Chapter 776: He Promoted

Li Banfeng arrived at Xiaodu's port aboard the Skywing City.

Pineapple sensed something: "Seventh Master, there are some unusual individuals at the dock. We shouldn't approach the shore easily."

Basuan, using Skywing City's vision, saw their positions: "Their positions are quite clever, covering all directions. Passing ships cannot escape their notice. These individuals appear to be dockworkers, helping with cargo and people, but they are actually hidden operatives (spies)."

Skywing City circled Xiaodu and discovered numerous hidden operatives.

This wasn't because Tie Baisheng and his group were negligent in their defense. Hundreds of enslaved people arrived in Xiaodu daily through various channels, making it inevitable for good and bad elements to mix.

Li Banfeng chose a ship-free area ten miles from Xiaodu, left Skywing City, and flew directly towards the city.

Pineapple followed in Skywing City. The journey was uneventful until Li Banfeng flew over the dock and a shipyard worker, high above the factories, seemed to notice his presence.

The worker looked up at the sky for a long time.

Pineapple exclaimed, "Seventh Master was too careless!"

Basuan, having understood the situation, didn't think Li Banfeng was careless: "How could he have avoided so many hidden operatives at the port only to leave a trace above the factory? I suspect Seventh Master did it on purpose."

Pineapple considered: "Does he intentionally want others to know his whereabouts?"

Basuan took a white paper, drew a flowchart, and made a probabilistic calculation: "Qiao Yi has been too quiet recently. I estimate Seventh Master wants to give him something to do."

Pineapple wondered: "Will he plot against Seventh Master?"

"Highly likely!" Basuan calculated the result. "Probabilistically, there's an 80% chance."

Pineapple stared at the flowchart for a long time: "What kind of algorithm is this? I've never seen it before."

Basuan explained the flowchart to Pineapple in detail: "We've been on the little train for too long; some things have become outdated. I learned this from a mathematics book from an outer prefecture—"

Li Banfeng arrived in the Imperial City, where sunflowers bore numerous divine statues. He collected the statues, placed one on his head, and absorbed the human energy from it.

In fact, he could have taken the human energy elsewhere to absorb it slowly in a safer location.

But at that moment, he wanted to stay in Xiaodu to see if Lord Qiao would visit him.

Since he was waiting anyway, Li Banfeng took out "Floating Clouds Interrogate the Post" and read it while absorbing human energy.

"Li Qi went to Xiaodu again?" Qiao Yi frowned, throwing the brush onto his desk. The newly approved official document was splattered with a large patch of black ink.

Nian Shangyou was concerned. Qiao Yi usually cared deeply about official documents, and now that he was so angry, Nian Shangyou would surely have to recopy them.

With so many documents stained with ink, how long would it take to recopy them all?

Qiao Yi looked at Nian Shangyou with a grim face: "How many memorials from Xiaodu have we received this month?"

Nian Shangyou calculated: "Over eighty."

This was no exaggeration. Enslaved people from all over were fleeing to Xiaodu, causing losses to almost all nobles. The Grand Secretariat received six or seven memorials related to Xiaodu daily, totaling over eighty in half a month.

The nobles hated Xiaodu and, even more, Prince Pingyuan. In another month, the Bandit Suppression Camp would set out on an expedition. Qiao Yi didn't want any trouble, but Li Qi went to Xiaodu at this precise moment, which felt like driving nails into his eyes.

Qiao Yi said, "If only we knew this news, it would be fine. I'm afraid the matter will spread."

Nian Shangyou replied, "This is a secret letter from Xiaocheng. No one saw it before it was presented to you."

Qiao Yi shook his head: "I'm worried Li Qi deliberately wants to spread the news. This is a critical moment, and I'm afraid he'll cause trouble."

After a long silence, Nian Shangyou looked at Qiao Yi: "My Lord, why don't we just keep him in Xiaodu permanently?"

Qiao Yi picked up his brush and wiped the handle: "You mean, kill him?"

Nian Shangyou nodded slightly: "The army is about to campaign against Puro Province. Eliminating a formidable enemy certainly has no downsides. Killing Li Qi would not only stabilize public sentiment but also boost morale, truly killing many birds with one stone."

After saying this, Nian Shangyou carefully watched Qiao Yi's expression, feeling that his idea must align with Qiao Yi's.

