Chapter 790: The New House by My Side

Copper Lotus believed that Li Qi's Home Cultivation and Travel Cultivation had each advanced one level.

Zhao Xiaowan didn't believe it. Now, no matter what Copper Lotus said, Zhao Xiaowan no longer trusted it.

But if she didn't believe it, whom could she believe? Cultivation was imperceptible; how could she possibly know which aspect of Li Qi's cultivation had advanced?

Zhao Xiaowan pondered for a moment, then loudly called out, "Old Man, how many rooms are there now?"

The Portable Abode remained silent, seemingly in distress.

Zhao Xiaowan looked at Copper Lotus again, her gaze filled with murderous intent.

Copper Lotus waved its petals helplessly: "Zhao Xiaowan, believe it or not, I haven't harmed Li Qi, nor the little train!"

Zhao Xiaowan, holding Li Qi, said to Jiu'er, "Sister, go check the rooms and see how many we have!"

The Portable Abode originally had thirteen rooms. Each time Li Banfeng advanced his Home Cultivation within it, one more room would appear.

If there were still thirteen rooms, it would mean Home Cultivation hadn't advanced. If Li Banfeng had spent so much popularity to advance two levels of Travel Cultivation, Home Cultivation would suffer severe backlash.

If there were fourteen rooms, it would be good news, proving Li Banfeng had indeed advanced one level in both Home and Travel Cultivation.

If there were fifteen rooms, it would mean Li Banfeng had advanced two levels in Home Cultivation but not in Travel Cultivation. This was the most dreadful outcome because Travel Cultivation's backlash was far more severe than Home Cultivation's. Leaping two levels without advancing Travel Cultivation would surely gravely injure Li Banfeng, possibly even kill him.

Jiu'er raced to the thirteenth room. Soon after, Zhao Xiaowan heard Jiu'er shout, "I see the fourteenth room!"

Hong Ying smiled at Copper Lotus, "You're quite useful after all."

The Pendulum laughed, "Our master is a man blessed by heaven."

Zhao Xiaowan didn't smile, instead shouting to Jiu'er, "Keep looking further down!"

No sooner had she spoken than Jiu'er shouted again, "I see the fifteenth room!"

Zhao Xiaowan's face turned pale; the worst-case scenario had materialized.

The five fingers of the Glove trembled simultaneously: "That shouldn't be, master––"

The Wine Gourd yelled, "Give me the harmonizer, mix it with medicated wine, and let the little brother drink some first!"

The Sickle said to the Glove, "Is there still popularity left? Maybe we should advance Travel Cultivation another level."

The Tang Saber shook its hilt, "No more advancement! Master can't bear it!"

Even the soundly sleeping Judge's Brush woke up: "Impossible!"

The entire household was dumbfounded. Copper Lotus didn't know what was happening either. Hong Ying raised her longsword and approached Copper Lotus: "You vile wretch, I knew you had ill intentions!"

Just as she was about to strike Copper Lotus, she heard Jiu'er shout, "I see the sixteenth room!"

Silence instantly fell over the main house.

Hong Ying, longsword in hand, went to Jiu'er: "You useless girl, you can't even count straight!"

Jiu'er shouted again, "I see the seventeenth room!"

Hong Ying paused for a moment, then turned to Zhao Xiaowan, "Is this girl crazy?"

Jiu'er shouted yet again, "I see the eighteenth room!"

Zhao Xiaowan urged Hong Ying, "Go check quickly!"

Hong Ying followed to check.

Jiu'er walked, and Hong Ying chased, stopping only when they reached the thirty-second room.

"How could thirty-two rooms suddenly appear?" Jiu'er couldn't fathom the reason.

Hong Ying quietly distanced herself from Jiu'er and swiftly returned to Xiaowan's side.

"Xiaowan, Jiu'er's sister is crazy, and her mother is also eccentric. I estimate she's gone mad too."

Zhao Xiaowan frowned, "How many rooms did you see?"

Hong Ying looked tense: "I also saw thirty-two rooms, so I think I'm crazy too. Her madness is contagious."

