Chapter 623: Sea-eating Old Car

Li Banfeng struggled to understand the relationship between popularity and genuine affection. In his view, popularity simply correlated with the number of people. More people in Greenwater Bay naturally meant higher popularity, while fewer people in Yesong Bridge resulted in lower popularity. This was the most intuitive concept and basic common sense in Prozhou.

Pan Dehai waved his hand. "My young friend," he said, "you only know half the truth. Yes, a large crowd does generate a lot of popularity. A hundred people in a given area can produce a hundred units of popularity in a day, and ten thousand people can produce ten thousand. This is an ironclad rule, constant everywhere. However, if just one person acts with true sincerity, they might generate a hundred units of popularity in a day, or even more."

"One person generating a hundred units of popularity?" Li Banfeng remained puzzled.

Old Pan sighed. "You can't grasp it, can you, my friend? I only recently understood this principle myself. In the True Land, Haichi Ridge doesn't have a huge population, but its popularity is quite substantial. That's because when people are hungry, their desire to eat is a form of true sincerity! The popularity in Kudai Kan is also considerable; after people are well-fed and content, they desire to do other things, which again stems from true sincerity! Yaowang Gully has a decent population, but its popularity isn't very high. People there are idle, without strong ambitions or desires, so they can't accumulate much popularity. The people of Greenwater City, however, are ambitious; everyone has something they genuinely want to achieve. This heartfelt desire is why Greenwater City boasts the most thriving popularity. These various forms of popularity have diverse sources and uncertain destinations. The local seal can collect them all, and whoever holds it can use them. However, there's one type of popularity that the local seal cannot collect—a type that has a name and an owner. Last New Year, tens of thousands of people in Sandaoling offered incense to Lord Seven, each with profound sincerity. That popularity was earned by you directly. The local seal couldn't absorb it, and no one else could partake in it."

At this point, Old Pan paused briefly, seemingly having let something slip.

Li Banfeng looked at Pan Dehai. "You just mentioned that others couldn't partake in it. Does that include you? Did you give me this popularity because you couldn't use it yourself?"

Pan Dehai shook his head. "Speaking like that wounds our friendship. While I, an old man, cannot utilize this popularity, wouldn't it be a complete waste to simply leave it untouched? Gathering popularity is no easy task. I, acting on my conscience, my virtue, and my sincere goodwill as a friend, helped you with this significant matter. If you don't show appreciation, you'll truly break this old man's heart!"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I'm truly grateful for this," he said, "I absolutely must show my appreciation. In the future, whenever you need my assistance, Elder Pan, just say the word. I, Li, will not hesitate." This was a rare moment of genuine sincerity from Li Banfeng; he desperately needed popularity, and Pan Dehai had indeed provided immense help. After a brief chat, Li Banfeng inquired about Qin Tianjiu's recent situation.

Pan Dehai replied subtly, "Qin Tianjiu possesses an extraordinary talent; he consumes three oxen and six sheep daily. My accumulated experience in culinary cultivation hasn't proven very effective with him. I had hoped to recommend him as a disciple to Madam Oblivion, the master food cultivator of Iron Bowl Ridge. Unfortunately, Madam Oblivion is eccentric and deemed Qin Tianjiu pedantic, refusing to accept him as a student. Thus, he has had to content himself with following me for the time being."

Li Banfeng quickly understood the implication. He took out a check and handed Elder Pan ten thousand silver dollars. "Consider this money tuition," he said. "I'll cover all of Little Fatty's expenses."

Pan Dehai politely declined several times but eventually accepted the money. While ten thousand silver dollars wasn't a vast sum for him, the sincerity of the gesture significantly brightened his spirits. The old carriage picked up speed, arriving at Qiemian Village with the two men in less than two hours.

North of the village lay Zhajiang Slope. Heavy snow had closed the mountain, and the path was no longer traversable. Despite this, the old carriage proceeded steadily, its wheels seemingly hovering above the snow, leaving not a single track.

