Chapter 708: 疯癫跋扈

In Dwelling within Reach, the Phonograph started a fire, roasting Red Lotus over it.

"I won't make things difficult for you. If you can find a way to cure my husband, we can let this matter go!"

Red Lotus unfurled her petals in the fire, rubbing her reddened base. "I've thought this through carefully," she said. "There is a way, but I'm afraid you won't trust me."

The Phonograph added some charcoal to the fire. "Tell me what you have in mind first."

Red Lotus covered her base, her words coming faster. "Being illuminated by heavenly light means acquiring excessive Dao-affinity. This excess must be channeled away. There are two ways to do this: one is to open more Dao-gates, which is the quickest way to channel it. However, Li Qi has already opened quite a few Dao-gates, and opening more might lead to a backlash. That's not advisable. So, we must take the other path: use popularity to channel it."

The Phonograph poked the fire with a fire poker. "Using popularity to channel Dao-affinity… wouldn't that result in a promotion? My husband just advanced to Cloud Layer Four; wouldn't another promotion be too much for him?"

Red Lotus spoke even faster. "If he were to be promoted to House Cultivator again, he certainly couldn't bear it. But promoting to Travel Cultivator might not be impossible!"

The Phonograph glanced at Hong Ying.

Hong Ying, looking in the mirror, applied lipstick. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, yet a smile played on her lips as she softly murmured, "He called me his wife. He called me twice. I am content, truly content for this lifetime—"

The Phonograph sighed, fanned the charcoal fire with a fan, and then asked, "Advancing to Cloud Four requires a huge amount of popularity. Where would that come from?"

Red Lotus covered her base with two other lotus leaves. "To gather such popularity in a short time, we'd have to take some risks. In the stairwell of the Dark Star Bureau building, there's a statue of a Celestial Maiden. That statue gave Li Qi a lot of popularity, almost costing him his life. But it was precisely with that popularity that he ascended to Cloud Layer Four in one go."

The Phonograph said, "You want my husband to seek out the Celestial Maiden statue again?"

Red Lotus replied, "It's the fastest way to gain popularity. Last time, you weren't home, and things happened suddenly, causing Li Qi to encounter many difficulties in handling it. But now you are home, and everything can be planned. Although there are still dangers, with careful deployment, it's worth a try."

The Phonograph gently poked the lotus heart with her needle. "You think so highly of me?"

Red Lotus sighed, "When it comes to strategizing and manipulation, truly few in this world can compare to you."

The Phonograph chuckled, "Look at how well you speak. Are you particularly eager for Qilang to return to the Dark Star Bureau?"

Red Lotus pushed aside the needle. "What do you mean by that?"

The needle continued to rub the lotus heart. "If you encounter the Celestial Maiden statue again, will you try to contact her? Will she try to rescue you? Last time, my husband just happened to encounter that statue. Can you honestly say that had nothing to do with you?"

Dewdrops welled up in the lotus heart. Zhao Xiaowan's cunning filled Red Lotus with waves of fear.

Red Lotus closed her lotus leaves. "I'm kindly offering advice; it's up to you whether you believe it or not."

"How could I not believe you?" The Phonograph brought out fuel and poured it onto the charcoal fire. "I just feel our friendship isn't genuine enough and needs more tempering." The flames instantly engulfed Red Lotus.

Going to the Dark Star Bureau certainly wasn't a good idea, but what other way was there to cure Li Banfeng now?

Meng De reminded her, "Madam, our master is about to wake up."

The Phonograph said, "Find a way to make him sleep a little longer."

"Madam, our master's cultivation is so high, I really can't keep him down."

The Phonograph glanced at Meng De. "Can't keep him down because you haven't beaten him enough?"

Meng De dared not speak. The Glove spoke up, "Once the master wakes up, he's sure to go out. Whatever mischief he causes at home is fine, but once he's out, there's no telling what trouble he might stir up or what kind of people he might provoke."

The Pendulum also thought of this. "Madam, please do not let the master go out these next few days. If he encounters a formidable person like Shu Wanjuan again, in his current state, he won't be able to contend with him."

The Wine Gourd didn't quite agree. "What solutions can we come up with staying at home? If our little brother doesn't go out, none of us can leave. How can we seek medical treatment or medicine then?"

