Chapter 759: 摸着黑,接着走

In the cinema, the House Cultivators and the Brotherhood members began a chaotic fight.

Originally, it was thought that these people were just workers following Shen Jiming. To everyone's surprise, when the fighting started, they were all very capable and skilled.

House Cultivator Hu Fangyuan was injured. While fighting, he complained to Wu Yongchao, "Look at the people you've brought! These aren't proper House Cultivators; they're practically a gang!"

Shen Jiming had entered Iron Gate Fortress as a House Cultivator. At the time, he had appeared to Wu Yongchao as an honest, law-abiding movie enthusiast.

Wu Yongchao was filled with regret and anger, striking harder and harder. Shen Jiming's group was heavily outnumbered and barely managed to hold out until the next day. As soon as the steam gate opened, the group immediately fled Iron Gate Fortress.

"Can't you see there's a fight going on? Why are you opening the gate?" Wu Yongchao, still seething with anger, reprimanded the workers, intending to lead a pursuit.

House Cultivator Yuan Zhenguang advised, "It's enough that they've run away. You were too brutal just now; I was really afraid you'd kill someone."

Hu Fangyuan bandaged his own wounds. He looked towards the cinema and said, "I have a feeling someone might already be dead. It seemed like one of their security guards was killed last night."

Indeed, someone had been killed.

During the chaos, Li Banfeng had entered looking for Laughing Thousand Hands' secret move, initially finding nothing. Then, Lü Keyong, Ghost Hand Sect's dedicated lookout, suddenly leaped out.

This guy used a sneaky trick, aiming to kill Wu Yongchao first to intimidate the other House Cultivators. However, the gloves detected Laughing Thousand Hands' scent on him, and before he could attack Wu Yongchao, he was taken care of by Li Qi.

Hu Fangyuan only remembered that Lü Keyong seemed to have been killed. How he died, where he died, and what happened to his body—he couldn't say for sure.

Since no body was found, no one paid it much mind. However, Yuan Zhenguang remembered something else and pulled Hu Fangyuan aside, asking, "Where's Li Zhijuan?"

Hu Fangyuan snorted, "How should I know? She's not my wife; am I supposed to keep an eye on her?"

"I haven't seen her all night."

Hu Fangyuan replied, "Isn't that obvious? It's late at night; why should a young woman be seen by you? All day long you're just staring at Li Zhijuan. If you're interested, go tell her yourself. Why do you keep telling me this?"

Yuan Zhenguang grew anxious, his voice rising. "Who's talking about that with you? Li Zhijuan is a good fighter and has never cowered. Why didn't she come tonight?"

Hearing this, Wu Yongchao also felt something was off. He quickly summoned two female House Cultivators to check on Li Zhijuan's home.

Li Banfeng was also worried about this. Li Zhijuan's House Spirit had died; how should they deal with such a situation?

Not long after, several women emerged from Li Zhijuan's room. "Something happened at Juanzi's house; the room is a mess."

"Juanzi is lying motionless on the bed, and her sewing machine isn't moving either."

"The room is full of silk threads; there must have been a fierce battle!"

Wu Yongchao was extremely anxious. "How is Juanzi now?"

"She's still alive, and there are no visible injuries."

Yuan Zhenguang also grew anxious. "Quickly, bring her out and find a doctor to examine her."

An old woman said, "Where would we find a doctor? How many House Cultivators do you see normally looking for doctors? House Cultivators recover fastest by resting in their homes. We'll take turns looking after her, so don't make trouble where there isn't any."

Another middle-aged woman asked, "Is her House Spirit still alive?"

The old woman sighed, "The House Spirit is definitely gone. When Juanzi recovers, we'll help her invite another one."

Yuan Zhenguang gritted his teeth. "Who did this? Who harmed Juanzi?"

Hu Fangyuan looked at Wu Yongchao and said, "Who else could it be? It must be that group of filmmakers. Yongchao, you handled this terribly. How could you let such people in? When the Fort Lord asks about this, let's see how you explain yourself!"

