Chapter 669: Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill

Li Banfeng again pulled the connecting rod of the stylus, lifting it from the record. However, the phonograph's stylus quickly extended, maintaining contact with the record.

The eerie singing never ceased. The five Luo sisters and Hu Chihong were repeatedly struck, and the worms brought by the wind-up phonograph were also on the verge of death.

Li Banfeng intended to summon his shadow and dismantle the phonograph, but amidst the piercing music, he found himself unable to use his 'Form and Shadow Intertwined' technique.

Dismantle it, it must be dismantled!

Li Banfeng's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the wind-up phonograph.

From a distance, Luo Shaojun struggled to call out, "Seventh Brother, run! That's a second-grade weapon."

Luo Lijun called out, "Young Master Li, let's leave. Don't let us implicate you."

Luo Xiujun suggested, "Perhaps we sisters should go up and help Li Qi fight it. We might still be able to suppress it!"

Luo Yujun retorted, "Stop talking nonsense! How can a second-grade weapon be suppressed? Anyone who dares to touch it will die. Let's flee; if even one of us escapes, it will be sheer luck."

Clang!

Parts lay scattered on the ground; the wind-up phonograph had been shattered.

The sisters were all shocked, and Li Banfeng himself stared blankly at the scattered parts.

The phonograph's material was robust, and its construction intricate. Just moments before, Li Banfeng had struggled to separate the stylus from the record, pulling the stylus with one hand and pressing the tray with the other.

At that moment, he still couldn't summon his shadow.

So, the question arose: how was this phonograph destroyed?

A gear slowly wobbled on the ground. Its axle suddenly stood upright and spun rapidly.

Shaojun cried out, "Oh no, it's trying to reassemble!"

This machine can reassemble itself?

Li Banfeng crushed the gear using 'Treading Ten Thousand Rivers'. He was about to collect the other parts when the glove whispered, "Boss, leave the rest for now. I'll take them back to the mistress; they might prove useful."

"Do you know if the other parts are alive or dead? Can you handle them?"

"I believe the remaining parts are inanimate, but there's no guarantee there aren't special ones. I'll store them for now and see. If I can't contain them, I'll ask you for a solution."

The glove was remarkably capable, collecting all the phonograph's parts. The Luo sisters didn't know what method Li Banfeng used; they simply noticed that once the dust settled, the parts had vanished.

The worm, who had previously carried the phonograph, lay on the ground and used one leg to extract the bottle of oil from its body.

Knowing its death was imminent, the worm wanted to return the oil to Li Banfeng.

Luo Yujun stepped forward and snapped at the worm, "Who sent you?"

The worm couldn't speak; a hissing sound emanated from its body, and steam puffed out of it.

Luo Yanjun examined the worm, stating, "He cannot speak; his throat has been removed."

Luo Lijun gritted her teeth. "So it's a self-sacrificing servant! Who knows who sent him here!"

Li Banfeng asked, "What does 'self-sacrificing servant' mean?"

Luo Shaojun explained, "A self-sacrificing servant is a loyal and unburdened servant, dispatched by their master on suicide missions."

Luo Yanjun, recalling their first encounter with the servant, analyzed the situation. "This person was likely sent by Lord Ying, who instructed this servant to intercept us mid-journey."

Luo Yujun asked, "Could he recognize us? Didn't we apply rouge?"

Luo Yanjun shook her head. "The rouge is useless. This servant cannot smell; his antennae have been removed, so he can detect no scent at all."

Luo Xiujun wondered, "How can he live without antennae? Won't he be useless from now on?"

Luo Yujun glared at Luo Xiujun. "That's why I say you're a blockhead. This is a self-sacrificing servant; he's as good as dead either way. There is no 'later' for him."

Luo Yanjun then deduced, "Even if he couldn't recognize us, it wouldn't matter. He would play the music on our unavoidable path. We wouldn't be able to withstand it, nor would there be any way around it, and we would likely be killed by this second-grade weapon. Even if we managed to escape, we would undoubtedly be severely injured. If he sent another self-sacrificing servant, we would still be unable to avoid death."

