Chapter 783: East Running West Running

Li Banfeng accepted "Floating Clouds and Inquiries." Ayi prepared a celebratory feast and invited Li Banfeng and Tou Youlu to eat. Tou Youlu disliked crowded places, so Li Banfeng asked Ayi to send some food and wine, setting up a table in the forest. The two happily enjoyed their meal.

After eating their fill, Tou Youlu was ready to leave; he could never stay in one place for too long. Li Banfeng offered two boxes of silver dollars: "This is a small token of my appreciation. You'll surely need money on your journey." Tou Youlu usually preferred not to carry so much money, but seeing Li Banfeng's enthusiasm, he found it hard to refuse. He swallowed the silver dollars in one gulp, holding them in his left cheek.

Ayu and Li Banfeng saw Tou Youlu out of the village. Tou Youlu wasn't particular about the location, as long as it was within Puluo Prefecture; a less populated place would be even better. After their farewell, Tou Youlu rolled forward, his left cheek hitting the ground, the silver dollars acting as teeth. Once he had gone some distance, he bit a twig, dug a hole, and buried the silver dollars from his mouth. After burying them, Tou Youlu carefully surveyed his surroundings: "I must remember this spot. If I ever run out of money, I'll have to come back here for it."

After seeing Tou Youlu off, Li Banfeng went to find Sun Tiecheng and Qiu Luoye. Qiu Luoye planned to have Sun Tiecheng trick Ayi into giving him a way out, as Ayi had declared she would be intimate with him that night. Qiu Luoye needed to escape Hulu Village before dark.

Li Banfeng said, "Brother Qiu, don't worry. Brother Sun is reliable in his dealings."

"He's not necessarily reliable," Qiu Luoye said, his face covered in sweat. "I think he can't even get himself out."

Sun Tiecheng indeed couldn't leave right now; Ayu and Ayi were pressing him to become sworn siblings.

"It's one thing to mess around at home, but in front of so many people, you're still talking nonsense!" Sun Tiecheng struggled fiercely.

Ayu glared: "Go look at yourself in a puddle! With your appearance, how do you even compare to us sisters? Let alone our beautiful looks, just consider our refined and noble character – how many people in this world can compare to us sisters? We didn't dislike you; for the sake of our fate in this life, we pulled you into this sworn brotherhood and even made you our elder brother. Yet you're ungrateful, picking and choosing with us here."

After a moment of dispute, the three began to scuffle. Sun Tiecheng was skilled, but Ayu and Ayi's fighting abilities were also formidable. Two fists could not contend with four hands; after a while of grappling, Sun Tiecheng gradually began to lose ground.

Seeing this, Jiuer endured her pain and cried out, "How can you do this?"

Sun Tiecheng pushed Ayu and Ayi away, saying with tears in his eyes, "Xiaoyu, your father didn't dote on you in vain!"

Jiuer also had tears in her eyes: "If you're going to become sworn siblings, why wouldn't you include me? Come, help me over!"

Sun Tiecheng wiped his tears, glaring at Jiuer: "I see you're injured, so I won't bother with you. Get away from here, or I'll beat you too!"

After fighting for another moment, Sun Tiecheng couldn't hold them off any longer. He suddenly shouted, "Isn't there still one more camp of the Daokou Battalion that hasn't been destroyed?"

Hearing this, Ayu and Ayi stopped fighting one after another. Before the battle, Ayu had indeed found three camps, but after taking down two, everyone was at the end of their tether, and the third camp was not even considered.

Sun Tiecheng was an absolute expert when it came to dealing with the Daokou Battalion. After listening to Ayu recount the battle, Sun Tiecheng immediately made a deduction. "The first camp you destroyed must have been the Qingrui Camp, full of new recruits."

Hong Ying agreed: "They were indeed greenhorns; they even needed markers to form their ranks."

Sun Tiecheng continued, "The second camp you destroyed was the elite, likely called the Difeng Camp. There's also another camp, probably called the Cuihuo Camp, which isn't new recruits but also not elite; they're a group of half-trained soldiers."

Hong Ying was somewhat concerned: "If we wait a bit longer, won't the Cuihuo Camp eventually become the Difeng Camp?"

