Chapter 638: Carrot Mountain

In the dark, cold cave, Tangyuan set up a pile of firewood, and Dengpao poured oil onto it.

“Pour more! This firewood is hard to light!”

Dengpao grumbled, “Are you trying to burn the firewood or me? Don’t you know this is my blood?”

The fire was lit, and the two shivered inside the cave.

Tangyuan sighed, “I wonder how Master Qi is doing.”

Dengpao shook his head. “It’s hard to find food here. I doubt Master Qi will be back before dawn.”

At San Tou Cha, the wind and snow were heavy, and it was colder than anywhere else in Puluo Prefecture. Tangyuan anxiously went to the cave entrance and peered outside.

Dengpao urged Tangyuan to get back inside. “Don’t stand so close to the entrance! Have you forgotten Master Qi’s warning? Exposure to sunlight will kill you!”

Tangyuan and Dengpao were on Radish Mountain, named because its shape resembled half a radish stuck in the ground.

According to the Dark Star Bureau’s records, the Radish Mountain area in San Tou Cha had a low frequency and weak intensity of sunlight. Many people had settled there, and several villages had even formed.

Despite the settlements, food was extremely difficult to acquire.

Dengpao had tried knocking on doors. Asking for directions, water, or a couple of sticks of firewood was easy, but if he asked for food, even offering to pay, the door would immediately shut.

They had sneaked onto the train that morning and hadn’t eaten much all day, so they were truly starving by nightfall.

Dengpao complained, “I don’t know what I was thinking, listening to you. If we’d just filed a business trip application, saying we were coming to Puluo Prefecture with Master Qi, wouldn’t Director Chen have approved it? We could have come legitimately. Why cause all this trouble?”

Tangyuan also got angry. “How many times do I have to tell you before you understand? Just saying ‘business trip’ isn’t a valid reason. What would we write as the purpose of the trip? What would we do in Puluo Prefecture? Spy on Master Qi?”

Dengpao shook his head. “Just find any excuse, as long as we can come out with Master Qi.”

Tangyuan frowned. “That’s why your brain doesn’t work! If you tell the bureau you’re on a business trip and then stay in Puluo Prefecture and don’t go back, do you know what that’s called? It’s called defection, do you understand? Have you considered the consequences? Your entire family would be implicated. Don’t you think about these things?”

Dengpao lowered his head. “So now our families won’t be implicated?”

Tangyuan poked the fire. “We’ve already submitted our resignation letters. We’re not part of the Dark Star Bureau anymore. Coming to Puluo Prefecture now, we won’t face any penalties!”

Dengpao scoffed, “We just got poked off the train by a staff member. And you say we won’t be punished?”

Tangyuan threw down the poking stick. “Is that the same thing? That was because we didn’t have travel permits, illegally entering Puluo Prefecture. It has nothing to do with anything else. Besides, the train conductor didn’t know who we were. Even if they investigated, they wouldn’t trace it back to us!”

Dengpao still felt a little wronged. “I just feel...”

Tangyuan couldn’t be bothered to explain further. “Don’t ‘just feel’ anything. I haven’t even complained about you yet. If you had just waited a bit longer in the luggage compartment and only emerged when we reached San Tou Cha, you wouldn’t be stuck in this place!”

“I was worried Master Qi would get off at San Tou Cha, so I got anxious and came to check. If I had known this journey would be so troublesome, we would have chosen a different time...”

“I think the timing of our departure was perfect. If you regret it, just go back to Yue Prefecture, cry to Director Chen, and you might still keep your job.”

Dengpao shook his head. “I don’t regret it. I genuinely want to follow Master Qi and make a name for myself.”

“Then stop talking so much!” Tangyuan returned to the cave entrance, looking at the wind and snow outside, a wave of distress washing over her.

Though she didn’t show it to Dengpao, she felt a pang of guilt. Coming to Puluo Prefecture to follow Li Qi was her choice, but she hadn’t anticipated causing him to jump off the train.

In the freezing weather, thinking of Li Qi trudging through the wind and snow to find them food, Tangyuan’s heart ached intensely.

“My dear husband, shall I add more hot water?” Phonograph tested the bathwater temperature, feeling it was still a bit off.

Li Banfeng wasn’t picky. He stretched in the tub. “The water temperature is fine, it’s just my shoulders are still a bit sore.”

Phonograph scolded Hong Ying, “I told you to massage his shoulders, and you can’t even do that right!”

