Chapter 725: Fire Cage Colt

Yu Yunqiu anticipated that Li Qi would try to intimidate him. He imagined his son being flogged, imprisoned, and publicly humiliated. However, he never expected Li Qi to threaten to beat his son to death in public. He was certain Li Qi wouldn't execute a senior official's son over a mere bondservant, nor did he believe Li Qi would execute so many people for the sake of one bondservant.

Li Qi's grand display was merely an attempt to disgrace him and tarnish the Yu family's reputation. This was no time for anger. Yu Yunqiu clenched his teeth, suppressing his resentment, and prepared to plead for his son. Before he could speak, Li Banfeng waved his hand and commanded, "Execute them."

Yu Yunqiu was aghast. Was he serious? Now?

The Melon People grabbed their sticks, and the first blow landed on Yu Daoquan's head. Yu Daoquan collapsed, howling, as sticks rained down on him. Several surrounding guards were also brought down. The Melon People snatched up sticks and aimed for vital points. Unable to endure the pain, Yu Daoquan cried out, "Mercy! I only did as my father instructed!"

Li Banfeng ordered them to stop and looked at Yu Yunqiu, asking, "Did you instruct your son to commit murder?"

Yu Yunqiu glanced at Yu Daoquan. Earlier, he had been focused on how to beg for his son's mercy. Now, he bowed to Li Qi and said, "This scoundrel's actions were unbeknownst to this old man."

Li Banfeng nodded. "Since you were unaware, the execution will continue."

The Melon People seized their sticks and resumed beating him. Yu Daoquan wailed continuously toward Yu Yunqiu, "Father, save me!" The other guards also wailed, "We can testify! It was the master who ordered it!"

Li Banfeng continued to stare at Yu Yunqiu, who was drenched in sweat and remained silent, his head bowed. Half an hour later, Yu Daoquan and several guards were publicly beaten to death.

Li Banfeng looked at Yu Yunqiu and asked, "Do you admit your guilt?"

"My humble self's family discipline was lax, and I failed to properly guide my son. I cannot shirk responsibility," Yu Yunqiu said, his voice trembling. He wasn't heartbroken over Yu Daoquan; he had other sons. However, he was truly afraid, uncertain of Li Qi's next move.

Li Banfeng stared at Yu Yunqiu for a moment, then asked, "I announced the abolition of the bondservant system, yet to this day, your household has not released a single bondservant, nor have you even submitted a register. When one bondservant simply wished to leave your pottery shop, he was brutally beaten to death by these villains. Yu Yunqiu, what exactly are your intentions?"

Yu Yunqiu knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. "Your Highness, this humble official admits his error. I have many bondservants in my household and have ordered the relevant people to expedite their organization. The register will be presented to Your Highness today, and the bondservants will be released in succession as per Your Highness's command in the coming days."

"I give you three days. If even one bondservant remains in your household, I will show no mercy!" Li Banfeng stood up, looked at Yu Daoquan's corpse, and told Yu Yunqiu, "Arrange the funeral."

Fearing a misstep, Yu Yunqiu quickly declared, "This rogue has tarnished my Yu family's reputation. I will simply give him a hasty burial."

Li Banfeng frowned. "I wasn't referring to him; he needs to remain displayed here. I told you to arrange 'Bei's' funeral. Do you know who Bei is?"

Yu Yunqiu genuinely didn't know; he couldn't possibly remember the name of a bondservant.

Li Banfeng said, "He was hanged outside your pottery shop. Bury him, and then kowtow before his grave to confess your wrongdoing."

Yu Yunqiu dared not say more. "As Your Highness commands."

Li Banfeng swept his gaze across the crowd and declared loudly, "Within three days, there shall be no more bondservants in Xiao City. Violators will be severely punished without leniency." Unbeknownst to them, his Lady used a sound-cultivation technique, making every word pierce through the clouds and shatter stone, clearly audible throughout the entire city of Xiao.

