Chapter 643: Smoke-smoked Land

Li Banfeng, accompanied by Xiao Yeci, followed Juanzi westward. Radish Mountain was on the outskirts of San tou Cha, and after three days of travel, the three of them were steadily approaching the central area of San tou Cha.

Xiao Yeci carried paper and a pen, meticulously documenting everything they encountered along the way. Li Banfeng had brought her precisely because of her careful nature and excellent writing skills, which allowed her to record the local customs and traditions of San tou Cha.

The projector also captured many valuable images. However, by the third day, there wasn't much left to record.

Villages had disappeared from their path, and signs of habitation became increasingly scarce. Initially, they had seen some unusual flowers and plants, but after walking for another half day, the ground was covered in bare, dark rocks, with no soil visible, let alone flowers.

Around 3 PM, Juanzi pointed to a nearby hill. "Seventh Master," she said, "let's stay in that cave tonight."

Li Banfeng checked his pocket watch. "What time is it?" he asked. "Are we stopping already?"

"Seventh Master," Juanzi replied, "if we go any further, there won't be a suitable place to stay until morning. And the 'sky light' is particularly abundant here at night."

According to Juanzi, the 'sky light' varied in different regions of San tou Cha. The area they were currently traversing was called Black Yellow Beach, characterized by sparse 'sky light' during the day and abundant 'sky light' at night.

They could walk from dawn till dusk for an entire day and still not encounter a single beam of 'sky light' within a hundred-mile radius.

But come nightfall, the same area could be completely scoured by 'sky light'.

They had to find a suitable place to stay before dark, and the cave Juanzi mentioned was quite fitting.

Everyone settled into the cave. Xiao Yeci organized her notes, while Li Banfeng asked Juanzi, "Where does the name Black Yellow Beach come from?"

"Black" probably refers to the black rocks everywhere, but what does "yellow" mean?

Juanzi didn't know the origin of the name either. After thinking for a moment, she said, "It might be related to 'Smoke-Scented Trees'."

"Trees? We can't even see soil here; where would there be trees?"

"There's an area within Black Yellow Beach called Smoke Ground, where the smoke is incredibly dense. Most trees can't survive there; only Smoke-Scented Trees can."

"The leaves of Smoke-Scented Trees are yellow all year round. I'm guessing that's where the name Black Yellow Beach comes from."

"We're sturdy, so when the wind is strong and the smoke isn't as thick, we can walk through Smoke Ground. But those who aren't as strong might suffocate halfway."

As she spoke, Juanzi looked at Xiao Yeci.

Xiao Yeci, feeling indignant, said, "What do you mean? I'm a third-level cultivator too; my physique isn't bad."

Juanzi then turned to Li Qi. "Seventh Master, are we really going to Smoke Ground? I'm worried about Seventh Madam..."

"Don't just say things like that!" Xiao Yeci's face flushed. "I'm not Seventh Madam, really I'm not..."

Li Banfeng took out cans and biscuits from his backpack and distributed them among Juanzi, Mengzi, Xiaoshan, and Xiao Yeci.

Xiao Yeci was curious about how much Li Qi's backpack could hold. The daily food supply was always plentiful; after three days of travel, Xiao Yeci even felt like she had gained a bit of weight.

After eating their fill and tidying up, Xiao Yeci and Juanzi went to sleep. Li Banfeng returned to his Portable Dwelling.

Opening Xiao Yeci's notes and cross-referencing them with the projector's images, Li Banfeng began to draw a map of San tou Cha by himself.

The Phonograph glanced over and asked Li Banfeng, "My dearest husband, what is this pointy thing you've drawn?"

"It's a mountain."

"And these two trees?"

"Trees are just trees."

"Why are the trees drawn as tall as the mountain?"

"Why are you fussing so much? As long as I can understand it, that's all that matters."

"My husband is so meticulous; you even drew a house next to the mountain."

"Actually, it's not really a house, just a cave where we can sleep."

The Phonograph sighed, "My husband, this map is understandable now, but I'm afraid it won't be in a few days. You should tell Hanxue Pendulum the route; she knows Western painting techniques. Let her help you draw the map."

