Chapter 564: Seamless

After more than half an hour of communicating with the vase, Li Banfeng finally pulled his head out of it. Comparing the opening of the vase to the diameter of his own head, Li Banfeng truly couldn't fathom how his head had gotten in, or how it had come out.

He had tried to use his Insightful Spirit Voice technique to communicate with the vase, speaking to it for a long time without a single response. During his ascension process, Li Banfeng was certain he had heard the vase's voice, and from what it said back then, its expressive abilities were quite good. Was it refusing to speak now, or was Li Banfeng unable to understand it? Or perhaps there was a special circumstance during the ascension process?

Putting the communication aside for a moment, Li Banfeng now had a certain degree of control over the vase. "My dear, can the Household Treasures Counting Themselves technique be used outside the manor?"

"Yes, it can be used, but it depends on where. The closer you are to the manor, the easier the technique is to perform. Our manor is special, so if you practice diligently, husband, you'll be able to employ many more abilities."

Li Banfeng carried the vase out of his Portable Abode, gently stroking its belly. "Show me how you fly."

The vase hovered with difficulty just above the swampy ground, flying less than ten centimeters high. It maintained this for about twenty seconds before falling into the mud. Li Banfeng picked it up and carefully wiped away the grime.

The result wasn't ideal. This wasn't due to the vase's lack of effort; for a House Cultivator, there was a significant difference in skill intensity inside versus outside the manor. After returning the vase to the room, Li Banfeng went back to Flower Fairy Manor.

Ma Wu was sitting in the main hall, interrogating the women of the manor one by one. Anyone found with hidden motives was taken away for private admonishment. Li Banfeng called Feng Daiku over and asked, "Where is Hua Manchun's deed hidden?"

Feng Daiku was pleasantly surprised. "Hua Manchun is dead?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I killed him. His territory now belongs to me."

Feng Daiku was very happy, but she genuinely didn't know where Hua Manchun's deed was hidden. This was a problem. Hua Manchun had left in too much of a hurry to reveal the deed's location, and finding it within the vast Flower Fairy Manor would be a significant challenge.

Li Banfeng and Feng Daiku split up to search. Feng Daiku was a Local Earth God of the rightful territory and a neighbor of Hua Manchun, so she relied on her experience to find the deed. Li Banfeng, on the other hand, relied on his gloves. Thanks to his swift movements and ability to ride the wind, Li Banfeng searched Hua Manchun's territory bit by bit, flying and running. However, his gloves weren't cooperating today. Ever since leaving the Portable Abode, they had been timid, staying in Li Banfeng's pocket most of the time, not even daring to peek out.

Li Banfeng patted his gloves. "Brother, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

"Not sick, just feeling uneasy. I was fine when I was home, but as soon as I step outside, all five fingers feel unsettled."

After searching all day, Li Banfeng and Feng Daiku still hadn't found the deed, but Ma Wu had made some progress. He brought a woman named Ah Xi, who appeared to be in her late twenties and was quite pretty. However, she had accidentally grabbed the wrong soap while serving Hua Manchun for his morning wash, enraging him. He had expelled her from the residence and sent her to the mountains to do heavy labor like chopping wood and carrying water.

Ah Xi recounted an old story to Li Qi and Feng Daiku: "Early this year, Miss Feng came to the manor to discuss boundaries with the master. Our master seemed to have suffered a loss and told Miss Feng to compensate him."

Feng Daiku remembered this incident and snorted. "Hua Manchun was shameless! Just thinking about it makes my teeth ache. He stole over eighty miles of my land and made me redeem it with popularity. And then he claimed he was at a loss! I gave him a lot of popularity, but he only returned half the land. For the other half, he said there was still red kudzu there and stubbornly refused to give it up. Can you believe how disgusting that man was!"

Ma Wu told Ah Xi, "Please repeat what happened next."

Ah Xi continued, "The next day, I went up the mountain to chop wood and encountered a bear. The bear had a crippled leg. It tried to eat me, and I ran for over ten miles. The bear wasn't fast, but it kept chasing. Eventually, I couldn't run anymore, so I grabbed my axe and fought it. The bear was too strong and knocked the axe right out of my hand. My hand was cut and bleeding a lot, all sticky. I bent down to pick up the axe, and a feather stuck to my hand. The feather, stained with blood, suddenly caught fire. The fire burned eerily, as if it would consume my whole body. Scared, I threw the feather away, and the bear also ran off."

