Chapter 661: Inner State Turmoil

Accompanied by music, Li Banfeng danced at the White Peach Festival, each step meticulous and earnest.

Li Banfeng's shadow, Banfeng Yin, sat silently on the stairs inside the "Hornet's Nest," waiting.

"Elder, isn't it almost time?" Banfeng Yin whispered, concerned that the "Hornet's Nest" might suddenly return to the capital on its own.

"Don't worry, it can't move unless I allow it to," Suishen Ju replied. He intended to take some valuable items from the "Hornet's Nest." In just a short while, the elder had already found five Heaven's Heart Stones inside.

There were items even more precious than Heaven's Heart Stones, which both the elder and Hand Glove could sense. They were diligently searching for them.

Hand Glove pried many screws from the pipes. "Elder," he said, "these screws are rare and valuable items."

Suishen Ju examined the screws; they were indeed of good quality. "Keep all the good stuff; don't miss anything. I feel like there might be train tracks in this room."

Hand Glove was a bit hesitant. "If we clean him out this time, it'll be hard to do business with him again."

Suishen Ju replied, "Don't worry, this business won't stop. We have a give-and-take relationship; I'll send him some good things too."

"Hehehe." After a moment of silence, both Hand Glove and Suishen Ju let out low chuckles.

After the White Peach Festival concluded, Ling Baitao looked up at the sky. The Hornet's Nest was still there, not having departed.

The Hornet's Nest had stayed for quite a long time.

"Every time the Inner Province sends troops, White Falcon Prefecture gets to see a new sea. Friend, if you want to go to the new sea, there's still a chance now."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "As I just said, I'm not going to the new sea. I'm returning directly to the underground city. I'm a traveling cultivator; I have the means to part ways over vast distances."

Ling Baitao nodded and had the islanders make Li Banfeng a raft out of peach tree branches.

To be honest, Li Banfeng felt unworthy even of this raft. The island's resources were so scarce; these peach branches could have been used by the islanders for building houses.

Suishen Ju and Hand Glove had cleared out all the good things from the "Hornet's Nest." The Hornet's Nest gradually drifted away, and the ocean in the sky also began to slowly move.

Li Banfeng still couldn't distinguish. "Is the sea moving, or is the island moving?"

Ling Baitao replied, "They're both moving. We can't tell which one moves more."

Today's battle went smoothly, and there was ample time. Many young people climbed the peach trees to fish in the new sea. By the time the islands returned to the mountain cave, all five islands had a full harvest.

Ling Baitao asked Li Banfeng, "Friend, are you in a hurry to leave? There's fish to eat tonight."

Li Banfeng replied, "I am indeed a bit urgent. I should be on my way."

Ling Baitao gave Li Banfeng a pot of white peach wine. "Will you come back?"

"Yes," Li Banfeng said, handing Ling Baitao a bag of canned goods. "Next time I come, I'll bring you more food."

Ling Baitao packed a bag of peaches for Li Banfeng. "That friend from out of town also always brings us delicious things. He said it's not a gift; it's traded for peaches. He said he particularly likes the peaches from White Falcon Prefecture. He also always says a phrase, which is called..."

Ling Baitao couldn't recall it for a moment.

Li Banfeng took the peaches. "He's probably referring to the phrase, 'Gains and losses, neither owes the other.'"

Ling Baitao nodded. "Yes, that's the one."

Li Banfeng got on the raft and waved goodbye to the island residents.

As White Peach Island disappeared from sight, Li Banfeng murmured, "I can't say neither owes the other. I still owe you, I owe you too much."

Li Banfeng still had many questions. What he most wanted to know was why White Falcon Prefecture warriors turned into peach trees after dying in battle.

But he couldn't bring himself to ask, and the residents of White Falcon Prefecture didn't want to mention it.

Fortunately, there were others he could ask. He had fewer reservations when it came to these Inner Province people.

Lang Daoshou, Xie Baheng, and Shan Yuzhu were all in the sea, pulling the boat from the front with ropes tied to their bodies.