Near the mountaintop, Pan Dehai and Li Banfeng disembarked. Pan Dehai glanced at Li Banfeng's feet; this was a moment to observe skill. Just as the old carriage left no marks, a person walking on the snow should also leave no footprints.

Li Banfeng, possessing the skill of riding the wind and clouds, floated effortlessly across the snow. Pan Dehai also demonstrated a technique, though Li Banfeng couldn't determine its source.

Upon reaching a large rock, Pan Dehai coughed three times. The rock, seemingly responsive to his voice, slowly rose from the ground, ascending to a height of over two meters and hovering in the air. Behind the rock lay a cave. After walking a hundred meters or so inside, Li Banfeng spotted an old carriage.

This carriage was identical in size and shape to the one they had just ridden. Yet, as Li Banfeng observed it, he had a distinct feeling that it should be very light. Why did he feel this way? It must have been due to its color.

The shafts, carriage body, and wheels of this old carriage were uniformly colored: off-white with a faint yellowish tint.

Li Banfeng touched the shafts and asked Pan Dehai, "Is this carriage made of paper?"

Pan Dehai found Li Banfeng's comment a bit disrespectful, but he didn't deny it. "This carriage is indeed made of paper," he confirmed.

"This is the Haichi Old Carriage?"

Pan Dehai nodded. "This is Haichi Ridge's treasure, capable of holding tens of thousands of people!"

How could a paper carriage possibly accommodate over ten thousand people? Prozhou was full of bizarre and wondrous things, but Li Banfeng still found this carriage remarkably plain. It lacked even a single wooden support and appeared as if it might disintegrate with a strong gust of wind.

Pan Dehai smiled. "Brother, don't assume this carriage is light. See if you can pull it."

Li Banfeng looked down. "Can the wheels turn?"

"They can turn, very smoothly."

Li Banfeng clarified beforehand, "If I happen to break this carriage while pulling it, don't hold me responsible."

Pan Dehai chuckled. "Use all the strength you possess; if the carriage breaks, the cost is mine."

Li Banfeng, who had learned the carriage driver's steps, gripped the shafts with both hands and took a step forward. Yet, the wheels remained completely still, as if welded to the ground.

Li Banfeng turned to inspect the carriage carefully. Even if the wheels didn't turn, such a light vehicle shouldn't be hard to drag. So why weren't the wheels moving? Was something holding them in place?

"My young friend," Pan Dehai said, "trying to move the Haichi Old Carriage with such minimal effort? That's a joke, isn't it? Apply more strength."

This time, Li Banfeng exerted greater force. If the wheels were truly stuck to the ground, he could have snapped the shafts. But the shafts held firm, and the wheels remained motionless.

Pan Dehai sighed. "Brother, you are a traveler cultivator from the clouds. If this is the extent of your abilities, I, your elder brother, will have to laugh at you."

This time, Li Banfeng held nothing back and exerted his full power. Squeak-creak~ The wheels turned, and the carriage began to move forward with him.

Old Pan was right; the wheels turned very smoothly. However, the carriage possessed significant inertia, making it extremely difficult for Li Banfeng to control. He attempted to stop, but the carriage continued to push him forward for over ten meters.

Li Banfeng lifted the shafts, weighing them twice. High inertia implied substantial mass, yet the shafts themselves were very light, consistent with being made of paper. Was the carriage body extremely heavy?

With another surge of strength in his wrist, Li Banfeng lifted the carriage directly. It wasn't heavy! He felt the entire carriage weighed only about five jin (approximately 2.5 kilograms). "Carrying it would be far easier than pulling it," he remarked.

Pan Dehai gestured for Li Banfeng to put the carriage down. "My young friend," he said, "always remember this: the wheels of the Haichi Old Carriage must never leave the ground. Even if it's empty, the Haichi Old Carriage will become upset if its wheels are airborne. If it's not empty, and the wheels lift off, all contents, no matter how much, will spill out and won't be able to be reloaded for quite some time."