The senior officials and scholars present turned pale, none daring to speak. The commoners in the city didn't yet know what had transpired. They had only heard that something had happened to the Yu family but were unsure which household would be next. The bondservants lifted their heads and looked toward the Imperial City.

Li Banfeng returned to the Imperial City with the Melon People.

Yu Yunqiu gnashed his teeth. Ao Shuangqian stepped forward and helped him up. "Brother Yu, please accept my condolences. I've prepared a small offering of wine to honor your nephew."

Yu Yunqiu understood Ao Shuangqian's implication and, escorted by his household servants, returned to his mansion first.

Li Banfeng returned to the Imperial City and began planting Melon People with his Lady. As his main body was unsuitable for cultivation, his Lady used Zhao Xiaowan's puppet. After the seeds were sown, his Lady wiped away sweat and rested in Li Banfeng's arms. "My lord, merely killing Yu Daoquan won't be enough. These nobles may feign compliance, but their hearts won't be convinced. This only treats the symptom, not the root cause."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "The root cause isn't with the nobles at all."

Zhao Xiaowan pinched Li Banfeng's chin. "Then where is it?"

Li Banfeng didn't answer. He took a few sunflower seeds from his pocket and buried them in the soil. "My Lady, I've recently gained much popularity, and my Yang energy has also grown stronger. So, perhaps we could..."

Zhao Xiaowan looked at Li Banfeng, her face flushed. "My lord, can it truly work?"

Li Banfeng thumped his chest. "When has your man ever failed?"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Zhao Xiaowan pulled Li Banfeng toward the bedchamber. The bedchamber in Shang Kingdom was too large. Once inside, Zhao Xiaowan felt as if they were still outdoors. "My lord, I don't feel comfortable doing it here!"

Li Banfeng said, "My Lady, at a crucial moment like this, let's not be picky."

His Lady playfully chided, "My lord, does your humble servant need to go home?"

Li Banfeng frantically fumbled for his keys. After opening the door, Zhao Xiaowan blinked and praised, "A journeyman cultivator at Cloud Level Four is truly extraordinary, my lord. Shall we still go home?"

"We will go home," Li Banfeng said calmly. "Otherwise, how would I change my trousers?"

That night, Yu Yunqiu arrived at Ao Shuangqian's mansion. After exchanging pleasantries, host and guest took their seats. Ao Shuangqian raised his cup first. "This wine is for my unfortunate nephew." With that, Ao Shuangqian spilled the wine, and Yu Yunqiu shed tears.

Having completed the formalities, Ao Shuangqian dismissed the others. Yu Yunqiu wiped his tears, and the two men were ready to discuss serious matters.

"Brother Yu, what do you think is Li Qi's purpose in abolishing the bondservant system?"

"He likely intends to use the power of the bondservants to control us."

Ao Shuangqian shook his head slightly. "You're right about using the bondservants' power, Brother Yu, but I don't think he intends to control us. I've already seen a hint of murderous intent in his eyes."

Yu Yunqiu thought of Yu Daoquan's tragic end and gritted his teeth. "Does he truly want to eradicate us? Will the Imperial Court allow him to do so?"

Ao Shuangqian sighed. "We can't fathom Qiao Yi's intentions. Perhaps he, too, is pleased to see this happen."

Yu Yunqiu was startled. "Qiao Yi is also after our lives?"

Ao Shuangqian said, "We obey the Emperor, not the Cabinet. The Cabinet claimed the previous Emperor was false, and we believed them, but why hasn't he brought back the true Emperor? He always speaks of imperial tours, so it's no wonder we have criticisms. Perhaps Qiao Yi grew weary of these criticisms and deliberately staged this act with Li Qi."

Yu Yunqiu sighed. "If the Imperial Court cannot tolerate us, then the great Shang will also have no place for us."

Ao Shuangqian shook his head. "Qiao Yi is Qiao Yi, and the Imperial Court is the Imperial Court. If Qiao Yi truly dared to act against us, he wouldn't need Li Qi to step in."

Hearing this, Yu Yunqiu largely agreed. "Regardless of Qiao Yi's intentions, we cannot back down. This humiliation, this old man cannot simply swallow."

