Chapter 659: Counting Together

A white crane perched on Bai Miaosheng’s head, its foot having already pierced through his skull.

Zhang Mankeng was greatly alarmed. He didn't know when the white crane had arrived, nor if it was connected to the White Crane Gang.

Bai Miaosheng, after all, was a Cloud Cultivator, his physique should have been exceptionally tough. Even with his skull pierced, he might not necessarily die.

Zhang Mankeng still hoped Bai Miaosheng could hold on a bit longer. Suddenly, the white crane sprang up, snatching Bai Miaosheng’s skull as it flew.

Without his skull, Bai Miaosheng remained standing in place. Inside his head, three white crane feathers were embedded.

Zhang Mankeng no longer harbored any illusions; Bai Miaosheng was thoroughly dead.

These feathers were the White Crane Gang's ultimate move. With feathers embedded in the brain, it meant the brain matter had been thoroughly scrambled. The feathers would continue to root downwards, penetrating every part from the spine to the internal organs, leaving nothing untouched.

The white crane hovered above Zhang Mankeng’s head. Zhang Mankeng didn't know whether to defend against the crane or against Tan Jinxiao.

She considered forming a mud sphere to protect herself but felt it would be futile. A mud sphere was useful against Tan Jinxiao's techniques but completely useless against the white crane's.

She thought of transforming her body into mud, which would be enough to withstand the crane's attacks. Even if the crane pierced her skull, she could still regenerate using her technique.

However, this move couldn't be easily used in front of Tan Jinxiao.

Once she transformed into mud, Tan Jinxiao's Golden Fluid might mix into her body. If those substances infiltrated her, it would be difficult to say what she would look like after regeneration.

While Zhang Mankeng was still hesitating, Tan Jinxiao spoke: "Mankeng, we've known each other for many years. Though we don't have a deep friendship, our acquaintance is a form of destiny. Listen to my advice: In this place today, no matter how hard you fight, you won't find a way out alive. If you truly want to save your life, quickly withdraw all your techniques and humbly surrender. I'll spare your life."

Zhang Mankeng was silent for a moment, then withdrew her techniques.

The mud covering the ground receded, and Tan Jinxiao breathed a sigh of relief.

He and Bai Wusong could certainly subdue Zhang Mankeng by joining forces. However, if Zhang Mankeng truly fought to the death, Liang Wucai was standing beneath the mud waves, and Xiao Yeci and Juanzi were also trapped in the mud. It was uncertain if these few would survive.

With her techniques withdrawn, Zhang Mankeng lowered her head and knelt submissively on the ground: "Old Tan, I admit defeat at your hands today. Tell me how you'll deal with me!"

Tan Jinxiao shook his head, saying: "Don't give me undue credit. You didn't lose to me; you lost to a master. Goodness, Bai Miaosheng told you to come, and you came, so quickly too. If it weren't for a master's guidance, I truly would have been caught off guard by you today!"

Bai Wusong transformed into human form and approached Tan Jinxiao: "Old Tan, you should also withdraw your techniques. With such a massive golden mountain here, it's truly inconvenient to talk."

Tan Jinxiao withdrew the golden mountain. Hong Jiao and Lan Qiao, leading the Damai Camp, knelt on the ground: "Master Tan, we are willing to follow you from now on. We'll do anything you ask."

"Is that so? Giving me such respect? Then I can't neglect you." Tan Jinxiao flicked his hand, and a shower of golden fluid descended from the sky.

The graceful Damai Camp — Lan Qiao, Hong Jiao, and a dozen or so members — were all enveloped by the golden fluid. Not one escaped. In an instant, they were corroded into a pile of flesh and mud.

Tan Jinxiao took out a handkerchief, wiped his hands, and looked at the blood and flesh on the ground, sneering: "Above ground and below, you've committed every evil. How did Iron Bamboo Knoll produce such scoundrels as you lot!"

Bai Wusong sighed and said: "Old Tan, next time something like this happens, don't just spray golden fluid indiscriminately. I have other methods."

Tan Jinxiao looked at Zhang Mankeng: "Mankeng, as you just saw, not everyone can surrender just because they want to. I'm sparing your life, but you need to do something worthwhile for me. Bai Miaosheng had deep roots in the Dirt Market and significant influence both inside and outside the underground city. I plan to clean out this entire group. How much help can you be?"

