Chapter 584: Three Gates Three Openings

Li Banfeng danced a tune with his wife in the lab. He instructed Zhongbai and Mengde to stay and assist his wife, then left Seven Autumn City from the New Land.

The New Land in Seven Autumn City originally bordered Kinless Village. The local god of this New Land was called Myriad Year Firm, who had previously been very hostile towards Kinless Village. Later, he had a conflict with Qiu Luoye, and consequently, he rarely interacted with Seven Autumn City.

Li Banfeng, however, was quite interested in this local god. As he passed Myriad Year Firm's residence, Li Banfeng very much wanted to pay a visit to this powerful glue cultivator.

But today was not the right time; Li Banfeng had important matters to attend to. He needed to go to Fool's City to find Senior Brother Sun and inquire about the origins of Lady Nine.

After learning that Li Banfeng was a Foolish Cultivator, Lady Nine's attitude changed significantly. However, having such a powerful Foolish Cultivator expert at home made Li Banfeng uneasy. He absolutely had to figure out her background.

But how should he bring this up to Senior Brother Sun? Mentioning this woman without revealing her location would be quite difficult.

After traveling through the New Land for half a day, Li Banfeng reached the vicinity of Proper Village. He continued along the mountain road, nearing the entrance to Fool's City.

Li Banfeng slowed his pace. To enter Fool's City, one needed to move at the precise speed; too fast or too slow would not work.

Upon reaching a patch of wild reeds, Li Banfeng rested for a moment and wiped his sweat. The entrance to Fool's City was hidden within the reeds. It was already early winter, and the wild grass should have long withered. But this particular patch was unusual; the wild grass here did not wither, and reeds that had grown for many years were taller than Li Banfeng.

In the past, Li Banfeng would have used "Path Breaker" to clear a way, but today he didn't want to expend that effort. He intended to fly directly over using "Riding the Wind and Clouds."

As soon as his feet pushed off the ground, Li Banfeng's calves trembled. He failed to jump and nearly fell over. There was danger.

Where was the danger? A cold wind swept through, making the wild reeds rustle.

Li Banfeng touched his Spirit Silk Earring, maximizing his "Insightful Spirit Sound" skill. He listened intently within the reeds for a long time and faintly heard people talking. The voices were intermittent, and he couldn't make out what they were saying.

Using his "Easy Pace and Unhindered Travel" skill, Li Banfeng moved through the wild reeds, approaching the source of the voices step by step. After walking about a hundred paces, Li Banfeng could vaguely make out the conversation.

"It's right here, no doubt about it." It was Du Wenming's voice.

"We've been searching for a while now. You keep saying it's here, but where's the city gate?" It was Mr. Kong Fang!

They were looking for Fool's City! Li Banfeng was truly fortunate that he hadn't flown or used a high-profile skill like "Path Breaker" just now. Otherwise, he would most likely be dead by Mr. Kong Fang's hand. Of course, he might also have unknowingly led Mr. Kong Fang and Du Wenming into Fool's City, only to die by their hands later.

Although the entrance was nearby, if they didn't know how to open it, there was almost no chance of them getting into the city.

Du Wenming said, "We were still walking too fast just now. If we slow down a bit more, I think the surroundings will change."

Not good! They knew the method to enter the city; they knew the most crucial element was speed. They just hadn't found the right speed yet.

Why were these two going to Fool's City? Did they want Red Lotus, or did they have another objective? Was Senior Brother Sun in the city? What if he wasn't? Given Mr. Kong Fang's strength, if he entered Fool's City, the city would face utter devastation.

How could he stop them? Should he use the rattle drum again to scare them away? The same trick was unlikely to work twice, especially since Mr. Kong Fang was a master of deception himself.

Should he just run away, creating a disturbance to lead them astray? Li Banfeng didn't know Mr. Kong Fang's Daoist sect or how many magical treasures they carried. It was hard to say if he could escape. Even if he led them away and escaped, the two would return, becoming even more certain that this was the entrance to Fool's City.