Feng Daiku asked, "Was that feather from your master's fan?"

"It looked familiar; it must have been from his fan. I went back to the mountain later to see if the feather was still there, but I searched for a long time and couldn't find it."

Feng Daiku said to Li Banfeng, "The story lines up. I agreed to give Hua Manchun popularity, but he said he didn't want to consume it immediately; he wanted it stored in his territory seal and for me to bring the popularity the next day. The next day when I went to find him, I did see his territory seal. He must have just retrieved it from his deed."

The sequence of events was clear: Hua Manchun went up the mountain to retrieve his territory seal, accidentally lost a feather, and that feather saved Ah Xi's life.

Li Banfeng and Feng Daiku followed Ah Xi up the mountain. They found the spot where the feather was discovered. Feng Daiku surveyed the surroundings and deduced several possible locations where the deed might be hidden on the mountain. Li Banfeng, wearing his gloves, searched these areas and quickly found the deed.

Hua Manchun's deed was hidden beneath the riverbed of a small stream in a mountain gully. Li Banfeng unearthed the deed and the territory seal, and first read through Hua Manchun's past records. Hua Manchun's widespread reputation wasn't just talk; the deed recorded nineteen Local Earth God wars. Hua Manchun lost five battles but won the remaining fourteen. However, all five losses were to the same person: Green Water Bow. No wonder Hua Manchun's gaze was so gentle when Green Water Bow was mentioned.

Feng Daiku had fought Hua Manchun three times and lost all of them, ceding over a thousand units of territory to him.

Li Banfeng first registered Hua Manchun's deed under his own name. Then, he drafted a new deed, returning all the land that Feng Daiku had lost. Feng Daiku didn't know how to thank Li Banfeng. "Young Master Li, in the past, it was my own incompetence that caused me to lose land, and I dared not even ask for it back. Now, if you were to give me a hundred or two hundred miles, I'd thick-skinnily accept it, considering I contributed this time. But you're giving me over a thousand units of land? How dare I accept that!"

"It was your land to begin with. Why wouldn't you dare accept it? From now on, if anything happens at Flower Fairy Manor, I'll still need you and Old Ma to help me look after it."

This was the first time Li Banfeng had claimed territory in front of others, and both Feng Daiku and Ma Wu witnessed it. Li Banfeng wasn't worried about them spreading the news. If Snowflake Port dared to seek revenge, Li Banfeng would claim every single one who came. Now that his House Cultivator and Traveler Cultivator cultivation were both on the second cloud layer, Li Banfeng no longer worried about backlash from imbalanced cultivation. He simply began collecting the spiritual energy from Flower Fairy Manor. There was a considerable amount stored in the territory seal; it took Li Banfeng about ten minutes to completely absorb it.

Feeling refreshed, Li Banfeng walked several laps around Flower Fairy Manor, familiarizing himself with the territory while honing his techniques. Not only did he need to practice Household Treasures Counting Themselves and Riding the Wind and Clouds, but Shadow-Stalking also required diligent practice. Li Banfeng's greatest hope was to combine Shadow-Stalking with the Foolish Cultivation technique, allowing him to fight and deceive simultaneously without hindrance—that would be the true key to victory.

But then he reconsidered. His House Cultivator and Traveler Cultivator paths were constantly advancing, yet his Foolish Cultivation showed little progress. Would this invite backlash? Should he pay Senior Brother Sun a visit and learn a couple more techniques?

Sun Tiecheng sat cross-legged next to the bronze lotus. "Brother, you didn't handle this fairly. You promised three Profound Elixirs, but you only gave two. What's the meaning of this?"

The red lotus leaves trembled, as if speaking. Sun Tiecheng listened for a moment, then frowned. "What? You still need auxiliary ingredients? Iron Tendon Bamboo shoots? Those are on Bitter Fog Mountain; they're not easy to get!" As he spoke, Sun Tiecheng looked at Gui Jianchou.

Gui Jianchou quickly said, "City Lord Sun, both Profound Elixirs are yours. I don't want them."