Qiao Yi ran his fingers from the brush handle to the tip. Ink flowed onto his hand, staining his palm black.

Li Banfeng sat in the Imperial City, carefully flipping through "Floating Clouds Interrogate the Post," which contained an interesting story:

"I planned to go see the other side of the big mountain. They say there's a village over there with many beautiful young women. They're pretty and kind-hearted, and if one liked me, maybe she'd be willing to be my wife. So I walked in the mountains for several days, but I didn't expect this mountain to be so vast. I seem to be lost; I think I've circled this forest several times. Climbing over the mountain is too hard. Can anyone help me?"

The author was the Patriarch of Journey Cultivation, who actually got lost in the mountains and circled the forest several times!

Li Banfeng laughed: "If someone like that can be a Patriarch, then it's only a matter of time before I establish a Daoist sect!"

The main hall, destroyed by the Fire Cage Steed, had not been rebuilt. A cold wind blew across the ruins, making Li Banfeng shiver involuntarily.

It's coming!

Qiao Yi, you still couldn't resist.

Nian Shangyou had a team of assassins ready, just waiting for Qiao Yi's order.

Qiao Yi rubbed the brush in his hand until its bristles were torn off, but the order still wasn't given.

Nian Shangyou dared not rush him and could only wait. After more than two hours, Qiao Yi suddenly asked, "Are we 100% sure we can kill Li Qi?"

This question stumped Nian Shangyou: "My Lord, one can never be 100% certain of anything in this world. Killing Li Qi won't be easy. You've had so many dealings with him; how much chance of success there is, this subordinate truly cannot say."

Qiao Yi set the brush aside and silently watched Nian Shangyou.

Nian Shangyou, seeing that the situation was not right, quickly added: "My Lord, even if it doesn't succeed, there's no harm. Even if we just injure him, it would first shock Li Qi, second shock the powerful families of Xiaocheng, and third provide an explanation to all parties. It's all benefits and no harm."

"There is harm, significant harm!" Qiao Yi walked to the basin and washed the ink from his hands. "Whether we kill Li Qi or not, Puro Province will be stirred up. Everyone will prepare for battle, which would be disadvantageous to the army."

After so much preparation, Qiao Yi now said he didn't want to cause trouble. Nian Shangyou couldn't help but add: "My Lord, if Li Qi stays in Xiaodu and doesn't leave, I fear our Great Shang will also face turmoil."

Qiao Yi dried his hands and reorganized the official documents: "The turmoil in Great Shang, we can find a way to quell. The turmoil in Puro Province, no one can quell. If they truly rebel, not even the peddlers can calm them down."

Nian Shangyou thought carefully and indeed found this to be true.

Qiao Yi handed the documents to Nian Shangyou: "Tell the spies and scouts to pay close attention to developments in Xiaocheng, but to strictly guard the secret. Forward the approved documents to the various departments, and recopy any documents stained with ink."

Li Banfeng had absorbed enough human energy in the Imperial City, and the danger he had initially sensed surprisingly disappeared.

Qiao Yi isn't making a move?

If he wasn't going to make a move, Li Banfeng couldn't keep waiting here for him.

He needed to go back and advance. First, he'd upgrade his Dwelling Cultivation to the fifth level, then learn the Abyssal Light Evil Extermination technique. When he reached Dingye City, the Heaven's Light Barrage would undoubtedly be of great use.

He could no longer store excess human energy on his person, but more than half of the divine statues remained.

This was normal. When advancing from Cloud Realm Three to Four, his wife had counted, and a Cloud Realm Three physique couldn't hold enough human energy to advance to Cloud Realm Four. Therefore, advancing to Cloud Realm Four was theoretically impossible without using the Cloud Gate technique to store some human energy. The situation for advancing from Four to Five was likely similar.

Li Banfeng returned to Gourd Village, handed the divine statues to Banfengzi, gave him a key, and told him to wait in a house on the first floor.

The house was unique, with cream-colored plaster walls adorned with emerald green grapevines. The oak door panels were inlaid with gold trim, and the door featured a round glass window.

Pushing open the door, he found a room with pristine, new-looking wooden floors, a small bed with white curtains, a desk beside the bed, and a dressing table.

