Chapter 70: Rare Purple Elixir

Who exactly burned down the Geng family's pharmacy?

Yu Nan fell into deep thought, but the employees in the shop weren't thinking so deeply.

They were punching the air, roaring, and many had tears streaming down their faces.

Wang Xuejiao was the first to cry: "Eighth Brother, did you hear? The Geng family's pharmacy was burned down, and that bastard Geng Zhiwei was burned to death. Eighth Brother, I wasn't capable enough to avenge you, but Heaven has opened its eyes and sent gods down to avenge us!"

People around them shouted: "That scoundrel Geng Zhiwei committed so many evil deeds; Heaven surely claimed him!"

"He just laid a cruel hand on us, and immediately the Geng family's pharmacy caught fire. This is karma; this is retribution!"

The crowd grew increasingly agitated, but Yu Nan still couldn't find an answer.

The Geng family's pharmacy had been arrogant for years, indeed offending many people, and there were certainly many who wished to take revenge on Geng Zhiwei.

However, the River Rogue Gang backed the Geng family's pharmacy. How many people would truly dare to strike against them?

The Four Great Families?

Impossible. They wouldn't bother with a place like the Geng family's pharmacy.

The Three Major Gangs?

Also impossible. They usually wouldn't entangle themselves with the River Rogue Gang; it would be beneath them and offer no advantage.

Last night, Li Qi insisted on staying at the old residence, and now that the old residence is burned down, it's likely Li Qi had a confrontation with Geng Zhiwei.

Could it be that Li Qi single-handedly broke into the Geng family's pharmacy and set it ablaze?

Even more impossible. Song Baiming, the Geng family's chief bodyguard, was no pushover and commanded many elite fighters. Li Qi alone couldn't possibly be their match.

Or perhaps Li Qi had extensive connections, brought people, burned down the Geng family's pharmacy, and killed Geng Zhiwei?

If he had such capability, he wouldn't have let Qin Xiaopang suffer so much, nor would he have had to hide in the Yu family's old residence.

If this matter truly involved Li Qi, it would completely overturn Yu Nan's understanding of the entire martial arts world.

Old store manager Zhang Shiquan reminded Yu Nan: "Boss, we should leave quickly. Geng Zhiwei is dead, and the River Rogue Gang will surely take action. With such a huge commotion, they definitely won't let us off!"

The old store manager's reminder was correct; this was the urgent matter. Yu Nan quickly led his people to depart, aiming to reach the new territory before dark.

***

After showering and eating dinner, Li Banfeng slept in his portable dwelling. He simply couldn't get used to sleeping anywhere else.

When he woke up, the bronze lotus had bloomed, and four lotus seeds appeared inside.

The first three lotus seeds each burst open to reveal two red pills.

Li Banfeng originally had ten red pills, and now he had sixteen. With so many, Li Banfeng himself didn't value them much.

However, according to Yu Nan, these pills were called Profound Blazing Pills, each worth ten days of cultivation, or 150,000 per pill.

Sixteen pills could sell for 2.4 million yuan. Adding his previous savings, and deducting his expenses during this period, plus the money spent on treating Xiaopang and buying yellow paper, Li Banfeng's total assets amounted to 3,281,122.84 yuan.

This money was enough to buy a house in Yuezhou.

Of course, that's assuming he could return to Yuezhou.

Could this money buy him a travel permit?

Probably not a big problem, as long as he found the right channels.

Was this all of Li Banfeng's fortune?

Of course not!

When Geng Zhiwei and the two martial cultivators entered, they were carrying a box of silver dollars and four boxes of banknotes.

"You came, and you brought so many things..." Li Banfeng felt a little awkward.

He opened the boxes and meticulously counted their contents.

The box of silver dollars contained only 920 pieces, which wasn't too many.

But if calculated at an exchange rate of 500 yuan per piece, that amounted to 460,000 yuan.

How much money was in the four boxes of banknotes?

The first box had 860,000 yuan, the second 920,000 yuan, the third a bit less at 730,000 yuan, and the last box had 970,000 yuan.

The four boxes combined held 3.48 million yuan, and each individual box was worth more than the box of silver dollars.

Li Banfeng truly couldn't understand why Geng Zhiwei held onto the box of silver dollars but gave the four boxes of banknotes to his subordinates.

3.48 million plus 460,000 totaled 3.94 million yuan.

Adding his previous savings, excluding the odd cents, he now had a total of 7.22 million yuan.

This was no longer just a matter of a down payment.

Of course, this included 500,000 yuan for Old Mr. Yao, the Medicine King's money, which absolutely could not be owed.

"I'm not someone who places much importance on money," Li Banfeng sighed.

Hiss!

The phonograph hissed out a puff of steam.

"But I always feel that earning money in Pu'er Province is much easier than in Yuezhou," Li Banfeng sighed again.

This time, the phonograph didn't mock him.

The money was indeed earned quite easily.

After organizing his wealth, Li Banfeng gazed at the last lotus seed, feeling a bit uneasy.

This lotus seed still hadn't burst open.

Li Banfeng was a little worried that if it burst too violently or revealed something unusual, he might get injured.

He placed the lotus seed in the corner of the main room and hid behind the phonograph.

Click, click, click~

After waiting for nearly half an hour, the lotus seed finally cracked open.

It only cracked, it didn't explode.

Li Banfeng carefully approached, put on a pair of cotton gloves, and peeled off the lotus seed's outer shell, revealing the pill inside.

It was a single, deep purple pill.