Li Banfeng asked the Luo sisters, "Why aren't you pulling the boat?"

Luo Lijun's expression was cold. "Even if we pull the boat, we can't be with them."

Li Banfeng was taken aback, not quite understanding her meaning.

Luo Yanjun quickly explained, "According to our customs, it's not appropriate for us to do things together with them."

"What custom?" Li Banfeng didn't understand. Luo Yanjun always spoke evasively and didn't want to be too explicit.

Luo Shaojun, however, clarified: "My elder sister is a Marquis, we are Ministers, and they are Scholars. Our statuses are different."

Li Banfeng asked Luo Shaojun to explain in more detail.

Luo Shaojun drew a diagram. "In Great Shang, the highest is the King, below the King are the Marquises, below the Marquises are the Ministers, below the Ministers are the Scholars. Below Scholars are the Commoners, and below Commoners are the Servants. Ministers cannot do the same work as Scholars; it's against the rules."

Li Banfeng detested such rules. His face darkened as he said, "Then let's break the rules this one time. Two of you five sisters, pick yourselves to pull the boat with them."

Luo Shaojun stuck out her tongue, ready to pull the boat herself, but Luo Yanjun stopped her. "You're too young. I'll go."

Yanjun jumped into the sea, and Luo Yujun followed.

Li Banfeng looked at Luo Lijun. "You're determined not to go, aren't you?"

Luo Lijun lowered her head and remained silent. Luo Xiujun, beside her, said, "She's a Marquis of a region, so grand, how could she do such work?"

Not only Luo Lijun refused, but even Xie Baheng was terrified. Looking at Luo Yanjun and Luo Yujun, he didn't know how to pull the boat anymore. "Ladies, please get back on the boat! You shouldn't be doing this work!"

Luo Yujun snorted. "Young Master Li told us to come; we listen to Young Master Li."

Luo Yanjun said, "Focus on pulling the boat. Don't talk so much."

Xie Baheng dared not say more, but he was very uncomfortable. His footing was unsteady while paddling, and the boat bounced along with him.

Lang Daoshou and Shan Yuzhu also swam unsteadily. Between them and the Luo family, there seemed to be an unbridgeable chasm.

Luo Lijun said, "Actually, this is nothing unusual. It's just like Pruro Province; aren't there many nobles there too?"

Nobles of Pruro Province... Who could be considered a noble of Pruro Province? There were indeed wealthy families, but could they be as noble as the Luo family?

Li Banfeng looked at Luo Lijun. "How high was your status in the Great Shang Kingdom?"

Luo Lijun thought for a moment. "At its peak, my status could be considered the head of all Marquises."

Li Banfeng then asked, "Then why did you end up as a prisoner?"

Luo Lijun replied, "It was because of the plague. The epidemic spread, and the entire kingdom suffered greatly. Our Luo family was ordered to manage the plague, and while our three sisters recovered, we couldn't decipher the cure. The royal family then accused us of colluding with the enemy and sent us to the main camp, ordering us to lead troops to attack White Falcon Prefecture. They said 'lead troops,' but it was actually to send us to battle as convicted criminals, using the opportunity to let us die on the battlefield."

Li Banfeng pondered, then shook his head slightly. "You are a Marquis of a region; you shouldn't have received such a severe punishment for just this one matter."

Luo Lijun remained silent. Luo Shaojun, beside her, said, "Ultimately, it's because our Luo family advocated for peace, not war, which gave others leverage. They wanted to wipe out our Luo family entirely."

The struggle between the war faction and the peace faction had reached such an extent?

Luo Xiujun snorted. "That's why I say following your Luo family only brings suffering. Who told you to oppose the royal family!"

"Following your Luo family?" What did that mean?

Li Banfeng looked carefully at Luo Xiujun again. Due to the limited fabric she wore, Xiujun's figure was fully visible.

When Luo Yujun entered the water, her physique became even more apparent.

