Chapter 597: Mountain Collapse and Earthquake

Li Banfeng, his face charred, and Zhang Peiwen, with a bruised face, sat together on the village chief's sofa, silently looking out the window.

"You hit really hard," Zhang Peiwen grumbled. "You're almost as bad as my mom."

Li Banfeng also grunted, "You bombed me, and you don't expect me to hit you back?"

"That dynamite won't kill anyone," Zhang Peiwen explained earnestly. "I was bombed once before, and I didn't die. That's why I dared to bomb you."

"Why were you bombed?"

"I want to go home," Zhang Peiwen said, lowering his head. "I want to go home to take care of my mom and dad; they need me. But the village chief said I couldn't leave unless I signed a contract, so I tried to escape and then the village chief bombed me."

"So you've been stuck here ever since?"

Zhang Peiwen nodded. "Even though I'm stuck here, I won't give in to them! I absolutely won't sign the contract. I refuse to stay here for half a month. Let's see what they can do to me!"

"When does this half-month period start?" Li Banfeng asked.

"It starts from the day you sign the contract."

Li Banfeng considered Zhang Peiwen's disappearance. "It's almost been half a month since you arrived at Gourd Village, hasn't it? You might as well have signed the contract earlier and left sooner."

Zhang Peiwen blushed. "There are still a few days left. If I behave well these next few days, they'll let me go."

"Did they tell you that?"

Zhang Peiwen shook his head. "It's just what I think. People who behave well always get rewarded."

Li Banfeng chuckled. "Who taught you that?"

"My mom—"

"Your mom called the police to look for you, and I am the police! And you still bombed me?"

"You're a police officer?" Zhang Peiwen looked at Li Banfeng, clearly disbelieving.

Li Banfeng wasn't in the mood to prove his identity. He went straight to the point: "What's the name of that taxi driver?"

"What taxi driver?" Zhang Peiwen lowered his head and traced words on the ground with his finger.

"The taxi driver who brought you to Gourd Village."

"I don't know him. He stopped in front of me, probably trying to get my business, but the way is so short, I wouldn't possibly take a taxi."

His words seemed fine, but Zhang Peiwen's tone and expression were off. Lying seemed to be a difficult task for him.

It would be best to have Meng De examine this, but Meng De was at the Seven Autumn City laboratory, helping Madam with an experiment.

"How did you get into Gourd Village?" Li Banfeng asked again.

Zhang Peiwen opened the door and peered into the empty hallway. Seeing no one, he closed the door and told Li Banfeng, "Once you leave the village, you can't talk about things inside the village, but since I'm still here, it should be fine. I was going to buy medicine for my mom, and when I turned around, I saw two older sisters waving at me at the entrance, so I followed them in—"

He wasn't lying about this; his account largely matched what the surveillance footage showed.

"Do you really want to go back?" Li Banfeng asked.

"Yes, I really do!" Zhang Peiwen nodded vigorously.

"Alright, I'll find a way to get you back. But from now on, you're not allowed to bomb me or harm me in any other way."

Zhang Peiwen nodded. Downstairs, a gong sounded. Li Banfeng looked out the window and saw A Yi shouting, "Come down, it's time to eat!"

Li Banfeng roared, "Are you going to bomb me again after I come down? Or shoot me with a Gatling gun?"

A Yi shouted back, "Our village has rules! No fighting during meals!"

Zhang Peiwen said from behind him, "That's true. People in Gourd Village really don't fight during meals."

Li Banfeng, half-believing, half-doubting, pushed open the door with Zhang Peiwen.

The stairs appeared, and the two went downstairs into the courtyard.

Meals were set out in the courtyard. About ten people from nearby households gathered around a table to eat.

It had to be said, the people in Gourd Village might be a bit crazy, but they were certainly good-looking. The women had exquisite figures and pretty faces, their ages impossible to discern.

The men were burly and robust, not only handsome but also exuding vitality.

The village chief didn't bother with formalities; everyone simply sat down at the large table without regard for age or status.

There were about ten dishes on the table. The ingredients weren't unusual: cucumbers, potatoes, eggplants, peppers, fish, chicken...

A Yun served everyone a bowl of rice, specifically telling Li Banfeng, "There's more if you need it."