“But I did massage them...”

“My husband still says they’re sore, can’t you hear?”

Hong Ying pouted and continued massaging Li Banfeng’s shoulders. Li Banfeng felt something was missing. “On a cold day like this, a cup of hot wine would be perfect.”

Hong Ying called out, “Xiaojiuer, go warm some wine for Qilang!”

Miss Jiu, who was washing clothes, got up, tossed aside the washboard, and went to warm wine for Li Banfeng.

Once the wine was warmed, Miss Jiu carried it over grumpily.

Hong Ying said angrily, “Who are you putting on that glum face for all day? Are you upset because I said a few words to you?”

The day before yesterday, the two had dueled, and Miss Jiu lost to Hong Ying. Under Tangdao’s witness, they signed a contract stating that for three months, Miss Jiu would obey Hong Ying without a single complaint.

Back in Room Nine, Miss Jiu was sulking. Bronze Lotus smiled. “Oh dear, you’ve really become someone’s little wife, and you don’t feel ashamed at all.”

Miss Jiu said angrily, “It’s all because the useless body you made for me is no good, otherwise would I have lost to that brute Hong Ying?”

Red Lotus sighed, “I made you a useful body before, but you didn’t like it.”

“That was a man’s body! You made it just to disgust me!”

“You want a female body, you want to be handsome, and you want this body to be strong in a fight. Aren’t you being too greedy?”

“What’s wrong with being greedy? Given our sisterhood, shouldn’t you take care of me a little?”

As the two bickered, Li Banfeng, wearing a bathrobe, entered Room Nine.

Red Lotus chuckled. “Jiuer, you’d better go wash up. Looking at this, he might be here to consummate the marriage with you.”

Jiuer was startled and actually felt a little scared.

Li Banfeng reassured her, “Jiuer, I’m not here for you, I’m here for Red Lotus.”

Jiuer looked at Red Lotus, then said to Li Banfeng, “Should I take her to wash up then?”

Li Banfeng shook his head. “It doesn’t matter if she washes or not. I came to see how Du Wenming’s two blades have been refined.”

Du Wenming had two excellent blades that could cut a person in half no matter where they struck.

Li Banfeng had initially wanted to keep the blades, but after testing them, he found they weren’t as effective as he’d hoped.

Firstly, these blades consumed cultivation. When testing them at Baimo Square, they could indeed cut low-cultivation individuals in half. However, against high-cultivation opponents, a slash to the chest would only leave a large wound at the waist, causing damage comparable to a scythe, and even less effective than a Tangdao.

This was normal; for any magic weapon or blade, its effectiveness against different enemies depended on the opponent’s cultivation level.

The crucial point was that these blades were not simple to use. Their design was very unique; they weren’t good for stabbing or chopping, but rather for shifting and rotating with the body. Essentially, the blades were fixed to the hand and moved with the user’s body.

This type of weapon was clearly custom-made for Du Wenming and definitely not suitable for Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng simply sent them to Red Lotus for direct remanufacturing. According to Bronze Lotus’s estimate, they should be ready today.

Li Banfeng carried Red Lotus to the main room, and under everyone’s witness, Red Lotus produced a lotus seed.

The lotus seed landed in Li Banfeng’s palm. The family concentrated, waiting for the seed to burst open.

The lotus seed opened, revealing a shimmering silver object.

This excellent item was round and heavy in hand. The characters “Puluo” were carved on the front, and a snowflake on the back.

“Isn’t this a silver dollar?” Hong Ying exclaimed, pleasantly surprised. “Qilang, our Red Lotus can make silver dollars now!”

Li Banfeng was also happy. Only peddlers could make silver dollars, but now he could too.

He held the silver dollar to his mouth and blew on it, then listened to it by his ear.

It jingled!

A real one!

Li Banfeng chuckled, “We’ve struck it rich this time! We have our own silver dollars!”

Tangdao was also excited. “From now on, we won’t lack money. We can mint as much as we want!”

Hong Ying nodded. “The design of this silver dollar needs changing. No more snowflakes in the future!”

Tangdao agreed. “General Hong is right. I think from now on, we should mint our master’s likeness on the silver dollars. These silver dollars will be called ‘Qi’s Big Head’!”

Everyone exclaimed in admiration, “‘Qi’s Big Head’ is good! Let’s call them ‘Qi’s Big Head’ from now on!”

Phonograph, standing nearby, asked, “Husband, those two blades of Du Wenming, they should be worth more than one silver dollar, right?”

