Chapter 819: Disaster and Calamity

The cold wind whistled as it poured into the cave. Inside the damp cave, the constant sound of gravel rubbing together echoed, its origin unknown.

Li Banfeng asked the Gu Cultivator woman, "What is your name?"

The Gu Cultivator, Li Yuping, answered truthfully, "My name is Li Yuping, and I'm from Wuling City in Waizhou."

The Madam asked gently, "Sister, why did someone from Waizhou come to the Curse Gu Ruin?"

Li Yuping replied, "When I was little, I learned some Gu techniques from my grandmother. She said I had a good natural aptitude and sufficient affinity with the Dao, so she arranged a train ticket for me to come to PuLuo State. I found the peddler and began Gu cultivation. My progress was quite fast. A senior disciple in our sect introduced me to the Curse Gu Ruin. He told me it was a holy land for our Dao, and that anyone who could come here was truly fortunate. So, I stayed here to cultivate."

"Which senior disciple brought you here?" Zhao Xiaowan was keen on this detail.

Li Yuping shook her head. "He couldn't bring me himself, as men aren't allowed in the Curse Gu Ruin. He found an elder who put me to sleep. When I woke up, I was already inside the Curse Gu Ruin with that elder."

Gu Dream Dual Cultivation? This person is important.

Zhao Xiaowan asked, "Where is that elder now?"

"She's dead," Li Yuping said, her face filled with sorrow. "Just three days ago, the Curse Cultivator Ancestor killed her. That elder was so kind to me; she brought me to hide in this cave. That day, when we went out to find food, we were discovered by the Curse Cultivators. There were over a dozen of them, and we couldn't fight back, so they captured us. They forced us to raise insects, only allowing us five hours of sleep a day; the rest of the time was spent tending to the insects. The elder didn't want to raise them, saying it would harm PuLuo State. One night, she helped me escape by sending me out with her Gu insects. But she was caught by the Curse Cultivator Ancestor and killed on the spot."

Three days ago?

It seemed Hèn Wúyóu hadn't been staying at the Ink Fragrance Shop the entire time; she had also returned to the Curse Gu Ruin during this period.

Li Banfeng asked, "What kind of insects did the Curse Cultivators make you raise?"

"Golden Silkworm eggs! Golden Silkworms are the best insect species in Gu techniques; they can only be found here in the Curse Gu Ruin."

Zhao Xiaowan asked, "Are Golden Silkworms actually golden?"

Li Yuping shook her head. "They're not golden; they're black. Curse Cultivators also use Golden Silkworms, but they call them 'Wuyu'—meaning 'black jade'—and they're used as materials for top-tier curse techniques."

Li Banfeng pointed to the cave entrance. "Take me to where they raise the insects."

Li Yuping shook her head vigorously. "I won't go! I don't want to die! If I go, the Curse Cultivators will surely kill me!"

A warm sensation calmed Li Yuping. The Madam's voice grew even softer. "Miss Li, don't be afraid. With us here, they can't harm you. Please take us; once our task is complete, we'll get you out."

Calmed by the Sound Cultivation technique, Li Yuping momentarily forgot her fear and led Li Banfeng and Zhao Xiaowan out of the cave.

Outside the cave lay a vast, white snowfield. Li Banfeng looked up; the sky was bright, but the sun was nowhere to be seen.

Li Yuping pointed southwest. "The village is over a hundred li from here. They raise the insects in the village, and you'll see their outposts after about thirty li. Actually, there are many good women among the Curse Cultivators, and they're quite decent people. If not for their help, I wouldn't have escaped back then."

Li Banfeng had always been curious about the relationship between the Curse Cultivators and Gu Cultivators. "Why are your two Dao sects so close?"

Li Yuping said mysteriously, "Curse and Gu are one family! An invisible curse is a curse, and a tangible curse is a Gu. Our patriarch is the junior sister of the Curse Cultivator patriarch; both were taught by the same master."

Li Banfeng considered this. "In that case, I think invisible curses are more formidable."

"That's not necessarily true!" Li Yuping retorted, clearly unconvinced. "Curse techniques rely on concealment, but their power is far inferior to Gu techniques. Furthermore, Gu insects can reproduce, and Gu poison can spread independently—abilities that curse techniques simply can't match."