This carriage certainly has a unique temperament!

Pan Dehai asked, "My young friend, do you want to practice here for a while longer, or come with me to scout the location?"

Li Banfeng pulled the carriage back and forth twice inside the cave. The cave was quite deep, stretching over a kilometer. By the time he set the carriage down, Li Banfeng was sweating.

"Once the carriage is loaded," Pan Dehai said, "it will be even harder to pull. My young friend, if you're to pull this carriage through San Touncha, you'll need to exert considerably more effort."

"This isn't merely a matter of effort," Li Banfeng said, shaking his head repeatedly. He simply didn't possess that capability! The carriage was meant to carry ten thousand people. How incredibly difficult would it be to pull such a vehicle out of San Touncha?

Li Banfeng practiced pulling the carriage in the cave for over an hour, making little progress. He temporarily left the carriage there and followed Old Pan to scout the location.

Zhajiang Slope itself lay on the border between Haichi Ridge and San Touncha. However, the path was difficult, and its proximity to Qiemian Village made it an unsuitable point of entry or exit for San Touncha.

Following Zhajiang Slope eastward for thirty li, they arrived at Qingtang Gully, Old Pan's chosen location. This was a mountain gully, aptly named Qingtang (Clear Soup) Gully because its lack of soil made cultivation impossible.

Pan Dehai explained, "The snow here is quite deep in winter, and there's ample rainfall in spring and summer. However, there's no soil, only rocks, so water doesn't accumulate; it all flows down the slope. The flowing water is remarkably clear, which is why this place is called Qingtang Gully. Hardly anyone comes here throughout the year, and the boundary line here is relatively narrow."

"Are boundary lines also categorized by width?"

"Yes, they are. Boundary lines in different areas vary in width. While it might not be obvious elsewhere, the difference in width is substantial here in San Touncha."

The two walked into the gully. After about five or six li, they encountered a stretch of road ahead that was free of snow, covered only in dust, indicating they had reached the boundary line.

Li Banfeng looked up. The snow-free area was at least a hundred meters wide. "Could all of this be a result of the boundary line?" he wondered.

Pan Dehai sighed. "This is the boundary. The line between Haichi Ridge and San Touncha is very wide, and Qingtang Gully is already considered one of its narrowest points."

"This is the narrowest?" This immediately dampened Li Banfeng's confidence. He wondered if the Dark Bridge Cannon could span such a broad boundary.

"My young friend," Pan Dehai said, "I've also selected a few other locations, but their boundary lines are all wider than this one, and the spots aren't as secluded."

Li Banfeng followed Pan Dehai to several other locations. Old Pan was correct; Qingtang Gully was indeed the most suitable spot.

Pan Dehai's task was complete. "I've left the Haichi Old Carriage for you in the cave," he said. "The large rock at the cave entrance recognizes you; approach it and cough three times, and it will open for you. Once you're finished with the carriage, make sure to return it to the cave. This carriage is the very foundation of Haichi Ridge."

Pan Dehai departed, and Li Banfeng stared at the boundary line for a long time.

He first took out his boundary switch and tested it. Pulling the wooden lever, Li Banfeng sent a paper figure charging towards the boundary line. *Whoosh!* The instant the paper figure touched the line, it disintegrated into ash. Li Banfeng's switch proved ineffective on the San Touncha boundary.

He returned to his portable residence, bringing out Niangzi and the Dark Bridge Cannon.

Niangzi observed the width of the boundary line without surprise; she knew the San Touncha boundary was exceptionally unique.

"Our Dark Bridge can cross it," she said, "but it will require more effort." She adjusted the angle and fired a shot towards the boundary. The shadow cast by the Dark Bridge had a diameter of only about five meters, far too small to cover the boundary line.

