Chapter 730: 嫂夫人,我来了(High Energy Chapter)

Qiao Yi traveled to Xiaodu on a merchant ship. When they were still over thirty li from Xiaodu, many warships appeared on the sea. There were numerous enslaved people on board, holding weapons and standing in formation on the deck.

The ships came alongside each other, and a warship approached to question them. Nian Shangyou casually fobbed them off with a few words.

Inside the cabin, Qiao Yi observed the warships' setup and the weapons held by the enslaved people. His expression grew increasingly solemn. "Qi Capital is recruiting private soldiers with such excellent armaments. What does Li Qi's action imply for my position?"

Nian Shangyou advised, "My lord, these are not private soldiers. Li Qi has submitted a memorial about them. They are guards he uses to protect passing merchant ships."

Qiao Yi frowned. "Have you ever seen guards like these? Their warships and armaments are comparable to the navy's."

Nian Shangyou said, "The Tie family's craftsmanship is superb, and they've absorbed the industries of the Yu and Ao families. It's not surprising that they can build warships of this caliber. However, they are still far from comparable to the navy. In a battle, it's not just about weaponry; the quality of the soldiers is even more crucial. These enslaved people are still far from adequate."

As a martial artist by origin, Nian Shangyou was naturally an expert at assessing combat strength.

After traveling a few more li, a cargo ship was seen rushing toward Xiaodu, pursued by two warships.

Judging by the markings on these two warships, they seemed to be from Hao City. It was unclear why they were pursuing a cargo ship.

Xiaodu's warships immediately set out, intercepting Hao City's warships. Negotiations between the two sides failed, and a battle erupted on the spot.

Hao City's two warships were somewhat old. Although their soldiers were well-trained, their weaponry was inferior to Xiaodu's warships.

After a few engagements, Hao City's warships were severely damaged, both began leaking, and were forced to retreat. Qiao Yi asked Nian Shangyou:

"What do you make of this battle?"

Nian Shangyou explained, "This is because there's too great a disparity in weaponry between the two sides. My lord, you needn't worry; Chaoge's warships are far superior to Hao City's."

The cargo ship escaped, albeit heavily damaged. Warships approached to assist, taking everyone off the ship.

These people were all enslaved. The cargo ship was not for transporting goods but for helping enslaved people escape.

Qiao Yi grew increasingly concerned. He had already seen three such cargo ships carrying enslaved people along the way.

"Who exactly is helping these enslaved people escape to Xiaodu?" Qiao Yi knew that the enslaved people themselves certainly couldn't acquire these ships.

Nian Shangyou had a theory: "It's likely people from the White Falcon Alliance. Over the years, they've taken away many enslaved people. It's said that most were taken in by them, and some were sent to other states. Now they're sending them all to Xiaodu, which saves a lot of trouble."

Qiao Yi frowned. "You speak so lightly!"

Nian Shangyou quickly rephrased: "My lord, please don't be angry. I was merely stating the facts. Li Qi definitely has dealings with the White Falcon Alliance. As for these enslaved people sent to Xiaodu, it's really inconsequential. How large is Xiaodu in total? How many enslaved people can it hold? My lord, you don't need to trouble yourself over this—"

The more Qiao Yi listened, the angrier he became, but Nian Shangyou suddenly fell silent.

He stared out the porthole, looking as if he had frozen.

Qiao Yi asked, "What's wrong?"

Nian Shangyou murmured, "Those are my family's enslaved people, enslaved people from my fief. I recognize them—"

Qiao Yi pursed his lips and sniffed.

Nian Shangyou almost rushed out of the cabin but was stopped by Qiao Yi's guards.

"My lord, those are my family's enslaved people! How dare Li Qi seize my private property? Li Qi is colluding with the White Falcon Alliance, undermining the ancestral system of Great Shang! If this act is not punished, where will Great Shang find peace? The very foundation of the state will be shaken!"

Qiao Yi poked the charcoal fire and continued to brew tea. "Shangyou, don't rush. What you just said was out of line. Your enslaved people escaped, why should the state be shaken? Please reconsider your words."

Nian Shangyou was right; some enslaved people had indeed been sent by the White Falcon Alliance. Zuo Anna was in Xiaodu, drinking tea with Li Banfeng.

