Chapter 702: Capital

"You've recovered so quickly?" Li Banfeng looked at the peddler beside him in astonishment.

"More or less," the peddler replied. He wasn't pushing his cart, but his steps were brisk, indicating a significant recovery.

Li Banfeng turned to look at the raging fire on the land. "Did you see what happened just now?"

"I did," the peddler said with a hint of regret in his voice. "Old Xu really went all out, burning everything to ashes. Even though the manor and fields were fake, wouldn't it have been better to leave them as a cover?"

Li Banfeng stared at the peddler, puzzled. "I'm not talking about that. I mean, Zhang Wanlong cracked the Lock Cultivation powder. Aren't you worried about that?"

The peddler nodded. "I'm quite worried for him. He hasn't completely cracked it yet. Seventy percent of that place is locked, with thirty percent exposed. If Old Xu comes back, he'll definitely spot the flaw, and then Zhang Wanlong will be in big trouble."

Li Banfeng grew even more perplexed. "So, what are you going to do?"

The peddler replied, "I helped him lock down the remaining thirty percent so Old Xu won't notice it for now."

Li Banfeng knew the peddler was discussing crucial matters, but his way of explaining made it hard for Li Banfeng to understand.

The peddler gestured, and his cart appeared before them.

He took out two cushions, placing one on each side, and invited Li Banfeng to get on.

As they sat in the creaking cart, moving forward, Li Banfeng asked the peddler, "Someone is cracking the Daoist sect's introductory medicinal powder. Aren't you concerned?"

The peddler nodded. "I am concerned. It's hard to say what he'll use the powder for. If he creates a bunch of gambling cultivators, poison cultivators, illness cultivators, fire cultivators, or insect cultivators, things will get messy."

"Then why don't you stop him?"

The peddler handed Li Banfeng a bottle of soda. "Because we can't let fear prevent him from doing anything. Such extraordinary talents are rare."

He opened a bottle for himself, took a sip, and sighed in appreciation. "The soda from the Soda Kiln is truly delicious. The person who first researched this soda was a Culinary Cultivator. He didn't focus on ingredients; he specialized in essences. His master despised him at the time and forbade anyone from mentioning this apprentice.

Later, when the Soda Kiln's soda became incredibly popular, I bestowed upon his apprentice the title of Culinary Cultivation Grandmaster. From then on, his master began to hate me and wouldn't allow anyone to mention the peddler in his presence.

Old Xu has a similar flaw. He's also a genius; he created all the techniques, big and small, in the Metal Cultivation sect. However, when it comes to Agrarian Cultivation, he strictly adheres to his ancestral master's rules.

It's not that his ancestral master's methods were wrong, nor is it wrong for him to preserve these Daoist techniques. But Agrarian Cultivation hasn't changed much for years, which has led to the slow decline of this Daoist sect."

Li Banfeng took a sip of the soda, rubbing his nose. It was very fizzy and indeed delicious. "Are you hoping Zhang Wanlong will bring some changes to Agrarian Cultivation?"

The peddler nodded. "Those who want to bring change must be given a chance."

"But he's researching how to formulate medicinal powders. That's shaking the very foundation of Puluo Prefecture."

The peddler gulped down his soda, placing the empty bottle back in his cart. "It's not that my creations can't change. What I've made isn't necessarily always correct; even if it's right now, it might not be in the future.

I visited Zhang Wanlong's bamboo grove. Zhang Wanlong doesn't use ten-vein iron-reinforced bamboo; he uses eight, nine, and thirteen veins. The powders made this way are somewhat unorthodox, but it's precisely these unorthodox powders that can bring about change.

If the powders can't change, then the Daoist sects of Puluo Prefecture can't change. Both the Inner and Outer Prefectures are evolving. If Puluo Prefecture doesn't change, how will it survive? Isn't that the truth of it?"

Li Banfeng offered the peddler a cigarette. "What if he truly creates a powder with endless harmful effects? How would you handle that?"

