Chapter 815: A Promise Worth a Thousand Gold

Li Banfeng, dressed in a black suit, black shirt, and black top hat, arrived at Yan Sha Study, the most famous library of the Ink Fragrance Shop.

The wind and snow were heavy that day. Upon entering, Li Banfeng removed his hat and brushed off the snowflakes.

The woman at the front desk, wearing a long cyan robe, a dark purple scarf, and with two braided pigtails, said to Li Banfeng, "The wind and snow cannot deter your fondness for the study. Is this a yearning for knowledge, or a reliance on the scent of ink?"

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, then gently tapped the front desk.

A millipede crawled out from under the table, moving along until it reached the woman.

The woman screamed, "Are you here to stay, or to read?"

The first time Li Banfeng visited the Ink Fragrance Shop, Lu Yuanxin had scared this woman half to death with a millipede. Li Banfeng clearly remembered the millipede's shape, but despite his best efforts, he could only create something about one-third as convincing.

The Skill of All Things As You Wish still lacked considerable mastery.

The millipede disappeared in the blink of an eye, and Li Banfeng handed the invitation to the woman.

After seeing the invitation, the woman composed herself. Daring not to utter another word, she led Li Banfeng to the second floor of the main library.

The second floor of the main library was rarely open to the public, and it was Li Banfeng's first time there.

The second floor contained three large book pavilions and six smaller ones. The woman led Li Banfeng to one of the large pavilions, named Cloud Terrace Xuanji Pavilion.

Pushing open the pavilion door, eight rosewood moon-gate bookshelves encircled the center. The books were wrapped in silkworm cocoon paper, and the wrapping bore cinnabar annotations. At a glance, the strokes seemed dense and chaotic, but upon closer inspection, the handwriting was neat and legible.

The effort put into the covers alone showed how precious these collections were. Unfortunately, Li Banfeng recognized few of the titles. If Xiao Yeci were here, she would probably stay for days and nights, unwilling to leave.

In the center of the pavilion was a long table carved from a single piece of ginkgo wood. Surrounding it were thirty-six seats, each equipped with an ice-crackle pattern brush washer, a dragon-knob copper paperweight, a coiled-cloud jade brush rest, a star-patterned purple-bristle brush, and blue sandalwood dragon-scale paper.

Li Banfeng didn't know the quality of these items, but the Judge's Brush whispered a detailed description into his ear, not missing a single detail. Having spoken so much at once, Li Banfeng genuinely worried it might collapse from exhaustion.

This was a scholar's paradise, but none of those present were true scholars.

There was an old man who gulped down several mouthfuls of wine from his flask, let out a satisfied burp, and dozed off at the table. This was Liu Hutian, the Ancestor of Wine Cultivation.

A woman was mending with needle and thread; a man's long gown in her hands had been skillfully sewn into a qipao. This was Feng Xuanzhen, the Grandmaster of Garment Cultivation.

A woman nearby looked at the qipao and remarked admiringly, "Sister, your craftsmanship is truly excellent. This must be tailored to my figure, right? I'd really love to try it on."

This was Sui Chanxin, the Ancestor of Charm Cultivation.

Feng Xuanzhen smiled, "You really want to try it on? Do you dare to try on clothes in front of so many people?"

Sui Chanxin held the qipao and glanced at everyone. "What kind of people are gathered here? What haven't they seen before? A humble lady changing clothes, surely none of you would peek."

As she spoke, Sui Chanxin specifically glanced at He Jiaqing. "Brother, wouldn't you agree?"

He Jiaqing smiled faintly and did not respond.

Granny Ku frowned deeply, showing an undisguised aversion to Sui Chanxin.

Sui Chanxin looked at Granny Ku and said, "Did Qi Wujian glue your eyebrows together?"

A man next to her, with two trails of greenish snot dripping from his nose, snorted, "Who would dare to stick to her? She holds misfortune and fortune in her hands; how dare I provoke her?"