"Our leader expresses his respect for your feat in Xiaocheng. We never imagined you could shake the system of enslavement within the Shang Kingdom. He hopes you will reconsider joining the White Falcon Alliance and is willing to offer you all possible assistance."

Li Banfeng raised his cup in thanks. "Bringing more escaped enslaved people is the greatest help to me."

Li Banfeng did not mention joining the White Falcon Alliance.

Zuo Anna said, "I might be quite direct, and I hope you don't mind, but I'm very curious: do you genuinely care about these enslaved people? Your actions don't seem to be about rescuing the enslaved people. It appears you are disrupting the situation in the Shang Kingdom in your own way, preventing Shang from bothering Puluo State. So I believe your ultimate goal is to protect Puluo State."

Li Banfeng changed the tea and reheated the water. "Do you think there's a contradiction between saving the enslaved and protecting Puluo State?"

Zuo Anna shook her head. "No contradiction. Frankly, we are doing the same thing. A friend of mine just accomplished something similar. He's currently recuperating in Suian Town. You should know him. Would you like to go see him?"

Li Banfeng declined Zuo Anna's invitation. "I still have many things to do right now. I'll visit Suian Town another day."

A spider quietly crawled onto Zuo Anna's leg. Zuo Anna stood up and said, "I should go. My friend's condition isn't too good, and I need to procure some medicine."

Li Banfeng nodded. "I don't know if Xiaodu's medicine will suit your friend. If you need help, come find me in the Imperial City. Also, please send my regards to Dabingzi."

Zuo Anna's heart tightened. Such a small spider couldn't escape Li Qi's notice.

No sooner had she left than Nian Shangyou arrived at the Imperial City. After exchanging greetings, Nian Shangyou requested Li Qi to find a suitable place for a private conversation.

Li Banfeng took Nian Shangyou to Frost Leaf Palace. Accompanying Nian Shangyou was a bodyguard.

Although disguised, Li Banfeng recognized him at a glance: the bodyguard was Qiao Yi.

"Lord Qiao, do you have leisure today to visit Xiaodu?"

"Leisure," Qiao Yi sneered. "Since Prince Pingyuan's arrival, when has this old man ever had leisure?"

"Look at you, at your age, why such a temper? If you're not at leisure, why have you come to see me?"

Qiao Yi didn't beat around the bush and directly stated his purpose: "Autumn is approaching, and the Tu Fang Kingdom will surely raid us. I have already issued orders to deploy troops to the border to protect the land and its people."

Li Banfeng understood Qiao Yi's meaning. "So, you want to go to war? That's good. The Tu Fang Kingdom is despicable; they should have been fought long ago. But what does this have to do with me?"

Qiao Yi frowned. "How can it not concern you? Your Highness is the Prince Pingyuan of Great Shang. For this campaign, I wish to recommend Your Highness to lead the army."

Li Banfeng waved his hand. "Old Qiao, you overestimate me. I don't understand military strategy; I cannot trifle with the lives of soldiers. You should seek out someone more capable."

Qiao Yi didn't press the matter. "It doesn't matter if Your Highness is unwilling to lead. The Tu Fang are brave and skilled in battle. The two nations have fought for many years, with Great Shang mostly losing. In this battle, we must avenge our past defeats. This old man is willing but lacks the power. We still need Your Highness to secure some support for Great Shang."

"What kind of support?"

"Support from Puluo State. Can Your Highness secure an allied army from Puluo State to fight alongside Great Shang?"

Li Banfeng laughed. "I go to Puluo State to find an army to fight alongside you? Old Qiao, how much did you drink before you came here?"

Qiao Yi sighed. "Your Highness, please don't jest. Allow this old man to explain the implications. Your Highness, as the Crown Prince of Puluo—"

Li Banfeng waved his hand. "Not the Crown Prince!"

"Your Highness holds a considerable position in Puluo State and must be aware of the Demon Lord's cruelty. For years, the Tu Fang Kingdom has frequently waged war against Puluo State, and Puluo has suffered greatly; there's no need for this old man to elaborate. This old man has already signed a covenant with Your Highness that Great Shang will no longer be an enemy of Puluo State. Your Highness should have no worries. Now, if both sides unite to slay the evildoers, it will be entirely beneficial without any harm. Please consider this carefully."