Everyone criticized him, speaking over each other, while Wu Yongchao kept his head down, not saying a word.

The old woman yelled, "Everyone, quiet down a bit. First, let's take good care of Juanzi. We can discuss other matters later!"

Li Banfeng looked at the old woman. He hadn't seen her before and guessed she had just moved in.

The voice of the Portable Dwelling echoed in his ear: "These old House Cultivators have been struggling in the Daoist sect for many years. They can help handle major and minor affairs, so you don't need to worry. However, there are some things we need to discuss together; we have an extraordinary individual in our home."

"Who is it?"

Just as the Portable Dwelling was about to speak, the projector flickered.

"No rush. Let me sort things out, and then I'll find time to discuss it with you two. Look at Ah Ji, is that a call coming in?"

Li Banfeng took out the simple phone from the film compartment. It was Pineapple calling through Hook: "Seventh Master, we saw a unique passenger ship leaving Chaoge."

Li Banfeng asked, "What makes it unique?"

Pineapple didn't elaborate and handed Hook to Eight Calculator. Eight Calculator had discovered the ship and deduced the suspicious points.

Eight Calculator told Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, this is a passenger ship. Based on its external features, I calculated the dimensions of its cabins. The cabins on this ship are larger than common ones in Puluo State, but much smaller than those in Neizhou. It's clearly designed for a specific type of passenger: the Neizhou imperial family, the Three-Headed People."

Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "Isn't it quite normal for the imperial family to have a dedicated passenger ship?"

"We observed near the docks for a long time. This is the first time we've seen such a large passenger ship set sail. The ship has a deep draft, meaning there should be many people on board. It's unusual for so many members of the imperial family to travel by sea together."

His deduction was correct; this matter was indeed unusual. According to what the Luo sisters had said previously, members of the imperial family could not easily leave Chaoge.

"Eight Calculator, you and Pineapple keep a close eye on this passenger ship. Inform me immediately if you get any news."

As soon as the call ended, Li Banfeng saw someone arrive in Iron Gate Fortress.

More precisely, it was a departed soul.

The departed soul was carrying two rolls of film, standing on the street of Iron Gate Fortress, looking around.

Li Banfeng quietly approached the departed soul and asked in a low voice, "Who are you looking for?"

The departed soul was startled. He had seen Li Banfeng before, but seeing this man in a black suit today, he couldn't recognize him at first.

"I just came to watch the commotion," the departed soul casually replied, raising his guard. Anyone who could see his form was clearly no ordinary person.

Li Banfeng lowered his voice further. "Then I'll be more direct: whose subordinate are you, a Nightmare Cultivator?"

Since the other party had seen through him, the departed soul no longer hid his identity. "I am a ghost servant of the local deity, Song Qianhun. I heard there was a battle here and was ordered to come assess the situation."

Li Banfeng said, "I am Brother Song's friend. Could you take me to see him?"

The ghost servant looked Li Banfeng up and down. "May I ask your esteemed name?"

Li Banfeng tilted up his hat brim and looked at the ghost servant. The ghost servant was startled and quickly bowed. "So it's Seventh Master. Please follow me."

The ghost servant led Li Banfeng out of Iron Gate Fortress. As they walked, Li Banfeng asked, "Where did this film come from?"

"I snatched it on the way. This film contains emotion-cultivation techniques. Master Song was very angry when he learned about this and told me to check Iron Gate Fortress to see how many people were affected by the 'roots of emotion'."

The two passed through the market, walked twenty li east, and arrived at a residence. The ghost servant led Li Banfeng into the courtyard.

Song Qianhun emerged from the house. Seeing Li Banfeng, he exclaimed with surprise, "Old Seventh, you're here!"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Yes, I just went to check out Iron Gate Fortress."

"How are the people in the fortress? How many were affected by the 'roots of emotion'?"