Ao Shuangqian raised his cup. "Ao cannot swallow it either. To be frank, I have already prepared the register of over 3,100 bondservants under my command. I will send it to Li Qi first thing tomorrow morning."

Yu Yunqiu looked surprised, not understanding Ao Shuangqian's meaning. "Brother Ao, are you here to test me on behalf of Li Qi?"

Ao Shuangqian shook his head. "Not at all. The reason I offer the register is, firstly, to show goodwill and make Li Qi relax his guard. Secondly, it's an opportunity to present a treasure to Li Qi."

Yu Yunqiu asked, "What treasure will you present?"

Ao Shuangqian said, "I was just about to discuss this with you, Brother Yu. The Ao family has accumulated some resources over the years. We don't have many top-tier weapons, but we do have two or three. However, Li Qi is quite skilled, and we need to win with a single strike. I've been wondering what kind of weapon would be suitable and would appreciate your advice, Brother Yu."

Yu Yunqiu and Ao Shuangqian jointly controlled Xiao City, constantly vying for power and naturally knowing each other's depths. If Ao Shuangqian truly intended to accomplish this on his own, why would he consult Yu Yunqiu? Did Yu Yunqiu believe he was genuinely undecided about which weapon to use? At this point, the meaning was clear: Ao Shuangqian was taking the lead, and Yu Yunqiu would have to contribute. If anything went wrong, both would share the responsibility.

Yu Yunqiu set down his wine cup and said in a low voice, "I heard Li Qi is a journeyman cultivator from the clouds, exceptionally skilled in foreseeing good and bad fortune, moving unhindered, and creating wind from nowhere. Journeyman cultivators are adept at escaping. Defeating him with a first-tier weapon wouldn't be difficult, but preventing his escape would be quite another matter."

Ao Shuangqian asked, "Brother Yu, do you have any good ideas?"

Yu Yunqiu said, "This old man possesses a Fire Cage Colt, a top-tier first-grade weapon, and I'm confident it can take Li Qi's life. However, if presented to Li Qi alone, he might become suspicious."

Ao Shuangqian had been waiting for precisely that. "Since Brother Yu is willing to part with such a treasure, how can Ao begrudge some funds? Tomorrow, I will prepare more gifts and send them to Li Qi along with the register. As long as the Fire Cage Colt is mixed among them, Li Qi surely won't notice."

Yu Yunqiu asked, "The Fire Cage Colt needs to be prepared in advance. When do you plan to act, Brother Ao?"

"Tomorrow night."

Yu Yunqiu twirled his wine cup. "Brother Ao, submitting the register tomorrow and then acting on the same night—isn't that a bit rushed?"

Ao Shuangqian shook his head. "Not rushed at all. As you saw, Brother Yu, when Li Qi and Qiao Yi arrived yesterday, we didn't know when they had reached Xiao City, catching us completely off guard. After Qiao Yi and Nian Shang departed, we thought Li Qi was the only one left in the Imperial City, but last night, a swarm of guards appeared around him. I've heard that this man's actions in Pu Luo State are always unpredictable. Xiao City sees countless merchant ships every day, and no one can say which ship might carry Li Qi's forces. If we wait a few more days for him to assemble a large army in Xiao City, it won't be so easy to act against him. By then, his blade will truly be at our throats. Furthermore, many bondservants in the city are restless. If someone truly tears open the wound, it will be difficult for us to close it again."

Yu Yunqiu pondered for a long time, then nodded. "Brother Ao, what you say makes sense. Opportunity knocks but once; we should catch him off guard. I will send the Fire Cage Colt tonight, and tomorrow, I will also present my register to Li Qi."

Ao Shuangqian shook his head. "Don't rush, Brother Yu. Li Qi just killed your nephew, and he knows you harbor resentment. If you were to show goodwill now, it would only arouse his suspicion. I've arranged with Ban Chiling and Tie Baisheng to meet the City Lord together tomorrow and present the registers. Both of them are cunning and won't reveal any flaws."