A sudden gust of wind swept through, and Li Yuping choked on the snow, coughing for a long time.

Li Banfeng caught the faint sound of hooves on the wind, while Zhao Xiaowan detected a bitter scent.

"Miss Li, is someone approaching?"

Li Yuping gasped. "Quickly, find somewhere to hide! It must be the Curse Cultivator patrol."

Li Banfeng glanced towards the sound. "Do we really need to hide from a patrol?"

Li Yuping insisted, "Yes, we do! These patrol members are quite skilled!"

Li Banfeng, however, didn't need to hide. The Madam covered Li Yuping's mouth and stood behind him.

A patrol on horseback, dressed in thick leather coats, rode past. Not one of them noticed Li Banfeng or the two women behind him.

Once the mounted patrol was out of sight, Li Banfeng asked Li Yuping, "What kind of leather were those large coats made from?"

The leather was noticeably finer than animal hide, and its fur was far more vibrant than animal fur.

Li Yuping wiped the cold sweat from her face. "You're asking about that? I was almost scared to death by you! You just stood there? You didn't even try to run! Were their eyes bad from being in the snow too long, that they couldn't see you even when you were so close? You're incredibly lucky. Did you use an illusion spell just now?"

Li Banfeng, still focused on the leather coats, pressed, "I asked you what kind of hide it was."

Li Yuping replied, "That's the skin of a stinging caterpillar."

"Insects?" Li Banfeng considered the size of the coats. "How many stinging caterpillars would it take to make one of those?"

"One stinging caterpillar can make dozens of garments. Our stinging caterpillars here are different; they're cultivated using Gu techniques."

Cultivating ordinary insects to such enormous sizes—Li Banfeng recalled that Lu Yuanxin seemed to possess this ability.

"Do Gu Cultivators and Insect Cultivators also share commonalities?"

"Yes!" Li Yuping nodded. "Insect Cultivation is our Grand Patriarch. Both Curse Cultivation and Gu Cultivation originated from Insect Cultivation! We all… all have… insects, the roots of Insect Cultivation…"

Li Yuping's expression grew vacant, and she began to stammer.

Mengde offered a reminder: "She's about to enter a dream state."

On the snowy plain, towering buildings rose from the ground. Li Yuping sat smiling in a chair beneath one of them, watching the fountain below.

Meng Qian emerged from the building and told Li Banfeng, "Time's almost up; you should leave."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "We can't leave now; we still have important matters to attend to."

Meng Qian seemed to infer Li Banfeng's intentions. "I made it very clear before I arrived: when I tell you to leave, you must listen to me. That was our agreement."

Zhao Xiaowan smiled. "Miss Meng, we truly have an urgent matter at hand. Can't you make an exception just this once?"

Meng Qian shook her head. "No exceptions. You must leave."

Li Banfeng said, "We had an agreement that you would do three things for me each month. Let today be the first, and allow us to stay one more day."

Meng Qian replied, "We also agreed that I would only do what is within my capabilities. What you just asked for, I cannot do."

Li Banfeng was taken aback. "You can't do this?"

Zhao Xiaowan asked, "Can you tell us why?"

"You know the reason," Meng Qian said, discerning Li Banfeng's intent. "You intend to do something in the Curse Gu Ruin that Inner State cannot tolerate. I brought you here, and if you destroy this place, I become your accomplice. That would threaten my survival in Inner State."

Li Banfeng lifted the brim of his hat and looked at Meng Qian, clearly indicating he had no intention of leaving.

Sensing the threat, Meng Qian distanced herself from Li Banfeng.

Zhao Xiaowan tugged at Li Banfeng's sleeve. "Miss Meng is right; we really shouldn't put her in such a difficult position."

Li Banfeng still didn't want to leave. The Madam pouted, a hint of playful reproach on her face.

Seeing the Madam's expression, Li Banfeng relented. He agreed to leave the Curse Gu Ruin but added one condition: "Take this woman, Li Yuping, with us."

Meng Qian seemed reluctant. "If this woman stays in the Curse Gu Ruin, we could leave an entrance through a dream for our next visit."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "You wouldn't let her remain in the Curse Gu Ruin. Most likely, you'd kill her to silence her."