"How can that be!" Sun Tiecheng took out one Profound Elixir and handed it to Gui Jianchou. "Ah Gui, this elixir is yours. We stick to our word. You'll have to make a trip to Bitter Fog Mountain for me."

"No way!" Gui Jianchou returned the elixir to Sun Tiecheng. "I truly dare not go to Bitter Fog Mountain."

"What are you afraid of?"

"Xu Han is guarding Medicine King Ravine. If I go up Bitter Fog Mountain, will he let me off the hook?"

"Why are you afraid of him?"

"Why shouldn't I be afraid of him? You should know his capabilities. If he lays a slightly heavy hand on me, it's questionable whether I'll even come back alive. And you want me to get Iron Tendon Bamboo?"

"So you're not going, are you?" Sun Tiecheng became angry.

Gui Jianchou shook his head like a rattle drum. "I truly cannot go. If you're angry, just kill me. Either way, it's death, and dying by your hand would at least be a clean death."

Sun Tiecheng scratched his head. "That old man Xu Han, he isn't exactly clean." He turned to the red lotus. "Does it have to be Iron Tendon Bamboo shoots? Will other things work?"

The red lotus made a creaking sound, seemingly responding. Gui Jianchou could hear a little, but couldn't make out what the red lotus was saying. Sun Tiecheng then looked at Gui Jianchou again. "He's not making sense, and you're not budging either?"

Gui Jianchou bowed his head. "Everything else is negotiable, but I'm definitely not going to Bitter Fog Mountain."

Sun Tiecheng grew angry. "If you're not going to Bitter Fog Mountain, then stay home and squat!"

"Squat, then!" Gui Jianchou squatted on the ground, firmly.

"Don't get up until I get back!" Sun Tiecheng stormed off angrily.

"I won't get up, then!" Gui Jianchou was a man of integrity. He squatted by the door, refusing to move, silently watching Sun Tiecheng disappear into the distance.

At the foot of Bitter Fog Mountain, people gathered. Qiu Zhiheng, dressed in a short tunic and carrying a herb basket, was preparing to go up the mountain to gather medicine. Qiu Zhiheng's business had grown, and he now owned three pharmacies in Medicine King Ravine. Logically, he didn't need to gather herbs himself, but the medicinal material he needed today was very special: the Blood-Skin Fruits in the mountain were ripe.

Blood-Skin Fruit was a specialty of Bitter Fog Mountain. This fruit had blood-red skin but white flesh. Drying and consuming the flesh could cure various internal injuries. Its pits were extremely bitter and could detoxify, even neutralizing some unique poisons used by Poison Cultivators. The most precious part was the skin; it could stop bleeding and replenish blood. For those suffering from severe external blood loss, as long as there was still life, applying the fruit skin to the wound could stop the bleeding, and eating two pieces of skin could replenish blood.

The value of Blood-Skin Fruit far exceeded that of Snake-Spotted Chrysanthemum, and it was also much rarer, found only deep in the mountains. Lower-level cultivators dared not venture, and higher-level cultivators were unwilling to risk their lives for it. Therefore, major pharmacies could only rely on their own experts to gather herbs in the mountains.

Qiu Zhiheng's wife was worried. "Zhiheng, I say don't go. It's not worth it for a few apricots. Let's search again in Green Water City; maybe we can buy some there." They had searched all over Green Water City, but there were no Blood-Skin Fruits for sale. If it were just for the pharmacy's business, Qiu Zhiheng wouldn't risk it. He was gathering these fruits to give to Old Yao. Old Yao had recently shown signs of improvement, and eating more apricot skin to replenish his blood might help him regain consciousness.

"You go back and look after the pharmacy. I'll definitely be home before dark." Qiu Zhiheng squeezed his wife's plump cheek and went up the mountain with his herb basket.

On Bitter Fog Mountain, dense fog lingered all year round. Qiu Zhiheng was an eighth-level Joyful Cultivator. Before reaching the halfway point of the mountain, the fog's harm was within a tolerable range. But past the halfway point, the fog grew thicker, forcing Qiu Zhiheng to use his Joyful Cultivation technique to stimulate his blood and detoxify himself. More challenging still, everything beyond five or six meters was a bright white, making it impossible to see. How could one gather herbs in such dense fog? He couldn't even see the apricot trees, let alone find the fruits.