Facing a dilemma, the Phonograph found it difficult to make a decision immediately.

The Old Teapot offered an idea. "There's a place where going mad isn't feared, and Old Qi still has some standing there. Perhaps that place even has a cure for madness."

The Phonograph looked at the Old Teapot. Because of the Phonograph's volatile temper, the Old Teapot rarely offered her advice. His volunteering to speak up today was because Li Qi's recent madness had relied entirely on the Phonograph to save the Old Teapot.

"What place are you talking about?"

The Old Teapot said, "Gourd Village."

As he spoke, the Old Teapot was very cautious. He knew there was some history between the Phonograph and Ayi, and that past might even be related to Ninth Young Lady.

The Phonograph weighed it for a long time. "Gourd Village is indeed a place to go. Ayi might still have a way to cure my husband." Ninth Er chuckled, "What nonsense are you talking? Do you expect a madman to cure Aqi's madness? Besides, will Aqi even go to Gourd Village? He doesn't even recognize you. Ask him if he'll listen to you now."

Li Banfeng hugged the Phonograph and said, "I recognize her! This is my wife, no mistake!"

Everyone was startled. Even the Phonograph hadn't noticed Li Banfeng suddenly appearing beside her.

"Husband dear, there's something this humble one hasn't told you," the Phonograph said softly, pressing her large horn against Li Banfeng's cheek. "This humble one and Ayi are old acquaintances, but I haven't seen her in a long time. I've been missing her these past few days. Husband, could you take this humble one to Gourd Village so we sisters can chat?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "If my wife wants to go, then we'll go. How do we get to Gourd Village?"

The Old Teapot reminded him, "Old Qi, didn't Ayi give you a jade pendant back then?"

"Jade pendant?" Li Banfeng fumbled for a while, then took the pendant off his neck. "Can I go to Gourd Village with this?"

The Wine Gourd said, "Little brother, you've used this pendant once. As long as you forget the present, you'll find the entrance to Gourd Village. Do you remember now?"

"Forget the present?" Li Banfeng scratched his scalp. This concept was a bit complicated for him. "How about I go out and try?"

The Phonograph stopped Li Qi. "Husband, you can't go alone! Don't forget to take this humble one with you!"

Li Banfeng touched the Phonograph's two small horns. "Wife, how can I take you out? The old man is still sleeping, and we can't make exceptions!"

"Husband, use your 'Linked Chambers' skill! Since you could take Red Lotus out, you can definitely take this humble one out too!"

Li Banfeng thought for a moment, then nodded repeatedly. "That makes sense! I need to plan this carefully. I need to take my wife out, but I also can't take anyone who shouldn't come."

Li Banfeng mumbled to himself, walking from the main room to room five, and then from room five to room seven.

He was seriously thinking of a way, and the Phonograph also needed to prepare.

She wanted to go out with Li Banfeng, but absolutely couldn't let Red Lotus go. "Yingying, move that wretch Red Lotus to room ten and keep roasting her over the fire."

Hong Ying picked up the brazier and silently walked towards room ten.

As she passed Li Banfeng, Hong Ying seriously asked, "You called me your wife, do you remember?"

Li Banfeng was preoccupied with thoughts of Gourd Village and didn't pay attention to Hong Ying.

Hong Ying was very sad. Banfeng Yi emerged from under Li Banfeng's feet.

"I'll take it; don't burn your hands." Banfeng Yi took the brazier.

Hong Ying stared at Banfeng Yi for a long time. "You're also my husband; you still care for me."

"I care for you!" Banfeng Yi replied very firmly, carrying the brazier to room ten.

Hong Ying returned to the main room, her mood much lighter.

The Phonograph also saw the scene that just unfolded. She wasn't angry; she was thinking about something very important.

Her husband had many shadows, and each shadow had its own thoughts.

This shadow named Banfeng Yi wasn't mad, proving that her husband wasn't entirely mad. Perhaps only one or two of his thoughts were.

If those one or two thoughts were removed, would her husband no longer be mad?

The Phonograph was pondering how to identify the mad shadows when she suddenly saw Banfeng Yi, brazier in hand, returning to Li Banfeng's side.

The wife opened her 'Insightful Spirit Sound' and listened closely. Banfeng Yi was saying to Banfeng, "I've got the fire! Let's go burn the peddler's house!"