Li Banfeng laughed, “Certainly more. Those two blades could fetch at least ten thousand silver dollars!”

The room fell silent for a long time.

Li Banfeng walked to the wall, picked up the conductor’s iron rod, and, maintaining his smile, approached Bronze Lotus. “You’re definitely worth more than one silver dollar, Hua Jiuer. Let’s not joke around, I’m serious.”

Bronze Lotus said, “There really is only one silver dollar.”

Li Banfeng raised the iron rod. “Think about it again.”

Red Lotus hid behind Miss Jiu. “Listen to me first, this is different from ordinary silver dollars. It’s made of silver!”

Li Banfeng’s expression turned fierce. “Which silver dollar isn’t made of silver?”

Miss Jiu dodged while shouting, “Don’t hide behind me, what does this have to do with me! A’Qi, it’s this wretch Red Lotus who tricked you, I have nothing to do with it!”

Red Lotus explained, “This silver dollar has weight, it can be used to hit people!”

Li Banfeng chased Red Lotus, ready to strike. “Why would I use a silver dollar to hit someone? I can hit people with a rock just as well!”

Miss Jiu covered her head. “Watch where you’re aiming, don’t hit me!”

Red Lotus circled Jiuer, running and shouting, “This silver dollar recognizes its owner. After you spend it, it can return to your hand, and it can even hit people for you when it’s in someone else’s possession. If Xiao Qianshou were to steal this silver dollar, he’d suffer a great loss. This silver dollar has the same abilities as the blades; if it strikes the right place, it can sever something completely.”

Hearing that the silver dollar was designed for Xiao Qianshou, Li Banfeng’s anger subsided by more than half. Holding the silver dollar, he sat next to Lotus and asked, “Tell me, what do you mean by ‘the right place’?”

Red Lotus said, “For example, if this silver dollar cuts a gash in someone’s palm, their entire hand will fall off at the wrist.”

Li Banfeng asked, “What if it cuts the forearm?”

“That depends on the opponent’s cultivation. If their cultivation is very low, you can sever whatever you want. If their cultivation is decent, it can sever the entire arm or just the forearm; it depends on the silver dollar’s will and the command you give it. If the enemy’s cultivation is very high and the silver dollar can’t cut off their arm, it will find a way to sever their fingers at the base.”

Li Banfeng understood Red Lotus’s meaning.

Du Wenming’s blades were most notably capable of cutting people in half, but their actual severing effect depended on the opponent’s cultivation.

This silver dollar retained the blades’ severing ability and also gained the power to choose suitable targets.

However, possessing the ability to choose meant this silver dollar had sentience.

Where did this sentience come from?

Phonograph’s horn turned towards Bronze Lotus.

Red Lotus quickly explained, “The sentience was inherent; I don’t consume raw materials, so I couldn’t remove its sentience.”

Phonograph didn’t believe her. “When those blades were brought back, I personally inspected them. They were just a pair of high-grade weapons, with no sentience inside. Why are you changing your story now?”

Red Lotus was a little annoyed. “Why would I lie to you about something like this? Did I add sentience to this silver dollar myself? What benefit would that be to me? I suspect there was a self-generated spirit within those blades, or it was unnoticed before, or perhaps it hadn’t yet awakened. You can investigate its origin yourselves. If you truly find it superfluous, you can just consume this sentience. That’s not difficult for you.”

“If the sentience is consumed, this silver dollar won’t be as useful,” Phonograph said, using a needle to pick up the silver dollar and hand it to Li Banfeng. “Husband, you decide how to handle it.”

Li Banfeng took the silver dollar, thought for a moment, and then handed it to Glove. “Can you keep an eye on this?”

Glove took the silver dollar, wagging his index finger at Li Banfeng. “Don’t worry, master. I can’t guarantee other things, but I can definitely keep an eye on this one. I’ll teach it some rules shortly.”

The weapon was now refined. Li Banfeng then took out a bottle of cold cream. “Can you help me refine this?”

Red Lotus glanced at it. “This is the peddler’s cold cream, used to resist sunlight. What do you want to refine it into?”

“Still cold cream, but I hope its toxicity isn’t so high after refining.”

When they were exploring Elbow Mountain, the peddler gave Li Banfeng this bottle of cold cream. Three people had used it: Lu Qianjiao, Che Wushang, and Li Banfeng himself.

