Chapter 714: Expectations

The five Luo sisters stood in the main courtyard of the New Lord’s residence, observing the "New New Lord" installed by Li Banfeng.

Luo Lijun first watched for a short while in her snail form, then, concerned about a snail’s poor eyesight, she transformed back into human form and scrutinized him for a long time.

"Seventh Master, this is outrageous, isn't it?" Luo Lijun’s voice trembled slightly.

Li Banfeng roared, "Presumptuous! Who are you calling outrageous? Bow to His Majesty immediately!"

"No, but the previous one—"

"There is no 'previous'!" Li Banfeng frowned. "There is only one Emperor. To say anything more would be blasphemy!"

Luo Lijun looked at her sisters.

Luo Yanjun remained silent. She knew it was useless to say more; it didn't matter who the New Lord was, only what Li Qi declared.

Luo Yujun reminded her, "Sister, it's not just us sisters who know the New Lord. Lang Daoshou, Xie Baheng, and Shan Yuzhu have all met this monarch. Isn't it inappropriate to just replace him like this?"

Luo Yanjun gave Luo Yujun a side-eye. "Then what do you think would be appropriate?"

Luo Yujun thought for a long time, then gritted her teeth and said, "How about we just silence them all?"

"Nonsense!" Luo Lijun roared, almost lashing out.

Luo Yujun dared not speak, unsure of what she had done wrong.

Luo Yanjun sighed, "What state is the Luo family in? How many trusted allies do we have in total? You just suggest silencing them?"

Luo Lijun wanted to hear the opinions of her other sisters. Luo Xiujun was nowhere to be found, and Luo Shaojun stood beside Li Qi, affectionately rubbing against him with her antennae.

"Worthless hussy!" Luo Lijun kicked Shaojun, then turned to Yanjun and said, "Go find Xiujun!"

Xiujun had said she was going to the latrine. In such a large residence, there were several latrines. Luo Yanjun searched along the way and found an enormous snail shell in the back garden.

Luo Xiujun, in human form, was standing by the snail shell, talking to someone.

"Sister, this pastry is so delicious. You should have some too."

"You eat it. I brought it for you. Why didn't you tell me about such an important matter?"

"Seventh Master didn't allow me to say anything. He usually doesn't let me out. But I heard you were here, and I missed you so much I couldn't resist coming out to see you."

Luo Xiujun hugged Xiaoshan tightly. Luo Yanjun stood by for a while before Xiujun noticed her.

"Yanjun, uh, when did you get here?"

Luo Xiujun quickly hid Xiaoshan behind her.

Luo Yanjun’s expression was cold as she said, "Weren't you going to the latrine? This place is quite far from it, isn't it?"

Luo Xiujun replied, "Well, after I went to the latrine, I felt a bit dizzy, so I just wanted to sit here for a bit."

Luo Yanjun looked at Xiaoshan behind Luo Xiujun. "Isn't that His Majesty?"

Luo Xiujun shook her head repeatedly. "That's not His Majesty. His Majesty is a three-headed bloodline. This is just a child from an ordinary family. He only has one head. You've mistaken him for someone else."

As she spoke, Luo Xiujun kept shielding Xiaoshan's face, afraid Luo Yanjun would recognize him.

Luo Yanjun had already recognized him, but she couldn't believe it.

How could a three-headed person separate into a one-headed person? How was this possible?

In Dashang, many members of the royal family had made numerous attempts to alter the appearance of three-headed people. Many had lost their lives in the process.

After careful confirmation, Luo Yanjun realized this was indeed Xiaoshan. A living, breathing person was right before her eyes, and she couldn't help but believe it. "Xiaoshan, are Juanzi and Mengzi still alive?"

"Yes, they are," Xiaoshan replied cautiously from behind Luo Xiujun. "They also don't dare to come out. Seventh Master doesn't allow them to."

Luo Yanjun walked around Luo Xiujun and squatted down. She asked softly, "Xiaoshan, tell your sister, how did you separate?"

Xiaoshan lowered his head, clutching Luo Xiujun's arm tightly. "I don't know how we separated either."

Luo Yanjun's face darkened, scaring Xiaoshan into recoiling.

Luo Xiujun quickly shielded Xiaoshan. "Yanjun, don't be hard on the child."

Luo Yanjun immediately smiled. "How could I bear to be hard on Xiaoshan? Your sister just wants to ask how you separated. Your sister is truly happy for you."