This snot-nosed man was Qi Wujian, the Ancestor of Glue Cultivation.

Next to Qi Wujian sat a bald man, whose head shone brightly. Li Banfeng didn't recognize this bald man; only a few of those present knew his identity.

Next to the bald man sat Chang Jiuhai, the Ancestor of Demonic Cultivation. With a sullen face, he looked at the woman from the front desk and said, "What are you doing here?"

The woman dared not look up and said cautiously, "I brought a guest. The invitation says Li Qi."

"Li Qi?" Chang Jiuhai was startled. "Where is he?"

The woman glanced behind her, seeing no one there. In her panic, she could barely articulate a word.

"He, he just came in with me. He, he was just standing right here."

Everyone was surprised for a moment, then quickly composed themselves. Being highly renowned in Pu Luo Prefecture, they naturally wouldn't easily lose their composure.

Sui Chanxin played with her hair and chuckled, "Li Qi is a traveling cultivator. His Taoist foundation seems quite solid. He came and went. His movements are indeed quick."

Chang Jiuhai narrowed his eyes and said, "So many people were waiting for him. Why would he leave after coming?"

Granny Ku, with a stern expression, said, "You didn't even save a seat for him. Anyone seeing that would be indignant. It's understandable that Li Qi left."

All thirty-six seats around the long table were occupied. Indeed, there was no seat for Li Qi.

Liu Hutian poured himself some wine and chuckled as he looked at Granny Ku. "Where do you think he should sit? Look around this room, who here isn't more qualified than him to sit and speak?"

"I am not qualified," He Jiaqing said, rising. "I will offer my seat to Li Qi."

Qi Wujian, the Ancestor of Glue Cultivation, pressed his palm downwards. "Young Master He, please sit down. Although you are young, you are a disciple of Old Master Xiao Qian. Even out of respect for your master, this seat belongs to you."

He Jiaqing frowned slightly. He really didn't want to sit down. If Granny Ku and Huan Wuchang hadn't urged him, he wouldn't have even wanted to come to the Ink Fragrance Shop. He was busy reclaiming land and had no desire to get involved in this mess.

Granny Ku pulled He Jiaqing's arm, and He Jiaqing sat down. Song Shu stood up from the side. "I'll give my seat to Li Qi. Li Qi is the main guest today. You invited him here to discuss matters with him. Why should he stand?"

Chang Jiuhai let out a laugh. "We sought him out to discuss matters, which is giving him enough respect. What's his standing, and what are our statuses?"

Song Shu, with a look of defiance, retorted, "I don't have much standing either. If I have to stand, then I'll stand."

Chang Jiuhai dropped his smile and said with a cold expression, "You are the daughter of Song Qianhun, considered one of my disciples; that counts as having standing. You are a disciple of Yuan Miaoping, and Yuan Miaoping is an Ancestor of a sect. This seat must be reserved for you, even if only out of respect for her. We invited Li Qi here, and everyone is present. His status is low, his seniority small, and he arrived later than us. He should stand; that's the rule!"

Before Chang Jiuhai finished speaking, he suddenly felt a chill on his face. A trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth down to his chin.

Qi Wujian gasped, "Who? Who attacked him?"

Sui Chanxin rose and said, "Li Qi is back?"

Everyone rose from their seats one after another, scanning every corner of the pavilion.

No one was at the door, no one on the ceiling, and no one around the eight bookshelves.

They searched for a long time but found no one. Turning their heads, they saw someone sitting in Chang Jiuhai's seat.

The person was wearing a suit and a top hat. He sat in the chair, looking at Chang Jiuhai, and asked, "Looking for me?"

Chang Jiuhai raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you Li Qi?"

Li Banfeng nodded slightly.

Chang Jiuhai studied Li Qi intently, then pointed to his chair. "That's my seat."

Li Banfeng politely said, "Thank you."

Chang Jiuhai stared at Li Qi. "I didn't intend to give it to you."

