Chapter 651: The Chosen One (This Chapter Contains Nuclear Energy)

Mr. Kong Fang respectfully bowed to the woman in front of him. This woman was Grandma Ku, the master of Bitter Greens Manor.

Grandma Ku glanced at the dying Shang Rongchu, then at Mr. Kong Fang, and nodded slightly, saying, "Next time you go out, check the almanac first. Take him and leave."

Mr. Kong Fang didn't say another word. He hoisted Shang Rongchu onto his back and immediately left the woods.

Only after they had left Ma Wu's territory and reached a cave did Mr. Kong Fang set Shang Rongchu down, take two pills from his pocket, and give them to him. The cave was very damp, with a strong smell of mildew. Mr. Kong Fang kept glancing towards the entrance, worried that Grandma Ku might change her mind and pursue them.

Shang Rongchu was severely wounded; there was little flesh left on his body, and most of his internal organs were scorched.

Fortunately, Mr. Kong Fang's pills were indeed effective. After resting for a long time, Shang Rongchu gradually regained the strength to speak. He had only recently joined Snowflake Creek, but he was truly loyal to Mr. Kong Fang. Even in this state, he was still explaining the previous battle: "Creek Master, I didn't expect Grandma Ku to be here. I wanted to fight her, but I really couldn't defeat her..."

Shang Rongchu's voice was still so gentle that it evoked sympathy.

"Our Creek Master is a peddler. Just call me 'Mister' as before. Don't get it wrong," Mr. Kong Fang said. His face was covered by copper coins, and a stream of blood trickled down his collar from beneath the strings of coins.

"Mister, you're injured..." Seeing Mr. Kong Fang bleeding, Shang Rongchu was deeply worried. In his memory, Mr. Kong Fang hadn't fought with Grandma Ku just now.

Mr. Kong Fang took out a blood-stained copper coin. "Guess how I got injured?"

Shang Rongchu grew even more distressed: "You were hit by this coin? Isn't this coin your weapon?"

Mr. Kong Fang nodded: "It is my weapon. I used a handful of coins to save you from the hot spring. But, wouldn't you know it, there was a jagged rock nearby. One coin hit it, bounced back, and struck me squarely in the face."

Shang Rongchu found it incredible. He felt Mr. Kong Fang wasn't describing a battle, but a farce in a theater.

"How could such a coincidence happen?"

Mr. Kong Fang gave a wry smile: "Do you find it absurd? You're not familiar with Grandma Ku; you've seen few of her methods. I've dealt with her many times, and far more outlandish things have happened. Misfortune can strike unexpectedly, and with Grandma Ku, fate hangs in the balance. Engaging with her is fraught with such dangers. This time, I was thoughtless. I knew Li Qi and Grandma Ku had some connection, but I didn't expect her to even get involved with Ma Wu's affairs. If I had known she was coming, I would never have let you risk your life."

Shang Rongchu pondered for a moment and said, "Mister, Grandma Ku's appearance this time is peculiar. Given her status, it's impossible she would guard Ma Wu's home. And Feng Daiku was genuinely fighting me to the death; she was unsure and burning with anxiety, not even certain if Grandma Ku would arrive. Grandma Ku must have received news in advance and timed her arrival. Who leaked the information to her? Only three people knew about this matter from beginning to end. I think the person who spilled the beans is He Jiaqing!"

"I think so too!" Mr. Kong Fang took out a handkerchief, reached into the string of coins, and wiped the blood that kept flowing from his face.

Shang Rongchu gritted his teeth: "If it really was him, that kid is too sinister. We can't keep him around."

"Let's wait," Mr. Kong Fang said, helping Shang Rongchu up. "Let's leave He Jiaqing to Grandma Ku and see how she handles this. Ultimately, I was too hasty. He Jiaqing is a thief. No matter his current status, he's still a thief. Thieves don't pick their dates; they don't do things by appointment. I shouldn't have pushed him too hard, setting a fixed date for him to act. It's no wonder he played tricks."