Hanxue Pendulum quickly came over to help Li Banfeng with the drawing. Hong Ying was also skilled at painting, but the Phonograph wasn't fond of her ink wash style, so she could only watch from the side.

After watching for a while, Hong Ying grew sleepy; the Pendulum was drawing too slowly.

Li Banfeng asked, "Have you been tired these past couple of days?"

Hanxue Pendulum didn't know how to answer.

They had only been traveling these past two days, and she hadn't exerted herself, so being tired was impossible. Yet, she was indeed much slower now.

After a long pause, the Pendulum explained, "Master, my body has been a bit inconvenient these past two days."

Hearing this, Hong Ying burst into laughter. "You don't even have a body, what do you mean 'inconvenient'!"

In that room, only Hong Ying truly dared to say she was "inconvenient," as her body had genuinely grown on its own.

The Phonograph also chuckled, "I also think you're 'inconvenient,' Sister Hanxue. I noticed your body has become quite plump these past two days."

The Pendulum quickly explained, "Madam is right. Last time, when dealing with Lai Baifan, I drank a lot of blood. And since there's been no fighting these past two days, I've been resting my body and not exercising. I've gained a lot of weight, and my movements are indeed less agile."

The Phonograph rubbed the Pendulum's body twice with her needle. "Alright then, get some good exercise and finish drawing this map."

By late night, the map was about seventy to eighty percent complete. Li Banfeng went to sleep, and the Pendulum also rested.

Waking up at 4:30 AM, the Phonograph heard some movement from the second chamber.

She wanted to activate her "Insightful Spirit Sound" to listen closely, but the flame on her chest flickered. Though the movement was slight, it still couldn't hide the change in light.

This was troublesome. Every time the Phonograph tried to use a technique, the flame would change, and it was hard to conceal. Ordinary people wouldn't notice, but the occupants of the second chamber were far from ordinary.

A moment later, the flame on the Phonograph's body stabilized. The puppet lying nearby moved, and the Phonograph transferred into Zhao Xiaowan's body.

Using this body required extreme caution. Although she had adapted to it for a long time, the puppet was usually less agile than the Phonograph's original form, and even a slight mistake could create noise.

Fortunately, the puppet had no flame, so using techniques wouldn't be noticed.

Zhao Xiaowan stood still and silently activated her "Insightful Spirit Sound," quickly hearing voices from the second chamber.

Drip!

The sound of dripping water.

More accurately, it was the sound of dripping blood.

The Pendulum indeed had a lot of blood stored in her body, but it wasn't for her own consumption. It was compensation she was saving for Honglian. The Phonograph had long since noticed the Pendulum's little secret.

The Pendulum was currently feeding blood to Honglian, who was a special presence in this household; everyone was wary of her.

If it were anyone else who discovered this, the Pendulum would have to be caught and severely punished, perhaps even obliterated.

But the Phonograph didn't do that; she knew the Pendulum's intentions.

The Pendulum's interactions with Honglian weren't about vying for position in the household, nor were they about harming Li Banfeng. She simply wanted a body.

The Phonograph empathized with this feeling. She felt jealous seeing Hong Ying with a body, and she liked having her own puppet.

When the Pendulum was alive, she was also a celebrated socialite. How could she not long for a body when she saw others with them? As long as she didn't do anything too outrageous, the Phonograph wouldn't quarrel with her. Otherwise, with so many individuals in the household, insisting that everyone be entirely free of selfish desires would make life unbearable.

What truly concerned the Phonograph was another sound.

Two people were talking in the second chamber:

"If he hadn't arrived first, how could I, with all my talent and knowledge, be content to be subordinate?"

"Your talent is indeed remarkable, but the time isn't right. It's too early to speak of replacing him now."

"If I could join forces with my elder brother, what great task couldn't be accomplished?"

"My dear brother, don't rush. I trust you, but the timing for action still needs careful consideration."

The second chamber gradually fell silent. The Lady retracted her "Insightful Spirit Sound" technique, her soul left the puppet, and she quietly returned to the Phonograph's body.

The flame remained steady, and the Phonograph appeared to be sound asleep, but in reality, her thoughts raced:

That wretched person in the second chamber is collaborating with an insider.

The insider's voice sounded vague; their identity couldn't be confirmed yet.