"A large number were affected. Fortunately, all the 'roots of emotion' have been extracted. After all, they are House Cultivators; as long as they are in their homes, there is a way to deal with it."

Song Qianhun called out several ghost servants, telling them to pour tea, warm wine, and prepare a few side dishes.

After two cups of wine, Song Qianhun brought up the main topic: "Ever since those filmmakers arrived, I've been annoyed. I heard there was a fight in Iron Gate Fortress, so this morning I sent out my ghost servants to intercept the filmmakers and beat them up again. They admitted themselves that they put emotion-cultivation techniques in the film. I really wanted my ghost servants to kill them all, but I didn't want Song Shu nagging me. So I left a mark on them and let them go. But this matter isn't over. Tomorrow, I'm going to warn Song Shu face-to-face: no one from the Brotherhood is allowed on my territory ever again. This film is physical evidence, and Old Seventh, you need to be my witness."

A warning? A witness? Li Banfeng was confused. "Brother Song, isn't Teacher Song your daughter?"

"She is my daughter," Song Qianhun said, his face clouding over. "But some things need to be made clear. I've always disliked the Brotherhood. She constantly nags me, always wanting to drag me into it. This time, she needs to learn a lesson. If she ever mentions the Brotherhood to me again, don't blame me for turning hostile."

Li Banfeng asked, "When did Teacher Song join the Brotherhood?"

"When she was studying at university."

"How old is Teacher Song?"

Li Banfeng had always been curious. Song Qianhun appeared middle-aged, but with his cultivation level, one couldn't judge his age by appearance. He was Guijianchou's junior brother, and Guijianchou and Sun Tiecheng were contemporaries. As Song Qianhun's daughter, Song Shu shouldn't be too young.

"She is twenty-eight this year."

The result was unexpected; Song Shu was much younger than he had imagined. Li Banfeng stared at Song Qianhun and asked, "Your biological daughter?"

"Is there any doubt?" Song Qianhun puffed out his chest. "Back then, her mother and I had a bet. If I won, she'd be my wife; if I lost, I'd be her apprentice!"

Li Banfeng praised, "At the crucial moment, Brother Song truly doesn't hesitate."

Song Qianhun's face flushed. "Actually, I did hesitate. I lost that bet."

Li Banfeng was stunned. "You lost, and you still got to marry her?"

"Her mother said that sleeping with an apprentice is more exciting..." Song Qianhun's voice trailed off, and by the end, he raised his wine glass. "Brother, let's drink."

Li Banfeng said nothing, quietly drinking his wine.

Song Qianhun sighed, "Her mother is from Waizhou, and I have many dealings with Waizhou. Song Shu also spent most of her time in Waizhou, only coming to Puluo State during winter and summer breaks. She has a deep affection for Puluo State; every time before school started, she was reluctant to leave. After she became a cultivator, she liked Puluo State even more. For a period, she even attended school intermittently just to come to Puluo State for cultivation. But after going to university, her temperament changed drastically. All day long, she would tell me about the flaws of Puluo State. Even as she spoke, she herself was reluctant, but the more reluctant she was, the more she felt compelled to speak. She always said that Puluo State needed to change, but she couldn't explain into what. Later, I found out she had joined the Brotherhood."

Li Banfeng asked, "Had you heard of the Brotherhood before?"

Song Qianhun said, "Definitely. The Brotherhood has a big reputation in Puluo State. Even when I was just a Ground Spirit, I heard that Lucky Star could travel both inside and outside the region. She was already a member of the Brotherhood back then."

Li Banfeng was taken aback. "What does 'travel both inside and outside' mean?"

Song Qianhun gave an example: "Brother, you know Shan Chengjun, right? Is he famous?"

"He's quite famous!" Li Banfeng nodded. In Puluo State, apart from the Heavenly Maiden, who was said to be on par with the Peddler, Shan Chengjun seemed to be the strongest fighter below the Peddler.

