Chapter 713: Meeting Too Late

The peddler, biting on a cigarette, said resentfully, "Neizhou stirs up trouble in Luozhou every now and then. Ever since Qiao Yi took control of the government, his methods have become increasingly vicious."

Li Banfeng spat out some cigarette ash. "I'm still angry about that silent loss last time. Even blowing up his altar hasn't made me feel better!"

At this, the peddler also gritted his teeth. "They come to Luozhou, do their dirty work, and if they succeed, they make a fortune. If they fail, they act as if nothing happened. They know I'm busy running around with no time for revenge, so these scoundrels are becoming increasingly reckless!"

Li Banfeng also gritted his teeth. "These scoundrels should all be killed; their houses should be burned down."

The peddler strongly agreed. "So, other people's houses can be burned too."

Li Banfeng also agreed. "An altar is also a house, and I just burned one, didn't I?"

"That was well done," the peddler said, looking at the sky. "Actually, I also have a house above Gourd Village. It's not too big, but the craftsmanship is quite good. I was thinking—"

Li Banfeng pulled out his lighter.

The peddler suddenly looked at Li Banfeng. "I was thinking of giving you this house. What are you doing with that lighter?"

Li Banfeng looked at the flame on the lighter and explained, "Oh, I was just going to light you another cigarette."

The peddler confiscated the lighter and led Li Banfeng onto a cloud. This cloud wasn't small; it had a forest, a small stream, and at the end of the stream was a well. Beside the well stood a three-story wooden house.

It wasn't a wooden building in the modern sense, but a pure wooden house. The first floor had five wooden cabins: two large and three small. The second floor had three wooden cabins: one large and two small. The third floor had two rooms: one large and one small.

Although these ten wooden cabins were connected, their architectural styles varied. Even without understanding construction methods, Li Banfeng could tell they weren't built by the same person.

"These wooden cabins are patched together, aren't they? Some look like hunter's cabins, some like farmhouses, and some like cosmetic shops. It's too simple inside; there's no furniture, not even bedding. And look how long it's been since these windows were cleaned—"

The peddler angrily retorted, "Then don't take it!"

"I'll take it!" Li Banfeng agreed promptly. "Where are the keys? Do you have the property deeds?"

There was a large bunch of keys and ten property deeds. The peddler handed everything to Li Banfeng, then signed another contract, sprinkling blood on both the contract and the cloud itself.

Li Banfeng asked, "Is there anything special about this contract?"

"This is a land deed. Some call it a cloud deed, but I think land deed is more appropriate. It's quite similar to the process of reclaiming and claiming land."

Li Banfeng had previously created a cloud in Neizhou but hadn't signed such a contract before. He examined the land deed carefully. "Is this cloud yours or your wife's? I don't want your sister-in-law coming to settle accounts with me later."

"What kind of talk is that! If I can give you the house, it's naturally mine."

"Aren't you a land cultivator? Can you use the Cloud Gate technique?"

The peddler replied, "I said before that I can't use the Cloud Gate techniques *on* a cloud, but land cultivation has its own techniques. Otherwise, why would it be called 'Boundaryless Art'?"

"Are there Cloud Gate techniques even above the clouds?"

The peddler shook his head. "None have been discovered yet, but perhaps someone will create them in the future. Luozhou has endured to this day because of its adaptability. As long as change is possible, we don't have to fear losing to Neizhou."

Li Banfeng stood on the cloud, looking into the distance. From such a high vantage point, he still couldn't see the end of Gourd Village. "Qiao Yi also seems to have quite a few variables on his side."

The peddler nodded. "His variables are concentrated in the new lands. Since you blew up his altar, it's likely his variables won't be usable in the short term."

"Variables concentrated in the new lands?" Li Banfeng was unaware of this. The peddler took out a map and handed it to Li Banfeng. "The dozen or so new lands marked on this map were all created through a single ritual. Qiao Yi, through the method of 'receiving land with soil,' simultaneously enfeoffed thirteen local deities."

"These thirteen territories are interconnected and will eventually form the rudimentary shape of an empire."

Li Banfeng was no stranger to this tactic; He Jiaqing had similar ambitions.

"I'll go talk to these thirteen local deities." Li Banfeng put away the map and was about to leave when the peddler stopped him.