Zhang Mankeng knew clearly that if she didn't agree, she would die. The Damai Camp was a ready example.

"I agree. I'll agree to anything you ask. I just have one request for you."

Tan Jinxiao nodded: "Speak, I'm listening."

Zhang Mankeng looked at Bai Miaosheng: "Allow me to bury him. No gravestone, no coffin, just bury him."

Tan Jinxiao sighed: "You truly have no memory. Have you forgotten how much you suffered because of him?"

Zhang Mankeng lowered her head: "I am humble, and for him, I will humble myself one last time."

She found a secluded spot, dug a pit using her mud-cultivation technique, and buried Bai Miaosheng.

Privately, Tan Jinxiao asked Bai Wusong: "Xiao Songzi, I heard from Miss Xiao that you sent some good things to Master Qi's friend."

Bai Wusong nodded: "The items were sent, but I wasn't the one who sent them, nor did I see what they were."

Tan Jinxiao said: "The items aren't important. The person is key. Master Qi's friend, what did they look like? Did you see them?"

Bai Wusong shook his head: "No, I didn't see them. This friend never appeared, but we heard their voice. Although it was a woman, her words were quite domineering. She ordered us to do a whole list of things, and we couldn't not do them."

Tan Jinxiao straightened his expression and said: "That's not domineering; that's natural authority! This person is not simple. Doing things for her comes with a thousand benefits and absolutely no disadvantages. You should be secretly pleased."

Bai Wusong was startled: "You know her?"

"No, I don't know her personally. I just heard her speak and act, and I found her impressive. Xiao Songzi, I'm not criticizing you, but you were late today. I almost lost my life here."

Bai Wusong was helpless: "What could I do? Master Qi's friend instructed it. She said if I arrived too early, Bai Miaosheng would surely leave. If I had appeared near Yuxiang Island even a step earlier, this battle wouldn't have happened today."

"That's right, you must listen to a master's words. Songzi, what do you plan to do next?"

"I need to go tidy up the White Crane Gang's inner gate. You're going to the Dirt Market, which is on my way. I'm just worried about the Master returning. If it's just the few of us, I'm afraid we won't be able to defeat him."

Tan Jinxiao was not too concerned: "If the Master has met Master Qi's friend, he might not dare to return."

The Phonograph transferred its spirit to Zhao Xiaowan's puppet and used its nimble fingers to complete the final steps of debugging.

The Dark Bridge Cannon was repaired. Zhao Xiaowan quickly called Li Banfeng: "My darling husband, come back quickly. Your little servant here has finished everything."

A moment of silence passed on the other end of the line, then: "My dear wife, please wait two more days."

Zhao Xiaowan faintly heard some music and asked: "Husband, where are you?"

"I'm on White Peach Island."

White Peach Island?

She seemed to have heard of this place, but couldn't recall it at the moment.

"Husband, what are you doing on the island? Why are you breathing so heavily?"

"Wife, I'm dancing. It's quite strenuous."

"What dance are you doing?"

"White Peach Dance!"

"Are the peaches white?"

"Yes, they are! Thin-skinned and tender-fleshed, white and sweet! Wife, wait two more days for me, I'll be right back."

"White and sweet, are you eating them with your mouth?"

"Wife, I'm talking about proper peaches..."

The Phonograph hung up the phone. In a fit of rage, it turned and kicked Banfeng Bing flying: "That heartless madman, if he's so capable, he should never come back!"

Banfeng Yi pried Banfeng Bing off the wall: "How many times have I told you to stay away from that crazy woman?"

Li Banfeng was indeed dancing on White Peach Island; he wasn't doing anything else.

White Falcon Prefecture had five islands, named White Peach, Yellow Peach, Flat Peach, Nectarine, and Honey Peach.

In recent days, Li Banfeng had visited all five islands and tasted all five types of peaches.

These five types of peaches had different flavors: yellow peaches were juicy, flat peaches firm, nectarines delicate, honey peaches sweet, and white peaches were the best, with a pleasing plump shape and a fragrant, smooth, varied taste.

