Chapter 671: Who Exactly Is It?

Li Banfeng held a handkerchief and called out, "Jiang Ling'er."

Inside the Jadeite Pavilion, a woman answered.

Who answered?

Li Banfeng stood up and searched around.

The glove trembled, spitting out a long sword. "Master, this place is quite eerie. Take this. The Tang Blade isn't good enough after three strikes. Use this for self-defense."

Li Banfeng took the long sword. The weapon wasn't large but had a considerable weight. Li Banfeng swung it twice and asked, "I don't know how to use a sword. How do I use this thing?"

This stumped the glove; it didn't know how to use Inner State weapons either.

Li Banfeng carried the long sword and went to the second floor. Seeing no one, he activated his Golden Autumn Eyes, scanned the room, and saw a woman on the bed.

The woman, dressed in a cerulean gauze robe, silently watched Li Banfeng.

"Are you Jiang Ling'er?"

The woman countered, "Which one do you mean?"

Li Banfeng replied, "I mean you."

The woman asked again, "Which one exactly?"

Her voice was very soft. Li Banfeng had to use his Insightful Spiritual Hearing to barely make out what she was saying.

The light was dim. Li Banfeng moved closer, but before he could clearly see the woman's face, she vanished in an instant.

Li Banfeng maximized his Golden Autumn Eyes, searched up and down, but couldn't find the woman.

Was this a vengeful spirit?

Even a vengeful spirit that had cultivated to the level of a Malevolent Fiend couldn't escape the Golden Autumn Eyes.

Li Banfeng was a Cloud-Tier 3 traveler-cultivator and home-cultivator, with incredibly quick reactions and speed. For this woman to vanish before him, what level of cultivation did she possess?

He couldn't stay in the Jadeite Pavilion anymore. Li Banfeng had planned to find the five Luo family sisters to ask for more information, but before he could even leave the backyard, his eyes wouldn't stay open.

He was truly, fatally tired.

Just then, Shaojun walked over. Li Banfeng said, "Please arrange a place for me to sleep for a while."

Luo Shaojun quickly led Li Banfeng to her former boudoir, sent Bao Yingjun's concubine out, and settled Li Banfeng to sleep.

"Shaojun, I have something to ask you, that Jadeite Pavilion—" Halfway through his sentence, Li Banfeng fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes again, Shaojun was still sitting by the bed.

"Seventh Brother, things in the city are mostly settled. Seventy percent of the high officials are willing to follow our Luo family. The remaining thirty percent were ambiguous, so Sister told them to go home for now and arranged people around their residences to monitor them."

Luo Lijun had managed Boundless City for many years, so Li Banfeng didn't need to worry about affairs within the city.

What concerned Li Banfeng now were matters outside the city: "Is Boundless City heading towards Zhaoge now?"

Luo Shaojun nodded, "It's been moving smoothly all the way towards Zhaoge."

Li Banfeng said, "It's best if it continues to go smoothly. Bao Yingjun attacked us immediately upon meeting, which likely relates to the Saint. The Saint will probably make a move against us again."

Luo Shaojun nodded repeatedly. "Seventh Brother is right. I asked several high officials, and Bao Yingjun has been saying 'Enjoying the lord's pay, serving the lord's affairs' every day recently. It's probably the Saint who made him a lord!

"I've already told Sister about it. She said she's increased precautions and arranged for us sisters to take turns on duty at the Clear Hall so we can react immediately if anything happens.

"Sister just went to Left Fifth Street, where several of Bao Yingjun's old subordinates live. Reportedly, they've gathered many people and are preparing to cause trouble. We don't know what quality weapons they have, so we'll probably have to fight them."

Li Banfeng unfolded the map of Boundless City drawn by Hu Chihong. "Where is Left Fifth Street?"

Luo Shaojun shook her head. "Seventh Brother, you don't need to worry about this. Sister will definitely handle it well. Just rest assured."

As soon as rest was mentioned, Li Banfeng felt his eyelids heavy again. Two hours seemed insufficient for sleep.

That's not right. When did he become so sleepy?

Staring at the map for a while longer, Li Banfeng said, "The shape of Boundless City does look a bit special."

Luo Shaojun chuckled, "Seventh Brother, do you think Boundless City looks like a worm?"

Li Banfeng nodded.

