Chapter 587: Soul

In Greenwater City, Li Banfeng returned to his second residence, located within Round Bamboo Workshop. His 'second residence' was where he kept the Greenwater City deeds. While it appeared to be a normal house from the outside, Li Banfeng actually entered a dark dimensional space.

He dug out the Boundary Seal and placed it on his head.

Greenwater City's popularity never disappointed Li Banfeng. He sat by the wall, slowly absorbing it, and it took a full twenty-eight minutes to completely drain the Boundary Seal of its accumulated popularity. Now a dual second-level cultivator in the Cloud Realm, Li Banfeng felt no significant discomfort even after absorbing popularity for twenty-eight minutes; he could get up after a brief rest.

While Greenwater City boasted abundant popularity, the critical issue was the immense amount needed to advance from the second to the third level. Even after exhausting all the popularity from the Boundary Seal, it was still insufficient. Fortunately, the remaining deficit wasn't too large, so Li Banfeng headed directly to Maple Bridge to absorb a second wave of popularity.

Ma Wu was stretched thin with too many responsibilities. Coupled with his personal aversion to Maple Bridge, he hadn't invested much effort in its management. He Yuxiu also disliked Maple Bridge and was currently preoccupied with managing her own territory. Only Xiao Yeci remained relatively obedient. Li Banfeng had instructed her to manage the business well, and she had done a decent job. However, in the short term, there were no significant results; Maple Bridge remained lukewarm, with very limited popularity.

Even after draining the Boundary Seal dry, Li Banfeng hadn't gathered even a fraction of what was needed. Besides Maple Bridge, he knew of other places, so he then headed to Sleepless Town. Sleepless Town was a primary territory, formerly the domain of Wang Zimian, the diligent cultivator. After Wang Zimian's death, Li Banfeng had intended to use this territory to save Water Spring, but he hadn't yet found a suitable method.

He unearthed the deeds, then reburied them, and used the Boundary Seal to collect the popularity of Sleepless Town. After the diligent cultivator was banished from Sleepless Town, order gradually returned. People worked during the day and rested at night, at least living more like normal individuals. However, the popularity in this area saw little change. Li Banfeng drained the Boundary Seal, yet it was still insufficient for reaching the third level.

He possessed one more primary territory: Flower Fairy Villa, Hua Manchun's domain. This territory was highly unusual. Flower Fairy Villa housed only a group of women left behind by Hua Manchun. Aside from them, the vast domain had no other permanent residents, resulting in very limited popularity for the villa itself. In an environment with such limited resources, how did Hua Manchun achieve advancement? According to the women, Hua Manchun's popularity for advancement primarily stemmed from his business. It was inferred that he gained both money and popularity by refining corpses into medicinal powders. After Hua Manchun's death, this business naturally ceased, and the popularity Li Banfeng could find here was indeed limited.

Having exhausted all his primary territories, only the new ones remained. How much popularity could new territories possibly hold? Li Banfeng was not optimistic. Beyond collecting popularity from his own domains, Li Banfeng could also borrow from others. His first thought was Ink Fragrance Shop.

Ink Fragrance Shop was a large city with robust popularity. Its local deity was hard to define; it could be seen as his own 'lazy brush' or the 'diligent brush' that constantly wrote by the lake. Regardless of which brush it was, they didn't require popularity, and such a vast amount shouldn't be wasted. Li Banfeng went to Ink Fragrance Shop, heading straight for the Willow Garden.

Ink Fragrance Shop had seen several snowfalls, cloaking the city in silver and intensifying the aroma of books. Upon reaching the garden gate, a woman genuinely called out, "I knew you would come, for you understand my longing!"

Xiao Yeci?

Li Banfeng was startled, almost slipping and falling on the snowy ground. Xiao Yeci's cultivation has truly advanced! She recognized me from such a distance? Impossible. In Li Banfeng's impression, Xiao Yeci was a second-level literary cultivator. Although she had acquired considerable resources from the Lu family recently, even with ample elixirs and diligent practice, she could at most reach around the third level. How could a third-level ground cultivator possibly notice a second-level residence cultivator in the Cloud Realm?

