Chapter 825: One Man Against the Plains

Getting to Jianrengang is not easy; that place is hard to find. However, reaching Wuyouping is much simpler, as Wuyouping and Kucaizhuang are similar types of unknown territories.

Upon arriving at Wuyouping, Li Banfeng observed numerous Blade Ghouls across the wilderness. Some were foraging, others fighting, sleeping, or simply wandering, each engaged in their own activities. It seemed no different from when Cui Tik had been there.

Was he overthinking things?

The Portable Dwelling opened its windows, and Zhao Xiaowan and Hong Ying looked out at the scene, neither of them noticing anything out of the ordinary.

Just because Wuyouping appeared calm didn't mean Sage Peak was without trouble.

As Li Banfeng prepared to head for Jianrengang, a blizzard swept across the barren land, suddenly obscuring his vision. Then, a shout echoed.

Carried by the biting wind, it reached Li Banfeng's ears.

"Charge with me! Cowards die!"

The voice sounded familiar.

Li Banfeng rubbed his eyes and walked towards the sound. Below a hill, he saw a man in elaborate wusheng robes leading dozens of subordinates, locked in a fierce battle with a three-headed creature.

Dozens against one, yet the fight was still so intense?

The three-headed creature wasn't particularly tall, probably less than two meters, but its lower body was exceptionally sturdy, supported by four legs.

Its left hand wielded a long spear, while its right held an axe. Judging by its attacks, the two hands clearly operated with different combat styles.

It was likely that these two hands were not controlled by a single head.

This single three-headed being fought dozens without losing ground. In contrast, the group of departed spirits opposing it were covered in wounds, and several gravely injured ones appeared on the verge of fading into oblivion.

These dozens of individuals were indeed departed spirits, and although they wore theatrical costumes, Li Banfeng recognized the voice of their leader: Prince Chun.

The first time Li Banfeng visited Wuyouping, he had stayed at Prince Qin's residence and even had a confrontation with Prince Chun.

Prince Chun's cultivation wasn't low, but he was truly inept at fighting; he was a Drama Cultivator.

Yet, Prince Chun's residence as a whole possessed considerable combat power. Back then, even with his Earth Skin Double Five Layers cultivation, Li Banfeng found it extremely challenging to fight against his entire family.

Today, facing the three-headed creature, Prince Chun's entire family was utterly outmatched. The creature successively felled over a dozen departed spirits, then its middle head let out a whoosh and spewed a ball of fire directly at Prince Chun.

Prince Chun caught fire, emitting plumes of black smoke, and his form became increasingly indistinct—a clear sign that a departed spirit was about to dissipate.

He rolled in the snow, but the flames persisted.

He tried to remove the burning clothes, but they wouldn't come off.

Others stepped forward to help, but anyone who touched Prince Chun immediately caught fire themselves.

Just as the Prince's family seemed on the verge of annihilation, Li Banfeng tapped the Old Teapot. The Old Teapot then sprayed a torrent of tea from mid-air, raining down and instantly extinguishing all the fires on Prince Chun and his subordinates.

The three-headed creature paused, its three heads scanning in different directions. The middle, fire-breathing head repeatedly glanced towards the spot where the Old Teapot had sprayed.

It couldn't see the Old Teapot, but it accurately deduced the source of the technique.

It held its weapons, poised to resume fighting Prince Chun, but after a brief hesitation, it turned and tried to leave.

This three-headed creature was highly intelligent; it sensed the presence of a powerful, unseen enemy.

But it was too late to escape. After moving over ten meters across the snow, its four legs strained in four different directions, causing the three-headed creature to collapse onto the ground.

It tried to rise, but its body remained utterly immobile, like a stone.

Li Banfeng appeared, cupped his fist towards Prince Chun, and said, "Your Highness, long time no see."

Prince Chun looked up, immediately recognizing Li Banfeng. "It's you!" he exclaimed. "Brother, why have you returned?"

"I haven't seen you in a long time; I missed you," Li Banfeng replied, producing the riding whip Prince Chun had once gifted him.

Holding the old whip, he intended to reminisce with Prince Chun, but then Hong Ying's voice suddenly echoed in his ear: "Qilang, don't say anything careless!"

This was Hong Ying's voice, relayed through the Portable Dwelling.

The Old Man rarely transmitted voices directly, indicating the current situation was highly urgent.

What could be so urgent? What had he said wrong just now?

Zhao Xiaowan also found it odd. "Yingying, what did you just shout?" she asked. "When has my husband ever spoken carelessly?"

Hong Ying, sweating with anxiety, urged, "Just don't talk too much to Prince Chun, alright?"

Zhao Xiaowan chuckled. "What, are you still dreaming of being a princess? Are you afraid my husband will reveal your secrets?"

"At a time like this, you're still joking around!" Hong Ying exclaimed, rubbing her head. "The moment I see him, things come back to me. You've forgotten, he's an actor, and he particularly loves playing female roles!"

Zhao Xiaowan frowned. "What's wrong with playing female roles?" she asked. "In reputable opera troupes, male actors often play female roles. What's inappropriate about that?"

"Is he from an opera troupe?" Hong Ying retorted. "Was anyone forcing him to play female roles? Think carefully—before he was engaged to me, he didn't even have a single concubine."

"He didn't? I really hadn't noticed that," Zhao Xiaowan mused, thinking carefully. Indeed, Prince Chun had been quite old before his engagement to Hong Ying.

