Chapter 740: Breaking the Curse

Li Banfeng purchased a steamboat, piloted by a group of shadows, and set off for Baijun County with Zhang Wanlong and Little Genzi.

Little Genzi had never been on a steamboat before, and the journey was a novel experience for him, as if there were endless beautiful sights to behold.

Zhang Wanlong had traveled extensively, north and south, and had taken many boats, but he suffered from severe seasickness and vomited continuously throughout the journey.

Upon reaching the end of the sea market, Li Banfeng had made arrangements in advance for the Customs and Border Control Office to open the boundary. The steamboat traveled for two more days before finally arriving at Baijun County.

When they reached White Peach Island, Zhang Wanlong felt utterly numb and weak, collapsing to the ground.

Through Li Banfeng's introduction, Ling Baitao offered peaches.

After eating a bite of the delicious peach, Zhang Wanlong gradually recovered, his complexion becoming rosy and some strength returning to his body. However, upon seeing the peach trees on the island, his face once again lost all color.

"Are these trees?" The master cultivator instantly recognized that none of the peach trees on the island were actual trees.

Ling Baitao remained silent.

Li Banfeng whispered, "Brother Zhang, haven't you been to Baijun County before?"

Zhang Wanlong shook his head, "I haven't."

"If you haven't been here, how did you know that seeds wouldn't sprout here?"

"Someone bought seeds from me before, and they were sent to Baijun County. The seeds didn't sprout, and they later had a dispute with me over it."

Zhang Wanlong walked around the island, initially feeling a chill down his spine. But after Li Banfeng explained the origin of these trees, Zhang Wanlong was filled with admiration and bowed respectfully towards the peach forest.

He collected some soil and meticulously studied its properties. When Ling Baitao asked about the man's background, Li Banfeng replied, "This is a Cultivator I found to help you with farming."

Ling Baitao smiled and gently shook her head.

The Peddler had invited many Cultivators before, but none had successfully cultivated crops in Baijun County. Ling Baitao didn't have much hope for Zhang Wanlong, but since he was brought by Li Qi, she felt he should at least be given a chance.

Zhang Wanlong spent an entire day researching, then selected a plot of land and planted some eggplant seeds in the soil.

These eggplants were originally grown by Old Xu, and Zhang Wanlong had improved them.

Genzi recognized these seeds. The main characteristic of these eggplants was their good resistance to toxins. "Brother, do you think the soil here is poisoned?"

"Nothing grows here except peaches, so it must be poisoned."

Hearing Zhang Wanlong's tone, which sounded like a wild guess, Genzi felt unsure. But when he dripped the medicinal liquid and the eggplants began to sprout, Zhang Wanlong's face lit up with joy. "See? That's my keen eye for you, your brother!"

Genzi picked up a spoon. "Brother, you're so skilled! If we have eggplants, we'll have soldiers!"

"We can't just plant eggplants, we also need to—"

Before Genzi could fertilize them, the eggplant seedlings withered.

The newly sprouted green leaves turned yellow in an instant, and before Genzi could put down the bucket, the leaves had already fallen off.

"What kind of poison is this powerful?" Genzi was shocked; the poison acted too quickly.

Zhang Wanlong grabbed a handful of soil and rubbed it for a while. "We need to study this carefully and come up with an antidote."

Ling Baitao walked forward and said to Zhang Wanlong, "Friend from afar, thank you for your kindness. This land is under a curse; an antidote won't help."

Upon hearing "curse," Zhang Wanlong's face clouded with worry. Breaking a curse was far more complex than finding an antidote.

Li Banfeng was unfamiliar with Hex Cultivators, having only heard his wife talk about them. "Brother Zhang, do you know any Hex Cultivators? I could invite one to help."

"I know a few, but none are close acquaintances. Those people are simply impossible to get close to."

"Hex Cultivators are difficult to deal with. I advise you not to seek them out. Even if you don't provoke them, you might suffer unexpected harm."

His wife once said that the path of Hex Cultivators was among the most insidious of all hundred paths in the world.

Zhang Wanlong added, "Moreover, each Hex Cultivator has their own unique method. Even if I brought all the Hex Cultivators I know, they might not be able to break the curse here."

