Chapter 699: Years of Famine and Iron Bones

Yao Xin bought a house in Desolate Path Town and settled in for a while. Li Banfeng helped him acquire some furniture, and the two sat opposite each other, sharing a couple of drinks.

Despite his long slumber, Yao Xin's nature hadn't changed; he still loved to crack a few jokes. "Seventh Brother, did things work out with that Yu family girl? I'm thinking you two should be having a child soon."

"Elder Yao, Yu Nan and I are completely innocent. She has her own family business, and I have my own wife."

Yao Xin exclaimed in surprise, "You and Little Fatty got together?"

Li Banfeng waved his hands repeatedly. "You absolutely must not let your Marshal hear that."

Yao Xin chuckled, "You lucky dog, what a catch! Our Marshal was once the most beautiful woman in the world!"

Li Banfeng sighed, "Not only beautiful, but passionate too."

"No wonder you're so blessed!"

The two had a few more drinks. Li Banfeng asked, "Elder Yao, what brings you to Age-Worn Wilderness?"

Recalling this, Yao Xin seemed a bit disgruntled. "I'd only been awake for a few days, and I'd planned to recuperate in Medicine King Gully for a while. But then the Peddler came and insisted I go to Age-Worn Wilderness. I didn't want to come, but I truly owed the Peddler a favor. All this time, Old Xu has been looking after Medicine King Gully for me, all thanks to the Peddler's influence.

"So I thought I'd help the Peddler manage his stall for a couple of days. But then he told me to train the Age-Worn Iron Cavalry! The Age-Worn Iron Cavalry was originally trained by Huang Yuxian and Dragon Princess. How could I possibly train them just by saying so? I didn't want to agree, but the Peddler said he'd pay. At that point, I got annoyed. I said, 'This isn't about money!' That's the Peddler's flaw; all he ever talks about is money!"

Li Banfeng said, "Exactly! What kind of person is Elder Yao to care about a bit of money?"

Yao Xin sighed deeply. "That's what I thought too, but his offer was just too high. And I'm a straightforward person, so I just—"

Li Banfeng smiled, then looked somewhat worried. "Elder Yao, jokes aside, do you really not know how to train the Age-Worn Iron Cavalry?"

Yao Xin raised his wine bowl. "I genuinely don't understand the Age-Worn Iron Cavalry, but I know how to train elite cavalry. This group of riders in Desolate Path Town are useless; it'll take a lot of effort to get anything out of them."

Li Banfeng nodded. "If you need any help, just let me know."

"There actually is something I need your help with," Yao Xin said, waving his wine bowl, spilling alcohol throughout the room and creating a large mist. "During the second great war, I heard of Huang Yuxian's name. Even though I was far away in Medicine King Gully, I heard some rumors from old friends. This General Huang's fighting style was somewhat similar to our Marshal's, and she was also originally an actress. At the time, I found it strange. Did she and our Marshal have any connection?"

Li Banfeng asked, "What kind of connection are you referring to?"

Yao Xin poured Li Banfeng a drink. "To be more clear, are she and our Marshal the same person?"

Li Banfeng replied, "I asked, and she didn't say no."

"That makes things easy!" Yao Xin breathed a sigh of relief. "The bloodline here in Age-Worn Wilderness is special. If I use the wrong method, these soldiers simply won't be trainable."

Li Banfeng had never quite understood the concept of bloodlines. "What exactly is a bloodline? And why is the bloodline in Age-Worn Wilderness special?"

Elder Yao explained, "Because Age-Worn Wilderness is part of the 'latter third' of the land. You've been in Puro Province for so long, you should know what the 'Puro Threes' mean. In the 'first third' of the land, the geography is special: Devouring Ridge, Belt Gorge, Pillow City, White Falcon Commandery, Sleepless Town. I don't need to elaborate; you'd know if you've been there. In the 'latter third' of the land, the people are special: those from Iron Gate Fortress are honest, those from Kinless Village are indifferent, those from Ink Aroma Shop are overly sentimental, and those from Scoundrel Ridge..."

When it came to Scoundrel Ridge, Elder Yao seemed at a loss for words, so he directly spoke of Age-Worn Wilderness: "The people of Age-Worn Wilderness naturally possess the 'heart of a comrade.' We call such people 'Iron-Bone Men'."