The pill was translucent and slightly larger than a Profound Blazing Pill. From a distance, Li Banfeng could smell a delightful medicinal fragrance.

"What kind of pill is this?" Li Banfeng murmured to himself.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

"Oh, dear husband," the phonograph suddenly spoke, startling Li Banfeng.

"This pill is a rare treasure, husband. You must keep it safe."

"A rare treasure?" Li Banfeng looked at the phonograph, surprised that she recognized the pill.

This was good news. If his 'wife' recognized pills, why bother going to such lengths to find others to identify them?

"Wife, what is this pill for?"

"Oh, dear husband, this pill has great uses, but your humble servant's belly is empty, and I can't recall right now~"

Belly empty...

It wants food again.

You just consumed three fresh souls last night, and you're hungry again today?

"Wife, if you eat like this, your husband won't be able to afford you~~"

Hmph!

The phonograph snorted coldly, then started singing with accompanying drum and gong sounds: "Your humble servant follows her husband wholeheartedly, yet lacks even a proper bite to eat or drink. Your humble servant is sad, your humble servant's fate is bitter~"

"Wife, don't cry yet. Let's first talk about the pill's effects..."

Hmph!

The phonograph hummed again: "Your humble servant is hungry and can't remember. Husband, find someone knowledgeable and sell this pill."

Li Banfeng's eyes lit up: "How much money can it get?"

"Oh, dear husband, your humble servant is just hungry and simply can't remember~"

Li Banfeng's face turned green with anger: "All you know is eating, and you don't even gain any weight. You're cold all over and stiff. Where's the resemblance of a wife at all?"

Hmph!

Hmph!

Water droplets overflowed from the horn; the phonograph was crying.

"Husband mocks your humble servant~ hmph, husband is not kind to your humble servant~ hmph!" the phonograph sang, sobbing.

Li Banfeng sighed helplessly: "At least tell me what this pill is called. I'll exchange it for money, then I'll get you something delicious."

"Husband doesn't lack money at all, hmph~, husband just doesn't want to feed your humble servant, hmph~"

Li Banfeng couldn't stand the phonograph's incessant nagging anymore and decided to go out for a walk.

He picked up the handgun Geng Zhiwei had given him.

It wasn't a revolver. Li Banfeng had no knowledge of firearms and couldn't identify the model. He tried pulling the barrel for a long time but couldn't load a bullet or pull the trigger.

What was the point of carrying this thing?

Li Banfeng put the handgun aside and picked up the iron spike the martial cultivator had given him.

"This iron spike still feels better to use."

Li Banfeng swung the iron spike twice, and the phonograph couldn't bear to watch any longer.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

She was mocking Li Banfeng.

"Oh, dear master, where are you going with this weapon?"

"To buy groceries!" Li Banfeng casually brushed her off.

"Buy groceries? Really!" The phonograph became interested and stopped mocking Li Banfeng. "Master, the weapon in your hand isn't an iron spike; it's an iron ruler, a versatile weapon for both offense and defense."

A long spike with smaller, branching spikes on both sides – this weapon was called an iron ruler.

Li Banfeng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly remembered something. He seemed to have seen the name 'iron ruler' somewhere before.

On TV?

Even if he had seen it on TV, Li Banfeng couldn't recall its name.

In a novel?

Possibly, he might have seen it in some text...

Li Banfeng remembered. It wasn't a novel; it was a martial arts manual, the one he took from the old woman's eldest son's house.

Li Banfeng quickly jogged into the outer room.

Among the martial arts manuals collected by Decai, there was a manual that introduced peculiar weapons.

The manual cataloged various strange weapons, including a specific section on the iron ruler.

The iron ruler's attack methods were relatively simple, primarily focusing on thrusting, while the two branching spikes were mainly for defense.

Written descriptions were never very intuitive. Li Banfeng practiced a few moves and found the iron ruler not very easy to use, so he turned his gaze to the pair of forks, the ones formed by two crescent shapes intertwined.

"Wife, what are these called?"

The phonograph grew a little impatient: "Husband, you don't need to carry so many weapons. Hurry and go buy groceries."

"How can I buy groceries without a weapon?" Li Banfeng became annoyed and reprimanded the phonograph, "Is it easy for me out there, facing a hail of bullets and swords? You won't even teach me how to use a weapon? How am I supposed to find you food?"

Gurgle~

A puff of steam trembled out of the horn.

The phonograph felt a bit ashamed.

"Husband, don't be angry. Your humble servant knows her mistake. Those weapons are called Mandarin Duck Axes, and they cannot be learned overnight.

Husband, your humble servant will first teach you how to use this iron ruler.

Husband, stand firm, and thrust one ruler's length forward horizontally!

Husband, steady your hand a bit, go slower. Practicing martial arts requires perseverance and patience.

Your humble servant likes your bravery, your humble servant likes your perseverance, your humble servant likes your bearing."

Her operatic recitative, with the steam phonograph's unique vocalization, was filled with tenderness in every word and phrase.

Li Banfeng felt a warmth. An unprecedented trust and connection formed between him and the phonograph, and he continuously honed his martial arts according to her guidance.

The phonograph didn't perceive this connection; she continued to encourage Li Banfeng:

"Husband, you have great talent! Husband, you learn quickly! Your thrusts are precise and steady!

Husband, don't rush too much. Focus on the force.

Husband, that... don't exert so much force just yet, and don't point the iron ruler at your humble servant.

Husband, you... how did you get another ruler?

Husband, this... this ruler, don't point it at your humble servant either..."

P.S. Dear readers, let's practice martial arts with Salad!