"Alright, I'll consider it carefully and reply to Brother Qiao in a few days."

Qiao Yi picked up the teapot and refilled Li Banfeng's tea. "Your Highness, you cannot dismiss me with such words. This is a matter of life and death for Great Shang and Puluo State."

Li Banfeng genuinely didn't understand. "Why is a war between the Shang Kingdom and Tu Fang a matter of life and death for Puluo State? Let's be blunt: both Shang and Tu Fang are enemies of Puluo State, aren't they?"

Qiao Yi shook his head. "There's a significant difference between enemies. If Shang Kingdom achieves a great victory in this war, it can later form a good alliance with Puluo State, and the two sides will turn their hostilities into friendship from then on."

Li Banfeng didn't believe that. "The Shang Kingdom wants to occupy Puluo State. The conflict between the two sides cannot be resolved, no matter what."

Qiao Yi shook his head. "Your Highness, you are mistaken. The land that Shang Kingdom contends for is merely a place where sunlight shines. To put it plainly, we just want a place with sun. The Sleeping Lands of Ravsha, Niflheim of Nog, the Golden Sacred Land of Amikan, the Myriad Life State where heroes battle, and the Warm Sun Homeland in the bitter cold frozen lands—there are simply too many places to go. The entrances to these places originally belonged to Great Shang, but now they are controlled by the Tu Fang Kingdom. As long as we reclaim these entrances, Great Shang can stop fighting with Puluo State in the future. There are many sunny places, and the customs of other places are also simpler than Puluo State's. But the Tu Fang Kingdom is different. It possesses so many exits, yet it still wants to attack Puluo State. If one day Great Shang submits to Tu Fang, Puluo State will never know a day of peace again."

Li Banfeng truly didn't understand. "With so many passages and so many places to go, why does Tu Fang always focus on Puluo State? Can't they go somewhere else?"

Qiao Yi smiled. "That's a question you should ask the Tu Fang Kingdom. With so many places to go, why does Shan Chengjun constantly cause trouble in Puluo State? Why does he invest so much every time? Is it merely because the Saint has a personal vendetta against you?"

Indeed.

Shan Chengjun led people to attack Suihuangyuan and later besieged Huolang. Investing so much every time, was it really just to vent the Saint's anger?

Li Banfeng was still pondering the reasons, but Qiao Yi didn't intend to say more. "I, Qiao, am utterly sincere. I hope Your Highness will consider carefully. This campaign is of great importance. Your Highness must weigh the pros and cons meticulously."

After finishing their tea, Qiao Yi rose to leave. Before departing, he reminded Li Banfeng, "Within a month or two, the Tu Fang Kingdom will make a move in Puluo State again. Your Highness must prepare early."

Qiao Yi had Nian Shangyou hand ten pairs of covenants to Li Banfeng. With this, the debt of three heads becoming one was settled. Qiao Yi departed Xiaodu by ship, and Li Banfeng sat amidst the ruins of the grand hall, silent for a long time.

Help the Shang Kingdom fight a war?

Li Banfeng had never considered such a thing.

Even setting aside the grievances between the Shang Kingdom and Puluo State, just looking at Shang's ability to manufacture armaments, Li Banfeng found it hard to imagine the extent of a war between Shang and Tu Fang.

If Puluo State wanted to participate in a war of this magnitude, in what form would it do so?

Qiao Yi wanted Puluo State to organize an army to join the war.

This was almost a no-brainer: Puluo State's soldiers would definitely be used as cannon fodder. This option was not even within Li Banfeng's consideration.

If Puluo State didn't participate, would the Shang Kingdom definitely be defeated?

If defeat were certain, Qiao Yi would never dare to gamble. The fact that he dared to deploy troops at the border indicated he still had means to win, or at least the situation was still under his control.

He said the Tu Fang Kingdom would make a move on Puluo State within a month or two. Was this true?

If they were going to act, where would they choose to do so?

Li Banfeng didn't know much about war. He should ask his wife about this.

He returned to his portable residence, where his wife was about to introduce a new person to him.