Zhao Xiaowan pushed Hong Ying: "You know it's contagious, yet you stay so close! What if it's passed on to our husband?"

The mistress knew clearly that neither Jiu'er nor Hong Ying was crazy. The sudden appearance of thirty-two rooms in the Portable Abode was something only the Abode itself might understand. But the Portable Abode was in a serious state; with so many new rooms, it couldn't possibly be fine.

Looking from inside, there were more rooms. What changes would be visible from the outside? Would the Portable Abode become visible?

Zhao Xiaowan searched Li Banfeng's body but couldn't find the key. Even with his "Connecting Caverns Bridal Chamber" skill, Li Banfeng could exit the Portable Abode even if he brought the key inside. Yet, he still preferred to hide the key outside. Even if he brought the key home, it would be useless; when unconscious, the Portable Abode wouldn't let anyone but Li Qi out.

Zhao Xiaowan carried Li Banfeng to the bed, tucked him in, and ensured he was soundly asleep before going to the Fifth Room.

The Fifth Room maiden was picking flowers. Seeing Zhao Xiaowan enter, she quickly put down the fresh flowers and stood respectfully. She lowered her head, carefully watching Zhao Xiaowan.

Zhao Xiaowan asked, "Can you see what's happening outside?"

The Fifth Room maiden shook her head repeatedly: "The Old Man sealed my eyes, but—"

"Speak plainly."

The Fifth Maiden said, "If you let me go to the Tenth Room, perhaps I could see something."

The Tenth Room of the Portable Abode had a crack, a scar from being hit by the old train. At one point, Smiling Thousand-Hands almost escaped through this crack.

Today, the Fifth Room maiden mentioned the Tenth Room, and Zhao Xiaowan smiled: "Alright, that's debatable. As long as you're obedient, I'll take you there another day." She absolutely could not let her go to the Tenth Room. Until her husband and the Old Man woke up, Lai Wuju could not leave the Fifth Room by a single step.

As Zhao Xiaowan was thinking about how to monitor Lai Wuju, she suddenly heard Jiu'er shout, "There's still a door crack in the thirty-second room, but the door won't open!"

***

Ma Wu arrived at Iron Bowl Ridge by train, where Xiao Chuanzi had already prepared manpower and materials.

Rail lines in areas of Puluo Prefecture were successively opened, but many places still lacked railways. Suihuangyuan was one such place. As a border town, it had no railway. Li Banfeng had specifically instructed Ma Wu that Suihuangyuan must have a train connection.

Everything for railway construction was ready, but how to cross the border now? Where there were tracks, trains crossed the border. Where there were no tracks, they used to rely on the Customs Office. Now the Customs Office was gone, Li Qi couldn't be contacted, and Ma Wu couldn't think of a good solution.

Just as he was feeling anxious, news arrived from Xiaoyao Dock: a ruffian had repeatedly caused trouble. Steward Zhang, valuing his reputation, didn't ask for help and fought the ruffian several times, suffering serious injuries. Ma Wu had received news of this before but hadn't paid it much mind. Unexpectedly, this ruffian became more brazen. Coupled with the stalled railway construction, Ma Wu's anger flared up.

He immediately called Qin Tianjiu. Qin Tianjiu laughed upon hearing the news: "Fifth Brother, is this worth getting angry over? Tomorrow I'll personally go to Xiaoyao Dock and stake it out. No matter who that ruffian is, if he dares to come, he won't leave alive!"

Little Fatty kept his word and went to Xiaoyao Dock the next day. He wore a large fur coat, a large fur hat, and a scarf, completely covered. He sat at the bar and ordered a bottle of foreign liquor. The bartender's heart pounded at his attire. People had been causing trouble recently, and this man didn't look like an easy target. The drink was poured, and the bartender wondered how he would drink with such an outfit.

Qin Tianjiu glanced at the bartender: "Why are you staring at me? Go do your job!"