Li Banfeng deduced, "Having 'heart' means they're brave on the battlefield and have backbone."

Elder Yao waved his hand. "It's more than that. The 'heart' of an Iron-Bone Man isn't a personality trait; it's a bloodline. They possess great abilities on the battlefield, even managing to subdue Old Train back then."

Li Banfeng was stunned. "How did they subdue him?"

Elder Yao explained seriously, "If a single Iron-Bone Man is a 'white lamb' (novice), then his combat strength is only that of a white lamb. But five Iron-Bone Men, even if they're all white lambs, might be more than five cultivators of the second tier can handle. Fifty Iron-Bone Men, even if still white lambs, might be more than fifty cultivators of the fifth tier can handle. And if you gather five hundred Iron-Bone Men, it's hard to say what they're capable of.

"Back then, I led five hundred Iron-Bone Men into battle. All five hundred were personally trained by our Marshal. In the first battle, we encountered Lu Qianjiao. I don't know if you know her, but she was close with the Peddler. She was an excellent fighter. Yuan Shoulu, who was my vanguard at the time, was completely overwhelmed by her!"

Tang Dao grunted, shaking several times at Li Banfeng's waist.

Elder Yao continued, "I went up with five hundred Iron-Bone Men, and in one clash, we scattered Lu Qianjiao's formation. She lost terribly in that battle, almost half her forces, and they were all her meticulously trained archers. It's said she was so furious she almost strangled the Peddler. In the second battle, we met Ai Yeqing. This kid was a good fighter, and his subordinates were too, but he wasn't good at leading troops. Like him, his men were all excellent individual fighters. After a while of fighting, they were scattered. Ai Qiandao was nearly hacked to death, his face scarred, almost losing his life. In the third battle, I encountered a ruthless opponent."

"What kind of ruthless opponent?" Li Banfeng listened intently. He was familiar with these people and hadn't realized such exciting events had happened in the past.

Elder Yao sighed. "Old Train sent out his beloved disciple, Che Wushang. Before the battle, this kid's reputation was so immense it truly intimidated me. I specifically prepared three sets of tactics for him, to prevent any unforeseen changes on the battlefield. Unexpectedly, as soon as the two armies engaged, Che Wushang fled. At the time, I didn't understand. I thought, 'Your infantry is running from my cavalry; isn't that just seeking death?' So I pursued him! But I miscalculated; I never thought I couldn't outrun him! Che Wushang was incredibly fast, and his subordinates were no slouches either; each one was faster than the last.

"I chased them all the way, and my warhorse was exhausted, but I still couldn't catch up. Later, our General Hong sent someone to deliver a message, telling me to stop the pursuit because Shan Chengjun and Lu Qianjiao were about to flank me. That scared me, so I quickly retreated. I was extremely careful, but I still fell into Shan Chengjun's ambush on the way. That old man was too formidable; in that battle against him, I lost over 30% of my Iron-Bone Men. It broke my heart. To this day, when I think of it, I still resent Che Wushang. That kid is thick-skinned and always goes to Medicine King Gully to pull carts. Every time I see him, I feel sick. How did he use that feigned defeat tactic so well? How did I fall for it!"

"Elder Yao, you might have misunderstood Brother Che. That might not have been a feigned defeat."

Li Banfeng's heart filled with longing. If he could raise tens of thousands of Iron-Bone Men in Puro Province, they might truly hold their own against Inner Province in a direct confrontation.

"Elder Yao, are Iron-Bone Men only found in Age-Worn Wilderness?"

Elder Yao shook his head. "Not at all. You can find Iron-Bone Men in other places too, but they're very rare. You might not even find one such bloodline in ten thousand people. But in Age-Worn Wilderness, they're easy to find; you can find one in a few dozen people."

"What are the characteristics of an Iron-Bone Man?"

Elder Yao took a sip of wine and thought for a long time. "I can't quite describe their characteristics, but I can recognize them. According to the Grandmaster, I myself possess this bloodline, so I can instinctively tell who is an Iron-Bone Man."