"I'd certainly handle it myself. If I'm capable of doing something, I must also be capable of bearing the consequences. Is there any business that's all profit and no loss?" The peddler lit his cigarette and handed the match to Li Banfeng. "The Daolaogui could potentially cause infinite harm, but I still kept Cuitek. Isn't that the same principle?

Speaking of Daolaogui, you're also involved in this. I heard from Cuitek that the Daolaogui's current state is the result of your joint research."

Li Banfeng was furious. "He said that? That shameless foreign devil!"

The peddler gestured for Li Banfeng to calm down. "Since you've invested, you must be able to bear both profits and losses. There might be an unforeseen change with the Daolaogui. You must have already guessed why."

Indeed, Li Banfeng had guessed it. The cause was Zhang Wanlong.

Li Banfeng shook his head repeatedly. "That's Cuitek's business alone!"

"See, you're getting agitated again!" the peddler chuckled. "This venture isn't a loss, and this change is acceptable for now."

Li Banfeng said, "Can the changes in Lock Cultivation also be accepted? You mentioned at the Ruined Plain that one can only lock down an area after achieving mastery in Lock Cultivation.

If Zhang Wanlong truly cracked the Lock Cultivation powder, how could he have mastered it in such a short time?"

The peddler nodded repeatedly. "Brother, I've pondered this for a long time. I've come up with two possibilities. One is easier to understand: Zhang Wanlong's researched powder was impure, leading to an incorrect cultivation sequence, which allowed him to learn incomplete high-level techniques at a lower stage."

This was indeed easy to understand, but Zhang Wanlong's luck seemed too good. He messed up the powder and ended up learning advanced techniques? How could such a convenient thing happen?

"What about the other, harder-to-understand possibility?"

The peddler seemed unsure how to describe the situation. "Did you see Yao Xin at the Ruined Plain?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I did. That place was so crucial, I certainly had to wait for him to arrive before I could leave."

The peddler then asked, "Did Yao Xin tell you about the Iron-Boned Men?"

"He did. Five hundred Iron-Boned Men, invincible."

The peddler nodded. "One person resisting an army of thousands, or an army of thousands resisting one person – both are remarkable feats, don't you think?"

Li Banfeng thought for a long time. "What's so remarkable about an army of thousands resisting one person?"

Suddenly, the peddler looked up at the sky. "Something's happening at my home."

Li Banfeng also looked up. "What is it?"

The peddler lowered his head. "Brother, let's discuss something. In a moment, you'll get off the cart, go back to your own house, and come out again in ten minutes."

Li Banfeng was startled. "Why like this? What's going on?"

The peddler said in a mysterious tone, "Brother, I don't want you to know where my home is."

Li Banfeng exclaimed angrily, "Are you guarding against me like this? Isn't our bond of brotherhood sincere?"

The peddler waved his hand. "Our brotherhood is sincere, but this house of mine is made of wood. If it burns down, it might not be salvageable."

Li Banfeng looked up at the sky again. "Another wooden house? How many houses do you actually have?"

The peddler advised, "I do have quite a few houses, but they're not fireproof. Don't look up for now. Remember what I just told you: change is essential, but you must understand the direction of that change. Some costs might be too high to bear."

Li Banfeng got off the cart, returned to his portable dwelling, and waited ten minutes. When he came out again, the peddler was long gone.

Change was necessary, but the direction had to be clear.

Li Banfeng looked towards the direction of Scoundrel Ridge.

At Scoundrel Ridge, in Jingde Village, a black bear with missing eyeballs slowly emerged from a civilian house.

Pus oozed from its eye sockets, but this didn't mean it couldn't see; its visual perception was simply different.

It sensed something approaching but couldn't yet pinpoint its location.

The black bear stood on its hind legs, turning a half-circle on the spot. A Daolaogui suddenly leaped up and chopped off the bear's head.

The headless black bear grabbed the Daolaogui, tearing it in half with its two arms.

The two halves of the Daolaogui continued to struggle with the black bear, their short, thick arms embedding into the bear's flesh.

Li Banfeng watched from the side, astonished at the Daolaogui's incredible resilience.

