Chapter 627: Zhao Xiaowan and Huang Yuxian

Zhao Xiaowan looked at Hong Ying, raised her eyebrows slightly, and her lips trembled, as if speaking. Lu Qianjiao had her back to Zhao Xiaowan and heard nothing. But Hong Ying heard Zhao Xiaowan clearly. She said two words: "Shadow." The one running over was Li Banfeng's shadow. Hong Ying and Zhao Xiaowan shared years of unspoken understanding, and Hong Ying immediately grasped Xiaowan's meaning.

Lu Qianjiao stared anxiously across the boundary line and whispered, "Is that Li Qi?" Hong Ying suddenly looked towards the valley entrance and called out, "Someone's coming!" Li Qi's fate was uncertain, and Lu Qianjiao felt guilty, constantly wanting to make amends. Hearing Hong Ying say someone was at the valley entrance, Lu Qianjiao quickly followed her, eager to help in a fight. The carter grew tense upon hearing that someone was coming. Unable to move the cart, he ran off to hide in the distance.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhao Xiaowan activated the Hidden Bridge Cannon, and the shadow immediately stepped onto the hidden bridge. After crossing more than half of the hidden bridge, the shadow suddenly stopped and peered outside the bridge. He felt as if someone was moving in the shadows. Was it an illusion, or was someone truly there? The shadow wanted to observe a bit longer, but time was running out. The Hidden Bridge was unstable; the shadow felt cracks forming on its surface. The shadow ran off the hidden bridge and handed the key to Zhao Xiaowan. Zhao Xiaowan clutched the key and motioned for the shadow to hide first.

Lu Qianjiao followed Hong Ying around the gorge entrance several times, asking, "Didn't you say someone was coming? Where are they?" Hong Ying looked around. "Someone did come just now, perhaps they were just passing through and went somewhere else." Lu Qianjiao looked at the footprints in the snow, then at the slope ahead. "There might be an ambush in that snowy area; I'll go check it out first."

"Don't go there!" Before Hong Ying could finish, Lu Qianjiao had already rushed up the slope, stepping on the tarp Zhao Xiaowan had laid out and almost falling among the scattered rocks. Lu Qianjiao angrily exclaimed, "Which jerk set this trap?" Hong Ying retorted angrily, "Who are you cursing? There was a fierce battle here just now; this tarp was used to conceal the battlefield." Lu Qianjiao paused, surprised. "You used such good material to hide a battlefield? You really invested a lot." The two women were tidying the tarp outside the gorge, while Zhao Xiaowan wiped the key, hoping Li Banfeng would emerge soon.

The Portable Residence cleared its throat and said, "We've arrived." The peddler pushed his cart, preparing to leave, when Li Banfeng asked, "Brother, can the feud between my wife and you from back then be resolved?" The peddler shook his head. "Little brother, you speak too lightly. Back then, our two armies fought fiercely, and many of us had blood on our hands. If such deep-seated hatred could be resolved with a few words, what would it be called then?"

"So, this matter will have to be settled sooner or later?" After spending a long time in the residence, Li Banfeng gradually returned to normal and began to worry about future circumstances. The peddler was silent for a moment. "Not necessarily. The feud between Yao Xin and me, for instance, has been resolved." This statement greatly relieved Li Banfeng. Yao Xin was a great general under his wife. The peddler even had Xu Han help Elder Yao defend his territory, proving that the animosity between them had indeed been resolved. The peddler continued, "Zhao Xiaowan is a military commander, so the enmity between us cannot be resolved quickly. However, Huang Yuxian and I are comrades, and the bond between us should not be forgotten."

"Who is Huang Yuxian?""Isn't Huang Yuxian the renowned performer?""What's Huang Yuxian's connection to my wife?" The peddler smiled. "You'll have to ask your wife about that."

The Portable Residence opened its door, and the peddler pushed his cart out. Zhao Xiaowan frowned, "My husband has changed; he's actually bringing outsiders home." The peddler snorted, "Sister-in-law, that's not fair. I'm a guest at my junior brother's house, and I only had two cups of tea. My junior brother burned down my house, and I didn't even hold it against him."