"Then let's change the soil." Li Banfeng found a secluded spot and, with a group of shadows, unloaded soil from his Portable Dwelling.

This soil was brought by Li Banfeng from the New Land, where all of Zhang Wanlong's seeds had been cultivated.

"Seventh Master, what a clever method! How could you bring so much soil?"

Li Banfeng replied, "I have a magical artifact that can hold cargo."

"Is it the Old Sea Feeder?" Zhang Wanlong was indeed well-informed, even knowing about the Old Sea Feeder.

Li Banfeng shook his head, and Zhang Wanlong didn't press further.

With the soil from the New Land, Zhang Wanlong felt confident. This time, instead of eggplants, he planted winter melons. Winter melon people are large and sturdy, capable of enduring and fighting.

Soon after sprouting in the New Land soil, the winter melon seedlings also withered.

This soil didn't work either.

Li Banfeng asked, "Is there something wrong with the water?"

Zhang Wanlong shook his head. "I just watered the seedlings with water from my kettle, which I brought from the underground city. The curse has nothing to do with the water or the soil. Where exactly is it placed?"

Li Banfeng couldn't answer. Fortunately, Hex Cultivators also had their nemesis.

His wife had said that Divination Cultivators were the bane of Hex Cultivators; given a comparable level, a Divination Cultivator could uproot a curse entirely.

He touched the Tying Silk Earring. Tying Silk was very attentive; ever since Ling Baitao mentioned the curse, she had been searching for its source. However, after searching for a long time, the Tying Silk Earring found no clues. The curse's level was far too high for her.

Tying Silk was ineffective; there was still Pineapple.

Li Banfeng used the Wide Connecting Cave to swap Pineapple out, instructing the Projector to follow behind to obscure Pineapple's figure as much as possible.

Pineapple walked around White Peach Island, sensing the aura of the curse but unable to find its source.

The black spots on his face twisted together, and Pineapple was starting to lose his composure.

He had experienced many battles and faced many powerful enemies; victory and defeat were common. But against Hex Cultivators, he had never lost.

Li Banfeng thought the curse's origin might not be on White Peach Island. Baijun County had a total of five islands, so Li Banfeng took Pineapple to Yellow Peach Island.

The situation on Yellow Peach Island was the same, as were Peento Peach, Nectarine, and Honey Peach Islands. All islands had a curse, but its source remained elusive.

Pineapple's pride was wounded, and he sat by the sea, dispirited.

Zhang Wanlong became more resilient with each setback. He spent two days using his techniques to plant a batch of sweet potatoes in the soil from the New Land.

"This technique is called 'Deep Rooted.' It resists disease, toxins, and even curses. Although they aren't very strong in combat, their yield is high. In a real fight, we'll let the sweet potatoes take the brunt of the attack!" Zhang Wanlong was indeed a cultivation prodigy; this batch of sweet potatoes grew successfully.

Li Banfeng sat by the field, just waiting for the sweet potatoes to transform into sweet potato people.

After waiting a few hours, Zhang Wanlong laughed, "Only peaches are edible in Baijun County. I wanted to give them something else to eat."

The sweet potatoes succeeded, but the sweet potato people failed.

Each sweet potato grew over a meter tall. Zhang Wanlong had planted a large area, so Ling Baitao quickly sent people to harvest them and distribute them house by house.

The island residents were delighted to have sweet potatoes to eat and expressed their gratitude to Zhang Wanlong.

The more they thanked him, the more disheartened Zhang Wanlong felt.

Sitting by the field, Zhang Wanlong stroked the beard on his chin. "I put true effort into those sweet potatoes. How powerful must this curse be to prevent me from creating even a single sweet potato person?"

Li Banfeng said, "It's good to have sweet potatoes; they can be eaten as food."

Zhang Wanlong shook his head. "Just eating sweet potatoes isn't enough. We also need to eat something else. Let's not talk about food for now. We came here to add soldiers to Baijun County. What exactly is missing?"

Zhang Wanlong stayed awake all night, and so did Pineapple.

The next morning, Pineapple found Li Banfeng. "Seventh Master, can you take me a bit higher?"