The room was so clean that Banfengzi felt a bit awkward entering.

A little girl's voice came from inside: "Brother, come in!"

Banfengzi cautiously entered the room, standing still near the doorway, leaning against the wall.

"Brother, sit over here." A chair was pushed towards Banfengzi by an unseen force.

Banfengzi shook his head and said, "I'm covered in dust; I won't sit down."

The little girl didn't seem to understand: "What does 'covered in dust' mean?"

Banfengzi explained: "It means I'm full of dust and would make the chair dirty."

The little girl laughed: "It's okay, an older sister came upstairs, and she's very diligent. If the room gets dirty, she'll clean it."

"Pfft!" A'Yu spat from upstairs. "This girl just needs discipline. All these chores will be hers from now on—"

"Sister! I'm ready!"

"Ready for what!" A'Yu was startled and quickly put the Celestial Maiden on her back.

Her ears hadn't fully recovered, so she didn't notice Li Banfeng suddenly appearing in the wooden house on the second floor.

Li Banfeng said, "I have enough human energy; I can advance to the fifth level now."

A'Yu stared at Li Banfeng: "It shouldn't be enough. If you had enough human energy to advance to the fifth level, you probably wouldn't be able to stand and talk."

Li Banfeng smiled: "I've stored some human energy downstairs. It won't be too late to take it out and use it when the time comes for advancement."

"You've thought this through quite thoroughly." A'Yu looked down through the cracks in the floorboards.

"What are you doing!" The little girl downstairs suddenly shouted, and A'Yu quickly put down the Celestial Maiden she was carrying.

This was a rule the dwelling set for A'Yu: she could go to any dwelling for cleaning.

But the Celestial Maiden couldn't go with her and had to stay in this wooden house.

A'Yu told Li Banfeng: "To advance to Cloud Realm Five, you should theoretically leave half your body on the cloud to store your human energy, then reassemble your body when you reach the critical point of advancement."

Li Banfeng thought about his own advancement to Cloud Realm Four, where he only endured a few cuts: "I don't have to literally split my body apart, do I?"

A'Yu laughed: "Don't be afraid. Splitting in two on the cloud won't cause much harm to your body. Everyone else advances this way."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "I didn't advance that way before, and I won't split!"

A'Yu sighed: "Alright, if you have other methods, I won't force you. But I must warn you: during the advancement process, the human energy must keep up. If you get stuck halfway and run out of human energy, your life will be in danger."

Li Banfeng thought: "My body is full of human energy. If I double it, that should be enough, right?"

A'Yu nodded: "That will definitely be enough!"

"Then let's do it!" Li Banfeng took out a pair of scissors and handed them to A'Yu.

A'Yu looked at the scissors and asked, "What's this for?"

Li Banfeng was puzzled: "Don't you use this?"

"What would I use this for?" A'Yu put the scissors aside. "First, lie down on the bed."

Li Banfeng felt something was wrong: "Sister, perhaps I should advance another day."

Saying he'd advance another day actually meant he wanted to find a different place to advance.

A'Yu sighed: "It seems you don't trust me. Seeing you with those scissors just now reminded me of some Cloth Cultivation methods. That sect's advancement method is too brutal; it involves cutting flesh. If you were to advance to Cloud Realm Five using such methods, even if you succeeded, your body would be too weak. Even if A'Yi took you to Dingye City, you'd be helpless against the Bandit Suppression Camp."

There was no denying that.

Li Banfeng asked A'Yu, "If I advance here, how long will it take to recover?"

A'Yu smiled: "After advancement, one hour is enough."

Li Banfeng repeated the sentence in his mind several times, sensing no danger.

He lay flat on the bed. A'Yu's fingertips touched Li Banfeng's forehead, then slid down little by little from his brow to his collarbone.

Sliding all the way to his chest, A'Yu looked around.

Banfeng Chou and Banfeng Yin, along with a group of shadows from the Earthly Branch lineage, stood in the middle of the room.

The gloves lay by the pillow, the Tang saber stood upright by the bed, Mong De hung on the wall, the Judge's Pen lay on the bed with Li Banfeng, and the projector floated in mid-air, its lens illuminated.

Upstairs and downstairs, neighbors on both sides, including the old man in the wooden house, all watched A'Yu.