Xiaoshan hugged Luo Xiujun and said, lowering his head, "I really don't know. It was just for a period of time, Seventh Master made us eat a lot every day. He sent over so much food and insisted we finish it. All three of us had to eat, even if we were full, we still had to eat.

After a while, we got very fat, much fatter than before. One night, while sleeping, I felt itchy and wanted to scratch. Before, my two hands were rarely mine to control, so I hadn't really scratched much.

But that day, scratching felt especially good. It felt so good it woke me up.

After I woke up, I realized I had separated from my brother and sister. We had all separated." Xiaoshan's voice trailed off, and he dared not say more.

Luo Xiujun grew anxious. "Yanjun, my dear sister, please don't ask anymore, okay?"

Luo Yanjun stood up. "All right, I won't ask. Look how scared you are. I was just curious, nothing more."

Luo Xiujun cautioned, "You absolutely cannot tell anyone about this."

"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul."

"You promised, and you must keep it," Luo Xiujun said, hugging Xiaoshan tightly. "If Li Qi finds out about this, Xiaoshan's whole family will be finished. What kind of person is Li Qi? He's a cold-blooded killer!"

Luo Yanjun smiled. "We're sisters; don't you trust me? Come with me. Your sister wants you to come."

Luo Xiujun told Xiaoshan to hurry home. She then followed Luo Yanjun to the main courtyard.

Luo Lijun paced anxiously. "A New Lord like this will surely not fool Qiao Yi. All of you, offer some ideas and see if there's a good solution."

Li Banfeng didn't like to hear that. "What do you mean 'fool'? This *is* the New Lord! When is Qiao Yi coming?"

At this, Luo Lijun calmed down considerably. "It seems he won't be able to come anytime soon."

Li Banfeng asked, "Why not? Wasn't he supposed to meet the Emperor?"

Before Luo Lijun could speak, Luo Yanjun stepped forward. "Seventh Brother, something happened at the altar in Haocheng. Qiao Yi became overwhelmed with rage and fell ill, unable to recover."

Li Banfeng asked with concern, "What happened at the altar?"

Luo Lijun hadn't intended to mention it, but Luo Yanjun had no intention of hiding it. She leaned close to Li Banfeng's ear and whispered softly, "I heard that the altar in Haocheng exploded and can't be rebuilt for three years. That's crucial for creating new lands. How could Qiao Yi not be heartbroken?"

Li Banfeng rubbed his ear, which felt a bit itchy. "Lord Qiao and I have a good relationship. Please deliver a message to him, telling him to take good care of his health."

Luo Yanjun still leaned close to Li Banfeng's ear. "Don't worry, Seventh Brother, I'll deliver the message."

Luo Shaojun noticed something was off. Yanjun's lips were almost biting Li Qi's ear. "Sister, is there anything we can't say out loud?"

Yanjun shook her head. "Children shouldn't listen to adult matters. Seventh Brother, you just told Qiao Yi to take care of his health. This little sister of yours has also been feeling a bit 'heavy' lately. I'll have to ask you to help me with some adjustments sometime."

Li Banfeng looked Luo Yanjun up and down. "You don't look 'heavy' at all."

Luo Shaojun nudged Yanjun aside. "Seventh Brother, don't look at her."

Luo Yanjun said with a smile, "This little sister's body wasn't heavy originally, but the shell on my back feels heavy. Even if I take the shell off, I can't take it too far; I have to carry it with me wherever I go. I wonder if I'll ever find a way to completely separate from that shell."

Luo Lijun looked at Luo Yanjun, her face filled with shock.

The snail shell was the Luo family's lifeline. How could they possibly separate from it completely?

Yujun was also curious, not understanding what Yanjun meant.

Xiujun was drenched in sweat, her clothes soaked.

Fortunately, Luo Lijun had other things on her mind and didn't delve deeper into this matter for now. She assigned tasks to her sisters: Yanjun was to continue gathering intelligence from Chaoge; Yujun and Xiujun were to stay at the residence and teach the New Lord etiquette; and Luo Lijun would take Luo Shaojun back to Boundless City to manage city affairs and recruit talented individuals.

Boundless City faced significant operational challenges. It could not remain in the Luo family's fiefdom for most of the time.

No one could predict when Qiao Yi might make a move against the Luo family. Boundless City rarely stayed in the same location for long.

However, the city's constant movement led to unstable supplies of various resources. Boundless City's operations relied heavily on Li Qi's provisions.

Li Qi was willing to continue maintaining Boundless City's operations, but he also proposed a new rule: "Starting this month, Boundless City must abolish the system of serfdom."