Li Banfeng remained composed, observing Xiao Yeci for a moment. Xiao Yeci sighed several times in the snow, jotting down the previous sentence in her notebook.

You Tao tugged at Xiao Yeci's lapel. "Sister, isn't that enough? Can't you recite poetry somewhere else? We had to come here, and I'm practically freezing to death!"

Xiao Yeci said with a mournful expression, "Winter has arrived, and it's cold everywhere."

You Tao chuckled, "It's not cold under the covers."

Xiao Yeci seemed a bit nervous. "Don't mess around! We are here to cultivate!"

"What's so good about cultivating here? We have to speak in such archaic terms. When can we get some real cultivation done? I'm telling you, I'll only stay with you here for one month. Next month, you're coming with me to Belt Ridge."

"I really don't want to go to Belt Ridge!"

"You have to go, whether you want to or not. This is what we agreed upon."

Li Banfeng did not greet the two. He went alone to the willow grove, where he found the special willow tree and used a branch to write the character 'Hui' beneath it. The willow tree showed no response. Was the handwriting messy, or was the method incorrect? Li Banfeng took out the Judge's Brush and had it meticulously write the character 'Hui'. The willow tree still showed no response.

"It's changed," the Judge's Brush remarked.

Someone changed the entrance.

"Did something happen to the local deity again?"

"The Peddler," the Judge's Brush replied.

His guess was likely correct. The person who changed the entrance was most likely the Peddler; after the last incident at Ink Fragrance Shop, the Peddler surely would have taken precautions. But if he changed the entrance, how can I get in? Li Banfeng pondered his options. The local deity's dwelling was a lake, possibly a dark dimensional space. He could likely enter using Green Flower's begging bowl, but was the entrance still within this grove?

As he pondered, the Judge's Brush floated from Li Banfeng's hand. "I'll do it."

"The entrance has changed; can you still find it?"

"Yes." The Judge's Brush had a special affinity for this territory. After a brief search, it selected another willow tree, wrote two 'Hui' characters, and the familiar lake surface slowly began to appear before their eyes.

In early winter, the lake remained unfrozen. From the carved pavilion by the lake, Li Banfeng could faintly discern the figure of the local deity. Though referred to as the local deity, he was, in fact, a writing brush. However, Li Banfeng had previously fought with him, and when that writing brush went mad, it possessed considerable combat power.

"A-Bi," Li Banfeng asked the Judge's Brush, "Do you know where the Boundary Seal is?" Li Banfeng wished to avoid a direct confrontation with the writing brush. If he damaged it, maintaining order in Ink Fragrance Shop would become problematic.

"I remember."

The Judge's Brush quietly led the way, with Li Banfeng stealthily following close behind. After walking along the lakeside for a moment, the Judge's Brush lifted a rock on the bank, revealing a hidden compartment behind it. Li Banfeng looked down into the compartment; it was empty.

Where was the Boundary Seal? The Judge's Brush also seemed puzzled. Had someone visited recently and stolen the Boundary Seal? Was the writing brush alright? Li Banfeng quietly approached the carved pavilion and peeked inside. He saw the writing brush, still in its scholar's attire, holding a pen in its right hand and writing rapidly on white paper, while its left hand held the Boundary Seal, propped on its head.

He can absorb popularity now? Li Banfeng was deeply shocked, and the Judge's Brush was also quite surprised. The scholar suddenly turned his head, seeing Li Banfeng and the Judge's Brush. He quickly hid the Boundary Seal behind him and fully dipped the writing brush in his hand into the ink, preparing to fight Li Banfeng at any moment.

The Boundary Seal was right in his hand. Should he try to snatch it? If he truly wanted to snatch it, Li Banfeng was confident he could defeat the writing brush scholar, but he chose not to. Whether he was a scholar or a writing brush, ever since the Judge's Brush entrusted him with the local deity's position, he had consistently fulfilled his duties. The popularity of Ink Fragrance Shop inherently belonged to him. Furthermore, it was highly probable that this wasn't his first time absorbing popularity, meaning the popularity stored within the Boundary Seal was likely scarce.