Shang Rongchu recalled his previous experiences, and the situation was indeed as Mr. Kong Fang had described. Ever since he mentioned fixing the date for the 25th, He Jiaqing's attitude towards him had noticeably changed.

Mr. Kong Fang sighed: "If Grandma Ku kills He Jiaqing, the matter will be over. If she lets him go, we'd best not touch him either."

He Jiaqing lay prone on the ground; Ma Wu didn't know if he was still alive.

"Dead or alive, let's just send him on his way!" Suo'e Arouru swung her great saber and aimed for He Jiaqing's head.

Feng Daiku quickly stopped Arouru: "Don't be reckless, the elder is here."

Suo'e Arouru looked at Grandma Ku, a resentful expression on her face. She didn't understand why Grandma Ku had let the other two escape. They had injured Wulang; how hateful were such people? They should be torn limb from limb!

Feng Daiku drew out two strands of 'love-silk' and pressed down on Arouru's head to restrain her, while also reminding the others to lower their heads. Arouru, being from Bitter Greens Manor, recognized Grandma Ku, but others might not have known her identity or how fortunate it was to receive her assistance.

When He Jiaqing sent a message to Ma Junyang, he told Ma Wu to contact Grandma Ku. Ma Wu did contact Grandma Ku through Chu Er, but Feng Daiku remained uncertain if Grandma Ku would come until the confrontation with Shang Rongchu. Ma Wu stepped forward to thank Grandma Ku, who waved her hand: "Don't mention it. Li Qi can work steadily outside because you support him from behind. In the future, you must be more careful and also give more care to Huaiyuan."

"Thank you for the reminder, Senior," Ma Wu bowed again.

"You all go first. I have a few words I want to say to him alone," Grandma Ku said, looking at He Jiaqing.

Ma Wu whispered, "Senior, He Jiaqing sent us a message beforehand, allowing us to invite you in advance. I indeed owe him a debt of gratitude for escaping this disaster."

Grandma Ku nodded and smiled: "I already know what happened here. Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for him."

Ma Wu waved his hand, and he and Feng Daiku quickly left.

Grandma Ku approached He Jiaqing and kicked him: "Get up, stop pretending. Feng Daiku didn't hit you hard, and those low-level cultivators couldn't injure you."

He Jiaqing stood up and first bowed to Grandma Ku: "Thank you, Senior, for saving my life."

Grandma Ku said expressionlessly, "Don't speak carelessly. I didn't save you, nor did I intend to."

He Jiaqing bowed again: "No matter what you say, Grandma, I've remembered this kindness!"

Grandma Ku sneered: "You've remembered many kindnesses. When have I ever seen you repay them? I truly don't understand how I misjudged you back then. Why did I trust you? Why did I think you were capable of great things? Perhaps I'm old and my eyes are failing, but Song Shu isn't old. Are her eyes failing too? How did even she believe you? Even if both our eyes were bad, were Old Train's eyes useless too? Even he could be mistaken? If it weren't for saving you, he wouldn't be trapped in Neizhou!"

He Jiaqing lowered his head and said, "This junior has not forgotten the teachings of you seniors, nor your kindness. My original intention has never changed."

"If it hasn't changed, why haven't you dared to bring Honglian back?"

He Jiaqing had held back for a long time, not wanting to speak, but he finally raised his head and replied to Grandma Ku: "If I had truly brought Honglian back, would I be standing here talking to you today?"

Grandma Ku frowned: "You've taken all the benefits. You don't want to take risks, nor do you want to exert effort, is that it? You said you wanted to change Proland; do those words no longer count?"

He Jiaqing nodded: "Senior, I do want to change Proland, and I'm still striving to do so. But I can't return to Proland and immediately fight the Lord of Proland to the death. I don't have the capital for that!"

Grandma Ku grew angrier upon hearing this: "You dare to talk about capital? You're young, yet you've already achieved a cultivation level of Cloud Layer Three, and you say you have no capital? How much capital have we invested in you, time and again?"

He Jiaqing gave a self-deprecating laugh: "What is Cloud Layer Three worth? Shang Rongchu, just now, had a cultivation above Cloud Layer, and he couldn't last two rounds in front of you. How long could I possibly hold out against the Lord of Proland?"

