Chapter 639: Lai Baifan

The young man lay in the snow, slowly opening his eyes, and whispered faintly, “My hand hurts, it hurts.”

Li Banfeng returned the hand to the young man. “Here’s your hand. If it hurts, just rub it.”

Below his left shoulder, there was nothing. The young man cried out, “Who are you people?”

“Businessmen. We’ve come to do business with you. Here’s an advance payment of one silver dollar. How does that sound?” Li Banfeng took out a silver dollar.

The young man saw bloodstains on the silver dollar and shivered in fright.

Li Banfeng wiped off the blood. “My sister was putting on lipstick just now and accidentally got a little on it. Go ahead and take the money. Let’s discuss where we’re going next.”

The young man cried, “Where are you taking me?”

Lightbulb chuckled, “Why would you ask that? Aren’t we following you? Where are you taking us?”

The young man sobbed for a long time before saying, “There’s a quarry up ahead. If you work there with sincerity, once your sincerity is enough, you can become a proper Body Cultivator. The more sincere you are, the better you’ll become.”

Tangyuan asked, “What do you mean by ‘better’?”

“If you have absolute sincerity, you can become decent creatures like cattle, horses, chickens, or ducks. But if you only have sixty percent sincerity, you’ll end up as lowly things like spiders or ants.”

Lightbulb asked, “What if someone turns into a three-headed person?”

The young man shook his head. “This quarry was established by the Ancestor of Body Cultivation. As long as you work sincerely under the Ancestor, you definitely won’t turn into a three-headed person. Those who become three-headed people are insincere!”

Lightbulb turned to Li Qi and said, “Seventh Master, this is a sure-win deal. This is how you do business.”

Li Banfeng then asked the young man, “How much does the Ancestor of Body Cultivation pay you for bringing someone to the quarry?”

“Eighty per person.”

Tangyuan said angrily, “Only eighty yuan, and you sold a person?”

Lightbulb said, “He didn’t find this person; the old woman did. He doesn’t need to do anything else; everything is handled by the quarry. He just guides them for this short stretch of road. Eighty is quite a bit. Plus, he also took a silver dollar from us, which makes it a good two-way deal. However, he truly suffered a loss with this transaction today.”

Li Banfeng left the young man in the snow. He took Tangyuan and Lightbulb to the quarry.

The quarry was vast. Over three hundred workers were quarrying stones at the foot of Radish Mountain.

These stones weren't for building houses. Although the celestial light on Radish Mountain wasn't particularly dense, it was still within the territory of Three-Headed Fork. The mountain had been exposed to this celestial light for years. Once quarried, the stones were ground into powder, and drinking them mixed with water could accumulate Dao Affinity.

Herbs for accumulating Dao Affinity were not cheap. In Medicine King Valley, Li Banfeng had heard stories of some families spending their entire fortunes just to gather Dao Affinity to cultivate a practitioner.

Li Banfeng looked up at the quarry. They weren't quarrying stones; they were mining gold!

These workers weren't paid, and it was unknown who owned or leased this mountainside. This truly was a hugely profitable business.

Strange, why were there three-headed people working here?

For Body Cultivators, growing two extra heads meant failure to initiate cultivation. If they had already failed, why were they still working for the Ancestor?

A three-headed person carried a stone down the slope. The stone had many sharp edges, and the three-headed person's shoulders were covered in bloody gashes.

Watching the three-headed person stumble along with difficulty, Tangyuan frowned.

There was a path on the slope. If they had even a single wheelbarrow, the work wouldn't be so grueling.

As soon as the three-headed person carried the stone to the bottom of the slope, a supervisor approached with a leather whip and lashed him twice. “How long are you going to dawdle? Didn’t you eat? Run!”

The whip was as thick as two fingers. The three-headed person’s clothes were thin. With one lash, his clothes ripped, and his skin broke.

Carrying the stone, the three-headed person stumbled forward, running. The supervisor whipped him from behind. “I told you to run, don’t you understand? What’s wrong, are you defiant? I’m telling you, if you don’t want to work, get out! There are plenty of people waiting to come here!”