Li Banfeng and the Judge's Brush left the carved pavilion. As they walked away, the Projector spoke: "That person's aura was originally green with fear. After we left, it turned to a relaxed pale yellow. We left, and he was no longer afraid. We actually had no intention of harming him."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Actually, we shouldn't have disturbed him."

Ink Fragrance Shop was no longer an option. Where else could he borrow some cultivation? Seven Autumn City? Qiu Luoye also relied on popularity for advancement, so there wouldn't be much in reserve. Blackrock Slope? Tang Shijiang likely hadn't used popularity for a long time, but given its preciousness, it surely served other purposes. It would be awkward to bring it up. He might as well try his luck at his new territories. 'Even a mosquito's leg is meat,' as the saying goes, and he had more than one new territory. If it still wasn't enough, he'd go discuss it with Big Brother Tang. If Big Brother Tang refused, he could still borrow a bit from Elder Xu.

Li Banfeng first returned to his earliest new territory, which had originally belonged to the Mountain Overlord. He no longer needed to rely on Hong Ying's power; with his unimpeded passage skill, he could easily pass through the rock face and enter the Mountain Overlord's residence. Although he hadn't returned for some time, the blind mountain wolf still recognized Li Banfeng's scent and trotted over to greet him.

"Master, you've finally returned! We thought you had abandoned us!"

Li Banfeng stroked the mountain wolf's head. "You lack nothing in terms of food or drink, right?"

"No lack. The folks in the mountains are still quite orderly; they send food every three to five days."

Li Banfeng reminded, "Keep good records of the accounts. If anyone fails to visit for a long time, let me know."

In the backyard, Li Banfeng descended into the tunnel to retrieve the Boundary Seal. Looking at the Boundary Seal, Li Banfeng held little hope. Any popularity in this desolate place was sustained by strange creatures. A single absorption, he figured, wouldn't even fill a tooth gap.

Li Banfeng placed the Boundary Seal on his head, first separating the miscellaneous cultivation within, then allowing the popularity to rapidly infuse into his body. Wait, this amount was extraordinary. Li Banfeng absorbed popularity from the Boundary Seal for over seven minutes. It was not only enough to fill a tooth gap but also completely filled the space required to advance to the third level.

Where did such a vast amount of popularity come from? Li Banfeng had moved all the strange creatures from Qiu Luoye's territory here. Could they be responsible for all this? Impossible. If strange creatures were that efficient, Qiu Luoye would have reached the third level of the Cloud Realm long ago. Where else could this popularity originate?

As he pondered, Li Banfeng suddenly felt a tremor in his heart—someone was about to begin cultivation on this very territory. Who was this person? How had they managed the timing so perfectly?

Zhang Wanlong set up the offering table with offerings. Little Gengzi asked, "Big Brother Zhang, do you truly believe the local deity has returned? I don't feel anything at all."

"Brother, your cultivation is still insufficient. Practice for a few more years, and you'll feel it," Zhang Wanlong said. He squatted by the offering table, waiting for the local deity's response, but after more than half an hour, there was still no sign. "Strange, did we not prepare enough offerings?" Zhang Wanlong looked at the offerings, calculating on his fingers. "It should be about right. We only want the Three Hat territory; I think we have more than enough. Could it be that the local deity hasn't returned—"

Zhang Wanlong pondered for a moment, slapped his forehead, and hurried to the bamboo forest. In the forest, several bamboo shoots had just broken through the soil. "My oversight!" Zhang Wanlong exclaimed. "It's a good thing the local deity hasn't arrived yet. If he saw this, who knows what trouble it would cause." He sprinkled a handful of moss, which quickly grew to conceal the iron tendons on the bamboo shoots.

Zhang Wanlong was about to return to the offering table to check again when he suddenly saw someone approaching the bamboo forest in the distance.

"Who is that?"

Seeing the person's silhouette, Little Gengzi immediately recognized him. "Seventh Master is here!"

Zhang Wanlong quickly stepped forward to greet him. "Seventh Master, it's been a while since I last saw you. What brings you here?"