Grandma Ku's face darkened: "Nobody is forcing you to fight the peddler. You say you can't hold out, but how did Li Qi manage? He was just a 'white lamb' back then! Look at what a true hero is like! If we had seen him earlier, we wouldn't have invested our capital in you!"

He Jiaqing couldn't think of a more reasonable explanation. "Senior, Li Banfeng is incredibly tough! The Lord of Proland saw him and didn't kill him. I still don't understand why. Later on, I understood even less. I don't know what Li Qi went through; I can't fathom how the Lord of Proland could even call him brother. I don't have a life as tough as his. If it were me, bringing Honglian back to Proland, I might not even get off the train. Even if I did, I might be gone the moment I left the station. Senior, allow me to accumulate a few more years of cultivation. I can bring new order to a scattered Proland. I will never go back on my word, and I will definitely accomplish what I've promised!"

After speaking, He Jiaqing bowed deeply to Grandma Ku once more.

Grandma Ku said nothing. She didn't want to speak anymore, and her figure vanished into the woods. As she walked, Grandma Ku kept pondering one thing. He Jiaqing was chosen by her, Old Train, and Song Shu together. So who chose Li Qi? How did he manage to survive until today?

He Jiaqing wiped the wounds on his face and raced back to Greenwater City. As he walked, He Jiaqing sighed deeply and muttered to himself: "They want a rebellion, but they won't go themselves, instead putting all this fatal guilt on me. They just invested capital and already want profit? Just planted a sapling and already want to pick peaches? Give me a Honglian and expect me to overthrow the Lord of Proland? Where in this world is business that easy?"

Back at the film company, He Jiaqing went to his office, washed his face, changed his clothes, and calmed himself down. Could Mr. Kong Fang come looking for him again? It was certainly possible. But He Jiaqing wasn't overly worried. The fact that he had escaped from Grandma Ku's hands without issue meant that Mr. Kong Fang would need to think carefully before making a move against him.

After a brief rest in the office, a button on his chest vibrated. It was Shen Rongqing calling: "Jiaqing, the fan club meeting is ready. Can you attend?"

"Yes."

"I'll have them prepare immediately." Shen Rongqing was delighted. With He Jiaqing attending personally, the fan club meeting would be on a completely different level. Li Qi and Ma Wu's "Blood Gun Detective" had higher box office sales and a wider reach. However, the fans of He Jiaqing's "Blood Blade Detective" were indeed more loyal.

The hundred-plus people before him were inspired by "Blood Blade Detective," deciding to abandon worldly constraints and the shackles of family and friends to join the Fraternity League in this building. He Jiaqing stood on the podium and said only one sentence: "Do you believe there will be a new Proland?"

Over a hundred people answered in unison: "We believe!"

He Jiaqing nodded: "From today on, we are all brothers!"

Mr. Kong Fang had previously sent a batch of medicinal herbs for accumulating Dao affinity; He Jiaqing had Shen Rongqing distribute them. There would be another fan club meeting in two days, so the medicinal herbs for accumulating Dao affinity needed to be gathered quickly.

At Three-Way Fork, Radish Mountain, East Stone Village Pawnshop, a few assistants were chatting.

"Did you hear? 'Blood Blade Detective 9' is coming out soon."

"'Blood Blade' or 'Blood Gun'?"

"'Blood Blade'! 'Blood Gun' was filmed by Seventh Master and Fifth Master. 'Blood Blade' is the film only cultured people can understand."

"They're still making that? Does anyone watch it?"

"Yes, there are quite a few who love to watch it. People say 'Blood Gun' is for the common folk, while 'Blood Blade' is art."

"So, if you can't understand it, it's art? Guess we'll never be cultured then!"

While these assistants were discussing "Blood Blade Detective," Chi Liuhe listened quietly nearby. This girl was a food cultivator. Because she ate so much, she was always a little self-conscious, so she rarely spoke to people. But when "Blood Blade Detective" was mentioned, she really wanted to interject. She loved the movie so much that after leaving the New Land, she would go to the cinema to watch each installment several times. She even bought a film projector to watch it secretly at home.