This newcomer was not tall, with a stocky, square build and a very square face. He had no neck, and his head was as thick as his body. His skin was golden yellow, with deep, crisscrossing textures on his face, dividing it into square grids, which also had black spots.

Li Banfeng asked, "What should I call you?"

The newcomer replied, "You can just call me Old Seven."

Li Banfeng was stunned.

Hong Ying stood up and scolded, "Is 'Old Seven' a name you can just use?"

Basuan explained from the side, "This brother is from the Seventh Chamber, which is why he calls himself Old Seven. If you find it unsuitable, he can change his name."

The Seventh Chamber was a Glimpse Cultivator. Li Banfeng had borrowed techniques from him before, but he hadn't expected him to look like this.

His wife told Li Banfeng, "The Seventh Chamber has made many contributions, so I asked Honglian to create a body for him. This body was made by Honglian according to his soul."

Li Banfeng nodded. "My dear, you can decide on this matter. The name 'Old Seven' is indeed prone to misunderstanding. Since you're from the Seventh Chamber and a Glimpse Cultivator, from now on, I'll call you Pineapple."

The Seventh Chamber pondered for a long time. He asked Li Banfeng, "Is there any connection between the name 'Pineapple' and the Seventh Chamber or a Glimpse Cultivator?"

Hong Ying said from the side, "Isn't it enough that it's connected to *you*? Look in the mirror yourself; don't you look just like a pineapple? Let's just settle on that."

The Seventh Chamber was somewhat dissatisfied. "I think my name should at least have a 'seven' in it. Even calling me 'Seven Pineapple' would be good."

Hong Ying disagreed. "Look at your appearance. If you were to have 'seven' in your name, it would tarnish the reputation of our Seventh Master." The Seventh Chamber did not argue with Hong Ying and settled on the name Pineapple.

His wife said, "Husband, take Pineapple out to look at the other two first-grade armaments. Perhaps he can discern their purpose."

Li Banfeng, his wife, and Pineapple stepped out of the portable residence. He was about to bend down to pick up his keys when he heard his wife lightly cough.

His wife had something to say.

Li Banfeng bent down to adjust his shoelaces, leaving the keys temporarily in the ruins of the grand hall. The three of them went together to the Imperial Garden.

In the garden, his wife took out a box containing two Profound Essence Pills.

The box was meticulously crafted by his wife to contain the medicinal fragrance. After checking that it was secure, she handed the pills to Pineapple. "These are from my husband and me to you."

Pineapple pushed the medicine box back. "Madam, as I said before, I don't accept rewards without merit. I already feel unworthy for accepting this body. Accepting such precious pills would be truly improper."

His wife said, "These pills aren't a free gift. I want you to do something: from today, you are to monitor every move of Honglian and the Fifth Chamber, and report the details to me daily."

His wife had Honglian create the puppet for the Seventh Chamber precisely so he could leave the portable residence and conveniently carry out tasks. Not letting Li Banfeng take the keys was to prevent the portable residence from following, as Fifth Mistress could see outside through it. Honglian might have left a contingency within the puppet. The record player had also taken precautions against this, repeatedly dealing with it by "unhooking" methods.

Pineapple hesitated for a moment, then accepted the pills. "I am willing to do this. If Honglian and Fifth Mistress discover it one day, even if my soul is scattered, I will never utter a single word about the details. But I have one request, which I hope you two will grant: from now on, please no longer borrow techniques from me."

Li Banfeng truly couldn't understand. "I borrowed a technique from you once. It couldn't possibly make you hold a grudge until today, could it?"

"It's not a grudge," Pineapple looked around, confirmed Hong Ying wasn't there, straightened up, and said, "I used to be someone else's house spirit. That house cultivator always treated me well. Although that person is gone, I don't wish to be a house spirit for anyone else again. Only on this matter, please don't make things difficult for me."

Li Banfeng asked, "Are the 'hooks' I placed in the Qingyuan Building of the underground city still usable?"

This hook was placed by Li Banfeng using Pineapple's technique. Pineapple nodded. "We signed a covenant for that. The hook has been set, so it's naturally effective."

Li Banfeng nodded. "Then it's settled. From today onwards, I will no longer borrow techniques from you."

With Pineapple's matter settled, Li Banfeng discussed the war with his wife.

