Chapter 707: Skillful Hands Revive the Dying

"What did you just say has eyes?"

The phonograph's needle glowed red. Hong Ying, holding her long sword, joined the phonograph in interrogating Hong Lian.

Hong Lian calmly replied, "Everyone has eyes, don't they?" Her tone was exceptionally calm, but her mind was not. She had just been outside; she had seen what it was like and felt a connection with it. Yet, that moment had been so fleeting. She was still within the Portable Residence now, making that recent experience feel almost unreal.

Hong Ying drew her long sword across a lotus leaf. "Stop talking nonsense. Did you do something just now?"

The lotus leaf pushed aside the blade. Hong Lian retorted angrily, "I didn't do anything! If you keep looking for trouble, don't blame me for being unkind!"

"Unkind? What then? I've been wanting to fight you for a long time!" Hong Ying raised her long sword, when suddenly she heard a sound from outside the door.

"Master is back!" The phonograph rushed to the doorway, only to see Li Banfeng stumble into the room, almost falling to the ground.

The phonograph quickly supported Li Banfeng, helping him to the bed to rest. After checking his complexion and pulse, the phonograph gasped, "Master has been exposed to the Celestial Light!"

"It truly was your doing!" Hong Ying swung her long sword, intending to strike Hong Lian.

The phonograph stopped Hong Ying. "Wait a moment, Sister Hong Lian, what exactly happened?"

Hearing the phonograph's tone, Hong Ying sheathed her long sword. Li Banfeng was no longer the novice he once was. With his current cultivation, an occasional exposure to Celestial Light might simply add to his spiritual destiny, posing no major issue. However, judging by Li Banfeng's current condition, he hadn't merely been exposed to a bit of Celestial Light; the current situation was very serious.

Hong Ying said no more. If Xiaowan couldn't save Qilang, then only Hong Lian could.

Hong Lian's demeanor softened slightly. "I was sleeping just now when, somehow, I suddenly found myself outside the house. I saw Old Seven fighting someone and originally wanted to help him, but then I sensed a connection with the person in the sky. I knew something terrible was happening and tried to urge Old Seven to come back quickly, but for some reason, I returned first. I don't know what happened after that."

The rest was clear: Li Banfeng had been severely wounded by the Celestial Light. Having roughly understood the sequence of events, the phonograph said to Hong Lian, "Sister, put everything else aside for now and heal our master first."

Hong Lian refused. "Things need to be clear first. This is *your* man, not mine. If I save him, and then you turn on me and blame me later, who will care what happens to me?"

The phonograph immediately promised, "You can rest assured about this. As long as Master is safe and sound, I absolutely will not hold you accountable later."

Hong Lian opened a lotus leaf, and a contract scroll emerged from its heart. "Words alone aren't proof. You need to write a contract."

The contract scroll, personally crafted by Hong Lian, was of extraordinary quality. Without a moment's hesitation, the phonograph immediately signed it. Hong Lian then used a lotus leaf to cut open Li Banfeng's blood vessels and said to the phonograph, "Whether he can be saved will depend on the transfer."

The phonograph brought over a puppet body and had Hong Ying prepare nearby.

The Peddler jumped into the courtyard. He saw Zhong Er lying by the entrance, and in the nearby wing room, a light bulb was perched on the windowsill.

He entered the room, almost slipping. After regaining his footing, he saw Big Face emerge from under the covers.

"What took you so long?" Big Face's face was pale, and he was covered in sweat.

The Peddler didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "What happened just now?"

Big Face said, "Shu Wanjuan found me. I set a fire to signal you, but you never came. I was almost defeated by Shu Wanjuan. Then Old Seven arrived, and together, we managed to gain an advantage over Shu Wanjuan. But then, for some reason, the Celestial Light appeared, and it was incredibly intense. Old Seven and Shu Wanjuan disappeared; I don't know where they went."

"Escaped?" The Peddler looked around. Under the coffee table, he saw the Portable Residence key. Li Qi had fled in a hurry. It was clear he hadn't had the strength to hide the key properly, meaning the Celestial Light had wounded him severely.

The Peddler then asked Big Face, "Did you withstand the Celestial Light?"

Big Face nodded. "I slipped past it."

The Peddler was taken aback. "You could slip past *that*?"

Big Face nodded. "When I was trapped before, I also encountered Celestial Light. Big Face couldn't hide, so I developed a technique back then to use oil to slip past the Celestial Light."