Luo Shaojun asked, "If he played music by the roadside, how many people would die?"

Luo Lijun sneered, "Do you think Lord Ying is a good person? The coal yard is full of commoners; why would he care about their lives?"

Li Banfeng looked up and added, "Besides commoners, I also observed many working servants."

Luo Lijun remained silent. In her view, servants were not even considered people.

Hu Chihong explained for Luo Lijun, "In Boundless City, the death of a few servants has never been a significant issue. Even the deaths of a few commoners can be casually dismissed. Servant matters are trivial, but if a noble is killed, the situation becomes serious."

Luo Lijun sensed a hidden meaning in Hu Chihong's words. "Explain yourself more clearly."

Hu Chihong explained, "After Lord Ying defected to the Leopard clan, he changed his surname but kept his given name, which is unusual. He has always publicly claimed that he never forgot the Luo family's kindness in raising him. After taking control of Boundless City, he also proclaimed he would treat the Luo family's descendants well. Based on this, even if he intends to harm the master, he won't do so under his own name. He'll find a scapegoat. Who could that scapegoat be?"

Luo Lijun pondered for a moment, finding Hu Chihong's words very reasonable. "He wants to have his cake and eat it too. Lord Ying certainly has that disposition. Are there any old residents from Boundless City still with him?"

Hu Chihong nodded. "There are two doctors: Bai Chenliang and Lu Mosheng."

"Lu Mosheng—" Luo Lijun's eyebrow twitched. "That man is weak and incompetent; he's perfectly suited to be a scapegoat."

With this thought, Luo Lijun asked the worm, "Did Lu Mosheng send you?"

The worm remained silent for a long time, then nodded slightly.

Luo Shaojun said, "Sister, Old Donkey has followed our family for many years. If we talk to him, perhaps he could do something for us."

Luo Lijun shook her head. "It's difficult. Old Donkey has been timid his entire life; he dares not do anything."

"Since we can't rely on Old Donkey, there's no need to keep this person alive." Luo Xiujun took a sharp thorn from her conch shell, preparing to kill the worm.

Li Banfeng stopped Luo Xiujun. "Let him live, because he showed us mercy."

If this worm had ambushed Li Banfeng when he was unprepared, and if it had assembled the phonograph beforehand, Li Banfeng would very likely have been severely injured.

By assembling the phonograph in front of Li Banfeng, it gave him the opportunity to calmly prepare for the confrontation.

Now, the worm still wanted to return the oil to Li Banfeng, believing itself unworthy to consume it.

Li Banfeng pushed the oil back to the worm.

Luo Yujun reminded him, "Since the mission wasn't completed, his master won't let him go. To die for one's master, that loyalty is precious to him. Let's grant him that wish."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "It's not valuable at all. His master wouldn't shed a single tear for him. Such loyalty is worthless."

Luo Yujun disagreed with Li Banfeng's reasoning. "Just because his master won't cry, you claim loyalty isn't valuable? That's quite a stretch!"

"It's not far-fetched at all," Li Banfeng replied, shaking his head. "If you don't believe me, let's make him cry a bit and see, then you'll understand what's truly valuable to him."

Luo Lijun asked in surprise, "Who are you going to make cry?"

"His master." Li Banfeng took out his wine gourd to treat the worm's injuries.

Luo Yujun exclaimed in shock, "You're going to confront his master?"

Li Banfeng stated, "He sent someone to kill me. Why shouldn't I confront him?"

Luo Xiujun said, "We are fugitives. Causing such a commotion in Boundless City, Lord Ying certainly won't let us go."

Li Banfeng chuckled, "By that logic, if you didn't cause a commotion, would Lord Ying let you go?"

Luo Yanjun nodded. "Young Master Li is right. Silently eliminating all of us would perfectly suit Lord Ying's intentions."

Li Banfeng addressed Hu Chihong, "Miss Hu, do you have any other residences? This location is no longer safe, so let's find somewhere else to talk."

The Marquis's Manor, Clarity Hall.

This was originally the Luo family's residence, and Clarity Hall was where the Luo family head conducted official business.