Luo Lijun was dumbfounded. "But this is our ancestor's—"

Li Banfeng tilted his hat brim up and looked at Luo Lijun. "I don't know your ancestors, and I don't care what they thought. I can't control other places, but from now on, there will be no more serfs in Boundless City."

Luo Lijun wanted to argue further, but Li Banfeng had already made his decision, and it could not be changed.

Luo Yanjun stopped Luo Lijun. "Sister, listen to Seventh Brother. You won't go wrong."

Luo Lijun looked at Luo Yanjun, not understanding why she was siding with Li Qi on this matter.

Luo Yanjun watched Li Qi's retreating figure and murmured, "There's going to be a big change. This man is going to bring about great changes. Sister, our Luo family must absolutely follow him. From now on, we must listen to everything he says.

He won't just be the Prince of Pingyuan in the future. Many people in the Great Shang Kingdom will rely on him. Perhaps many in the Eleven Provinces and Three Thousand States will come to depend on him."

Late at night, Li Banfeng entered the room. He sat on the edge of the bed and asked Xiaoshan, "Did you tell them everything?"

"Yes," Xiaoshan nodded. "Everything was said just as Seventh Master instructed."

"You didn't let them see through it, did you?"

Xiaoshan puffed out his chest. "There were no flaws. I still know how to handle my sisters."

Li Banfeng praised him, "I knew you would amount to something."

Xiaoshan felt a bit embarrassed. "Sister Xiujun definitely wouldn't notice anything, but I didn't expect Sister Yanjun to be here too. Sister Yanjun is too clever. Even without flaws, she can guess things. Such a smart sister is truly difficult to deal with."

Li Banfeng didn't mind. "It's good that she guessed; the more she guesses, the better."

As he spoke, Li Banfeng's legs began to twitch involuntarily.

Xiaoshan looked at him and said, "Seventh Master, what's wrong?"

Li Banfeng stood up. "It's nothing. I just want to go for a walk."

The Dwelling Cultivator had been on Cloud Four for a while. The Journey Cultivator was still on Cloud Three.

The difference between Cloud Three and Cloud Four was immense. The backlash from cultivation was quite evident.

Was the Journey Cultivator also ascending to Cloud Four?

Promotion was good, but the key was where to get popularity.

Shu Wanji and Liu Bufei summoned the remaining twelve local deities one by one. They only managed to meet seven of them; the other five were missing.

Liu Bufei was terrified and at a loss. "Marquis, I followed Lord Qiao's instructions precisely. Ever since we arrived in Luozhou, we've been careful with every move. If Lord Qiao holds us accountable, you must speak up for us and be fair."

Shu Wanji nodded almost imperceptibly.

Speak fairly? With what? These thirteen local deities were carefully selected by Qiao Yi. Now that five are dead, Qiao Yi will certainly not let it go.

The imperial court would undoubtedly investigate this matter. It would be a miracle if Shu Wanji wasn't implicated. How could he possibly look out for Liu Bufei?

Shu Wanji merely warned Liu Bufei to be extra careful. On his way back, Shu Wanji was still contemplating how to report to the imperial court. Passing through the domain of the Cold Cultivator Xin Rushuang, Shu Wanji saw a corpse.

The corpse was conspicuous, lying on the barren plain.

Xin Rushuang was dead, her heart and liver stolen. There were also many wounds on her body; it was hard to say which one had been fatal.

Shu Wanji stood by Xin Rushuang's corpse, motionless for a long time.

He didn't pity Xin Rushuang; he wasn't familiar with her.

He was moved, touched by a younger generation.

After killing twelve local deities, Shu Wanji almost killed He Jiaqing. He Jiaqing had narrowly escaped death at the gates of hell. This young man should have known when to stop.

But who would have thought he would dare to come here and steal a domain?

Shu Wanji met He Jiaqing a second time and scared him away again. Based on the previous intimidation he had delivered to He Jiaqing, Shu Wanji was certain He Jiaqing would never dare to return.

But Shu Wanji was wrong. He Jiaqing still dared to steal. He stole right under Shu Wanji's nose. This thieving audacity was truly no less than that of Old Pincer Xiao.

Shu Wanji pondered countermeasures in his mind.

This was Xin Rushuang's own domain. Someone dared to openly kill a local deity within her domain. Did this not violate the Peddler's rules?

He could directly tell Liu Bufei to confront the Peddler. If a local deity was killed within their domain, the Peddler should provide an explanation.

But what if the Peddler didn't provide an explanation?

This was different from the previous situation where twelve local deities were killed. Those twelve local deities died unjustly. But everyone knew the true origins of these thirteen local deities.