The three of them watched silently from a distance. Tangyuan gritted his teeth. Lightbulb’s face was expressionless. Li Banfeng’s hat brim was pulled too low for others to see his face.

The supervisor walked over and looked at the three of them. He asked, “What are you doing here?”

Li Banfeng gave a simple, guileless smile. “We’ve come to see the Ancestor of Body Cultivation to request some initiation powder.”

This supervisor was named Ge Yugen, but everyone called him Head Ge. He had some standing in this quarry.

He saw that Li Banfeng’s hat was nice and reached out to take it. Li Banfeng subtly moved, seemingly unhurriedly, but Ge Yugen couldn't reach it.

“Why are you dodging?” Ge Yugen grew angry. “Can’t I just look at your hat?”

Li Banfeng reiterated his purpose. “I’m here to see the Ancestor of Body Cultivation.”

“With that attitude, you think you can see the Ancestor? Anyone sincere about seeing the Ancestor puts their entire life on the line here. I just want to see your hat, and you’re dodging. With such narrow vision, do you still expect to enter the Dao Gate?”

As he spoke, Ge Yugen tried to snatch Li Banfeng’s hat again. He tried several times but still couldn’t reach it.

Ge Yugen became agitated, stomped his foot, and leaped into the air. Judging by his jump, he must have been a grasshopper-type Body Cultivator.

He leaped over two meters high. Ge Yugen soared above Li Banfeng’s head, bent down, and still tried to snatch the hat.

He stretched his hand out several times in the air but just couldn’t grab it. After he landed, Lightbulb sprinkled some oil on the ground. Ge Yugen lost his footing and fell directly into a snowdrift.

“Agh!” Ge Yugen panicked. “Guards! We have trouble here!”

There were over fifty supervisors in the quarry. More than thirty of them came over, carrying their weapons. “What’s wrong, Head Ge?”

Ge Yugen pointed at the three and roared, “These three, under the guise of paying respects to the Ancestor, spoke disrespectfully to me and even laid hands on me!”

The quarry workers were stunned. Who dared to be so bold as to lay hands on Head Ge?

Several workers tried to watch the commotion, but they were lashed several times by nearby supervisors. “What are you looking at? Is your work done? Do you still want to see the Ancestor? Do you still want to enter the Dao Gate? Do you still want to eat tonight?”

Ge Yugen swung his whip and struck at Li Banfeng. “Are you blind? How dare you cause trouble here? The Ancestor isn’t here today, so I’ll teach you the rules on his behalf!”

This man had great confidence. Even knowing Li Banfeng was skilled, he showed no fear.

After several missed lashes, Ge Yugen shouted at the crowd, “Go! Beat them to death! If they die, I’ll take responsibility! If I let them leave this quarry in one piece today, I, Ge Yugen, will crawl before you from now on!”

Everyone in the quarry, high and low, admired him. Though Head Ge was usually cruel and wicked, he was genuinely tough when it mattered.

A group of people rushed forward to attack Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng couldn’t be bothered to intervene. If Ge Yugen’s strength was so limited, how much better could the others be?

Tangyuan used his 'Counting Ink and Tracing Lines' technique and conjured a flurry of characters to knock down the supervisors.

Once they fell to the ground, it was difficult to get back up. Lightbulb had spilled oil all over the ground. Dozens of people kicked, flailed, and rolled around on the ground.

They couldn't stand up, but Lightbulb stood steadily on the oil. He held a knife and bled them one by one. Tangyuan assisted him. The characters hovered in mid-air, unaffected by the oil on the ground.

These supervisors all had some cultivation, but most were only at the first level. They were no match for fifth-level Tangyuan and third-level Lightbulb.

In less than two minutes, the whole group was subdued by Lightbulb and Tangyuan. They lay on the ground, not daring to get up.

Lightbulb walked up to Ge Yugen. He asked, “Who was it that said they’d crawl just now?”