Li Banfeng felt a little reluctant. "The peddler has it tough too. How about we wait two days before burning it?"

"If we don't burn it for three days, the feeling will fade!"

"That makes sense too!"

The Phonograph retracted her previous thought; Banfeng Yi was also mad.

Should she really let her husband go to Gourd Village?

She and Ayi did have some history, and she had always trusted Ayi's character. But if all hope was placed on Ayi, that hope would be too slim.

Thump!

Li Banfeng closed the door.

The Phonograph felt something was wrong. She pushed open the door to look again, but Li Banfeng was gone. Only the brazier and Red Lotus remained on the floor.

"Where did my husband go?"

Red Lotus extended a lotus leaf, pointing at the door. "He went to Room Eight."

The Phonograph went to open the door to Room Eight, but couldn't open it.

The position of Room Seven had changed; it no longer connected to Room Eight, but directly to the exit of Dwelling within Reach.

Li Banfeng had simply walked out of Dwelling within Reach. The Phonograph had no idea what he was off to do.

Li Banfeng took the key to Dwelling within Reach, only to find he couldn't leave Unremarkable Face's room.

The room was locked by the Peddler. Li Banfeng took out Green Flower's bowl and tried several times before finally opening the main door.

After exiting the room, he walked around the courtyard. Unremarkable Face, Chuuni, and Lightbulb were all gone. He had no idea where they had gone.

He called Chuuni, but Unremarkable Face answered the phone. "Dong Xiaoning is almost fully recovered, and Qin Minghui is too close, so he'll need a few more days to recover. How are you doing now?"

Li Banfeng felt perfectly fine. "I'm perfectly fine. I'm entrusting these two brothers of mine to you for now."

Putting aside the present matters, Li Banfeng felt his condition was good. He squeezed the jade pendant in his hand, walked around, and not far from the residence, saw Ayun at a crossroads.

Ayun didn't notice Li Banfeng and was still looking around.

Li Banfeng greeted her warmly, "You're here! Come with me quickly!"

Ayun was startled. "Where are we going?"

Li Banfeng said, "To the village! It's not your first time, is it?"

He pulled Ayun into Gourd Village. Downstairs from the Village Chief's house, Li Banfeng saw Qiu Luoye washing clothes with a washboard.

"Brother Qiu, what are you doing?"

Qiu Luoye hid the washboard behind him and stood up. "I'm just washing my hands; the weather's been dry these past couple of days. Old Qi, what brings you here?"

"I came to see Ayi about something. Where is she?"

"She went up the mountain. She recently got some explosives, said they're incredibly powerful, enough to blow up Gourd Village."

Li Banfeng laughed. "Brother, you've gone bad too. What kind of explosives could blow up a Gourd Village this big?"

Boom!

A loud bang, and the ground trembled.

A small hill in the distance collapsed by half within everyone's sight.

Smoke and dust, carried by the shockwave, rushed towards them. Large groups of villagers scattered and fled.

Li Banfeng didn't flee; such dust couldn't harm him.

Qiu Luoye also didn't flee. He sat on the ground, holding the washboard, and continued washing clothes. "I don't mind if you laugh at me. Let it blow up. Once it's all gone, it will be quiet."

The power of the explosives truly astonished Li Banfeng. Before long, Ayi returned downstairs, covered in soot, and greeted Li Banfeng, "Brother, you're here!"

"Sister, did you make that bomb just now?"

Ayi nodded repeatedly. "I did! Pretty powerful, right? I only used two pounds of explosives and blew up that mountain."

Li Banfeng was even more surprised. "Only two pounds?"

Ayi's face was full of pride. "Why would I lie to you? Tonight, I'll take ten pounds of explosives and blow up the whole village. Then you'll see something truly impressive."

"Is ten pounds enough?"

"If you don't believe me, let's weigh it right now!"

The two went to weigh the explosives. Arlong watched Qiu Luoye from the side.

Qiu Luoye looked up. "Why are you looking at me? Go home and pack your things! If she says she'll blow it up, she will. You won't have anything left then."

Arlong quickly went to pack his things.

Qiu Luoye looked at Li Banfeng and Ayi in the distance, feeling that Old Qi's condition wasn't quite right.

After weighing the explosives, Li Banfeng rolled them into a package and had the Glove keep them for now.

