Chapter 744: Mirror Flower, Water Moon

In the narrow, dark passage, Zhao Lanmeng crawled ahead, with Old Train following behind him. "Can't this place be made wider?" Old Train grumbled, annoyed by the cramped environment. He detested such confined spaces.

Zhao Lanmeng looked back. "I spent over a decade digging this secret passage. Making it this wide was quite difficult."

Old Train asked, "Isn't this passage part of a dream? Aren't you in control of everything in a dream?"

"I don't have complete control over this," Zhao Lanmeng replied. "This secret passage is real. If you don't believe me, go to Zhaoge and pull out a brick from the Dream-Weaving Tower. You'll be able to crawl into this very passage."

"Why would something real appear in my dream?"

"Because I connected your dream to the Dream-Weaving Tower."

Ahead, there was a turn. Zhao Lanmeng struggled to maneuver his body around it.

"Do you need a hand?" Old Train offered, ready to use his 'Path-Breaking' skill.

Zhao Lanmeng waved his hands repeatedly. "Absolutely not! This place is real. If we make too much noise, Meng Qian will discover us."

"Aren't you supposed to fight her to the death?"

"I'm not afraid to fight her, but I can't let her prepare and scheme against us in advance."

After crawling for over an hour, they finally reached the exit of the secret passage. They found themselves at the base of a shed wall. Peering through the shed's window, they saw a man drawing a blueprint on a blackboard while another person helped him calculate some data.

The man doing the calculations was named Zhao Dajun, a number theorist, also known as a 'Calculation Cultivator'.

Old Train said, "I know this man. Old Seven knows him too."

When Li Banfeng accidentally entered the Dream-Weaving Tower, he had personally witnessed the dream manor built by Zhao Dajun and the group of charming and gentle teachers within the manor.

"Didn't he want to live out his life in his manor?"

Zhao Lanmeng replied, "Some are content to live their whole lives there, but others want to do something more."

Old Train was curious. "What does he want to do?"

"He wants to create a city. He's collaborating with this 'Craftsman Cultivator,' who has already built a city." At this, Zhao Lanmeng looked somewhat ashamed. "There are already dozens of cities in the Dream-Weaving Tower. In that regard, Meng Qian is indeed superior to me."

"Dozens of cities? That many?" Old Train counted them off one by one. To his knowledge, there were no more than ten cities in the Dream-Weaving Tower.

"Don't bother counting," Zhao Lanmeng shook his head. "There are still some differences between you and your counterpart here. You can communicate through dreams, but he knows far more about the Dream-Weaving Tower than you do. He has explored almost every corner of it. When you merge with him, it might cause a significant shock to your memories."

Old Train was mentally prepared for this. "Any shock is better than the 'Craftsman Cultivator' half. Just thinking about that half makes me feel like I'm going insane. You see, even though I often speak nonsensically, I'm usually not mad. Old Zhao, why are you asleep? What did we come here for?"

Zhao Lanmeng explained, "I need to sleep for a bit to sense the location of your soul. It's a complex process and takes a long time."

Old Train translated for himself, "You're going to sleep for a long time?"

"I've come such a long way, so I definitely need more sleep. Actually, I—I'm doing all this for your benefit." Zhao Lanmeng drifted off to sleep.

Grandfather Train squatted by the shed wall, watching pedestrians come and go and observing the orderly buildings around him. Memories that weren't originally his began to surface in his mind.

His soul had a deep connection with him; the closer they were, the stronger the connection. This made him realize he might have overlooked something important.

Meng Qian was undertaking something massive, something beyond imagination.

Zhao Lanmeng suddenly opened his eyes and said to Old Train, "She's here! I saw her in my dream!"

"What's meant to happen will happen!" Old Train stretched his limbs. He had fought Meng Qian many times in dreams. While he didn't overly concern himself with such an opponent, he certainly wouldn't be complacent.

After waiting for about ten minutes, Old Train sensed danger approaching. He abruptly turned his head and saw Grandfather Train rushing toward him with lightning speed.

He hadn't been mistaken; this was the other Grandfather Train, the half of his soul trapped within the Dream-Weaving Tower.