The five islands frequently transported these five types of peaches back and forth, aiming to vary the taste for the island residents.

They usually only had peaches to eat. This didn't refer to the fruit, but to their staple food. White Falcon Prefecture, across its five islands, produced only peaches as food.

The soil here could grow nothing but peaches. They had tried many seeds, but none would grow.

There were no fish in the nearby sea, not even a single piece of kelp could be found.

Some wanted to raise livestock here, but the island residents refused.

Because peaches were for human consumption, they couldn't be used to feed livestock.

The peaches were delicious, but after eating them for so many consecutive days, Li Banfeng was truly tired of them. It was hard to imagine that the people on these five islands had eaten nothing but peaches their entire lives.

Li Banfeng had asked them if they had considered going elsewhere, perhaps even fishing, which would be better than constantly eating peaches. There were no fish here, but maybe there were elsewhere, as the sea was so vast.

Ling Baitao, still wearing his loose white robe, tidied the peach trees while answering Li Banfeng: "You're right, there are fish, but they don't come out at this time."

"When do they come out?"

"When the entrance to Neizhou opens," Ling Baitao handed Li Banfeng a pot of white peach wine, "you'll see fish then. Unfortunately, we won't have time to fish at that moment."

Seeing fish, yet having no time to catch them—what were they doing then?

When pressed further, Ling Baitao offered no more answers.

Residents on all five islands shared similar characteristics. They were reluctant to speak much with unfamiliar people, and due to their isolation, their expressions and linguistic habits differed greatly from Li Banfeng's.

Music sounded, and it was time for the White Peach Assembly again.

Old Man Chen played his erhu loudly, with large, sweeping motions. He somehow managed to play the bow with the vigor of drawing an arrow to a bowstring.

Girls and young men, smiling, walked to the bonfire in the center of the clearing.

A young man named Ah Quan approached Li Banfeng and asked for a drink.

Li Banfeng pulled out his wine gourd. The wine inside wasn't made from white peaches; it was fine liquor from Yaowang Valley. For Ah Quan, the taste was remarkably novel.

He took a large gulp, returned the gourd to Li Banfeng, and offered Li Banfeng a pot of white peach wine, smiling at him.

He brought a girl named Ah Ru, who extended her hand to Li Banfeng, inviting him to dance.

This dance wasn't easy. "Shaking peaches" was a skilled task; whether referring to the peaches in hand or the peaches below the waist, truly shaking them required considerable technique.

Li Banfeng had a good foundation in dance, but compared to the Islanders' fluid and natural movements, his always had a touch of awkwardness and exaggeration.

It was as if the residents of these five islands all knew an outsider had arrived. This outsider was friendly, and they treated Li Banfeng as a friend, but there was ultimately a barrier between him and their own people.

After dancing for half an hour, Ling Baitao asked Li Banfeng: "We have another friend from outside who visits frequently. He told us that a friend named Li Qi went to the underground city, and if he ever came to White Falcon Prefecture, we should treat him kindly. Is that person you?"

"It's me," Li Banfeng nodded.

"Since it's you, then have a few more drinks." Ling Baitao poured Li Banfeng another cup of wine.

After the White Peach Assembly concluded, the residents of White Peach Island returned to their respective homes.

Their homes were in the trees. These peach trees were very thick but had long since withered. They wove branches and trunks into houses. The space inside the houses was small. Li Banfeng had visited once, and a family lived very crowded, clearly not suitable for outsiders to stay overnight.

Li Banfeng didn't need them to arrange accommodation; he usually slept in his Portable Residence. Tonight, having drunk more white peach wine, he felt a bit restless and wandered around the island.

Based on his experiences over these past days, Li Banfeng divided White Peach Island into three areas using the peach trees as markers.

One was the residential area, which consisted of large tracts of dead peach trees.

Another was the food production area, with large tracts of living peach trees.

And finally, there was the activity area, a place without peach trees.

The other islands followed the same pattern, only differing slightly in size and distribution.

Entering the food production area, the peach trees were lush with foliage, and the refreshing peach scent made Li Banfeng feel a wave of dizziness.

Li Banfeng sat down leaning against a peach tree. He wanted to rest for a while, but suddenly felt something poky against his back.