"Burned down your house?" Zhao Xiaowan was utterly bewildered. Li Banfeng emerged from the Portable Residence. "I went to visit my senior brother and accidentally started a fire." Zhao Xiaowan called out, summoning Hong Ying and Lu Qianjiao back. Seeing Li Qi and the peddler, Hong Ying and Lu Qianjiao were ecstatic. Lu Qianjiao hugged and kissed the peddler repeatedly. Hong Ying also wanted to kiss him but was stopped by Zhao Xiaowan.

"Yingying, we are decent people. Let's kiss when we get home." Lu Qianjiao snorted, "Kissing your own man, what's indecent about that?" Everyone was gathered. Now, they needed to take the Three-Headed people to Snake Bridge Village.

"Where's Che Wushang?" The peddler searched for a long time before finding the carter under a snowdrift. The carter stood up and brushed the snow from his clothes. "I was just looking for a place to rest. I can't pull this cart anymore; I ran too fast earlier and haven't fully recovered."

"Don't worry, I have something good here." The peddler prepared a bowl of grape-flavored cordial for the carter, who drank it while it was warm. After drinking, the carter was full of strength and pulled the cart out of Clear Water Gully. As they walked into the New Land, the carter was exhausted again. Pulling such a heavy cart all the way to Snake Bridge Village was simply too difficult.

The peddler pushed his cart, circling the Gluttonous Old Cart, drawing a circle in the snow. Lu Qianjiao was surprised. "Are you activating the Peddler's Path?" The peddler nodded. "Can you send so many people through?" "One by one," the peddler said. He opened the compartment of the Gluttonous Old Cart and climbed inside. No one knew what he did to the Three-Headed people inside, but when the peddler emerged, the Three-Headed people on the cart stepped down one after another. Their eyes were closed, their expressions blank, as if they were all asleep.

The group walked a full circle around the one drawn in the snow, from the starting point back to the starting point, and vanished in an instant. Zhao Xiaowan whispered into Li Banfeng's ear, "Husband, these people are on the Peddler's Path. As long as the peddler doesn't get the direction wrong, they'll reach Snake Bridge Village very quickly. You should quickly arrange for someone to meet them." Li Banfeng immediately contacted Luo Zhengnan, who then contacted Lu Chunying and Xiao Yeci. The two quickly arranged personnel and prepared food and lodging.

An hour later, the Three-Headed people began to appear. They stumbled into the village, and after not walking far, collapsed in the snow, falling into a deep sleep. "What's wrong? Why are they all sleeping here?" Xiao Yeci went up and checked their breathing. They were indeed all still alive. Xiao Yeci quickly instructed her subordinates, "Carry them into the houses to rest." A subordinate replied with difficulty, "Three or four of us might not even be able to carry one of them. If we have to carry ten thousand, won't we die of exhaustion?" Lu Chunying frowned. "You fool! Go find some Three-Headed people to carry them. They're fellow villagers; surely they'll help out."

The Peddler's Path could only take one person every ten seconds. To take in ten thousand people would take more than a day and a night. Li Banfeng sat beside the peddler and asked, "Why didn't you just draw a circle on Elbow Mountain and send them directly to Snake Bridge Village?" The peddler shook his head. "Their cultivation is insufficient. Even if they entered the Peddler's Path, they wouldn't be able to cross the boundary."

"There's a boundary within the Peddler's Path too?" "The boundary has always been there. There are indeed ways to cross it within the Peddler's Path, but those methods are beyond their grasp. From this New Land, we can bypass the boundary and reach Green Water City's New Land. That way, we don't have to cross the boundary directly, but it will be a bit strenuous for me." Sweat beaded on his forehead. Maintaining the Peddler's Path's operation was quite taxing on the peddler.

"Why not send the Gluttonous Old Cart directly into the Peddler's Path instead of sending them one by one?" The peddler gave a wry smile. "The Peddler's Path can only take one person at a time. If it could take ten thousand, a lot of things wouldn't be so troublesome." It wasn't until late the next night that the entire group of Three-Headed people had been sent away by the Peddler's Path.

Li Banfeng and the carter returned the Gluttonous Old Cart to the cave and retrieved the carter's own vehicle. The peddler sat up from the snow, having recovered a good deal of his strength. Lu Qianjiao complained, "Why did you push yourself so hard for these people? By Inner State standards, they're Inner State royalty!" Zhao Xiaowan sighed, "By Outer State standards, they're criminals."