Their voices were extremely quiet just now; the Pendulum definitely couldn't have heard them. If she had, she wouldn't dare keep it from me.

Did Honglian hear?

That hussy probably could hear. It's still unclear whose side she's on.

The Phonograph glanced at Li Banfeng, who was sound asleep on the bed, occasionally patting her.

Such a big matter had occurred in the household, and her husband was unaware, sleeping soundly. But even the old man was sleeping so peacefully. Did he not know, or did he simply choose not to interfere?

The Phonograph was not flustered. Having been through many battles, she had seen every kind of situation. Even if she were to act, she wasn't in a hurry.

First, she needed to figure out what sect and cultivation level the second chamber's occupant belonged to. And she had to find a way to expose the insider!

The next morning, Li Banfeng exited his Portable Dwelling, woke up Juanzi and Xiao Yeci, and they continued their journey.

After leaving the cave and walking over twenty miles, the smoke grew thicker, making Xiao Yeci cough repeatedly.

"Is this Smoke Ground?"

Juanzi nodded. "Seventh Madam, walk faster and cover your mouth and nose with a wet handkerchief."

The smoke had a yellowish tint, and the sparse soil on the ground was also yellow. Most striking were the Smoke-Scented Trees, whose branches and leaves were entirely a uniform scorched yellow. Paired with the black rocks covering the ground, everything was black and yellow, suggesting that this was indeed the origin of Black Yellow Beach.

After walking for another hour, Xiao Yeci took a step forward but couldn't even see her own toes; the smoke had become that dense.

Wearing goggles and holding a wet handkerchief over her face, she stumbled forward, too exhausted to even cough.

After two more steps, Xiao Yeci swayed and collapsed onto the ground. Li Banfeng picked her up and carried her back to the cave.

Xiao Yeci woke up in the afternoon.

Li Banfeng had prepared medicine, water, and food for her. "Yeci," he said, "you should return to Radish Mountain and wait there. When I come back, I'll tell you all about our journey."

Hearing this, Xiao Yeci felt a pang of sadness. "Benefactor, are you abandoning me?"

Her words were a bit inappropriate, but Xiao Yeci was anxious and didn't hold back.

Li Banfeng didn't beat around the bush. "We've reached Smoke Ground. I have to keep going, but you can't get through, and there's nothing else I can do."

"Benefactor," she pleaded, "let me try one more time. If I take some medicine beforehand, I'm sure I can endure it."

Li Banfeng nodded. "I believe you can endure it. If it were a battle to the death, we'd certainly fight to the end. But right now, we're just scouting the path, and it's not worth risking your life for this."

Further discussion was futile; Li Banfeng had made up his mind to send Xiao Yeci back. That evening, Xiao Yeci reorganized her notes, fearing even the slightest oversight.

Li Banfeng had given Xiao Yeci two Golden Core Pills, and Xiao Yeci could only help Li Qi with this one task. Now, having not even completed it, Xiao Yeci felt deeply guilty.

Li Banfeng answered a call. It was Liang Wucai, calling through Luo Zhengnan.

"Seventh Master, where are you now?"

"We're at Black Yellow Beach, about to reach Smoke Ground. Currently, we're in a cave." Li Banfeng didn't want to go into too much detail; Liang Wucai wasn't familiar with this place, so giving them too much information wouldn't be helpful.

After listening, Liang Wucai confirmed with someone nearby and then told Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, I know where you are. Please wait in that cave for a day; I'll bring a guide to you. He says it's best if you don't go through Smoke Ground."

A guide? Where from?

Could there be a guide more professional than Juanzi?

Upon hearing that they wouldn't have to go through Smoke Ground, Xiao Yeci was delighted. "Benefactor, if there's a place I can walk, please take me with you!"

The next afternoon, Liang Wucai arrived with the guide.

Li Banfeng had traveled slowly for three days due to meticulous observation. Liang Wucai, however, had made fast progress; they had borrowed spirit items from Qiu Zhiheng, carried the guide, and ran all the way.

"It's a pity we missed the scenery along the way," Liang Cai said with a touch of melancholy.

Liang Wu handed the guide over to Li Banfeng. The guide was a middle-aged man with a vacant stare, a crooked mouth, and a distorted eye, appearing to be seriously ill.