Furthermore, only Xin Rushuang was killed within her domain. The other local deities had simply vanished without a trace. And Xin Rushuang's death couldn't be clearly attributed to anyone. If the Peddler openly ignored it, it would be justifiable both emotionally and logically. It was probably impossible to make the Peddler suffer a silent loss again.

If that was the case, he should just return to Chaoge and report directly, explaining the current situation clearly.

But could this matter truly be explained clearly? Could he just say he was incompetent and couldn't get the job done?

Even if he said so, it wouldn't help. Qiao Yi wouldn't let him off. He would still have to deal with this mess. In the end, Shu Wanji would be blamed for nothing, and might even have his title revoked.

Faced with this dilemma, Shu Wanji suddenly felt that something was wrong.

He flicked his sleeve, and a book titled "Night Snow" flew out. The words from the book lined up around him, protecting Shu Wanji.

Two people approached from a distance. One was He Jiaqing. The other was wearing a long robe, a bamboo hat, and a veil, completely concealed. A layer of mist also enveloped their body.

In the past, Shu Wanji would have first sent out some characters to ascertain the woman's identity, but he didn't do so today.

He looked at He Jiaqing and smiled. "Well, young man, you truly are a greedy scoundrel."

He Jiaqing calmly walked towards Shu Wanji. "Senior, you flatter me. I love wealth, but I also cherish my life. The reason I dared to come and meet you, Senior, is because I believe you value the younger generation and wouldn't bear to kill me."

Shu Wanji remained silent. Lines of characters continuously darted around him, lest even a single flaw be exposed.

He Jiaqing was right; Shu Wanji was reluctant to kill him. This wasn't because he valued the younger generation, but because Shu Wanji might not be able to kill him.

Previously, Shu Wanji had been injured by Li Qi and Lianda. He was then severely wounded by Heavenly Light. Shu Wanji was left barely alive. It was Shan Chengjun who helped him retrieve his life.

Now, his combat strength had not recovered, yet he dared not reveal it. He could only bluff and barely defend himself.

Fortunately, today he encountered He Jiaqing, not the Peddler nor Li Qi.

He Jiaqing stopped at a distance, maintaining a safe distance from Shu Wanji. "Although I am not a literary cultivator, by seniority, I should call you 'Old Ancestor'.

I know you came this time with the imperial court's decree. But now that things have come to this, if you try to report back to the imperial court, some matters won't be easily explained. It would be better if we, an old and a young man, strike up a friendship and fulfill each other's needs."

Shu Wanji chuckled. "To 'fulfill' is easy to say, but how can it be mutual? If I fulfill your needs, I will suffer."

He Jiaqing shook his head. "That's not necessarily true. May I ask, Old Ancestor, if these thirteen local deities leave the Great Shang Kingdom, will they ever have a chance to see Lord Qiao again in this lifetime?"

Shu Wanji thought for a moment. This was difficult to answer. He couldn't say there was absolutely no chance. If the Shang Kingdom completely conquered Luozhou, Lord Qiao might indeed come to see them. But before that, Lord Qiao would likely not come to Luozhou easily, and even if he did, he wouldn't meet these local deities.

He Jiaqing said bluntly, "I don't think they'll ever see Lord Qiao again. If you, Old Ancestor, report back to Chaoge that they are alive, then they are alive."

Shu Wanji laughed and shook his head. "You are truly arrogant, so arrogant that you don't take anyone seriously. Do you think I can just spout nonsense and deceive the imperial court? Do you think the court won't send people to verify?"

"This junior has already made preparations." He Jiaqing waved the folding fan in his hand. The person standing behind him lifted their veil and head covering.

In appearance, this person was identical to Xin Rushuang. After removing the outer robe, their physique was also very similar. "So, it's an Illusion Cultivator," Shu Wanji recognized the person's identity at a glance. "Unfortunately, she doesn't possess the methods of a Cold Cultivator."

Shu Wanji had said that this Illusion Cultivator didn't possess the methods of a Cold Cultivator, but he was wrong.

He Jiaqing nodded to the woman beside him. The woman understood and, with a wave of her hand, a puddle on the ground immediately froze.

Shu Wanji nodded and said, "She's using a Cold Cultivator's spiritual artifact. The technique is good; ordinary people wouldn't notice the flaw.

Did you only prepare one Illusion Cultivator?"

He Jiaqing replied, "I have made preparations for each domain."

Shu Wanji thought for a moment, then added, "There are thirteen local deities in total across the domains. Six dead ones have been replaced by you. Will the remaining seven live ones not notice the deception?"