Hong Ying continued, "Prince Chun doesn't like women at all. He's very calculating. If he sets his sights on Qilang, he might not let Qilang leave!"

"How could he keep my husband?" Zhao Xiaowan wasn't worried about that at all. She looked at Hong Ying and asked, "You knew he didn't like women, yet you still married him?"

Jiu'er chimed in, "Perhaps Yingying doesn't like men either."

"You're also talking nonsense!" Hong Ying retorted, glaring at Jiu'er. "I come from a military family; I couldn't decide my own marriage. Becoming a princess was a way to bring honor to my family.

Furthermore, Prince Chun explicitly said we'd be husband and wife in public but would privately seek out men together. We even became sworn sisters, he told me himself. Don't let Qilang fall for his tricks!"

Zhao Xiaowan looked at Hong Ying, wondering if her recent encounter with Yang Xiangjun had muddled her memories.

Hong Ying wasn't lying; Prince Chun was indeed somewhat peculiar.

He stared at Li Banfeng for a long moment and asked, "Did you come here specifically to save me?"

Li Banfeng considered the situation. Although he hadn't come to Wuyouping specifically for Prince Chun, he had indeed saved him. So, he nodded and replied, "Yes, I came to save you."

Prince Chun lowered his head and remained silent.

"Qilang, you're talking nonsense!" Hong Ying exclaimed, clenching her fists in agitation. "He's going to claim you!"

Li Banfeng asked, "I've been to your residence; it was full of Blade Ghouls. I thought you were no longer in Wuyouping."

"You went to my residence to look for me?" Prince Chun's voice trembled slightly. "Brother, I must remain in Wuyouping; I can't go anywhere. Even if I leave, I must return. My residence was occupied by Blade Ghouls, so I had to find another place to hide.

I rebuilt a dwelling on this small hill, but unexpectedly, this villain insisted on forcing his way in. I had no retreat, so I had to fight to the death."

Li Banfeng pointed at the three-headed creature. "Where did this three-headed creature come from?" he asked.

Prince Chun shook his head. "I don't know," he replied. "It just appeared out of nowhere."

Li Banfeng asked again, "Did it come down from Sage Peak?"

Prince Chun thought for a moment. "Doesn't seem like it," he replied. "It probably entered Wuyouping from somewhere else."

Li Banfeng felt a little relieved. He looked at Prince Chun's injuries, then at the three-headed creature's spear and axe. "He used ordinary weapons," Li Banfeng said, "yet he could wound you like this?"

"This is a technique used by high-level martial cultivators," Prince Chun replied, "called Soul-Severing Blade."

Li Banfeng had seen Soul-Severing Blade before; he was merely gauging Prince Chun's attitude.

Soul-Severing Blade is not a technique, but a special combat method used by martial cultivators against departed spirits. In the hands of a martial cultivator, ordinary objects can be transformed into excellent weapons, not just in quality but also in performance. High-level martial cultivators can imbue ordinary weapons with the ability to attack departed spirits.

Li Banfeng then asked, "What about that fire just now?"

"That was just ordinary fire," Prince Chun replied. "As for why it burned me so badly, I can't explain."

Was he truly unclear, or was he unwilling to say?

Prince Chun's attitude was hard to discern, but Li Banfeng could somewhat grasp the situation.

The middle head of the three-headed creature was a Fire Cultivator who had integrated martial cultivation characteristics, thereby enhancing the power of its flames.

The three-headed creature possessed three cultivation pathways, a phenomenon Li Banfeng had witnessed many times.

Li Banfeng had also encountered many instances where three cultivation pathways worked in perfect, complementary harmony.

However, a certain degree of fusion between these pathways was rare in others, save for himself.

This three-headed creature's origin was not simple. How did it get to Wuyouping?

Li Banfeng didn't want to prolong the conversation with Prince Chun. He cupped his fist, bid farewell, and planned to find another spot to speak with the three-headed creature.

But unexpectedly, Prince Chun suddenly called out, "Brother! Don't rush off; come to my humble abode for a cup of tea!"

Hong Ying's hands trembled. "Qilang, you absolutely cannot go!"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I have other matters to attend to," he said.

"Brother, wait a moment—" Prince Chun said, torn. "I am an actor, and I speak lines from plays. Play lines are just play lines; you can't entirely disbelieve them, but you can't entirely believe them either.

How much is false and how much is true depends on whether you are discerning."

Li Banfeng frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Did you just deceive me?"

Prince Chun sighed. "Young Master," he said, "I am of the Imperial Family. I shouldn't have told you this; telling you the truth is like betraying my own kin."

Li Banfeng looked at the three-headed creature again. "Is he also of the Imperial Family?"

"You could say that," Prince Chun replied. "If even I count, why wouldn't he? Jianrengang is now full of Imperial Family members, Young Master. You must not go there anymore."

Jianrengang is full of Imperial Family members—

Jianrengang occupied by Neizhou?

Li Banfeng felt dizzy, his ears ringing sharply, so much so that he didn't even notice the three-headed creature behind him standing up.

He turned and walked towards Sage Peak, the three-headed creature following behind him.

Prince Chun shouted, "Brother, behind you, behind you—"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Banfeng and the three-headed creature had already vanished into the blizzard.

Prince Chun wanted to give chase, but his subordinates held him back. "Your Highness," they urged, "seize this opportunity to quickly relocate