She had to watch it secretly because she had heard the Street Scolding Woman say that "Blood Blade Detective" was made by Seventh Master's and Fifth Master's enemies. Watching an enemy's film was like being a traitor. Traitors would be beaten with planks, whipped, or shot. Chi Liuhe remembered the Street Scolding Woman's warning and repeatedly reminded herself not to discuss "Blood Blade Detective" with others. But "Blood Blade Detective 9" had been released, and she really wanted to see it, yet there were no cinemas at Three-Way Fork.

Chuanzi looked at Chi Liuhe, leaned closer, and asked, "Sister, do you want to watch 'Blood Blade Detective'?"

Chi Liuhe dared not speak. Chuanzi was usually kind to her; she didn't want to lie but also didn't dare to tell the truth.

Chuanzi chuckled: "Don't be afraid. Seventh Master doesn't mind this, but Fifth Master indeed doesn't allow watching 'Blood Blade Detective.' He says there's something tricky about the film. You have to listen to Fifth Master. Don't go to the cinema anymore. I've had my brothers from Black Rock Slope send me a lot of film reels, and I'll have them send you a complete set of 'Blood Blade Detective.' You can take them back to your room and watch them secretly. How does that sound?"

"Okay!" Chi Liuhe nodded excitedly.

"I'll get you a set of 'Blood Gun Detective' too, and we can watch it together! How about that?"

"Okay!" The simple girl agreed. "Brother Chuanzi, just ask me if you need anything. If I can help, I won't hesitate!"

Chuanzi raised his eyebrows: "We've agreed, no hesitation!"

Chi Liuhe was very happy, and another joyful event was awaiting her. The cook arrived and called them for dinner. For Chi Liuhe, eating was the most important event of the day.

For the entire pawnshop, meals were also a big deal because Chi Liuhe and Qin Xiaopang were there, and a meal required proper preparation. Chi Liuhe and Qin Xiaopang had a table to themselves, while everyone else sat at another. The food was brought out, platters and bowls stacked several layers high. Chi Liuhe held her chopsticks and waited for a long time, but Qin Xiaopang didn't arrive. The food was getting cold! Watching steaming hot food grow cold before her eyes was pure torture for a food cultivator.

"Where's Master Nine?" Chi Liuhe grew anxious and looked around for Xiaopang. When she found him behind the coal pile, Chi Liuhe was stunned. Qin Xiaopang was lying behind the coal pile, eating coal, his mouth black.

"Master Nine, what are you doing..."

Qin Tianjiu waved his hand, signaling Chi Liuhe to be silent. This wasn't the first time Xiaopang had eaten coal. He'd had several meals of it since arriving at Three-Way Fork. He didn't know what was wrong with him; he just wanted to eat coal whenever he saw it, and afterward, he had to drink large amounts of water. He tried to control himself. Today, at mealtime, he was supposed to go to the hall to eat, but passing the coal pile, he couldn't resist again. He plunged into it, devouring handfuls of coal dust.

After consuming dozens of pounds of coal, Qin Xiaopang forced himself away from the pile, washed his face, rinsed his mouth, and came to the dining table. Because he had eaten so much coal, Xiaopang's appetite for food decreased. The cook entered and saw a lot of food left on the table. He was a little displeased: "What's wrong, you two? Is there a dish that doesn't suit your taste today?"

"Everything tastes great, it's all delicious!" Qin Xiaopang waved his hand. "My sister and I discussed it today. We're going to eat slowly and savor the flavors. Don't worry, not a single bit of this food will be left!"

After the cook left, Xiaopang lowered his voice and said to Chi Liuhe, "Sister, we can't leave anything. Just help me out this one time."

"Mm-hm." Chi Liuhe didn't know what to do about it either. She could only force herself to finish all the remaining food.