The two sides continued to fight, and a swarm of Daolaogui emerged from the farmlands to join the battle.

They bit and tore at each other, sending severed limbs flying everywhere.

Li Banfeng didn't know what they were fighting for; it didn't seem to be for food, as flesh and blood lay scattered across the ground, yet not a single Daolaogui stopped to eat.

After more than an hour, the battle finally ended. A group of Daolaogui emerged victorious. They gathered some shattered remains from the ground and headed up the mountain.

Li Banfeng followed the trail of remains, encountering many Daolaogui and numerous battles along the way. Finally, in a mountain cave, he found Cuitek.

"My friend, I knew you would remember me, and I knew you would come to my aid!" Cuitek welcomed Li Banfeng warmly.

Li Banfeng asked Cuitek, "What's happening here?"

Cuitek explained, "As you know, I have two territories. One is Desong Cliff; although it's completely barren, it still needs to maintain a certain level of popularity.

Besides that, there's Prosperity-Decay Mountain, which is my most cherished land because it symbolizes our friendship.

My diligent efforts in cultivating that area led to some negligence in my management of Daogui Ridge, resulting in unexpected variables and, consequently, a certain degree of chaos."

Li Banfeng sat opposite Cuitek and said seriously, "When you use a complex way to explain a simple situation, it reveals a problem: what you just said isn't crucial."

Cuitek lowered his head. "I'm a foreigner; I'm not very familiar with your language."

"Then tell me something you are familiar with. Why are the Daolaogui fighting?"

Cuitek replied, "Because some of the Daolaogui followed my senior brother."

"Wan Jinxiang?" Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "I recall you telling me that Wan Jinxiang became a god, didn't he?"

Cuitek nodded. "It seems he gained new insights on his path to becoming a god, evolving new abilities!"

Li Banfeng stared at Cuitek.

Cuitek struggled to meet Li Banfeng's gaze directly.

"Old Cui, tell me the truth. Did Wan Jinxiang evolve on his own, or was there some other reason?"

Cuitek calmly replied, "I have never deceived you. My senior brother possesses strong divinity..."

"Goodbye," Li Banfeng said, getting up to leave.

Cuitek stepped forward and blocked him. "It's like this: I acquired some medicinal powders through a fortuitous channel, and I wanted to use them to enhance the Daolaogui's combat strength."

"From which Daoist sect?"

"Martial Cultivation."

Li Banfeng nodded. "Now that sounds more like the truth."

Cuitek pulled Li Banfeng back. "Our friendship has always been very pure. I wouldn't hide anything from you."

"Where did you get these powders from?"

Cuitek said, "I bought some stock from wealthy families and nobles—"

"Take care," Li Banfeng said, getting up to leave again.

Cuitek stopped Li Banfeng. "I bought them from Zhang Wanlong. He told me they were Martial Cultivation powders, and I didn't doubt him at all."

"How much did you buy?"

Cuitek thought for a moment. "Purely in terms of dosage, it could be understood as a super-large batch purchase. The specific unit should be measured in sacks."

Li Banfeng was stunned for a long time. "You bought medicinal powder by the sack? What did you pay with?"

Cuitek was silent for a long time. "With money."

"You continue to take care."

"Friend!" Cuitek gripped Li Banfeng tightly. "I truly cannot say more about this. I promised Zhang Wanlong I wouldn't reveal the details."

In truth, he didn't need to say anything more. Li Banfeng already knew the remaining details: Cuitek had exchanged plant viruses for the powders.

The critical question now was why Zhang Wanlong's powders had transformed Daogui Ridge in this way.

Cuitek made Li Banfeng a cup of tea. "Forgive me for only being able to offer such low-quality tea to you, but you've seen my current predicament.

To be honest, I'm very frustrated. I suspect Zhang Wanlong deceived me; what he gave me was not Martial Cultivation powder at all.

I applied these powders to the Daolaogui, and their combat effectiveness did increase to a certain extent.

However, I didn't anticipate that these powders wouldn't be fully absorbed. A portion of the Daolaogui collected the powders and, during their worship of the gods, applied them to Wan Jinxiang.