The Peddler and Big Face looked at each other, silent for a moment.

Big Face looked at the Peddler's face. "Are you injured?"

The Peddler nodded. "Just a minor injury, nothing serious. The two outside seem to be injured as well."

Big Face was startled. "They must have been affected by the Celestial Light." He got out of bed and rushed to the door, helping Zhong Er up and checking on the light bulb's condition.

These two weren't inside the room, so they weren't directly hit by the Celestial Light, only receiving some residual radiance. However, this Celestial Light was too powerful, and their cultivation wasn't sufficient, so their injuries were still considerable.

Big Face turned and asked the Peddler, "Do you have Revival Soup?"

"Yes," the Peddler replied, stepping out of the room. Big Face's room vanished in an instant. This was due to a Locking Cultivation Technique.

Big Face frowned. "Why did you lock my room?"

The Peddler said, "I was afraid Shu Wanjuan might have left something behind. I need to clear it out completely before opening the room again."

Big Face was a little angry. "You could have at least told me! I still have things in there!"

The Peddler smiled. "It's fine. If you're missing anything, Old Seven can buy it for you."

It was fierce, relentlessly pursuing Old Seven. Old Seven couldn't escape, so he threw caution to the wind, embracing Shu Wanjuan and getting exposed to the Celestial Light together. No one knows where they went after that.

"I'll go look. They shouldn't have gone far." The Peddler jumped over the wall, retrieved two bowls of Revival Soup, and returned to the courtyard.

Big Face took the soup bowls and asked the Peddler, "Why didn't you bring the cart in?"

The Peddler answered vaguely, "It's not very convenient. I'll be going now."

Watching the Peddler's disappearing back, Big Face felt something was off but couldn't pinpoint what.

The Peddler stood beside his cart, replaying the entire sequence of events in his mind, his expression growing increasingly solemn. The reason he locked the bedroom was that he had seen Li Qi's key inside. He wasn't worried about Li Qi, as he would surely have a way to deal with Shu Wanjuan once he returned to the little train. What worried him was that Big Face might have tampered with Li Qi's key. He no longer trusted Big Face, as Dan Chengjun's arrival had been too coincidental.

Looking at his cart, the Peddler couldn't help but sigh. After some internal struggle, he gritted his teeth and hoisted the cart onto his back. The cart was very heavy, bending the Peddler's back. The Peddler walked a few steps carrying the cart, his eyes bloodshot. He couldn't help but curse, "Dan Chengjun, you son of a bitch!"

In the Land of Earthworks, Wuxian City, Dan Chengjun smiled contentedly, holding a cartwheel. The people around him couldn't smile; they were all injured and didn't understand why Dan Chengjun was smiling.

Dan Chengjun stroked the spokes of the wheel one by one. "Look closely, all of you. See what kind of craftsmanship this is, how many techniques are embedded within it? Do you know how much skill it takes to create a wheel like this?"

Everyone remained silent; they couldn't discern much value from this single wheel.

But this didn't affect Dan Chengjun's mood. He wiped the hub over and over. "This is a great victory. Who among you would have dared to imagine that the Peddler wouldn't even care about his wheel at that moment? Who would have dared to imagine how desperate the Peddler was? If we could take his wheel this time, next time we can dismantle his cart, and the time after that, we can take his life. As long as he's gone from Prole State..." He stopped midsentence, trembling slightly. Everyone thought he had been affected by the Peddler's technique and instinctively distanced themselves from him.

Dan Chengjun instructed someone to put the wheel away. "I'm going to take care of something. I'll be back shortly," he told the others.

Leaving the residence, Dan Chengjun went to the shore and plunged into the sea. After swimming for a long time, he entered a cave. He swam underwater in the cave for a while, then emerged onto land. With a flick of his sleeve, he shed all traces of water, his body completely dry.

Walking along the cave for a moment, Dan Chengjun stopped before a stone wall. "What happens in private should stay private, but publicly, we serve different masters. It's a bit inappropriate for you to come looking for me in Wuxian City."

There was no response from behind the stone wall. Dan Chengjun sighed. "The information you gave me was accurate; the Peddler did come. But the message came too suddenly, and I couldn't gather enough skilled fighters in time. This battle wasn't easy. Although I didn't kill the Peddler, I definitely won. I took a wheel from his cart. I'll show it to you another day."

Still no sound from behind the stone wall.