As Li Banfeng pondered a solution, he faintly heard a whistle sound. The perspective of the Portable Residence was different from Li Banfeng's; it was warning him.

Li Banfeng hid his key in the grass and silently returned to the Portable Residence. He went straight to the Fifth Room: "Lady, open the window and let me see."

The wall displayed a view of wild reeds. The Fifth Room's perspective was significantly higher than Li Banfeng's, allowing it to see further. Li Banfeng saw Mr. Kong Fang, wearing a bamboo hat, walking towards the spot where Li Banfeng had just been. Mr. Kong Fang hadn't spotted Li Banfeng; he merely felt as though someone had been active there.

Li Banfeng nervously watched the ground; the key was hidden beneath a clump of lamb's quarter. Mr. Kong Fang looked around, and seeing no one else, turned back to continue searching for the entrance with Du Wenming.

The image on the wall vanished. Lady Fifth said, "The window cannot be open for too long. I need to rest for a bit."

Li Banfeng pondered how to make Du Wenming and Mr. Kong Fang leave. In the past, when he encountered difficulties, he could consult with his wife, but his wife wasn't home; she was in the laboratory.

Should he ask Hong Ying? Hong Ying's strategy was simple: just go out and fight. Perhaps he could discuss it with the Old Man and take Hong Ying out for a fight. At a critical moment, the Old Man might be flexible. But what constituted a critical moment? Would the Old Man care about the fate of Fool's City?

Even if he took Hong Ying out, what were their chances of victory? Li Banfeng and Du Wenming were comparable in combat strength. Could Hong Ying defeat Mr. Kong Fang?

Amidst his intense thought, Li Banfeng suddenly remembered someone. He went to the Ninth Room and asked, "Mr. Kong Fang is about to enter Fool's City. Do you have a way to deal with him?"

Lady Nine was startled: "Who is Mr. Kong Fang?"

Red Lotus replied, "The Head of Snowpetal Wharf, one of the fiercest in Puluo Prefecture?" Li Banfeng glanced at Red Lotus. Why did Red Lotus call Mr. Kong Fang "the Head"?

Lady Nine hadn't heard of Snowpetal Wharf: "Can this person fight? How does he compare to Sun Tiecheng?"

Li Banfeng said, "He's on par with Senior Brother Sun. The key is, we don't know if Senior Brother Sun is in the city right now."

Lady Nine grew anxious: "Has this Mr. Kong Fang already entered the city gate, or is he still outside?"

"He hasn't seen the city gate yet. They still can't grasp the speed."

"Speed—the 'Appropriate Pace Array.' He's still using that old trick," Lady Nine said, very anxious.

"They're experimenting; they'll figure out the right speed soon."

Lady Nine became even more agitated: "Junior Brother Li, do you know Foolish Cultivation Arrays?"

Li Banfeng shook his head: "I saw it once. Senior Brother Sun stuck two branches into the ground, one to ward off adults, one to ward off children."

"That won't work."

That array was used at Pine Leaf Bridge to help Li Banfeng hide the contract. Remembering the situation, Li Banfeng sighed, "I also think that array was too perfunctory."

Lady Nine said, "I'm not saying the array won't work; I'm saying *you* won't work."

Li Banfeng frowned: "How do you know I won't work?"

Lady Nine explained, "That's the 'Blinding Flower Array.' Sun Tiecheng's skill in placing those two branches is considerable; the depth and position are very particular. You can't learn it without ten or eight years of practice."

"Then think of something I *can* learn."

Lady Nine was very anxious but remained composed. After thinking for five or six minutes, she suddenly exclaimed, "You're a Journey Cultivator, right?"

"Speak properly when there's something important, don't make such a racket!" Li Banfeng instinctively glanced at the main room, thankful his wife wasn't home.

Lady Nine said, "There's another array, the 'Three Gates, Three Openings Array.' Only a Journey Cultivator can learn this one."

Li Banfeng didn't quite understand the logic: "What does a Foolish Cultivation Array have to do with Journey Cultivation?"

"It does. Do you know 'Separated by Myriad Miles'?"

"Yes!"