"You can't do this. It's dirty work, and if anything goes wrong, you'll be in a very difficult position."

"Are you planning for Cui Tik to do it?"

"Cui Tik isn't suitable either. I've handed this task to He Jiaqing."

Li Banfeng was a little worried. "He Jiaqing wants to be emperor. Aren't you concerned?"

"I am concerned, but Luozhou needs change. We must give those who desire change a chance. As for how to limit him, we'll have to figure that out. I'm telling you this so you can be more vigilant."

The two descended from the cloud. The peddler took a box and handed it to A Yi. "Here's your payment. Look carefully, it's double."

A Yi opened the box, revealing a satisfied smile.

Li Banfeng also wanted to know what was in the box, but A Yi closed the lid, refusing to show him.

The peddler said, "You don't need all those formalities from Neizhou. As long as you can produce soil, it's good enough. The faster this job is done, the better."

The peddler left, and Li Banfeng was also preparing to depart Gourd Village. A Yi said, "Xiao Yu, don't rush off yet. Sister was a bit heavy-handed that day, so let me teach you another technique as compensation."

Hearing this, Li Banfeng brightened. "What technique?"

A Yi opened a box of powder. "First, stretch out your hand."

Li Banfeng extended his right hand. A Yi grabbed a handful of powder and smeared it on Li Banfeng's face.

Li Banfeng's cheeks trembled with pain. "Why did you ask me to stretch out my hand?"

A Yi asked seriously, "Do you think your right hand has gone mad?"

Li Banfeng looked at his right hand. "Let me ask it."

After asking, Li Banfeng said, "My right hand says it hasn't gone mad."

A Yi brought a wooden box. "Mad people never think they're mad. This isn't something you ask; it's something you test. Grab something from this box and try it."

Li Banfeng carefully examined the wooden box. It was perfectly square, showing no special features from the outside.

There was an opening on top of the box. Li Banfeng reached in and pulled out a sachet.

The sachet was slightly larger than a quail egg, made of satin embroidered with a dragon and phoenix pattern, and its craftsmanship was exquisite.

Li Banfeng sniffed the sachet; its fragrance was very strong. Before he could figure out anything special about it, the sachet suddenly caught fire in his hand.

Li Banfeng quickly withdrew his hand and dropped the sachet. The sachet's flames suddenly intensified, nearly burning Li Banfeng's clothes.

A Yi opened the box, revealing more than twenty sachets inside. "Only one of these sachets is 'mad,' and you happened to pick the mad one."

Li Banfeng looked at A Yi, skeptical of her statement.

He was a Journey Cultivator at the third level of the clouds, and his skill in avoiding ill fortune and seeking good fortune had been refined by a master. It was impossible for him to deliberately choose a dangerous item. A Yi smiled. "If you don't believe me, I'll make another sachet 'mad' for you to try."

Li Banfeng suspected all the sachets were 'mad.' He examined each one. As a Mad Cultivator himself, he would surely sense any abnormality on the sachets.

The sachets showed no abnormalities. Li Banfeng stared intently at A Yi, watching how she would perform her technique.

A Yi put the sachets back into the box and, in front of Li Banfeng, used her "Mad and Arrogant" technique. "Another sachet has gone mad. If you can avoid it, that proves your skill."

Li Banfeng reached for a sachet. As his fingertips touched it, he could already sense an aura of madness.

This aura of madness was extremely subtle. It was very difficult to pick out the mad sachet quickly, but it was much easier to avoid it.

He quickly picked out a sachet. As soon as he opened his palm, the sachet caught fire.

This was illogical. Li Banfeng had sensed the aura of madness and even used his 'avoiding ill fortune and seeking good fortune' technique, yet he had chosen the most dangerous sachet out of more than twenty.

He shook the burning sachet from his palm, but his movement was a little too forceful, hitting a bamboo basket by the window.

A green snake leaped from the basket, biting towards Li Banfeng's arm.

Li Banfeng quickly withdrew his hand, accidentally triggering a mechanism. A feathered arrow descended from above, narrowly missing Li Banfeng's head.

A Yi watched Li Banfeng parry and dodge with a smile. After dealing with a series of traps, Li Banfeng realized something: if he were to fight A Yi in this room, he would have almost no chance of winning.