Dan Chengjun grew displeased. "What's with the silence? Do you think you got the short end of the stick? Let me tell you, if I hadn't gone today, the Peddler wouldn't have let you off. You definitely would have lost your life. We helped each other out; neither of us owes the other anything."

As his words fell, Dan Chengjun heard a slight sound from behind the stone wall. Unsure of the other party's intentions, he waited for a moment, then went around to the other side of the wall and took a look.

Shu Wanjuan was standing on the other side of the stone wall, with only half of his body remaining. This half-body wasn't very agile. The dying Shu Wanjuan extended a hand, scraping it against the wall, and silently looked at Dan Chengjun.

Dan Chengjun narrowed his eyes. "You're in this state; what good is looking at me?"

Shu Wanjuan stared intently at Dan Chengjun; this was his last hope.

"You want me to save you?" Dan Chengjun smacked his lips. "It's not impossible, but our previous terms will have to be renegotiated."

Shu Wanjuan rolled his eyes. His intention was clear: as long as Dan Chengjun was willing to save him, anything could be discussed.

But Dan Chengjun still hesitated. "If the Demon Lord finds out about this, I'm finished. If Qiao Yi finds out, you're finished. If I silently kill you, neither of us is finished. Don't you think that's killing two birds with one stone?"

Shu Wanjuan couldn't answer. However, Dan Chengjun wasn't wrong about one thing: Qiao Yi absolutely could not know about this.

Shang Kingdom, Chaoge.

Qiao Yi sat in the Xinxiao Garden, watching Xie Gong and Zhu Jin play chess. Xie Gong controlled the right hand, and Zhu Jin controlled the left hand. The game was in the mid-game, and the struggle was fierce. Xie Gong, playing the white pieces, made an aggressive move, and Zhu Jin couldn't think of a countermove immediately.

He looked at Qiao Yi, hoping for advice.

Qiao Yi shook his head and sighed. "To see such a messy game, yet you two are still so engaged in this fierce struggle, it's truly difficult for me to watch."

Zhu Jin remained silent, but Xie Gong couldn't hold back. He felt he hadn't played badly in this game. "Brother, why don't we start a new game, just the two of us?"

Zhu Jin nodded repeatedly. "It's been a long time since I've seen Elder Brother play chess."

Qiao Yi still shook his head. "Your chess skills still need refinement. If you were to play against me, neither of you would last until the mid-game."

Xie Gong smiled. "Elder Brother is right; those who don't play chess surely have the highest skill."

Qiao Yi didn't mind. "When moving pieces and making placements, one first looks at the overall strategic trend, then at the immediate situation, and finally, it comes down to the tactical moves. The two of you, in your chess, your tactical moves seem decent, and you can barely manage to look at the immediate situation, but you completely miss the overall strategic trend. It's fine as a pastime, but in my eyes, this doesn't even count as a real game of chess."

Xie Gong put down his chess pieces. "Since Elder Brother is so generous with his advice, I do have something I'd like to ask you. Shu Wanjuan has declared his loyalty and willingness to serve the court. Yet, Elder Brother sent him alone to the Demonic Lands to mediate. If anything goes wrong, the court would suffer the loss of a loyal minister and a capable general. Does Elder Brother truly grasp the overall strategic trend with this action?"

Qiao Yi smiled; he knew Xie Gong had always had reservations about this matter. "It is precisely because I grasp the overall strategic trend that I sent him alone to the Demonic Lands. The core of this strategic trend lies in order and chaos."

Xie Gong said, "Please elaborate, Elder Brother."

Qiao Yi said, "The governance of Great Shang lies in order. Whether it's the appointment of officials, handling affairs, rituals and laws, or social hierarchy, everything must be meticulously orderly. Shu Wanjuan's talent is unparalleled, and he has repeatedly expressed his loyalty to the court. By rights, such a person should be given important responsibilities. But he already holds considerable prestige among the feudal lords. How else could he be given important responsibilities? Should he be enfeoffed as a prince?"

Xie Gong still didn't understand. "If Elder Brother wishes to restrict Shu Wanjuan, why send him to the Demonic Lands? Once he achieves success there, it will be difficult for Elder Brother to refuse to grant him a princedom without losing public support."

Qiao Yi shook his head and chuckled. "Achieving merit in the Demonic Lands is by no means easy. The core of the Demonic Lands lies in its chaos—so chaotic that one cannot see clearly, so chaotic that it defies reason, so chaotic that the Lord of the Demonic Lands is constantly on the move, with no time for other matters. But what if, one day, the Demonic Lands are no longer chaotic? How should the imperial court handle that? After years of turmoil, the demon masters have cultivated countless powerful figures. If these figures were to point their swords at Chaoge, how should we respond?"

