Chapter 716: Sunflower

Haichiling, Sandaoling, Laobing Village.

Niu Fuzhi took his entire family, old and young, to the temple to offer incense to Master Seven. Then, each carrying their tools, they went to work in the fields.

Unbeknownst to them, two figures stood behind the statue: Pan Dehai, the local earth god, who possessed the art of invisibility and was thus usually unseen.

The other was Li Qi, whom no one could notice.

An invisible sunflower also grew behind the statue. On its flower head, a single sunflower seed had grown into a small statue, standing quietly and bending the stem under its weight.

Pan Dehai gently plucked the small statue from the flower head. One sunflower seed was now missing from it.

Holding the statue, Pan Dehai told Li Qi they should speak elsewhere. The two left Master Seven's temple and went to Pan Dehai's residence, where Pan Dehai handed the small statue to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng took the statue and placed it on his head, testing it. Pure human energy, under his control, flowed into his body.

The item was real, but the method was peculiar. Li Banfeng had truly not expected that the statue collecting human energy would turn out to be a sunflower seed.

"Old Pan, you actually know how to use Farming Cultivation arts?"

Pan Dehai smiled. "Having cultivated for so many years, it's impossible to specialize in just one technique; I've also dabbled in methods from other cultivation paths. While growing this type of sunflower does involve some principles of Farming Cultivation, the most crucial method actually originates from Virtue Cultivation."

Pan Dehai brought a bag of sunflower seeds and explained seriously: "These sunflower seeds were specially cultivated by me using the Virtue Cultivation technique 'Spring Breeze and Rain.' The essence of 'Spring Breeze and Rain' lies in enlightenment and nurturing. Through repeated nurturing with this Virtue Cultivation technique, these sunflower seeds gained some spiritual essence. After being cultivated into sunflowers, they learned the Virtue Cultivation technique 'Modesty and Open-mindedness.' Sunflowers with the 'Modesty and Open-mindedness' technique can absorb human energy within temples. The more human energy absorbed, the faster the sunflowers grow, and once they've absorbed enough, they produce sunflower seeds like these."

Hearing this, Li Banfeng became displeased. "What did you say initially? You guaranteed you could teach me this method and that I'd be able to learn it. Now you're telling me it's a Virtue Cultivation technique? How am I supposed to learn that?"

Pan Dehai adjusted his round-rimmed glasses, fanning himself slowly with a folding fan. "Brother Li Qi, please calm down," he said leisurely. "This old man already has a countermeasure. The best plan is for you to join me in the Virtue Cultivation path, and I will pass on the 'Spring Breeze and Rain' technique to you."

"Nonsense!" Li Banfeng retorted angrily. "Given my current cultivation level, how could I possibly cultivate another path concurrently?"

Pan Dehai shook his head. "Ordinary cultivation paths cannot be cultivated concurrently, but my path is not ordinary. As the saying goes, 'The foundation of all things begins with virtue, and the rise and fall of all matters stem from virtue. Virtue is the foundation of all cultivation paths under heaven!'"

Li Banfeng paused for a moment, preparing to retort to Pan Dehai.

Pan Dehai continued, "Brother Li Qi, this old man has already comprehended the origin of all cultivation paths under heaven. And now I have mastered a secret technique that allows you to cultivate Virtue Cultivation concurrently without suffering backlash from other paths."

Li Banfeng quietly watched Pan Dehai, understanding that some of his words required a special interpretation.

What he called "comprehending the origin of all cultivation paths" likely meant he had learned some techniques from other cultivation paths. The "secret technique" he mentioned was probably a specific trick of Virtue Cultivation that could break the boundaries between different cultivation types, thereby avoiding backlash.

A-Yi once said that Foolish Cultivation and Mad Cultivation belonged to a special category of paths that generally wouldn't conflict with others. Virtue Cultivation was very likely also in this special category, requiring only some specific techniques during cultivation.

But that wasn't the main point.

Li Banfeng directly refused Pan Dehai. "I won't learn Virtue Cultivation," he stated.