Sun Tiecheng thought for a moment: "That's not quite right. Difeng Camp selects people based on aptitude. Those without sufficient aptitude will never become elites. This battle, by killing so many members of the imperial family, has effectively broken the back of the Shang Kingdom. It will likely be impossible for them to re-establish the Difeng Camp within the next ten years."

Ayu looked at Sun Tiecheng, her face full of disdain: "You're certainly diligent when it comes to the peddler's instructions; you've even found out all the camp names."

Sun Tiecheng smacked his lips: "Why do you always speak such twisted logic? The Daokou Battalion's camps were divided this way back then. I fought them, so I already knew these internal details. Besides, the peddler isn't making us work for free this time. He said he got something good that can restore flesh and blood to Fool's City."

Ayu scoffed: "Does he even need to restore it? Haven't you already brought back all the flesh and blood for Fool's City?"

Sun Tiecheng shook his head: "Mine isn't good enough. That was merely a body-building technique, a method of 'glue-repair.' To put it plainly, it's just forcefully sticking flesh and blood onto spirits. Even once it's attached, the flesh and blood aren't alive; without makeup, they look lifeless."

Ayu was very curious: "So what's the peddler going to do? Can he make them alive?"

"Yes!" Sun Tiecheng said seriously, "He promised me that everyone in Fool's City would get a body – not a puppet, not just a skin, but a proper, living body with vitality."

Ayu smirked: "You just let him fool you. The Lord of Fool's City has been deceived by others, not just once. Don't you think that's comical?"

Although she said this, Ayu was actually very interested in the peddler's promise. Ayi was also very excited to hear it. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about the sworn brotherhood.

Jiuer whispered to Li Banfeng: "This is called 'distracting with unrelated talk.' Pay close attention to the technique."

Sun Tiecheng said to Ayu, "Once Fool's City gets its flesh and blood back, would you like to go back and see?"

Ayu lowered her eyes, her cheeks trembled slightly, she bit her lip, and a few tears streamed down. Seeing this, Sun Tiecheng's heart ached: "Why are you crying? Isn't this good news?"

Ayu wiped her tears and said, "I do want to go back and see, but I'm not free to do so now. Li Qi, can you agree to this?"

Sun Tiecheng looked at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng puffed out his chest: "This is easy to arrange. Just say the word, and I'll send you back to Fool's City."

Ayu nodded and said, "Fool's City is like my maiden home. I haven't seen it for so many years, but I've always thought about it, even in my dreams."

Jiuer leaned in, whispering: "Mom, your maiden home isn't Fool's City; *my* maiden home is Fool's City."

Ayu kicked Jiuer away and continued crying: "If I go back alone, I'll feel a bit lonely. Can I bring a companion with me?"

Sun Tiecheng glanced at Li Banfeng again. Both of them slipped their hands into their sleeves, squatted down, and said in unison, "No, you cannot!"

Ayu angrily retorted, "Why not?!"

Li Banfeng looked up at Ayu: "Who are you talking about, when you say you want a companion?"

Ayi smiled: "Me!"

Ayu didn't smile. Ayi felt a bit awkward.

Sun Tiecheng said, "You're talking about the Celestial Maiden, aren't you? I won't agree to you bringing the Celestial Maiden into Fool's City."

Ayu angrily asked, "Why won't you agree?"

Sun Tiecheng also got angry: "Have you forgotten how you died? Have you forgotten that the Celestial Maiden almost forced our Ayi to her death?"

Ayu retorted, "Have you forgotten what happened to Fool's City? Why do you still trust the peddler?"

Sun Tiecheng shook his head: "One thing at a time. The peddler was not in control of his own actions back then. While I hate him, I can understand some things. As for the Celestial Maiden taking the boundaries and carving Puluo Prefecture into pieces, I still can't understand that."

Ayi interjected, "Honestly, I can't understand it either. She'd kill anyone who dared to touch the boundaries. Don't you think the Celestial Maiden is crazy?"

Li Banfeng squatted nearby, listening carefully. He also really wanted to understand this matter.

Ayu picked up her wine bowl and took a sip: "What's there not to understand? Couldn't you see what Puluo Prefecture was like back then? The peddler conquered the land and then just walked away. Who among his old subordinates could control things? Let's not talk about others, just Eighteen Rounds. How much territory did he take for himself? And the others who seized land and established their own strongholds, what state did they leave Puluo Prefecture in? Do you know how many people died every day back then?"