Zhu Jin laughed. "Elder Brother, you worry too much. How could a mere band of ruffians shake Chaoge?"

Qiao Yi's smile vanished, and he said sternly, "The Grandmaster of the Artisans' Gate is still in Great Shang. Have you forgotten?"

He was referring to Grandfather Train. Zhu Jin certainly hadn't forgotten this. "Elder Brother, that mad craftsman is trapped by us."

Qiao Yi continued, "Are you unaware that the Lord of the Demonic Lands has spies scattered throughout Great Shang?"

Zhu Jin said, "The Peddler has indeed placed some spies here, but to say they are scattered everywhere might be an overstatement..."

Qiao Yi further asked, "Did He Jiaqing twice attempt to steal contracts in Chaoge? Is that also an overstatement?"

Zhu Jin fell silent; this matter couldn't be denied.

Qiao Yi sighed deeply. "Usually, I'm used to speaking pleasantries, and the court officials are used to hearing them. They all think the powerful figures of the Demonic Lands are like ants or weeds, nothing to worry about. Little do they know, every time we engage in military conflict with the Demonic Lands, we must be exceedingly cautious. We must first grasp the overall strategic trend, then control the immediate situation, and finally, employ cunning tactics to overcome the enemy, only then can we stand invincible!"

Xie Gong said softly, "I know there are many difficulties involved, but a talented and ambitious person like Shu Wanjuan should be given important responsibilities. Even if it's just a nominal position, it would prevent disillusionment."

Zhu Jin nodded. "Even a ceremonial title would be good. If someone like Li Qi can be enfeoffed as a prince, it's truly unreasonable for Shu Wanjuan not to be."

Qiao Yi's brows furrowed; these two had disappointed him.

"Enfeoffing Li Qi as a prince was to sow discord among the powerful figures of the Demonic Lands. This was not an award at all; how can it be conflated? If Shu Wanjuan were to be enfeoffed as a prince, other capable ministers would then use this to seek their own rewards. How many princely titles would Great Shang have to bestow? Enfeoffing Li Qi as a prince creates chaos in the Demonic Lands. Enfeoffing Shu Wanjuan as a prince creates chaos in Great Shang. Can you not see this painstaking effort?"

Xie Gong and Zhu Jin bowed their heads in silence. Qiao Yi had long known that their relationship with Shu Wanjuan was unusual. He also knew other things. "I heard that Shu Wanjuan also has dealings with Dan Chengjun. Since I haven't received any letters from Shu Wanjuan these past few days, someone should be sent to investigate his whereabouts."

As he spoke, Zhu Jin's pet hound, holding a rabbit in its mouth, squatted at his feet. Zhu Jin took the rabbit and praised it, saying, "It deserves a reward!" He took a bone from a plate and threw it on the ground.

Shu Wanjuan opened his eyes, struggled to sit up, and looked up at Dan Chengjun.

Dan Chengjun, holding the cartwheel, smiled. "How much Celestial Light did you absorb? Do you know how much I invested to save your life? Our contract must be re-signed. I've already written it out; just press your handprint."

Shu Wanjuan took the contract and, after reading it, exclaimed in alarm, "You are trying to brand me as unrighteous!"

Dan Chengjun chuckled, "If I were truly unrighteous, I shouldn't have saved you. Besides, why are you pretending to be so noble in front of me? When we went to Fool's City together for the Foolish Cultivation Technique, did you ever consider what righteousness meant when you were making your moves in the city?"

Shu Wanjuan looked at the contract again. "This cannot be, cannot..."

"You're not signing, then?" Dan Chengjun put the cartwheel aside. "In that case, you'll have to return this life to me."

Shu Wanjuan looked at himself. His body was still only half complete, not yet restored.

Dan Chengjun tore a piece of skin from Shu Wanjuan's wound, and blood flowed out. "Use this blood to make your handprint."

The phonograph, Hong Ying, Jiu'er, Hong Lian, along with everyone else in the household, gathered around the bed, watching Li Banfeng.

Meng De nodded at everyone, indicating that Li Banfeng had awakened from his dream.

