Chapter 820: Gentlemen's Friendship

Li Banfeng asked, "Sister, would you like to come to my house for a visit?"

"Yes!" Ayi nodded sincerely. "Last time I visited your home, General Zhao and General Hong treated me like a sister. And my mischievous daughter spent half the day showering me with affection. Just thinking about them makes my heart ache with longing."

Li Banfeng nodded, "They miss you a lot too."

Ayi leaned closer to Li Banfeng. "Brother, everything else is just talk; our family bond is real. Have my two sisters-in-law been struck by calamities? You absolutely cannot take this lightly!"

Li Banfeng chuckled, "I certainly wouldn't dare to take it lightly. I'll go home right now and remove the calamities for them."

Ayi sighed, "General Zhao knows best how ruthless Hatred's schemes are. If you can't even see where the calamities are, how will you remove them? That's why I, your sister, must go myself!"

Li Banfeng asked, "Is that one sister, or two sisters?"

Ayi played with her hair, a corner of her mouth curving upward, revealing a dimple on her cheek. "Last time, both sisters went. Wouldn't it be inappropriate for only one of us to go this time?"

Li Banfeng looked at the goddess on the bed. "This sister might be difficult to host."

Ayi sat beside the goddess, gently stroking her pale face. "Oh, little brother, if you're so wary, then don't bother with this. Anyway, the calamity on you is gone, and you won't suffer. It's just a pity for your two poor sisters-in-law, who are stuck with an unfaithful man like you."

"Thank you for the reminder, sister," Li Banfeng said, standing up to leave.

Ayi chuckled, "Brother, don't be so stubborn. I know you have the Golden Eye, and your eyesight is indeed excellent. But when you get home, ask Zhao Xiaowan if the Golden Eye is effective against Hatred. If it really worked, why did she die at Hatred's hands back then?"

"You're amazing, sister, every word hits the mark!" Li Banfeng descended from the cloud and found Ayi.

Ayi asked, "How was it? The Cursed Gu Ruins can't be blown up, right?"

Li Banfeng nodded, "It can't be blown up. I need to get some poison."

Ayi didn't quite understand. "What do you need poison for? Can poison blow up the Cursed Gu Ruins?"

"I don't necessarily have to blow up the Cursed Gu Ruins, just kill all the Void Primordial Silkworms!"

"Why kill the Void Primordial Silkworms?"

"The Cursed Gu Ruins are breeding many Void Primordial Silkworms. They're likely planning to send them to Neizhou. I don't know what these things are for in Neizhou, but since Neizhou wants them so badly, we definitely can't let them have them."

Ayi took Li Banfeng home and retrieved a wooden box from the bedroom.

Inside the box was a stone ring, with small dark shadows floating in its center.

Li Banfeng observed it for a moment and asked, "Is this the Great Totem you replicated?"

Ayi shook her head. "This can't really be called a Great Totem. I can't replicate the Great Totem's true form; it's just somewhat similar. Brother, do you know what these dark shadows are?"

Li Banfeng stared at the slowly moving black dots and guessed, "Are these living creatures?"

Ayi used tweezers to pick up one of the black dots from the center of the stone ring and showed it to Li Banfeng. "Brother, you're right, these are living creatures – Void Primordial Silkworms. The Great Totem has a dark mass in its center, and this is what's kept inside it. The Peddler told me this."

Li Banfeng's head reeled; he realized something serious was happening.

The Great Totem had been destroyed by the Peddler long ago, yet according to Li Yuping's description, the Cursed Gu Ruins were still desperately breeding worms three days ago.

What else could they be breeding worms for?

"Sister, do you have a way to find the Peddler?"

Ayi thought for a moment. "I can try, but I can't guarantee I'll find him."

"Go find him. Use every possible method. Once you find him, tell him that Neizhou is rebuilding the Great Totem!"

Li Banfeng immediately left Gourd Village and went to Greenwater City. At Round Bamboo Workshop, he took out Greenwater City's local seal.

Before his last trip to Fool's City, Li Banfeng had drained all the accumulated energy from the local seal. At that time, the Peddler had just destroyed the Great Totem, and normally, without a connection to the Great Totem, the local seal wouldn't accumulate any new energy.

Now, when Li Banfeng placed the local seal on his head again, it was empty; there was indeed no energy.

His hanging heart temporarily settled; this proved that the Great Totem had not yet been successfully rebuilt.

He immediately went to the Peddler's cloud, stood downstairs, and shouted, "Sister-in-law, I won't burn your house down. Please find a way to call my brother back."