"Then it's simple. I'll teach you the array now. Learn it carefully. An hour or two should be enough."

"What if they enter the city within these one or two hours?"

Lady Nine said, "Recite an incantation to stop them from entering the city."

"Recite an incantation from inside the house? Will that work?"

"It works. I'll tell you the incantation. Just remember the gist of it. The original incantation is: 'They definitely won't find it!'"

"Just that one line?"

"That one line is enough!"

"Alright, I've got it," Li Banfeng thought this incantation should work. "Let's talk about the array instead."

"The 'Three Gates, Three Openings Array' refers to three entrances that can lead to three exits, just like using the 'Separated by Myriad Miles' skill to send those who enter the array elsewhere."

"How are they sent?"

"The key to the array is the same as 'Separated by Myriad Miles': it uses the Journey Cultivator's intent and footsteps to tear open an unnamable fissure."

"This is the core of the skill?" Li Banfeng was unfamiliar with what Lady Nine called the core technique. Hong Ying's explanation of skill essentials wasn't like this.

The Portable Residence chuckled softly.

Lady Nine continued, "Before setting up the array, first use the 'Separated by Myriad Miles' skill. While disoriented, place three anchor points around the enemy. The distance between any two anchor points should be no less than ten meters and no more than thirty meters."

Worried that Li Banfeng wouldn't understand, a stack of paper and a pen floated in mid-air, and Lady Nine drew as she explained. The method was actually simple: use three anchor points to form a triangle, encircling the enemy. Each of the three sides corresponded to a gate, and each gate corresponded to an exit.

Li Banfeng asked, "How should the anchor points be placed?"

"Find a branch or a wooden stick, something like that, and just stick it into the ground. The faster, the better."

Li Banfeng nodded: "That's not difficult. I'll find someone to give me a bearing first." He planned to call Luo Zhengnan, arrange a time for Luo Zhengnan to call him back, and with the phone's location, Li Banfeng could find his direction.

Lady Nine said, "You can't determine direction. As I just said, you must set up the array while disoriented."

"Isn't that nonsense? How can I set up an array when I'm disoriented?" Using "Separated by Myriad Miles" would make Li Banfeng lose his sense of direction; he wouldn't know which way to run, let alone meet distance requirements.

"This is the crucial part of the array. You need to use Foolish Cultivation skills to find your own direction."

"How do I fool? Fool myself?"

"Yes, fool yourself. Use all the Foolish Cultivation skills you know on yourself. You don't need to distinguish north, south, east, or west; just find a general direction, draw three anchor points, and encircle the enemy."

At this point, Lady Nine's heart was also in suspense. Making a Foolish Cultivator fool themselves required real skill. Li Qi hadn't been practicing for long, so he probably lacked this ability.

She underestimated Li Banfeng. When Li Banfeng was a local god in the New Land, his cultivation was still at the "turf" level. He happened to encounter Nectarine going to clear land. Li Banfeng used Foolish Cultivation skills to deceive himself, making himself believe he was the local god. Relying on Hong Ying's prestige and his own confidence, he successfully lit up the land.

But the difficulty of these two matters was different. At that time, Li Banfeng had already stolen the local god's contract and possessed the status of a local god, but he lacked the strength of one. He firmly believed he would become a very powerful local god in the future. This idea was deeply rooted in his heart, so he only needed to use the "Certainty of Words" skill to blur the timeline, changing "future" to "present," and he could successfully deceive himself.

But this time the difficulty was greater. Using the "Separated by Myriad Miles" skill would cause him to lose his sense of direction. Unless he could find a point of reference, his sense of direction wouldn't return. This was common knowledge among Journey Cultivators, and this idea was also deeply ingrained. To forcefully trick himself into having a sense of direction when he had none, Li Banfeng couldn't think of what skill to use.

Lady Nine said, "When I use this skill, I always 'fool myself into going down a convenient slope.' Just keep walking around the enemy, stick three sticks in the ground, no matter what. If it doesn't work once, try again. This much you can definitely do."