A leopard crouched on the ground, meditating with closed eyes. Moments later, it paced back and forth between the pillars.

One pillar suddenly grew slightly taller, and the hall's ceiling emitted creaking and cracking sounds.

A donkey lay beside the leopard, softly advising, "Marquis, please calm your anger."

This was a unique feature of Clarity Hall: it could transmit messages from Boundless City and also perceive human emotions.

This leopard was Lord Ying.

This donkey was Lu Mosheng.

Lord Ying shook his head. "This aspect of Clarity Hall is quite inconvenient. All my thoughts and intentions are laid bare before you, yet you fail to grasp them with careful consideration."

Lu Mosheng's face was pressed tightly to the ground. "Your humble servant serves you with all his heart and strength, never having slacked."

"Then tell me, why was I just angry?" Lord Ying tapped Lu Mosheng's head with his paw.

Lu Mosheng pondered for a long time, then shook his head. "Your humble servant is dull-witted and could not guess."

"Stupid donkey!" Lord Ying slapped Lu Mosheng, leaving a bloody mark on his left cheek. "You can't guess anything, yet you claim not to be slacking?"

Those standing in the hall dared not voice their anger. Lord Ying's demeanor was far removed from that of a true marquis.

Lu Mosheng bowed his head. "Your humble servant has done his utmost for you, but due to his meager aptitude, he truly cannot fathom your thoughts."

"If you can't fathom anything, what use are you?" Lord Ying slapped Lu Mosheng on his right cheek, leaving both of his cheeks bruised and swollen.

A white horse nearby secretly chuckled. This donkey was indeed foolish; he had only achieved his current position by the master's side purely through seniority and good fortune.

This white horse was Bai Chenliang, an old acquaintance of the Luo family.

The leopard approached Bai Chenliang and asked, "Guess why I'm angry?"

Bai Chenliang said, "Just now, you employed Boundless City's eyes but failed to locate the criminals. This proves that Boundless City is not loyal enough to you, and any disloyal servants should be eliminated."

Lu Mosheng said blankly, "Boundless City cannot be destroyed; it is our future foundation."

Bai Chenliang shook his head. "A foundation isn't about size, but stability. If Boundless City consistently harbors outsiders, it cannot serve as your foundation. A Boundless City whose heart favors outsiders, no matter how prosperous, is merely a liability. This city should not remain, and if its inhabitants are misguided, they should not be spared either."

Lord Ying burst into laughter. "With such insight, my efforts in cultivating you were not in vain!"

Bai Chenliang bowed his head. "You flatter me, my lord."

As he spoke, Bai Chenliang glanced at Lu Mosheng, mentally echoing his master's insult: "Stupid donkey."

Lord Ying suddenly raised a sharp claw and slapped Bai Chenliang across the face. "You can guess everything? How could you be so capable?"

Bai Chenliang's face was covered in scratches, and Lord Ying also kicked him.

Lord Ying shouted to the assembled crowd, "Listen up, all of you! Criminals have entered Boundless City, and they must be apprehended today. To enjoy the lord's bounty and serve the lord's affairs – this is the duty of a subject, and your fundamental responsibility. Do you all understand?"

These words were difficult to grasp; he didn't specify who the criminals were or where they were, but no one dared to ask further, merely nodding in affirmation.

Lord Ying looked at Lu Mosheng. "I instructed you to send a self-sacrificing servant to catch the criminals. Did you do so?"

Lu Mosheng quickly nodded.

"How many did you send?"

"One."

Lord Ying again approached Lu Mosheng. "I told you to send a self-sacrificing servant to catch the criminals, and you sent only one? Are you being perfunctory, or are you mocking me?"

Lu Mosheng bowed his head. "I had that self-sacrificing servant take a second-grade weapon, which should be sufficient to accomplish the task."

Lu Mosheng had carefully considered this matter; he truly wasn't intentionally being perfunctory with Lord Ying.

