Chapter 695: 荒途

"If this matter could truly be pinned on Shan Chengjun, in the end, it would still benefit Qiao Yi." Li Banfeng imagined the outcome: if the blame were shifted to Shan Chengjun, the entire Prozhou would harbor immense hostility towards the Saint and the Demon Lord, which would still be advantageous for Qiao Yi.

Not-So-Big-Face nodded, "That's the brilliance of a silent loss. Qiao Yi won't lose out on this deal no matter what. The key is that we can't afford to lose either, so this matter absolutely must be pinned on Shan Chengjun."

Li Banfeng strongly agreed, but the crucial question was: what if Shan Chengjun refused to admit it?

After all, all current clues pointed to He Jiaqing and Granny Ku. Although Shan Chengjun, as the Ancestor of Martial Cultivators, served under the Saint, he still wielded considerable influence in Prozhou. Pinning the blame on him without any basis would not be an easy task.

Not-So-Big-Face was also troubled by this. "I used to have an old friend who was an expert at fabricating evidence; he could create both witness and physical evidence. I just don't know if he'd be willing to help.

I'll go ask this old friend if he has a solution. You, meanwhile, should leak some rumors in the newspaper, saying that Shan Chengjun came to Prozhou and committed evil deeds. Once the rumors are out, we can gradually solidify them and definitely pin this on that scoundrel."

Not-So-Big-Face's plan was thorough, but Li Banfeng was undecided about one thing: "Should we tell the Peddler about this?"

After a moment of hesitation, Not-So-Big-Face shook his head. "The Peddler isn't easy to find. Many wonder why he hasn't shown up now that I'm in trouble. But few realize the sheer number of issues the Peddler has to deal with.

Besides, telling him about this would make it harder to handle. No matter how bad Shan Chengjun is, he's still a former comrade. I'm afraid the Peddler wouldn't be able to frame him like this, so let's keep it from him for now."

With the matter settled, Not-So-Big-Face went to find his friend.

Could his friend's surname possibly be Sun?

Li Banfeng didn't rush to the newspaper office; instead, he returned to the Portable Residence.

Shan Chengjun had indeed come to Prozhou and had even fought with his wife. Some details still needed to be confirmed with her.

Once his wife provided the details and they publicized the event, Mr. Kong Fang and his subordinates from Snow Blossom Bay could serve as corroborating witnesses. By guiding these corroborating accounts in a different direction, there was hope of turning them into irrefutable evidence. The entire plan seemed foolproof.

However, Li Banfeng still felt some concern. He believed it would be best to discuss this matter with the Peddler.

The Gramophone pondered for a long time before saying to Li Banfeng, "My dear husband, this matter is difficult to decide, and your humble servant is also unsure. But your humble servant recalls an old story and wishes to tell it to you. I wonder if you would like to hear it."

Li Banfeng nodded. "Of course, I want to hear what my wife has to say."

"Then your humble servant will tell it. Please forgive my humble servant's garrulousness, my husband."

*Puff! Puff!*

Warm steam puffed from the gramophone's horn, and faintly, the sound of a huqin could be heard.

"Back when your humble servant used to perform in the garden, there was a girl with an exceptionally beautiful voice. It was clear she was divinely gifted.

She started performing at seven and continued until she was twelve, having already gained considerable fame. However, her glory was only on stage; off stage, before the troupe master, she was still a mere servant girl.

One day, while cleaning the troupe master's room, this girl accidentally ripped his favorite robe. She was terrified, genuinely fearing that the troupe master would beat her to death.

And this was no exaggeration; our troupe master had beaten many people to death, all of which I witnessed myself.

There was an older sister in the troupe who had a good figure but an ordinary voice. She was pretty but her stage appearance wasn't good, and she always got stage fright, keeping a wooden expression. The troupe master disliked her and often threatened to sell her to a brothel.

This was also no joke; many of our little sisters were indeed sold to brothels by him.

Fortunately, this older sister was skilled at needlework. She did a lot of mending and patching for the troupe, so the troupe master reluctantly kept her for odd jobs.

When the girl damaged the troupe master's robe, this older sister happened to see it and didn't spread the word.

She mended the troupe master's robe so skillfully that no trace of the damage was visible. The girl was immensely grateful, and from then on, they became friends.

The two sisters grew very close. They shared food and exchanged clothes.

One day, the troupe master took the girl to perform at a wealthy patron's residence. Upon their return,

The troupe master made new clothes for the girl and bought many delicious foods.