What was it?

Li Banfeng turned his head and carefully examined the tree bark for a moment.

He saw a wooden stick embedded in the bark.

A wooden stick growing from tree bark wasn't unheard of; it could be an overgrown branch. But why was this stick so perfectly formed?

Was it a wooden stick?

It even had small holes on it.

Could it be a bamboo flute?

Why would a bamboo flute grow on peach tree bark?

This wasn't entirely new to him. Li Banfeng had once seen bamboo that could play flutes in the New Land.

He meticulously examined the bark of this peach tree. The patterns on the bark looked unusual, dense and delicate, like countless feathers.

This tree was too strange. Li Banfeng found a clear patch of ground and lay down, gazing up at the mottled rocks above the treetops.

All around was the boundless sea, but not far above, were the rocks of the cave ceiling. This was the most difficult thing for Li Banfeng to adapt to; even the vastest ocean under the canopy of rocks gave him an unnamable sense of oppression.

Fortunately, the shapes of these rocks were not monotonous. Under years of erosion by water vapor, they presented rich and varied forms and appearances.

Ahead, there was a cluster of stalactites, like icicles in early spring, appearing as if they could fall from the cave ceiling at any moment.

This was no joke; Old Tan had mentioned that such things genuinely happened at the Sea Market, where stalactites would suddenly fall from the ceiling and pierce through entire boats.

These stalactites are almost directly above me. Should I take cover?

I probably don't need to hide. I'm a Layer Two Traveler Cultivator of the Cloud Realm. How could a stalactite hit me?

There seem to be bats flitting through these stalactites.

No, not bats. They're fish. It looks like a manta ray.

I've seen these things on phones and TV. This type of fish is very common in the sea...

So, are these fish also common in caves...?

Li Banfeng sat up, half sobered.

Why were fish swimming among stalactites in a cave? Li Banfeng felt this required a relatively reasonable explanation.

In the New Land, Li Banfeng had seen fish that could live on dry land; these were all abnormal creatures. But fish flying in the air? This was his first time seeing such a thing.

Li Banfeng's explanation to himself was that the segment of stalactite just now passed by too quickly, and he hadn't clearly seen some details.

The stalactite passed by too quickly...

Li Banfeng was completely sober now.

The stalactites had indeed passed overhead. Many other rocks on the cave ceiling were also constantly moving above him.

These rocks formed the cave's ceiling. Why would the cave's ceiling move? This question also required a reasonable explanation.

After some thought, Li Banfeng decided to first ascertain one thing: Was the cave moving, or was the island moving?

Li Banfeng ran to the seashore. Before he could find an answer to that question, Li Banfeng saw the cave's entrance.

From the moment Li Banfeng entered the underground city until today, this was the first time he had seen the entrance.

The entrance was ahead, moving towards Li Banfeng.

At first, Li Banfeng couldn't be sure it was the entrance because he couldn't see its edges, only the bright light outside the cave.

The moment the island passed through the entrance, he saw the long-unseen sky.

Judging by the brightness of the light, it should be night. However, he had been in darkness for so long that even the light of the night sky felt dazzling to him.

Li Banfeng saw no stars in the sky. He only saw schools of fish swimming in the sky.

He remembered Ling Baitao's words: the moment they saw fish, it meant the entrance to Neizhou had opened.

Li Banfeng ran to the residential area, whistling all the way. He had to alert the islanders.

Many island residents were already awake. They squatted in the trees, gazing up at the sky.

The island master, Ling Baitao, wasn't in a tree. He was crouching on the ground, gazing up at the sky, and asked Li Banfeng: "Friend from afar, do you truly still wish to go to Neizhou?"

Li Banfeng nodded: "Yes."

"You must be ready. When a vortex appears in the sky, you should fly as deep into it as possible. That is the entrance to Neizhou."

The schools of fish swimming in the sky grew more agitated. Ling Baitao reminded Li Banfeng: "The vortex is coming."

A cold wind swept over them. The fish schools rapidly swam in a clockwise direction. From their swimming patterns, Li Banfeng could generally discern the vortex's position.

Ling Baitao said: "Once you find the center of the vortex, fly up. We will certainly send you our blessings. We just don't have time to offer you fine wine and song and dance now."