Lord Ying had instructed him to send a self-sacrificing servant to kill the Luo sisters, yet publicly claimed the Luo sisters were his own flesh and blood. If this matter were to become public, Lu Mosheng would certainly be the one to take the fall.

Moreover, he had received intelligence that the Luo sisters were with Li Qi, who was a distinguished guest invited by Qiao Yi. Harming Li Qi would be tantamount to offending Qiao Yi, so it was crucial not to make a big fuss.

Furthermore, Lu Mosheng had handled the matter flawlessly: he sent the person, and the weapon was brought. The task had been carried out; its success or failure was a separate issue.

Lord Ying asked Lu Mosheng, "Are there any updates?"

"Not yet." Lu Mosheng shook his head slightly.

"Then send a few more," Lord Ying again tapped Lu Mosheng's head. "Matters concerning servants are minor. There's no need to be so fearful; sending a few more won't hurt!"

In addition to her main residence on Left Nine Street, Hu Chihong also owned an outer residence on Right Thirteen Street.

Luo Yanjun exclaimed in admiration, "Chihong, your outer residence is remarkably well-built. The pavilions and towers are harmoniously arranged, though the space is a bit small."

Hu Chihong quickly explained, "This is where I practice shapeshifting; it's not a grand estate. After shapeshifting, my body becomes smaller, so I don't require much space."

Luo Yanjun smiled. "I'm praising your house, not accusing you of overstepping your bounds. What are you afraid of?"

Hu Chihong's heart remained anxious. Although the Luo sisters had lost power, overstepping one's bounds was a serious crime in the Great Shang. This matter had to be explained clearly.

Shaojun's voice came from inside the room. "Seventh Brother, your shape isn't quite right. You don't look like a worm; you resemble a box."

Li Banfeng replied, "It is supposed to be a box."

This was quite a complex process, as Li Banfeng had to impersonate a wooden box.

This process required two steps: first, visual modification, which could be accomplished with a projector.

The second issue was olfactory modification, which was more complex. It required the Blood-Infused Pendulum to help Li Banfeng create some rouge, and it also needed Luo Shaojun's cooperation.

Li Banfeng couldn't possibly know what he looked like in Luo Shaojun's eyes, so he had to rely on her descriptions to adjust the rouge's ingredients.

After dozens of attempts, Luo Shaojun nodded and said, "This time it's right. It truly looks like a box, identical to the one he carried before."

Li Banfeng climbed onto the worm's back and instructed it to return and report.

This was a very risky move. The worm shouldn't have gone back to report in the first place, and it lacked the courage to do so on its own.

Li Banfeng fed the worm two cans of oil and gave it a can of alcohol. Whether it was the effect of the alcohol or the oil, the heavily injured worm gained courage and indeed carried Li Banfeng back to report.

The five Luo sisters all found this unsettling. Luo Lijun said, "He is a self-sacrificing servant, sent out to die. If you send him back now, it will surely arouse suspicion."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Not necessarily. We'll say he's afraid of death, doesn't want to die, and wants to go back and plead with his master."

Luo Lijun exclaimed, "What nonsense is this? The master is the servant's absolute authority. If a servant fears death, how could he possibly dare to tell his master?"

Li Banfeng chuckled. "Heaven isn't so small, nor is the master so great. All living beings are fundamentally the same; who is truly stronger than whom?"

Luo Lijun said, "Young Master Li, matters concerning servants are minor, but matters concerning nobles are major. You must think twice before acting!"

"'Matters concerning servants are minor, matters concerning nobles are major.'" Li Banfeng nodded slightly. "Then let's first reduce the major issues to minor ones, and then escalate the minor issues."

Luo Shaojun said, "Seventh Brother, I'll go with you!"

"All of you wait here for my news." Li Banfeng mounted the worm's back, took out his wine gourd, and gave the worm another sip of strong liquor. The worm then carried Li Banfeng all the way towards Right Six Street.

The Luo sisters wanted to follow, but Li Banfeng sent them back.

Li Banfeng lay prone on the worm's back, taking out a map to examine it.

Many dukes and ministers ennobled by the Luo family resided on both Left and Right Six Streets. The worm stopped at the entrance of a house, which belonged to Duke Lu Mosheng.