The girl quickly took the food and clothes to share with her older sister. But the sister sensed something was wrong and went to inquire. She later found out that the wealthy patron was fond of actresses and had taken many as concubines. However, none of these actresses remained in his household for more than a year after being married; they all disappeared.

Some said his main wife was too ruthless and had beaten these actresses to death. Others claimed the patron was utterly wicked and had special methods of tormenting women, causing the actresses he married to die from abuse.

Regardless of what was true or false, the girl didn't want to die. She didn't want to marry this patron; she wanted to live, and she wanted to find an opportunity to escape.

At the time, the girl wondered if she should tell her older sister. But after thinking about it privately, she worried if her sister knew, it might end up implicating her.

If she told her sister, wouldn't her sister also be in a difficult position?

And if her sister got scared and reported her to the troupe master, wouldn't the girl's life be over?

The more she thought, the more frightened she became. After much deliberation, she didn't tell her sister. One night, while going to the outhouse, the girl seized the opportunity to climb over the wall and flee.

She had no travel money or food. She rarely went out and barely knew her way around, so she was caught and brought back after two days.

Upon her return, she and her older sister were locked in the wood shed and brutally beaten. The girl didn't understand why her sister was also imprisoned.

Later, she learned that the troupe master believed the sisters were close, and since the girl had run away, her sister must have known something.

The girl begged the troupe master for mercy, saying her sister knew nothing and asking him to spare her.

However, that troupe master was a devil with no humanity. The more the girl pleaded, the angrier he became. He beat both the girl and her sister to death.

It was said that the older sister never blamed the girl before she died, but the girl truly regretted it. She felt she didn't have the face to meet that sister, even in the underworld.

Afterward, we thought, should the girl have discussed it with her sister before running away? If she truly trusted her sister, she shouldn't have feared she would spoil things.

If the two sisters had run away together, they could have looked out for each other on the road and perhaps truly escaped, my husband. What do you think?"

The record slowly rotated on the platter, playing "Joy of Meeting." His wife recounted the old tale,

and simultaneously hummed along with the huqin.

"The forest blossoms have faded from spring's red, too swiftly, alas, morning's cold rain, evening's wind, evening's wind.

Rouge tears, lingering in intoxication, when will they return? Life is filled with endless regrets, like water flowing eastward."

Hong Ying listened, shedding tears in the second room.

Ninth Lady, beside her, said, "You've killed countless people on the battlefield, yet you can still shed tears?"

Hong Ying clutched her chest. "Some things, I truly don't understand, but this tune pierces my heart." Ninth Lady sighed. "Yes, as a lady from a prominent family, there are certainly things you wouldn't understand."

"Actually, I do understand..." Hong Ying sobbed. "If only I could have said one more thing back then."

Ninth Lady sighed. "There's no such thing as regret medicine in this world. But where did this story come from? Is it about Zhao Xiaowan's past?

I've heard her life story, and this is quite different from what I know."

Hong Ying wiped her tears. "Xiaowan suddenly asked me her name that day, which I also found strange."

Ninth Lady fell into contemplation. "How much of what we know is actually fabrication?"

Li Banfeng stood up, embraced the gramophone, and gently asked, "My dear wife, is that troupe master still alive?"

The Gramophone chuckled. "He died long ago, flayed alive slice by slice. That troupe master was afraid of pain and begged for mercy incessantly on the day he died. The one who killed him was a merciless person; for every plea for mercy, he received an extra slice, totaling over three thousand slices."

"Good! My dear wife!" Li Banfeng held and kissed the gramophone for a long time. Leaving the Portable Residence and standing on the roof of Carefree Abode, Li Banfeng looked towards the clouds on the horizon.

This matter had to be told to the Peddler.

Locating the Peddler's cloud, Li Banfeng leaped and flew towards it.

Previously, his Cloud Gate technique had been activated unconsciously, leading to many misunderstandings with the Peddler, who thought Li Banfeng deliberately flew to his cloud to burn down his house.

This time, Li Banfeng consciously flew onto the cloud, carefully observing the scenery there.

This cloud was vast, much larger than Kong Fang's cloud. On it, there were not only flowers and plants but also stretches of forest.

In the center of the forest, Li Banfeng found a clearing, and in the middle of the clearing stood a three-story Western-style house.

The courtyard walls were white, and the house walls were also white. The Western-style house was beautifully built and impeccably tidy.

Only the ivy on the walls was a bit unsightly; it grew in patches, long in some places, short in others, clearly lacking proper care.

Li Banfeng entered the courtyard with his lighter, walked to the wall, and was about to set it ablaze when he hesitated, realizing a crucial question.