The two Grandfather Trains looked at each other, tears streaming down their faces. Without a word, they embraced.

Indeed, they had embraced, and after the embrace, they became one person.

With the two parts of his soul merged, Grandfather Train's soul was almost complete.

Zhao Lanmeng shouted, "Retreat quickly!"

Grandfather Train asked, "Aren't you going to fight Meng Qian?"

"The timing isn't right now. Let's leave the Dream-Weaving Tower as quickly as possible."

Grandfather Train bit his finger. "But I think the Dream-Weaving Tower is quite fun."

Zhao Lanmeng shook his head. "Don't be careless. I'm not that familiar with the Dream-Weaving Tower."

"But I am familiar with it!"

"Let's go, quickly!"

Zhao Lanmeng led Grandfather Train back into the secret passage, eager to leave the Dream-Weaving Tower as fast as possible.

But no matter how fast they moved, crawling speed meant it would still take an hour.

Old Train followed behind, asking Zhao Lanmeng, "You dug this tunnel, so it should be your territory, right? Fighting Meng Qian on your own turf, you shouldn't be at a disadvantage."

"You can't think of it that way. The entire Dream-Weaving Tower, from top to bottom, is Meng Qian's territory. When it comes to a fight, this tunnel is practically useless."

"You said it's useless?"

"Yes, the tunnel is also part of the Dream-Weaving Tower." Zhao Lanmeng regretted his words; he felt he had expressed himself poorly and shouldn't have said it was useless.

Boom!

The tunnel, originally only wide enough for one person to crawl through, was transformed into a train tunnel by Grandfather Train using his 'Path-Breaking' skill.

"Choo-choo! All aboard!"

Zhao Lanmeng froze in place.

Grandfather Train shouted, "What are you waiting for? Get on!"

"I haven't bought a ticket yet—" Zhao Lanmeng seemed disoriented.

"You can pay onboard." Grandfather Train picked up Zhao Lanmeng, slung him onto his back, and started moving.

"Attention, esteemed passengers! This train is bound for Pillow City. Please check your tickets and take your assigned seats. Passengers traveling without a ticket who refuse to pay will be responsible for cleaning the restrooms in each car. If they don't clean them properly, they won't be fed! Choo-choo, whoosh-whoosh!"

Old Train puffed out smoke and sped along, carrying Zhao Lanmeng. Behind them, a refreshing scent of powder gradually wafted through the air.

Zhao Lanmeng glanced back at the dark tunnel. Two long sleeves, brushing against the stone walls, swiftly flew towards them.

Meng Qian was catching up.

Zhao Lanmeng roared, "Impudent woman, do not be so arrogant! If you dare, come and fight me for three hundred rounds!"

Old Train looked back and asked, "Really?"

Zhao Lanmeng whispered, "No, it's a bluff. Go faster!"

Old Train ran faster and faster, but Meng Qian closed in.

Her speed couldn't match Old Train's, but the Dream-Weaving Tower was her domain, and space and distance were subject to her influence.

The tunnel Old Train had opened up was becoming increasingly narrow, soon affecting his speed.

Zhao Lanmeng yawned, and Meng Qian suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness. In a momentary lapse, the tunnel stopped shrinking.

She was also thrown a significant distance behind Old Train.

When she woke up, Meng Qian continued her pursuit, only to find a bed had appeared in the tunnel.

The bed was very wide, with smooth and soft silk bedding. Meng Qian felt even sleepier sitting on it. The quilt gently wrapped around her, about to pull her into deep slumber.

This was the 'Lazy Cultivator' skill: 'Deep Affection for the Couch'.

Those affected by the skill developed an irresistible attachment to the bed and blankets, wanting nothing more than to tightly embrace the quilt and never part from it for the rest of their lives.

Yet, Meng Qian still woke up. She bit a strand of her hair, fighting off the drowsiness, and continuously increased her pursuit speed.

Old Train looked back at Zhao Lanmeng. "She didn't fall asleep. Your 'Lazy Cultivator' skill isn't quite perfected yet."