The group began to eat. Li Banfeng held his chopsticks, watching everyone, and only started eating after he was sure they had all taken some food.

After a morning of commotion, he was indeed a bit hungry. The dishes were simple, stir-fried in a large wok, but they tasted quite good, mainly because the ingredients were fresh and the seasonings were just right.

Li Banfeng said to Village Chief A Yi, "I'm here for something else. Half a month is too long. Can you make an exception and shorten the time? I'll sign the contract right away."

A Yi sighed. "We rarely make exceptions for others."

Li Banfeng smiled. "'Rarely' means it's still possible. Tell me, what are the conditions?"

A Yi thought for a moment. "What conditions could there be? It's like how we rarely poison others when we eat, but if we meet someone fated..."

Li Banfeng looked at everyone's expressions.

They pursed their lips, their nostrils twitching.

Were they trying to suppress laughter?

Li Banfeng put down his chopsticks and surveyed the group. "Who among you? You've all eaten from this table of dishes. How could there be poison? You wouldn't kill yourselves just to poison me, would you?"

Zhang Peiwen reminded him from the side, "That plate of eggplant is poisoned. No one else ate it, only you."

"Really?" Li Banfeng looked at the eggplant. He indeed liked eggplant and had eaten quite a bit just now. After a moment of silence, Li Banfeng sneered, "You just wait."

He ran, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

A Yun asked A Yi, "Village Chief, should we chase him?"

A Yi replied calmly, "We're not the ones who got poisoned. Why would we chase him? Let's finish eating first."

With that, A Yi ate a piece of eggplant.

The entire table watched A Yi silently.

A Yi was silent for a moment, then angrily chided everyone, "What are you staring at? Go get the antidote!"

Li Banfeng found a place to hide his keys, returned to his Portable Residence, activated his "Carefree Slumber" technique, and began to detoxify himself.

He snatched Hong Ying's mirror and looked at himself, checking for any abnormalities.

Before long, he discovered his entire body had turned green; the poison had spread throughout him.

"It's fine, I just need to sweat it out!" Li Banfeng gritted his teeth, and sweat, mixed with green fluid, poured from his body. Miss Jiufang brought a basin of water and helped Li Banfeng wash himself clean.

Li Banfeng thanked her profusely. "Jiu'er, you've worked hard."

Miss Jiu got angry. "I told you to call me Senior Sister, not Jiu'er! Even if I were your concubine, I wouldn't want to be the ninth one!"

Hong Ying sneered, "Then which number do you want to be? Are you trying to get above me?"

Miss Jiu truly didn't take Hong Ying seriously. "Who do you think you are? Just a sleeping-chamber maid with no discernment. A Qi has been back for a while now; what have you done to help him?"

The two began to argue, but Li Banfeng paid them no mind. He changed into fresh clothes, took out the projector, and asked, "What color is it outside?"

"Red, hehehe, a very, very red red, hahaha! This place is great, Director Qi!"

Judging by its tone and voice, the projector's mental state seemed to be a bit off.

Li Banfeng put the projector down in the residence. Before leaving, he asked, "What exactly is Gourd Village, Jiu'er? Have you heard of it?"

Miss Jiu thought seriously for a moment. "I think I've heard of it. I think it's said that a group of lunatics live there."

"Exactly, a bunch of lunatics. Jiu'er, have you actually been there?"

Jiu'er mused for a moment, then murmured, "That place is good. If you go there, you'll be in your element." Li Banfeng angrily retorted, "What nonsense are you talking about? I'm not crazy!"

Jiu'er quickly corrected herself. "That's not what I meant. I mean, since you've gone to that place, it's best to listen to them, otherwise you might not be able to leave."

"I won't be able to leave?" Li Banfeng sneered. "I'd really like to see that. I'm going to walk out right now, and I'd like to see who among them can stop me!"

Miss Jiu warned, "Don't try anything aggressive. You probably can't beat her."

The old man asked, "Who are you talking about? Who can A Qi not beat?"

"Who? No one, I just want A Qi to be more careful and not act rashly."

Li Banfeng left the room. The Portable Residence then spoke, "Little Jiu'er, who exactly are you talking about?"