Yu Yunqiu, however, remained uneasy. "Precisely because they are cunning, if they learn of the inside details, it might turn against you and me."

Ao Shuangqian smiled. "Brother Yu, I'm bringing them along merely for show. Why would I inform them of the real plan?"

Yu Yunqiu felt somewhat relieved. "Tomorrow night, I'll prepare some personnel to wait at home. If something major happens to the City Lord, we must also show our concern."

Ao Shuangqian nodded. "To both console the City Lord and deter the bondservants, let's settle on this plan."

The next morning, Ao Shuangqian, accompanied by Ban Chiling and Tie Baisheng, went to the Imperial City to present the registers. This was a decisive execution of the City Lord's command, so Li Banfeng naturally wouldn't refuse and had to receive them personally.

Ao Shuangqian had distinctive features: his head shape was somewhat similar to Ye Shengge's, both having pointed heads and long beards, but Ao Shuangqian's physique was more robust than Ye Shengge's. His most unique characteristic was a pair of pincer-like hands, which looked inconvenient but were actually extremely agile. When showing the register to Li Qi, he turned the pages with remarkable smoothness.

By Pu Luo State's aesthetic standards, Ban Chiling was quite handsome. His original form was an ox, but he had clear eyes and delicate features. A pair of horns were hidden within his topknot. When silent, he looked almost like a Pu Luo State beauty. When he spoke, there was no major issue, though his flat, broad teeth made him look slightly unnatural.

Tie Baisheng's name sounded like a blacksmith's, but his original form was a horse. He had a long face, large eyes, and an overall appearance similar to a Pu Luo State person, but because he wore horseshoes, his steps clacked loudly. This was the Tie family's tradition: the louder the hoofbeats, the higher the status. Tie Baisheng was a senior official, holding the highest rank in the Tie family. Those familiar with him could distinguish his footsteps from a distance.

All three senior officials presented their registers, and they did not neglect their etiquette, each preparing a box of gifts for Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng frowned, adopting the accent of Neizhou. "Why this gesture? Who do you take me for?"

Ao Shuangqian smiled. "Your Highness, this is just a small token of our appreciation. Please don't despise these humble gifts. We were simply..." Li Qi opened the boxes.

Ao Shuangqian was momentarily speechless. Who opens gifts right in front of the givers? It's proper to wait until they've left.

Li Banfeng looked at the gifts in each box. Ao Shuangqian's gifts were mostly porcelain, Ban Chiling's mostly fabrics, and Tie Baisheng's mostly jade. "These items must be worth a considerable amount, wouldn't you say?" Li Banfeng asked the three men seriously.

The three senior officials' faces flushed. "Just a humble gift."

Li Banfeng asked, "Are they truly that humble? Are you looking down on me?"

The three senior officials exchanged glances, unsure how to reply. Tie Baisheng was the first to speak. "Your Highness, the items in the box I presented are indeed quite valuable. They are all top-grade jade."

Ban Chiling shot Tie Baisheng several exasperated glances. Ao Shuangqian breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Tie Baisheng had smoothed things over. Li Banfeng accepted the gifts and registers, commending the three greatly.

After leaving the Imperial City, Tie Baisheng asked Ao Shuangqian, "Lord Ao, when do you plan to release the bondservants?"

Ao Shuangqian replied, "Within the next day or two."

Ban Chiling asked, "My lord, is that true?"

Ao Shuangqian's expression grew very serious. "Since I have presented the register to the City Lord, I am naturally utterly devoted to him. How could there be any deceitful compliance?"

Hearing this, Ban Chiling and Tie Baisheng were filled with mixed feelings. Upon returning to their mansions, they each pondered their future strategies.

Li Banfeng was still in the main hall, inspecting the gifts presented by the three senior officials, each item being checked with his Spirit-Sound Insight. There was a peach-red porcelain horse, exquisitely crafted, but Li Banfeng detected no spiritual sound from it. From a comb, he could hear some spiritual sound, repeatedly echoing a single sentence: "Who will comb my hair? I've found the comb, but I can't find my head." This comb wasn't even a magical artifact; it was merely a spiritual object. Li Banfeng handed it to his Lady for disposal.