No matter how tempting the conditions Pan Dehai offered, Li Banfeng could not possibly join Virtue Cultivation. He remembered Face-Not-Big's warning: never to cultivate a path he disliked. And Virtue Cultivation would absolutely drive him mad within a day.

Pan Dehai sighed deeply. "Since the best plan is unacceptable, there's a middle plan," he said. "I have a magic treasure that is very adept at the 'Spring Breeze and Rain' technique. I can bestow it upon you now to help you cast the spell."

This was indeed a good method, but Li Banfeng thought for a while and still asked, "Is there a last resort?"

Pan Dehai frowned. "What's wrong with the middle plan?"

Li Banfeng smiled sheepishly. "I'm here to learn a skill from you," he said. "How could I possibly accept your magic treasure?"

Pan Dehai was very generous. "There are very few truly virtuous people in the world," he said. "You and this old man are certainly among them, models of virtue. As the saying goes, 'heroes appreciate each other,' kindred spirits understand one another. A mere magic treasure is nothing to mention."

Li Banfeng waved his hands repeatedly. "It's enough to have you as a model of virtue," he said. "Just tell me the last resort." He didn't want to accept Pan Dehai's magic treasure. No one could say what Pan Dehai might put inside it, and if he gave it to Honglian to re-refine and it became unusable, who would he complain to?

Pan Dehai, helpless, could only state the last resort. "You can also come here to collect sunflower seeds and plant them yourself," he said. "As long as nothing goes wrong on my end, you can take as many sunflower seeds as you wish."

What if something *did* go wrong with him?

Li Banfeng weighed his options carefully and came up with an idea. "I have a confidante who is a fellow disciple of yours, Old Pan," he said. "Could you teach her this technique so she can help me make sunflower seeds?"

Pan Dehai looked troubled. "This old man has dedicated his entire life to research to acquire this secret technique," he said. "How could I easily pass it on to an outsider?"

"Don't worry, it absolutely won't be leaked," Li Banfeng assured him. "It'll only be for my use. We can draw up a contract."

The next day, Li Banfeng brought Meng De over for her to learn the technique from Old Pan.

Old Pan made excuses and was unwilling to teach. Li Banfeng's face darkened. "Madam Forget-Worry didn't trust you initially," he stated. "This alliance with you is entirely due to my standing. If I don't leverage this standing, this alliance won't happen."

As he spoke, Li Banfeng's legs trembled violently, and his entire body started shaking.

Pan Dehai asked with concern, "Brother Li Qi, have you caught a cold?"

Li Banfeng waved his hand. "You're making me angry!" he exclaimed. "Just tell me, do you agree or not?"

Pan Dehai was indeed reasonable, and he taught Meng De for a full ten days.

Meng De's talent for Virtue Cultivation was already good, and she learned diligently. In ten days, she mastered the method and cultivated the first batch of sunflower seeds.

Li Banfeng took the sunflower seeds to Blade Ghost Ridge and secretly planted one in the temple.

As soon as it was planted, Li Banfeng grew worried. Although the Blade Ghouls generally had poor eyesight, once the sunflower grew larger, they couldn't possibly miss it and would surely pull it out as a weed.

Pan Dehai possessed invisibility art. Sunflowers he planted would be invisible to others. If he asked to learn it from him, would he teach it?

Most likely, he wouldn't teach it for free. And if he brought up other conditions then, Li Banfeng would find it difficult to refuse.

Was there another way?

The Bewildering Flower Array!

Sun Tiecheng had once used the Bewildering Flower Array to help Li Banfeng hide a contract, and Li Banfeng had also learned this method from Ninth Lady.

The technique's essentials were somewhat complex: selecting the right direction, using the proper depth and force, tearing open an indescribable fissure, and releasing an indescribable power from within it to obscure others' vision.

Li Banfeng took two tree branches and stuck them where he had planted the sunflower seed.

After sticking them in, Li Banfeng watched for a moment; the two branches were clearly visible.

This was an array he had set up himself, and naturally, he couldn't deceive himself. Who could he find to test it?