It was hard to say about others' situations, but Li Banfeng knew nothing about this past. So far, he hadn't found any related records in any book. His wife remained impassive; she might have some memory of it, but her state was also very peculiar during that period, so she didn't remember much.

Sun Tiecheng said, "It was chaotic during that time, but that doesn't justify using boundaries to separate all the territories. Doesn't that just turn Puluo Prefecture into a pigeon coop?"

Ayu thought the Celestial Maiden's actions were fine: "What's wrong with separating them? If territories can't pass between each other, then they won't be able to fight in the future. Isn't that a good thing?"

Sun Tiecheng scoffed: "What's good about that? When Neizhou creates new lands and attaches them piece by piece along Puluo Prefecture's borders, won't that just circumvent the boundaries anyway? Won't the territories still fight as they usually do?"

Li Banfeng suddenly realized. Neizhou had been sending new lands to Puluo Prefecture for so many years, not just for the purpose of enfeoffing local deities, but also as a geographical infiltration of Puluo Prefecture. However, Puluo Prefecture should truly be grateful to Neizhou for this. Without the path of new lands, Puluo Prefecture's transportation rights would have been almost entirely controlled by Waizhou, and its various territories would have been even more severely fragmented.

Sun Tiecheng added, "After the peddler returned, he set a rule that once one's cultivation surpassed the Clouds level, they could no longer kill local deities within territories. Only then did the chaotic war stop. In the end, the one who can truly manage affairs in Puluo Prefecture must be the peddler."

Ayu said mockingly, "If he's so capable, why didn't he take charge earlier? What was he doing running off to Wansheng Prefecture back then?"

Li Banfeng had been wondering where the peddler went after driving away the Saint. So he went to Wansheng Prefecture. Ayu's question was valid: What was he doing in Wansheng Prefecture? Was Wansheng Prefecture so good that so many people wanted to go there?

Sun Tiecheng said, "I don't know what he was thinking then, but I'm certainly clear about what you're thinking now. Regardless, you cannot take the Celestial Maiden to Fool's City. I cannot stand the things she did."

Ayu frowned: "Be clear. Which of her actions do you object to?"

"I object to all of them! All day long, she claimed it was for Puluo Prefecture, but ultimately wasn't it just for herself? All day and night, she governed so broadly and strictly, wishing she could draw boundaries on every street and alley, keeping people confined to their homes, only then would she be pleased. Puluo Prefecture is fragmented and uninvolved in worldly affairs. Can you say this isn't her fault? Didn't she do all this just to make Puluo Prefecture obey her?"

Ayu poked Sun Tiecheng's forehead: "You think quite a lot all day long. Who Puluo Prefecture listens to is none of your business!"

Sun Tiecheng still looked honest and simple: "I can't control other places, but she absolutely cannot go to Fool's City."

Ayu turned her head away: "If I can't go, then so be it. Who cares about your place!"

Sun Tiecheng smiled: "You actually do care. I have the Profound Life Red Lotus in my possession. Do you want it?"

After he said this, Ayi, Jiuer, and Li Banfeng all stared at Ayu. Ayu blinked and said with a smile, "I do want it, but who knows if your red lotus is real?"

Sun Tiecheng said, "It's real, genuine. Do you want it or not?"

"Yes! Then I absolutely must visit Fool's City." Ayu poured Sun Tiecheng a bowl of wine. Their earlier argument seemed to have ended there.

Li Banfeng wasn't a Peering Cultivator, but Golden Eyes of Autumn Brilliance wasn't an ordinary technique either. Having cultivated it to this level, he could discern clues even if things were perfectly concealed. Ayu kept telling Sun Tiecheng she wanted the red lotus, every word spoken with sincerity. However, back in the Portable Dwelling, Ayu had directly risked her life to obtain the red lotus. Her attitude then and now was remarkably different.

Ayi announced that the celebratory feast would last three days and three nights, and that she would be entering the bridal chamber that night. Qiu Luoye had disappeared, and Ayi began searching for him across the mountains in a tank.

Li Banfeng took his wife and Hong Ying back to the Portable Dwelling to recover from their injuries. Jiang Ling'er had been in the Portable Dwelling for too long and felt uncomfortable.