Miss Jiu pondered for a moment. "You can see the outside world. If you don't remember the land, you should at least remember people, right? You might not remember Gourd Village, but I have a sworn sister who is the best artisan in Puro Prefecture. You should remember her, shouldn't you? Some of her craftsmanship is still on you."

The Portable Residence was silent for a moment, then suddenly trembled.

Hong Ying was drawing her lips, and with the Portable Residence's tremor, her lipstick smeared, drawing a line from her cheekbone to below her eye.

"What was that?" Hong Ying complained. "What could have scared you so much?"

The old man murmured, "The best artisan, the best—"

Hong Ying said, "Isn't the best artisan Old Train?"

"Not Old Train, it's that crazy woman. Her craftsmanship is even better than Old Train's. She changed her appearance; I don't recognize her anymore," the Portable Residence trembled again and said to Miss Jiu. "That crazy woman founded her own Daoist sect, then was defeated by your father and disappeared from Puro Prefecture. How did she suddenly reappear?"

Miss Jiu sighed. "Old man, are you really confused? This isn't Puro Prefecture, didn't A Qi say that? This is an outer prefecture!"

The old man became anxious, and beads of water appeared on the walls. "What do we do now? How did A Qi fall into her hands?"

Miss Jiu thought for a moment. "I've always felt she's a reasonable person, especially fond of reasoning with madmen. She shouldn't harm A Qi, as long as A Qi is willing to listen to her."

The Portable Residence was still very nervous. "A Qi doesn't like listening to others."

Miss Jiu considered both their characteristics. "Her mind isn't quite right. A Qi is definitely smarter than her."

The Portable Residence disagreed. "What good is smarts? Your father was smart, but didn't he almost get killed by her back then?"

Miss Jiu thought again. "She likes madmen. If she meets someone crazier than her, she'll definitely like them."

The Portable Residence became even more nervous. "Aren't you talking nonsense? Is there anyone crazier than her in this world?"

Miss Jiu didn't know what to say. With the Portable Residence's words, she also grew afraid. "How about... how about we call A Qi back? He's the only direct descendant of our Daoist sect—"

"I called him!" The old man was also anxious. "He doesn't seem to hear me. That kid is really determined."

Li Banfeng walked towards the village chief's house with a chilling smile.

Just as he reached the village chief's wife's house, Li Banfeng grinned menacingly. "Village Chief, come out. I knew you were nearby..."

Dust flew everywhere as Li Banfeng fell into a pit.

Village Chief A Yi rushed over with a group of people. "Quick! Throw rocks into the pit, pour sand, pour dirt, pour everything! Don't let him crawl out!"

Everyone collectively dumped dirt and threw rocks into the pit, and the entire pit was filled with thick smoke.

A Yun said, "This pit is dozens of meters deep. He shouldn't be able to get out."

A Yi scoffed, "Nonsense! He can fly. How could he not get out? Where's the dynamite?"

A Mu brought over the dynamite.

A Yi pulled the fuse and threw the dynamite into the pit.

With a deafening explosion, screams echoed from the pit.

A Yi burst into laughter. "Did that blow you up? Did it kill you?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "No!"

A Yi looked at Li Banfeng in surprise. "How are you here?"

Li Banfeng said, "I just arrived too!"

Wails continued from the pit. A Yi asked Li Banfeng, "Who got bombed?"

Li Banfeng said, "Your wife."

"How could it be my wife?" A Yi rushed into the pit and dragged the strong man out. "Wife, listen to me, I wasn't bombing you, I was bombing him! Why did you come here—"

The strong man pushed A Yi away, crying as he said, "I'm not staying with you anymore! How could you do this? Why would you bomb me—"

A Yi was furious and shouted at the villagers, "Catch him! Grab that man for me! Bomb him to death!"

The villagers picked up their dynamite and shouted at the village chief, "Which person should we bomb?"

"Bomb Director Li!"

"Who's Director Li?"

A Yi pointed at Li Banfeng. "It's him! He's called Li Qi, and he calls himself Director Li. There'll be a heavy reward for catching him!"

Li Banfeng was startled. "You even know my name is Li Qi?"