The other items had no spiritual properties, but Li Banfeng dared not be careless. He didn't bring them into his portable dwelling. Instead, he had the Melon People find an attic and store all these items there.

Ao Shuangqian returned to his mansion and took a cage from his sleeve. Inside the cage was a thumb-sized red-haired horse, quietly resting without making a sound. The fact that it had circulated under Li Banfeng's nose without being detected showed its impressive power. Ao Shuangqian asked the red horse, "Have you memorized Li Qi?"

The red horse nodded. Ao Shuangqian opened the cage and released the red horse. The red horse's form blurred, turning into a wisp of smoke, and flew out the window, disappearing from sight.

By evening, Li Banfeng's Yang energy was abundant, and he felt capable once more. Li Banfeng knew not to rush. He invited his Lady to the main hall, discussing serious matters while also setting a romantic mood. After waiting for a full hour, Li Banfeng felt the time was right. Suddenly, the air in the great hall grew intensely hot. This heat wasn't coming from his Lady; it was a warning from his foresight of good and ill fortune. When danger approached, Li Banfeng usually felt a chill run through him, but this time was an exception; he felt waves of heat across his body.

He tried to leave the hall, but upon reaching the door, he found it wouldn't open. He tried to break out using his unhindered movement ability, but he couldn't pass through the walls or windows. He attempted to force a path with his "Broken Path," and after several tries, a faint crack appeared on the wall, but it didn't open a way out. The view outside the window remained unchanged, showing no discernible difference. Yet, through his Spirit-Sound Insight, Li Banfeng could vaguely hear sounds, very similar to Tie Baisheng's footsteps. Activating his "Golden Gaze," he looked towards the sound and saw a red steed suddenly pass by the window.

"It's a porcelain horse!" his Lady also exclaimed. "It's the porcelain horse they gave you earlier, my lord!"

That porcelain horse was a gift from Ao Shuangqian. Li Banfeng had inspected it and found it had no spiritual essence. Why was it moving now? This spiritual object was truly deeply hidden. As he pondered, raging flames surged forth, engulfing the entire main hall. Li Banfeng took out his key and, with his Lady, returned to his portable dwelling.

That night, a great fire consumed the Imperial City. The entire main hall was reduced to ruins, and Prince Pingyuan was nowhere to be found. The two leading senior officials of Xiao City led people to fight the fire overnight, but alas, the blaze was too fierce for human efforts to contain. This was no mere excuse. Yu Yunqiu and Ao Shuangqian had both brought many people and exerted their full efforts to extinguish the fire, but it truly could not be stopped. They both knew the immense power of the Fire Cage Colt; as long as there was a single living thing in the hall, the Fire Cage Colt would not cease its attack. The two continued their performance until the next morning, ensuring their act was convincing.

Seeing the crumbling walls and a pile of ashes, Yu Yunqiu grabbed a Melon Guard and roared, "Was the City Lord truly in this hall? Did you see it with your own eyes?"

Banfeng Yi, possessing the Melon Guard, replied with a trembling voice, "I personally saw the Prince enter the main hall and never come out again."

Yu Yunqiu beat his chest and stamped his feet, crying, "How could such a thing happen!"

Ao Shuangqian incessantly dug through the ruins with his pincer-like hands, shedding tears as he did so. "City Lord, Your Highness, don't worry! This humble official is coming to rescue you!"

Many surrounding senior officials also wept. Ban Chiling, with tears in her eyes, helped Ao Shuangqian dig, saying, "Just yesterday, the City Lord looked perfectly fine. How could he just—"

Tie Baisheng cried as he dug. "Your Highness, how could you abandon us?"

"Your Highness is blessed by heaven and will surely persevere!" Yu Yunqiu also began to dig.

"Your Highness!" A group of senior officials, shedding tears, came forward and dug together.

"You must hold on!" Li Banfeng also came over to help them dig.