The woman pushed open the window, looked at Li Banfeng, and said, "I'm not your sister-in-law. Your brother can't come back right now; he went to the White Falcon Alliance to repay a debt!"

Indeed, the White Falcon Alliance must have also required payment for helping to attack the Great Altar.

Li Banfeng left a message for the Master of Rogue Cultivators and then hurried to the Soda Kiln, preparing to go to Neizhou to bring Cui Tik back.

Back at Gluttonous Ridge, Cui Tik had exterminated all the lineage-ending mosquitoes. With his abilities, wiping out the Void Primordial Silkworms would be no problem.

The key question, however, was whether he would be willing to help.

To use a highly lethal and fast-spreading pathogen, Cui Tik himself had to be present, but he was currently unwilling to return to Puluo Prefecture.

If he wouldn't come back, then he'd be tied and brought back.

While he thought this, whether such an action was feasible required careful consideration.

Once Cui Tik was pushed too far, there was no telling what he might do. To persuade him, he needed to gauge the situation carefully.

While Li Banfeng was still pondering the right approach, Qin Tianjiu called. "Seventh Brother, you'd better return to the Ink Fragrance Shop. A very important person has arrived here."

How could Li Banfeng worry about the Ink Fragrance Shop right now? "How important? If you can't handle it, go find Boss Lu."

"Seventh Brother, Boss Lu and I have a past conflict. Although we've cleared things up, I still don't trust him. Besides, the person who's come this time, Boss Lu might not even be able to handle."

"Who is it, exactly?"

"It's Yang Xiangjun, the Ancestor of Poison Cultivation. He's very famous. I heard Old Pan say that just over a decade ago, he appeared in Kudai Kan and poisoned many people. Feng Daiku couldn't do anything to him. Seventh Brother, if this person poisons the Ink Fragrance Shop, Boss Lu really won't be able to handle it. Even if Yang Xiangjun doesn't kill Boss Lu, the Ink Fragrance Shop's territory will be in trouble."

Little Fatty had matured; he didn't rush in blindly, understanding the seriousness of the situation.

The Ancestor of Poison Cultivation!

Had this person defected to Neizhou, or was he here for something else?

Yang Xiangjun was a man appearing in his early thirties. He had a 3-7 side part in his hair, slicked back with shiny pomade. His eyebrows were finely trimmed and long, and his enigmatic eyes were adorned with purplish-red eyeshadow.

He had a high nose bridge and a slightly large mouth, though when applying lipstick, he had done so with some thought, making it appear like a small, cherry-like mouth from a distance.

He wore a large white fox fur cloak over a black leather jacket. The jacket was tightly cinched at the waist, emphasizing his refined figure with its varying contours.

Yang Xiangjun held a tea tray in his left hand. He pinched the teacup lid with his thumb and middle finger, scraped away the tea leaves inside, and blew on the tea. "Are all the things ready?"

Shao Yingzhen quickly stood up, bowed, and stepped forward. "Old Ancestor, as per your instructions, the traps and various medicinal ingredients are all prepared."

Yang Xiangjun looked at Shao Yingzhen, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned. "Don't call me Ancestor. You're not from my sect. Just call me by my name."

Shao Yingzhen waved his hand. "How can that be? At the very least, I must call you Senior."

Yang Xiangjun chuckled, "The way you put it, it's as if calling me Senior would give me a great advantage. Have you prepared the money?"

Shao Yingzhen nodded repeatedly. "It's all prepared. The real gold and silver are packed in boxes; you can check them at any time. Additionally, I have a letter here, personally written by Minister Qiao of the Inner Cabinet. After this matter is concluded, the imperial court is willing to bestow a noble title upon you."

Just as he was about to present the letter, Yang Xiangjun shook his head and said, "I won't read the letter; keep it for yourself. What good is a noble title from Qiao Yi to me? Even if he makes me a king, what then? Even if he names me his personal ancestor tomorrow, we're not of the same bloodline. When it's time to betray me, he wouldn't even bat an eye."

Shao Yingzhen gave a dry laugh. "Senior, your words... what can I say..."

"Let's talk about something serious!" Yang Xiangjun put down his teacup. "Where do you plan to make your move?"

Shao Yingzhen presented a theater ticket. "It's at the New Light Grand Theater. Tomorrow night, there's a big show by Chen Suliang, and Zhou Wencheng has already bought tickets. You can make your move there."

Yang Xiangjun looked at the time on the ticket. "Let's get this straight first. As long as I lure Zhou Wencheng out and make him attack me, the job is done, right?"