Li Banfeng also stared at Chang Jiuhai. "Your mouth is bleeding."

Chang Jiuhai's cheek twitched. A swarm of ghost servants appeared from behind him. "If you sit here, where do I sit?"

This Taoist Ancestor was clearly losing face.

Liu Hutian advised, "Old Chang, calm down, don't be hasty."

He looked at the younger ones, expecting someone to offer their seat.

Song Shu sat back down, saying nothing.

He Jiaqing also sat back down, unable to help but laugh out loud.

The others remained silent, all returning to their seats.

The woman from the front desk was still there, scared and crouching on the floor, unable to get up. Li Banfeng said, "Are you trembling like this because the cold wind has stolen your body heat, or because fear has robbed you of your courage?"

The woman cried, "I need to go to the restroom."

Li Banfeng smiled faintly, "After you've been to the restroom, remember to bring this gentleman a chair."

"Okay!" The woman scurried out of the pavilion.

Chang Jiuhai waved his sleeve, dismissed his ghost servants, and said, "Farewell!"

With that, he then left the pavilion as well.

Li Banfeng asked again, "Anyone else wish to leave?"

No one at the table responded.

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "You called for me, and I'm here. Then let's get down to business."

Liu Hutian took a sip of wine and looked at Li Banfeng. "Among those present, I am the oldest. Back when a few of us cultivated, the concept of the Taoist Gate didn't even exist. Whoever mastered more techniques could establish themselves in Pu Luo Prefecture. The Peddler held us in high regard, recognized our Taoist Gate, and made us Ancestors. We are grateful to the Peddler from the bottom of our hearts. Now we are old. The waves behind push the waves ahead. There are some matters we originally didn't want to interfere with, but if things become too outrageous, we cannot simply ignore them."

Li Banfeng asked, "What has become outrageous?"

Qi Wujian said, "This matter of the Ink Fragrance Shop is outrageous! This is the cultural lifeline of Pu Luo Prefecture! If something happens to the cultural lifeline, do you know the consequences?"

Li Banfeng looked at Qi Wujian. "The Ink Fragrance Shop has had incidents before, do you know about them?"

Qi Wujian shook his head. "I don't know."

Li Banfeng looked at everyone. "Before, Inner Prefecture sent a toad over to seize the Ink Fragrance Shop's territory. Did you know about this?"

He Jiaqing remained silent; the others all claimed ignorance.

Li Banfeng asked again, "This time, Shu Wan卷 and Shan Chengjun came together to seize the Ink Fragrance Shop. Did you know about this?"

Again, they claimed not to know.

Li Banfeng chuckled, "You knew nothing before. Now that Shan Chengjun is dead, how do you suddenly know?"

Sui Chanxin said, "Brother Li Qi, this matter has become big news. Both you and Shan Chengjun have appeared in the newspapers, so of course we know."

Li Banfeng looked at everyone again. "So, you're here because of Shan Chengjun this time?"

The others fell silent. They certainly didn't want to be associated with Shan Chengjun.

Liu Hutian picked up his wine flask and took another gulp. "We are not here for anything else, but solely for the Ink Fragrance Shop. The Ink Fragrance Shop is no ordinary place. When Shu Wan卷 first established this place, we old fellows said that Pu Luo Prefecture's future hope lies here. It doesn't matter if other places are neglected, but the Ink Fragrance Shop tolerates no triviality whatsoever. The first Patron God of the Ink Fragrance Shop was Shu Wan卷, the Ancestor of Literary Cultivation. The second was Zhou Wencheng, Shu Wan卷's disciple. The third was Murong Gui, Zhou Wencheng's disciple. These three reached the pinnacle of literary cultivation, and we were at ease with the Ink Fragrance Shop in their hands. I also know that being a Patron God here is not easy, and if Murong Gui truly didn't want to continue, we would agree to a suitable replacement. But what about the Peddler's handling of this matter? Did he replace him? Now there's no one even in the Ink Fragrance Shop! For such an important territory to have no Patron God, isn't that outrageous?"