"How high do you need to fly?"

The cave ceiling was less than ten meters above sea level. If Li Banfeng wanted to fly higher, he would have to use the Severing Path technique to clear a way, and even creating another ten meters or so would be quite difficult.

Pineapple estimated the distance: "At least thirty meters."

Li Banfeng looked up at the cave ceiling. "I'll try. If it doesn't work, I'll have to call Hong Ying."

He grabbed Pineapple, first used the Wind-Riding Cloud-Driving technique to fly to the ceiling, then used Severing Path to create a crack.

He then slipped inside with Pineapple.

This crack was fifteen meters deep. Adding the distance from the ceiling to the ground, the total height was already over twenty meters.

But Pineapple was not satisfied. "Seventh Master, I can't see anything in this crack; my vision is too obstructed."

Li Banfeng used Severing Path again to widen the crack.

The field of vision was still not enough, and Li Banfeng could only push himself.

After more than an hour of continuous effort, Li Banfeng was exhausted and landed on the ground. Since he had learned Severing Path, he had never practiced it with such intense dedication as he did today.

Pineapple took a piece of paper and began sketching the dimensions and positions of the five islands.

With the flight height and field of vision he had just experienced, an ordinary person would not be able to see the full panorama of the five islands.

But Pineapple was a high-level Divination Cultivator. He combined observations from different positions to draw the layout of Baijun's five islands.

"A formation!" Pineapple discerned the source of the curse. "Seventh Master, these five islands are built according to a hex formation. Their orientation, distance, and dimensions all match a hex formation. No wonder the curse's root couldn't be found; its source is on these five islands themselves."

Li Banfeng didn't understand hex formations. "Is there a way to neutralize it?"

"Yes, by reclaiming land," Pineapple said, combining his past experience with breaking formations. "I just measured, and the seawater here isn't very deep. If we fill in the sea to create one more island, turning Baijun's five islands into six, the curse will be broken."

Land reclamation was a massive undertaking; it was unclear how long it would take to create an island.

However, this was a viable method. Li Banfeng immediately contacted Tan Jinxiao, asking him to prepare ships to transport soil to Baiji County.

Hearing the news, Zhang Wanlong stopped Li Qi. "Land reclamation won't work."

As a Cultivator, he was highly sensitive to land. "The seafloor is moving, and the surrounding land is also shifting. Only these five islands are stationary. If you dump soil into the sea, when the land shifts, the soil will just move elsewhere. No matter how much you fill, it will be a wasted effort."

Hearing Zhang Wanlong say this, Li Banfeng remembered something: these five islands actually moved themselves.

Once Neizhou opened its exit, these five islands would move directly beneath it.

Filling the sea with soil was indeed not feasible. What other methods could there be?

Zhang Wanlong made up his mind. "Give me more time. I can definitely break this curse."

For several days in a row, Zhang Wanlong used the soil from the New Land and continuously cultivated seeds with the "Deep Rooted" technique, growing potatoes, pumpkins, cabbages, and cantaloupes.

Baijun County's food supply became much richer, but not a single "crop person" was grown.

The soil Li Banfeng brought was limited, and its fertility was quickly depleting.

Zhang Wanlong was physically and mentally exhausted, and he was close to collapsing.

That day, a cargo ship arrived in Baijun County. This was arranged by Li Banfeng; cargo ships delivered supplies every month.

Li Banfeng went to inspect the ship, hoping to find something suitable to help Zhang Wanlong. To his surprise, Tan Jinxiao had come personally with the ship. "Seventh Master, I heard my junior brother is here. Where is he?"

"Your junior brother?"

"Indeed! Both junior brothers came together!"

Li Banfeng pondered. Tan Jinxiao was a Metal Cultivator, so it was indeed possible he was an apprentice of Old Xu.

Li Banfeng pointed to Zhang Wanlong and Genzi by the field. Tan Jinxiao quickly instructed someone to bring gifts. "Seventh Master, I'll go chat with my two junior brothers. You go greet the Old Master."

"Which Old Master?"