Why was he setting fire to it?

There seemed to be no clear reason; it just felt like a familiar routine after entering the gate.

Then, upon further thought, why did the ivy on the wall look like this?

"Did I really burn down the Peddler's house before?" Li Banfeng muttered to himself for a moment, deciding that doing so wasn't a good idea.

But if he didn't burn the house, how else could he find the Peddler?

He decided to go inside and check. Perhaps the Peddler was home, or maybe someone close to him was there and knew his whereabouts.

Putting away his lighter, Li Banfeng entered the Western-style house.

The first floor featured a spacious living room with a double-height ceiling. The floor and walls were crystal clear, reflecting silhouettes.

However, the furnishings were relatively simple. Apart from a circular sofa and a crystal chandelier, Li Banfeng saw no other prominent furniture.

This crystal chandelier was indeed massive, hanging from the second-floor ceiling. Standing slightly taller on the first floor, one could touch its pendants. Yet, Li Banfeng saw no candles on this lamp.

Since they were on a cloud, electricity and gas certainly couldn't reach here. Without candles, how could this lamp be lit?

A spiral staircase in the living room led to the second floor. Just as Li Banfeng was about to ascend, he suddenly felt a surge of danger.

He couldn't go upstairs; there might be traps.

At the end of the living room was a corridor. After entering it, Li Banfeng saw the kitchen, the dining room,

the study, and a tightly closed door.

Standing in the corridor, judging by the external layout, this room faced the sun and was quite large, likely the master bedroom.

Li Banfeng knocked twice on the door. There was no response. After waiting a moment outside the door, he heard a faint sound from within, like someone yawning.

Li Banfeng didn't rush in. He activated his "Seeking Fortune, Avoiding Misfortune" ability to its maximum, waiting for a response from within.

Beads of sweat trickled down. Li Banfeng didn't know who was inside. There was a definite danger, but he couldn't gauge its extent.

This situation was very rare. One moment, he was trembling all over as if with a fever, and the next, he felt no chill at all, and the person inside seemed to bear no ill will.

"Who is it?!" a woman's voice called from inside the room.

"Li Qi, looking for the Peddler," Li Banfeng announced his name.

"You're Li Qi! You damaged my house and stole my man!"

Li Banfeng was stunned. He widened his eyes and said, "I didn't steal your man!"

"What are you here for?"

Li Banfeng calmly replied, "I'm looking for your man."

It was just his luck; this question was so difficult to answer.

A wave of dread washed over Li Banfeng; he sensed danger.

The woman inside the room said, "Come in!"

Li Banfeng waited for a moment. After the chill dissipated, he pushed open the door and entered the room.

In stark contrast to the pure white style of the living room and corridor, the room was pitch black and shrouded in mist.

"Go further in!" the woman urged.

Li Banfeng didn't sense any danger, but this didn't mean it wasn't there. Perhaps the other party's level was too high, concealing their ill intent.

After a few steps forward, the room remained dark. Besides some mist, nothing else was visible.

However, these mists were peculiar; they drifted in a fixed direction, as if guiding Li Banfeng.

"Walk faster, what are you afraid of?"

Li Banfeng quickened his pace slightly. Ahead, he saw a faint light.

Walking towards the light, Li Banfeng saw a door. He heard the woman's voice again: "Come in quickly."

It seemed he hadn't been in the bedroom just now, but a corridor within the bedroom. This inner door should lead to the actual bedroom.

Li Banfeng pushed open the door. Ahead, there was still thick fog. After moving through the mist for a moment, Li Banfeng finally discerned the scene before him.

He saw bright lights and a gleaming marble floor.

He saw a beautiful woman waving at him.

He saw a middle-aged man quickly walking towards him.

"Director Li, you're back! The travel formalities for Zhong Er have been completed!"

Li Banfeng nodded, his face full of approval. "Done so quickly? Old Chen, your efficiency is quite good. Come to my office in a bit; I want to give you a beating."

"Director Li, you really joke around." Chen Changrui quickly found an excuse to leave, noticing Li Banfeng was in an extremely bad mood.

This was the elevator lobby of the Dark Star Bureau.

Li Banfeng returned to the stairwell, wandering for a long time but unable to find the exit he came from.

What kind of technique was this? One moment he was on the cloud, the next he was at the Dark Star Bureau. How could such a thing happen?

Li Banfeng returned to his office, chuckled, and muttered to himself, "This is the 'Connected Vast Chamber,' isn't it?"