The bartender left. Taking advantage of no one paying attention, Qin Tianjiu pulled down his scarf and took a sip from the glass. He drank sip by sip. Two hours passed. Qin Tianjiu had finished two bottles of wine and was starting to feel a bit warm when a man entered the main dance hall, found a seat, and sat down.

During this period, due to constant incidents, Xiaoyao Dock had few guests. As soon as this man entered, the band immediately stopped playing, and the singers hid backstage. Several bouncers entered the dance hall and sent all the other guests away.

Qin Tianjiu didn't leave. He looked at the newly arrived man. The man's attire was somewhat similar to his: he also wore a large hat, not fur, but cotton, and no scarf, with his face covered in plasters. No need to ask, this was the troublemaking ruffian who frequently came to cause trouble.

"What are you all looking at? What kind of place is this? Isn't this a dance hall?" The Plaster Man spoke. "Where's the wine? Where are the songs? Where are the dancers? There's nothing. How are you doing business?"

The bouncers knew they couldn't beat him, but it was their duty in this line of work. When such things happened, they had to fight desperately. Qin Tianjiu moved first, sitting opposite the man: "I have wine, I can sing songs, and I'm not very good at dancing. How about you make do and just listen to me sing?"

The Plaster Man looked at Qin Tianjiu: "Do you sing well?"

Qin Tianjiu humbly replied: "So-so. They say I'm a bit better than Jiang Mengting."

The Plaster Man picked up a wine bottle from an adjacent table, pointed it at Qin Tianjiu, and said: "Who is Jiang Mengting? Your wife? Have her come out and drink with me."

Qin Tianjiu stared at the man for a while: "Are you really a ruffian? Why not find somewhere else to beg for food, and insist on coming here to seek death?"

The Plaster Man said: "Does my coming here concern you?"

Qin Tianjiu smiled: "Do you intend to die now, or have a drink before you go?"

The Plaster Man suddenly ripped off Qin Tianjiu's scarf. His appearance truly startled the Plaster Man. From his hair to his eyebrows to his beard, Qin Tianjiu's face was entirely hairy, with only the area around his eyes relatively clean. Ever since he ate Nian Shangyou's beard, Qin Tianjiu had looked like this. His wife shaved him every night, but he was guaranteed to have a full beard by the next morning.

He tore off Qin Tianjiu's scarf, and Qin Tianjiu, not to be outdone, tore off the Plaster Man's plasters. This tear was no small matter; it ripped off a large piece of skin and flesh, revealing bone on the Plaster Man's face.

Qin Tianjiu frowned: "What kind of person are you?"

The Plaster Man didn't answer and smashed a wine bottle over Qin Tianjiu's head.

Qin Tianjiu shook the glass shards from his head and said: "Truly a ruffian's fighting style. Let's see if you have any real skill."

As his words fell, Qin Tianjiu spat a pellet towards the Plaster Man. The pellet landed directly on the wound, and the tiny insects inside instantly swarmed out, crawling all over the Plaster Man's face. Normally, getting hit by this pellet meant a significant loss; these insects devoured blood and flesh at an astonishing speed. But these insects kept crawling without taking a single bite.

Little Fatty was surprised: "Are you an Insect Cultivator?"

The Plaster Man lifted a table and smashed it into pieces over Qin Tianjiu.

Qin Tianjiu remained seated, lit a match, and held it to his mouth as if to smoke. He didn't take out a cigarette but instead sprayed a mist of alcohol towards the Plaster Man. The mist passed through the match, turning into a fiery snake that coiled around the Plaster Man, setting him ablaze. With the Plaster Man's cultivation, if it were ordinary fire, it wouldn't bother him at all; he had countless ways to extinguish it. But this fire was hard to put out. Qin Tianjiu used special matches containing Fire Cultivation techniques. The more the Plaster Man tried to extinguish the fire, the more fiercely it burned.

"It's burning too painfully, isn't it? I'll help you slow it down." Qin Tianjiu inhaled, sucking in more than half of the flames. This action seemed to help the Plaster Man put out the fire, but it was actually draining his strength. If the Plaster Man didn't respond, he would lose all his energy to fight Qin Tianjiu once the flames were fully absorbed.