"Who else but our Master!" Tan Jinxiao lowered his voice. "Our Old Master has only ever concerned himself with his own small plot of land his whole life. He doesn't like to get involved in other people's affairs. But today he's here, and he's really going to lend a hand. It's just that he's a bit embarrassed to disembark."

"What's there to be embarrassed about? I'll go find him!" Li Banfeng cheerfully boarded the ship.

Tan Jinxiao, carrying gifts, approached Zhang Wanlong and Genzi.

The two brothers didn't recognize Tan Jinxiao. Tan Jinxiao said cheerfully, "I finished my apprenticeship early, and you joined later. We're sworn brothers, even if we haven't performed the formal rites. I'm your eldest brother, you're the first junior brother, and he's the youngest junior brother! These few things are a small token from your senior brother. Please accept them for now."

Li Banfeng went into the ship's cabin and met Old Xu.

Old Xu stood by the window with his hands behind his back, looking outside. "I was passing by and decided to check on my unproductive disciples."

At this point, Old Xu paused for a moment and asked, "How are they doing with their task?"

He knew Zhang Wanlong and Genzi were there, and he knew what they were doing.

Li Banfeng said, "Things aren't progressing very smoothly. The five islands of Baijun County form a hex formation. Nothing can be grown using the original soil of Baijun County, and even with different soil and techniques, only edible crops can be grown."

"So it's a hex." Old Xu had heard that Baijun County was a peculiar place, but he truly didn't know the cause. He genuinely didn't like to concern himself with matters beyond his immediate responsibility.

Old Xu went onto the deck, observed the directions, and flew a circle close to the cave ceiling, roughly grasping the distribution of the five islands.

Li Banfeng gave Old Xu a map that Pineapple had drawn. Its dimensions were very precise. Old Xu held the map and saw some insights.

"This hex is not simple. It's truly difficult for Zhang Wanlong to break it using only cultivation techniques. To dispel evil, one must rely on the myriad golden light!" Old Xu pondered for half a day, then wrote a prescription. "Give this to Tan Jinxiao and Genzi. Have them help Zhang Wanlong."

Li Banfeng took the prescription. Zhang Wanlong, not being a Metal Cultivator, couldn't understand it. After Tan Jinxiao read it, he frowned. "Materials of this quality are hard to find."

Genzi was confident. "With so many people in Baijun County, as long as we put in the effort, we can definitely find suitable ones."

"Alright, I won't leave. Let's the three of us figure this out together."

After unloading the cargo, the freighter returned, Tan Jinxiao stayed on the island, and Old Xu moved to Li Banfeng's passenger ship.

In two days, Tan Jinxiao and Genzi together prepared a bucket of "golden liquid" and sprinkled it directly onto the fields.

As per Old Xu's instructions, the fields were left to rest for two days, and then Zhang Wanlong sowed seeds again.

This time there was an improvement; the seedlings grew significantly taller, but before they could fully mature, they withered again.

Zhang Wanlong saw hope and decided to try new seeds again.

That night, Old Xu, when no one was around, inspected the seedlings. Returning to the ship, he revised the formula for the golden liquid.

After trying back and forth for over ten days, they still couldn't grow "crop people."

Li Banfeng grew increasingly anxious. Ling Baitao advised, "Brother, don't trouble these friends anymore. We are very grateful for all the food they've brought. The Peddler also tried to break the curse here, and even he didn't succeed."

Yes, the Peddler must have considered many methods. Even if it was just to get food for Baijun County, he would have done his utmost to break the curse.

If the Peddler couldn't do it, could anyone else?

Zhang Wanlong stood on the field path, looking at the gently swaying corn leaves in the field.

He knew his Master had arrived.

He quietly left the field and found Li Banfeng. "Seventh Master, if you have something to do, please go attend to it first. We'll still need quite a bit of time here."

"Will it work?" Li Banfeng felt uncertain.

"It will!" Zhang Wanlong clutched a handful of seeds, constantly looking towards the fields.

Old Xu cursed in the fields, "That dog villain who cast the curse! If I ever meet him, I'll toss him in a bucket and soak him for life!"

Tan Jinxiao said from the side, "Master, why say such angry words? We won't encounter Hex Cultivators. They always act maliciously from the shadows, never directly in front of people."