Ayi was displeased. "Aren't we supposed to blow up the village? Why did you take my explosives?"

Li Banfeng said, "I have a use for these explosives. Just consider them a gift. If you're reluctant, I can buy them from you."

Ayi became even more upset. "Did you come to see me specifically to trick me out of my explosives?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I came to see you because I'm mad. They told me that perhaps you could cure me."

Qiu Luoye grew anxious. "Brother, what happened?"

Li Banfeng said, "I was illuminated by heavenly light, very intensely."

Qiu Luoye turned to look at Ayi. "You really must help him!"

Ayi twirled her hair, and with a coquettish smile, said, "Why should I help him? Give me a reason?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Yes, Brother, give her a reason?"

Qiu Luoye grabbed Li Banfeng, and said to Ayi, "This is my brother. My brother is your relative. Won't you help him?"

Ayi sighed. "What's there to help with? Isn't being mad a good thing?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I think it's quite good!"

Ayi even offered a suggestion. "Since you're mad anyway, why not marry a wife and live in Gourd Village from now on?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I already have a wife; I can't marry again."

Ayi thought for a moment. "Then marry a man!"

Li Banfeng nodded. "That works too!"

Thump!

Qiu Luoye slammed down the washboard, pointing at Ayi. "I'm telling you, if you don't cure my brother today, life here won't be worth living!"

Ayi was indeed scared. She quickly picked up the washboard. "Look at your temper! I was just teasing you, weren't I? Let's not be angry. I'll make you some pumpkin for dinner tonight."

Having appeased Qiu Luoye, Ayi led Li Banfeng into the building. "When I first let you into the Daoist sect, it was because I felt our temperaments were compatible. Back then, your aptitude wasn't sufficient, so I only taught you some basic Daoist methods. Now that your aptitude is almost enough, I should impart some techniques to you."

Li Banfeng recalled, "I remember the technique: you shout 'Mad Cultivation Technique!' and whatever you say, it becomes real."

Ayi looked Li Banfeng up and down. "Are you mad? You actually believe such things?"

Li Banfeng was a little annoyed by Ayi's deception, but he was still very much looking forward to the next technique. "What level of Mad Cultivation am I at now? How many techniques can I learn?"

Ayi opened a drawer and took out a small bottle of powder. "How many techniques you can learn has nothing to do with your level; it depends on how many techniques I teach you."

"As long as you teach me, I'll definitely learn it?"

Ayi nodded. "To what extent is hard to say, but you will definitely learn it."

This reminded Li Banfeng of someone. "Foolish Cultivation Technique is also like this."

Ayi gently applied it to Li Banfeng's face. "Yes, Mad Cultivation Technique originates from Foolish Cultivation. Levels and techniques are separate. People at higher levels may not know many techniques, but they will be more proficient in applying the techniques they do know."

Li Banfeng felt a tingling pain in his cheek. "When I learned Foolish Cultivation techniques, I never had this kind of powder applied."

Ayi laughed. "You did have it applied, you just didn't know. Every time Sun Tiecheng taught someone a technique, he would apply powder in person. And the Foolish Cultivation powder hurts much more, but the people learning the techniques never knew about the powder."

Li Banfeng was skeptical of Ayi's claim. He had learned so many techniques from Sun Tiecheng and never knew Sun Tiecheng had applied powder. "Did I not even know it hurt?"

"Yes, you didn't know. Sun Tiecheng's technique was so exquisite that you surely felt no pain at the time. If you felt pain afterwards, you'd suspect it was caused by something else. Our Daoist sect doesn't have so many twists and turns. I applied the powder directly to your face and clarified what needed to be clarified in front of you. Learning Mad Cultivation techniques is dangerous. You can't use the technique when you're not mad, and when you do use it, you're definitely mad. There's no turning back once you start. Also, learning Mad Cultivation techniques won't cure your madness, but it will allow you to control it, to turn it on and off. Think carefully before proceeding."

Li Banfeng felt he could control it. "Mad Cultivation techniques and Foolish Cultivation techniques are similar, right? The learning process for techniques is the same."