Li Banfeng sat in the Fifth Room, silently watching the scenery outside the window. The Fifth Room girl had opened a window in the wall, a window that could only be seen, not touched. Through this window, Li Banfeng could see the deck. He could see the churning waves on the sea and the shimmering reflections under the torchlight, but his gaze kept returning to the cave ceiling. It was incomprehensible: why would the vast, boundless sea appear inside a cave? There were live fish just hauled onto the deck, many of which Li Banfeng couldn't name. There were also some creatures he wasn't even sure were fish.

Hong Ying also felt curious. "Why does that fish have legs? Not just legs, but hair too?"

Ninth Miss snorted, "Long Spear has legs and sits there combing his hair every day."

Hong Ying held a handful of her hair, smiling softly: "Envious, aren't you? May you die of envy, you wretch!"

Li Banfeng affectionately embraced the phonograph for a moment. The phonograph became interested and entered the puppet's body. Li Banfeng embraced Zhao Xiaowan, kissed her, and then left. Zhao Xiaowan sat on the bed, crying.

Hong Ying comforted her: "Don't cry, Xiaowan, that madman is too dense."

Tan Jinxiao stood at the bow, pointing to a distant island, and whispered, "Seventh Master, that's Soil Nurturing Island." The island was large, with no vegetation or visible rocks; the entire island was covered in soil. There was a very tall mountain on the island, its peak connected to the cave ceiling.

The captain ordered the ship to stop and dock. Although Li Banfeng had chartered the ship, according to the rules of the sea market, even a chartered ship couldn't delay the soil exchange. The ship was large, but 70% of its space was used for soil, and of the remaining 30%, half was for coal, the ship's fuel. The remaining 15% could be used by Li Banfeng to load goods. Li Banfeng didn't have much cargo to load; he just said he was taking a leisurely trip on the sea. This wasn't uncommon; there were wealthy people in both the soil market and the human market who often hired boats for sea excursions. Seeing how handsome Xiao Yeci and Liang Wucai were, the boatmen assumed Li Banfeng was also meeting lovers at sea. Especially Liang Wucai, who was very unique. Three-headed people weren't uncommon, but two-headed people were rare. It just goes to show how wealthy people knew how to have fun.

The large ship arrived at the dock. The captain, seeing the time was right, ordered the unloading. Li Banfeng also disembarked and walked around. The captain repeatedly urged them: "Sirs, you may go ashore, but you must return within three hours. It will be light soon."

That was certainly new. Having been in the underground city for so long, this was the first time Li Banfeng had heard the concept of daylight.

Tan Jinxiao explained: "The Soil Nurturing Mountain on Soil Nurturing Island extends upwards from the cave ceiling, all the way outside the cave. The area above Soil Nurturing Island isn't the Black-Yellow Shoal; that place is called Blind Fire Stream." Li Banfeng didn't understand the place name. Tan Jinxiao wrote it down for him: "'Blind Fire' means pitch black, like when it's dark and you can't see any lights."

Li Banfeng interpreted it literally: "So, this place is perpetually dark?" But that's not right. Didn't the captain just say it would be light soon?

Tan Jinxiao shook his head: "Blind Fire Stream also has day and night cycles, not much different from other places. The most unique thing here is the 'sky light.' It's exactly the opposite of Black-Yellow Shoal. Black-Yellow Shoal is peaceful during the day, with sky light everywhere at night. Blind Fire Stream has sky light everywhere during the day, much more intense than Black-Yellow Shoal at night. When night falls, the sky light in Blind Fire Stream lessens, but it's not entirely gone. Within a hundred li, over the course of a night, there'll still be ten or so streaks. So, passing through Blind Fire Stream, if it's pitch black the whole way, that means it's peaceful, proving that the person came through safely. That's why it's called that."

Soil Nurturing Island actually had nothing much to see. It was all soil. Standing on the soil mountain and looking up, one could see the soil mountain extending upwards along the upward-leading cave. Through this observation, combined with Tan Jinxiao's explanation, Li Banfeng somewhat understood the principle of soil exchange. Soil Nurturing Island is connected to Blind Fire Stream. The daylight 'sky light' from Blind Fire Stream continuously falls on the soil of Soil Nurturing Island, causing the island's soil to accumulate large amounts of unstable dark matter. These unstable dark matters accumulate a certain amount of dark energy, which can serve as an energy source for lightless plants. The soil here is sent to the Soil Market, where farmers use it to grow lightless plants. A year later, the dark matter in the soil stabilizes and the dark energy is depleted, so the farmers must return the soil to Soil Nurturing Island to be irradiated by the dark matter flow. This is the process of re-enriching the land.