"Seventh Brother guessed correctly! Would you like to see the Eyes of Boundless City? There are inner and outer eyes, both visible from the Clear Hall."

Li Banfeng had been to the Clear Hall before and hadn't seen anything. "Are there techniques involved here?"

"Yes, you need to use certain techniques, but they're not the Daoist techniques of Proul State, nor are they our Great Shang's Bloodline techniques. In Proul State, this kind of technique should be called Boundless Technique. If you want to learn, Seventh Brother, I can teach you."

Li Banfeng nodded, "I'd really like to learn."

"Seventh Brother, come downstairs with me!"

"Okay, downstairs—"

Li Banfeng took a step on the stairs and froze for a long time.

"Where is this place?"

Luo Shaojun said, "It's the Jadeite Pavilion."

"Wasn't I just sleeping in your room? How did I get back to the Jadeite Pavilion?" Li Banfeng asked, puzzled.

Luo Shaojun also found it strange. "I saw Seventh Brother asleep, so I went to help my sisters with their tasks. When I came back, Seventh Brother wasn't in my room anymore.

"I searched the backyard for a long time before finding Seventh Brother here. I thought Seventh Brother didn't want to sleep in my room, or perhaps he found Bao Yingjun's concubine's room unclean."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I think your room is good. This Jadeite Pavilion is the unclean one. From now on, I'll sleep in your room."

Luo Shaojun's face flushed as she said, "Then I'll listen to Seventh Brother—"

Before Luo Shaojun could finish, Li Banfeng grabbed her and hurried downstairs.

Downstairs, Li Banfeng was still pondering how he had arrived at the Jadeite Pavilion.

He certainly hadn't walked there himself; he must have been brought.

With his current cultivation, who could have brought him to this place while he was asleep?

Was it the woman from the pavilion?

How high was her cultivation?

Thinking of this, Li Banfeng felt waves of lingering fear.

"How long will it take us to reach Zhaoge?"

Luo Shaojun thought for a moment. "By my estimation, it's about a three-day journey. Let's go to the Clear Hall and take a look!"

In the murky seawater, visibility was no more than ten meters. Aside from falling debris, nothing could be seen.

This situation made it difficult to determine direction, but the blonde, blue-eyed Zuo Anna was confident. She told He Jiaqing that this was the path to Zhaoge.

He Jiaqing rubbed his forehead and took his hand off the rock wall.

Zuo Anna smiled, "Tired?"

He Jiaqing nodded, "There's nothing much to see outside, and it's very draining."

Zuo Anna shook her head. "You say there's nothing much to see now, but soon enough, you'll be looking outside again."

He Jiaqing frowned, "Why do you say that?"

Zuo Anna chuckled, "Because you don't trust me. I've met many, many people, but never one as suspicious as you."

He Jiaqing thought of someone. "Including your brother?"

"You mean Critick?" Zuo Anna thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Critick isn't that suspicious. He's very sincere with most people and things.

"And to be precise, he's not my brother. We merely formed a partnership at the time, a mutually beneficial cooperation."

Zuo Anna led He Jiaqing out of the cave and onto the main street.

The main street was deserted, not a soul in sight.

Not only the main street, but from Left First to Left Eighth Street, and Right First to Right Eighth Street, as far as the eye could see, there was no one.

He Jiaqing said, "Actually, this town is a worm, isn't it?"

Zuo Anna asked with a hint of admiration, "How did you figure that out?"

"The main street is wide and expansive because we're walking through the worm's central axis. What you call Left First to Left Eighth Street are actually extensions of the worm's body into its eight left legs. Am I wrong?"

Zuo Anna nodded. "In the Great Shang Empire, these types of creatures have another name; they are called 'Servants'."

He Jiaqing said, "I've been to the Great Shang Kingdom and also to Zhaoge. I've seen Servants, but I've never seen a Servant this enormous.

"I've also never seen a sea this vast. In my impression, Zhaoge is a huge city, but definitely not a worm-like structure like this."

Zuo Anna entered a teahouse, drew some water from a pressure well, poured it into a teapot, and placed it on the tea stove.

Soon, the water boiled. Zuo Anna skillfully brewed a pot of tea and poured a cup for He Jiaqing. "Would you like to know where the well water here comes from?"

He Jiaqing held the teacup and nodded slightly.