Liang Wu explained, "Seventh Master, this is Tan Jinxiao, the hooligan who caused trouble at the restaurant, a Cloud Cultivator who ran three businesses."

"He was jointly injured by Tang Changfa and Qiu Zhiheng and won't recover anytime soon. He wants to serve as a guide for Seventh Master to atone for his misdeeds and save his life."

Li Banfeng examined Tan Jinxiao closely. The man walked unsteadily, spoke with a lisp, seemed to have very little combat power left, and his mind also appeared somewhat unclear.

"He's in this condition; can he still be a guide?"

Liang Wu patted her chest. "Seventh Master, don't worry. He can still distinguish right from wrong."

Liang Cai coughed twice. "Don't pat so hard; that's my chest too."

Liang Wu specifically gave Tan Jinxiao a test. "Old Tan, what should you do when you're hungry?"

"Eat!" Tan Jinxiao replied very loudly.

Liang Wu nodded. "Seventh Master, see? He can distinguish right from wrong, no problem!"

Li Banfeng asked Tan Jinxiao, "If we don't go through Smoke Ground, where do you intend to take us?"

"Underground City!" Tan Jinxiao replied very straightforwardly.

Li Banfeng looked at Juanzi.

Juanzi shook her head repeatedly. "I know such a place exists, but I've never been to the Underground City, nor do I know where its entrance is."

"The entrance is nearby," Tan Jinxiao said, looking at Juanzi, then at Li Banfeng. "Hungry, eat!"

Li Banfeng took out cans from his backpack. Xiao Yeci still couldn't figure out how many cans were packed in there; even with Liang Wucai, there were now eight people, yet the food supply remained abundant.

After eating, Li Banfeng confirmed one more thing. "Can ordinary people pass through the Underground City? Is there smoke in the Underground City?"

Xiao Yeci's face flushed; the question was clearly asked on her behalf. Among those present, she was the only one with a weaker physique. If the Underground City also had smoke, there would be no need for Xiao Yeci to risk it.

Tan Jinxiao looked at Li Banfeng and said, "All the smoke from the Underground City goes to Smoke Ground. Ordinary people shouldn't go through Smoke Ground; they'd surely suffocate."

With his explanation, Li Banfeng could roughly imagine the conditions in the Underground City.

"If you want to go to the Underground City, let's leave now," Tan Jinxiao said, glancing outside the cave. "We can definitely get there before dark."

Everyone quickly packed up and followed Tan Jinxiao northwestward. After walking for over two hours, they found the path ended.

They hadn't encountered mountains or rivers. What blocked their way was a cliff.

Standing at the cliff edge and looking down, they could barely see thirty meters deep. Below that, there was nothing but a vast expanse of mist, obscuring both the depth and what lay beneath.

Xiao Yeci threw a stone down the cliff. After a long wait, she heard no sound of it hitting the bottom.

"Benefactor..." Xiao Yeci looked at Li Banfeng, her face pale. Before she could speak, Tan Jinxiao stepped off the cliff, hovered for a moment, and then vanished.

Did he fall to his death, or did he fly away?

Liang Wucai didn't know how to explain. "Seventh Master, Qiu Zhiheng told us he couldn't fight anymore, so we don't know how he just flew..."

Night was falling fast, and the 'sky light' was about to appear. It was probably too late to return to the cave now. It seemed they could only wait for the 'sky light' to illuminate them.

Li Banfeng wasn't worried; he knew Tan Jinxiao hadn't flown.

There were steps along the cliff edge, and Tan Jinxiao had walked down them. Because of a concealment illusion, ordinary people couldn't see them, leading everyone to believe Tan Jinxiao had vanished. But Li Banfeng, using his Golden Eyes, could see everything clearly.

"I'll go down the cliff first in a moment. Remember, I'm not falling, I'm walking down. Don't worry if you can't see me."

"There are steps along the cliff edge; as soon as I step on them, you might not see me, but just feel your way down, and you'll be able to follow..." Li Banfeng briefly explained, then began descending the steps with ease and steady strides.

Although the steps were narrow, Li Banfeng wasn't worried even if he missed a step and fell, because he could fly.

But the others lacked this ability, and they walked in fear all the way.