Li Banfeng replayed Lady Nine's words in his mind dozens of times, then shook his head: "No, this 'slope' isn't set up right, and I really can't go down it."

"Try a different slope!"

Li Banfeng thought for a long time, then shook his head: "No matter how I set it up, it doesn't feel right."

Lady Nine thought for a moment, then said, "You can try 'Ironclad Evidence.' Before using 'Separated by Myriad Miles,' create three anchor points. If you can make them before, you can make them after. The ironclad evidence will be right before you."

Li Banfeng thought for a long time, but still shook his head. This trick might work to fool others, but not himself. After using "Separated by Myriad Miles," the before and after would definitely be different. No matter how much "ironclad evidence" was presented, he still couldn't overcome that mental hurdle, and his Foolish Cultivation skills wouldn't activate.

Lady Nine didn't know what to do either. She was anxious but dared not urge Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng thought for a long time, then asked Lady Nine, "Will doing this really work?"

"It will work, definitely. As long as the array is completed, it can send them away."

"After they're sent away, won't they just come back?"

"The array will send them very far away. They definitely won't be able to return within a day or two. If Sun Tiecheng returns during this time, have him change the location of the city gate. If Sun Tiecheng doesn't return, take the city's residents away, as many as you can. It doesn't matter if the city is abandoned, as long as they can live! Don't let them die again..."

Lady Nine's voice trembled badly. Several of her sentences were unclear to Li Banfeng. But one sentence he heard clearly, and he thought the same: they must not die again.

Li Banfeng went to the Fifth Room and asked Lady Fifth to display the scene outside the Portable Residence once more. Lady Fifth's stamina hadn't fully recovered, so she could only maintain the view for a short while. Du Wenming and Mr. Kong Fang were still probing; their speed was mostly correct, but they lacked the right direction. If they could pinpoint the direction a bit more precisely, the two of them would be able to enter Fool's City.

With a Dance Cultivator's footsteps, finding a direction wasn't difficult. Time was running out, so Li Banfeng had to take a gamble. He dismantled a chair and removed three of its legs. It would be inconvenient to find sticks outside, so they had to be prepared beforehand.

The Glove emerged from his pocket and tugged on Li Banfeng's sleeve: "Boss, you're not planning to rely on blind luck, are you? That's Mr. Kong Fang and Du Wenming. If you go out and just run blindly, you'll end up in Mr. Kong Fang's hands and lose your life."

Li Banfeng shook his head. Of course, he couldn't go out and rely on blind luck.

The Glove offered another idea: "Let's forget about the array. We might as well find an opportunity to use 'Separated by Myriad Miles' and push him out."

Using "Separated by Myriad Miles" directly seemed easier, but the crucial question was: who to push out? Li Banfeng faced two opponents, Mr. Kong Fang and Du Wenming. He couldn't even distinguish directions, so it was hard to say who he could push out. He might not be able to push anyone. Even if he located Kong Fang via Old Luo beforehand and pushed Mr. Kong Fang away, he himself would fly to Old Luo's side. What would he do about Du Wenming then?

He found a rope, about ten meters long by estimation, and tied it to his arm. The Glove thought for a moment: "Boss, you want me to run with you? That could work." If it stayed by Li Banfeng's side, the Glove would also lose its sense of direction. With a distance of about ten meters, it should be able to find its bearings.

But the Glove was still worried: "I'm not fast enough. I'm afraid I won't have time to set up the array." Thief Cultivators were quick to act but lacked the legwork of Journey Cultivators, let alone the Glove having no legs at all. "You definitely can't lead the way. We need someone else." Li Banfeng stood in the main room, took a deep breath, and summoned his shadow using the "Shadow Companion" skill.

Gazing at his shadow for a moment, Li Banfeng spoke profoundly: "We are the same. From our build alone, there's no difference between us. But we also have differences. There are many things I can do that you cannot."

The shadow silently watched Li Banfeng, not understanding what he meant.

Li Banfeng gave an example: "I can speak. You can't do that."

The shadow folded its arms, watching Li Banfeng. It didn't think "being able to speak" was a remarkable achievement.