As the worm was about to enter, a flea hopped out from inside the house and shouted at it, "Xi, why are you back? What did the master tell you?"

Xi was the worm's name, a common name for servants.

This flea, a minor leader among servants, held a slightly higher status than other servants, barely qualifying as a commoner.

Xi's throat had been removed, leaving him unable to respond.

The flea knew Xi had become a self-sacrificing servant and was on an important mission. It dared not make a scene, pointing at Xi and ordering, "Get inside and talk!"

Xi followed the flea towards the courtyard. The flea turned and whipped the worm. "You dare to use the door? Crawl through the hole!"

There was a hole beside the main gate. The flea pulled a rope, opening the sluice gate over the hole, which was just wide enough for a servant to crawl through.

Xi was a servant, and this was the path servants were expected to take; he was accustomed to it.

But today, he suddenly didn't want to use it.

Xi crawled directly towards the main door.

The flea snatched up its whip and struck. "You don't want to live anymore?"

The question was absurd. Xi was already a self-sacrificing servant; he had long since given up on wanting to live!

Xi took a direct whip lash, pushed past the flea, and entered the front courtyard.

The flea got up and looked around, fearful that other servants might have witnessed the incident.

Within the manor, though the flea always remained among the servants, it believed its status was far superior to theirs.

Once, when the master gave him two mouthfuls of leftover oil, he even began to feel he had become half a scholar-official.

Given his current status, he absolutely could not be disrespected or pushed aside by a mere servant. This matter demanded severe punishment!

However, Xi's situation as a servant was somewhat unique.

His parents were dead, he wasn't married, and now he was a self-sacrificing servant who no longer wished to live. What more could possibly intimidate him?

Seeing Xi enter the mansion, the flea had no time for further thought. To repay its master's kindness, it had to stop this rogue servant at all costs!

The flea leaped and landed in front of Xi. "Stop right there! Take one more step inside, and I'll shatter you to pieces!"

Li Banfeng used 'Treading Ten Thousand Rivers' to crush the flea into pieces. His movements were so swift that no one nearby, not even Xi himself, saw Li Banfeng.

It didn't matter that he couldn't see; with the alcohol's strong effect, Xi proceeded directly into the main courtyard.

A Pekingese dog entered the courtyard. This individual held true status; he was the manor's chief steward, and typically, ordinary servants would never even see him.

The steward, well-traveled and experienced, shouted at the servant, "If you have something to say, come with me to the side courtyard. Don't cause a ruckus here!"

If he had actually gone to the side courtyard, Xi would have been subdued by the guards, then beaten until he had only one breath left. His body would be pierced with iron rings and chains, and he would be locked in the dungeon, awaiting his master's command to torture him to death—or perhaps he might not even receive that command before succumbing to the torment.

In the past, even if he knew this outcome, Xi would have followed the steward, because in his eyes, the steward's command was the master's command, and the master's command could not be defied.

But now, Xi hesitated.

Should he follow the steward? Did he still need to fear the steward? Did he still need to fear the master?

The alcohol surged through him, and Xi realized that he was a man who no longer cared for his life.

The steward didn't know the servant's name, so he adopted a paternal tone and lectured, "Child, we cannot keep making mistakes. Without our master, we are nothing. If we fail to properly carry out the master's instructions, we have no right to live in this world. And now, to cause trouble at the master's home again, even if we are shattered to pieces and vanish into dust, can we truly cleanse ourselves of this sin?"

Li Banfeng kicked, breaking one of the Pekingese dog's legs.

The Pekingese dog wailed, "You beast, you're rebelling—"

Before he finished speaking, Li Banfeng broke another of his legs.

"You deserve to die—"

The steward suffered another broken arm and dared not speak further.

Inside the manor, a group of grasshoppers surrounded them, holding iron hooks and ropes, intending to capture the servant.

This group of grasshoppers were the manor's guards. The iron hooks they wielded were considered third-grade weapons in the Great Shang Dynasty.