The strategy was correct. The Plaster Man's physical strength was severely depleted, and his movements became increasingly sluggish. Qin Tianjiu thought victory was within his grasp when he suddenly felt a chill on his head. Not good, there was poison in the fire! What kind of sect was this person from? This poison was quite potent!

Qin Tianjiu wanted to cough out the poisonous gas, but his mouth wouldn't open. His tongue and upper palate were stuck together by something. Glue Cultivation technique too? For a Food Cultivator, being unable to open one's mouth was a huge disadvantage.

Fortunately, Qin Tianjiu had more than one mouth. He tore open his shirt, revealing his hairy chest. Beneath the protective hair, there was another mouth. He bit down on the Plaster Man's wrist, ripped and tore, detaching the entire arm, and swallowed it. After eating the arm, Qin Tianjiu discerned something. This body was decayed, long decayed, but there was spiritual energy in the flesh and blood, proving there was a soul within the body. This was a living corpse.

Qin Tianjiu had seen many living corpses, but this one's spiritual energy in its flesh and blood was very chaotic, as if it didn't come from a single soul. Several souls sharing one body—Qin Tianjiu had never seen such a situation.

He took a bell from his embrace and shook it vigorously. This was a top-grade magical artifact from the Three Clumps Sect, useless against living people but capable of severely damaging wandering souls. He had only shaken it twice when the Plaster Man reached out to snatch it. With only one hand left, he shouldn't have been a match for Qin Tianjiu, but his movements were incredibly swift and skillful. In two exchanges, he knocked the bell flying.

Qin Tianjiu was greatly alarmed. In just those two exchanges, he saw that the opponent had foundations in Trickery Cultivation and Martial Cultivation. He also used poison and Glue Cultivation techniques. With so many methods combined, Qin Tianjiu was momentarily at a loss on how to respond. Unable to strategize, he resorted to the simplest method. Qin Tianjiu moved closer, intending to grab the Plaster Man and dismantle his body.

The Plaster Man dodged with difficulty, occasionally spewing poisonous mist towards Qin Tianjiu. Several bouncers in the dance hall tried to help, but after inhaling some poisonous mist, they all collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. This battle was beyond their interference. After dozens of fierce exchanges, the Plaster Man's injuries grew heavier, and Qin Tianjiu's poisoning deepened.

While still having some strength, the Plaster Man used his "Unimpeded Movement" skill to escape from Xiaoyao Dock. With Qin Tianjiu's temperament, even if the Plaster Man escaped to Hengshui Bay, he would have been chased back. But today, he couldn't chase. As soon as he reached the entrance of Xiaoyao Dock, Qin Tianjiu collapsed to the ground.

The disciples of the Three Clumps Sect waiting outside rushed over: "Ninth Master, what's wrong?"

Qin Tianjiu's eyes were bloodshot. He desperately exerted force, tearing his lips apart with his hands, leaving his mouth bloody and bruised. Those around wanted to help Qin Tianjiu up, but he waved them off: "Don't help me yet, I've been poisoned."

Yin Zhangyueshu Cai, standing nearby, said: "Ninth Brother, I'll immediately call an Alchemist to detoxify you."

Qin Tianjiu waved his hand: "No need, just get me some water." Someone nearby handed him a kettle. Qin Tianjiu drank a kettle of water, forcing most of the toxins into his stomach and dissolving them. But the remaining toxins were still fierce. Qin Tianjiu felt dizzy and struggled even to stand.

He instructed Yue Shucai: "Find some high-level Alchemists to neutralize the poison in the dance hall at Xiaoyao Dock. Tell the manager they can't do business tonight."

***

Ma Junyang received a call from Qin Tianjiu. He truly hadn't expected Little Fatty to lose to this ruffian. With such skill, how could he be a mere ruffian? This person had a background; something big was going on here. Ma Wu immediately arranged a special train and rushed to Hengshui City overnight.