Ge Yugen’s face turned pale, but he didn't back down verbally. “If you have the guts, don’t leave! When our Grand Steward arrives, he’ll skin you all alive!”

Li Banfeng looked at Ge Yugen and asked, “Who is your Grand Steward? Is he the Ancestor?”

Ge Yugen shook his head. “The Ancestor isn’t usually here. Our Grand Steward is in charge of everything. I’ll go get him now. If you want to surrender, apologize to me now, and this matter will be over. But if you don’t surrender, and our Grand Steward truly arrives, don’t you dare regret it!”

Li Banfeng discussed with Ge Yugen. “How about this: you let someone else go find the Grand Steward, and you give us a good tour around here.”

Ge Yugen pursed his lips. “Only I can invite the Grand Steward here. No one else can!”

A group of supervisors volunteered. “We can! We can all call the Grand Steward!”

These people really didn't want to be beaten anymore.

“Don’t listen to them…” Before Ge Yugen could finish speaking, Lightbulb pressed him to the ground, looped a rope around his neck, and led him away.

Lightbulb kicked Ge Yugen to the ground. “Let’s go. Take us around first.”

Ge Yugen lay on the ground. But he still wasn't conceding verbally. “I’ll warn you one more time. It’s still not too late to leave now.”

Lightbulb raised the whip and lashed Ge Yugen a few times. “Less talk, walk faster!”

Ge Yugen gritted his teeth and moved forward. As he walked up the slope, he secretly glanced back at Lightbulb.

You just wait, kid.

When the Grand Steward arrives, I’ll cut out your tongue first, then chop off your hands.

Or maybe I won’t chop him up. This kid is quite handsome. I’ll just give him to the Grand Steward then…

Two cracks of the whip interrupted Ge Yugen’s fantasy.

Lightbulb swung his whip and yelled, “Didn’t you eat? Run!”

Ge Yugen led the three on a tour around the quarry. Li Banfeng saw many three-headed people working there.

He found one of them and asked, “What are you still doing here? Are you waiting for the initiation powder?”

All three heads of the three-headed person nodded together. The middle head said, “The Ancestor said our fate hasn’t been severed yet. As long as we are sincere, we still have a chance to enter the Dao Gate.”

Once one became a three-headed person, they could no longer be a Body Cultivator. Everyone in Prova Province knew this perfectly well.

Yet, this three-headed person still clung to a last shred of hope. He was willing to suffer here, hoping he could become a proper Body Cultivator.

Did all the other three-headed people think this way? Was there not a single one who understood the reality?

There were quite a few who understood. Many three-headed people knew they couldn't enter the Dao Gate in this lifetime. But where else could they go? Unless they voluntarily went to Prisoner City to live as convicts for life, three-headed people were unwelcome anywhere else.

Lightbulb led Ge Yugen down the slope. After being whipped all the way, Ge Yugen conceded. He told Li Banfeng everything he asked.

He said their Grand Steward was called Iron Baldy and was a prominent figure in Three-Headed Fork.

Li Banfeng thought Ge Yugen was telling the truth. Iron Baldy—that name certainly sounded impressive.

“What is Iron Baldy’s relationship with the Ancestor of Body Cultivation?”

“Our chief is a disciple of the Ancestor. All of the Ancestor’s business on Radish Mountain is overseen by our Grand Steward.”

It seemed the Ancestor had more than just one business operation.

Lightbulb planned to go check out the workers' living quarters. Suddenly, he saw all the workers on the mountain pick up their tools and work diligently, no one daring to watch the show anymore.

Their bodies trembled, an uncontrollable trembling.

The supervisors who had been lying on the ground were now rubbing their hands together, looking energetic.

Lightbulb looked into the distance. Grand Steward Iron Baldy entered the quarry, accompanied by about thirty people.

Iron Baldy was indeed bald; his gleaming scalp stood out conspicuously in the snow. He looked at Ge Yugen, who was being led by a rope, and then at Lightbulb. He said, “Walking blindly without a lantern, not even knowing whose territory you’ve stumbled into.”