Shao Yingzhen thought for a moment. "According to Minister Qiao's instructions, you should ideally take a few more lives, or I'm worried Zhou Wencheng might not fall for it."

Yang Xiangjun's face darkened. "Don't talk nonsense with me! Whether Zhou Wencheng falls for it is none of your concern. We're only talking about the price now. If it's just about luring Zhou Wencheng out, this price is enough. If you want me to also take some lives, you'll have to pay extra, clearly calculated per head!"

Shao Yingzhen genuinely couldn't understand. A dignified Ancestor of a sect, talking about money all the time, seemed seriously inconsistent with his status and position. "Old Senior, we'll follow your every command. We'll set up the theater beforehand, and then it's all up to your methods. As long as Zhou Wencheng engages in combat with you, regardless of victory or defeat, we will pay the full reward. And if you can also lure out Li Qi, our reward will be doubled."

"Go," Yang Xiangjun waved his hand, and Shao Yingzhen quickly left.

Only Yang Xiangjun remained in the residence.

This was Yang Xiangjun's rule: if he was hired for a job, accommodation had to be provided, but no servants were needed.

He paced back and forth a few times in front of the hall entrance, mentally planning how to make his move at the New Light Grand Theater.

He was very familiar with this theater. Chen Suliang was a popular male impersonator in Puluo Prefecture, and tomorrow night, the theater would surely be packed.

If Yang Xiangjun deployed a potent poison and killed everyone in the theater, the matter would escalate, and Zhou Wencheng would certainly appear.

However, doing so would come at too great a cost.

For many years, Yang Xiangjun had not disappeared from Puluo Prefecture precisely because he had never seriously violated the Peddler's rules. When doing business in any territory, Yang Xiangjun tried his best not to kill.

Although he had killed quite a few people in Kudai Kan back then, Yang Xiangjun could explain clearly who was killed and for what reason. He kept a record and had evidence for everything, so the Peddler couldn't fault him in the end.

This time, Yang Xiangjun also didn't want to break the rules. He planned to first use a mild poison to make the audience suffer a bit. Such a scare would likely be enough to make Zhou Wencheng appear.

If Zhou Wencheng remained calm and didn't show up, Yang Xiangjun would take a few lives in the theater—there were always some people who deserved to die in such a large venue—and then he would see Zhou Wencheng's reaction.

If Zhou Wencheng still didn't appear, Yang Xiangjun would immediately stop. He wouldn't continue with this business; he couldn't jeopardize his future in Puluo Prefecture for a bit of money.

As night deepened, Yang Xiangjun tidied his makeup, wrapped a scarf around his neck, and prepared to scout the location.

He had visited the Ink Fragrance Shop more than once and the Grand Theater many times, but to earn this money, he had to put in the effort. Yang Xiangjun was never perfunctory when doing business.

The snow was heavy on the road. Yang Xiangjun held a paper fan and arrived at the New Light Grand Theater.

There were quite a few people today. Tonight featured a famous male impersonator, Luo Xiaolou, in a big show. Yang Xiangjun bought a back-row ticket, watched for about ten minutes, and clearly planned his entry and exit for tomorrow's event.

Yang Xiangjun left the theater, walked two streets, and came to a deserted alley. He couldn't help but imitate Luo Xiaolou's posture.

With an effeminate flick of his index finger, a sway of his waist, and a soft glance, Yang Xiangjun dragged out a long note: "Oh, Zhou Badou, don't you think the timing and measure are just right?"

Boss Lu slowly appeared from the darkness. "Brother Yang, after all these years, you're still as cautious as ever. I only followed you a few steps before you discovered me."

Yang Xiangjun shook his head and sighed, "Ultimately, I was careless. Normally, no matter where I go, I wouldn't let the local master know. But now, I just arrived at the Ink Fragrance Shop and you've already spotted me. If this gets out, I'll feel utterly humiliated."

"Brother Yang, this isn't your fault. It's all Shao Yingzhen's doing, writing nonsense in the newspaper and revealing your whereabouts."

Yang Xiangjun sighed. "Indeed. I also don't understand his intentions, but he's the employer, and we have to work once we've taken the money. How about this: let's pretend we didn't meet tonight. Tomorrow, at the Grand Theater, I'll cause some commotion, you show up and exchange a couple of moves with me, and then we both leave. You avoid danger, and I complete a business deal. We help each other out and just get this done. What do you think?"

Boss Lu held his pipe and struck a match. "I don't think that will work. If I show up at the theater tomorrow, there's a ninety-nine percent chance I'll fall into an ambush. Escaping then might not be as easy as you say, Brother Yang."