A Yi smirked triumphantly. "What's there not to know? I'm the village chief, I live in a twenty-six-story building, my vision is so far-reaching, I know everything—"

Before she could finish, Li Banfeng snatched a bag of dynamite and ran off.

A Yun and a group of villagers watched A Yi together.

A Yi angrily said, "What are you staring at? Are you looking down on me? I'm your village chief! Don't you know how formidable I am? Hurry up and chase him!"

Chasing Li Banfeng wasn't easy. He didn't use the village paths.

He scaled courtyard walls, climbed onto rooftops, entered kitchens, and even burrowed into beds.

A young woman cried out, "He really did burrow into a bed! I just saw him in my own bed!"

A Yi was enraged. She grabbed a bag of dynamite, intending to blow up the young woman's bed.

A Yun stopped A Yi. "Why would you blow up someone's bed? Go chase Li Qi!"

Li Qi ran out of the village, eventually reaching a valley nestled between two large mountains.

Many people also lived in the valley, but their complexions looked considerably worse than those he'd just seen.

There were stooped elderly individuals, deeply wrinkled middle-aged people, and many young men with vacant eyes.

The pursuers behind him grew in number. Li Banfeng had caused the village chief's wife to be bombed, which had enraged the chief, so everyone able to fight in the village was now chasing him.

Li Banfeng sprinted through the valley for a moment and saw a tall, thin man looking his way.

The man was slender and elongated, with a long, narrow head, and he looked somewhat familiar.

"You're Chisel?"

"Director Li, come with me!" The man was indeed Chisel. He pulled Li Banfeng, entered an alley, passed through three lanes, entered a small courtyard, led Li Banfeng into the house, and closed the door.

After catching his breath, Chisel said to Li Banfeng, "Director Li, how did you end up here?"

Li Banfeng frowned. "I came here to find you. How did you end up here?"

Chisel lowered his head. "I've disgraced the Dark Star Bureau."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Forget the Dark Star Bureau for a moment. Tell me about yourself. Why are you here?"

"Director Li, I'm quite tired," Chisel said, rolling a cigarette and offering one to Li Banfeng. "There are no ready-made cigarettes here, so please make do with this."

Li Banfeng didn't mind. He lit it and, as he smoked, asked, "Tell me, how did you get so tired?"

"I'm forty-one this year, unmarried. I just got promoted to squad leader, my income is decent, and life was pretty good. I originally planned to live my whole life like that.

"But my family looked down on me, saying my life had no prospects, pushing me to get married, to find a wife and have children.

"At first, I ignored them, but I couldn't stand their constant nagging. I thought, I really am getting old, so I genuinely started looking for a wife to settle down with.

"I went on a blind date and found someone. I wasn't picky about anything, but the girl had demands. She wanted me to buy a house; I bought it. After buying, it needed renovation; I did that.

"Once the house was done, I had to meet her father-in-law. I met him, but the key wasn't just meeting him; I had to meet her entire extended family.

"Director Li, you know I don't usually like meeting people. In front of so many, my voice trembles. My girlfriend told me she was bringing her parents to live with us.

"Director Li, I've lived alone for half my life. I really can't live with her whole family. I truly can't.

"I said no, but my girlfriend completely ignored me and just brought her parents over. I asked her if she could give me some time, and she threatened to kill herself, saying I was heartless and didn't love her.

"I longed for fieldwork, I longed for night shifts. I just wanted to get away from home. One day, I was on duty outside a beauty salon, and I saw a few girls.

"It wasn't that I found them particularly pretty, but they told me there was a place where I could escape all this.

"Director Li, you can call me a failure, or a good-for-nothing. I was genuinely scared, so I hid here."

"Are you planning to hide for your whole life?" Li Banfeng asked.

"No," Chisel shook his head. "I only plan to hide for half a month. I signed a contract with them, and after half a month, I'll go back."

Li Banfeng sighed. He could understand Chisel; Chisel's current situation was indeed difficult to face.

But this wasn't the time to discuss that issue. Li Banfeng first needed to understand the layout of Gourd Village.

"Does this canyon also belong to Gourd Village?"

"The area ahead, these two mountains, and the area behind are all part of Gourd Village."

As he spoke, Chisel drew a gourd on the ground.