Both of them were very beautiful, with attractive figures, but they were covered in taut muscles, with more sharp angles on their bodies than on their faces, a clear difference from the three more rounded sisters.

Li Banfeng asked, "Are you members of the Luo family?"

Before Luo Xiujun could speak, Luo Shaojun quickly answered, "Yes, we are all family, it's just that Yujun and Xiujun don't share the same father or mother as us."

Li Banfeng seemed to understand. "So, they are cousins."

Luo Shaojun shook her head. "No, not cousins. We are true sisters."

Li Banfeng looked at Shaojun and said to Luo Lijun, "This child is quite clever; you should let her study."

Luo Shaojun retorted, "Seventh Brother, I have studied before."

"If you've studied, you should know that if your father and mother are different, you cannot be considered true sisters."

"Yes, you can! Our bloodline isn't entirely determined by our parents. I have an older brother whose parents are the same as mine, but he doesn't look like us, so he no longer bears the Luo surname."

Li Banfeng recalled a remark made by the robust Pink Cultivator, Han Xiaoxuan: the bloodlines in the Inner Province were different from what Li Banfeng understood as lineage.

Luo Shaojun explained earnestly: "When we are born, we are actually all like Servants, just worms, with no distinguishable features. Before the age of fifteen, we take elixirs at home and cultivate according to our family's inherited methods. After fifteen, our bodies undergo changes. Most of the siblings in our family will grow to look like us now; this is our Luo family's bloodline. My older brother, however, grew into a leopard. Although he was born to my father and mother, his bloodline was different from ours, so he was sent to the Leopard family and took their surname. The Leopard family is also a Marquisate, so my brother didn't suffer any loss. As for my two elder sisters, Yujun and Xiujun, they were originally from the Yuan family and should have transformed into giant apes. But they grew to look just like our family members, thus they are considered of our Luo family's bloodline, adopted by us, and became our true sisters."

Li Banfeng asked, "Are all Inner Province bloodlines determined by this transformation at age fifteen?"

Luo Shaojun nodded.

Luo Xiujun said, "When my sisters and I were in the Yuan family, our father was a Minister, but we were not the eldest legitimate children, so in the future, we could only be considered Scholars. The Luo family is a Marquisate. After we entered the Luo family, we became descendants of a Marquis, able to be enfeoffed as Ministers, so our status was indeed elevated by one level."

Luo Lijun snorted, "That's a rather conscientious thing to say."

Li Banfeng asked, "If a Servant turned into a snail at age fifteen, would they also become a member of your Luo family?"

Luo Shaojun thought for a moment. "Logically, yes, but it's unlikely for them to change at fifteen. Servants have nothing and can't get elixirs at all, so they remain worms their whole lives."

Li Banfeng then asked, "What about Commoners?"

"Commoners live frugally and might manage to get one elixir every year or so, but it's extremely difficult for them to transform into someone like us. There are, however, instances of commoners becoming Scholars. With a Scholar's family wealth, taking an elixir once a month, the difference from commoners is significant. Yet, some exceptional commoners, despite fewer elixirs, might still transform into Scholars. Families of Ministers take elixirs every three to five days, a considerable difference from Scholars, but there are indeed cases where children of Scholars enter the families of Ministers after turning fifteen."

With her explanation, Li Banfeng finally understood that in the Great Shang Kingdom, taking elixirs was crucial for determining one's bloodline.

Nobles consumed more elixirs, while commoners consumed fewer. After age fifteen, children of nobles would most likely remain nobles, though some might become commoners due to insufficient physical talent. Similarly, some children of commoners might become nobles due to excellent physiques.

Of course, it was also not uncommon for commoners to eventually become Servants due to poor physique. According to Luo Shaojun, if a commoner family had five children, typically three would become Servants.

Li Banfeng then asked, "Besides elixirs, are there other ways to change one's fate, like cultivation or physical training?"