As he spoke, Liu Hutian coughed twice and beat his chest, as if speaking from profound anguish.

Granny Ku looked at Li Qi. She wanted to know Li Qi's reaction to this matter, as in everyone's eyes, the Peddler's actions were indeed wrong.

Qi Wujian looked at Li Qi. "I know you and the Peddler are of one mind. We remember the good deeds he has done, but we are also well aware of the absurd things he has done. This isn't the first time!"

Li Banfeng asked, "What other times?"

Qi Wujian said, "You're so familiar with him, don't you know? After he conquered the realm back then, how did we, his old comrades, disperse? We fought tooth and nail following him; what benefits did we gain? It's one thing that he didn't become emperor, but he should have at least looked after the affairs. After just conquering the realm, why did he run off to Wansheng Prefecture? After he left, what state did the Heavenly Maiden leave Pu Luo Prefecture in? Wasn't that outrageous?"

Granny Ku looked at Li Banfeng again. What Qi Wujian said could be said to be a lifelong stain on the Peddler's record. At the dawn of Pu Luo Prefecture's establishment, the Peddler went to Wansheng Prefecture. After the Heavenly Maiden took control of Pu Luo Prefecture, she divided it with boundaries. This division has not been erased to this day. It was only when Li Qi took control of the railways and abolished travel permits that the impact of the boundaries was somewhat alleviated.

At the mention of this matter, everyone began to speak up!

"It wasn't just the Heavenly Maiden; there was also Eighteen Wheels! That madman, relying on his relationship with the Peddler, ran rampant in Pu Luo Prefecture. How many territories did he seize from others?"

"A vital place like Medicine King Gully was actually entrusted to Yao Xin to guard? Yao Xin was a court official; could he trust such a person?"

"Sun Tiecheng's daughter imitated her father; that person was a madwoman, leading Gourd Village to cause madness everywhere. How much trouble did she cause in Pu Luo Prefecture? Did the Peddler ever manage it?"

"And Green Flower! What kind of Taoist Gate did he establish? How many people did he kill? And the Peddler allowed him to do so?"

"When Green Flower died, another foreigner arrived. This foreigner was even worse. He lured out the Dao Lao Ghosts. What a great calamity are these things? Did the Peddler ever manage them?"

"Qianliang Workshop was an upright place. I heard that foreigner went there and wiped out its inhabitants. It's said the Peddler ordered him to do it. How can one justify that?"

"Too many outrageous things have been done! If we count them here, we wouldn't finish by tomorrow morning! Look at what Pu Luo Prefecture has become now?"

The more they spoke, the more agitated they grew, their voices louder.

Granny Ku kept watching Li Qi, but Li Qi remained silent.

Teacher Song felt a pang of sympathy for Li Banfeng; after all, it wasn't his fault. But she also hoped Li Banfeng would listen more to the voices of these people. In her opinion, these were indeed problems in Pu Luo Prefecture.

Li Banfeng suddenly lowered the brim of his hat, and a wave of imposing presence rapidly emanated from him. This imposing presence came partly from Li Banfeng himself, and partly from Hong Ying, borrowed using the Skill of Deep Mansion. Hong Ying's imposing presence was already hard to resist; now, combined with Li Banfeng's own, it silenced everyone on the spot.

Li Banfeng raised the brim of his hat, and with lowered eyes and brows, looked at everyone. "Let's not stray from the topic. Weren't you here for the Ink Fragrance Shop?"

Liu Hutian nodded. "That's right, it is indeed for the Ink Fragrance Shop. As long as there's an explanation regarding the Ink Fragrance Shop, we will leave immediately."

"Who do you expect to give an explanation?" Li Banfeng looked at Liu Hutian.

Liu Hutian took a sip of wine, lowered his head, and remained silent.

The atmosphere in the pavilion grew tense again.

Qi Wujian rubbed his palms together, and a patch of glue emerged from his palms.