The two stared at each other for a moment before Meng Qian conceded. "I can place her in the Dream-Bound Tower and guarantee her safety."

Zhao Xiaowan gently squeezed Li Banfeng's palm, signaling him to accept for now.

Given her own safety was at stake, Meng Qian wouldn't make any further concessions in the short term.

Li Banfeng agreed.

The fierce wind returned, and the sound it made across the snowy plain was surprisingly melodic, like a mournful chant.

Li Banfeng scanned the snowfield, trying his best to commit every detail of the surroundings to memory.

The three retraced their steps, familiar landmarks appearing before them one by one.

The Madam kept looking around, seemingly lingering on these dreamlike yet vivid scenes.

Li Banfeng remained silent the entire way, comparing the path they had taken to get there with the one they were now taking back.

Relying on his Traveler Cultivator talent, Li Banfeng clearly felt that they were traversing the exact same path both ways, yet he couldn't commit it to memory.

After every short distance, Li Banfeng would lose his sense of direction, and the full route that had previously been clear in his mind would become muddled and confused.

After walking for a full day, the three returned to Black Stone Slope.

Bidding farewell to Meng Qian, Li Banfeng immediately entered his Portable Residence. "Old man, are you confident we can retrace our steps?"

The Portable Residence could travel from PuLuo State to Boundless City, so its ability to maintain direction was undoubtedly superior to Li Banfeng's.

Li Banfeng was full of confidence in the Portable Residence, but to his surprise, the old man sighed deeply. "This won't be easy. There were too many changes along the way; I only have a general impression, and many parts of the path, I can't recall. A-Qi, do you think this road might have been paved by a dream?"

Li Banfeng still didn't fully understand the mechanics of Dream Cultivation.

If the path they had just traversed was purely a dream, meaning it wasn't real, then why were the scenes identical both ways, and why did it take roughly the same amount of time? Two full days had passed; could this dream segment have remained static? If, on the other hand, the path was real, then why couldn't Li Banfeng, a sixth-level Traveler Cultivator, remember it? And why was even the old man's impression of it so vague?

"Is this path real or fake?"

Zhao Xiaowan had observed very carefully, continuously using all her perception-based techniques throughout the journey. "The path Meng Qian just led us through was real, but many sections contained elements of a dream. In those parts, we couldn't discern direction using ordinary methods. Luckily, I remembered some unusual techniques. Old man, do you remember us passing through an old city?"

The Portable Residence reflected for a moment. "There was an old city, somewhat similar to Fool's City, but with a different layout. I do have some impression of it. When I was walking through the crowds, I couldn't tell directions at all, and there were so many branching paths. If I were to go into that city again, I'd definitely get lost."

Zhao Xiaowan retrieved paper and a pen and, from memory, sketched out the streets they had traversed in the old city. "If you tried to navigate by cardinal directions, anyone would get lost. The houses in this city are too similar; their structures are perfectly symmetrical, offering no distinguishing directional features. However, starting from this point, I heard someone singing a tune."

The Portable Residence was silent for a moment, then abruptly spoke. "Yes, that's right, I heard it too. A man was singing a song; it was 'Night Fragrance.'"

Zhao Xiaowan took the pen and marked the map. "Both coming and going, this man was singing 'Night Fragrance.' His timbre and tone never changed, so he's clearly a landmark. Judging by the volume of his voice, the singing man is located right here."

The Madam drew the man's position. "As long as we pinpoint his location, we won't get lost in the city. And this lake has many identical boats, but one of them has a particularly strong fishy smell. I detected it with the Hundred Flavors Exquisite. That's another landmark—"

The Madam recorded over seventy landmarks along the way. By connecting these points, Li Banfeng and the Portable Residence finally gained a good grasp of the entire route.

"A-Qi, we shouldn't get lost if we try again!"

Li Banfeng gathered his things. "Shall we try it now?"

"Husband, don't rush!" the Madam said, drawing the map while eating a biscuit. "This road isn't short. Going there and back has made this little servant famished. Meng Qian is a shrewd individual; she used many tricks on this path. We must draw the map meticulously, because if we get lost halfway, there's no telling what situations we might encounter."