"Are you a House Cultivator?" Li Banfeng asked A Yi very seriously.

A Yi shook her head. "I'm not a House Cultivator. The reason you were so disheveled just now is that your right hand was affected by a Mad Cultivation technique called 'Regret at First Sight'."

"Every mad person is a kindred spirit to another mad person. When mad people meet, they feel a special affinity. There are one hundred and eighteen 'mad' objects in this room. If I hadn't retracted the technique, your right hand would have 'visited' all one hundred and eighteen of them."

Li Banfeng thought for a moment and recalled the first-class weapon, Stone Monster.

"So, the Stone Monster lives so happily in Gourd Village not because he truly loves singing and dancing, but because he was affected by the 'Regret at First Sight' technique and thus grew fond of the villagers?"

A Yi glanced out the window. The Stone Monster, with its long corn beard, was dancing while tilling the cornfield.

"He's a bit special. He was indeed affected by the 'Regret at First Sight' technique, but he genuinely loves dancing."

"In the altar, he was just a stone, enduring centuries of wind and rain, unable to move unless there was an opportunity to act."

"He loves dancing so much, he's probably making up for all the years he missed."

Li Banfeng was still pondering the use of 'Regret at First Sight.' A Yi looked at him affectionately and said softly, "Xiao Yu, among all the villagers in Gourd Village, each can learn at most one technique from me. You're the only one who has learned two so far."

"We've missed so much time as sisters. I want to compensate you for it. Let bygones be bygones. Don't hold grudges against me for some things anymore."

Li Banfeng sniffled twice, feeling so wronged that tears almost welled up. "Some things, I'll never forget in this lifetime. Two techniques aren't enough to make up for it. If you said three or five, that might be closer."

A Yi poked Li Banfeng with a finger. "You're so greedy, girl! You haven't even learned 'Regret at First Sight' yet, and you already want other techniques?"

Li Banfeng was confident. "I think I've pretty much learned it."

"Even if you've learned the essentials, do you know how to use it in battle? I always use it with Artisan Cultivation techniques."

A Yi was right. Her recent demonstration focused entirely on the mechanisms in the room. "The key to Artisan Cultivation lies in deployment. When people say 'Artisan Cultivator with a hundred blades,' they refer to a well-prepared Artisan Cultivator."

"When caught off guard, an Artisan Cultivator is fortunate to pull out even ten weapons, and whether those ten weapons can effectively harm the opponent is another matter entirely."

"Once, there was an elder Artisan Cultivator who was particularly skilled at setting traps. He could dig a pit so well that even I might not be able to tell if it was fake. But no matter how good a trap is, if people don't step into it, there's nothing you can do. That elder encountered a Journey Cultivator named Che Wushang. This person wasn't exceptional in other abilities, but he had perfected the 'avoiding ill fortune and seeking good fortune' technique. He evaded all traps and severely wounded the elder Artisan Cultivator."

"This elder was a dignified leader among Artisan Cultivators, yet he was defeated by someone like Che Wushang. After that battle,"

"the elder became a laughingstock among Artisan Cultivators and soon died of depression."

"From that time, I thought of creating a technique that would make enemies walk into traps themselves. That's the origin of the 'Regret at First Sight' technique."

"Xiao Yu, you don't understand Artisan Cultivation, so you'll have to figure out for yourself how to use this technique."

Li Banfeng wasn't worried at all.

While he certainly didn't know Artisan Cultivation techniques, that didn't mean he couldn't lay traps. All things possess spirituality, and anything with spirituality could potentially become a friend.

"Sister, stay with me for a couple more days. You can learn the technique well, and we can catch up on old times."

"Okay!" Li Banfeng readily agreed. "Sister, could you give me some more explosives?"

A Yi's face darkened. "Are you trying to blow up my house again?"

"Not at all. I want them for emergencies later."

A Yi thought about it and agreed, but she still made Li Banfeng sign a contract guaranteeing he wouldn't blow up her house or village.

Li Banfeng looked out the window. "Brother Qiu has been working quite hard these days, and you don't have that many clothes."

"So don't always make him wash them."