After digging for a moment, everyone looked at Li Banfeng simultaneously.

"Your Highness, is that you?" Tie Baisheng greeted first.

"It's me," Li Banfeng nodded. "What are you digging for?"

Everyone exchanged glances. Ban Chiling wiped away her tears and quickly stepped forward to offer congratulations. "Your Highness is truly blessed!"

Tie Baisheng's sorrow turned to joy. "I knew Your Highness would survive this ordeal!"

The group of senior officials wiped away their tears and congratulated the City Lord. Only Ao Shuangqian and Yu Yunqiu's tears were uncontrollable, no matter how hard they tried to suppress them.

"Are you not digging anymore?" Li Banfeng quietly watched Ao Shuangqian.

Ao Shuangqian sobbed twice. "Since Your Highness is safe and sound, there's naturally no need to dig."

"Then let's discuss serious matters," Li Banfeng smiled. "You submitted the register yesterday. Have the bondservants all been released?"

Ao Shuangqian sobbed for a long time, explaining, "This humble official informed the bondservants yesterday to find their own way in life from now on. However, there are so many of them, and they couldn't find a place to go immediately, nor did this humble official have anywhere to settle them."

Li Banfeng said, "No matter. Tell those who cannot find a livelihood to come to me; I will arrange for them."

Ao Shuangqian kept his head down, not daring to say another word.

Li Banfeng then looked at Ban Chiling and Tie Baisheng. "You two also presented registers yesterday. When do you plan to release your people?"

Ban Chiling looked at Tie Baisheng, who then said, "Like Lord Ao, we will release the bondservants today."

Li Banfeng offered them an approving smile, then turned to Yu Yunqiu. "Old Yu, have you still not submitted your register?"

Yu Yunqiu lowered his head and said, "It will be submitted today."

"Old Yu, can you ride a horse?" Li Banfeng suddenly asked, nearly startling Yu Yunqiu out of his wits. What did he mean by "riding a horse"? It seemed the entire plot had been exposed. Even the Fire Cage Colt couldn't kill him. How high was his combat power? Now, with the man right before him, Yu Yunqiu feared Li Qi might take his life at any moment.

Li Qi scanned the crowd. "Someone released a horse in the Imperial City last night. I find that quite interesting. I particularly enjoy horse riding; I can ride five at once. If anyone still hasn't submitted their register today, come to the Imperial City and ride horses with me."

That afternoon, the senior officials gradually submitted their documents. They were truly terrified. The sudden fire in the Imperial City was definitely not an accident; everyone understood that. Li Qi was in the main hall, which was burned to ashes, yet Li Qi emerged unharmed. No one could comprehend this. The senior officials understood that when faced with incomprehensible matters, it was best not to overthink them, lest they be dragged into trouble. Submitting the registers first ensured superficial compliance. As for whether the bondservants dared to leave, that was beyond Li Qi's control.

After the senior officials submitted their registers, the local gentry also dared not delay. The commoners, who had few bondservants to begin with, also handed in their lists. By evening, the Eight Chambers had meticulously organized the registers and counted the numbers. Li Banfeng praised, "Brother, you did good work. I've told Honglian to refine a puppet for you."

Leaving his portable dwelling, Zhao Xiaowan had already figured out how to use three first-tier weapons. His Lady once again cautioned, "My lord, if you press the nobles too hard, they will surely cause major trouble. The great fire in the main hall might just be the beginning."

"My Lady, there's no need to concern ourselves with the nobles. They truly aren't the key."

"My lord, then what exactly is the key?"

Li Banfeng stood at the city gate until late into the night. A dozen or so "worms" then began to crawl toward the Imperial City. The leading "worm" was named Shun, a bondservant from Yu Yunqiu's household.

"The key people have arrived," Li Banfeng said, standing at the gate and quietly watching the dozen or so bondservants. They lingered at the entrance, afraid to approach. Li Banfeng looked at the bondservants and spoke each word distinctly: "If you don't dare to come, I will lend you courage. If you don't want to come, no one can save you."