian.

Li Banfeng continued, "I heard from Guo Gaoge that you rescued Water Spring. For this, I am deeply grateful and and will certainly offer a generous gift in the future. Today, I wish to take Water Spring back. Please make it convenient for me, Boss Wang."

"Boss Wang?"

Feng Daiku's heart tightened again. In her opinion, this address was inappropriate.

Wang Zaimian's expression also soured. He flicked his cigarette ash and nodded, "I did save Water Spring, but he's not with me now. He went to the Outer Prefecture."

"Outer Prefecture?"

Feng Daiku and Ma Wu were surprised, but Li Banfeng was surprisingly calm.

"Why did he go to the Outer Prefecture?" Li Qi asked.

"He was disheartened with Luopo State and wanted to travel to the Outer Prefecture to dispel his gloom."

Li Banfeng said, "Boss Wang, is that true?"

"Whether it's true or not, you figure it out yourself," Wang Zaimian extinguished his cigarette. "What an arrogant young man. Did you come here to ask for information or to condemn me?"

"Either works," Li Banfeng pulled out a cigarette and lit it himself. "It depends on whether you saved Water Spring or sold him out."