Luo Shaojun said, "There are, yes. The royal family annually finds a few people to claim that a certain Servant, through diligent cultivation, eventually became a Scholar. But my sister says that's all a lie. Those Servants only got a chance to change their fate because they served their masters well and received a few more elixirs. You can't believe a single word the royal family says..."

Luo Lijun slapped Luo Shaojun into the water.

"Little sister, go pull the boat and swap with your elder sister."

Luo Shaojun pouted and went to pull the boat, while Luo Yanjun returned to the boat.

Luo Xiujun whispered, "Actually, Shaojun wasn't wrong. Those two centipedes you met in the main camp were Servants who became Commoners, then Scholars, and eventually Diviners. It's unbelievable that Chaoge even let them lead troops into battle."

"What are Diviners?"

Luo Xiujun said, "They are those who manage sacrifices, with a status between Marquises and Ministers. Do you think they are powerful?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "They have nothing to do with being powerful."

Luo Xiujun said, "They shouldn't have been allowed to lead troops in the first place. Those two fools don't know anything."

"Then why did they still send them to attack White Falcon Prefecture? Didn't White Falcon Prefecture inflict many defeats on you?"

Luo Xiujun whispered, "That's because of restrictions. Some powerful generals couldn't come over, and our weapons couldn't be transported."

Li Banfeng asked, "Who imposed these restrictions?"

Luo Lijun glared at Luo Xiujun, who then dared not say anything more.

Even now, they weren't telling the whole truth, but Li Banfeng wasn't in a hurry; he had many ways to make the sisters speak. He carefully analyzed the Great Shang Kingdom's social hierarchy, and some important strata gradually connected with Pruro Province. "Your King, is he a Saint?"

Luo Lijun and Luo Yanjun remained silent. Seeing this, Luo Xiujun spoke up voluntarily. "That's what they say, but the Saint's words don't carry weight in Chaoge; it's the Grand Council that holds power."

Li Banfeng heard a new term. "What is the Grand Council?"

Luo Xiujun thought about how to describe it. "The Grand Council members are of royal bloodline; they are the ones who truly control the court."

Li Banfeng had some idea about the term "royal bloodline." "The royal family you speak of, are they the people with three heads?"

Luo Xiujun nodded.

Li Banfeng carefully examined the drawing Luo Shaojun had made. "The legitimate eldest child of the royal family becomes the King, while other offspring are ordinary royalty. The legitimate eldest of the royal family remains royalty, and their other offspring become Marquises. Following this logic, the number of nobles at each level would only increase. Can the Great Shang Kingdom support so many nobles?"

Luo Xiujun said, "Legend has it that long ago, there were indeed many nobles, but at that time, Great Shang's territory was vast and its resources abundant, so supporting these nobles was no issue. However, later the Tu Fang Kingdom's power grew significantly. We suffered several defeats, and much of our territory was seized, so we could no longer support so many nobles. Consequently, the number of nobles decreased. Just now, there's one fewer..."

Before she could finish, Luo Xiujun was kicked by Luo Lijun. She had said there was one fewer noble, and it was precisely the Luo family that was gone, a common occurrence in the Inner Province.

"What kind of country is the Tu Fang Kingdom?"

"Their king is called the Demon Lord, and their capital is Silver Bear City."

"Demon Lord." This concept was not unfamiliar to Li Banfeng; the owner of the Hundred Demons Workshop was a Demon Lord.

"How much do you know about White Falcon Prefecture? Do you know why their people turn into peach trees after dying in battle?"

Luo Lijun kicked Luo Xiujun again, signaling her not to say anything more.

But Luo Xiujun ignored her. In the current situation, currying favor with Li Qi would definitely not hurt. "It's because the White Falcon Alliance helped them."

"White Falcon Alliance?" Li Banfeng remembered the White Falcon Alliance mentioned by Professor Balloon.

"Is the White Falcon Alliance you mentioned a kingdom in the Inner Province?"