Song Qianhun said, "If Shan Chengjun went to Waizhou, very few people would have heard of him, and hardly anyone would recognize him even if he walked right in front of them. But Old Woman Ku is very famous in Waizhou. Anyone in the know has heard of Lucky Star's reputation. Some old veterans in the Dark Star Bureau would recognize Lucky Star on sight. There's also something you might not know: there are Bitter Vegetable Villages in Waizhou too. Lucky Star has such deep roots in Waizhou, and it's all thanks to the Brotherhood."

Li Banfeng asked, "The Brotherhood you're talking about, do you mean the true Brotherhood?"

Song Qianhun understood Li Banfeng's meaning. "Many people say there are two Brotherhoods, one real and one fake. But in my opinion, there isn't much difference between them. He Jiaqing stole a name and gathered his own group, which seemed like a fake Brotherhood, but it actually gained recognition from the true Brotherhood, essentially acting as a branch of the Brotherhood."

Li Banfeng asked, "Who is the leader of the true Brotherhood? Is it the Heavenly Maiden?"

Song Qianhun was reluctant to discuss this, but since Li Banfeng asked, he revealed a little: "The rumor is it's the Heavenly Maiden. It's said she established the Brotherhood after her breakup with the Peddler."

"Why did the two of them break up?"

Song Qianhun shook his head. "There are many theories about that. Some say the Peddler was unjust in his dealings, conquered the world, and then neglected the Heavenly Maiden. Others say the Heavenly Maiden was too ambitious, wanting to eliminate the Peddler and take his place. Still others claim the Peddler was impotent in bed, and the Heavenly Maiden, unwilling to remain celibate, sought to kill him and find a new lover."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "The third theory is ridiculous. Such a trivial matter wouldn't lead to a fight to the death."

Song Qianhun sighed, "In any case, the Brotherhood has caused the Peddler a lot of trouble over the years. But speaking of which, brother, you've accomplished many great things in Neizhou, Waizhou, and Puluo State recently. What are your plans for the future?"

Li Banfeng said, "I plan to continue working, to ensure Puluo State isn't attacked or bullied."

Song Qianhun asked, "Don't you have any other thoughts? Some aspects of Puluo State are indeed not ideal."

Li Banfeng smiled. "Where in the world is everything perfect?"

Li Banfeng thoroughly inspected Iron Gate Fortress to ensure no loose ends were left. As he walked to Li Zhijuan's doorway, the broken sewing machine had already been moved out.

Li Zhijuan was holding the sewing machine, her eyes red from crying. Wu Yongchao stood beside her, head bowed, saying, "I'm so sorry. I'll buy you a new one—"

"Buy what new one? That was my father! Where would you buy another one?" Li Zhijuan grabbed Wu Yongchao, hitting and scratching him repeatedly.

Li Banfeng asked an old woman nearby, "Is this sewing machine really her father?"

The old woman sighed, "Not her biological father, but the bond between a House Cultivator and a House Spirit can be as deep as blood. I used to consider my House Spirit my own daughter. When we separated, my heart ached as if being twisted by a knife."

Li Banfeng asked, "Why did you separate?"

"We had no choice but to separate. If we hadn't separated back then, she wouldn't have survived." The old woman shook her head and walked away.

Li Banfeng looked at Wu Yongchao, whose face was covered in scratches and blood, yet he didn't offer a single word of defense.

From Li Banfeng's perspective, he could see Wu Yongchao's grievance. People like Laughing Thousand Hands were not someone he could have prevented.

Li Banfeng took out three Golden Yuan Pills and quietly slipped them into Wu Yongchao's pocket. He had intended to find an opportunity to comfort him, but then he saw the projector flash with light.

Another call? Had Pineapple and Eight Calculator found out the passenger ship's destination?

The projector opened its film compartment, but what came out wasn't Luo Zhengnan's simple phone; it was Li Banfeng's cell phone.

This phone had no signal in Puluo State. Li Banfeng would regularly charge it using the Portable Dwelling's battery to ensure it was always ready when he went to Waizhou.