The place where Li Banfeng had been earlier was called the Gourd Head, the canyon they were currently in was the Gourd Waist, the two mountains on either side were the Gourd Mountains, and the area behind the Gourd Waist was called the Gourd Belly.

"Director Li, in Gourd Village, those who signed the contract but didn't agree to stay permanently live in the Gourd Waist. Including me, we are all considered untrustworthy.

"Once the contract expires, those who agree to stay in Gourd Village live in the Gourd Belly. Only then are they considered true Gourd Villagers. The time spent in the Gourd Belly is also called 'cultivation.'"

"Cultivation?" Li Banfeng paused. "What kind of Daoist sect are they?"

"I don't know what kind of Daoist sect, but they just call it cultivation."

"Who lives in the Gourd Head?"

"Two types of people live in the Gourd Head: one group consists of those who refuse to sign the contract and need strict monitoring; the other group consists of those who have achieved success in their cultivation. Their physiques have improved, and they've become more handsome, so they can live in the Gourd Head."

This Daoist sect of his is formidable, even making people more handsome.

A commotion arose outside the wall; Village Chief A Yi and her people were in pursuit.

Chisel told Li Banfeng, "Director Li, hide in the closet and don't move. I'll go outside and check the situation."

Li Banfeng entered the closet. Chisel took out a padlock and locked the closet. "Director Li, rest assured, with this lock, no one can open the closet. This lock is a dark energy conduit, and most of their dark abilities can be suppressed by it. Director Li, just hide without worry."

Chisel went into the courtyard, looked at A Yi, who was searching around, and displayed a sincere smile.

A Yi approached. "Is it done?"

Chisel nodded. "It's done!"

"Good, I'll count this as a merit for you. You won't have to wait for the contract to expire. You can move directly to the Gourd Belly tomorrow."

Chisel thanked her repeatedly. "Thank you, Village Chief."

The group entered the house. Chisel cautiously opened the closet. "Director Li, please don't be angry. Let's talk things over properly. The village chief is a good person—"

Boom! The closet exploded.

Li Banfeng had left. Before leaving, he had attached the dynamite's fuse to the closet door.

Chisel, his face charred, turned to the village chief. "Sister A Yi, he really was in there just now. I personally put him in, and I locked it myself. I don't know where he got the dynamite; I don't have any here..."

A Yi wiped the soot from her face but didn't blame Chisel. "I can see you put effort into this. You deserve the reward, and you'll move to the Gourd Belly tomorrow. My word is my bond!"

Chisel was overjoyed. Although injured, he forgot the pain. He just couldn't understand how Li Qi knew he had been betrayed.

At this moment, Li Banfeng was sprinting wildly on Gourd Mountain.

"Trying to trap me? Chisel, you're too naive. Director Li is Li Qi—only you knew that. The moment they knew my name was Li Qi, I knew you son of a b*tch sold me out!"

After running on the mountain for half a day, A Yi, carrying a gong, walked along, banging it and shouting, "Li Qi, come down and eat! No fighting during meals!"

Li Banfeng emerged from a patch of tall grass, a bag of dynamite in his hand.

This bag of dynamite was one A Yun had prepared to bomb Li Qi, but Li Qi had snatched it away.

A Yi spread a mat on the ground, placed three meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, a five-dish, one-soup meal, and handed two steamed buns to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng sat on the ground and began to eat with his chopsticks.

A Yi smiled. "Aren't you afraid I'll poison it?"

Li Banfeng chuckled in response, "Can you even poison me to death?"

A Yi was quite unconvinced. "I didn't use much poison, otherwise I would have poisoned you to death at lunch!"

Li Banfeng couldn't be bothered to argue with him. As he was eating a chicken leg, he suddenly saw a man pulling a cart of dirt pass by them.

"Isn't that your wife?" Li Banfeng called out to the man pulling the cart. "Village Chief's wife, aren't you angry that the village chief is eating with me?"

The man turned his head and grunted, "She's not eating with a fox spirit. Why should I be angry?"

A Yun, carrying a food container, stopped the man. "Come, let's eat together."

A Yi became displeased and shouted at A Yun, "Fox spirit, don't seduce my wife!"

Li Banfeng scoffed repeatedly. "Don't try that trick on me. You think I'm confused? You think I'm crazy? I'm perfectly lucid. I know my wife when I get into bed, and I know my shoes when I get out!"