Li Banfeng quickly poured Elder Yao more wine. "Then you should hurry and find them! Gather a few thousand or ten thousand and train them into a large army."

Elder Yao waved his hands repeatedly. "Finding too many is useless. Iron-Bone Men are difficult to train. Didn't I just tell you? Their 'heart' is a bloodline, not a character trait. There are cowards among Iron-Bone Men. If five hundred Iron-Bone Men are all heroes, they can sweep the battlefield. But if even three or five cowards appear among them, they'll immediately collapse into disarray and be less effective than ordinary soldiers."

Li Banfeng was surprised. "Even just three to five cowards among five hundred is unacceptable?"

"No!" At this point, Elder Yao looked worried. "I've traveled around Age-Worn Wilderness and encountered many Iron-Bone Men, but eight out of ten are cowards. It will take considerable effort to train them into elite cavalry."

The region of Age-Worn Wilderness was simply too important. Li Banfeng made up his mind: if Elder Yao truly couldn't train the elite cavalry, Li Banfeng would bring his wife out to train the troops instead.

Speaking of important regions, it wasn't just Age-Worn Wilderness; Medicine King Gully was also crucial, and there was Bitter Mist Mountain as well.

"Elder Yao, now that you're in Age-Worn Wilderness, who's guarding Medicine King Gully? Is Elder Xu still there?"

"Old Xu had other matters and left. Qiao Wuzui is guarding it now."

Li Banfeng had heard the name Qiao Wuzui, but he didn't know much about the person.

"What kind of person is he?"

"I knew Qiao Wuzui when I was young. We were from the same sect, and our temperaments were very compatible, so we were good friends. However, our backgrounds were different. I came from the military, while he came from the jianghu (martial world). Later, during the war, he followed the Peddler, and I followed the Marshal. We each served our own masters, and our friendship naturally dissolved.

"Among the people around the Peddler, he's quite loyal. Also with him are the Smiling Ghost King Gui Jianchou, San Guo Yandai Yejianhuang, and Hundred Flowers Painter Mu Yuejuan—especially Mu Yuejuan. She greatly admired the Peddler, and in order to get him to look at her properly, she changed her personality a lot. Although these people also did things that wronged the Peddler, I believe that chapter can be closed in the future."

Li Banfeng was eager to know this past event. "What did they do to wrong the Peddler?"

Elder Yao sighed. "They teamed up with Shan Chengjun and Shu Wanjuan to destroy Fool's City."

Li Banfeng's brow twitched. This was a crucial matter. "Why did they destroy Fool's City?"

Elder Yao was silent for a long time, then shook his head slightly. "I can't explain this clearly. I don't know much about Fool's City. Not just me, but even our Marshal knew very little about it. There was a rumor back then that our Grandmaster had dealings with Fool's City, which was pure nonsense. But it was precisely this rumor that gave Shu Wanjuan and Shan Chengjun an excuse to rally a group of people and destroy Fool's City.

"At that time, the Peddler was busy dealing with Inner Province. When he received the news, he was so enraged he almost killed Shu Wanjuan and Shan Chengjun. Shu Wanjuan and Shan Chengjun fled with their people. The Saint took the opportunity to let the Inner Province people in. The Peddler went to reinforce Inner Province, entrusting his army to Old Train. Old Train was originally an excellent commander, but he suddenly went mad, and the war was fought terribly. Then Bitter Woman took over the army, and her methods were even more absurd. She turned the army into Bitter Greens Village; everyone, high and low, suffered with her. Who would still be willing to fight alongside her?

"This internal conflict of theirs was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our Marshal. We won battle after battle. Victory was almost within our grasp, but unexpectedly, the Peddler brought in Lu Qianjiao and the Heavenly Maiden. Lu Qianjiao's archers were powerful, but that was secondary. The Heavenly Maiden's tactics were different. She used some unknown method to gather these people again, even bringing back Shu Wanjuan and Shan Chengjun. From then on, the war became difficult. Coupled with the Saint's occasional schemes, the situation on the battlefield rapidly deteriorated. I've told you the rest of the story before, and I don't want to bring it up again."

Li Banfeng really wanted to know about the Heavenly Maiden.