In the residential area, all the island residents had taken out their weapons and prepared themselves.

Li Banfeng asked Ling Baitao: "What are you planning to do?"

Ling Baitao said: "Fight."

"Fight whom?"

"The people of Neizhou."

"Every time Neizhou opens its entrance, you have to fight?"

Ling Baitao shook his head: "Nine out of ten times, we don't have to fight. But that remaining one time, it might be a fight to the death."

As he spoke, something was slowly falling from the center of the vortex.

The center of the vortex was very distant, creating an optical illusion for Li Banfeng. He thought the object was tiny, perhaps some kind of shell or clam.

From far to near, from small to large, Li Banfeng gradually made out the object's shape.

A sphere, a very regular yellowish-brown sphere.

The object continuously approached. In less than a minute, what was originally a fist-sized sphere transformed into a behemoth with a diameter of over ten meters.

"It's a hornet's nest!" Ling Baitao's expression was grim; this was clearly not the outcome he wanted to see. He warned Li Banfeng, "Bypass this hornet's nest and fly upwards to enter Neizhou. Be very careful!"

As he spoke, Ling Baitao's back gradually swelled, and a pair of white-feathered wings emerged from his loose robe.

At the same time, a metallic-sheened worm fell from the sphere, writhing its body as it plummeted towards the ground.

Ling Baitao flapped his wings and soared into the air.

The worm was several times larger than an adult human's body. Having just emerged from the hornet's nest, it seemed not yet adapted to the environment, twisting and writhing in the air.

Ling Baitao caught the worm in mid-air, grabbed its body with both hands, and ripped it apart with effort.

In an instant, the worm's body was torn to shreds by Ling Baitao. The remnants on the ground still writhed, emitting puffs of hot white mist.

From inside the sphere, hundreds of thousands of worms fell.

The residents in the trees spread their white wings, soaring into the air like white falcons to confront the worms.

Worm remnants continuously fell to the ground. One intact worm, having evaded the islanders' interception, landed near Li Banfeng.

*Hiss!*

The worm reared up and spewed a cloud of steam at Li Banfeng.

Where did this steam come from? Li Banfeng looked for a long time but couldn't find the steam's exit point.

It had no mouth. Li Banfeng couldn't even find its face, as it had no ears, eyes, mouth, or nose.

The worm quickly crawled towards Li Banfeng, its wriggling speed astonishing.

Li Banfeng dodged the worm's path. The worm twisted its body and let out a shrill cry towards Li Banfeng.

*Screech!*

This shrill cry caused Li Banfeng's eardrums to ache intensely, and his body went numb and weak.

Was this a sound cultivation technique?

What, do you think I'm scared of you?

"Whoosh-ya-ya!" Li Banfeng also roared at the worm. The worm was unaffected, turned its body, and continued to attack Li Banfeng.

So powerful, it actually withstood my wife's sound cultivation technique.

But then he thought, his wife wasn't in the Portable Residence, so Li Banfeng couldn't possibly borrow any sound cultivation techniques from the Grand Estate.

That last roar was just a random shout.

The worm charged again. This time, it had grown eyes, but not on its head; they were on its body.

On its plump body, over a hundred eyelids simultaneously opened, and its eyeballs rotated, collectively locking onto Li Banfeng.

From the pupils of some of its eyes, iron hooks and skewers extended, collectively lunging at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng had no desire to grapple with it. He directly drew his Tang Saber and slashed down at the worm's head.

"Every saber strike takes an enemy's head!" The Tang Saber was decisive, chopping off the worm's head with a single strike.

But the worm's body still moved. It could still precisely sense Li Banfeng's location and continuously attacked him with its iron skewers and hooks.

The head was not this worm's vital point.

The hooks struck the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

As the dust obscured vision, dozens of iron skewers from the worm's eyes stabbed towards Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng dodged the skewers, then swung his Tang Saber again, cleaving the worm vertically along its midline.

The two halves of the carcass writhed for a moment, then fell silent, spraying hot steam everywhere.

*Boom!*

Li Banfeng, holding his Tang Saber, turned to look. Dozens of intact worms had fallen to the ground.