"You don't understand! Even if Meng Qian fell asleep, she could still chase us in her dreams. On her territory, making her like this is already very difficult."

"Are you two going to fight or not?"

Zhao Lanmeng said, "We'll fight when we get to your dream. I won't take advantage of her, but I definitely won't let her disadvantage me."

"Choo-choo!" Old Train whistled. "Next stop: My Dream. Passengers arriving at this station, please prepare to disembark."

While crawling through the tunnel would take an hour, Old Train's true speed cut the time significantly. In a flash, they reached the mouth of the tunnel. Old Train leaped out, carrying Zhao Lanmeng on his back, and ran out of the Dream-Weaving Tower.

Zhao Lanmeng turned around and activated his skill, 'Mirror Flower, Water Moon'.

Meng Qian pursued them to the tunnel exit, where she crashed into a barrier. She slid down slowly against it, watching helplessly as Old Train, with Zhao Lanmeng on his back, vanished from sight.

The Dream-Weaving Tower belonged to Meng Qian, but the Zhaoge City before them was part of Old Train's dream. There was a barrier between dream and reality, and Zhao Lanmeng used his 'Mirror Flower, Water Moon' skill to further thicken it.

Old Train asked, "You're not fighting her?"

Zhao Lanmeng replied, "The fight's over. One move, a decisive victory."

"That counts as a fight?"

Zhao Lanmeng half-closed his eyes. "You don't understand the rules of 'Dream Cultivation'."

"Since the fight's over, do I still need to run?"

Zhao Lanmeng yawned. "You still need to run. She can break through the barrier."

Meng Qian stood up from the ground and touched the barrier before her.

Breaking through the dream barrier wasn't difficult for her, but she probed it for a while, and it didn't shatter.

Not that she couldn't, but that she didn't want to.

She turned and walked back into the Dream-Weaving Tower, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

He was gone.

Eighteen Wheels had finally left!

Guarding half of Eighteen Wheels' soul was a task assigned to Meng Qian by the Shang Kingdom.

Now the mission had failed, but it couldn't be blamed on Meng Qian's incompetence.

Zhao Lanmeng, the Dream Cultivator, had attacked the Dream-Weaving Tower with the other half of Eighteen Wheels' soul. Two fists are no match for four hands, and given how powerful these two were, could it really be Meng Qian's fault?

The more Meng Qian thought about it, the more excited she became. If that mad old man hadn't been causing trouble all these years, the number of cities in the Dream-Weaving Tower would have at least doubled.

A charming woman in a skirt suit and heavy makeup approached Meng Qian, bowed, and said, "A prominent figure from outside the province has been staying with me."

Meng Qian gave the woman a pill. "Extract everything he knows."

The woman accepted the pill and thanked her profusely. "Don't worry, I've squeezed him dry."

A flood of information appeared before Meng Qian. Her smile grew even sweeter. "I've earned another great merit this time! The matter with Eighteen Wheels can now be somewhat accounted for!"

Inside the Portable Abode, Zhang Gunli looked around, asking Li Banfeng, "This is Little Train, right?"

Li Banfeng pulled up a chair and sat in front of Zhang Gunli, praising him, "You're very insightful."

Zhang Gunli, with one leg injured, also found a chair and sat down. "I am a sect leader, and also a grandmaster."

Li Banfeng looked disdainful. "You call yourself a sect leader?"

Zhang Gunli pulled out two silver dollars. One was inscribed 'Loan Cultivation Sect Leader', and the other, 'Loan Cultivation Grandmaster'.

"The Peddler personally gave these to me. If you don't believe me, surely you believe him?"

Li Banfeng examined the quality of the silver dollars; they were authentic. "I guess there are too few Loan Cultivators, and the Peddler couldn't find anyone else suitable. He had to pick you, the best of a bad lot."

"There aren't many Loan Cultivators, it's true, but I'm not as useless as you say. Li Qi, if I hadn't encountered Eighteen Wheels today, I wouldn't have been injured, nor would I have lost my will to fight. You might not have won against me."