Elder Yao recalled for a long time. "I don't know much about her either, but she's an old acquaintance of the Peddler. Nobody knows when they met or how close they were."

Li Banfeng was more interested in Fool's City, but his wife had never mentioned this part of the past, and the reason for Fool's City's destruction was different from what his wife had told him.

"Elder Yao, did your Marshal really have no dealings with Fool's City?"

Yao Xin drank a large bowl of wine and sighed. "Didn't I just say it was all nonsense? Our Marshal might have known the daughter of the Fool's City Lord, but what does that count for? Back then, our General Hong was invincible on the battlefield. Even though it was a war between two armies, the Peddler still gave her the silver dollar for the Travel Cultivator Chief. Could that be considered General Hong colluding with the enemy? As a result, some treacherous scoundrels actually used this to make a fuss, submitting memorials to the imperial court, claiming General Hong was indeed colluding with the enemy. Those bastards should all be killed! But then again, considering what General Hong did to the Marshal later, she was also a bastard!"

To be honest, it was hard for ordinary people to understand why the Peddler conferred a Chief title on Hong Ying during the war. But Elder Yao thought it was perfectly fine. "What's wrong with that? Many people in our army were conferred Chief titles by the Peddler. At the time, I was quite anxious, wondering when I'd get a Chief title myself. I'd brag about it for the rest of my life!"

Li Banfeng was still trying to understand the Peddler's intentions, but Elder Yao had long since understood. "War is war, and sects are sects. The Peddler always kept these two matters separate. After all, didn't the cultivation powders that got us cultivators started still come from the Peddler?"

Li Banfeng looked at Elder Yao, asking in surprise, "Your cultivation powders came from the Peddler too?"

Elder Yao nodded. "The Peddler had been selling cultivation powders for ages; the wars came much later. After the wars ended, many old brothers in the army also followed the Peddler."

As he spoke, Elder Yao grew somewhat tired. "There are some things I don't know much about. That scoundrel Pan Dehai knows more; you can go ask him. But I reckon that scoundrel wouldn't dare to speak. It wouldn't benefit him, and he'd be afraid of offending people by saying too much."

As he spoke, Elder Yao yawned, drank another cup of wine, and then lay down to sleep.

Li Banfeng left Desolate Path Town by carriage. At the city gate, Old Liu took out several banknotes and handed them to the old man in charge of the horses at the inn. The old man refused them. "Give me something proper, I don't need your pity!"

Old Liu retorted angrily, "You damn scoundrel! The inn's gone, your job's gone. What will you eat from now on?"

Li Banfeng said, "Don't worry. I gave the inn owner money so he can reopen his business. When the time comes, go find him for work, and tell him I sent you."

The old man didn't respond. He was grateful to Li Banfeng but couldn't bring himself to speak.

Old Liu was quite happy. As they walked, he asked Li Banfeng, "Who is that inn owner to you? Why did you give him money?"

Li Banfeng chuckled, "I took quite a few of his tables and chairs; I couldn't just take them for free."

"What's that stuff worth?"

Old Liu drove Li Banfeng all the way to the border of Age-Worn Wilderness. "Just wait around here. Tomorrow morning, someone will come to open the border. As long as you have a travel permit, you can pass through."

Li Banfeng found it bothersome. "Just take me directly to New Land. I'll leave from there."

"That would be a huge effort. So many people try to leave through New Land, and so many walk for years only to return. New Land here is too difficult to traverse; not only are there many monsters, but it's also easy to get lost. Listen to me, just wait here."

Old Liu drove off, and Li Banfeng returned to his portable dwelling for the night. He diligently studied the techniques of the Bridal Chamber, while also not forgetting to refine his other skills.

Even the Phonograph was pleased. "My dear husband, becoming a Chief certainly changes one's ambition."

Hong Ying retorted defiantly, "Seventh Brother, you should also practice Travel Cultivation properly. I have a silver dollar too. If you master it, I'll give you the Travel Cultivator Chief title."

Li Banfeng chuckled, "I'm always traveling around. Haven't I practiced Travel Cultivation enough?"

The Phonograph asked for details about the battle in Age-Worn Wilderness. Li Banfeng roughly recounted it, and also informed his wife about Elder Yao's condition.