Qiu Zhiheng had a solution. He pulled a budding apricot blossom from his bosom. He had bought this blossom; it was the only one he found in all of Green Water City. The Blood-Skin Apricot's flowering period was very short. Some people, while picking apricots, would incidentally collect some apricot flower buds and sell them to Herb Cultivators in Green Water City. Herb Cultivators would preserve the apricot blossoms, as fresh blossoms could be made into exquisite incense, priced similarly to the apricots themselves.

Qiu Zhiheng cut his palm and sprinkled some blood on the apricot blossom. The budding blossom slowly unfurled, and a refreshing fragrance wafted into the distance. This fragrance wasn't carried by the wind; it drifted with purpose and direction. This was the Joyful Cultivation technique, Solitary Mating Call. Qiu Zhiheng used his blood to imbue the apricot blossom with a strong desire to mate. As the pollen drifted, it would, relying on its powerful natural instinct, actively seek out the location of Blood-Skin Fruit trees.

Qiu Zhiheng relied on his sense of smell, following the floral scent along the mountain path for dozens of miles. Upon reaching a forest, the floral scent became even stronger. Qiu Zhiheng knew he wasn't far from the apricot trees. Finding just one apricot tree would mean success for the day. Each tree had at least a hundred or so apricots, which would be enough for Old Yao and allow him to keep some for future needs.

Qiu Zhiheng quickened his pace, walking a few more miles. Suddenly, he stopped. Someone had been following him for half an hour. An eighth-level Joyful Cultivator found almost no match among ordinary people, but on Bitter Fog Mountain, Qiu Zhiheng had to act cautiously. The dense toxic fog severely weakened his combat strength, and different dao sects had vastly different resistances to the fog. If he encountered a Poison Cultivator, even if they were only at the sixth level, Qiu Zhiheng had to think of a retreat path before engaging.

Qiu Zhiheng stopped, and the person following him also stopped. After a brief stalemate, the person finally approached.

"Mr. Qiu, I've been following you all this way. I originally wanted to tag along and find some good things, but I was too embarrassed to ask."

The person who walked closer was a middle-aged man in his fifties, tall and thin, with a face full of wrinkles, wearing a satin long gown. Qiu Zhiheng couldn't recall where he had seen this man, so he simply asked directly, "What's your name?"

"Mr. Qiu, don't you remember me? My name is Fan Zhongfu. I bought medicine at your shop yesterday."

Qiu's Pharmacy served many customers daily, and Qiu Zhiheng wasn't at the counter most of the time, so even if this person had indeed bought medicine, he wouldn't remember. But since the other party brought it up, Qiu Zhiheng still replied, "Mr. Fan, a pleasure to meet you. Are you here to gather herbs today? If it's something I recognize, I can even point you in the right direction."

Fan Zhongfu said, "This is my first time on Bitter Fog Mountain. I don't know what good medicinal herbs are here. I'll just follow you and collect whatever you do. If you find good things and have some to spare, I'll take a little. If not, I wouldn't dare ask you for it. I'll just consider it an eye-opening experience following you."

This was pure nonsense. If he said he wanted to learn farming from an old farmer, that would make sense. But this was Bitter Fog Mountain. Coming up the mountain without purpose, risking severe poisoning, just for an "eye-opening experience"? How could such words deceive Qiu Zhiheng?

Qiu Zhiheng put the apricot blossom into his basket, looked at Fan Zhongfu, and said, "Mr. Fan, please tell me the truth. What do you really want with me?"

Fan Zhongfu smiled. "Didn't I just say? To learn your herb-gathering skills."

Qiu Zhiheng shook his head. "I'm not gathering herbs anymore. I'm going down the mountain right now. Do you have anything else to say?"

Fan Zhongfu was silent for a moment. "Since you're not gathering herbs, I'll ask you about something else. Do you know someone named Li Qi?"

"Yes," Qiu Zhiheng nodded. "What do you want with him?"

Fan Zhongfu said, "Nothing big. I'm from Snowflake Port, and he has a bit of a grudge with our port. I want to ask you: if you send him a message and tell him to come to Medicine King Ravine, will he come?"

"That depends on why I'm asking him to come."