Zhao Xiaowan said, "Husband, let's take Ling'er back to Jadeite Tower. Stay there for a couple more days. Jadeite Tower is also your residence; you shouldn't neglect it."

Li Banfeng took Jiang Ling'er back to Jadeite Tower. His wife also stayed with Jiang Ling'er for two days. Hong Ying had to remain in the Portable Dwelling, as she was now a dwelling spirit and couldn't leave freely.

Taking advantage of these two relatively free days, Li Banfeng continued reading "Floating Clouds and Inquiries." The volume Tou Youlu gave him, which Li Banfeng called the "lower volume," had a writing style completely consistent with the "upper volume," both recording his journey's observations in plain language. However, about a third of the way through the book, Li Banfeng noticed something unusual: several pages had peculiar handwriting. Judging by the script, it seemed to be Tou Youlu's writing, but it was messy and scribbled, filled with great anger between the lines:

"I am a broad-minded person. If someone bullies me, I simply kill them and never quibble with them. But the person I met today is very troublesome. He's a formidable fighter, I can't kill him, and he keeps bothering me."

Li Banfeng was very curious: who would dare to bother Tou Youlu?

"This person kept asking me where was interesting to go. I casually told him to go east, and he said east was good but he had enemies there. I then told him to go west, and he said west had no enemies but wasn't as good as east. I told him, 'Then you should run east and west!' This person still didn't understand."

This phrase was indeed hard to understand. What did "running east and west" mean? Li Banfeng continued reading:

"He didn't understand, so I fought him. This person, despite being so skilled, tripped himself and fell to the ground. Whether he wanted to go east or west, he couldn't even figure it out himself. I left, letting him ramble on to himself here."

After reading "Floating Clouds and Inquiries" for so long, this was the first time Li Banfeng had seen a description of a battle. Although the entire account remained plain, Li Banfeng could sense that it was a very intense fight, one that even threatened Tou Youlu's life. Li Banfeng calmed himself and reread the passage repeatedly. He wanted to understand a concept: what exactly did "running east and west" mean?

"Brother Qi!" Luo Shaojun called from downstairs, "Qiao Yi sent a letter for you. He asked us to forward it to Puluo Prefecture, but he didn't know you were in Wubian City, so I'll give it to you directly."

Li Banfeng took the letter. Luo Shaojun, blushing, said, "Brother Qi, there's a market in the city today. Shall we go for a stroll?"

"Not today," Li Banfeng smiled. "After I rest for a couple of days and fully recover, then we'll go out."

Luo Shaojun left with a disappointed expression. In truth, Li Banfeng's injuries had long since healed. Using the "High Pillow, No Worries" technique and recuperating in the dwelling for so long, external wounds would quickly mend. But he simply didn't want to go out. He would return to the Portable Dwelling to handle household matters, and also use the "Linked Wide Bridal Chamber" technique to check on Ayu and the Celestial Maiden's movements in the Hulu Village residence. However, almost all his activities were confined to his dwelling.

Zhao Xiaowan noticed something: "Husband, this must be the backlash from Dwelling Cultivation."

The gap between Cloud Three and Cloud Four was immense, and the gap between Cloud Four and Cloud Five was even greater. As a Traveler Cultivator reached Cloud Five, the issues with Dwelling Cultivation became prominent. This wasn't a major problem. As long as he waited a bit longer, gathered more popularity, and with Ao Du providing assurance, it wouldn't take too long for his Dwelling Cultivation to reach the fifth layer.

Li Banfeng opened Qiao Yi's letter. He had expected Qiao Yi to formally declare war on Puluo Prefecture, or at least vent some emotions, no matter how restrained Qiao Yi tried to be. But Li Banfeng was mistaken. Qiao Yi's tone in the letter was humble and sincere. He wanted to invite Prince Pingyuan to Chaoge to discuss some governmental affairs. What governmental affairs would absolutely require discussion with Li Banfeng?

Qiao Yi's writing was very subtle. Li Banfeng read it carefully twice before finally understanding Qiao Yi's meaning. Excluding the useless pleasantries, the core message was simple: Qiao Yi's position was unstable, and he needed someone to provide him with support.