At the time, all three were very cautious when using the cream. They didn’t dare to apply too much, fearing poisoning.

Even with their cultivation, they might not have withstood the toxicity. If this cold cream were applied to Dengpao and Tangyuan, it would directly kill them.

Red Lotus’s lotus leaves stroked the cold cream bottle. “This is not easy to refine. If its toxicity is reduced, its resistance will also decrease. It might not be able to protect against sunlight then.”

Phonograph asked, “Husband, where are your two subordinates?”

Li Banfeng replied, “Radish Mountain in San Tou Cha.”

Phonograph thought for a moment. “This servant knows that place. It’s one of the few peaceful areas in San Tou Cha, and many body cultivators originate from there. In such a place, the cold cream’s resistance indeed doesn’t need to be too strong.”

Red Lotus’s lotus leaves trembled, but she didn’t rush to act. “Have you thought this through? This isn’t something you can gamble on.”

As Li Banfeng deliberated, Phonograph asked again, “Do these two subordinates have any cultivation?”

“One is close to the third level, and the other is at the fifth level.”

Phonograph smiled. “I thought they were mere lambs; they certainly wouldn’t be able to withstand it then. But with that level of cultivation, it’s fine. If they’re occasionally exposed to sunlight, as long as they receive proper treatment, it shouldn’t be fatal. My husband is right, lower resistance is acceptable. Let Red Lotus refine half of the cold cream for them to use, and you can keep the other half for later.”

Red Lotus didn’t ask further. She refined half of the cold cream, placed it in a small iron box, and handed it to Li Banfeng.

Phonograph asked, “My dear husband, what brings you to San Tou Cha this time? You’re not planning to engage the Innocent Army again, are you? If so, Hong Ying and I need to prepare for battle immediately.”

Li Banfeng shook his head. “As long as I don’t encounter the Innocent Army, I definitely won’t fight them. I came this time to investigate the origins of body cultivation. To be honest, I’m not familiar with this Taoist sect. I don’t know why some people can turn into spiders, others into elephants, and some can’t transform at all and end up as three-headed beings. There must be a lot of knowledge behind it.”

Phonograph said, “I doubt many people truly understand the knowledge behind this. Since you intend to stay in San Tou Cha, please be extremely careful, husband.”

Li Banfeng took several cans and left. Phonograph glanced at Red Lotus. “A pair of excellent blades, refined into one silver dollar. Sister Red Lotus, it seems you kept a lot of the materials from them.”

Red Lotus chuckled. “Just a few scraps and leftover bits; it would be a waste to throw them away, so I simply kept them for myself. Sister, are you really going to quibble with your little sister over such trifles?”

Miss Jiu glared at Red Lotus. “You just provoked A’Qi, why did you hide behind me? You almost got me beaten by him.”

Red Lotus turned her lotus leaves towards Miss Jiu. “What’s wrong with you? If he hits you, hit him back! Since when were you so afraid of him?”

Hong Ying also felt something was off. “Yes, since when were you afraid of Qilang?”

Jiuer said angrily, “Why would I be afraid of him? How many levels of cultivation does he even have? I usually get along with him quite harmoniously; I don’t want to fall out with him.”

Red Lotus sighed. “Room Nine is out of the question now. I’ll just stay in the outer room.”

Li Banfeng gave the cans of food to Dengpao and Tangyuan. Dengpao devoured his, but Tangyuan hesitated to open hers.

“What are you waiting for?” Li Banfeng thought Tangyuan wasn’t hungry.

“Master Qi, have you eaten?”

“Yes, I have!”

“Master Qi, you’re just fooling us. You didn’t eat yourself, saving it all for us. How can we eat?”

At Tangyuan’s words, Dengpao felt embarrassed and stopped eating.

Li Banfeng frowned. “Where did you learn all this? The fact that I’m giving you food means I’ve definitely eaten my fill. Hurry and eat, then get some sleep. We’ll continue our journey tomorrow morning.”

Dengpao asked, “Where are we going tomorrow?”

“To the Border Control Office, to find someone to take you out of San Tou Cha.”

“Master Qi, where are you sending us?”

“Back to the Dark Star Bureau, to work honestly.”

Tangyuan shook her head. “We’re not going back. We’re staying with you. We’ve already submitted our resignation to the Dark Star Bureau.”

Li Banfeng chuckled. “What does submitting a report change? It doesn’t count for anything with me!”

Tangyuan lowered her head. “Master Qi, we truly want to follow you and make our way in Puluo Prefecture.”