Third-grade weapons were not ordinary objects. When thrown, the iron hooks could find people, embed themselves in flesh, and thread ropes through the flesh. They were certainly more than enough to capture a few servants, but capturing Li Banfeng with them would be significantly more challenging.

One grasshopper leaped, flinging an iron hook towards the worm's head.

The iron hook suddenly veered in mid-air and snagged the steward's arm.

The steward had only one good arm remaining. The iron hook pierced his skin and hooked into it, pulling a segment of rope into his flesh.

This was genuinely painful. The steward had hooked many servants before, but being hooked himself was a first, and the piercing pain was unbearable. He was in such agony that he could barely make a sound.

The grasshopper quickly tried to remove the hook from the steward, while the other guards continued to surround the worm. Another hook went astray and snagged the steward's cheek.

Before the hook on his face could be removed, another one snagged his stomach.

The grasshopper that was attempting to rescue him was hooked in the back and also fell to the ground.

The steward cried out, "Are you all trying to rebel?"

The guards froze.

They didn't understand why their hooks kept going astray with every throw, and why they all seemed to hit the steward.

One guard whispered, "I think I saw the box on his back move."

"Could it be the weapon on his back?"

Many people knew that Xi had become a self-sacrificing servant, and many also knew that Xi carried a powerful weapon.

However, what the powerful weapon truly was, even the chief steward didn't know.

As everyone murmured, Xi, carrying Li Banfeng on his back, walked towards the back courtyard.

The guards asked the steward, "Should we still pursue him inside?"

"Pursue him!" The steward couldn't move, but he was still worried about the master's family members.

The guards asked again, "If we go in, should we still fight?"

"Fight what? If you injure the young masters and madams, can you bear the responsibility for that?" The steward tried to get up but remained unable to.

The guards were at a loss. "If we can't fight, what's the point of chasing him inside?"

"First, contain him, then call the master back!"

At the Marquis's Manor, in Clarity Hall, Lu Mosheng and Bai Chenliang were still awaiting news of the Luo sisters when a scholar-official entered to deliver a message to Lu Mosheng. "My lord, something has happened at home."

Lord Ying, possessing keen hearing, walked closer and asked, "What happened?"

The scholar-official dared not conceal the truth and replied, "Xi has returned and is causing a commotion at home."

Lu Mosheng paused. "Who is Xi?"

"He's the self-sacrificing servant you dispatched."

The gray donkey was dumbfounded with fright.

He wasn't afraid of the servant, but rather the second-grade weapon on the servant's person.

Lord Ying burst into laughter upon hearing this. "Look at the person you chose, look at your inability to manage people! You can't even control a mere servant. Old Donkey, I truly feel sorry for you."

The gray donkey's face was pale, and he remained silent.

Lord Ying waved his hand. "Go back and deal with the servant. Matters concerning servants are minor. People like you can't accomplish anything significant. I don't need so many dukes and ministers under me. I want to see which of you can actually get important tasks done!"

Lu Mosheng had his subordinates bring three second-grade weapons and returned to the manor.

He did not want to use these weapons in his own home, as even a slight misstep could cost his entire family their lives.

There were many ways to subdue a servant; if handled properly, a few words would be enough.

Lu Mosheng instructed his subordinates to wait in the front courtyard while he entered the back courtyard alone. There, he saw a group of lifeless guards on the ground and his terrified family members. Lu Mosheng then addressed Xi, the servant in the courtyard: "Do not forget who raised you, do not forget who provided you with food and clothing. If you repay kindness with enmity, you will surely meet a terrible end in this life and suffer ill retribution in the next!"

Li Banfeng slapped Lu Mosheng across the face. "Who are you talking to?"

Lu Mosheng looked Li Banfeng up and down and asked, "Who are you?"

Li Banfeng slapped Lu Mosheng again. "You don't even know who I am? And you're talking to me about this life and the next?"

Lu Mosheng felt a wave of dizziness. "This is my home—"

Li Banfeng slapped him again. "You dare to treat human lives so callously in your own home?"

Lu Mosheng looked at the corpses scattered across the ground, unsure how to respond.