He Jiaqing held his folding fan and cupped his hands in a salute. "Old Ancestor, this junior just mentioned that I've prepared replacements for each domain. Since they're all prepared, aren't those who are still alive somewhat redundant?"

Shu Wanji silently watched He Jiaqing.

The characters swirling around him stopped.

"Why should I trust you?" Shu Wanji asked.

"Luozhou has its own rules." He Jiaqing flicked his wrist, and his folding fan transformed into a contract.

On Blade Ghost Ridge, Li Banfeng stood next to his own statue. During the grand sacrificial ceremony, he rapidly absorbed popularity.

After absorbing for a moment, Li Banfeng walked out of the temple.

The popularity was pure and surged in, but without accumulation, its quantity was ultimately limited. And the popularity that these Blade Fiends usually offered to Li Qi was wasted because it couldn't be collected.

Li Banfeng couldn't stand by the statue absorbing popularity indefinitely. As for the popularity in his own domains, Li Banfeng had already absorbed it all. Aside from Greenwater City and Hibiscus New Land, the popularity in other domains wasn't substantial either.

Advancing from Cloud Three to Cloud Four required 100% popularity. Li Banfeng had gathered less than 20%. Where could the remaining 80% come from?

Before getting more information, Li Banfeng temporarily didn't want to risk going to the stairwell. Even if he went to the stairwell, he might not encounter the Sky Maiden's statue. Even if he encountered the statue, he might not return alive.

Li Banfeng remembered someone: Pan Dehai, who had the ability to collect popularity.

"When we were dealing with the insects in Gourmet Ridge, Pan Dehai's overall behavior suggested he was still trustworthy." Li Banfeng specifically sought Cui Tike's advice.

"You shouldn't ask me about this. I have a relatively unique perspective on Virtue Cultivators. In my opinion, no living Virtue Cultivator is trustworthy." Cui Tike picked up a spray bottle and watered the small flower in a tin can.

The flower was growing very well. Li Banfeng observed it with his Golden Eyes. A child stood in the center of the flower, looking up at Cui Tike.

Li Banfeng went to Gourmet Ridge and met Pan Dehai. He explained his purpose.

He wanted to learn Pan Dehai's method of collecting popularity.

Pan Dehai sighed. "This technique may sound unremarkable, but it's a skill I acquired through a lifetime of learning. It cannot be easily taught to those who lack virtue."

"What do you think of me?" Li Banfeng didn't want to beat around the bush with Pan Dehai. He directly used the "regret not meeting sooner" technique. Although not perfectly refined, it seemed to have some effect.

To Pan Dehai, Li Banfeng seemed to have an added halo.

Normally, before saying something, he would consider it carefully three times. But now, seeing Li Banfeng, it was as if he had met a long-lost confidant, and he spoke much more frankly.

But frankness aside, Pan Dehai made no concessions on the price. "Brother Li Qi, if you want to learn the method of collecting popularity, I can teach you, and I guarantee you'll learn it.

However, I also have a humble request, and I hope you can help. The local deity of Iron Bowl Hill is a Food Cultivator.

Her name is Madam Wangyou. I mentioned her to you before. I wanted to entrust Xiao Qin (Qin Tianjiu) to her. Although Xiao Qin's matter wasn't resolved, I still wish to form an alliance with Madam Wangyou. I ask Seventh Master to mediate for us."

Li Banfeng looked closely at Pan Dehai. "Why are you so insistent on forming an alliance with her? Is it because Madam Wangyou is beautiful?"

Pan Dehai sighed. "Brother Li Qi, what kind of person do you take me for? I deeply respect this hero. I have never had any improper thoughts about her.

The reason I want to ally with her is, firstly, I respect her character, and secondly, I respect her abilities. Her cultivation has long surpassed Cloud Three, yet she remains a local deity. Such people are very rare.

Over the years, I, this old man, have done many virtuous deeds, and I haven't been on the best terms with my neighbors. With war imminent in Luozhou, I'm afraid of being isolated and helpless in the future. Therefore, I wish to ally with this esteemed individual, so we can look out for each other."

Pan Dehai was indeed sincere today. Having done too many virtuous deeds, he knew he was likely to be isolated.

But Li Banfeng couldn't fathom any reason why Madam Wangyou would want to ally with Pan Dehai.

Li Banfeng sighed. "Old Pan, your request is not an easy one to fulfill!"

Pan Dehai also sighed. "Old Seventh, this technique of mine isn't easy to learn either!"