His wife was first startled, then felt much more at ease hearing about Elder Yao's departure. "I believe Yao Xin has the ability to train the Age-Worn Iron Cavalry."

Hong Ying scoffed, "I have that ability too! If you don't believe me, let me try!"

The Phonograph reprimanded her, "You want to compete in everything. Just focus on recovering your physique properly, so you won't be useless when you go out."

Hong Ying bit back, "Who says I'm useless? I can still fight perfectly well if I go out now!"

Ninth Mistress discerned some deeper meaning. "General Zhao, it seems a war is brewing."

The Phonograph puffed out steam. "It's already begun. The Peddler has struggled to this point; this war will likely be more brutal than those of the past."

Li Banfeng asked a crucial question, "My dear wife, what is the Dragon Princess's background?"

The Phonograph chuckled. "Didn't I tell you that this humble servant's surname is also Dragon?"

"Dragon Princess is also you?" Li Banfeng was startled. "Why have two identities?"

"Yes, why indeed have two identities?" The Phonograph sighed. "This humble servant must have a reason. When I remember, I'll tell my husband slowly."

The next day, Li Banfeng waited by the border line, and at nine in the morning, people from the Border Defense Office arrived. Li Banfeng hadn't brought a travel permit; he simply showed his Dark Star Bureau credentials. The name "Li Qi" was naturally well-known, and the Deputy Border Defense Commissioner immediately granted passage, accompanying Li Banfeng all the way to the train station.

This place was called Iron Bowl Ridge. Li Banfeng remembered that there was a master food cultivator here named Lady Oblivion. Back then, Pan Dehai wanted Lady Oblivion to take Qin Xiaopang as a disciple, but Lady Oblivion refused, disliking Little Fatty's 'decay.' He'd have to meet this master another day, but for now, he had no time. Li Banfeng needed to return to Green Water City quickly; the matter of the New Land local deities hadn't been fully resolved.

Arriving in Green Water City by train, Li Banfeng first went to find Chu Er. For some matters, contacting the newspaper was useless. Having Chu Er contact Chu Shaoqiang could resolve problems faster.

"Seventh Brother, you got all the deeds?" Chu Er's eyes sparkled, fixed on Li Banfeng, unwilling to look away.

Li Banfeng nodded. "Tell them that the vendetta for the twelve local deities has also been avenged. The Peddler and I avenged it together. The culprits were Hair-Severing Whistle and Mountain-Splitting Wrist."

Chu Er thought carefully. "Hair-Severing Whistle... 'blow hair to sever hair'... seems like a big figure in blade cultivation."

Li Banfeng said, "This is the Blade Cultivation Patriarch. Your father should recognize him. Tell him to spread this news throughout New Land."

Chu Er nodded and quickly went to find her father.

Chu Shaoqiang would certainly spread the news, but his word alone would have very limited persuasive power. Li Banfeng found Rhyme Cultivator Gu Wuyan and explained the situation.

Gu Wuyan seemed disbelieving. "Seventh Master, I know both Hair-Severing Whistle and Mountain-Splitting Wrist. They already defected to Inner Province. How could they dare to come back and do such a thing?"

Li Banfeng said, "If they don't secure territory for the Saint, why would the Saint promote them?"

"But if they dared to come back, the Peddler would surely not spare them!"

"Indeed, he wouldn't!" Li Banfeng took out two human heads. "See for yourself now!"

Seeing the two heads, Gu Wuyan's mouth hung open for a long time. "This... this... they've already been killed?"

Li Banfeng's expression was serious, his tone firm. "The twelve local deities cannot have died in vain; this vengeance must be carried out!"

"Then, then, what about He Jiaqing and Bitter Woman?"

"They had their own difficulties; an explanation will naturally be provided later." Li Banfeng didn't elaborate on the matter. The Peddler had promised to spare He Jiaqing, so Li Banfeng couldn't let He Jiaqing take the blame again.

"Never mind them for now. The vendetta has been settled at last! I knew there was still justice in Puro Province." Gu Wuyan carefully examined the two heads. This was vengeance personally enacted by the Peddler and Seventh Master. Even if doubts lingered in his heart, he had to set them aside for now.