Ayi shook her head. "There are differences too. Foolish Cultivation is too lenient. Anyone, whether they are part of the Daoist sect or not, can learn Foolish Cultivation techniques. Those bastards destroyed Fool's City and killed my sister just to learn Foolish Cultivation techniques. So I changed the rules. Only those who have entered my Mad Cultivation Daoist sect can learn Mad Cultivation techniques. Mad Cultivation has a weakness. If one day, a mad cultivator forces me to teach him a technique, I'll at least know how to subdue him."

Hearing about the destruction of Fool's City, Li Banfeng asked, "Was Brother Sun in Fool's City at the time?"

"No," Ayi shook her head. "If he had been there, Shan Chengjun and Shu Wanjuan wouldn't have succeeded."

"Where did he go?"

Ayi chuckled, "He died."

Li Banfeng frowned. "I'm asking you something serious. Why are you saying angry words?"

"They're not angry words," Ayi shook her head. "He died. On the same day Fool's City was destroyed, he died. But he didn't die for Fool's City, which is why I still hate him to this day—and not just because he refused to become sworn brothers with me!"

Li Banfeng tried to clarify what happened, but Ayi didn't want to bring it up again. "The powder I just applied to you is called 'Mad Arrogance.' This is the technique I'm going to teach you, one of the most formidable techniques in our Daoist sect."

Li Banfeng asked, "How many formidable techniques are there in our Daoist sect?"

Ayi first counted on her left hand, then her right hand, then stared at her feet, hesitating for a moment. "I haven't washed my feet these past few days. Should I just keep my shoes on?"

Li Banfeng was also a reasonable person. "There's no rush for that. We can count later, after you've washed your feet. First, tell me how to use the 'Mad Arrogance' technique?"

Ayi took out a pistol and pointed it at Li Banfeng's head. "Are you scared?"

Li Banfeng said, "That depends on the location. If we're in Proland, there's no need to be scared. This thing might not even fire."

"Gourd Village is currently in Proland, and this gun has six bullets. Listen carefully." Ayi fired six shots consecutively at the ceiling. All six bullets fired.

Li Banfeng was stunned.

The restrictions on gunpowder in Proland had actually been broken by Ayi!

If the Outer Provinces knew of Ayi's power, they would probably force her to cooperate at any cost. The Outer Provinces' regard for Ayi might even exceed the Inner Provinces' regard for Unremarkable Face.

Ayi took out another capsule and handed it to Li Banfeng. "Throw it on the ground and see if it explodes."

Li Banfeng threw the capsule forcefully onto the ground. It didn't explode.

Ayi picked up the capsule. "This type of explosive is extremely powerful, but it's very difficult to detonate, especially in Prosperous Age Province. Even if you try to detonate it a hundred times, it might not explode once. Even if it successfully detonates, less than ten percent of the explosive material will actually detonate. Logically, this kind of thing can't be made into a weapon. But if combined with Mad Cultivation techniques, the effect is completely different. I can make this explosive capsule detonate. I can raise the probability to over thirty percent. If one doesn't explode, we just use a few more. Don't you think this technique is powerful?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "The technique is indeed powerful, but what's the key to it?"

"The key lies in madness; you have to make the explosives go mad!" Ayi looked at Li Banfeng meaningfully. "You don't understand, do you? Explosives aren't living things, so how can they go mad? The difficulty of this technique lies in the fact that ordinary people simply cannot grasp it."

Li Banfeng repeatedly fiddled with the capsule in his hand. "This doesn't seem too difficult either."

"If it's not difficult, then try it." Ayi gave a playful smile. She was sure Li Banfeng wouldn't learn this technique in the short term.

Li Banfeng looked at the furnishings in the room. "I'm afraid I'll blow up your house."

"Are you truly mad or just pretending? If you were truly mad, you wouldn't care about your own house, let alone someone else's. If you're pretending, don't waste your efforts. If you can't even go mad yourself, how can you expect explosives to go mad?"

Li Banfeng stared at the capsule. "This explosive feels so familiar, it looks like family."

Ayi nodded slightly. "Then treat it like family and get along with it slowly. Mad Cultivation techniques are not easy to learn. If you can use it within a month and master it within a year, that's your good fortune. Take your time practicing."

With that, Ayi went downstairs and walked towards Qiu Luoye with a smile.

Boom!

The building exploded.

Ayi's expression was one of shock.

A wave of air pushed Ayi flying into the distance.