Li Banfeng realized she was right. "Madam, you stay home and focus on drawing the map. I'll go to the Ink Fragrance Shop and kill Hèn Wúyóu directly. Not only will I eliminate a major threat, but I'll also avenge you!"

"Avenge Xiaowan? Why didn't you tell me about something this big?" Hong Ying picked up her long spear. "Seventh Brother, I'm coming too!"

Jiu'er stood up. "I'll lend a hand too."

"I'll go check the situation first; you two prepare for battle here." Li Banfeng had just finished gathering his weapons and artifacts and was about to leave when he was seized by a sudden chill, followed by another, causing his body to tremble. Jiu'er, startled, quickly steadied him.

Danger!

Had Hèn Wúyóu set up an ambush?

Zhao Xiaowan said, "Husband, let's not rush to find Hèn Wúyóu. She might have many hidden experts by her side."

Li Banfeng countered, "If she truly had hidden experts, why didn't she send someone to help Dan Chengjun? If Dan Chengjun had one more expert with him, I surely would have been defeated."

Zhao Xiaowan cleared her throat. "Well, who can really say for sure…"

Hong Ying suddenly understood. "Seventh Brother, I get it now. In Hèn Wúyóu's eyes, you weren't even a match for Dan Chengjun, so she felt no need to send him reinforcements."

"Exactly!" Li Banfeng slapped his thigh, then handed the board to Zhao Xiaowan, who promptly held Hong Ying down and gave her a good beating.

Hong Ying rubbed herself, deciding she was fine, and turned back to gather her weapons. "I don't need to stay home and prepare for battle after all. Seventh Brother, let's go together, just the two of us. When we see Hèn Wúyóu, we'll kill her directly—"

*Clang!*

Before she could finish, Hong Ying shivered, and her long spear clattered to the ground.

She, too, was hit by a chill.

"Oh, how did my hand slip?" Hong Ying quickly picked up her spear, her face flushing.

She was unlike ordinary Traveler Cultivators.

It was natural for Traveler Cultivators to use their foresight to avoid danger, but for Hong Ying, avoiding risk depended on the circumstances.

On the battlefield, reacting to danger and seeking good fortune while avoiding ill luck was a valuable skill for her.

Yet, such a strong reaction before even engaging in battle was somewhat alarming for Hong Ying, bearing a resemblance to fear and reluctance to fight.

Zhao Xiaowan was startled. "After all these years, Hèn Wúyóu is still so formidable."

Hong Ying hoisted her spear. "My hand just slipped, that's all. It's fine, Seventh Brother, let's go!"

"Wait a moment!" Zhao Xiaowan stopped Hong Ying.

Hong Ying said impatiently, "Even if Hèn Wúyóu has other experts with her, how many could there be? You've seen her own abilities, haven't you? She's just thick-skinned and can take a beating. This time, both Seventh Brother and I will go for the kill; let's see how much she can endure!"

Zhao Xiaowan considered carefully, then said to Li Banfeng, "Darling husband, let's not rush with Hèn Wúyóu for now. Let's first concentrate on dealing with the Curse Gu Ruin. You also need to prepare early. If we truly want to level the Curse Gu Ruin, we'll definitely need some proper tools. We can't just dismantle that place with our bare hands."

The Madam's words made sense. Li Banfeng called out to Glove, "How much dynamite do we have left?"

Glove tallied. "Sixteen catties remaining."

"Sixteen catties should be enough."

Zhao Xiaowan thought it wouldn't be enough. "Husband, we don't know how big the Curse Gu Ruin is. What if it's larger than Greenwater City? Would sixteen catties of dynamite be enough to destroy it completely?"

The Madam's foresight was indeed thorough. Li Banfeng immediately went to Gourd Village to buy dynamite from A-Yi.

A-Yi's eyes sparkled. "Brother, who are you planning to blow up? Can I come with you?"

Li Banfeng said, "I'm going to blow up the Curse Gu Ruin."

"The Curse Gu Ruin?" A-Yi considered this. "You can't blow that place up."

Li Banfeng looked at A-Yi. "Sister, are you worried I'll destroy the holy land of the Curse and Gu Cultivators?"