"Drink the tea, and I'll tell you afterwards." Zuo Anna poured a cup for herself but didn't drink it, continuously staring at He Jiaqing.

He Jiaqing picked up the teacup and then set it down. "It seems I won't get an answer to this today."

Zuo Anna picked up her teacup and drank it in one gulp. "You won't get an answer because you're too suspicious. The tea isn't poisoned, but you won't trust me."

He Jiaqing raised an eyebrow. "Why should I trust you?"

Zuo Anna also raised her eyebrows. "If you don't trust me, why do you seek answers from me? Don't you think you're a very contradictory person?"

He Jiaqing sighed deeply. "You're like your brother; you have a peculiar stubbornness when you do things."

Zuo Anna shook her head. "This isn't stubbornness; it's respect for fairness. If you don't trust me, you have no right to demand my trust. Don't expect to gain benefits from me if you're unwilling to pay the price."

"Do you only see benefits?" He Jiaqing offered Anna a cigarette. "There's one thing I've never understood: what benefit did you gain from having Critick cure my father?"

Zuo Anna took the cigarette and smiled. "You want an answer for free again. First, tell me what price you can pay?"

He Jiaqing took out a blank sheet of paper. "I need to retrieve some contracts from Zhaoge. I've already compiled a list, and you can add one or two names to it."

Zuo Anna picked up a pen and asked, "Could you be more direct? One or two?"

He Jiaqing said, "Different numbers have different prices. If you want to add one person, first tell me why you saved my father. Don't say it was just for money; with your methods, there are far too many ways for you to earn it."

Zuo Anna held the pen, looked at the blank paper, and compared prices. After repeated comparisons, she decided the deal was worthwhile.

"Saving your father at the time was partly at Xiao Zhenggong's request and partly to infiltrate the Great Shang Empire."

"Who did you intend to use to infiltrate the Great Shang Empire?" He Jiaqing asked, surprised. "It couldn't be my father, could it?"

Zuo Anna nodded. "It was He Haiqin. We hoped to establish a good relationship with him through Critick, and then leverage his identity as a ninth-tier food cultivator to gradually infiltrate the Great Shang Empire.

"But we failed. Although Critick saved He Haiqin, he couldn't establish any friendship with him. He Haiqin's prejudice against foreigners exceeded our expectations."

He Jiaqing said, "This I don't understand. Why would you want to infiltrate the Great Shang Empire through my father? Even if he cultivates to the tenth tier, he would only be a Servant in Great Shang. Is it not absurd to infiltrate an empire through a Servant? As far as I know, you have connections with many high-ranking individuals in Great Shang."

Zuo Anna said, "We chose He Haiqin because he could access another type of people: the Proul State residents living in Great Shang. These individuals have impressive combat power and outstanding abilities; some can even contend with peddlers. Your grandfather, He Caiyuan, was one of them."

He Jiaqing waved his hands repeatedly. "Don't overestimate my grandfather; he doesn't have the ability to contend with peddlers."

"I wasn't talking about your grandfather specifically, but rather the 'dependents' within their group.

"To some extent, this group compensates for the Great Shang Empire's weakness in individual combat power. This poses a huge threat to Proul State, Earth, and even our own planet.

"If He Haiqin could successfully enter the Great Shang Empire, He Caiyuan would certainly look after him. He would quickly gain a high status within this special group, and by leveraging his status, we might be able to change the group's stance."

He Jiaqing chuckled, "I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. My father's stance has always been very firm: 'Learn both arts and martial skills, and sell your wares to the emperor's family.' That has been his lifelong belief."

Zuo Anna nodded. "That's true. He Haiqin's actions were indeed disappointing. At the time, we had another candidate.

"Unfortunately, you ruined things."

"Another candidate," He Jiaqing pondered for a moment. "You mean Lu Dongliang, don't you?"

Zuo Anna looked at He Jiaqing. "That's a different question. If you want to ask it, you'll have to pay another price."

He Jiaqing disagreed. "Madam, I gave you a contract for a local deity. You should know the value of that contract. A single answer to a question isn't enough compensation for it."

Zuo Anna shook her head and smiled. "Where is the contract?"

"I haven't obtained it yet."

"Then for some questions, it's best you wait until you've obtained the contract before asking."

He Jiaqing looked at the blank paper. "Write down the name of the contract's owner. I'll do my best to help you retrieve the contract you want."