"Just tell him it's a matter of life and death," Fan Zhongfu thought for a moment. "Or better yet, be more direct. Just tell him that if he doesn't come, you'll lose your life, and your entire family will lose their lives."

Qiu Zhiheng's eye twitched. He prepared to use a technique, but before he could exert force, the technique was interrupted. His short tunic suddenly tightened, constricting Qiu Zhiheng until he couldn't breathe.

"Don't be foolish," Fan Zhongfu made no visible movement, yet he could manipulate Qiu Zhiheng's clothes at will. This was a high-level Robe Cultivator. "I don't want to kill you, nor do I want to kill your family. I just want to bring Li Qi here. There are some things I want to ask him clearly. As long as your relationship with Li Qi is strong enough, and you can invite Li Qi to Medicine King Ravine, everything between us will be easy to discuss."

Qiu Zhiheng used his Joyful Cultivation technique on himself, forcing himself into a state of excitement. His upper body muscles rapidly expanded, attempting to forcefully tear through his short tunic. But this ordinary fabric tunic now seemed to be reinforced with steel, remaining completely undamaged no matter how much force Qiu Zhiheng exerted.

Fan Zhongfu patted Qiu Zhiheng's face. "Steward Qiu, you've followed the Lu family for so many years; you should have some worldly experience. I've invoked the name of Snowflake Port, and you still don't know the depth of this situation? Every extra word I say is a sign of my respect for you. I'm patiently advising you, yet you don't appreciate it? Your entire family's lives are in my hands. I only need to move a finger—"

"Are you here to gather herbs?" A middle-aged man approached them and asked, "Does anyone know where Iron Tendon Bamboo is?" This man appeared to be in his fifties, wearing coarse cloth clothing, his face covered in dust and sweat, looking very simple and honest.

This man's silent appearance startled Fan Zhongfu slightly. He smiled and said, "You're looking for Iron Tendon Bamboo? I know where it is. Come closer, and I'll tell you."

The man crossed his arms and walked closer to Fan Zhongfu, inclining his ear, listening intently. Fan Zhongfu tugged at the man's clothes, pulling out a loose thread. "Your clothes are too tattered; the fabric is unraveling."

The middle-aged man gave a simple, honest smile. "I'm not particular about what I wear, as long as it's clothing. These clothes may look a bit tattered, but they're very warm—"

As his voice faded, Fan Zhongfu retracted his wrist. The middle-aged man's clothes immediately tightened, shrinking into a fist-sized ball of thread. The man's entire body was squeezed into the thread ball. A living person was compressed to the size of a fist, blood profusely flowing down the threads.

Fan Zhongfu held the thread ball, toying with it twice, and smiled at Qiu Zhiheng. "This technique is called Seamless Robe. This thread ball is a seamless robe that can contain you, and it can also contain your wife and children. As long as their bones, flesh, and internal organs are all crushed, they'll become a ball this big. All several hundred people in your pharmacy can be contained within it. Don't believe me? We can try, Steward Qiu. At this point, you should understand. If you don't understand, I can explain it to you in another way."

Qiu Zhiheng remained silent, still wanting to fight to the death. The disparity between them was so vast that he knew even if he yielded, Fan Zhongfu would not spare him. Seeing Qiu Zhiheng's continued resistance, Fan Zhongfu groped around Qiu Zhiheng's body for a moment, found a loose thread, and said, "This is a thread from your clothes. If I just pull this thread, your clothes will tighten, shrinking to the size of that thread ball, squeezing your body into it. Don't worry, you won't die. I can even leave your head out, so you can see your wife one last time. If you listen to me and obediently bring Li Qi here, then what happened today—"

"You're looking for Li Qi?" The middle-aged man stood behind Fan Zhongfu with his arms crossed. "Tell me what you want with him; I'm very familiar with Li Qi!"

Fan Zhongfu looked at the thread ball in his hand. It was very heavy and still bleeding. He then looked at the middle-aged man behind him; the man was simple and honest, completely unharmed. If this middle-aged man was still behind him, then who was the person in the thread ball?

Fan Zhongfu couldn't comprehend it. Sun Tiecheng explained for him, "If I told you the person in that ball is yourself, would you believe me?"

At 4:30 AM, exhausted, Shala requests your votes, dear sirs.