"It's not enough for just you to know. You need to sing this out, let all the surrounding areas know that the vengeance has been taken, and that the deeds for the territories have all been recovered!"

"Alright!" Gu Wuyan went back to get paper and a brush.

Li Banfeng didn't understand. "What are you getting those for?"

"I need to write lyrics," Gu Wuyan replied, meticulously writing down the entire event stroke by stroke.

Li Banfeng frowned. "That's not authentic. *Shulaibao* (rhymed storytelling) is always improvised and sung on the spot."

"No way!" Gu Wuyan shook his head. "How can such a big event be sung as *shulaibao*? This calls for *kuaibanshu* (clapper talk)! Oh, by the way, where are my clappers?"

Only then did Li Banfeng realize that *shulaibao* and *kuaibanshu* were two distinct art forms.

Returning to Carefree Harbor, Li Banfeng went to find Zhong Er. Zhong Er had come for treatment, but with the Peddler's current condition, it was uncertain when he would be able to attend to him. He had intended to chat with Zhong Er and ask him to wait patiently for a few days, but Li Banfeng found Zhong Er was not there. Upon asking, he learned that Zhong Er had gone with Lightbulb to find Big Face. Why go to him? Big Face didn't know medicine.

Li Banfeng went to Big Face's residence and found Zhong Er sitting in the courtyard with Lightbulb, sweat constantly dripping from his body.

"What are you doing?" Li Banfeng asked Zhong Er.

Zhong Er lowered his voice. "I've joined a new sect."

Did he want to cultivate another path?

Li Banfeng shook his head. "You're so injured; why join a new sect? Wouldn't it be better to just diligently study martial arts once you've recovered?"

Big Face walked out of the room. "Ask him if he's willing to study martial arts."

Li Banfeng looked at Big Face, then asked Zhong Er, "When you joined the Dark Star Bureau, didn't you choose to be a combatant?"

Zhong Er looked up, his gaze deep and serene. "As a man with aspirations and ideals, I actually really wanted to choose Joy Cultivation at the time, but the Dark Star Bureau didn't offer that profession, so I—"

"So you came here to join Joy Cultivation?"

Zhong Er shook his head. "No, I joined Oil Cultivation. My master said that by learning Oil Cultivation techniques, the path to Joy Cultivation will be twice as effective with half the effort."

Professor Balloon once said that people's personalities would change upon arriving in Puro Province, with most becoming more extreme. Was Zhong Er becoming extreme, or was this his true nature?

"If you joined Joy Cultivation, would you be fair to Candied Fruit?"

Zhong Er calmly replied, "I will make her happy. There are also devoted Joy Cultivators in this world."

Surprisingly, there actually were, and Qiu Zhiheng was an example. But now that he was dual-cultivating Martial and Oil Cultivation, Joy Cultivation had essentially bid farewell to Zhong Er. Moreover, Zhong Er joined Oil Cultivation when he was at the third tier of Martial Cultivation. Wasn't he afraid of a backlash by doing so?

Big Face was very confident and admired Zhong Er. "This disciple of mine has limitless potential."

Li Banfeng chuckled, "Brother, are you trying to poach my talent?"

Big Face shook his head. "How can it be called poaching if I'm simply finding him another path? This child is naturally straightforward and 'lacks oil' in the Five Elements, making him perfectly suited for my sect."

Li Banfeng sneered.

Big Face became serious. "You don't believe me? Ming Hui, take a couple of steps and show him."

Zhong Er stood up and walked step by step towards Li Banfeng. Although he didn't walk fast, he wasn't hindered!

Li Banfeng was stunned for a long time. Big Face laughed, "Convinced now?"

"Convinced!" Li Banfeng nodded. "Brother, can you tell me the secret behind this?"

"No, I can't!" Big Face dramatically waved his hand. "This is a secret of my sect. You're not one of us; why should I tell you?"

Li Banfeng lowered his voice. "I ran into the Peddler these past two days and learned quite a few secrets. Would you like to hear them?"

Big Face scoffed. "What secrets are there that I don't already know? I don't want to hear them!"

"Alright then, Zhong Er, cultivate well. I'll be going now."

As Li Banfeng walked towards the door, Big Face chased after him. "How about we trade secrets?"