Li Banfeng sighed. "I also think this battle wasn't entirely fair to you. How about this: we'll have another open and honest fight later, but first, you have to tell me a few things."

Zhang Gunli said, "Let's be clear. If I win our next fight, what happens then?"

Li Banfeng replied, "I'll let you go. Whatever you do to me will be my fate, and I won't hold it against you."

"Deal! It's a promise!" Zhang Gunli's eyes lit up. This exchange involved his skill.

The core of a Loan Cultivator's methods lay in IOUs, but some debts had no such documentation.

For instance, if someone urgently needed a loan, or an acquaintance borrowed from a Loan Cultivator without an IOU at the time, should that debt still be collected?

If debts weren't collected, they wouldn't be called Loan Cultivators.

The 'Money Offering' skill was used for debts without IOUs. As long as one took money from a Loan Cultivator, even without a formal agreement, the debt was incurred through the skill.

Earlier, during their fight outside the Portable Abode, Li Banfeng had touched Zhang Gunli's silver dollars, and the 'Money Offering' skill had already taken effect.

Zhang Gunli had just given Li Banfeng a 'Sect Leader' silver dollar and a 'Grandmaster' silver dollar. In total, Li Banfeng now owed Zhang Gunli three debts.

There was also another type of debt that couldn't be measured in money; these debts also had to be collected.

The 'Loan Cultivation' skill used just now was called 'A Promise Worth a Thousand Gold'. It was designed to address debts not directly related to money.

By saying "Deal! It's a promise!" to Li Banfeng, if Li Banfeng later reneged on their agreement and refused to fight Zhang Gunli, he would still owe Zhang Gunli a debt, and Zhang Gunli's 'Loan Cultivation' skill could still affect him.

Li Banfeng first asked, "What exactly is your purpose in coming after Zhao Lanmeng?"

Zhang Gunli replied, "It's a mission from the imperial court. I'm to kill the local deity of Pillow City, find his contract, and bring it back to Zhaoge. Zhaoge will then assign other personnel to manage this territory."

Li Banfeng asked, "You mean they want you to kill Zhao Lanmeng just to seize a legitimate territory?"

"This is no small matter. The Inner Province has never occupied a legitimate territory in Puluo Province. For them, it's a rare opportunity."

Was this really an opportunity?

"Why specifically Pillow City?"

Zhang Gunli spoke honestly. "I truly don't know, but I've heard some rumors. Pillow City is a special place; one territory can transform into several. If the Inner Province secures this territory, they might be able to achieve something else in the future."

Li Banfeng nodded slightly without commenting. He then asked, "Why did you attack Fool's City back then?"

Zhang Gunli shook his head. "I truly didn't attack Fool's City. Sun Tiecheng and I have been friends since childhood; he taught me my skills."

"Still so stubborn, even facing death." Li Banfeng beckoned, and Jiu'er approached Zhang Gunli.

The moment he saw Miss Jiu, Zhang Gunli's heart trembled, but his expression remained unchanged.

Miss Jiu smiled. "Uncle Zhang, still well, I see!"

Zhang Gunli asked, "A'Yu, what are you doing here?"

"Never mind where I am. Let's talk about what happened back then. Why did you bring Shan Chengjun into Fool's City?"

Zhang Gunli said, "I was forced. Under the Peddler, only Eighteen Wheels and your father had the power to fight Shan Chengjun; no one else was his match. Your father went with the Peddler to attack the Bandit Suppression Camp, and Eighteen Wheels was insane at the time and couldn't control Shan Chengjun. Shan Chengjun then found me. What could I do? I wanted to survive, so I could only show him a path. And it wasn't the right path; I led them into the trap you set. I wanted to work with you to get rid of Shan Chengjun and his men. I'd say this even in front of your father!"

Zhang Gunli immediately denied it. "You can't talk nonsense like that. I never attacked you!"

"It might have looked like you didn't attack, but how do you explain all those silver dollars scattered across the battlefield?"

Zhang Gunli insisted, "That was an ambush I set up; I intended to use it against Shan Chengjun."