“If you want to follow me, then do it legitimately. What’s this sneaking around?”

Tangyuan shook her head. “If we still retained our identity from other prefectures, it wouldn’t be legitimate to follow you. If the higher-ups gave us a mission to stab you in the back, whose orders would we follow? That’s why we absolutely must break ties with the Dark Star Bureau this time!”

Li Banfeng nodded slightly.

In his impression, Tangyuan had always been someone who tried to avoid conflict.

Yet, judging by her words today, when she was able to face conflict directly, she could perceive the issues very accurately.

After resting for a night in the cave, the next morning at dawn, Li Banfeng handed the cold cream to Tangyuan and Dengpao. Once everything was ready, the three set off, walking down the mountain path towards the village below.

Unlike Elbow Mountain, few three-headed people were seen near Radish Mountain; instead, many normal people were visible.

Before they reached the village, an old woman called out from the roadside, “Save me, save my life...”

The three turned to look. The old woman continued, “Could some kind soul give me something to eat? I haven’t eaten in two days; I really can’t bear it anymore.”

Tangyuan looked at Dengpao, but he didn’t respond. If he truly had anything to spare, he would have helped the old woman, but he only had one can left, which he was saving for lunch. In this situation, he genuinely couldn’t help.

Tangyuan had three cans left: two for Li Qi and one for herself.

She wanted to give her can to the old woman, but then she remembered that Master Qi hadn’t eaten last night, saving every bite for them. Giving a can to someone else now would be truly ungrateful to Master Qi.

As she hesitated, Li Banfeng suddenly looked at her and said, “Tangyuan, give me a can.”

Tangyuan let out a breath of relief and quickly handed Li Banfeng a can.

Master Qi was a good man; she must never forget that.

Li Banfeng put the can into the old woman’s hand. “Here, Granny, eat.”

The old woman took the can and thanked him repeatedly.

Li Banfeng led the two onwards towards the village. Not long after, the old woman caught up from behind.

Her legs were strong, and her endurance was good. This did not look like someone who hadn’t eaten in two days.

“Kind sirs, where are you three headed?”

Li Banfeng pointed to the village ahead. “We’re going to rent a house in the village.”

“What would you rent a house for here?”

“We think this place is nice and want to settle down here.”

“Who are you trying to fool?” The old woman smiled. “You want to join the Taoist sect, don’t you? Otherwise, who would want to settle in San Tou Cha?”

Tangyuan said, “Elderly one, you’ve misunderstood. We’re not here to...”

Li Banfeng waved his hand, signaling Tangyuan to be silent, then turned to the old woman. “How did you know we wanted to join the Taoist sect?”

The old woman smacked her lips. “I don’t know, I can’t see anything. If you don’t believe me, pretend you never met me. But if you trust me, I’ll show you a path.”

Li Banfeng was curious. “What path?”

The old woman lowered her voice. “Do you want to join a proper Taoist sect, or do you want to grow two more heads?”

Li Banfeng straightened his expression. “Of course, we want a proper Taoist sect.”

The old woman pointed to the village ahead. “Do you think you can become body cultivators just by finding a place to stay in San Tou Cha? Let me tell you, you three lambs, if you stay in this village for a few days, each of you will grow three heads. I see you’re all quite old enough and dressed decently. Don’t you know anything about the rules of the Taoist sect? To join, you need medicinal powder. Without it, aren’t you just waiting to become three-headed monsters?”

“Body cultivators need medicinal powder?” Tangyuan’s eyes widened. She had done her research before coming to Puluo Prefecture and had acquired quite a bit of relevant information.

Becoming a body cultivator didn’t require medicinal powder; one could simply come to San Tou Cha and try their luck. More than one document in the Dark Star Bureau mentioned this.

The old woman waved her hand and turned to leave. “Young lady, I see you don’t believe me. Forget it, consider what I said unsaid. On the day you actually grow three heads, you’ll know regret.”

Li Banfeng stopped the old woman. “Elderly one, she’s a young girl who doesn’t know better. We truly want to join the Taoist sect, but as you know, if we had money to buy medicinal powder, we wouldn’t have come to San Tou Cha!”

The old woman nodded. “That’s a serious point. Let me tell you, in San Tou Cha, Taoist medicinal powder isn’t bought with money; it’s exchanged for sincerity. As long as you find the right path and meet the patriarch of body cultivators, you can obtain the powder.”