Li Banfeng's feet left the ground; he floated in the room: "I can fly. You can't fly either."

The shadow was puzzled; it didn't understand what Li Banfeng was trying to show off. It then demonstrated a unique skill: it pressed itself to the ground, slipped under a box, and then emerged again. The box had a gap of less than two centimeters from the ground. The shadow was telling Li Banfeng that there were some things Li Banfeng couldn't do either.

Li Banfeng didn't deny it: "You're right, I can't. So, we are different. When I use 'Separated by Myriad Miles,' I lose my sense of direction, but since you don't use the skill, you won't be affected."

The shadow looked at Li Banfeng. Although it showed no expression, Li Banfeng sensed the shadow's confusion. "Ironclad Evidence" combined with "Reversing Cause and Effect"—the skill worked. Now came the most crucial step.

His wife had always told Li Banfeng to master his skills, and now Li Banfeng deeply felt his wife's diligent efforts. The key to victory or defeat lay in whether he could use "Separated by Myriad Miles" while simultaneously maintaining "Shadow Companion."

Go out and try it. No, if he went out and found the skill didn't work, it would be too late. Prepare "Separated by Myriad Miles" in advance at home, then act as soon as he steps out!

Li Banfeng prepared himself in the main room for a moment, feeling ready. He strode to the door, pulled open the Portable Residence's main door, and then closed it behind him. The skill hadn't worked. Li Banfeng being able to open the door so easily proved he still had his sense of direction.

Try again. Li Banfeng walked around the table and headed towards the door again. No, being able to walk around the table proved his sense of direction was still intact.

Hong Ying watched from the side, truly anxious for him: "Qilang, can you calm your mind?"

"Yes, I can," Li Banfeng replied. Though anxious, his emotions were stable.

"Calming down isn't right. Have you ever seen a Journey Cultivator with a calm mind?" Hong Ying tied the rope around the shadow. "You're going out to fight for your life; that fire in your heart needs to ignite!"

"Ignite?"

"If there's no fire in your heart, how can your feet move? If you can't rush forward, what are you going out for? Just stay at home for the rest of your life!"

It was difficult for Residence and Journey cultivators to coexist. The hardest part was actually the state of mind.

Li Banfeng pulled open the door and walked out with his shadow.

Du Wenming was shuffling his feet through the wild reeds, each step very slow. He was testing the direction, able to perceive that the entrance was very close.

"What was that sound?" Mr. Kong Fang looked to his side; he thought he heard footsteps.

A dull thud echoed. Li Banfeng plunged in the first chair leg. Du Wenming followed the sound, faintly seeing figures moving through the wild reeds.

One person? No, there were two!

Du Wenming didn't dare act rashly. Mr. Kong Fang rapidly approached the figures. Another sound, the second chair leg was stuck into the ground.

Mr. Kong Fang was startled: "This array, she's back..." Before he finished speaking, another dull thud sounded, and the three anchor points were set.

Before Mr. Kong Fang could react, his body suddenly lifted from the ground. His body floated in mid-air, completely out of control, and in the blink of an eye, he flew away without a trace. He had been standing on the line connecting two anchor points. More precisely, the shadow had deliberately led Li Banfeng to draw a line between Mr. Kong Fang's feet.

Seeing Mr. Kong Fang suddenly vanish, Du Wenming had no idea what was happening.

Li Banfeng hid in the shadows, struggling to control his body, waiting for his sense of direction to return. Then he would deal with Du Wenming. Du Wenming could feel he was being watched, but he couldn't pinpoint Li Banfeng's location.

After a brief standoff, Du Wenming sensed murderous intent around him. He deliberately avoided the direction Mr. Kong Fang had taken and shuffled northwest, trying to escape the wild reeds. He truly hadn't realized that before the array's effect wore off, any direction he ran would be the wrong one. The instant he crossed the boundary, Du Wenming vanished.

A weary Li Banfeng sighed in relief and sat down in the wild reeds with his shadow. A cold wind blew, making the wild reeds rustle. Amidst the sound of the wind, there was a faint whistling.