A Yi's face grew even darker. "That's my wife! Why are you always thinking about her? I could tell at a glance, you hussy, that you have bad intentions!"

In the new lands, the local deity Xin Rushuang was patrolling her territory.

Recently, some strange monsters had settled in her territory without signing contracts or disclosing their origins, which made Xin Rushuang uneasy.

In truth, such rule-breaking monsters existed in every territory. If they encountered a hot-tempered local deity, they could be driven away or even killed. If they met a gentle local deity, they might be tolerated and allowed to stay, but without receiving any cultivation benefits.

Ahead, a hedgehog and a snake were snuggled together, sleeping. From their forms, it was clear that both had cultivation levels around the fifth layer of the land, which was rare among strange monsters.

Upon encountering such monsters, a local deity should proactively negotiate with them, persuading them to sign contracts. In the future, whether for land reclamation assessments or disputes over territories with other local deities, they would serve as fierce warriors.

However, for Xin Rushuang, matters of territory management were not for her to consider.

She was one of the thirteen local deities enfeoffed by 'receiving land with soil,' and many matters concerning the territory were to be arranged by Liu Bufei.

What she needed to do now was to kill both unknown monsters, freeze them into ice, then shatter them into minced flesh, and bury them without leaving a trace.

She was a Cold Cultivator. Before each technique, she habitually pointed her right index finger at the target, which helped her concentrate and ensure the technique's precise hit.

She raised her right hand, intending to point at the hedgehog and the snake, but for some unknown reason, her index finger wouldn't extend.

Her finger felt as if it had cramped, unable to exert any force.

Xin Rushuang realized she had encountered a formidable opponent. Her body rapidly froze, encasing her from head to toe in a layer of ice armor.

Wearing the ice armor didn't impede her movements. She quickly turned, trying to locate the attacker.

In the wilderness, there was nowhere to hide. After searching for a long time, Xin Rushuang couldn't find the attacker, but she felt a burning sensation in her right leg.

Was it burned by fire?

No, Xin Rushuang was very familiar with this sensation. Frostbite could cause a burning pain. Her right leg was frostbitten.

She was a Cold Cultivator; how could she be injured by ice?

She quickly realized the reason: someone had repeatedly superimposed the same technique on top of hers, to the point where it injured her right leg.

Who possessed such powerful means to repeatedly apply the same technique to one leg?

Xin Rushuang had seen many Cold Cultivators, but even a master at Cloud Level Two might not be able to achieve this.

Further thought was useless; her right leg was nearly crippled. She had to quickly break the technique.

Xin Rushuang worried her technique was being manipulated. She immediately dispelled her Ice Armor technique and vigorously tried to thaw her right leg.

He Jiaqing, hidden beneath the soil, quietly observed Xin Rushuang.

He had stolen the tendons from her hand to prevent her from retaliating and to seize the opportunity to steal her Cold Cultivation technique.

Freezing her right leg was to restrict her movement and force her to remove her ice armor herself.

Next, He Jiaqing planned to steal her heart and liver. Xin Rushuang had neither the ability to retaliate nor the chance to escape.

Just as He Jiaqing was about to act, a massive character for "Retreat" suddenly appeared before him.

"What immense audacity!" Shu Wanjuan's voice resonated across the desolate land. Big Head, who was hiding nearby, prepared to emerge and provide support, but He Jiaqing waved him off.

The fear from his last encounter with Shu Wanjuan was still vivid in He Jiaqing's memory. He remained hunkered down beneath the soil, not daring to move.

"For the sake of Old Woman Ku, I'll spare your life. Now, scram!"

The enormous "Retreat" character moved swiftly towards He Jiaqing. He Jiaqing scrambled out of the soil and, along with Big Head, quickly fled Xin Rushuang's territory.

Xin Rushuang wanted to pursue, but Shu Wanjuan suddenly appeared and blocked her path.

Xin Rushuang recognized Shu Wanjuan and immediately knelt to bow, saying, "Marquis!"

Shu Wanjuan asked, "Where is Liu Bufei?"

Xin Rushuang lowered her head and replied, "Reporting to Marquis, he should be in his own territory."

"Are all thirteen local deities, enfeoffed by 'receiving land with soil,' in their respective territories?"