Lightbulb didn't know how to respond. Seeing that the other person was a jianghu figure, Lightbulb cupped his fist and bowed to him.

Iron Baldy’s eyes widened. “Who the hell are you cursing?”

Lightbulb looked back at Li Banfeng. He didn't understand how cupping his fist in a bow could be considered an insult.

Li Banfeng explained, “This man must have been a bandit. In some bandit circles, cupping fists is taboo. The gesture resembles wearing handcuffs, which is unlucky in their line of work. Such old customs are rarely seen in Prova Province anymore.”

Indeed, it was rare. Li Banfeng had learned this old custom while reading books at the Ink Fragrance Shop. The customs of Three-Headed Fork differed greatly not only from other provinces but also significantly from other parts of Prova Province.

Iron Baldy smiled and said to Li Banfeng, “An insider, are you? Were those two brokers by the roadside your doing?”

Li Banfeng nodded. “Yes, it was my doing. Could you please not speak in riddles?”

Iron Baldy’s face darkened. “First, state your identity.”

Li Banfeng chuckled. “What if I don’t?”

“You come here to stir up trouble, and you speak so brazenly. First, release my men.”

Li Banfeng’s smile didn’t waver. “What if I don’t release them?”

Iron Baldy said, “You clearly don’t understand common sense. I’m giving you two choices now. First, you release my men, kneel, and kowtow a hundred times. You can take this young woman; I don’t want her. But leave this vibrant young man with me, and this matter will be settled.”

Lightbulb was startled. He looked at Tangyuan and asked, “Why do I have to stay?”

“Why are you looking at me? I don’t know either!” Tangyuan also didn't know why he was angry.

Iron Baldy continued, “The second option is, I’ll skin all three of you alive and hang your hides at the quarry entrance as a warning. Choose for yourself.”

Li Banfeng asked, “What about a third option?”

Iron Baldy pointed at Li Banfeng and said, “There is no third option.”

Li Banfeng held Iron Baldy’s index finger. He asked, “Think carefully again.”

Iron Baldy saw that one of his fingers was missing. He shivered in fright. “You, you did this…”

“I’m asking you, how do I take the third option?” Li Banfeng held Iron Baldy’s ear and casually tossed it into the snow.

Iron Baldy touched the side of his head. His ear was gone.

He was about to call for his men to fight to the death. But when he opened his mouth, a large blood bubble shot out.

The blood bubble didn't come from his mouth; it came from his nostril.

Li Banfeng held Iron Baldy’s nose and casually tossed it into the snow.

Iron Baldy let out a wail and wet his pants in fear.

Not only did he wet himself, but all the over hundred supervisors lying on the ground also wet themselves, and a large patch of the quarry workers also urinated.

This was Iron Baldy. This was the disciple of the Ancestor of Body Cultivation.

In their eyes, this man's status was equivalent to Lu Dongliang's status in Greenwater City back then.

And now, this man in the black suit, using unknown means, had just cut off Iron Baldy’s ear and nose.

Was this real?

This was clearly a dream!

Iron Baldy was still wailing. Li Banfeng walked closer and patted his head. “I’ll show you the third option. Go lie down over there, put this rope around your own neck, and let my brother lead you.”

Iron Baldy was surprisingly obedient. He actually took a rope, put it around his neck, and squatted beside Ge Yugen.

Seeing Iron Baldy in such a state, Ge Yugen’s spirits completely plummeted. He meekly squatted next to Lightbulb.

The other supervisors dared not speak. And the people Iron Baldy had brought were also terrified stiff.

Li Banfeng looked at the people behind Iron Baldy. He asked, “Who among you knows where the Ancestor is? Would you please deliver an invitation for me?”

A group of people raised their hands enthusiastically, all claiming they knew. They would do anything as long as they could leave this place.

Li Banfeng indeed wrote an invitation. He asked Iron Baldy, “Who among them is reliable?”

Iron Baldy remained silent.

Li Banfeng patted his bald head. “If I still don’t see your Ancestor by tomorrow, your head will be gone.”