This sounded awkward. Li Banfeng was the local deity of this place, yet to Zhang Wanlong, he was treated as a guest.

"Big Brother Zhang, I've come to do business with you. Do you have any good seeds recently?"

"Yes, I do. My business here relies entirely on Seventh Master's patronage. As long as Seventh Master asks, I'll bring out all my best hidden treasures. Let's sit down at the manor and chat for a while."

Zhang Wanlong led Li Banfeng towards the manor. This 'manor' was actually a village they had specially constructed as a living place for the plant-humans he cultivated. Just as they reached the village entrance, an old man was smoking. Upon seeing Zhang Wanlong, the old man greeted him first. "Master Zhang, you're back! My wheat field is almost ready for harvest, and my family is short-staffed. I'll still need your help, Master Zhang."

Zhang Wanlong nodded. "Don't worry, I've arranged it. In a couple of days, wheat harvesters will come to your home to work. Make sure you treat them well: don't skimp on their food, their drink, or their wages!"

Early winter was not the season for wheat harvest. Of course, this presented no difficulty for Zhang Wanlong; with his methods, he could achieve harvests all year round. The wheat wasn't the point; rather, the old man they had just encountered was somewhat peculiar. Li Banfeng stared closely at the old man for a few moments, then lowered his voice and asked, "This person is real, right?"

"Real what?" Zhang Wanlong shook his head with a laugh. "This is a luffa-man I grew. If you look closely at his throat, you can even see luffa seeds!"

"Luffa-men speak so authentically?"

Zhang Wanlong sighed. "You're making fun of me. This old man only knows a few sentences all year, and I taught him each one word by word. He doesn't actually understand what these words mean; it's like a parrot mimicking. I put in so much effort to teach him just for fun. Otherwise, in this desolate place, my brother and I would be bored to death!"

Such smooth back-and-forth, all just for a bit of fun?

Continuing forward, a beautiful girl, sixteen or seventeen years old, approached, smiling sweetly at Little Gengzi. "Gengzi Ge, didn't you say you'd teach me to read the day before yesterday? I've been waiting for you at home for two days."

Little Gengzi gave a simple, honest smile. "I will, I'll go in a bit."

The girl walked away, blushing. Little Gengzi turned to Li Banfeng and asked, "Seventh Master, the girl wants me to go. Should I go or not?"

Li Banfeng looked at the girl, unsure how to respond. Zhang Wanlong frowned. "Brother, you're mistaken here. Aren't you making Seventh Master misunderstand? This girl is made of persimmons; I specially made her for Gengzi. I'm of an age where I no longer care about such trifles. Gengzi is still young; he needs a girl to talk to."

Gengzi looked at Li Banfeng and said, "I think this girl is sincere." His words were simple and honest, but his expression conveyed another meaning.

Li Banfeng watched the villagers coming and going, unable to help but exclaim, "Brother Zhang, your craftsmanship is truly superb!"

"How dare I call it superb?" Zhang Wanlong shook his head. "You haven't seen what my master created. Not only do they resemble humans, but they can also fight. That's true skill."

Elder Xu had grown eggplant-men, which Li Banfeng had seen. Whether they could fight was one thing, but in terms of appearance, they were not as refined as Zhang Wanlong's creations.

Upon reaching Zhang Wanlong's courtyard, two women, holding basins and towels, attended to him as he washed his face and changed clothes. One girl wiped Zhang Wanlong's face with a hand towel and even kissed him on the cheek. Zhang Wanlong gently squeezed the girl's cheek. The two appeared affectionate, which visibly angered the other girl.

Li Banfeng chuckled, "Big Brother Zhang, did you also grow these two confidantes? Didn't you say you no longer cared about such matters?"

Zhang Wanlong sighed. "I no longer concern myself with romance, but the practicalities of daily life can't be forgotten. I work so hard with farm chores; I need someone by my side to wash clothes and cook meals. Seventh Master, it's just about dinner time. I don't have any delicacies, just a simple home-cooked meal. Would you do me the honor of joining me for a couple of drinks?"