Yang Xiangjun considered this. "You have a point. Since you know there's an ambush, don't go to the New Light Grand Theater tomorrow. Let them find nothing."

Boss Lu looked at Yang Xiangjun with a hint of shame. "It's fine if they find nothing, but if you, Brother Yang, also find nothing, wouldn't this business deal be in vain?"

Yang Xiangjun took out a round scented fan from his sleeve, fanned it twice, and chuckled, "What's my little business compared to the bond between us?"

Boss Lu exhaled a puff of smoke, and the smell of tobacco dispelled the fan's fragrance.

The fragrance contained poison.

Boss Lu said, "Brother Yang, your moves are so subtle; you truly don't give this younger brother a chance to live."

Yang Xiangjun, holding the round fan to his mouth, chuckled, "Brother Zhou, you've been following me all along. If I didn't make things clear, you probably wouldn't show any mercy when making your move either."

Boss Lu said, "Shouldn't we settle this matter tonight?"

"Hmph!" Yang Xiangjun clicked his lips. "You really are stubborn. Let's just pretend we didn't meet tonight. I'll watch the show tomorrow and then leave. Isn't that enough to settle it?"

"The Ink Fragrance Shop is only so big, and I, Zhou, have only one life. If everyone were like you, Brother Yang, trying to take my life at will and then leaving if unsuccessful, how would I live? How about this: we'll exchange three moves. After three moves, if you are unharmed, you can leave."

"A reunion after so long should be a good thing, but you insist on breaking the peace!" Yang Xiangjun twirled the handle of his fan. "Alright, Brother Zhou, I'll listen to you. Three moves it is. You're an upright gentleman, so I'm not afraid of you reneging. However, let's be clear: you are not the local guardian of the Ink Fragrance Shop. If anything goes wrong within these three moves, it won't count as me violating the Peddler's rules!"

His words were clear: don't assume Yang Xiangjun would only be on the receiving end. Within three moves, it was hard to say who would win or lose.

Boss Lu put away his pipe, flicked his robe, and shouted, "First move: Open and Honest!"

As his words fell, the four large characters "Open and Honest" floated in mid-air, erupting in dazzling golden light that illuminated the deep alley as brightly as day.

Wherever the golden light passed, red, yellow, blue, and green gases swirled around Yang Xiangjun.

These gases were all poisonous and invisible to ordinary people, but under Boss Lu's "Open and Honest" technique, their type, concentration, and direction of movement were all visible to him.

Without the chance for a sneak attack, the poison cultivator's combat strength naturally plummeted. Boss Lu bypassed the poisonous gas to take Yang Xiangjun's life.

Yang Xiangjun suddenly inhaled all the poisonous gas around his body and exhaled it towards the four characters "Open and Honest."

The thick poisonous gas obscured the light of the four characters. Boss Lu was unsure if there were other poisons around Yang Xiangjun and didn't dare to act rashly.

Yang Xiangjun smiled. "One move down!"

Zhou Wencheng nodded. "Second move: Embrace Sincerity and Uphold Truth!"

He took out a book from his robe, and two Confucian scholars leaped out of it, one from the left and one from the right, rushing towards Yang Xiangjun.

These two scholars were typically ink-formed. According to the correct counter-strategy, Yang Xiangjun shouldn't have engaged them but instead simply moved around in place, waiting for the technique to disappear.

However, after maneuvering for a moment, Yang Xiangjun realized that these two scholars wouldn't disappear anytime soon, and their martial arts were unusually fierce.

Yang Xiangjun quietly threw his round fan. The fan passed through the two scholars and flew towards Boss Lu. He was a veteran of battles and knew when to retaliate.

This round fan was a top-tier weapon. If it hit, Boss Lu would not only be injured but also poisoned. Therefore, a successful strike would immediately reverse the battle.

But unexpectedly, Yang Xiangjun's move was sudden, yet his range of motion was too wide, allowing Boss Lu to easily dodge it.

Yang Xiangjun retrieved his fan and attacked again, this time with even wider movements. Not only was Boss Lu unharmed, but he also seized the fan.

Sneak attacks were the poison cultivator's most relied-upon combat method. Now, with two failed sneak attacks, and the problem stemming from himself, Yang Xiangjun realized something was wrong.

The problem wasn't with him; it was with these two scholars.

This technique was called "Embrace Sincerity and Uphold Truth," and its name seemed to have some connection to the technique itself.

While fighting these two scholars, Yang Xiangjun found that his actions became honest and straightforward. All his usual deceptive tactics were rendered ineffective.