"Again!" Niangzi changed the angle and fired another shot. This time, the effect was better; the shadow's diameter reached over thirty meters.

Yet, this was still a significant distance from covering the hundred-meter boundary.

"Again!" Niangzi manipulated a dozen or so dials back and forth, making tiny adjustments to the angle. This shot resulted in a shadow diameter of only three meters. It was a miss.

Niangzi complained, "This stylus isn't working properly. It slipped several times on the dial; I can't adjust it accurately at all."

Li Banfeng returned to his portable residence and brought out Zhao Xiaowan's puppet. Entering the puppet's body, Niangzi flexed her fingers. While the precision for controlling the dials was now sufficient, the speed was considerably slower. The puppet's arms simply lacked the robust strength of the phonograph's mechanism.

"So, should we switch back?"

"No need to switch back," she replied. "It's just a bit slower; it's not a major issue." Niangzi attempted it over thirty times and finally succeeded. The shadow extended outward, eventually covering the entire boundary line.

"I'll go through and try!" Li Banfeng was about to step into the wormhole when Niangzi stopped him.

"My dear husband," she said, "you absolutely cannot try that. We don't even know if such a long Dark Bridge is stable. Please wait while I adjust the parameters again."

Niangzi continuously adjusted the Dark Bridge's parameters. The bridge barely held for a minute before disappearing.

This was entirely due to Niangzi's deep familiarity with the Dark Bridge, which enabled her to stabilize it.

"I'll need to practice a few more times," she said. "When the Dark Bridge is pushed to its limits, various unpredictable situations can arise. I can't guarantee I'll be able to handle it at a critical moment."

Li Banfeng then considered a crucial question: If the Hawker needed to cross into San Touncha via the Dark Bridge, who would operate it at that moment?

The following day, the Hawker arrived at Qingtang Gully.

Li Banfeng explained the situation of the Haichi Old Carriage to the Hawker. The Hawker laughed. "Don't worry," he said, "you won't have to pull the carriage. I have other assistance. Our task is to rescue that group of three-headed people."

The Hawker unrolled a map of San Touncha. "Twenty li north from here is Zhizi Mountain," he explained. "There are about ten thousand people on that mountain. The Outer State intends to capture them and take them to Sinner City, but they refused, engaging in several fierce battles with the Outer State on the mountain. This time, the Outer State is acting ruthlessly, aiming for their complete annihilation. Our mission is to rescue them. The primary challenge, however, is that there are also over three thousand three-headed people on the mountain, and they are incredibly difficult to deal with."

Li Banfeng was confused. "We're going to rescue three-headed people, but we also have to fight three-headed people?"

"The three-headed people we must contend with have already submitted to the Outer State," the Hawker clarified. "These individuals are known as the Innocent Army. They are well-equipped and are not of low 'level.'"

"Level?" Li Banfeng asked. "Brother, surely you're mistaken? How can three-headed people have levels? Even those in the Inner State don't have levels, let alone the ones in San Touncha."

"I'm not referring to cultivators' levels," the Hawker explained. "Three-headed people have never had suitable initiation powders, neither in the Inner State nor in San Touncha; they cannot enter the Daoist path. However, the Outer State's guiding agents are effective on them. The Outer State calls them Dark Energy Users, which you should be aware of."

Guiding agents worked on three-headed people! This was entirely unexpected for Li Banfeng. And he possessed the formula for guiding agents!

"This is precisely why the Outer State has consistently refused to release the three-headed people," the Hawker said. "They represent the Outer State's most crucial fighting force along the border."

"Using their most vital fighting force to guard against Prozhou?"

The Hawker shook his head. "Not just Prozhou. San Touncha serves as the boundary between Prozhou and the Outer State. If they aren't defending against Prozhou, who else would it be?"

"San Touncha is the border shared by the Outer State, Inner State, and Prozhou."