The peddler stood up and said, "Three-Headed Fork is within Puluo State's territory, so we must follow Puluo State's rules. By Puluo State's rules, if they are people, they must live like people." The peddler's words were not many, nor was his voice loud, but every single word landed firmly before everyone present. Zhao Xiaowan looked at Li Banfeng. He had gained much profit in the Outer State, but he had used a significant portion of it to secure the freedom of the Three-Headed people. He and the peddler were of vastly different generations, yet they always addressed each other as brothers, perhaps for this very reason. Hong Ying whispered into Zhao Xiaowan's ear, "Regarding the Three-Headed people, perhaps only Seventh Master and the peddler think alike in this world."

The peddler stretched his limbs, as if suddenly remembering something. "What day is it today?" Lu Qianjiao replied, "Yesterday was the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month. Now it's the evening of the thirtieth." "The thirtieth?" The peddler walked to his cart and took out a monthly calendar. The monthly calendar loudly replied, "It is indeed the thirtieth!" Hearing the sweet voice, Lu Qianjiao snorted, "Which tramp is this now?" The peddler put the monthly calendar aside and pulled a box of canned food and a jar of liquor from his cart.

"It's New Year's Eve; let's have a big meal." The peddler distributed cans to everyone, then gave each person a bowl and poured liquor. Zhao Xiaowan and Hong Ying pulled open the tarp and set up a makeshift shelter. Lu Qianjiao built a fire in the middle of the shelter, and everyone gathered around the fire, eating canned food and drinking. Lu Qianjiao looked at Hong Ying and chuckled, "Sitting side by side like this, we don't even seem like enemies." Hong Ying snorted coldly, "Do you really mean that?" Lu Qianjiao scoffed, "Of course not! After this meal, we'll fight to the death again!"

Hong Ying looked at Lu Qianjiao. "It's not that I look down on you, but I truly can't defeat your man. If it were just you, and I fought with lethal intent, how many rounds could you last?" Lu Qianjiao stood up. "Then don't hold back! Let's have a fight right now, and go for the kill!" The peddler opened a can for Lu Qianjiao. "Don't quarrel on New Year's. Even during wartime, armies would rest for three days over New Year's." Hong Ying rolled her eyes at Lu Qianjiao. "I really can't be bothered with you. I'll go drink with Seventh Master!"

Zhao Xiaowan saw Li Banfeng drinking bowl after bowl incessantly and quickly went to advise him, "Husband, don't overindulge. This liquor is quite potent." "Quite potent, isn't it?" Li Banfeng patted the liquor gourd. The liquor gourd swayed and said, "Excellent liquor, truly flavorful. I'll let them all have a taste later." The carter at the side said, "Since you can drink so much, you can have it all. I won't drink anymore; I still have to work later." Lu Qianjiao asked, "Who would take your cart on New Year's Day?" The carter smiled. "Many people want rides at this time, and they're all people who need to do important things." Li Banfeng suddenly had an idea: perhaps having Boss Lu accompany the carter for two days of work could inspire many good stories.

The canned food was eaten, and the liquor jar was empty. The peddler tidied his cart, shook his rattle-drum, and set off. "Brother, I'll come find you in a few days. I promised to give you something good, and I always keep my word. The rest is up to you. The Outer State will certainly demand an explanation. You must hold your ground on this matter!" Li Banfeng was prepared, anticipating that Liao Zihui would come looking for him within a couple of days. He wasn't afraid of being sought out; Li Banfeng had plenty of ways to deal with him.

Lu Qianjiao went off to sell goods with the peddler. The carter picked up his cart and returned to his regular spot to find work. Li Banfeng escorted his wife and Hong Ying back to the Portable Residence. Once inside, Zhao Xiaowan, exhausted, quickly slipped into the Phonograph's body. The Gloves brought the liquor jar and canned food, and the family continued to eat and drink. When they were enjoying themselves thoroughly, Meng De stepped down from the monthly calendar and sang "Flower and Full Moon" to entertain everyone. Hong Ying took off her armor, put on a qipao, and began dancing to the music.