"What is the meaning of this?" A'Yu was displeased. "Little brother, do you trust your sister or not?"

Li Banfeng said with a serious expression: "How could I not trust you? This is an advancement to Cloud Realm Five, such a rare sight; everyone should come out and broaden their horizons."

"Then all of you watch." A'Yu poked Li Banfeng's chest with a finger.

Li Banfeng felt no pain.

A'Yu then gently squeezed Li Banfeng's wrist.

Li Banfeng felt a slight soreness and bitterness, but it wasn't unpleasant.

A'Yu massaged Li Banfeng all over, explaining occasionally: "The advancement method of Glimpse Cultivation involves finding vital points on the physique and guiding human energy through the body in an orderly manner. It's much gentler than the Cloth Cultivation method of cutting flesh."

After two hours, A'Yu massaged Li Banfeng's knee: "Little brother, if it hurts, tell your sister. Don't force yourself to endure it. Ninety percent of the human energy has been guided. You need to replenish another twenty percent and connect the human energy."

Before she finished speaking, Li Banfeng on the bed suddenly turned dark.

A'Yu was startled and pinched Banfengzi's face: "Where did Li Qi go?"

Banfengzi lay on the bed and said, "He'll be back in a moment."

Li Banfeng used the Heaven-Fusion technique to swap places with Banfengzi and went downstairs to absorb human energy.

A'Yu's method was indeed gentle; Li Banfeng felt no discomfort. After absorbing another twenty percent of human energy, he swapped back onto the bed.

A'Yu praised him again: "Little brother, your use of the Shadow-Tethering technique is truly masterful."

Li Banfeng didn't hold back: "Sister, I learn techniques very quickly. If you teach me a new technique, I'll learn it in a flash."

"No rush, let's advance first. Little brother, roll over."

Zhao Xiaowan wore a black trench coat, her long hair tied back, standing in front of the locker doors at the campus supermarket.

Passersby, regardless of gender or age, couldn't help but glance twice at Zhao Xiaowan as they walked past; the woman was simply too beautiful.

Zhao Xiaowan blew a whistle, but the sound seemed to come from afar, distracting the attention of the pedestrians.

After observing the locker area for a long time, Zhao Xiaowan understood: "Old Master, this isn't just about the technique; we need to get the second room to take a look."

"No need to rush this matter. Just get a general idea for now. We can have the second room research it another day. We should head to Gourd Village soon. I'm a little worried about Seventh Master."

Zhao Xiaowan held Li Banfeng's jade pendant, studying it for several hours.

When Li Banfeng gave the jade pendant to Zhao Xiaowan, he instructed her that as long as she held it, she could find Gourd Village.

Who would have thought that the jade pendant recognized its true owner and completely refused to cooperate with Zhao Xiaowan?

Returning to the Portable Dwelling, Zhao Xiaowan brought out tools and used various methods, but the jade pendant still didn't respond.

Frustrated, Zhao Xiaowan touched the Red Lotus on the grill: "Old enemy, this stone is even more stubborn than you."

The Red Lotus sighed: "Aren't you done burning me? I'm already cooked."

Hong Ying added two more pieces of firewood: "Now you know pain, don't you? Xiaowan's question, you still haven't clarified: what exactly is your relationship with the Celestial Maiden?"

The Red Lotus spread its lotus leaves and rubbed its base: "How many times do I have to say it? I was made by the Celestial Maiden. We have a master-servant relationship. Isn't that clear enough?"

Zhao Xiaowan poured some oil on the fire, and flames enveloped the Red Lotus. "Old imitation, warm yourself up some more. I see you're still not fully cooked."

As she spoke, Zhao Xiaowan turned to look at the Fifth Room: "Are you cold? Want to come down and warm by the fire too?"

The Fifth Room girl, with tears in her eyes, bit her lip and shook her head unwillingly.

She looked at the jade pendant in Zhao Xiaowan's hand and tentatively said: "Madam, I've done some research on jade. Perhaps I can help you."

The Fifth Room truly wasn't boasting. She helped Zhao Xiaowan gradually understand the jade pendant's habits. With good food and drink, along with threats and inducements, she finally persuaded the jade pendant.

Before leaving, Zhao Xiaowan touched the Red Lotus: "Old imitation, you should learn from Miss Fifth. If you were so sensible, you wouldn't suffer so much."