He could now confirm two things. Firstly, the Peddler did indeed have a cloud in the sky, but he wasn't the only one living on it. At least one woman resided there, likely the Peddler's beloved.

Secondly, this beloved was a master of house cultivation. The house on the cloud was her residence, and the Dark Star Bureau's stairwell was also her residence. She could use the 'Connected Vast Chamber' technique to freely change the location of her dwelling.

The 'Connected Chamber' technique could actually be this powerful. It seemed this technique still needed significant refinement.

But now wasn't the time to ponder this. He needed to tell the Peddler about the matter quickly.

Leaving the Dark Star Bureau, Li Banfeng headed straight for Flower Lake Park, running all the way from Xindi back to Carefree Abode.

He ascended to the Peddler's cloud again. This time, he had to be extremely careful and couldn't easily be sent back to the Dark Star Bureau.

It wasn't good to visit someone empty-handed, so Li Banfeng had bought a bouquet of fresh flowers, a washbasin, and a feather duster as gifts beforehand.

Arriving below the Western-style house, Li Banfeng called up, "Sister-in-law, I'm back!"

The woman's voice came from inside the house, "What are you back for?"

"I'm back to find my Senior Brother, Sister-in-law!"

"Your Senior Brother isn't here. Come another day!"

"If Senior Brother doesn't come, I won't leave."

"You won't leave? What are you going to do?"

"I can burn your house down!" Li Banfeng put the feather duster aside, planted the flowers in the garden bed, and picked up the washbasin, ready to splash the grease from it onto the wall.

The woman furiously exclaimed, "Li Qi, how dare you! If you dare to light that fire, I'll kill you right now!"

Li Qi retorted angrily, "I'll just stand here. If you're so capable, come out and deal with me!"

"If you're brave enough, come in and face me!"

"I won't go in. What can you do to me?"

Li Banfeng kept his gaze fixed on the ground. As a house cultivator himself, he was well aware of their methods. If the other party were to deploy their boundary at this moment, Li Banfeng would be in trouble. If the boundary's range was wide enough, it could even force Li Banfeng off the cloud.

After a moment, to his surprise, the woman conceded, "Come inside to talk."

"I don't want to go in."

"If you don't come in, how can I take you to see the Peddler? Honestly, if I genuinely wanted to harm you,

shouldn't I have made my move the very first time you entered my house?"

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, deciding her words indeed held sincerity.

He pushed open the door and entered the living room. On the coffee table was a cup of hot tea, prepared at an unknown time.

Li Banfeng picked up the teacup, sat on the sofa, and looked around, but saw no sign of the hostess.

"Didn't you say you'd take me to see the Peddler?"

"I can take you to where he is, but whether he's willing to see you, that's not up to me."

Li Banfeng chuckled, "What you're saying... I've come all this way, how could he not be willing to see me?"

The woman also chuckled. "You simply can't fathom his temperament. Let alone you, even I can't see him if he doesn't want to be seen."

Li Banfeng sighed. "You certainly can't compare to me."

A wave of danger washed over Li Banfeng, making him shiver.

"I mean, our relationship is different." After saying this, Li Banfeng shivered again.

"I mean—"

"Stop talking!" the woman snapped. "Go upstairs, second room on the right. Hurry up!"

Li Banfeng went up the stairs, turned right, and reached the second room. Before the door, he first used his "Seeking Fortune, Avoiding Misfortune" ability to test for a moment.

There was danger, but it was within an acceptable range.

The woman sneered, "If you're scared, don't go. Journey Cultivators are all like this — either mad or cowardly, not a single one decent."

Li Banfeng didn't care for her taunts. However, she wasn't wrong: if he was scared, he didn't have to go. If he couldn't face risks within an acceptable range, then why waste time here?

He reached for the doorknob when he suddenly heard the woman call out, "Wait a moment!"

"What is it now?"

"Are you really going?"

"Why not?"

The woman said, "Don't open the door yet. Wait for my signal."

Wait for her signal?

Did he need to ask for permission for this?

Li Banfeng waited for a moment, then suddenly heard laughter: "Heheheh."

This laughter also came from a woman, but it sounded different from the previous one.

How many people lived in this house?

The woman's voice came through: "You can open the door now."

Li Banfeng once again used his "Seeking Fortune, Avoiding Misfortune" perception and suddenly felt the danger intensify slightly.

"Are you trying to harm me?"

The woman chuckled, "As I said before, if I wanted to harm you, I wouldn't need all this trouble. If you're afraid to go, then don't."