He was about to have an episode.

It wasn't others forcing him to have an episode; his own symptoms were getting out of control.

His mental illness seemed to have found its homeland, like a bird escaping its cage, singing incessantly in Li Banfeng's mind.

A Yi asked Li Banfeng, "Do you have a wife?"

"Yes!" Li Banfeng puffed out his chest, looking very proud.

"Is she good to you?"

"Good!"

"If your wife is so good to you, why did you come here?"

Li Banfeng thought carefully. "Does this have anything to do with my wife? I just came here to look around. Now I feel this place isn't quite right for me, so I want to leave. It's as simple as that."

They fell silent for a moment. The meal was almost finished.

A Yi suddenly asked, "Have you ever suffered?"

Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "Quite a lot."

"That's strange. People who have suffered usually don't want to leave once they come here."

Li Banfeng said sincerely, "Ultimately, people are different, and the suffering they experience is different. Some have tasted the bitterness of Coptis, and they like to come here for some sweet corn.

"But I've tasted the bitterness of gentian, and sweet corn is no use to me. I need to find somewhere to eat sugarcane. Since we're all unlucky people, why make things difficult for me? Just let me leave."

He spoke with such conviction, expressing both bitterness and sorrow, that Li Banfeng felt A Yi must be swayed.

A Yi lowered her head and thought for a while, then looked up and said, "Do you think this place is too crazy?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "It's a bit crazy."

"Do you think being crazy is bad?"

"Being crazy isn't necessarily bad, but it's just not suitable for me. I'm not crazy—"

A Yi's expression suddenly turned cold. "So, you look down on madmen?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Not at all. It's just that everyone has their own aspirations—"

A Yi stood up. "You're a madman yourself! What right do you have to look down on madmen?"

Li Banfeng also got angry. "I've been to the hospital, and the doctor said I'm not crazy!"

"Today, I'll show you how powerful madmen can be!" A Yi gritted her teeth. "Everyone get off the mountain! I'm getting serious!"

A Yun was terrified. "Go! Hurry and get off the mountain!"

A Mu shouted, "I just chopped some firewood, but I haven't picked it up yet."

A Yi's wife, dragging a cart, shouted, "Forget the firewood, hurry up and go!"

Li Banfeng gathered his things and said, "Don't worry about the cart either, let's hurry and leave!"

"Don't you dare leave!" A Yi stopped Li Banfeng. Once everyone else had left the mountain, A Yi activated her technique.

A Yi's veins bulged, her face contorted fiercely, and she roared at Li Banfeng, "Mad Cultivation Technique! Mountain Collapse, Earth Rift!"

What Mad Cultivation Technique?

What mountain collapse...

The mountain path beneath Li Banfeng's feet split open.

Dirt and rocks from higher up the mountain rolled down, continuously exploding around Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng used his "Riding the Wind and Clouds" technique to ascend into the air. He looked down to see the entire mountainside, following the path beneath his feet, continuously crumbling.

The mountain really collapsed?

How could there be such a powerful technique?

She just mentioned "mad cultivation"—is there really such a Daoist sect?

The crucial thing was that this Daoist sect's technique didn't affect the mind; it affected reality?

As Li Banfeng was still reeling in surprise, he suddenly heard A Yi shout again, "Mad Cultivation Technique, Nine Heavens Galaxy!"

What was this now?

She mentioned "galaxy," and Li Banfeng instinctively looked up.

A few white clouds in the sky gathered, forming a dark cloud.

After a flash of lightning, the dark cloud changed shape in the sky, transforming into a massive basin of water.

The basin slowly tilted, pouring out its full contents.

The current, like a rushing river, slammed into Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng held out in the current for a while, barely managing at first, but the current grew increasingly turbulent. He quickly lost his balance, spun several times in mid-air, and crashed heavily to the ground.

She summoned a river from the sky...

Is that something a technique can do?

A Yi walked up to Li Banfeng, her eyes red, and angrily said, "What's so great about being an Ignorant Cultivator? Isn't it just about bullying honest people?"

She knows I'm an Ignorant Cultivator?

She saw through the Ignorant Cultivation Technique?