Cui Tike was definitely unsuitable, and the Blade Ghouls wouldn't work either. Li Banfeng returned to his portable residence and used the 'Spacious Cave Chamber' technique to summon Ninth Lady.

Ninth Lady looked at the two branches on the ground and asked Li Banfeng, "Are you going to use 'Hundred Steps Traversing'?"

Li Banfeng sniffed. Ninth Lady had seen the branches at a glance, proving the array was ineffective.

Seeing Li Banfeng's awkward expression, Ninth guessed roughly what was going on.

"Oh, you wanted to use the Bewildering Flower Array!" she said. "This array isn't easy to learn. Let me set it up for you first." Ninth was indeed considerate; she set up the array for Li Banfeng, hiding the sunflower.

Li Banfeng was filled with gratitude. "Ninth, you rarely get to come out," he said. "Let me take you around for a bit."

Ninth was happy and linked her arm with Li Banfeng's, walking out of the temple.

Looking at the Blade Ghouls scattered all over the mountains outside, Ninth said with a smile, "I just remembered something. The weather has been humid these days, and Hongying has developed a rash all over her body. I promised to apply medicine for her. Let's go home."

"Hongying can get rashes?" Li Banfeng hadn't expected that.

"Yes, she can," Ninth replied. "Her flesh and blood are different from ours; it's self-generated and much stronger than us puppets. So, please take me home." Ninth tightened her grip on Li Banfeng's arm, her voice growing even softer.

Li Banfeng said, "Applying the medicine isn't urgent. Let's walk around the mountain a bit more."

A roar echoed as the Blade Ghouls prepared to begin their ritual.

Ninth was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked at Li Banfeng and roared, "I want to go home!"

Li Banfeng quickly sent Ninth Lady back.

Ninth had also seen a lot of the world. She had also fought against Shan Chengjun and Shu Wanjuan. Could the Blade Ghouls scare her this much?

Moreover, the Blade Ghouls in Ninth's perception were still based on her own memories, and the current Blade Ghouls had been strengthened far beyond what she remembered.

If the Blade Ghouls left Prostitute Ridge, what would be the consequences?

Li Banfeng looked towards Cui Tike's cave and only left after watching for a while.

The sunflower seeds for absorbing human energy were made, but Li Banfeng sat at home, his body still trembling uncontrollably.

His wife could see this was a cultivation backlash, but she hadn't expected it to be so severe.

"Husband," she asked, "if we absorb human energy from Blade Ghost Ridge, how long will it take to gather enough for the fourth Cloud Layer?"

Li Banfeng thought for a moment, unable to estimate precisely at the moment. "It should be quite fast, right?"

Hongying asked, "Including your own territories, should it be enough in a month?"

Li Banfeng didn't speak; one month was definitely not enough.

Hongying asked again, "What about half a year then?"

Phonograph signaled Hongying not to speak further. Given Li Banfeng's current state, she wasn't sure if he could last for half a year.

Ninth subtly shook her head at Phonograph from the side. Some things couldn't be said openly now; when suffering cultivation backlash, worry was the most taboo. The deeper the worry, the fiercer the backlash.

But how could Li Banfeng not worry? In his current condition, he didn't know how long he could last, nor when he would be able to gather enough human energy.

Phonograph thought of an idea. "Husband," she said, "you don't just have popularity in Blade Ghost Ridge; your reputation in Green Water City is also considerable. Go find a place and plant some sunflower seeds to try."

At his wife's reminder, Li Banfeng had a sudden realization.

He went to Serene Creek Dock, planted a sunflower next to the stage, and had Ninth hide it with the Bewildering Flower Array.

Everyone in Green Water City knew that Serene Creek Dock was Li Qi and Ma Wu's territory. The human energy that could be gathered here probably wouldn't be much less than at Blade Ghost Ridge.

Besides Serene Creek Dock, where else?

Late at night, Li Banfeng went to Iron Gate Fortress and planted a sunflower inside.

The next day, Li Banfeng went to Black Rock Slope again and planted a sunflower around the newspaper office.

In Black Rock Slope, 'Night Fragrance' (the newspaper) had a great reputation, and Boss Ye's reputation was also considerable. Should he plant a few more?