This process was truly arduous. Everyone walked around the island. Xiao Yeci, while taking notes, asked, "Why don't they just put the Soil Market on Soil Nurturing Island? It would save them from exchanging soil every year!"

Tan Jinxiao shook his head: "Little sister, you didn't understand. People can't live on this island. When it gets light, the 'sky light' descends, and even houses can't block it! Haven't you noticed how desperately these unloaders are working? They have to work in the dark. When it's almost light, every ship has to blow its horn, and they can't work anymore. Both people and ships have to hide."

Xiao Yeci looked around: "Even if they filled in the nearby area to create an island, it would be better than exchanging soil every year."

Tan Jinxiao didn't think so: "Even if they made an island, the harvested grain would still have to be transported to the city. Transporting grain once a year, isn't that also troublesome?"

"That's two different things!" Xiao Yeci calculated seriously. "How heavy is a mu of soil? A mu of grain is much lighter!"

Xiao Yeci and Tan Jinxiao were still arguing. Li Banfeng stood halfway up the slope, looking towards the other side of the island. Because there was no light at all, visibility on the sea was very low, but Li Banfeng could still faintly see a few ships on the surface.

"Are these ships here to exchange soil?"

Tan Jinxiao glanced and said, "These ships aren't for soil exchange. These are passenger ships heading for the deep sea." In the underground city, Soil Nurturing Island marked the boundary between the deep sea and the near sea. Ships responsible for soil exchange traveled back and forth between the underground city and Soil Nurturing Island. Only a very few ships sailed in the deep sea region. Li Banfeng noticed a ship that was very pleasing to the eye. It had a three-story cabin, and its deck was very tidy, unlike the clutter on cargo ships. Although it was far away and only its silhouette was visible, the impression it made was much better than that of the soil-exchange ships.

"This ship is good. Let's rent it and go see the deep sea."

Tan Jinxiao asked: "Seventh Master, let me ask you, what do you plan to do in the deep sea? If you want to go fishing, I'll have to buy some gear nearby; deep-sea fish are not easy to deal with. If you want to play in the water, I won't prepare anything else; we'll just have fun together. If you want to meet a lover, I won't come along; these three young ladies here can take care of you. I can't help with that."

The three young ladies he mentioned were Xiao Yeci and Liang Wucai. Liang Guessed was a little nervous: "The three of us, cuddling together in one person's arms—while we conquered love, we lost our morality!"

Liang No thought for a moment and found it reasonable. She looked at Juanzi and said, "Sister, come with us."

Liang Guessed couldn't understand Liang No's thinking: "Does it mean that with four people together, we can salvage morality?"

"No, that's not it!" Liang No shook her head. "My point is, since we've already lost our morality, why not drag one more person into it?"

Upon hearing this, Juanzi's cheeks turned red. Mengzi and Xiaoshan's faces turned pale.

Li Banfeng looked at Tan Jinxiao and said, "Who said I'm going to play? Are there no serious things to do in the deep sea?"

"Of course! There are plenty of serious things to do!" Tan Jinxiao said, "Seventh Master, if you want to visit every island, you'll need to spend a year and a half. There are so many small islands in the deep sea. If you want to find treasures, I've heard of a few hidden spots, but there's no guarantee what you'll find. If you don't find anything, Seventh Master, please don't blame me. If you're looking for the lair of Guanhoudong, that journey is quite far. The place he lives is almost in Neizhou."

Li Banfeng said: "Hold on! This sea can reach Neizhou?"

"Yes!" Tan Jinxiao nodded. "As long as you have a pass, you can go anytime!"

"Still need a pass?"

"Of course you do! There's a boundary on this sea. Without a pass, we can't cross it!"