They couldn't see the steps and had to probe downward with their feet. Liang Wu accidentally missed a step, and her soul nearly fled from fright.

"You scared me to death! Be careful!"

"Don't be afraid, my sister," Liang Cai comforted Liang Wu. "If you die of fright, I'll have a body, and you'll have freedom. It's a win-win situation for us."

Liang Wu spat. "I'll borrow something from Seventh Master later to gag you. I'll have peace, you'll be comfortable, and that'll also be a win-win situation."

After descending a few dozen meters, Li Banfeng used his Golden Eyes to spot a cave, where Tan Jinxiao was waiting at the entrance.

Everyone entered the cave together. Only then did they escape the illusion and see the entrance to the Underground City.

It was a large cave, several zhang long and wide, with a spacious, flat road built inside. It was hard to imagine that just moments ago, from the cliff above, they hadn't been able to see the cave at all.

Tan Jinxiao pointed deeper into the cave. "This is the Underground City. Ahead is the Human Market."

Li Banfeng asked, "What is the Human Market?"

"A place where people are sold."

"Besides the Human Market, what other places are there?"

"There's also the Earth Market, where soil is sold."

"And besides the Earth Market?"

"There's also the Sea Market, where fish are sold."

Li Banfeng frowned. "Is there a sea in the Underground City?"

"Yes, there's a sea!" Tan Jinxiao nodded seriously. "A very large sea."

Juanzi nodded from the side. "The legends I heard as a child were also like that: there's a sea in the Underground City with endless fish and shrimp, and no one there ever goes hungry."

Tan Jinxiao shook his head. "People still go hungry there."

Li Banfeng was very interested in this Underground City. "Besides the Sea Market, are there any other places?"

"Yes, but you can't go to the remaining area. That's TianShiYuan."

"What is TianShiYuan?"

"A good place, I bet it's a good place!" Tan Jinxiao walked ahead. "Let's go to the Human Market first; I'm most familiar with that place. I've been living there since the war ended!"

He said 'war'?

"What war did you fight?"

Tan Jinxiao paused. "What war? Who told you about a war?"

Li Banfeng wanted to press further, but Tan Jinxiao walked on.

Everyone followed Tan Jinxiao deeper into the cave. Torches were stuck into the rock walls on both sides, giving Li Banfeng a nostalgic and historical feeling, like something from an ancient costume drama.

This sense of history didn't last long. When Li Banfeng reached the first intersection, he saw two railway tracks ahead.

Chug! Chug!

A steam train roared past, sweeping away the ancient era atmosphere with its pervasive steam.

The train carried coal in open-top carriages. Its speed wasn't fast, so Tan Jinxiao leaped and jumped into a carriage, then poked his head out and waved to Li Banfeng.

Boarding the train was no trouble. Not to mention Li Banfeng, even Xiao Yeci, with her less refined skills, was a third-level scholar-cultivator and easily entered the carriage.

"I don't just want to ride his train, nor do I want to take advantage of him," Tan Jinxiao said. "There's great wisdom here; you should learn from it!"

What great wisdom?

The cave was narrow and winding, and Li Banfeng couldn't see the path ahead. He asked Tan Jinxiao, "Where is this train going?"

"To the factories. All factories are in the Human Market. No people, no factories, right?" Tan Jinxiao lay down on the pile of coal, his eyelids growing heavy, and soon fell asleep.

The train traveled for over an hour before stopping. The carriage boards rattled open, and Xiao Yeci grew a little nervous. "Benefactor, shouldn't we have gotten off earlier? This situation doesn't look too good."

Li Banfeng didn't pay it much mind; it was just a ride, nothing major.

Xiao Yeci touched her pocket. She was prepared to explain things properly to them, and if necessary, pay for the ride.

Outside the carriage stood a man in a black cloth shirt and a straw hat. He glanced at the group and asked, "You've arrived?"

Li Banfeng was stunned.

The question implied a familiarity.

Tan Jinxiao woke up, got up, and nodded. "We're here!"

The man outside the carriage looked at Li Banfeng. "Your clothes don't look like you're in this line of work!"

Tan Jinxiao chuckled, "Everyone has their own preference for clothes and hats. No matter what we wear, we don't slack off on the job."