Li Banfeng heard the Portable Residence laughing. "A-Qi, the three businesses are finally working together."

After resting for a moment, Li Banfeng quickly went to Fool's City. Sun Tiecheng wasn't home, nor was Gui Jianchou, and no one knew when they would return. Li Banfeng went to the Changsan Brothel and had the ladies go door-to-door, informing everyone that a great enemy was approaching and they should immediately pack their belongings and prepare to leave the city.

The city was in a flurry for a while. Men, women, old, and young ran back and forth in the streets. Stalls that used to sell fabric scraps, calligraphy, paintings, and breakfast all packed up, and most shops on the street closed their doors. Li Banfeng was still wondering where to send these people. Less than half an hour later, Fool's City was no longer in chaos.

Shops reopened for business, and men, women, old, and young returned to strolling the streets. Li Banfeng looked at Yan Qing'er: "What's going on? Didn't you explain it clearly?"

"It was all explained clearly. You told them to pack their things, and they all packed."

Li Banfeng watched the pedestrians for a moment: an old woman had an awl hidden in her sleeve, an old man had a cleaver tucked in his embrace, and a half-grown child held a sugar figurine in his left hand and a dagger in his right.

"I told them to pack their things and prepare to leave the city, not to go back and grab their weapons!"

"Boss, we're not leaving the city," Yan Qing'er shook her head. "This is our home. We're not going anywhere."

Li Banfeng said, "This isn't the time to be stubborn. You have no idea who's coming!"

"Boss, we've all died once already. We're not afraid of whoever comes today," Yan Qing'er hid a pair of awls in her sleeves. "Before, we were caught unprepared and taken by surprise. Today, Master Qi brought us news, so we're prepared. No matter who comes, we'll make them pay dearly!"

Li Banfeng looked towards the city gate: "The person coming today is on par with the City Lord. Do you really want to fight him?"

Yan Qing'er bit her lip, revealing a faint smile: "Boss, please leave quickly. You are the hope of our sect and the City Lord's hope for this lifetime. Once this is over, please, do come back to the city and see. If I'm still alive, I'll sing for you, I promise it'll be better than Yan Hong'er and Yan Cui'er!"

"Better than both of them?"

"Yes!" Yan Qing'er nodded vigorously.

Li Banfeng sighed and turned to walk towards the city gate. Yan Qing'er stood by the roadside, fighting back tears, watching Li Banfeng's retreating figure. She might never see Li Qi again in this lifetime.

Was she familiar with him? How many times had they met in total? Was he really that good? Didn't he just send a few clothes, some jewelry, a few boxes of powder and rouge? Didn't other brothel managers send such things too? He also sent food and drink, and some flesh and blood; much of the flesh on her body was attached with his help. He didn't mock them, nor did he look down on them. He even said he would take them out to explore the world. How wonderful it would have been if she could have left with Yan Hong'er and the others back then. He was leaving, and she might truly never see him again.

Yan Qing'er watched him all the way, wishing she could imprint the boss in her eyes.

"Gatekeeper, come here," Li Banfeng walked to the city gate and hailed the gatekeeper. The middle-aged gatekeeper walked over, scrutinized Li Qi, then turned to leave. He had initially demanded an entrance fee but ended up being swindled out of a lot of money by Li Qi. Now, seeing Li Qi, he just wanted to avoid him.

"Don't guard the gate today. Take your weapons and wait inside the city."

The gatekeeper was stunned: "That won't do. I heard some ruthless people are coming today. I need to guard the gate."

"Precisely because ruthless people are coming, you're not to guard the gate. Hurry up and go." Li Banfeng dismissed the gatekeeper, clasped his hands, and simply squatted by the city gate.

He lit a cigarette, took two puffs, and looked back at the men, women, old, and young in Fool's City. He exhaled a puff of smoke and looked at the dense fog outside the city.

Mr. Kong Fang, Du Wenming, I can't beat both of you alone, so I'll bring them along. Since everyone's ready, come on then. Let's see if you have the guts.