Jiu'er smiled, gritting her teeth. "I truly admire your ability to lie. How can you think so highly of yourself? Forget about your silver dollars scattered everywhere; even if you had used your entire fortune, do you honestly think you could have touched Shan Chengjun? I stepped on your silver dollars and was suppressed by your 'Loan Cultivation' skill, unable to use my formations on the battlefield until my entire army was annihilated. Do you dare say that wasn't your doing?"

Zhang Gunli shook his head. "No matter what I say, you won't believe me. There are still many people alive in Fool's City—or at least able to speak. Go and ask them: did I enter the city the day Fool's City was breached? Did I kill a single person inside the city?"

Jiu'er shook her head. "You didn't enter the city at the time, because you knew it would be useless. You knew that mastering the 'Foolish Cultivation' skill required a specific powder. You knew Shan Chengjun couldn't find that powder, but you could. You waited for Shan Chengjun to completely destroy Fool's City, then you'd enter to retrieve the powder, making it a flawless plan. Am I wrong?"

Zhang Gunli sighed, shaking his head. "Did you see all that in a dream? You're determined to pin all this on me. Say whatever you like."

Li Banfeng said to Miss Jiu, "Zhang Gunli knows the 'Speaking of Bitterness and Hardship' skill. He claims he learned it from your father."

Zhang Gunli looked at Miss Jiu. "I'm absolutely not lying about this. If you don't believe me, we can confront your father!"

Jiu'er looked at Zhang Gunli, wondering if he really dared to confront her father.

After a moment of thought, Jiu'er smiled. "You don't dare to confront him, but you just want to leave the Little Train, don't you?"

Zhang Gunli sighed, "My 'Illness Cultivation' skill was truly taught by your father. You have no idea how deep the bond was between your father and me back then!"

Jiu'er nodded. "If the 'Speaking of Bitterness and Hardship' skill was taught by my father, he would have surely told you all its essentials. You must have mastered the complete skill. Try using it on me and see if you can deceive me. If you can make me fall for your skill, I'll believe you."

Zhang Gunli hesitated for a moment but did not unleash the 'Speaking of Bitterness and Hardship' skill.

His skill could only soften Li Banfeng's heart for a short while; there was no way it could fool Jiu'er.

Zhang Gunli looked at Li Banfeng. "She won't believe anything I say, and I don't want to say any more. Master Seven, I've told you everything I know regarding your questions. Now, you should honor our agreement. Let's fight again."

Li Qi owed Zhang Gunli three debts. As long as the fight was fair, Zhang Gunli was confident he could win.

If Li Qi refused to fight Zhang Gunli, Zhang Gunli could still use the 'A Promise Worth a Thousand Gold' skill to force Li Qi to incur another debt by reneging on their agreement.

"Alright!" Li Banfeng drew his sickle and handed it to Jiu'er. "Fight him, and give him a thousand cuts."

Zhang Gunli stood up. "Li Qi, you break your word."

"There's no honor to be spoken of with a scoundrel like you," a woman said as she entered from the second room.

Her appearance was somewhat unfamiliar to Zhang Gunli, but he recognized her voice and figure.

Hong Ying!

She was also on the Little Train?

Was she also one of Li Qi's people?

With Hong Ying and A'Yu both present, Zhang Gunli knew there was no chance of escape. He focused all his attention on Li Qi.

This was his last chance; if he could just seize Li Qi, he might still escape.

Li Qi sat casually in his chair, feeling the danger slowly draw near.

Before Zhang Gunli could use his skill, Hong Ying and Jiu'er struck simultaneously, each cutting off one of Zhang Gunli's legs.

Zhang Gunli fell to the ground, his two severed legs still twitching there.

He looked at Li Qi and used his 'Debt Mountain Crushing' skill.

"You break your word, ganging up on me! Even if I die today, I'm taking you with me!"

Li Qi was unharmed; the skill had no effect.

Why didn't it work?

Zhang Gunli thought he hadn't used the skill strongly enough and intensified his effort.

The gramophone in the room chuckled, "Who's breaking their word? Aren't we having a fair fight, just as agreed beforehand?"