A-Yi's face showed disdain. "Do I care about that? Back when the Eighteen Wheels constructed their Industrial Cultivation holy land, I blew it to smithereens right after it was finished. They say the Old Train still cries for a good while whenever it's mentioned. The reason I said you can't blow up the Curse Gu Ruin is because that place is indestructible."

Li Banfeng was surprised. "You've tried?"

A-Yi shook her head. "I haven't been to the Curse Gu Ruin, but my mother told me."

"Has your mother been to the Curse Gu Ruin?"

"You'll have to ask her yourself."

Li Banfeng ascended to the cloud and entered the house.

A-Yu hastily concealed something, then looked up, smiling at Li Banfeng. "Little brother, you're here!"

Li Banfeng paid no mind to what A-Yu had hidden. He simply asked, "Is the Curse Gu Ruin truly indestructible?"

A-Yu was taken aback. "Why would you want to blow up the Curse Gu Ruin?"

Li Banfeng replied, "Because they raise insects."

"Raising insects? Isn't it natural for Gu Cultivators to raise insects?" A-Yu pondered for a moment. "You must mean Void Essence Silkworms, right? They're materials used in advanced curse and Gu techniques. The Curse Gu Ruin is a Void Essence land, and it became a holy site for both Curse and Gu Cultivators precisely because Void Essence Silkworms are found there. Of course, they'd raise them for their cultivation. To want to blow up the place over this is simply unreasonable."

Li Banfeng asked, "If they're raising Void Essence Silkworms for Inner State, what possible use would those silkworms have there?"

A-Yu blinked. "What would Inner State need Void Essence Silkworms for? When did Inner State become involved with the Curse Gu Ruin?"

Li Banfeng explained, "I just returned from the Curse Gu Ruin. The Curse Cultivator Patriarch killed the Gu Cultivator Patriarch and is forcing the Gu Cultivators to raise silkworms, most likely to send them to Inner State."

A-Yu shook her head. "I don't believe that. The Curse Cultivator Patriarch, Hèn Wúyóu, and the Gu Cultivator Patriarch, Yindan Li, were like sisters. How could they possibly turn against each other?"

"Is friendship truly reliable?"

A-Yu added, "When I was with the Dark Star Bureau, I heard some rumors. Hèn Wúyóu was severely wounded by Dan Chengjun during the Second PuLuo War, then risked her life to harm Zhao Xiaowan with a curse, and apparently died shortly after."

"Can't she be resurrected, even if she died?"

A-Yu remained unconvinced. "Even if she resurrected, her cultivation would surely be diminished. And even if it weren't, she couldn't defeat Yindan Li. They've fought before, and Hèn Wúyóu never won a single match."

"What if Dan Chengjun joined her?"

"Are you saying Hèn Wúyóu and Dan Chengjun are colluding?" A-Yu finally believed it. "If Dan Chengjun were to act, he really could defeat Yindan Li. Besides the peddler, no one can defeat that old rogue, Dan Chengjun."

Li Banfeng puffed out his chest. "That's not necessarily true!"

A-Yu's expression suddenly turned serious. "But Dan Chengjun isn't lacking women, so why would he be interested in Hèn Wúyóu? Could there be another reason? In terms of appearance, Hèn Wúyóu is quite ordinary. As for temperament, she's not very likable. And their relationship is one of deep-seated hatred. Could it be because Hèn Wúyóu is skilled in combat—"

Li Banfeng cut A-Yu off. "Just tell me first: can the Curse Gu Ruin be blown up?"

"No!" A-Yu shook her head. "The Curse Gu Ruin is a Void Essence land, and its territorial structure is different. Explosives have very little destructive power in a Void Essence land. Since you want to kill insects, it's best to use poison."

Li Banfeng asked, "What kind of poison can kill Void Essence Silkworms?"

A-Yu thought for a long time. "That kind of poison is hard to find. I only know of one called 'Unfettered Delusion.' Void Essence Silkworms die on contact with it, but that poison has been lost for ages."

"I'll go ask a friend!" Li Banfeng rose to leave, but A-Yu suddenly called him back.

"Little brother, come here for a moment."

Li Banfeng stepped closer to A-Yu.

A-Yu instructed, "Unbutton your clothes and let me see your back."