Old Xu glared at Tan Jinxiao. "Do I need you to teach me this?"

A large patch of corn had withered, and Old Xu couldn't stomach it.

Late at night, he went to Tan Jinxiao and whispered, "Get me some old phlegm."

Tan Jinxiao was taken aback. "How old?"

"So old that it won't dissolve in water for three days!"

"That's hard to get."

Old Xu gritted his teeth. "If it were easy to get, would I be asking you?"

"But what's the point of this stuff?"

"Stop with the chatter and get it!"

"Master, your temper is too strong. Aren't you just desperately clutching at straws?"

Qiao Yi was fumbling with a document, having just read half of it, when Nian Shangyou entered, stating he had important matters to report.

This interrupted Qiao Yi's train of thought, and he would have to reread the entire document.

His fingers, after all, couldn't compare to his eyes. He couldn't concentrate on thinking during the reading process.

This was just reading documents; dealing with people was even more troublesome. Today, in the assembly hall, when Qiao Yi was handling state affairs in person, he didn't know where the Minister of Revenue was, leading to many errors in their discussions.

There was nothing he could do; Qiao Yi couldn't just touch the Minister of Revenue's face in front of everyone.

Full of vexation and without an outlet for his frustration, Nian Shangyou arrived.

"What do you want?" Qiao Yi demanded sternly.

Nian Shangyou reported, "Prince Pingyuan has arrived in Chaoge."

Qiao Yi was stunned. No matter how he had been invited before, Li Qi had always refused to come. Now, he had actually arrived on his own initiative.

"Why has he come?"

"He said he came to 'see' you, my lord."

Qiao Yi's heart tightened. "Why would he 'visit' me?"

Nian Shangyou shook his head. "He didn't state the specific reason. He only instructed your subordinate that he came to 'see' you, not to 'visit' or 'pay respects.'"

Qiao Yi was stunned. "Can he see now?"

Nian Shangyou thought for a moment. "From what your subordinate observed, Li Qi moved freely and didn't need anyone to assist him. This time, he came alone, piloting the Winged City; the Luo sisters did not accompany him."

Qiao Yi pondered for a moment and said, "Invite His Highness the Prince to the main hall for a discussion."

When Li Banfeng arrived at the main hall, Qiao Yi went to receive him. The main hall was soundproofed, leaving only Nian Shangyou to attend them.

When they met, Li Banfeng took Qiao Yi's hand and said, "Brother Qiao, I've come to see you. I can see clearly now. Can you see me?"

Qiao Yi chuckled awkwardly several times but didn't answer.

After sitting down, Li Banfeng asked about a person. "Where is Shan Chengjun? I've long admired the reputation of Martial Ancestor; I'd very much like to meet him."

Qiao Yi sighed, "Your Highness is joking. Shan Chengjun has already followed the false king and defected to the Tufang Kingdom. He is now an enemy of Great Shang."

"He defected to Tufang Kingdom? He didn't go empty-handed, did he? Did he offer treasures to the Demon Lord?"

Qiao Yi replied, "This old man is unaware of that matter."

Li Banfeng gritted his teeth. "You say you don't know, then how did my eyes get damaged?"

Qiao Yi feigned surprise. "What's wrong with His Highness's eyes?"

"Still pretending? Didn't you instruct Shan Chengjun to injure my eyes?"

Qiao Yi immediately denied it. "Qiao is completely unaware of this matter."

"If you were unaware, why did you send Nian Shangyou to find me? If you were unaware, why are your eyes also blind? You violated the contract and harmed me, and now you've suffered retribution, yet you still dare to claim ignorance?"

Qiao Yi was speechless. "This old man is also investigating the cause of this matter."

"Take your time investigating. Let's not bring up past matters. Now that I can see, do you intend to remain blind?"

Qiao Yi understood Li Qi's intention. "Your Highness, name your price."

"Direct!" Li Qi raised his teacup and named his price. "Grant me a city."

"Which city does Your Highness desire?"

"Bo City."

Qiao Yi flinched.

Nian Shangyou almost burst out laughing.

Bo City?

Why not Chaoge?