The island residents were still struggling to intercept in mid-air, while the worms that landed on the ground began attacking the peach trees.

The peach trees' branches and leaves grew rapidly, their tips touching the ground, forming barriers that fully resisted the worms' attacks.

The island residents had no time to deal with the landed worms; they concentrated their efforts on interception in the air.

This tactic was correct. These worms could unleash powerful combat abilities once they landed. The best way to deal with them was to intercept them in the air as much as possible, preventing them from landing. If they divided their forces for ground combat, the number of landed worms would only increase.

However, the cost of doing so was also obvious: the worms that landed would attack the peach trees, and these peach trees were White Falcon Prefecture's only source of food.

This was a necessary trade-off for White Falcon Prefecture when facing a powerful enemy. But today, the situation was different; there was also Li Banfeng on the ground.

He wasn't in a hurry to fly into the sky, instead fighting the worms directly on the ground.

One worm tore through the peach tree's foliage, intending to attack the main trunk, but Li Banfeng cleaved it in half with a single saber strike.

The Tang Saber, after three strikes, went to rest. The Projector appeared from his pocket, hovering in mid-air, and used its Decay technique to dispatch a worm.

The Pendulum and Scythe worked together, carving a worm into shredded flesh.

A man, holding a worm, slammed heavily onto the ground.

The man's wings were broken, and his body was covered in wounds left by iron hooks.

Li Banfeng rushed forward and used his Path-Breaking technique to cleave the worm. The severely wounded man stood up from the ground.

Li Banfeng recognized him.

His name was Ah Quan. Just moments ago, he had invited Li Banfeng to dance together at the White Peach Assembly.

He really liked the wine from Yaowang Valley.

Li Banfeng pulled out his wine gourd, intending to treat his wounds. The medicinal wine was brought to Ah Quan's lips. Ah Quan tried to drink, but couldn't.

The wine gourd said to Li Banfeng: "Young man, he's not going to make it."

Ah Quan stood rigidly, smiling at Li Banfeng.

His feet rooted into the soil, and his skin cracked inch by inch.

His broken wings wrapped around his body, and disheveled feathers embedded themselves into his flesh one by one.

His hair grew rapidly, quickly covering his face.

Two worms landed behind Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng turned around and used his Trampling Myriad Rivers technique to stomp the two worms into a pulpy mess.

When he turned back, Ah Quan had disappeared. In the spot where he had just stood, a lush, leafy fruit tree now grew.

A girl fell from the sky, her body bloody and mangled, yet she struggled to stand up.

Her name was Ah Ru. This girl had a good figure, and Li Banfeng remembered her always leading the dance among the girls.

An old man fell to the ground, not only breaking his wings but also his legs.

This old man, surnamed Chen, was especially strong when playing the erhu. He took down his erhu from his back, propped it on the ground, and laboriously straightened himself.

After he transformed into a tree, the erhu became embedded in the trunk, its strings protruding from the bark.

*Thump! Thump-thump!*

People fell from the sky intermittently.

Li Banfeng killed all the worms that had landed on the ground at top speed, then flew into the air and joined the others in intercepting the worms.

After more than ten minutes, most of the worms were intercepted in the air, and those that had landed on the ground were also cleared.

The massive "hornet's nest" was silent. Li Banfeng asked Ling Baitao: "Is the battle over?"

Ling Baitao shook his head: "Far from it. We don't know when the next batch of worms will emerge, nor how many worms are truly inside this nest. If you want to enter Neizhou, you can fly in now. But since Neizhou has sent troops, you'll need to be extra careful once inside."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "That's not urgent. Right now, there's something pressing I need to discuss with you."

"What is it?" Ling Baitao was startled. He detected a hint of chill in Li Banfeng's tone, yet Li Banfeng's expression was utterly calm.

Li Banfeng looked at the "hornet's nest" and said: "In a moment, I'm going to go inside and count exactly how many worms there are. You all can help me count from the outside."

Ling Baitao's eyes widened: "Are you mad?"

"No, I'm not mad. I have a medical certificate; the doctor said I'm not. Just make sure you count carefully."

Li Banfeng pulled down his hat brim and flew towards the "hornet's nest."

The moment he entered the nest, he cut his palm and summoned his shadow.