Luo Xiujun first nodded, then shook her head. "Their capital is Seven Stars Mountain, but it can't really be called a capital. They aren't a kingdom at all. They have no king; they are an alliance of small nations that came together. Initially, neither Great Shang nor Tu Fang took them seriously, but later, the White Falcon Alliance grew larger and larger, and both Great Shang and Tu Fang suffered many losses because of them. The White Falcon Alliance gave White Falcon Prefecture a lot of help. We once put chemicals on White Falcon Prefecture's land, making it unable to grow any crops, which should have led to its natural demise. But the White Falcon Alliance sent elixirs to White Falcon Prefecture through special means, allowing their people to turn into peach trees after death, thus enabling White Falcon Prefecture to survive."

"Why did the White Falcon Alliance help White Falcon Prefecture?"

Luo Xiujun thought for a moment. "I heard it's because the White Falcon Alliance and White Falcon Prefecture share the same bloodline; their names both contain 'White Falcon.' The White Falcon Alliance has many individuals who transform into birds, and White Falcon Prefecture is the same way..."

"Don't listen to her nonsense!" Luo Lijun finally couldn't hold back. "The White Falcon Alliance and White Falcon Prefecture having the same name is purely a coincidence; they are not of the same bloodline at all!"

Luo Xiujun was indignant. "Then tell me, why did the White Falcon Alliance help White Falcon Prefecture?"

Luo Lijun had a clearer understanding of the situation. "It's all about bustling for profit. They also have their eyes on the Outer Province territory, but they haven't been able to open a path. They also don't want us to succeed, so they help White Falcon Prefecture create trouble for us. They did the same thing in the nation of Amican. Last year, they helped the Amicans defeat the Demon Lord, and now the path to Amican is almost entirely under their control."

The path to Amican likely referred to another wormhole, or a branch of a wormhole, specifically the Inner Amican Nation that Ling Miaosheng had just visited.

"So, the White Falcon Alliance also knows how to use the paths?"

Luo Lijun sighed. "How do you think all those restrictions on the paths came about? It's all the White Falcon Alliance's doing! Because of them, we've never been able to attack White Falcon Prefecture with full force. Otherwise, if we brought our weapons, White Falcon Prefecture wouldn't last a moment. But then again, I truly don't want to fight. We desperately want to carve out a living in the Outer Province, but the Outer Province isn't easy to deal with. The White Falcon Alliance is stirring up trouble behind us, and Pruro Province is blocking the way in the middle. If this path is paved with mountains of corpses and seas of blood, what good would come of fighting for it?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Well said. Do you Luo family members still want to reclaim your power in the Inner Province?"

"How could we reclaim it?" Luo Lijun gave a bitter smile. "One Marquis falls, and dozens of Ministers and countless Scholars fall behind them. The Luo family's assets will soon be completely divided."

Luo Xiujun said, "The crucial thing is that this is the royal family's decree. In Great Shang, who can be greater than the royal family?"

Li Banfeng said, "Then you should establish another royal family."

Luo Lijun was stunned. "Where would we find a royal family?"

Li Banfeng lifted his hat brim, looked at Luo Lijun. The stakes were out; it was time for business.

"Do you know the whereabouts of Grandfather Train?"

The five Snail sisters looked at each other, none speaking.

Li Banfeng smiled slightly. "The road is long; we'll talk about it slowly."

Relying on his memory, Li Banfeng pulled the raft to the vicinity of the border line.

The five Luo sisters, along with Lang Daoshou, were all fast asleep on the raft, sleeping very soundly.

The music box hovered over the raft, ensuring everyone was sound asleep.

Li Banfeng picked up the simple phone and called his wife. "My dearest wife, I..."

"You heartless madman, what are you coming back for? Go wander outside!" His wife hung up the phone.

Luo Zhengnan sighed. "The madam is angry."

The call ended. Luo Zhengnan was about to fall asleep, but soon after, his wife called back. "Madman, where are you?"

"Almost at the entrance!"

Zhao Xiaowan hung up the phone and came to the bow of the boat. Across the boundary line, she vaguely saw Li Banfeng's figure floating in mid-air.