Nian Shangyou kept his mouth tightly shut. He absolutely couldn't say that out loud; if he did, Li Qi might actually demand Chaoge.

Qiao Yi took a deep breath and said, "Your Highness, please don't joke."

Li Banfeng was serious. "I'm not joking. I've set my sights on Bo City. I particularly like that altar."

Qiao Yi's expression was stern. "Such a jest is truly too much."

Li Banfeng said, "Then there's nothing to discuss."

Qiao Yi said, "Although Qiao's eyes are blind, his heart still sees clearly. Even if I can never see the light of day again in this life, I cannot hand over my ancestors' legacy to others."

After speaking, Qiao Yi turned his eyes towards Li Banfeng. In that instant, it was as if he could also see.

Li Banfeng looked back at Qiao Yi and nodded slightly. "Do you think taking the Seeker's powder actually gave you eyes? Tomorrow, I'll spread the news throughout the entire Shang Kingdom that you are blind. Do you think you'll show any weaknesses?"

Qiao Yi remained silent. There would definitely be weaknesses.

Li Banfeng continued, "Divination Cultivators have many techniques related to sight. If you're blind, how will you cultivate in the future? If you can't cultivate, can you even keep your life?"

After speaking, Li Banfeng stood up and began to leave.

Nian Shangyou stepped forward and stopped Li Qi. "Your Highness, please calm your anger. You can't just fix the price with one statement. At least allow us to make a counter-offer."

"No haggling, I want Bo City!" Li Banfeng pushed Nian Shangyou aside and continued to walk out.

Qiao Yi called out, "I recently learned of the whereabouts of the Grandmaster of the Artisan Gate. Does Your Highness wish to know?"

Li Banfeng turned back and asked, "First, clarify, does the Grandmaster of the Artisan Gate refer to Old Train?"

Qiao Yi nodded. "Precisely that person, Your Highness. I will inform you of the Grandmaster of the Artisan Gate's whereabouts, and you will tell me the method to cure blindness. How does that sound for our transaction?"

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't think that's appropriate. 'Whereabouts' and 'method' are vague things; they don't sound substantial enough."

Qiao Yi said, "Then I trouble Your Highness to name a more substantial price."

Li Banfeng thought for a moment and said, "You still owe me two cities, correct?"

Qiao Yi nodded. "This old man will certainly not deny those two cities, but as for which specific two cities, that still needs to be discussed with me."

Li Banfeng said, "I don't want those two cities anymore. I can also cure your eyes, but you must allow me to bring Old Train back to Puluo Prefecture completely intact. Is it a deal?"

Nian Shangyou looked at Qiao Yi.

Two cities, plus a pair of eyes, in exchange for Old Train's life – this price seemed fair.

Qiao Yi weighed it repeatedly, then instructed Nian Shangyou, "Prepare the contract."

Outside Chaoge City, Winged City was submerged, swimming in the sea. Banfeng Yi controlled the direction, Eight Calculations pointed out the location, and Pineapple tuned the radio.

The radio received many sounds, but not a single message was about the Bandit Suppression Camp.

Pineapple angrily reprimanded Eight Calculations, "Is this your chosen 'best location'?"

"What do you know? This is called topology!" Eight Calculations held up a piece of scratch paper. "I don't know where the Bandit Suppression Camp is, but I know this place receives the most signals."

*Splash! Splash!*

The Dragon Bone Water Cart outside the door stood up.

Banfeng Yi was startled. "Everyone, be careful, someone has infiltrated Winged City."

The Dragon Bone Water Cart stood at the entrance. Before it was an old man with white hair, a round face, a large nose, and large eyes.

"Brother!" Banfeng Yi came outside. The man before him was indeed Grandfather Train.

"Why do you call me brother?" Grandfather Train asked with an indifferent expression.

Banfeng Yi said, "We are brothers! It was decided in the Dream-Entangling Tower."

"With whom did you decide that?"

"With Grandfather Train!"

"But I'm not Grandfather Train; I'm his shadow!"

Banfeng Yi said, "I am also a shadow."

Grandfather Train thought for a moment, then looked at Banfeng Yi, his eyes welling with tears. "Brother, why have you come?"