Li Banfeng nodded. Zhang Wanlong quickly invited him into the living room, where a meticulously prepared meal of wine and dishes, a harmonious balance of meat and vegetables, awaited them on the table.

"Seventh Master, since you didn't bring a confidante, please allow me to serve you," Little Gengzi said, hanging Li Banfeng's coat and pouring wine for both of them.

After two cups of wine, Zhang Wanlong asked, "Seventh Master, what kind of seeds do you desire this time? Those for fetching water and chopping wood, or those for charging into battle?"

"What are the ones for fetching water and chopping wood like?"

"I have a batch of celery-men here. They are diligent and enduring workers. Take them home, and they can handle all the tough and tiring tasks. Give them plenty of water and sunlight, and they'll last for half a year to a year without issue."

"And those for charging into battle?"

"Celery-men won't do for that; their bodies are too fragile. I also have a group of winter melon-men. They have large builds and great strength; they can carry a tree trunk and follow you into siege battles! Of course, winter melon-men aren't overly sturdy either. I also have a batch of walnut-men. They aren't very tall, but they naturally possess a layer of hard armor that can withstand knife and axe blows. They are a bit delicate, though, requiring special fertilizer for maintenance. If the oil inside the walnut kernel dries up, they become useless."

Li Banfeng nodded. "I like all those you've mentioned. Do you happen to have any seeds that don't require blood?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Using your seeds always requires a drop of blood, which is quite troublesome. I'm just looking for seeds that don't require blood."

Zhang Wanlong gently shook his head. "Seventh Master, that's a difficult request. If you're merely planting, no blood is needed. But if you wish the seeds to take human form, blood is essential."

"That can't be right," Li Banfeng said, looking back at the two beautiful girls in the room. "Whose blood was sprinkled for these two ladies?"

Zhang Wanlong thumped his chest. "My own blood!"

Li Banfeng chuckled. "Big Brother Zhang, forgive my bluntness, but you don't look so delicate and radiant."

"They're slowly sculpted," Zhang Wanlong explained seriously. "These two wives of mine, one made from peaches and the other from apricots, originated from my essence, but I put a considerable amount of effort into their cultivation. From the moment they broke through the soil and sprouted, I had to meticulously care for them: how their eyebrows, eyes, lips, and teeth would form and grow, how much water and fertilizer to use, how many branches and leaves to prune—I had to know it all precisely."

Zhang Wanlong explained in great detail, and Li Banfeng listened very carefully. "Big Brother Zhang, I see that everyone in this village looks different. Did you cultivate them all individually?"

Zhang Wanlong said with a serious expression, "Of course! These are for my brother and I to live with. If they all looked the same, wouldn't we go mad?"

"You're right!" Li Banfeng picked up his wine glass and clinked it with Zhang Wanlong's.

Zhang Wanlong was a master of evasion. Li Banfeng had asked about the feasibility: how much time would it take to cultivate each of these numerous individuals specifically? Zhang Wanlong, however, had answered with necessity: people living together shouldn't look identical. While his words weren't incorrect, he had artfully dodged Li Banfeng's question. After exchanging toasts and finishing their meal, Li Banfeng rose to take his leave. Zhang Wanlong quickly tried to persuade him to stay. "Seventh Master, what's the rush? It's rare for you to visit; please stay for a couple more days before leaving."

"No, I won't stay. I have urgent matters. I'll come again another day," Li Banfeng said. As he spoke, Little Gengzi brought Li Banfeng's coat and draped it over him.

There was something in the coat.

Li Banfeng said nothing. Zhang Wanlong and Little Gengzi accompanied him all the way to the village entrance, where they parted ways.

Little Gengzi said to Zhang Wanlong, "Big Brother Zhang, did we forget about the important matter? The offering table is still there, and we don't know if the local deity has agreed. I'll go check first."

Zhang Wanlong waved his hand. "No need to check. The local deity is busy, so he definitely didn't agree."

Little Gengzi looked surprised. "The local deity is busy? How do you know?"

Zhang Wanlong smiled. "Brother, let's not bother with cultivation anymore. Let's just find a place to plant bamboo."