The call was from Teacher Song. On the other end of the line, her tone was filled with guilt.

"Banfeng, I heard from my father that the Brotherhood caused a lot of trouble for Iron Gate Fortress. I didn't expect something like this to happen. I want to apologize to the Fort Lord of Iron Gate Fortress—"

Li Banfeng glanced at Li Zhijuan and said to Song Shu, "The Fort Lord doesn't need your apology. Can you hear the crying? A House Cultivator has lost her House Spirit."

"I truly didn't expect this—I'll make whatever compensation I can to Iron Gate Fortress. I've left some things for you in the campus supermarket's locker. Those are the information I collected this semester, including academic and other materials."

Li Banfeng interrupted, "That locker uses facial recognition; can I retrieve them?"

"You can. I had it record your face," Teacher Song said, though not very confidently. "If you can't open it, please call me. Don't try to force it. The campus supermarket lockers cannot be violently damaged, and there are a few compartments that absolutely must not be opened."

Li Banfeng was curious. "Since it's so complicated, why don't you just give it to me directly? I'll come to the school to find you today."

"I'm not at school right now; I'm already in Puluo State."

"Then that's even easier. I'll come to Puluo State to find you."

"Banfeng, um, no—" Teacher Song stammered, seemingly with an unspoken reason.

Li Banfeng knew the reason. "When you're in Puluo State, you're not Teacher Song anymore, you're Ah Hui, right?"

"If you have any troubles, you can also reach me via radio," Teacher Song said, her tone a bit awkward.

"I'd also really like to see the radio station."

Li Banfeng was about to hang up when he heard Teacher Song say, "Banfeng, don't let this incident affect your impression of the Brotherhood. The true Brotherhood and the organization under He Jiaqing are still different. Banfeng, I truly hope you can become a member of the Brotherhood. Puluo State needs to change, especially now that Neizhou is stirring. Puluo State truly isn't prepared for war."

Li Banfeng was silent for a moment, then said, "The Brotherhood was driven out of Iron Gate Fortress. Puluo State is always ready to face war."

Li Banfeng returned to the Portable Dwelling and first went to check on his wife.

Before entering, the old man told Li Banfeng to leave all his magical artifacts in Room Twelve, allowing only him to enter Room Thirteen.

Inside the room, his wife was sound asleep. Hearing her even, delicate breaths, Li Banfeng felt a little more at ease and gently stroked her belly.

She's gained weight!

Li Banfeng nodded with satisfaction. Just as he was about to leave, he heard the Portable Dwelling say, "Old Seventh, I've found Lai Wuju."

Li Banfeng was startled. "Where did you find her?"

The Portable Dwelling followed the key; wherever Li Banfeng went, it went. If it found Lai Wuju, that meant Li Banfeng must have also encountered Lai Wuju.

The old man said, "Lai Wuju is right here in our home, the one in Room Five."

"The Room Five girl?" Li Banfeng was dumbfounded. "Old man, are you talking nonsense?"

"I'm not talking nonsense!" his wife suddenly spoke, startling Li Banfeng. "She really is Lai Wuju. Laughing Thousand Hands recognized her. I originally wanted to listen a bit longer, but I was worried Laughing Thousand Hands would be eaten by her, so I rushed into the room and snatched Laughing Thousand Hands away."

Li Banfeng scratched his head, thinking for a long time. "The Room Five girl's appearance doesn't really match a Food Cultivator, does it?"

"My dear husband, you can't judge cultivators by their appearance. Some Food Cultivators get thinner the more they eat, and some Travel Cultivators don't even have legs."

That's true. Little Fatty was so thin for a while that he looked almost inhuman; on the surface, he certainly didn't appear to be a Food Cultivator.

"But I never see Room Five eating. What kind of Food Cultivator doesn't eat?"

The old man said, "Ah Qi, have you ever considered that everyone in the family became able to eat more after coming home?"

"Did they?" Li Banfeng thought everyone's appetite was normal.