Li Banfeng looked at A-Yu. "Sister, I know it's not easy for you to be alone. Tomorrow, I'll call for Big Brother Sun—"

"Stop joking, little brother. This is a matter of life and death." A-Yu unbuttoned Li Banfeng's clothes and stared at his back for a long time. "Little brother, you've been cursed."

Li Banfeng was taken aback. "Cursed?"

A-Yu thought about Li Banfeng's earlier words. "Have you fought Hèn Wúyóu before?"

Indeed they had. On Mount Qunying, Li Banfeng had stomped her into a bloody pulp.

"Did I get cursed from just that one encounter?"

"Curse Cultivators are that insidious. Just one encounter, and you might be afflicted with a curse!" A-Yu's fingertips slowly traced Li Banfeng's back. "You have a 'calamity curse' on you; I can see it. To hide such a curse so deeply, I estimate only Hèn Wúyóu could manage it. Her methods have improved considerably!"

"What's a calamity curse?"

"It's the seed Curse Cultivators use to cast their curses." A-Yu pinpointed the location of the calamity curse and gently twisted it with her thumb and forefinger on Li Banfeng's back.

"Little brother, does that hurt?"

"Not exactly painful..."

No, it wasn't the pain of being twisted. Li Banfeng felt a dull ache deep within his flesh.

A-Yu's fingernails lengthened slightly. She made a small incision on Li Banfeng's back. "Little brother, this is your dwelling, and you are its master. Use your 'Peaceful Slumber' technique to extract this calamity curse."

Li Banfeng immediately employed his 'Peaceful Slumber' technique. He was highly proficient in this process; whether it was detoxification or healing, the overall goal was always to expel foreign matter.

As soon as the technique was applied, the dull ache on his back immediately intensified. Li Banfeng tried twice; he found the correct position and used the right method, yet the calamity curse simply wouldn't emerge.

A-Yu warned, "Little brother, Hèn Wúyóu's calamity curse isn't easy to remove. If you don't get it out, the next time you encounter Hèn Wúyóu, she could kill you with a single move. However, she might not dare to strike; using curses causes a backlash for her, too. If she can't withstand it and dies first, you'd actually benefit greatly."

Upon hearing this, Li Banfeng immediately grew tense.

Li Banfeng had no immediate concept of how powerful Hèn Wúyóu's curse techniques were, but he had certainly witnessed the extent of her formidable vitality.

Should they encounter each other, Hèn Wúyóu would undoubtedly use her curse techniques without hesitation. Given her current physique, she wouldn't need to worry about the backlash at all.

Li Banfeng then exerted all his strength.

Upstairs and downstairs, all ten rooms exerted force along with Li Banfeng. The calamity curse, hidden deep within his flesh, attempted to escape several times, but A-Yu used special methods to keep it firmly in place.

"Sister, why don't you just dig the calamity curse out directly?" The pain grew increasingly severe, and Li Banfeng was starting to falter. "Little brother, it's not that I can't dig it out; I'm trying to spare you. If I were to break the calamity curse while extracting it, I can't tell you what the consequences would be."

After enduring for half an hour, a worm suddenly shot out from Li Banfeng's back.

The pitch-black worm, streaked with blood, wriggled on the ground.

Li Banfeng picked up the worm and examined it. "Isn't this a Void Essence Silkworm?"

A-Yu pointed to the faint, almost imperceptible patterns on the worm. "This is a Void Essence Silkworm that has been modified by curse techniques. There are also Void Essence Silkworms modified by Gu techniques, and I've heard there are even some modified by other Dao sects, though I haven't seen them myself."

Li Banfeng held the Void Essence Silkworm, rotated his shoulders, and carefully noted the lingering ache in his back.

It was a good thing he hadn't gone after Hèn Wúyóu. No wonder he'd felt so many chills back then.

Hong Ying must also have been afflicted with a calamity curse, and her 'seeking good fortune and avoiding ill luck' ability must have sensed it then.

Besides Hong Ying, who else had fought Hèn Wúyóu?

Li Banfeng looked at A-Yu. "Sister, I need to ask a favor of you."

A-Yu smiled. "Little brother, do you want me to come over to your place? That's easily arranged. I've been wanting to visit for a while now."