Li Banfeng pulled down his hat brim and opened the door.

The room was also pitch black and filled with mist. Li Banfeng thought he was back in the Dark Star Bureau's stairwell, but pushing open a second door and stepping out, a gust of wind dispersed the fog.

As the mist cleared, he looked around and saw an open field with green grass reaching his ankles.

The exit he had used to arrive was gone again, and Li Banfeng didn't know where he was.

There wasn't even anyone to ask for directions; where was he supposed to find the Peddler?

After wandering aimlessly on the wilderness for over half an hour, Li Banfeng saw several horses grazing and a four-wheeled carriage parked nearby.

Li Banfeng walked to the carriage, lifted the curtain, and saw that the carriage was quite large, with a sleeping berth and a stove inside.

An old man inside the carriage opened his eyes and asked, "What in the blazes?"

"Excuse me, could you tell me where this is?"

"What kind of question is that? If you don't even know where this is, how did you get here?"

Li Banfeng thought for a moment and said, "Didn't I just stumble in here?"

"Stumbling in, what nonsense is that?" The old man chuckled. "This is the Barren Plains of Sui. Most people can't get to this place, you know?"

The Barren Plains of Sui?

He seemed to have heard of this place. Li Banfeng recalled for a long time, then remembered Old Chen's words: "During the Second Prozhou War, Huang Yuxian commanded over thirty battles, large and small, with hardly any defeats.

Especially the Battle of the Barren Plains of Sui, where Huang Yuxian led the Cavalry and crushed the Inner Province army, helping Prozhou secure its victory."

Huang Yuxian was his wife; she must know the Barren Plains of Sui.

The old man asked, "Do you need the carriage?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Wait a moment. I'll need the carriage soon. Don't leave!"

"Where are you going? To pee?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Yes, just to pee. You wait for me here."

The old man snorted, "Just pee here. Why run so far? Who's looking anyway?"

Li Banfeng ran off to a distance and entered the Portable Residence. "My dear wife, I'm at the Barren Plains of Sui, looking for the Peddler. I still don't know where he is right now."

His wife was surprised. "My husband, why are you looking for the Peddler at the Barren Plains of Sui?"

"I asked his beloved."

His wife thought for a moment. "I'm familiar with the Barren Plains of Sui, but as for where the Peddler went, I truly can't say for sure... I think the most likely place he'd go is Wasteland Town."

Li Banfeng asked, "Where is Wasteland Town?"

The Gramophone chuckled. "Where did you pick up that accent? Ask a local; they'll all know. This place is very unique; it's extremely close to the Inner Province's entrance."

"There's an Inner Province entrance here too?"

The Gramophone puffed steam. "Yes, there's an entrance. During the wars, this was one of the fiercest battlegrounds. If the Peddler came to the Barren Plains of Sui for an urgent matter, he'd likely go to Wasteland Town. But if he came to sell goods, it's hard to say; he might just push his cart around.

It wouldn't hurt for my husband to check Wasteland Town, but if a battle breaks out, please stay far away. The Inner Province entrance at the Barren Plains of Sui has a very tightly sealed magical array that hasn't been opened in many years. If anyone dares to emerge from that entrance, they are absolutely no ordinary person, and my husband alone might not be able to handle them."

Li Banfeng left the Portable Residence and went to the old carriage driver. "Has the Peddler been around these days?" he asked.

"Yes, he has!"

"What was he here for?"

The old man said, "What else? He came to sell goods!"

"Do you know where he is?"

The old man shook his head. "You've come at a bad time. He left the day before yesterday."

Li Banfeng frowned. "He really left?"

The old man waved a hand. "Are you kidding? Why would I lie to you?"

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, then got into the carriage. "Take me to Wasteland Town."

"That far? You'll have to pay half the fare upfront then. I can't go for free."

"Here, I can give you the full amount. Just get me there."

The old man drove the carriage towards Wasteland Town. Every few *li*, the carriage behind him would tremble.

The closer they got to Wasteland Town, the more violently the carriage shook, startling the two horses pulling it, making them shiver as well.

"Oh, my! What's going on?!" The old man looked back, pulled open the curtain, and shouted, "What are you doing? Why are you shaking so much? You're scaring the horses!"

Li Banfeng said, his face pale, "It's nothing."

The old man got angry. "I'm telling you, don't mess around in my carriage! I still have business to do!"

Cold sweat dripped from his body, and Li Banfeng couldn't sit still. What exactly was happening at Wasteland Town for his "Seeking Fortune, Avoiding Misfortune" ability to be so intensely triggered?