Li Banfeng froze, his perception once again severely mistaken. He had always believed this world was a concentric garden, with the Outer State forming the outermost layer, Prozhou the middle, and the Inner State the innermost. Now, it was clear this understanding was entirely wrong! Considering earlier judgments, neither the Inner State nor the Outer State faced the same stellar body; their star was likely the dark star consistently researched by the Dark Star Bureau. Furthermore, the boundary between them was an existence Li Banfeng could not comprehend.

This was not the time to dwell on such matters. The immediate priority was to understand the Hawker's strategy. Li Banfeng looked at the map. "Zhizi Mountain isn't within Sinner City?"

The Hawker shook his head. "It's still quite far from Sinner City."

"Since it's not in Sinner City, we might as well bypass it through the New Land." The map showed New Land surrounding San Touncha, which would be considerably safer than using the Dark Bridge to cross the boundary.

The Hawker shook his head. "All New Land entrances in San Touncha have boundary lines. I can cross them, but the Haichi Old Carriage definitely cannot. Therefore, to rescue this group of three-headed people, we must cross the boundary line. We need to bring these over ten thousand three-headed people down from the southern slope of Zhizi Mountain, but we cannot engage the Innocent Army too aggressively. Fighting too fiercely would be tantamount to declaring war on the Outer State, which would then provoke the Inner State to attack as well, making things very difficult for Prozhou."

"So, the best strategy for this battle is for me to lure away the Innocent Army. You will escort the carriage towards the border. I will do my best to keep those I lure away alive, but you need not show mercy to anyone who attempts to stop you. I will meet you at the border. Remember, whether I arrive or not, you must immediately guide them across; under no circumstances are you to wait for me. I can only convey this to you now; when my helper arrives, I fear she might not heed me if I say it. You must trust me on this: I possess numerous ways to escape San Touncha, and even if I cannot get out, you would not be able to save me. Have you understood?"

Li Banfeng nodded slightly, curious about the identity of the helper the Hawker had recruited.

In the afternoon, the helper arrived: Lu Qianjiao, a formidable Arrow Cultivator residing in Jiaoqi Chuan. She was the Hawker's sworn sister, a woman of fierce spirit.

No wonder some matters could only be discussed with Li Banfeng privately; she would never abandon the Hawker in San Touncha.

"Brother," Li Banfeng exclaimed, "you're truly serious about this, even bringing Sister-in-law along!"

Hearing Li Banfeng call her "Sister-in-law," Lu Qianjiao blushed, slightly abashed, but she smiled sweetly.

Li Banfeng then added, "Sister-in-law is a bit eccentric. Wouldn't that cause complications if she goes to San Touncha?"

Lu Qianjiao pulled out a feathered arrow from behind her back, chuckling as she looked at Li Banfeng. "Who are you calling crazy?"

Li Banfeng appraised Lu Qianjiao's physique. "You know, Sister-in-law, you have a fine build. You're truly suited for pulling a carriage."

Lu Qianjiao drew another feathered arrow and looked at the Hawker. "You want me to pull the carriage?"

The Hawker quickly explained, "Don't listen to this brat's nonsense. How could I ever ask you to pull a carriage?"

"You're not pulling the carriage, and I'm not pulling the carriage," Li Banfeng stated. "So, who else is left but her?"

The Hawker irritably retorted, "I have another helper!"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "What other helper could possibly be more suitable than Sister-in-law? An ordinary person can't even move that carriage, let alone pull it for twenty li."

The Hawker took a clock from his cart, checked the time, and said, "He should be arriving soon, I estimate."

Half an hour later, the Coachman, braving the wind and snow, pulled his rickshaw into Qingshui Gully. The snow was deep, yet the Coachman's steps remained remarkably steady.

The north wind was biting, yet the Coachman's back remained perfectly straight. While others bent their backs to pull, he stood remarkably erect!

Upon seeing the Hawker, Li Qi, and Lu Qianjiao, the Coachman showed no surprise; he knew all three. Without any pleasantries, he immediately asked, "Where's the carriage?"