Iron Baldy chose a middle-aged man in his forties. “This man has been with me for over twenty years; we truly have a bond.”

Li Banfeng frowned. “A bond alone isn’t enough. Can you bring the Ancestor here within a day?”

The middle-aged man nodded. “Just don’t harm our chief. I’ll risk my life to bring the Ancestor here.”

This bond was quite deep. No wonder Iron Baldy had taken a liking to Lightbulb.

As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged man stretched out his arms and kicked his legs, transforming into four hooves and kneeling on the ground.

He shook his neck, flapped his ears, and let out a loud braying sound: “Hee-haw!”

The middle-aged man then ran off.

It turned out he was a donkey.

Lightbulb, leading Iron Baldy and Ge Yugen, guided Li Banfeng to the accountant. They took out the roster and ledgers and started paying the workers present.

Some of the quarry workers had been there for only a few days, while others had been there for over a decade. They had never been paid once. Today's fresh development truly stunned them.

Li Banfeng had Lightbulb inform everyone that he didn’t care what the old rules were. Starting today, for one day’s work here, they would receive one day’s pay. As long as enough stones were quarried, they would receive fifty Huanguo notes per day.

The workers' eyes widened. “Fifty notes a day?”

Even the nearby supervisors were terrified. This was Three-Headed Fork, and these supervisors only earned two hundred Huanguo notes a month.

Li Banfeng set the rules and started distributing the money accordingly.

Iron Baldy sneered, but said nothing.

The accountant, wanting to curry favor, approached Li Banfeng and whispered, “Sir, if you operate like this, this business cannot continue.”

Li Banfeng asked, “What do you mean by that?”

“There are about three hundred people here. You’d pay fifteen thousand in wages a day. That’s four hundred and fifty thousand a month, and over five million a year. How much can this quarry earn in total?”

Li Banfeng picked up a stone and weighed it in his hand. “These are all medicinal ingredients for initiation. The money earned from quarrying stones here for just one month is enough to cover the workers' wages.”

The accountant shook his head. “You’re talking about outside prices. To do business in Three-Headed Fork, you have to follow Three-Headed Fork's rules. There’s a saying in other provinces that Three-Headed Fork doesn’t allow business. If a quarry wants to open, it first has to give a share to the Frontier Commissioner. After quarrying stones, if you want to sell them, you have to give another share to the Frontier Commissioner. If you're short even a tiny bit, they'll shut you down tomorrow! These stones can only be sold to designated buyers, and the price is kept very low. Furthermore, this business is under the Ancestor’s name, so the major portion of profits must go to the Ancestor. If the remaining money is all paid out as wages, you won't have any profit, and we won't have any prospects either. These people are here for the medicinal powder. They sincerely follow the Ancestor and didn't ask for wages. It's not that we're cruel for not giving it; it's that this business…”

“This business is changing,” Li Banfeng said, looking through the ledgers one by one. “From now on, this business belongs to me. No more payments to the Frontier Commissioner, and no more to the Ancestor. I’ll sell to whoever I want. And if anyone disagrees, they can come to me for a discussion.”

That night, Lightbulb and Tangyuan each took a wooden cabin and had a good night's sleep.

Li Banfeng gathered the supervisors and asked them about business matters.

Business in Three-Headed Fork was difficult. What the accountant said was true. All sorts of rules demanded real gold and silver.

Li Banfeng had legitimate operating rights in Three-Headed Fork. This was unique in Prova Province. He contacted Ma Wu using a simple phone. “Old Fifth, how’s business coming along in Three-Headed Fork?”

“Seventh Brother, business here is impossible. It’s too complicated, with too many local tyrants and too much trouble. Let’s discuss it slowly after you get back.”

No wonder business in Three-Headed Fork had been slow to start. Even a shrewd businessman like Ma Wu found it difficult to get involved here.

The next morning at dawn, the workers rose early and went to work at the quarry.

Over two hundred of the three hundred-plus workers had fled, leaving just over a hundred.