Li Banfeng looked back at the newspaper office. The former factory-turned-newspaper office hadn't changed much. Editors were still rushing manuscripts for tomorrow's morning paper, and photographers were still taking pictures in the workshop for the month's first magazine.

Li Banfeng liked the newspaper office very much; he should come and stay for a few days more often.

After such a long time away, he wondered if they still remembered Boss Ye.

A sunflower head had hundreds, even thousands, of seeds; planting one was enough.

Li Banfeng walked to the doorway, stumbled, and nearly fell onto the road.

Both his legs began to disobey him.

Besides Iron Gate Fortress and Black Rock Slope, where else could he collect human energy?

Li Banfeng made a trip to Yuezhou. While he couldn't say for other places, at the Dark Star Bureau, many people would still remember Director Li. Li Banfeng planted a sunflower in his own office. When Ninth helped Li Banfeng set up the array, she noticed his complexion wasn't good.

"Mo Qi, if you're tired, rest first," she said. "We can think of other ways later."

"Not tired, I'm used to running; this is nothing," he said. After sending Ninth Lady back to his portable residence, Li Banfeng felt his legs turn to jelly.

Where else could he go?

Many in Seven Autumn City remembered Li Qi. There was also Proper Village. And...

And Green Smoke City. He wondered if those children still remembered.

Li Banfeng went to Green Smoke City, preparing to plant a sunflower in a warehouse next to the station. Before the hole was even dug, his calves gave out, and he collapsed next to the warehouse, knocking over a pile of cargo boxes and being unable to get up for a long time.

Ordinary people wouldn't notice Li Banfeng, but the fallen cargo boxes attracted the warehouse manager.

The warehouse manager looked at Li Banfeng and demanded, "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing, I'm just here to see if my goods have arrived," Li Banfeng said, leaning on the scattered boxes as he slowly stood up.

The warehouse manager waved his hand. "Go look somewhere else. Your goods are definitely not here," he said.

"I remember them being here."

"It's impossible for them to be here. You'd better leave quickly," he said. "This warehouse doesn't store anything."

"If it's a warehouse, why doesn't it store anything?"

The warehouse manager grew impatient. "Is this your first time in Green Smoke City?" he asked. "You don't even know about this warehouse?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Is there anything special about this warehouse?"

"This is our Benefactor's territory!" the warehouse manager declared, raising his voice on the word "Benefactor." "Our Benefactor was right here, saving the children of Green Smoke City, saving our own flesh and blood!"

Li Banfeng was stunned for a while. "You know about this?"

The warehouse manager was also stunned. "How could we not know?" he retorted. "Those are our children, and they told us themselves!"

Li Banfeng looked back at the warehouse, then at the manager. "You all still remember this?"

"Of course we remember! That's our Benefactor!" the warehouse manager declared, pointing at Li Banfeng. "Get out of here quickly! You can't touch this place. This is a treasure land for Green Smoke City. Consider yourself lucky you ran into me; I won't bother with you in the middle of the night. But when the other managers arrive, they'll surely deal with you!"

The warehouse manager was also quite scared; he didn't know the background of the person before him and just wanted to drive Li Banfeng away.

Li Banfeng stumbled a few steps, then turned back and asked, "You really all remember?"

"Of course we remember! Who could forget our Benefactor?" he yelled. "Now get out!"

Li Banfeng stumbled out of the warehouse and sat down by the roadside.

The air in Green Smoke City always had a faint smell of smoke. Li Banfeng looked at the hazy street and murmured, "Someone still remembers... still remembers..."

"Many people remember you. Green Smoke City should have a sunflower planted here," said a peddler. He set his carrying pole down by the roadside, took a bowl from his pole, filled it with fruit dew, and handed it to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng sat by the roadside and gulped it down.

After finishing the large, warm bowl, he felt some strength return to him.

Looking at the peddler's carrying pole, Li Banfeng asked, "Is your cart still not repaired?"