The Hawker exclaimed, "Look at him! That's how a professional operates!"

Li Banfeng led everyone to Zhajiang Mountain. At the cave entrance, he coughed three times, the rock floated, and they all entered the cave.

The Haichi Old Carriage rested inside the cave. The Coachman lifted the shafts, stretched slightly, and nodded. "It's a good carriage," he said, "but pulling it requires some effort."

Gripping the shafts with both hands, he took a step forward, and the carriage moved. It moved instantly! After another dozen steps, the carriage began to run with him. He then extended a leg, halted his steps, and the carriage immediately stopped.

Li Banfeng said in astonishment, "Brother Coachman, your carriage-pulling skill is truly remarkable! It starts and stops on command. Please, let me try again."

The Coachman waved his hand. "Brother, don't bother trying. You can't pull this carriage. I've taught you some basic footwork, but this vehicle isn't something such superficial methods can manage."

Lu Qianjiao snorted. "You make it sound so mysterious, as if it's some incredible technique."

The Coachman smiled. "This technique truly is remarkable. Even if you had decades to learn, you wouldn't master it."

"Decades?" Lu Qianjiao retorted, agitated. "Give me the carriage! I'll pull it for you right now!"

The Coachman stopped Lu Qianjiao, preventing her from touching the carriage. "Don't interfere. This isn't an ordinary carriage; it has many rules. Its wheels cannot leave the ground. Don't be clumsy and break it."

Lu Qianjiao flared up. "Who are you calling clumsy?"

Li Banfeng stood dumbfounded for a moment. "Brother Coachman," he asked, "how did you know the wheels couldn't leave the ground?"

The Coachman touched the shafts, then the carriage body. "The carriage told me," he said.

"This carriage can talk?" Li Banfeng listened intently with his Spiritual Insight, but heard nothing.

The Coachman stroked the carriage body, wiping away tears. "This carriage wept the moment it saw me. We were destined to share this connection in this life, yet it's a pity we met so late."

Lu Qianjiao felt a touch of sadness upon hearing this. She linked her arm through the Hawker's and whispered softly, "If it's fate, we shouldn't miss it. It's not too late for us."

The Hawker chuckled. "We're not late; we're right on time. Now, Coachman, stop crying over that carriage. Let me first explain the strategy to you; you need to know what we're doing tonight."

The Hawker meticulously explained the strategy. The Coachman, however, seemed less interested, only wanting to confirm one detail: "For this task, I'm just pulling the carriage, correct? I won't have to fight?"

Lu Qianjiao said, "The way you speak! If things get desperate, would you just stand there and do nothing?"

The Hawker stepped forward and covered Lu Qianjiao's mouth. Another word, and the Coachman might have turned and left. "Brother," the Hawker clarified, "just pull the carriage; no fighting!"

The Coachman looked at his own rickshaw. "My carriage is never out of my sight. I sleep in it, eat in it, leave it by the door when I use the latrine, and by the river when I bathe. But I can't pull two carriages at once. How will my carriage be accommodated?"

"Just put it directly into the Haichi Old Carriage and take it along," the Hawker said.

The Coachman shook his head. "No, that won't work. Once this carriage is loaded with three-headed people, I'm afraid they might tamper with mine."

The Hawker thought for a moment, then said to Li Banfeng, "Put his rickshaw in this cave. The entrance cannot be opened by just anyone."

The Coachman remained uneasy. "What if Pan Dehai touches my carriage? He can open this cave!"

The Hawker frowned. "Then what do you suggest? Should I find someone specifically to watch it for you?"

The Coachman pondered deeply, then agreed to leave his carriage in the cave. As he departed, he was visibly reluctant, hugging and kissing his rickshaw for a long time.

Lu Qianjiao looked at the Hawker. "I'm truly impressed. He's more attached to that rickshaw than you are to your freight cart!"