Huan Wuchang conjured a folding fan from thin air and fanned himself in front of his chest.

Sui Chanxin glanced around, then suddenly giggled twice. "Oh dear, what's all this about? We came to discuss matters, not to assign blame. It would be terrible if we broke the harmony."

After her words, the atmosphere in the pavilion noticeably softened. This wasn't because her words were particularly pleasing to hear, but because she had used the Charm Cultivation technique, 'Beauty Halts War'. This technique could temporarily reduce everyone's fighting spirit. Sui Chanxin looked at Li Qi and said, "Brother Li Qi, may I say a word?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Please speak, Senior."

Sui Chanxin looked into Li Banfeng's eyes, her face showing a mix of expectation and concern, her tone a blend of admiration and sincerity. "Brother Li Qi, you defeated Shan Chengjun and protected the Ink Fragrance Shop. Both your intention and your skill, this elder sister admires from the bottom of her heart. If I had met a man like you back then, I would have married him even if it meant paying a dowry myself. We are not here to cause you trouble, Brother. We are simply concerned about the future of the Ink Fragrance Shop. If the Ink Fragrance Shop truly has no Patron God, we would help select one. Such a crucial territory left unattended worries us deeply."

Li Banfeng said, "Who said the Ink Fragrance Shop has no Patron God? How else could the Ink Fragrance Shop's scholarly atmosphere have been preserved if there truly were no Patron God?"

Qi Wujian said, "Is that true? If there truly is a Patron God, summon him for us to see."

Li Banfeng looked at Qi Wujian. "Do you know where the Patron God resides? If you know, go and see. If you don't, go inquire. If you can't find out, then don't bother. This is the Patron God's territory. What makes you so important that he should come to you?"

Qi Wujian rubbed the glue in his hands. "Li Qi, is this true? If we don't see the Patron God, what then?"

Li Banfeng said, "And if you do, what will you say?"

Qi Wujian said, "If we see him, we'll turn and leave immediately!"

Li Banfeng lowered the brim of his hat. "If he doesn't let you leave, you might be staying in the Ink Fragrance Shop permanently."

Hearing this, Qi Wujian gnashed his teeth in anger. He glanced left and right, seeing that no one else reacted. After gritting his teeth for a moment, he swallowed his anger.

Sui Chanxin rose and said, "Since Brother Li Qi has spoken so clearly, I have nothing else to say. This humble lady will take her leave first. Farewell."

Everyone rose one after another and left the pavilion.

Upon exiting the Yan Sha Study, Li Banfeng saw Teacher Song at the entrance. He withdrew his Mansion Cultivation ability and went up to greet her.

Seeing Li Banfeng, Song Shu was very pleased. "Banfeng, I've been trying to call you, but I couldn't get through. I wanted to tell you that you shouldn't have come today."

Li Banfeng chuckled, "Since I'm already here, it's good to meet these seniors anyway."

Song Shu shook her head. "They won't be leaving the Ink Fragrance Shop anytime soon. These people are not so easy to deal with. You need to be very careful."

Li Banfeng didn't agree. "I think these seniors are all quite nice. I won't be leaving anytime soon either, so it'll be good to get along with them for a while."

"Silly boy, you're just being stubborn," Song Shu breathed into her hands and rubbed them together, wiping the snow from Li Banfeng's hat brim and shoulders. "Banfeng, some of what they said is also reasonable. The Peddler indeed made many mistakes. We need to make some changes. If it hadn't been for his irresponsible departure from Pu Luo Prefecture back then—"

"Teacher, do you really think that was the Peddler's fault?" Li Banfeng interrupted Teacher Song. "You once said that when doing academic research, one should not draw conclusions based on appearances. I still believe that statement holds great truth."

Song Shu was stunned for a long time. When she tried to speak again, she saw Li Banfeng lower the brim of his hat and turn to leave.

The snow was heavy. Song Shu strained to look, but could not clearly see Li Banfeng's retreating figure.