Their purpose in doing so is still beyond my comprehension. Perhaps they held too much respect for Wan Jinxiang and wished to offer him their most precious possession.

But the result was catastrophic. Wan Jinxiang mutated. I don't know how he broke through the lesions I inflicted upon him, but he can move and fight. He's leading a group of Daolaogui against me, and he's even gaining the upper hand to some extent."

Li Banfeng squinted at Cuitek. "You're not telling the whole truth, are you? With your current cultivation level, how could Wan Jinxiang possibly gain the upper hand against you?"

"I thought the same thing, but the reality is different. He is a true Daolaogui; his thought patterns are entirely consistent with theirs. Compared to me, an imitator, his advantage is far greater. This has resulted in more people following him than me.

This isn't just the current situation; it's a trend. More and more people will follow him, my friend. You should understand the concept of 'more and more'."

Li Banfeng realized the gravity of the situation.

Cuitek's use of Zhang Wanlong's unorthodox "Martial Cultivation" powders had led to Wan Jinxiang's unexpected mutation and the current chaos in Daogui Ridge.

But none of this was the crucial point. The most critical issue was that if Wan Jinxiang won this war, the Daolaogui would spiral out of control.

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "The best solution to this problem right now is to kill Wan Jinxiang."

Cuitek looked at Li Banfeng with an expectant face. "That's not my forte."

Li Banfeng looked back at Cuitek. "Why are you looking at me? Why should I help you do something like this?"

"This isn't just my problem; it's a predicament for the entire Puluo Prefecture. You know the consequences if the Daolaogui get out of control."

Li Banfeng smiled faintly. "Go tell that to the peddler."

Cuitek became anxious. "Do you really want the peddler to resolve this? Is that truly what you think? Do you want all our shared efforts and hard work to go to waste?"

Li Banfeng walked to the cave entrance, then turned back to Cuitek. "Rephrase that."

Cuitek said seriously, "Help me, and I will repay you."

This rephrasing somewhat satisfied Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng took out a contract. "I will handle Wan Jinxiang for you. In the future, you must do something for me. I will inform you of the specific task then, and you will have no right to refuse."

"That's preposterous," Cuitek shook his head. "If you genuinely want to complete a transaction, you must place basic limits on the terms. That's the least bit of sincerity!"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I have no sincerity. Do you accept such terms?"

"This is too much," Cuitek sighed. "I accept."

Li Banfeng took out the contract paper and wrote the agreement.

Cuitek drew a map and devised a strategy.

"Wan Jinxiang mostly resides in the temple on Sage Peak. Over three hundred Daolaogui are tasked with protecting him.

I can blend in with the Daolaogui and use lesions to incapacitate these three hundred guards, creating a one-hit kill opportunity for you."

Li Banfeng looked at the map, then at Cuitek. "If you can incapacitate these guards, why don't you directly incapacitate Wan Jinxiang? With their numerical advantage gone, there's no reason for you to fear him."

Cuitek replied, "That's precisely what I was going to explain. Many changes have occurred in Wan Jinxiang. Because he himself is an extremely skilled Illness Cultivator, it's difficult for me to defeat him quickly using Illness Cultivation methods. Even simple, brutal methods would be hard. For instance, if I cut off his head, he wouldn't die immediately. This is partly because he possesses the formidable physique of a Daolaogui, and his severed head would transform into a liquid mixture, which he would then reabsorb into his body."

Li Banfeng finally understood. "The liquid mixture you mentioned, is that pus?"

Cuitek thought for a moment. "Not entirely accurate. There are other complex components within it, including a significant portion of his brain tissue."

Li Banfeng wasn't too concerned about these complex components; he was interested in the opponent's identity. "Is this Wan Jinxiang or Green Flower?"

Cuitek answered very sincerely, "This is Fang Puxian. I've protected the Grand Ancestor very well; he hasn't fallen into his hands yet.