Li Banfeng opened his eyes and sat up. Seeing Li Banfeng's smooth, unhindered, and unsluggish movement as he got up, everyone sighed in relief. Hong Lian also proudly spread her petals. "Since you trusted me, there should be no more doubt. If I say I can save him, I *can* save him!"

The phonograph was also very grateful. "Sister Hong Lian, we owe you a lot this time."

Li Banfeng said, "Wifey, why is everyone crowded around me?"

The phonograph said, "Do you know how many days you've been unconscious?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "No idea."

The phonograph hissed steam. "You haven't opened your eyes for three whole days! You really scared me!"

"Three days!" Li Banfeng exclaimed, looking chagrined. "What a waste!"

Hong Ying asked, "Waste of what?"

Li Banfeng said, "If I were in the New Land, securing a territory, and I hid at home for three days, that territory would have been established!"

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this. The phonograph said, "This madman even knows how to tell jokes."

Li Banfeng chuckled for a moment, then took Hong Ying's hand. "Wifey, it's my fault for making you worry so much."

The Portable Residence instantly fell silent. The Wine Gourd felt its breathing was a little too loud and quickly covered its mouth. The Judge's Brush tightened the newspaper wrapped around itself.

The Glove threw a silver dollar onto the ground, where it clinked several times, each sound clear and distinct. "Oh dear, look, whose money fell out!" It tried to change the subject but failed.

No one looked at the silver dollar on the ground; everyone was watching Li Banfeng. His hand was still holding Hong Ying's hand.

Huu-woo! Huu-woo!

The phonograph trembled slightly.

"Qilang," Hong Ying trembled even more intensely. "What did you just call me? Call me that again."

"I called you Wifey!" Li Banfeng called out again.

Hong Ying sobbed, tears streaming down her face.

The phonograph shivered, and two records cracked.

Hong Lian turned away, muttering, "I'm old; I can't bear to watch this..."

Li Banfeng touched Hong Lian's lotus heart and softly said, "Yingying, you were worried about me too."

Hong Lian turned her lotus heart, carefully observing Li Banfeng with her seven apertures.

Jiu'er tugged at Li Banfeng's lapel. "Ah Qi, what's wrong with you?"

Li Banfeng pushed Jiu'er away, scolding angrily, "I've long known you had ill intentions! And you were even shouting 'Heaven has eyes' outside! Did I mistreat you or something? Why such a huge grudge?"

Everyone exchanged glances, unsure what to say.

Hong Lian turned to leave, but the phonograph hooked her lotus heart with its needle. "What's going on? Why has Master become like this?"

Hong Lian struggled free from the needle. "You can't blame me for this! You said yourself, just save his life!"

The phonograph retorted angrily, "But you shouldn't have driven him mad!"

Hong Lian argued, "He was mad to begin with!"

"What the hell did you say?!" The phonograph and Hong Lian started fighting.

Hong Ying tried to break up the fight from the side. "Xiaowan, don't rush! I think Qilang is quite good now!"

Tang Dao also chimed in, persuading, "Harmony brings prosperity to a family. This Hong Lian isn't one of us; we can't let her off!"

The fight among them grew fiercer, and the Projector quickly recorded this precious scene.

Fearing someone might harm Li Banfeng, the Glove led him, dodging left and right, until they ducked under the bed.

Jiu'er followed under the bed and said to Li Banfeng, "Ah Qi, don't scare me. Look closely at me. Do you still recognize me?"

Li Banfeng laughed. "Of course, I recognize you. You're Jiu'er, my Senior Sister!"

Someone spoke up, "Make it clear! Don't let them fight!"

Li Banfeng crawled out from under the bed and shouted, "Stop fighting! I was just joking with all of you!"

Everyone stopped fighting one after another. Hong Ying tugged at Li Banfeng's lapel. "Master, what joke are you talking about?"

Li Banfeng glared at Hong Ying. "Can you just call anyone 'Master'? You're not my Wifey!"

Hong Ying's eyes welled up with tears. "You madman, do your words just spoken not count for anything?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "My Wifey is a fervent person; she can boil hot water and emit hot steam. Can you do that?"

Hong Ying couldn't hold back, and tears fell again.

The phonograph smiled. "He recognizes his wife in bed and his shoes on the floor. Master's recognition is quite good on this point."

"He definitely recognizes them well!" Li Banfeng hugged the Old Teapot. "Wifey, let's go back to our room."

In a flash, he entered the third room. From the room came the Old Teapot's shrill cries: "Old Seven, no, no! I'll fight you!"