If he continued fighting, and Zhou Wencheng himself entered the fray, Yang Xiangjun would surely suffer a disadvantage.

He released some poisonous mist towards one of the scholars. The mist was originally colorless and odorless, but under the illumination of the four characters "Open and Honest," it shimmered with dazzling red light.

The scholar was an ink-man created by Boss Lu, and naturally had no concept of dodging poisonous mist. One scholar directly rushed into the mist, and from his head to his limbs, his body rapidly dissolved, turning into a puddle of ink on the ground in the blink of an eye.

Yang Xiangjun's poisonous mist was effective against ink-men!

What kind of poison was this?

Boss Lu was startled and quickly made the remaining scholar retreat to a distance. "Truly worthy of an Ancestor of a sect, Brother Yang. Your poison can actually be used on ink?"

"Brother, you flatter me. There are thousands of poisons in this world: some for flesh, some for bones, some that enter the heart, some that affect the brain, and some that spread throughout the internal organs. Horizontal and vertical strokes form a skeleton, iron strokes and silver hooks are flesh and blood, and flowing, vigorous script is the spirit. Text in a book contains everything; why can't it be poisoned? If I didn't learn a bit about calligraphy and writing, how would I dare to do business in the Ink Fragrance Shop?"

Yang Xiangjun wiped away sweat. He hadn't wanted to use this poisonous mist lightly, but the situation had been critical, so he used it.

Boss Lu waved his hand, revealing his third move: "Friendship of Gentlemen!"

Yang Xiangjun chuckled, "Brother Zhou, are you praising me too highly? How can I be considered a gentleman?"

Though joking verbally, Yang Xiangjun prepared for a fight to the death.

Even though he had successfully countered the first two moves, Boss Lu always held back a reserve.

After the first move, the four characters "Open and Honest" remained in mid-air, effectively giving Boss Lu an extra pair of eyes.

After the second move, one of the two scholars remained, which was like leaving Boss Lu an extra arm.

For the third move, Yang Xiangjun had to defend against the new technique while also guarding against previously used methods. If he truly couldn't resist, he would have no choice but to fight back desperately.

Boss Lu stepped forward. Yang Xiangjun concentrated.

The ink scholar flitted along the wall, seemingly preparing a sneak attack. Yang Xiangjun had already prepared poisonous mist by the wall, not fearing if the scholar saw it, but only whether he dared to approach.

Boss Lu drew a book from his robe. From the name of the technique, "Friendship of Gentlemen" likely referred to creating a gentleman figure with ink and brush. Boss Lu would then fight alongside this gentleman, swiftly winning with a two-on-one advantage.

Now, Yang Xiangjun didn't know what combat strength or methods this gentleman possessed. He adopted the safest counter-strategy: he had poisonous mist ready in his left sleeve to deal with the gentleman from the book, and two venomous snakes prepared in his right sleeve to fight Zhou Wencheng directly. With both offense and defense, he planned to block this move and make Zhou Wencheng concede defeat willingly!

Just as the two sides were about to engage, Li Banfeng appeared behind Yang Xiangjun, grabbed a burlap sack, and put it over him.

The gentleman had arrived!

This burlap sack was Boss Lu's prized treasure. Yang Xiangjun struggled fiercely inside the sack but couldn't escape.

Li Banfeng tied the sack tightly and then stepped forward, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks, mercilessly pummeling Yang Xiangjun.

Boss Lu frowned, "Seventh Master, you mustn't do this. It's uncivilized."

Li Banfeng stopped. Boss Lu took out two iron rods from his book and handed one to Li Banfeng. "He has poison on him; it's hard to deal with if it gets on your hands. Use this to hit him!"

Li Banfeng looked at the iron rod and asked, "Is this very civilized?"

Boss Lu struck down with a rod. "It has the scent of ink on it!"

The two grabbed the iron rods and fought for a long time in the deep alley.

Yang Xiangjun's voice came from inside the sack: "Gentlemen, please stop! We can discuss things!"

Li Banfeng lowered his voice and asked, "Do you know a poison called 'Innocent Ash'?"

Yang Xiangjun replied, "That poison is lost!"

Li Banfeng nodded, "Others said that poison was lost too."

Boss Lu asked Li Banfeng, "So, does that mean we shouldn't trouble Brother Yang anymore?"

Li Banfeng looked at the sack. "We are all civilized people. Since Brother Yang is suffering, let's keep hitting him!"

Boss Lu once again grabbed the iron rod. After a long while, a voice came from inside the sack again: "Gentlemen, wait a moment. I think I've remembered the prescription."