The Hawker called Li Banfeng aside and spoke to him privately. "Everything is prepared," he said. "We're making our move tonight. Business, as I always say, is about mutual consent, and I never pressure anyone on that. These ten thousand people, you ought to rescue them, but I won't compel you to. Because sometimes, saving people can inadvertently harm others, but that won't be your fault."

Li Banfeng was startled. "What do you mean by that?"

The Hawker chuckled. "It means that if today's endeavor is successful, I have a significant gift for you. But if you don't wish to proceed, it's still not too late to withdraw now."

He didn't seem to mean that just moments ago.

Li Banfeng felt a pang of guilt. "Brother," he said, "I also need to find a helper. Please allow me to discuss this with them."

"Is that helper reliable?"

"More reliable than Sister-in-law!"

The Hawker nodded. "Then go; return soon."

Li Banfeng returned to his portable residence and explained the situation to Niangzi.

Niangzi was also somewhat hesitant; the Hawker, after all, was an old adversary from years past.

Li Banfeng didn't want to make things difficult for Niangzi. "My dear wife," he said, "please tell me how to operate the Dark Bridge Cannon. Once I fire it and guide them across, you can then come out, secure the Dark Bridge Cannon, and wait by the boundary to assist me."

The Phonograph shook her head. "My dear husband, that won't work. If you enter the Dark Bridge Cannon, I still need to control it from this side. Even a slight electromagnetic deviation could mean you might never emerge."

In other words, for the entire duration that Li Banfeng, the Hawker, and their group passed through the boundary, the Dark Bridge Cannon required constant operation.

"My dear wife," he asked, "if you go out in your phonograph body, can you effectively operate the Dark Bridge Cannon?"

The Phonograph looked at her stylus. "My dear husband," she said, "I'm afraid that won't work. There's a lot of intricate work involved here that absolutely requires fingers."

This meant the Phonograph would have to operate the Dark Bridge Cannon in Zhao Xiaowan's form. Consequently, the Phonograph would have to encounter the Hawker, Lu Qianjiao, and the Coachman.

Li Banfeng cautiously asked, "Niangzi, have the old grievances from back then been resolved?"

Before the Phonograph could speak, Hong Ying interjected, "How could they possibly be resolved? That was a life-or-death feud! If I were to see that peddler now, I would immediately fight him to the death! Xiaowan, you absolutely must not go!"

They were once mortal enemies on the battlefield, so that animosity was indeed difficult to resolve.

However, if Niangzi didn't go to operate the Dark Bridge Cannon, the entire plan would be impossible.

The family pondered fruitlessly, and in the blink of an eye, it was six o'clock, nearing nightfall.

The Phonograph made her decision: "After that war, I experienced many things. While I wouldn't claim old grievances are entirely erased, no new ones have been added. Since this is business the Hawker proposed, he wouldn't risk his own reputation. Given his usual conduct, he's unlikely to seek revenge during this transaction. My dear husband, I can go."

Hong Ying said, "Even if she can go, she can't just go unprepared. Old Master, at least grant Xiaowan some combat ability. If that peddler turns hostile, Qilang alone won't be able to handle him!"

The Portable Residence remained silent for a long time, then spoke: "Zhao Xiaowan, take your full combat capabilities with you."

The Portable Residence made an exception! It allowed Niangzi to bring her full combat capabilities. Why was this? Hong Ying and the Hawker were mortal enemies back then, so her distrust was understandable. But why did the Portable Residence also distrust the Hawker?

Niangzi quickly expressed her gratitude. Watching her follow Li Banfeng out the door in her puppet body, the Portable Residence felt uneasy: "This body isn't very suitable..." Hong Ying was also anxious: "That puppet struggles just to walk; it would be strange if it could manage!"

Why should Li Banfeng be the one to rescue these ten thousand people?

Dear readers, a fierce battle is imminent, please vote for Sha La!