The Phonograph exclaimed admiringly, "Don't even say it, you look really good in a qipao." Hong Ying shook her head. "It's beautiful, but it's too tight; it hurts my hips. That little madwoman also looks pretty good in this outfit." Miss Nine angrily retorted, "Who are you calling a madwoman?" The Phonograph used its needle to playfully poke Miss Nine's cheek. "Is this a puppet Red Lotus made for you? It really looks exactly like you did back then." Red Lotus nudged the Pendulum. "Jealous, aren't you? I'll make you a puppet too. Do you want one?" The Pendulum snorted. "Third Madame, don't tease me. If I ask you to do something, there will definitely be a cost." "The cost is negotiable..."

Hong Ying had always called Miss Nine a 'madwoman', which reminded Li Banfeng of something. "Who exactly is the Mad Craftsman?" The Phonograph chuckled, "You'll have to ask Hong Ying; only she calls her that." Hong Ying said, "The Mad Craftsman is Old Train, the Mad Crone is her mother, the Female Mad Craftsman is her older sister, and the little madwoman, well, that's her!" Miss Nine leaped up. "I'll fight you!" The two women grappled, and Tang Dao tried to mediate. "It's New Year's; let's not fight. Miss Nine, really, she called your whole family crazy, and you can tolerate that!"

After a round of fighting, both sides felt much better. Hong Ying poured Miss Nine a cup of wine. "Little madwoman, seeing you reminds me of something. Your family was always shrouded in mystery back then. Whose side were you on in the end?" Miss Nine frowned and glared at Hong Ying. The Phonograph nudged Hong Ying, and Hong Ying didn't ask further. Looking at Miss Nine, the Phonograph also recalled many things, and even Fool's City, which it only had vague memories of, gradually became clear.

Li Banfeng recalled the shadows filling the room and remembered something else. "Wife, it seems there's someone inside the wormhole." The Phonograph thought for a moment. "Husband said many people are studying the boundary. Perhaps someone made a mistake and got trapped in the wormhole." "No matter who they are, it's best to find an opportunity to check. Our Hidden Bridge must pass through this wormhole. If someone has tampered with it, using the Hidden Bridge next time could be dangerous." The Phonograph inspected the Hidden Bridge Cannon. "Husband, we'll have to wait a few more days. The Hidden Bridge Cannon was overexerted this time, and many components are burned out. While it was still warm, it could barely be used, but now that it's completely cooled down, it's difficult to restart." With the Hidden Bridge Cannon unable to start, the matter had to be put aside for now.

Li Banfeng embraced the Phonograph and gently asked, "My dear wife, are you Zhao Xiaowan or Huang Yuxian?" His wife, emitting steam, chuckled. "Oh, husband, do you prefer a famous general, or a renowned performer?" Li Banfeng stroked the Phonograph's body. "Whichever my wife is, that's who this husband will love!" The Phonograph giggled. "Whichever husband prefers, that's what this humble servant is!" As they spoke, gongs and drums sounded, and the Phonograph sang a passage: "My husband Li treats me with endless love; we celebrate in joy, support each other in sickness, and accompany each other in loneliness. Only now do I know such flavor exists in the human world; it's not in vain to walk this world once more!"

Inside the wormhole, Du Wenming lay flat on the ground, his body covered in moss, curled into a ball, perfectly blending with his surroundings. Even up close, it was almost impossible to spot him. He appeared to be still, but in reality, he was constantly moving, rapidly activating every muscle in his back. The character "禁" (Ban) on his back was almost worn off. Other people entered and exited this wormhole. Although he couldn't see them, Du Wenming could sense them. He absolutely could not let them discover him. No matter who they were, in Du Wenming's view, they currently posed a serious threat to his life. Du Wenming rubbed his back fiercely, feeling that it was almost done. The last stroke of the character "禁" was rubbed off. He scrambled to his feet, rose onto his toes, and lightly performed a glide step. His nimble and graceful dance moves had returned. He clasped his hands in front of his chest and spun dozens of times in place. All the surrounding insects stood up and rotated with him. Could even these insects be compelled to dance? Du Wenming was excited. This was an irresistible dance cultivation technique. Irresistible meant a Heavenly Union technique. He now possessed a Heavenly Union technique!