The exit of Suihuangyuan was locked by Huolang, but his wife was still worried. "That exit has no boundary. If the Tu Fang Kingdom opens the lock, they will certainly bring their weapons over. At that point, Puluo State's situation would be very grim."

Li Banfeng recalled Yu Yunqiu's description. "Tu Fang's weapons are quite inferior to Great Shang's, aren't they?"

His wife shook her head. "Even if they're not half as good as Great Shang's, Puluo State wouldn't be able to resist them."

This matter had to be told to Huolang.

But before leaving, the situation in Xiaodu had to be handled.

Li Banfeng first sought out Tie Baisheng.

To protect Xiaodu, Tie Baisheng invested heavily, building dozens of warships and a large quantity of armaments, including supplies for the enslaved army, all provided by him.

Having contributed so much, he deserved a reward. Li Banfeng entrusted half of Xiaodu's government affairs to him.

The remaining half of the government affairs, Li Banfeng distributed among other high officials.

His wife asked, "Husband, do you not trust Tie Baisheng?"

Li Banfeng flew above the Imperial City, overlooking the entire Qi Capital. "Other matters are fine, but not this one. The system of enslavement is deeply entrenched. If I were a high official here, I'm afraid I wouldn't even trust myself."

Arriving at the underground secret chamber of Jinghe Palace, his wife turned on the radio, tried a few channels, and heard the voices of Tie Baisheng and Banchi Ling.

"Old Tie, I have an urgent job. Borrowing two people from you shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

"Lingzi, look around my factory. If there's anyone idle, you can take them now."

"Fine, Old Tie. Let's both remember this today. Don't come looking for me when you're in trouble!"

The radio was silent for a while. Banchi Ling must have left.

Tie Baisheng's voice reappeared: "What's the big deal about an urgent job? I'd rather let my workers take a vacation than benefit you!"

This radio was a first-grade armament of the Glimpse Cultivator. Within Xiaodu's range, there was almost no place he couldn't spy on.

Pineapple said from the side, "I've already set up hooks with Old Grandfather Clock and Eight Immortals Table. In case of an emergency, they will cooperate in handling it. I can also retrieve information from the radio via the hooks and relay the message to you. However, I won't receive it at home, and whether I can receive it outside Neizhou depends on the situation."

Li Banfeng praised, "Clever method. This isn't borrowing your technique, is it?"

Pineapple shook his head. "You didn't use the 'Deep Mansion and Grand Courtyard' technique, so this doesn't count as borrowing a technique."

Li Banfeng was about to depart when his wife said, "Husband, check if the sunflowers are ripe."

"Not so fast."

"It won't hurt to check. Have Jiu'er come out and disable the formation so we can take a look."

Li Banfeng brought out Jiu'er. He had planted thirty sunflowers in the Imperial City. Jiu'er deactivated the technique and found that the sunflowers had bloomed, but all their flower heads were drooping to the ground.

Jiu'er was startled. "What happened? Are they lacking water, or are they infested with pests?"

Li Banfeng lifted a flower head and saw that each one was laden with statues, weighing down the stalks so they couldn't stand straight.

Jiu'er exclaimed in delight, "A-Qi, coming to Xiaodu was truly the right decision."

His wife smiled. "This is what my husband earned himself."

Li Banfeng harvested the statues one by one, examining each one for a long time.

Arriving at the dock, Li Banfeng saw ships pulling ashore. Enslaved people rushed off the ships, onto the dock, and then sprinted towards the city gates.

Li Banfeng tilted up his hat brim and watched from the shore for a long time.

Two days later, Li Banfeng returned to Soda Kiln with the help of Tianyi City.

He immediately called Luo Zhengnan to inquire about Huolang. According to Luo Zhengnan's estimation, Huolang would arrive at Heishipo tomorrow.

Li Banfeng rushed non-stop to Heishipo to wait, but after waiting for three full days, he didn't see Huolang.

Where had he gone again?

Just waiting wasn't a solution. Li Banfeng returned to Xiaoyao Dock and, using the Cloud Gate technique, boarded Huolang's cloud.

He walked all the way to the house and knocked on the door. "Senior Brother, are you home?"

There was no response from inside the house.