"Alright," the man scoffed, "you're good at handling things. This job pays two pieces per person. Go get your tools."

The man finished speaking and walked away.

Tan Jinxiao got off the train and shouted, "Brothers, grab your tools!"

"Grab what tools?" Li Banfeng still didn't understand. Were they going to smash up the factory?

Tan Jinxiao said with a serious expression, "This job isn't easy, but they pay well!"

Li Banfeng asked, "What kind of work is it, exactly?"

Tan Jinxiao didn't explain further. He went to a corner of the platform and returned with several shovels. "Here, one for each of you, don't fight over them."

Li Banfeng took a shovel and asked, "What are these for?"

Tan Jinxiao snorted, "Judging by your looks, I can tell you've never done this work. This is big business, and you all have to listen to me: stick the shovel into the coal, and then lift it out!"

Crunch, clatter!

Tan Jinxiao demonstrated a few times.

Li Banfeng observed that the work required some skill. Each shovelful of coal Tan Jinxiao tossed flew almost the same distance, landing in a neat pile on the ground.

This needed learning!

Li Banfeng stuck his shovel into the coal, and with a crunching sound, also tossed out two shovelfuls.

Tan Jinxiao exclaimed, "Good technique! Your shoveling is quite accurate!"

Li Banfeng chuckled, "You don't need to tell me that; within five meters, I never miss."

Tan Jinxiao yelled, "Don't just stand around! Get to it!"

Juanzi was somewhat familiar with the work. "Are you telling us we're here to unload coal?"

Tan Jinxiao puffed out his chest. "Yes!"

Li Banfeng was stunned. Holding the shovel, he asked, "Why are we doing this?"

Tan Jinxiao was also taken aback. "What are you talking about? They're paying us! Two pieces per person!"

Clang!

Li Banfeng threw down the shovel and got off the train.

Liang Cai sighed. "Is he really lucid right now?"

Liang Wu asked, "Are you talking about Seventh Master, or Tan Jinxiao?"

Liang Wu thought for a moment. "Is either of them lucid?"

Liang Cai grew anxious. "Stop messing around and get off the train!"

Tan Jinxiao caught up and said to Li Banfeng, "There are about ten train cars here. This isn't the time to be temperamental. We need to work quickly, and two pieces of money is a good amount!"

Li Banfeng snorted. "Never mind two pieces, I wouldn't do it for five!"

Tan Jinxiao curled his lip. "You want five pieces? Are you crazy? I got us in early. Go ask around outside; plenty of people would do it for one piece!"

The train stopped inside a factory. Li Banfeng looked around at the factory buildings: steam turbines, conveyor belts, pressure reducing valves... all standard equipment for a steam workshop.

The largest boiler room was ahead, marked by its massive steam drum and towering chimney.

This chimney was peculiar: half of it was built inside the cave, and the other half extended through the cave ceiling, leading to an unknown destination.

"Does this chimney lead all the way out of the cave?"

"Yes!" Tan Jinxiao nodded. "Otherwise, where would Smoke Ground come from?"

When they walked outside the factory, Li Banfeng saw many people waiting for work at the entrance. There were three-headed people and ordinary people, many holding shovels, shouting loudly, "Need workers, boss? Only one piece of money!"

They all shouted at Li Banfeng because he was the most elegantly dressed.

Tan Jinxiao said from the side, "I wasn't making it up just now. Look, people with shovels are only asking for one piece!"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "This isn't about money!"

Tan Jinxiao frowned. "You still think it's too little? That's how people live in the Human Market: earning one piece a day gets you food, two pieces gets you vegetables, and three pieces gets you meat or fish."

"We unload the train cars, then do some other work, and we'll have meat or fish today. Are you still not satisfied?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "It's not that I'm not satisfied."

"Then what's your game? Isn't it foolish not to work when there's a job?" Tan Jinxiao thought for a moment, then seemed to understand Li Banfeng's meaning. "Are you afraid they won't pay?"

"Let me tell you, you don't need to be afraid of that. If they dare to renege on payment, we'll just lie down in front of their factory gate. Let them kick us, let them stomp on us, we just won't leave."

"If they have the guts, they can beat us to death. If not, they'll have to pay us every penny. Work with me, and you definitely won't lose out!"