Gongs and drums resounded as the young woman began to sing 'Five Ghosts Catching Madam Liu': "Startled from sleep by ghostly wails, raising my head, I see a multitude of spirits. Their faces contorted, bells shaking, this one ghost's soul-summoning banner grasps your very soul."

The original melody was mournful and drawn-out, but the young woman changed it to be short and shrill, sending shivers down Zhang Gunli's spine.

"Zhao Xiaowan! You're here too—" Zhang Gunli looked at Li Banfeng. "Let's have a fair fight!"

"It is a fair fight. House Cultivators fight this way." Li Banfeng sat with one leg crossed over the other, listening to the young woman sing opera, his body swaying gently with the rhythm.

House Cultivator?

The Little Train had become his house?

How could he be a House Cultivator?

How could a 'Travel Cultivator' also be a 'House Cultivator'?

The 'A Promise Worth a Thousand Gold' skill failed to suppress Li Banfeng, but the 'Money Offering' skill should definitely work, as Li Banfeng had indeed accepted his silver dollars earlier.

Zhang Gunli wanted to use another skill on Li Banfeng but found the opportunity too slim.

The young woman exhaled steam, casually heating up a hotpot.

Hong Ying watched from the side, seeing if Zhang Gunli had any other tricks up his sleeve.

Jiu'er, holding her sickle, slowly sliced Zhang Gunli to pieces.

As his family sat down to eat, Li Banfeng was still pondering something.

Was Zhang Gunli truly here to kill Zhao Lanmeng just to seize Pillow City?

If it were that simple, the Inner Province would have long since captured the legitimate territories of Puluo Province.

If Zhao Lanmeng were killed in Pillow City, the Peddler would never let it go. Even if Zhang Gunli took the contract, he wouldn't be able to hold onto the territory; no one in the Inner Province could.

What exactly was the Inner Province's true objective in sending Zhang Gunli here?

Old Train woke up and looked at Zhao Lanmeng on the bed.

He slapped Zhao Lanmeng's face. "Get up!"

Zhao Lanmeng opened his eyes. "I helped you retrieve half your soul. Is there anything else?"

"We've reached the final stop, Pillow City. You should pay for your ticket now." Old Train tore off a piece of toilet paper and handed it to Zhao Lanmeng.

Zhao Lanmeng took the toilet paper and looked at it for a moment. "How much is the ticket?"

"Three hundred!"

"That expensive?"

"Not expensive at all. You were in soft sleeper class! Old Seven, do you think this price is expensive?"

Li Banfeng, standing nearby, said, "Soft sleeper tickets are all this price; it's really not expensive. Brother Zhao, don't you get tired of always staying in Pillow City?"

"No, I don't!" Zhao Lanmeng took out three hundred banknotes from the Huan Kingdom and handed them to Old Train. "I'm content to sleep here for the rest of my life."

Li Banfeng pulled out a stack of banknotes. "I'll buy you another ticket. Go out and explore for a bit, then we can come back and sleep."

Zhao Lanmeng shook his head. "I can't leave. If I did, the people of Pillow City wouldn't be able to sleep soundly."

Old Train got ready to depart. "If they can't sleep soundly, then so be it. You sleep three seasons a year; a little less sleep won't hurt."

Late at night, Chu Shaoqiang arrived at Chu Er's territory and spoke in a low voice, "What do you need me for?"

Chu Er remained silent. Chu Shaoqiang sensed something was wrong and turned to leave, but suddenly saw Li Qi appear before him.

Chu Shaoqiang glanced back at Chu Er. "How could I have given birth to such a—"

Li Banfeng said, "General Pingyuan, what does that mean? The imperial court assigned you to me; do you not wish to see me?"

Chu Shaoqiang laughed. "Your Highness misunderstands. I was just worried that Huai Yuan's impulsiveness might cause trouble for Your Highness." "Shaoqiang," Li Banfeng continued, "there truly is a troublesome matter now. Zhao Lanmeng, the local deity of Pillow City, has been killed, and his contract is missing. The Peddler is furious. I need you to help me investigate who did this. Be careful not to leak any information."