"If you're not home, I'll burn it down!" Li Banfeng pulled out a lighter.

"How dare you!" a woman's voice came from inside the house.

"Madam, I have urgent business with my Senior Brother. If he's with you, please ask him to come out and say a word."

"He's in my bed with me. Come in."

Li Banfeng weighed his options carefully. "Since Senior Brother is still... occupied, perhaps I won't come in."

"What are you afraid of? Do brothers really fuss over such things? Come in and squeeze in!"

"Is there room?"

"If you don't come in, where else will you find your Senior Brother?"

With a creak, the door opened.

To be honest, Li Banfeng really didn't want to go in. Both the house and the 'Madam' were difficult to deal with.

Gritting his teeth, Li Banfeng walked into the hall and called out, "Senior Brother, if you can still speak, please say something."

"Come in, brother, I can't come out here!"

Li Banfeng heard Huolang's voice, coming from the second floor.

He went up to the second floor and entered the hallway. There were five rooms in total along the hallway. The second room near the stairs had its door open.

Li Banfeng arrived at the doorway and saw Huolang lying in bed, wrapped in a blanket, leaning against the headboard.

The blanket showed slight undulations, indicating there was likely another person inside.

"Brother, come in and sit! What do you need me for?"

Li Banfeng said, "I'll just say it here. I just went to Neizhou—"

Huolang became displeased. "If you have something to say, come in. What kind of behavior is standing at the door?"

Li Banfeng checked several times with his Golden Eye of Autumn Down, confirming he hadn't encountered any illusions. He cautiously entered the room.

"Esteemed brother, come!" Huolang waved his hand, and his figure vanished.

The blanket was gone, the bed was gone, and all the furnishings in the room had vanished.

Li Banfeng looked at the staircase before him and laughed aloud in exasperation.

He was back in the Dark Star Bureau's stairwell.

Unlike before, this time Li Banfeng could generally figure out the reason.

"'Connected Wide Bridal Chamber,' right? This 'Madam' is a House Cultivator!"

No wonder the stairwell was usually clean despite no one cleaning it – it was because the house spirit loved cleanliness!

The house on the cloud was the Madam's residence, and the Dark Star Bureau's stairwell was also the Madam's residence. Li Banfeng was directly sent to the Dark Star Bureau by the "Connected Wide Bridal Chamber" technique.

This was truly infuriating!

One day, when she comes out of her residence, I'll send her straight to Blade Ghost Ridge!

Li Banfeng gnashed his teeth and pushed open the stairwell door, only to find that it wasn't an elevator shaft before him.

Before him was a large iron door.

Had the bizarre phenomenon of the stairwell been triggered?

You entered and exited from the same place; the stairwell only changed if you switched floors. Why was it directly triggered today?

The large iron door was tightly shut. Li Banfeng took out his gloves. "Brother, can you open it?"

The gloves were also nervous. "Master, opening the door isn't hard, but going through it is another matter."

They had entered twice before: once they saw the Goddess statue, and once they encountered Old Man Train. The gloves hadn't forgotten these encounters.

"Just open the door first. We'll act as the situation dictates!" Li Banfeng now had cultivation at the eighth level of the Cloud, so even if he encountered Old Man Train again, he might be able to escape.

The gloves carefully opened the door. Li Banfeng, using the light from the projector, glanced inside the door.

Beyond the iron door, there was still another iron door.

On the iron door was a sign with four characters: Cell Number Six.

Cell Number Six, which Zhong Er had mentioned!

Cell Number Six, which Li Banfeng had tried and failed to find multiple times, was now found.

"Alas."

Li Banfeng heard a sigh. Judging by the voice, a woman was imprisoned inside.

He didn't enter the cell. He stood at the cell door and asked, "Who are you?"

The woman inside did not answer for a long time. Li Banfeng was about to ask the gloves to try and open the cell's iron door when he suddenly heard the woman inside softly chant:

In spring, green grass grows, battle robes are finely sewn.In summer, red flowers bloom, drums and horns thunder.In autumn, yellow leaves fall, enemy heads are taken on the battlefield.In winter, white snow flies, blood is spilled to sacrifice to heroic spirits.

Listening to her sing every word, Li Banfeng got goosebumps all over.