Xin Rushuang shook her head. "I don't know, Your Excellency."

"Don't you usually meet?"

"General Fenwu instructed us not to meet without his orders, to avoid raising suspicion."

Shu Wanjuan frowned slightly. "Take me to see him."

As he walked through the new lands, Shu Wanjuan noticed some clues.

More than one local deity had already died in these thirteen territories.

He Jiaqing, having fled into the distance, looked back at Xin Rushuang's territory.

Big Head was panting heavily, taking a while to catch his breath. "Who was that person just now? Was he a Literary Cultivator?"

He Jiaqing nodded. "He is a Literary Cultivator, the ancestor of Literary Cultivators."

Big Head was a little surprised. "It's truly not easy to escape with your life from someone like him."

"It's not easy," He Jiaqing also found it strange. "But why were we able to escape with our lives?"

Big Head said, "He said it was out of respect for Old Woman Ku."

"Impossible. Old Woman Ku doesn't have that much influence." He Jiaqing concluded there must be another reason.

Li Banfeng packed his belongings, said goodbye to Qiu Luoye, and left Gourd Village.

A Yi accompanied him to the village entrance, parting reluctantly. "Sister, I won't be by your side, so please take good care of yourself. Even though you've become someone's concubine, we can't let them bully you too much. If they treat you too harshly, come find me, and I'll stand up for you."

"Sister, you're truly good to me," Li Banfeng said, looking at A Yi seriously. "You know I'm not your sister, right?"

A Yi touched Li Banfeng's face and suddenly smiled. "The key principle of our Daoist sect is: never put on airs about what you don't want to do, and never wait to do what you want to do."

"You don't have Xiao Yu's temper, and I don't owe you as much. Isn't having you as my sister much better than having Xiao Yu?"

Li Banfeng found this very reasonable.

Walking out of the village entrance, Li Banfeng heard A Yi's song again:

"Brother, oh, the silk trees are blooming on the mountain. Brother, walk slowly, oh, and pick another flower for your little sister."

Not long after leaving Gourd Village, Li Banfeng received a call from Luo Zhengnan. "Seventh Master, something big has happened this time. Juanzi and the others have disappeared, and Qiao Yi is about to arrive. Qiu Zhiheng is going crazy—"

Li Banfeng hurried to San Tou Cha. Upon arriving at the New Sovereign's residence, Qiu Zhiheng said, head bowed, "Seventh Elder, I'm sorry. Punish me however you see fit; I won't utter a word."

Zhong Er brought Juanzi, Mengzi, and Xiaoshan before Li Banfeng. Dalian was standing nearby, face flushed, silent. It was clear what had happened.

Li Banfeng looked at Juanzi and the other two, nodding slightly. "This is quite good too."

Dalian smiled.

Qiu Zhiheng was stunned.

"Seventh Elder, Qiao Yi is coming. How will we explain this then?"

"What is he? What do I have to explain to him?" Li Banfeng said dismissively. "Find another three-headed person to replace the New Sovereign."

Zhong Er also smiled; his idea was correct. "Seventh Master, the New Sovereign has already been found."

He called over A Song, A Xiu, and A Fu.

Qiu Zhiheng lowered his head even further. "Those three are truly unbearable to look at."

Li Banfeng was very satisfied. "Aren't they also three heads? What's so unbearable? Call the Luo sisters." Qiu Zhiheng had some reservations. "Is it appropriate to tell the Luo sisters about this now?"

Li Banfeng smiled calmly. "What's inappropriate about it?"

Initially, Li Banfeng had also considered training Juanzi and the others to be the New Sovereign, and he worried they might expose flaws.

But after experiencing so many things, Li Banfeng realized this was not the crucial point at all.

Leaving the New Sovereign's residence, Li Banfeng said to Qiu Zhiheng, "This isn't your fault; there's no need to blame yourself. The Luo family's rise depends entirely on this New Sovereign, and Qiao Yi's desire for power also relies on this New Sovereign. As for whether this New Sovereign is of royal blood, does anyone truly care?"

Qiu Zhiheng was still uneasy. "A Xiu and the others are pure commoners. They don't look like emperors at all."

Li Banfeng laughed. "If a rough man can pretend to be someone's sister, why can't commoners be emperors?"