Zuo Anna wrote down three characters: Rong Sijiao.

"A local deity who calls himself the God of Prosperity and Decay," He Jiaqing was surprised. "I know Rong Sijiao, but he disappeared some time ago. Yet the title 'God of Prosperity and Decay' remains. Could he have been kept by Critick?"

Zuo Anna reminded He Jiaqing again, "If you want to ask me questions, you must pay the price."

He Jiaqing continued to ask, "As far as I know, Critick is different from you; he's not a member of the White Collection Alliance. What is your actual goal in helping him obtain the contract?"

Zuo Anna grew a little impatient. "I told you, we have a cooperative relationship with him. You've asked so many questions, yet why are you so inattentive when I give answers?"

"Your cooperation is primarily profit-driven. Critick hasn't brought any substantial benefits to the White Collection Alliance; at least, I haven't seen him accomplish anything for you.

"On the contrary, you've continuously sought benefits for Critick. In the matter of my father, Critick didn't help you achieve your goals.

"Instead, you helped Critick find Xiao Zhenggong, this financier.

"Such an operation is difficult for me to understand. This can only mean one thing: you have an unusual relationship with him. You said you're not his sister. Are you his lover, or are you just deluding yourself into thinking you are?"

Zuo Anna smiled. "You're good at provoking people, but that's not the best way to get answers. Stop being so clever. Instead of trying so hard to pry information from me, consider what price you can offer. Once you get the contract, you'll receive more answers."

The tea on the table trembled slightly.

He Jiaqing said, "Sui'an Town stopped?"

Zuo Anna touched the rock wall, sensed for a long time, and nodded. "It did evade Boundless City, but the path ahead might be difficult."

"Why will it be difficult?"

Zuo Anna said, "Boundless City is also heading in the direction of Zhaoge. What's the reason for that?"

He Jiaqing said, "So, we have to follow Boundless City all the way?"

Zuo Anna nodded. "We must follow it, but without letting Boundless City discover us. This journey will be extremely dangerous."

He Jiaqing sighed, "I'm genuinely curious why you take such immense risks, repeatedly ferrying people in and out of the Great Shang Kingdom."

Zuo Anna chuckled, "You have too many questions. It's not too late to ask me again once you've prepared the compensation."

"Which one do you mean?"

A woman's voice sounded in Li Banfeng's ear.

Li Banfeng wasn't fully awake; he barely opened his eyes a slit and saw the woman in the cerulean gauze robe standing by his bed, her long hair draped across his face.

"Which one exactly?" the woman asked again.

Li Banfeng's eyes widened, his fatigue vanishing instantly. He quickly dodged and got off the bed.

Turning back, he saw no blue-robed woman by the bed; there was nothing but the bed curtains.

Activating his Golden Autumn Eyes, Li Banfeng scanned the room. He was still on the second floor of the pavilion, and there was nothing unusual.

Wait a minute—

How was he in the pavilion again?

Li Banfeng couldn't understand why he was back at the Jadeite Pavilion!

In his shock, Shaojun pushed the door open and walked in. "Seventh Brother, how did you get back here?"

Li Banfeng turned his head and said, "Shaojun, go ask—"

"It's her!" A blue robe floated behind Luo Shaojun.

Luo Shaojun showed no reaction. Li Banfeng grabbed her in a hug, dodging the blue-robed figure.

The blue-robed woman missed, then turned and lunged at Shaojun again.

Li Banfeng barely dodged the blue-robed figure, held Shaojun, and tried to jump out the window, but suddenly felt a searing pain all over his body.

There was a barrier on the window. Li Banfeng used his Path-Breaking skill to forcibly break it open. Shaojun, huddled in Li Banfeng's arms, trembled uncontrollably.

He couldn't just leave directly. Luo Shaojun's conch shell was still by the door, and they couldn't be too far apart.

Li Banfeng rushed to the door, grabbed the conch shell, and was about to break through the wall when a strand of hair suddenly brushed against his cheek.

The blue-robed woman peered from behind Li Banfeng, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "It's her!"

Li Banfeng asked, "What is 'her'?"

The blue-robed woman's cheek pressed against Li Banfeng's face as she slowly said, "You said 'her'."

Li Banfeng retorted, "What if I say it's not?"