However, the problem is that the Grand Ancestor also cultivated Martial Cultivation, which led to incredible changes in his body. Therefore, I suspect there's a connection between Martial Cultivation and Illness Cultivation.

Zhang Wanlong's Martial Cultivation powders have significant issues, but this connection truly exists."

Li Banfeng stared at Cuitek in shock.

He now understood why the Daolaogui's physiques had become so formidable, and why their influence was continuously expanding.

"You're not just researching Daolaogui, nor just Illness Cultivation; you're also researching the changes that occur when different Daoist sects are combined?" Li Banfeng asked Cuitek seriously. "Is your goal of annihilating all humanity getting closer?"

Cuitek pondered his words. "Actually, I think this has always been our joint effort—"

"Don't say such things again," Li Banfeng interrupted Cuitek. "Change always comes with a price. That's the cost, isn't it?"

Cuitek genuinely didn't understand this time. "Your language is somewhat complex. Is there some metaphor here?"

"There's no metaphor; it's all literal," Li Banfeng said, deeply feeling the difficulty of the choice. "This cost is a bit too great."

Cuitek somewhat understood Li Banfeng's meaning. "You can restrain me. We have a contract, and you're not the only one who can restrain me; there's also the peddler, right?

Friend, we should try to think positively. I am a rational person; I know when to do what. But Wan Jinxiang isn't like that. Choosing me is far better than choosing him."

Li Banfeng recalled his past interactions with Wan Jinxiang. "I'm not very familiar with him. Can you tell me what kind of person he truly is?"

"He was my best strategist. Whenever he was around, I felt completely at ease, no matter what we were doing.

Without him, we wouldn't have acquired this territory." He Jiaqing, amidst a Gobi desert, unearthed a contract.

Big Head asked, "Is this the contract Lu Dongliang left for himself?"

He Jiaqing nodded. "Lu Dongliang didn't want to go to the Inner Prefecture. Although he had close ties with people from there, the path he wanted to take was to forcibly seize status and ascend directly to the clouds.

This was also why he was so eager for the Red Lotus. He wanted top-tier elixirs to help him achieve his general promotion. When he focused all his attention on the Red Lotus, Wan Jinxiang seized the opportunity and instigated Lu Dongjun to take his life."

He Jiaqing held the contract and looked into the distance. "Actually, Lu Dongliang was good to Lu Dongjun. If you go over that mountain,

there's another new piece of land that Lu Dongliang prepared for Lu Dongjun. If we're lucky today, we might even find another contract."

Big Head thought about the old newspaper he had seen earlier. "The newspaper said that the Lu family and the Chu family paid a heavy price to jointly develop a new ten-li square territory. But I never imagined Lu Dongliang actually possessed entire new territories, and more than one."

He Jiaqing smiled. "The newspaper reported that Chu Shaoqiang died during that reclamation. I later investigated, thinking Chu Shaoqiang had died at the hands of the Customs and Defense Bureau.

But when Chu Shaoqiang actually appeared before me, I wasn't surprised at all. The truth, for this world, is too much of a luxury!"

He handed the contract to Big Head. "The territories of Lu Dongliang and Lu Dongjun, plus the whereabouts of Bei Wushuang, form three connected territories, making it a considerable area. There aren't many excellent resources here, as it's merely a backup plan, much worse than the previously chosen territories.

However, its excellent concealment is a valuable advantage. There are also a few local deities nearby, either too old or lacking sufficient combat power. With a little planning, we can acquire their contracts. The subsequent task will simply be finding suitable pioneers."

Big Head didn't want to dampen He Jiaqing's spirits, but some things he had to say truthfully. "These contracts are all only half."

He Jiaqing calmly chuckled. "I'll retrieve the other half. I know Chaoge has taken full precautions this time, but I will still get the contracts back. Don't worry, I promised to make you a local deity, and I'll never let you be at the mercy of the Inner Prefecture."

Big Head nodded, cut his palm, shed blood, and took over Lu Dongliang's new territory.

He Jiaqing looked around with a smile. "There might be a few twists and turns, but as long as we don't give up, we'll keep moving forward."