The runaway workers fell into two categories. One group consisted of clever people who knew they had been tricked and didn't want to stay and risk their lives.

The other group were foolish, irredeemably so. They were still waiting for the Ancestor to give them medicinal powder. Now that the quarry had changed hands, they feared involvement and went into hiding for a while.

The remaining hundred-plus people were quite eager to work. Without supervisors, they didn't slack off.

They transported the stones they had quarried down the mountain and piled them up, preparing to show the new boss in the evening if their day's work was worth the pay.

Lightbulb came over for a look and roughly calculated everyone’s workload. There was one pile of stones that was particularly large. He wondered who had done so much work. But then he saw all the workers suddenly kneel on the ground, foreheads pressed to the dirt, their bodies motionless.

Someone had arrived at the quarry. An old man, appearing to be about 1.6 meters tall and weighing an estimated 250 to 260 jin (125-130 kg). He was round and plump, with a pockmarked face.

Observing his gait, his toes pointed severely outward. He took each step, pushing his legs forcefully.

He was clearly a Body Cultivator capable of transforming into a toad. Whether he was a morphogenic or transformative Body Cultivator was hard to determine. Seeing how respectful the crowd was, Lightbulb naturally deduced that this person must be the Ancestor of Body Cultivation.

The old man was accompanied by twelve attendants, who varied in height, weight, and build.

Lightbulb watched the old man, and the old man also noticed Lightbulb. Among the many people at the foot of the slope, only Lightbulb hadn't knelt.

The old man looked at Lightbulb and chuckled, “Please inform your master that Lai Baifan has come to see him.”

Lightbulb quickly went to find Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng was already standing outside the wooden cabin.

He told Lightbulb and Tangyuan to find a place to hide. “If things go wrong, you two must leave immediately.”

“Seventh Master, what about you?”

“Don’t worry about me. Three-Headed Fork is the territory of Body Cultivators. With the Ancestor of Body Cultivation here, I may not have the upper hand. Moreover, he has brought many masters with him. When I make my escape, whatever you do, don't become a burden to me.”

Lightbulb and Tangyuan quickly hid. Li Banfeng stood at the doorway for a moment, then Lai Baifan approached.

Connecting his name to his appearance, it was almost certain he was a toad.

Li Banfeng greeted him first. “Boss Lai, I wonder if it’s appropriate to cup my fist in greeting here?”

Lai Baifan chuckled, cupped his fist, and replied, “The guest follows the host’s convenience. I am the guest, you are the host. I’ll defer to your customs.”

Li Banfeng returned the bow, invited Lai Baifan into the cabin, poured tea, exchanged pleasantries, and host and guest took their seats.

Lai Baifan held his teacup and looked at Li Banfeng for a moment. He then asked in a low voice, “If I’m not mistaken, you are Li Qi, aren’t you?”

The Ancestor had good judgment. Three-Headed Fork was so isolated, and he hadn't met Li Banfeng before, yet he could recognize him just by his appearance and clothing.

“It’s me.” Li Banfeng didn’t deny it.

Two grunts came from outside the window. Iron Baldy was still tied up under the window. He had finally waited for the Ancestor’s arrival and was expecting the Ancestor to save his life.

Lai Baifan cursed at the window. “You disgrace, still crying out there with no shame! Do you even know who you’ve offended? You should pluck out your own eyes and stomp them into a pulp.”

Iron Baldy didn't dare make a sound.

Lai Baifan chuckled. “Brother Li Qi, what’s the reason for your sudden arrival at this quarry and the conflict that ensued? Is it because I offended you previously?”

Li Banfeng shook his head. “We’ve never met, so there’s no offense. I’m interested in the quarry business. I’d like to discuss with Boss Lai whether you’d be willing to transfer this quarry to me.”

Lai Baifan sighed. “This business isn’t so easy to run either.”

“Business has its ups and downs. I genuinely want this quarry. Name your price first.”

Lai Baifan shook his head. “After all, I am an elder. It would be a joke for me to discuss money with a junior like you.”

Li Banfeng said, “Business is business.