On the train, Ma Wu slept restlessly. He woke Huo Ling and cultivated for several hours. After cultivating, Ma Wu calmed down a bit. Huo Ling suddenly felt something was wrong: "Fifth Lang, did you just extinguish my fire seeds?"

Ma Wu was surprised: "Perhaps I used too much force just now, accidentally—"

Huo Ling was somewhat alarmed: "Six of my fire seeds went out."

Ma Wu was stunned. Huo Ling usually carried nine fire seeds; six extinguishing at once definitely wasn't an accident! He shielded Huo Ling behind him, his gaze quickly scanning the carriage, but he saw no trace of anyone.

He picked up a candle from beside the bed and burned it with his palm for a moment. The flame from the candle flew out of the wick and floated back and forth in the carriage. Joy Cultivation technique, "Solitary Seeking Mate." The candle flame, influenced by the technique, sought other flames. It stopped in front of the wardrobe door in the carriage. This candle flame had found its mate, and the mate was half of Huo Ling's fire seeds.

Ma Wu didn't approach the wardrobe. He concentrated his intention, sensing someone inside the wardrobe, and directly activated "Joyful Fire Immolation." Flames erupted inside the wardrobe. A person broke through the door and charged towards Ma Wu. Ma Wu was fearless and was about to use "Flirtatious Taunt," but the person was incredibly fast, sweeping past Ma Wu with flames all over their body, breaking through the train window, and escaping outside.

Ma Wu was about to give chase but found himself unable to stand. After several attempts, Ma Wu fell off the bed.

Huo Ling was greatly alarmed. She jumped off the bed and helped Ma Wu up: "Fifth Lang, what's wrong?"

Ma Wu's legs trembled, completely devoid of strength.

***

In Kudaikan, Feng Dai was strolling through the streets. Two new movies had been released in the cinema, both reportedly directed by Ma Wu himself. Feng Dai knew perfectly well that Ma Wu was too busy to direct movies; this was just a publicity stunt. But ever since their separation, she had been worried about him and wanted to see the movies.

Tickets were certainly impossible to buy. In Kudaikan, restaurant seats, inn rooms, and rental houses were extremely hard to find; even hiring a rickshaw required queuing. Feng Dai didn't need a ticket, however. She quietly entered the cinema. Just as she was waiting for the film to start, she suddenly felt a tremor in her heart. Affection Cultivation technique, "Spiritual Thread Connection." Ma Wu was in trouble!

***

At Hengshui City station, several people carried Ma Wu to Xiaoyao Dock. Steward Zhang, still recovering from serious injuries, heard that Ma Wu couldn't walk. He disregarded his own injuries and searched everywhere for healers. Several healers examined him successively and came to a consistent conclusion: Ma Wu's leg tendons were severed.

Ma Wu had no external injuries on his legs and felt no pain. Upon touching, his leg tendons seemed to be intact. This situation was truly bizarre. The renowned physician Luo Tieshi, being well-informed, made a diagnosis: "Fifth Master, your leg tendons aren't completely severed. Someone drew out several tendon filaments from them, leaving you without pain but also without strength. In my experience, this is the work of a master Theft Cultivator."

Upon hearing "Theft Cultivator," Ma Wu immediately thought of one person: He Jiaqing! In his anger, Ma Wu was about to gather people to find He Jiaqing, but Feng Dai arrived at Xiaoyao Dock at this moment and immediately stopped him.

"Fifth Lang, tell me the full story in detail."

They had only exchanged two moves, but Ma Wu remembered everything clearly. As Ma Wu spoke, Feng Dai kept shaking her head: "Fifth Lang, I don't think this is He Jiaqing's doing. He Jiaqing's cultivation is very high; even I might not be his match. Fifth Lang's cultivation has just reached 'Cloud Level.' If He Jiaqing had successfully infiltrated the carriage, Fifth Lang probably wouldn't have just had his leg tendons severed, but would have lost his life."