His wife explained, "My dear husband, strictly speaking, not every family member can cultivate by eating. But as long as they are in our house, they can gain cultivation by eating flesh and blood. The family was eating, and she was eating too. She ate quite a lot of good stuff."

His wife had mentioned this before, and Li Banfeng had thought about it, but not for too long.

To Li Banfeng, eating and gaining cultivation felt as natural and logical as eating to grow physically.

"Could this be due to a Food Cultivation technique?"

The Portable Dwelling recovered some memories. "Ah Qi, if I'm not mistaken, this is the most powerful technique in the entire Food Cultivation Daoist sect. It's called 'Food is Heaven.' Within the range of 'Food is Heaven,' everyone will become a Food Cultivator."

Li Banfeng thought for a long time, then asked the Portable Dwelling, "Lai Wuju is a passenger in Room Five. Didn't you know her identity before?"

"Ah Qi, to be honest with you, there's a lot I don't know. I've lost too many memories. I don't even remember how many compartments I have; I only know that each time you advance, I can retrieve one. In my memory, Room Five was originally a Nightmare Cultivator. At first, I thought all the illusions in the house were created by her using ghost servants. It was only when Ah Ji changed later that I realized something was wrong. That's when I understood I might have remembered incorrectly, or perhaps Room Five had changed occupants."

Li Banfeng thought it over, still finding it strange. "Old man, is it possible you didn't remember incorrectly, that Room Five really is a Nightmare Cultivator, and Laughing Thousand Hands was just making a casual guess?"

"Ah Qi, Ah Ji can swallow people alive and turn them into elixirs. Do you really think that's a technique he created himself? Room Five taught him that. That was Lai Wuju's unique technique back then, called 'Hundred Flower Kill'."

His wife said, "When I captured Laughing Thousand Hands, I saw Room Five perform a technique. It was exactly like the 'Withering Technique' the projector uses. 'Withering Technique,' 'Hundred Flower Kill'—even the names are similar. It's just that we hadn't heard of this technique's name before."

"A unique technique," Li Banfeng asked the Portable Dwelling, "Then what about Hong Lian? Isn't swallowing people and turning them into elixirs her ultimate skill?"

The old man sighed, "Hong Lian's origin is probably even less clear. I have no memory of it at all."

Li Banfeng looked at his wife. Her breathing was steady, and she had fallen back into a deep sleep.

After reorganizing his thoughts, Li Banfeng suddenly shivered.

"Old man, can you keep Lai Wuju in check?"

"Hard to say," the old man sighed. "I don't even know where she came from. We'll have to take it one step at a time."

Li Banfeng sat by the wall, contemplating their current situation. "Lai Wuju is right here in our home. I feel the situation is quite precarious right now."

The old man became displeased. "What kind of talk is that? What do you mean 'precarious now'? Do you think it wasn't precarious before? To be honest with you, when you first came in, I couldn't even remember my own name. Then you brought that madwoman Zhao Xiaowan into the house. Do you know how scared I was then? If you two hadn't become husband and wife right away, I would have killed her long ago."

Li Banfeng said, "So, all along, we've been stumbling in the dark?"

The old man gave a dry laugh. "We still are, even now."

"Then let's keep stumbling forward," Li Banfeng said. He stroked his wife's belly again, then stood up and left Room Thirteen.

Passing Room Five, Li Banfeng saw that the projector was still studying techniques with the Room Five girl.

The Room Five girl held fresh flowers and smiled genuinely at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng suddenly remembered something Ah Yu had said earlier: Lai Wuju was coming to find her.

At the time, Li Banfeng was very surprised, but now that he thought about it carefully, Lai Wuju was right in front of her then. Li Banfeng himself had brought Lai Wuju to find her.

Li Banfeng looked back at the Room Five girl and smiled as well.

Should he take her to see Ah Yu again?

He could go, but he wasn't sure if the Linked Caverns Bridal Chamber was sufficient now.