On New Year's Day, Tu Heng, lying on a straw mat, opened his eyes. Tu Min and Tu Mang, beside him, had already woken and were looking around. They saw a Three-Headed person: one head was a young woman, one was a young man, and one was a child. That person handed Tu Heng a bowl of dumplings. "Eat, it's New Year's." "Who are you?" "My name is Juanzi, from Sinner City."

"Where are they?" Tu Heng struggled to stand up. "Where are all my brothers and sisters?" Juanzi said, "They all have places to stay, with food and drink." "What is this place?" "This is Snake Bridge Village, Seventh Master's territory." "Seventh Master, Li Qi?" Tu Heng was surprised. "Li Qi is willing to take us in?" Juanzi looked at Tu Heng and said sternly, "You were originally brought out of Three-Headed Fork by Seventh Master. No matter where you go, you follow Seventh Master. Say this to everyone you meet from now on, and don't reveal anything else." Tu Heng nodded repeatedly, then asked, "Where is Seventh Master? We haven't met him yet." "Seventh Master just returned to the village. Eat your dumplings first, and I'll take you to him."

Juanzi took Tu Heng to the village entrance. Li Banfeng was preparing a performance with Ma Wu. He wanted to organize a singing festival in Snake Bridge Village, but in this abandoned village, he couldn't find a suitable place to set up a stage. Tu Heng glanced at Li Banfeng and whispered, "I've seen this person before. He's a friend of Seventh Master..." Juanzi looked at Tu Heng. "You say he's Seventh Master's friend? I think you're still half-asleep. Go back to sleep for a bit." Tu Heng shook his head. "I have to ask him. You know Elbow Mountain, right? We came down from Elbow Mountain, and he told me then that he was Seventh Master's friend." Mengzi chuckled, "Don't talk nonsense. That's Seventh Master. Just look, and don't ask too many questions when there's nothing wrong. Seventh Master is quite busy."

Li Banfeng was indeed very busy. He was also preparing to make new clothes for the Three-Headed people, but there were over forty thousand of them, and each had such a large physique that just acquiring the fabric was difficult. A group of fabric shop owners came to Snake Bridge Village. This business deal was simply too tempting. On New Year's Day, they rushed to this abandoned village to compete for business. Xiao Yeci was responsible for purchasing fabric and met with the fabric shop owners one by one. She noticed one person in particular. "Miss, are you the owner of Yu Family Fabric?" Yu Nan nodded. "It's a newly opened fabric shop in Green Water City, its reputation isn't strong enough yet. Madam, our fabrics are absolutely top-notch. We've brought many samples for you to see, and our prices are definitely cheap..." "Miss Yu, we've met before..." Xiao Yeci still remembered Yu Nan.

Yu Nan didn't mention their past encounters; she continued to earnestly discuss business with Xiao Yeci, so much so that she didn't even notice Li Banfeng standing beside Xiao Yeci. This wasn't his fault; House Cultivators had a talent for being overlooked. Yu Nan had run her fabric shop in Green Water City for three months, hitting roadblocks everywhere, and almost losing all the capital she brought from Medicine King Gully. Even if she had approached Li Qi once, or even just mentioned his name, her business could have been among the top in Green Water City. But she never did. This girl was simply so determined. Li Banfeng told Xiao Yeci to give all the fabric business to Yu Family Fabric and to hire tailors from Yu Nan's shop whenever possible.

These matters were easy to handle; what wasn't easy were the local deities. A group of local deities from the New Lands came to pay their New Year's greetings to Li Banfeng. They all brought generous gifts and auspicious words, but their eyes never left the Three-Headed people. They could have the Three-Headed people, but they had to sign a contract with Li Banfeng. The contract's core points remained the same two: The Three-Headed people were lent for their use, but they remained Li Qi's people. In the future, they must obey Li Qi's commands, and some matters required Li Qi's decision. During this period, Rong Sijiao had disappeared, and these local deities understood the weight of this contract. Things they couldn't understand immediately, they could ponder slowly. If they dared to play tricks behind his back, they would pay the price.