"Quickly bring the dark bridge cannon over!" With a wave from the Gramophone, Banfeng Bing and Banfeng Ding rushed forward. Banfeng Yi watched from the side, not lending a hand.

After adjusting the parameters, a shot was fired. Li Banfeng summoned a group of shadows, who carried the raft, crossed the dark bridge, and returned to the boat.

Seeing the group of shadows, Li Banfeng said with a surprised expression, "You're still here."

Banfeng Yi snorted. "Where else would we be? Without you, don't days still pass as usual?"

Zhao Xiaowan grabbed Li Banfeng, first hitting him, then feeling a surge of tenderness. "Where have you been all this time? You scared me senseless, do you know that?"

Li Banfeng hugged Zhao Xiaowan from behind. "My dearest wife, this is a long story. Let us first enjoy our love, and then I will tell you all the details!"

They playfully chatted for a moment, and both became aroused. Li Banfeng took out an oil bottle, and Zhao Xiaowan's face darkened. "What are you doing with that?"

Li Banfeng quickly put away the oil bottle, embraced Zhao Xiaowan, and entered the guest room.

In the blink of an eye, Li Banfeng was fully dressed and smiling. "My wife, wasn't that delightful!"

Zhao Xiaowan, wrapped in her clothes, said blankly, "My husband, applying machine oil was still better."

Li Banfeng clasped his hands and squatted on the ground. "My wife, being short has its advantages. Let me explain the reasoning..."

"Stop rambling," his wife said, now dressed, as she came onto the deck. "What do we do with these Inner Province people?"

Although the five Luo sisters had transformed, his wife saw through them at a glance.

Li Banfeng said, "I plan to take them to the Inner Province and have them lead the way to find an old friend."

Li Banfeng briefly recounted his experiences in White Falcon Prefecture. His wife also guessed the identity of the old friend. "You want to rescue that mad craftsman, my husband. Are you planning to enter the Inner Province through White Falcon Prefecture?"

"White Falcon Prefecture might be difficult. The Inner Province frequently deploys troops there, so it's sure to be heavily guarded," Li Banfeng had already decided. "We have another path that shouldn't be blocked yet."

He Jiaqing traversed a patch of thorny bushes, trekking for several hours in the new land, until he found a factory building.

The presence of a factory in the new land was very novel. He Jiaqing evaded the patrolling strange creatures and entered the factory, where he saw a white-haired elder polishing parts.

"Elder Shi, He bows respectfully," He Jiaqing said, bowing deeply.

Shi Gongxing looked up, put down his tools, and wiped the grease from his hands. "Young Master He, how may I help you?"

He Jiaqing observed the factory environment. Compared to other factories in Pruro Province, the equipment here was notably simpler. This was a new land, and the factory's products likely wouldn't sell. Building this factory was probably just Shi Gongxing finding solace for himself.

"Elder Shi, with your profound accomplishments, you shouldn't be buried in a place like this."

Shi Gongxing shook his head slightly. "At my age, finding peace and quiet is rare enough; it's not a matter of being buried. Young Master He, please speak plainly."

He Jiaqing said, "The contract for the new land is incomplete. I intend to help you retrieve the other half of the contract and then help you transform this new land into proper land. What do you think, Elder?"

Shi Gongxing was stunned for a moment. "I cannot accept a reward without merit, Young Master He. How could an old man like me bear such a great kindness?"

He Jiaqing took out a contract. "It's not a matter of kindness, junior merely wishes to undertake a significant venture with you, Elder."

Here's a new book recommendation: *Day and Night Wandering Gods* by Qingshan Jinmo.

To combat the invasion of strange ghosts, Day and Night Wandering Gods were born between heaven and earth. This is a play passed down through generations of storytellers.

What is the true story of the ancient Buddhas, strange ghosts, and Day and Night Wandering Gods on the continent of old?

Perhaps clues can be found from a theatrical troupe named 'Zhou Family Troupe.'

The Zhou Family Troupe is a troupe that performs for the deceased.