"Without consulting the local deity, wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

"I don't think the local deity will find fault. Just trust me."

As Li Banfeng walked through the new territory, he occasionally saw herbalists and hunters. These individuals repeatedly transported goods to the manor. Some exchanged a few words with each other, while others remained silent, focusing only on their work. These all appeared to be people cultivated by Zhang Wanlong. Were they truly, as Zhang Wanlong claimed, heartless tools?

The Projector provided the answer. "Seventh Guide, the old man at the village entrance, his aura was initially light green. He was genuinely worried that his family's wheat wouldn't be harvested. When Zhang Wanlong told him that the wheat harvesters would arrive soon, the old man's aura turned yellow, indicating his great joy. And the young woman, after seeing Little Gengzi, her aura became full of red; she truly liked Gengzi. Of the two young women in the room, one radiated a sweet red, showing she was favored, while the other carried a bitter orange-yellow, indicating strong jealousy."

"What about the farmers and hunters passing by?"

"Some individuals had colors; some were very vivid, others very faint, barely noticeable without close observation. Others had no color at all. Perhaps my vision isn't good enough, or perhaps their colors were beyond my ability to discern."

A group of men entered the village carrying scythes. They were likely the wheat harvesters Zhang Wanlong had mentioned. These individuals bore a striking resemblance to Zhang Wanlong. These were the 'people with almost no color' that the Projector spoke of, truly mere tools. However, the other plant-humans who exhibited colors possessed strong spiritual essence, approaching that of humans—perhaps even what could be called a soul.

No wonder there was such abundant popularity in this territory. No wonder Elder Xu cared so deeply about this disciple. Was what he was doing truly right? Puluo State was not an outer province, and the standards for judging matters differed. In this particular case, Li Banfeng found himself unable to make a judgment.

After walking some distance, Li Banfeng quietly returned to his portable residence. He took off his coat and pulled a bamboo stick from its inner lining. This bamboo stick had been slipped in by Little Gengzi. Li Banfeng held the bamboo stick and examined it for a moment. By the light of the phonograph, he saw one gleaming iron tendon after another.

The phonograph, puffing steam, asked, "Husband, what is this thing?"

"That's not right," the Madam said, prodding the bamboo with her needle and examining it carefully for a moment. "Iron Tendon Bamboo always has ten iron tendons, but this bamboo only has eight."

"What's the use of bamboo with eight iron tendons?"

The phonograph shook its horn. "Your humble servant has never seen such a thing either."

What exactly was Zhang Wanlong trying to do? Was this an experimental specimen of Iron Tendon Bamboo? At this moment, Li Banfeng profoundly understood Xu Han's feelings. Zhang Wanlong was an unfathomable person.

There was no time to address this matter now. Li Banfeng said, "Madam, I've absorbed enough popularity; I can almost advance."

Hong Ying was very happy. "Seventh Lang, let's also advance the Traveler Cultivation to the third level at the same time!"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "My current popularity is only enough for one advancement."

Hong Ying became displeased. "Can't one advancement be saved for me? Does it have to be for Xiao Wan?"

"What Traveler Cultivation are you talking about, Husband!" The Madam reprimanded Hong Ying. "This girl, Hong Ying, is too unreasonable. Husband is eager to advance to the third level to use the 'High Pillow Without Worry' technique to save the glove. Traveler Cultivation isn't urgent right now. Husband, let's first steadily advance your Residence Cultivation. Because time is pressing, you will need to consume an entire Profound Essence Pill. Once its medicinal properties are stable, your humble servant will then guide you in advancing."

"Consume an entire Profound Essence Pill?" Li Banfeng feared he couldn't endure it.

The phonograph also feared Li Banfeng couldn't endure it. "Husband, if it were up to your humble servant, it wouldn't be too late to wait another six months to a year. I can stabilize the glove's curse. As long as Xiao Qianshou doesn't find him, his life should be without major peril."

Shouldn't be...

A group of magical artifacts, including the Judge's Brush, were all looking at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng took out a Profound Essence Pill and put it into his mouth.

"Come on, Madam."