"If it were repaired, would I still be using this carrying pole?" the peddler replied. He then found five medicine packets from his pole and gave them to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng looked at the medicine packets. "What kind of medicine is this?"

"Soul-Returning Decoction," the peddler replied. "Drink one packet every three days; it will last half a month. Those sunflower seeds of yours were given by Pan Dehai, weren't they?"

Li Banfeng nodded.

"Give them to me."

Li Banfeng handed the seeds to the peddler.

The peddler took out one and buried it by the roadside. "Many people here remember the Benefactor," he said. "The sunflowers here will sprout quickly."

He dipped some vanishing cream, applied it where the sunflower seed was planted, and hid the sunflower.

"Many other places remember you too," the peddler said to Li Banfeng, holding the bag of sunflower seeds. "I'll go plant the sunflower seeds for you. When you've finished the Soul-Returning Decoction, wait for me in Green Water City."

Li Banfeng looked at the medicine packets in his hand. "I have to drink Soul-Returning Decoction?" he asked.

The peddler nodded. "If you don't drink it, you'll die," he said. "The conflict between Household Cultivation and Traveler Cultivation is too great. Before, I saw you were fine, so I didn't think much of it. I never expected the backlash, once it struck, to be so severe."

Li Banfeng put the medicine packets away and looked up at the peddler. "How are you always able to find me?" he asked.

The peddler glanced behind Li Banfeng. "Before, it was because I didn't trust you," he replied.

Li Banfeng asked, "What about later?"

The peddler hoisted his carrying pole. "Later, I didn't want to find you anymore," he said, "but I had to. Otherwise, I'd just be waiting for you to burn down my house."

Li Banfeng stood up. "I owe you such a great favor," he said. "How can I repay it?"

The peddler shook his head. "This favor isn't big," he said. "It's enough for me to send a few people to run some errands. You'll definitely get through this ordeal; all this is what you've earned yourself."

Back in his portable residence, Li Banfeng handed the medicine packets to Phonograph. "Wife," he said, "first boil a dose of medicine for me. This is Soul-Returning Decoction from the peddler."

Upon hearing "Soul-Returning Decoction," his wife's heart sank. The peddler giving him this proved her husband's condition was quite worrying. She quickly grabbed her tools and went to boil the medicine.

Honglian quietly came to the side of the medicine, sniffing the aroma and gently trembling her lotus petals.

A puff of steam circled Honglian, and her lotus petals immediately retracted.

"General Zhao, what are you doing?" she asked. "You're boiling medicine, and I can't even watch?"

"Do you want to watch, or do you want to drink it?" he replied. "The peddler's unique secret medicine, it's making you terribly greedy, isn't it?"

The steam swirled around Honglian, and Honglian, understanding, retreated to a distance.

Dose after dose of the medicinal soup was consumed. In a blink, half a month had nearly passed, and sustained by the Soul-Returning Decoction, Li Banfeng's condition was still acceptable.

He first went to Blade Ghost Ridge. Behind the temple, he found the sunflower.

There were daily rituals in the temple, and five small statues had formed on the sunflower.

The statues' appearance was largely consistent with the statues built by the Blade Ghouls: a man wearing a suit and a top hat, standing ramrod straight, with the brim too low to see his face.

This was the Blade Ghouls' impression of Li Qi.

The Blade Ghouls performed daily rituals, and their faith in Li Banfeng was extremely devout, but this number still surprised Li Banfeng.

As he absorbed the human energy from each statue, Li Banfeng thought of a problem.

There were many Master Seven temples in Sandaoling. During the New Year, every village held temple fairs, so the amount of human energy wouldn't be small. Yet Pan Dehai had only given Li Banfeng two statues.

Old Pan was still hiding quite a bit. He'd have to talk to him another day.

That same night, Li Banfeng arrived at Iron Gate Fortress.

The number of House Cultivators in Iron Gate Fortress was limited, and he couldn't expect them to hold rituals, so Li Banfeng didn't have high hopes.

But when he found the sunflower and looked, there were surprisingly three statues on its head.

The statues' appearance was different from those at Blade Ghost Ridge: he wore armor, held a long saber, and stood majestically