Ma Wu also considered this: "He didn't kill me, perhaps he had another intention. Maybe he wanted to use those tendon filaments to threaten me."

Feng Dai pondered for a long time: "Fifth Lang's conjecture certainly makes sense, but if the opponent truly was He Jiaqing, this battle was fought too miserably."

Ma Wu didn't think so: "He first stole Huo Ling's fire seeds, then my leg tendons, toying with me effortlessly. Is that considered miserable?"

Feng Dai shook her head: "A thief wouldn't risk his life for such tricks. He attacked Huo Ling first not to toy with Fifth Lang, but to distract him. This person clearly didn't dare to confront you head-on; he's very afraid of your techniques. Only when he was hit by your Joyful Fire did he, out of desperation, risk his life to steal your leg tendons. Even after escaping the carriage, the joyful fire on him hadn't extinguished. Fifth Lang naturally knows the power of joyful fire; this person was seriously injured."

Ma Wu furrowed his brow: "Could it really not be He Jiaqing?"

Feng Dai gently massaged Ma Wu's legs: "Regardless of who the culprit is, the immediate priority is to heal Fifth Lang's legs. It would be best if we could recover the tendon filaments, but if not, we'll have to make other plans."

Ma Wu understood Feng Dai's meaning: "Go to Three-Fork Crossroads to regrow the leg tendons?"

Feng Dai nodded.

Ma Wu was uncertain: "Isn't that just a huge gamble?"

Feng Dai sat beside Ma Wu and gently persuaded: "Let's think of a good method. If we have more than fifty percent chance of success, it won't be considered a huge gamble."

Fifty percent. Even with ninety percent certainty, Ma Wu was uneasy.

That night, disturbed and restless, Ma Wu went to sleep alone, with Feng Dai sleeping next door. Sleeping until past two in the morning, footsteps were heard in the room. Ma Wu suddenly opened his eyes and reached out, touching the affection thread by his bed. As long as he exerted a little force, Feng Dai from the next room would rush over.

A woman appeared, waving her hands repeatedly at Ma Wu, signaling him not to make a sound. Ma Wu looked carefully. The woman stood beneath the wall, where a landscape painting hung. This landscape painting was a gift from Li Banfeng to Ma Wu, an authentic work by Mu Yuejuan. It was through this painting that Ma Wu had received guidance from Mu Yuejuan and successfully advanced to "Cloud Level." At this moment, Mu Yuejuan stood beneath this painting.

"Fifth Lang, you've suffered." Mu Yuejuan's voice trembled, and tears fell incessantly.

Ma Wu sat on the bed and said: "How did you know I was in trouble?"

Mu Yuejuan didn't explain. She placed a brocade box on the table: "Fifth Lang, give this brocade box to Feng Dai. She has a way."

Ma Wu looked at the brocade box and asked: "What is this?"

Mu Yuejuan shook her head repeatedly: "Fifth Lang, don't ask. I have my reasons. I must go now." She vanished into the painting, still crying.

Ma Wu pulled the affection thread. Feng Dai came from the next room. After hearing Ma Wu's account of Mu Yuejuan, Feng Dai opened the brocade box on the table. Upon seeing its contents, Feng Dai rejoiced: "These are Fifth Lang's tendon filaments! I can reattach them using my affection threads!"

Ma Wu was also happy, but after the initial joy, he remembered something: "Old Seven told me that Mu Yuejuan first defected to Xuehuapu, then to the Hand-Foot Alliance. She's He Jiaqing's person."

Feng Dai nodded slightly; she had heard something similar.

Ma Wu asked: "Do you still think this wasn't He Jiaqing's doing?"

Feng Dai was momentarily unable to sort out her thoughts.

Ma Wu gritted his teeth, his expression strained: "Old Ninth was severely poisoned and hasn't fully recovered. My leg tendons were extracted, practically crippling my legs. And now Old Seven is unreachable. If Old Seven was harmed by He Jiaqing, I, Ma Junyang, will use up all my family wealth and risk my life to tear He Jiaqing into ten thousand pieces!"