Hong Ying, holding the oil pot, sat beside the Red Lotus: "Xiaowan, go take care of your business. I'll have a good chat with Red Lotus."

Zhao Xiaowan opened the entrance to Gourd Village. A'Yun welcomed Zhao Xiaowan into the village, and A'Yi led Zhao Xiaowan onto the clouds.

As the two approached the house, a middle-aged man's voice suddenly reached Zhao Xiaowan's ears: "The Dwelling Cultivator is advancing. No idlers allowed to disturb!"

"Idler?" Zhao Xiaowan smiled. "Do you know who I am?"

The man came from a tin house on the first floor. He recognized Zhao Xiaowan: "You are the Dwelling Cultivator's woman. You came with him before."

"Since you recognize me, how dare you stop me?"

The tin house refused to yield: "You are not in charge here!"

Zhao Xiaowan was furious. Although A'Yi hadn't clearly heard their conversation, she could guess the gist: "Xiaowan, this house has a special technique. We can't use force."

Zhao Xiaowan suppressed her anger, nodded, and said, "Fine, we'll just wait here. This madman, really, insisting on advancing outside."

A'Yi lowered her voice and asked: "Xiaowan, are you also Seventh Master's dwelling spirit?"

"What do you mean 'also'? Who was here first?"

Zhao Xiaowan was about to speak but then felt the question was difficult to answer. Currently, Zhao Xiaowan was indeed not Li Banfeng's dwelling spirit.

A'Yi asked again, "Can you help him advance?"

Zhao Xiaowan lowered her head, silent. She didn't know the Cloud Gate technique. For advancements beyond Cloud Realm Three, Zhao Xiaowan truly didn't know what to do, and Hong Ying, that brute, was even less helpful.

After waiting for about an hour, they suddenly heard someone say, "Everyone, come in. It's done."

A'Yi and Zhao Xiaowan entered the room and saw Li Banfeng lying on the bed with A'Yu sitting beside him.

Zhao Xiaowan's face was bluish-purple, and she suddenly spit out a trumpet.

A'Yi watched, mesmerized: "So this is the Big Trumpet. No wonder Seventh Master likes it so much. Who wouldn't find this appealing?"

A'Yu covered her ears and said, "Zhao Xiaowan, my injury hasn't healed yet, don't go too far! I helped your man advance, you can't be so ungrateful!"

Zhao Xiaowan swallowed the trumpet back, walked to the bedside, and hugged Li Banfeng: "My darling husband, you've suffered."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "Not at all. A'Yu is truly amazing; it was over with just some pressing and rubbing. That technique—"

A puff of steam scalded Li Banfeng's face red.

"Husband, you really suffered."

Li Banfeng nodded: "Yes, I suffered!"

"Husband, did you actually advance or not?"

A'Yu interjected: "He advanced. He'll be able to walk in half an hour and fully recover in an hour."

For such a high-level advancement, to recover so quickly genuinely surprised Zhao Xiaowan.

A'Yu wasn't boasting; half an hour later, Li Banfeng truly could walk.

An hour later, his body was restored to its original state.

Now even Li Banfeng himself couldn't believe it.

"Sister, have I really reached Cloud Realm Five?"

A'Yu raised an eyebrow: "If you don't believe it, go take a walk."

"Okay!" Li Banfeng left the room and returned in a flash.

A'Yu asked: "Isn't it much faster!"

"Fast!" Li Banfeng nodded vigorously. "Much faster than before!"

Zhao Xiaowan was stunned: "It's really much faster?"

A'Yi asked Zhao Xiaowan: "Isn't faster always better?"

A'Yu massaged her lower back: "Poor me, working so hard, and you don't even say thank you."

Li Banfeng was about to thank her when he suddenly asked, "Which sect did I advance in?"

A'Yu blinked: "Journey Cultivation."

A'Yi nodded from the side: "So fast, it must be Journey Cultivation!"

"So it's Journey Cultivation!" Li Banfeng burst out laughing, laughing for a long time, then asked A'Yu, "Do you know the Journey Cultivation 'Fall'?"

A'Yu shook her head: "I don't know that one."

Li Banfeng put on his top hat, pulled the brim low, and with cold eyes, said: "Do you want to see?"