Tangyuan was even more confused. There was a patriarch of body cultivators in San Tou Cha?

Moreover, medicinal powders in Puluo Prefecture were all bought from peddlers. Could the patriarch of body cultivators actually give them away?

Li Banfeng bowed with clasped fists. “Elderly one, please trouble yourself to show us the way.”

The old woman sighed deeply. “I’ve been hungry for two whole days, and you’re the only ones who offered me food. It seems we were meant to have this predestined connection. Follow me.”

Li Banfeng thanked her repeatedly and followed the old woman.

Tangyuan felt something was wrong, but then she saw Dengpao also following.

She pulled Dengpao’s arm. He turned back and whispered, “Why are we here?”

Why were they here?

To follow Master Qi!

Dengpao flicked his head towards Li Banfeng. “Follow Master Qi!”

Since they were following Master Qi, they naturally had to trust him. Thinking this way wasn’t wrong.

The three followed the old woman for half a day. The old woman sighed, “I just ate a little, and now I’ve walked it all off.”

Li Banfeng turned to Tangyuan. “Give me another can.”

The old woman took the can and sighed again. “I have food now, but my old man at home is still hungry.”

Li Banfeng reached into his pocket and touched Glove.

Glove handed the silver dollar to Li Banfeng. “Master, I just had a chat with him. This guy is quite savvy. Just tell him which part you want.”

Li Banfeng said one word: “Hand.”

The old woman was startled. “Young man, what ‘hand’ are you talking about?”

Li Banfeng chuckled, “I’m a bit short on cash, didn’t bring much money with me. I’ll give you one silver dollar, is that okay?”

He gave the old woman a silver dollar.

Tangyuan felt something was wrong and said to Li Banfeng, “This money...”

She felt this money shouldn’t be given.

Li Banfeng chuckled, “It’s fine, I just want to see if this money is effective.”

The old woman took the silver dollar, her expression slightly regretful. “This amount of money really isn’t much. If you buy medicinal powder outside, it costs several hundred silver dollars per person, and that’s not even counting the previous expenses for accumulating Taoist affinity. I found you a good opportunity, and you give me so little. Never mind, I won’t haggle with you. After all, we share this predestined connection; it’s a token of your sincerity, however small.”

The old woman led the three onwards. They hadn’t walked far when they saw a young man.

“Come, come!” The old woman waved to the young man. “These three want to find the patriarch of body cultivators. Take them there.”

Dengpao whispered, “The carriage driver trick!”

Tangyuan didn’t know what a ‘carriage driver trick’ was. It was a scam popular among rickshaw pullers: simply put, Old Zhang would pull a customer halfway, collect the fare, then hand the customer off to Old Chen to finish the trip. Old Chen would then deny any previous arrangements halfway through, claiming the prior agreement had nothing to do with him, and demand another fare from the customer.

Dengpao had been scammed down to just his boxer shorts in Lanyang Village, had been to bandit strongholds, and even served as a bandit chief’s wife. What kind of situation hadn’t he seen? Such a simple trick certainly wouldn’t fool him!

But to his surprise, this trick had apparently worked on Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng, with the two, bid farewell to the old woman and continued walking with the young man.

As expected, the young man hadn’t walked far before he asked Li Banfeng for money again.

“I say, you three. I’m not out here doing good deeds. It’s freezing, and I’m guiding you. Shouldn’t you at least give me some compensation for my trouble?”

“Of course,” Li Banfeng said. He felt his pocket; the silver dollar had already returned.

Glove wiped the bloodstains off the coin and handed the silver dollar back to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng said to the young man, “I’m a bit short on cash. I’ll give you one silver dollar, is that okay?”

“People looking for the body cultivation patriarch usually bring at least ten or eight coins. You only have one... Never mind, for the old woman’s sake, it’ll do.” The young man took the silver dollar and continued walking with the three.

This time, Tangyuan understood. Li Banfeng had another trick up his sleeve.

Dengpao couldn’t resist teasing, “Master Qi, that’s two silver dollars now. This business seems to be losing money.”

Li Banfeng chuckled, “Not losing, but gaining. This silver dollar is very useful.”

In the snow, the old woman’s hand fell off cleanly from her shoulder.

Blood flowed ceaselessly as she lay on the snow, screaming hoarsely.

“Save me, save my life...”

The wind was strong, and no one heard her cries for help until she was buried by the heavy snow.

The title of the new volume is "Gains and Losses."