That day, two local deities signed the contract. One was Dou Jiyan. The Thousand Li Market was covered with corpses, leaving no survivors, and had become Old Land. She was now managing New Land and urgently needed manpower for reclamation. She wasn't worried about Inner State matters because her New Land contract was complete, and she was determined to follow Li Qi. The other was Chu Yaoxian. This person was somewhat special. "Seventh Master, previously, when Miss He of the He family was reclaiming land in the New Land, I sent Lady Meng'e to cause trouble. All the mistakes were mine. Seventh Master, strike or punish as you see fit. I only ask for your magnanimity, that you not hold it against me in the future." This person's change of attitude was very sudden. Li Banfeng nodded. "Since the contract is signed, let's put past matters aside for now."

They were busy until the third day of the New Year, when the singing festival finally began. Various celebrities also came to Snake Bridge Village to show their support. Just before the opening, Li Banfeng was still privately teaching Jiang Mengting singing techniques when Manager Zhang rushed in to report, "Seventh Master, Chief Envoy Liao is here and wishes to speak with you alone." Li Banfeng knew he was coming and had prepared for the encounter. They could negotiate however they wished, but no matter what conditions Yan Zihui proposed, he absolutely would not be allowed to take the Three-Headed people away.

Liao Zihui brought two Deputy Chief Envoys, Tang Huanjie and Wei Yingsen. The two Deputy Chief Envoys chatted idly with Ma Wu, while Li Banfeng and Liao Zihui met privately in a civilian house. It was New Year's, so neither man neglected courtesies. They exchanged auspicious greetings first. When it came to business, Liao Zihui said, "There's something I need to say, which might seem a bit heartless. I'm not sure if I should say it." Li Banfeng smiled. "Go ahead and say it." "Brother Li, it's not easy for you to come back to Puluo State during the New Year. There's still a lot to do here. But Shen Jingye says he's in a desperate situation, begging me to ask you to return. He can't get through the New Year, and I can't just ignore him. Please, for my sake, I'll arrange a train for you. Can you make a trip to Yuezhou in the next couple of days?"

"You want me to go to Yuezhou? Are you trying to send me away?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "I understand the Outer State's rules, but one must have holidays during New Year's. What's so urgent that I have to go back now?" Liao Zihui was genuinely anxious. "This matter concerns the future of the Dark Star Bureau; everyone in the Dark Star Bureau is relying on you this time!" Li Banfeng chuckled, "The future of the Dark Star Bureau isn't something I can decide. You should ask your superiors about this!"

"We've asked the superiors, but they're unresponsive," Liao Zihui cupped his fists towards Li Banfeng. "I'm putting my words out here, if you go to Yuezhou, I will absolutely not stab you in the back. What happened last year, let's pretend it never occurred. Let the past be the past." Old Liao made his stance clear: he would pretend the matter of the Three-Headed people never happened. Such a huge matter, as if it never happened? Li Banfeng was highly suspicious, but Liao Zihui seemed genuinely sincere. "Brother, I've brought the contract. I intend to retire in Puluo State, so let's conduct ourselves according to Puluo State's rules." Liao Zihui had gone this far, so it seemed the Dark Star Bureau was genuinely in trouble.

On the way back, Deputy Chief Envoy Wei Yingsen asked Liao Zihui in the carriage, "Chief Envoy, there are quite a few people in his village who escaped from Three-Headed Fork. I recognized several of them." Liao Zihui frowned. "Who did you recognize?" Wei Yingsen lowered his voice. "That Tu Heng, he's their leader. I saw him." Liao Zihui's face darkened, and he said nothing. Tang Huanjie interjected, "Old Wei, you're mistaken. That wasn't Tu Heng." "How could it not be? I know them..." Tang Huanjie asked, "You know the peddler, right?" Wei Yingsen was startled. "Of course, who in Puluo State doesn't know the peddler?" Tang Huanjie then asked, "You know Li Qi, right?" Wei Yingsen blinked. "Certainly, we just met him, didn't we?" Tang Huanjie said, "Since you know both of them, do you still recognize Tu Heng? Do you really have to bring up Tu Heng?" Wei Yingsen thought for a moment and then looked at Liao Zihui. Liao Zihui's face was ashen, and he didn't want to spare him another glance.