Li Banfeng wrote a reply, rejecting Qiao Yi's request. He did not wish to provide any form of assistance to Qiao Yi, nor did he hold any trust in him. When he handed the letter to Luo Shaojun, Luo Lijun was also by her side. She very much hoped that the relationship between Li Qi and Qiao Yi could be eased. But Li Banfeng gave her no hint, and she dared not open his letter.

Watching Luo Lijun's retreating figure, Li Banfeng focused his thoughts. He didn't expend much physical strength, yet Luo Lijun stumbled and fell to the ground.

Luo Shaojun quickly helped Luo Lijun up: "Sister, what happened?"

Luo Lijun looked at the ground, then at her own legs. She had no idea what was wrong with her. Whether to go east or west, Luo Lijun was somewhat bewildered.

Qiao Yi received Li Qi's reply and instantly became dejected. Qiao Yi had been trying his best to conceal the matters of the Great Crucible and Haozhou Altar, but he simply couldn't hide the incident involving the Daokou Battalion. With over sixty thousand lives at stake, the imperial family was waiting for him to provide an explanation.

Left with no choice, Qiao Yi sent Nian Shangyou to invite the Imperial Censor. "Invite him?" Nian Shangyou was reluctant. "Lord, this matter requires careful consideration."

"Do you think I'm not being careful?" Qiao Yi countered Nian Shangyou. "Can you suggest a more cautious idea?"

Nian Shangyou couldn't think of an idea, so he could only invite Cui Tike. Qiao Yi briefly explained his predicament, and Cui Tike immediately had a solution: "Some imperial family members are blinded by hatred; they need to calm down. I can handle this matter for you." Cui Tike's expression was somewhat excited as he spoke.

Qiao Yi had already made up his mind, but looking at Cui Tike, he reconsidered. After weighing his options, he nodded towards Cui Tike. Cui Tike left, and Nian Shangyou also wanted to leave. He knew Chaoge was about to face a plague, and even if he couldn't leave himself, he wanted to temporarily send his family out of Chaoge.

Qiao Yi understood his thoughts: "Shangyou, some matters are not urgent for now. Go check on the repair status of the Great Crucible, and then inquire about the progress of the case's disposal. I always feel that the thieves who stole those two lotus leaves haven't gone far."

He Jiaqing sat quietly reading in a university library. There were sixteen universities in Dream-Tethered Tower, distributed across eleven cities. Besides modernized cities, He Jiaqing also saw several ancient cities, with vast areas of countryside and wilderness, and even oceans and islands between them. The space within Dream-Tethered Tower was vast, which gave He Jiaqing a subtle worry: he feared he wouldn't be able to leave. He tried to do as little as possible in Dream-Tethered Tower, as the more he did, the more he would expose himself. Meng Qian was currently still a subject of Neizhou.

He Jiaqing spent most of his time in the library, reading various classic works to pass the time. The number of students in the library kept increasing. He Jiaqing didn't know if they were the masters of the dream or merely background figures. Their expressions differed, their behaviors varied. In this world woven by dreams, He Jiaqing felt his surroundings becoming increasingly real.

The Old Train took a newspaper from a bookshelf and sat next to He Jiaqing: "There's a chance to leave tonight. But the three of us cannot take the same path, and it's uncertain where we'll end up after leaving."

He Jiaqing looked at the Old Train, assessing his identity. The Old Train lowered his voice and continued, "That item can be divided into three, but I can't split it yet, so I'm temporarily entrusting it to you for safekeeping. You absolutely must not break your word." The item he spoke of was the lotus leaf. Besides He Jiaqing himself, only the Old Train and Face-Not-Big knew about this. This proved that the Old Train was genuine.

He Jiaqing nodded: "This junior is willing to sign a contract and follow all your senior's arrangements."

The Old Train left the library first, and He Jiaqing quickly followed. The two walked out of the university and hurried along the main street. As they reached the city's edge, the vibrant colors gradually faded, and the surroundings turned a uniform grey and white. This was a sign of the dream thinning out. It seemed the Old Train had indeed found an exit from Dream-Tethered Tower.

"Senior, the exit wouldn't lead to Chaoge City, would it?" He Jiaqing knew well that Chaoge would not give up easily. If he were to go to Chaoge City now, it would be better to remain in Dream-Tethered Tower.

The Old Train smiled at He Jiaqing: "The exit shouldn't be in Chaoge City, but as for exactly where, that depends on your luck!"