Chapter 92: Fate

Greenwater Bay, the Lu family mansion.

Lu Xiaolan was released from the dungeon and returned to her bedroom.

Honestly, Lu Xiaolan wasn't sure if this was a good sign.

That evening, Lu Dongliang came to see Lu Xiaolan. It was the first time she had seen her father since returning to the Lu family mansion.

She respectfully bowed to her father. Lu Dongliang offered a benevolent smile. "Sit down," he said. "You're home now, no need to be so formal."

"Xiaolan, you've been wronged these past two days. I couldn't help it; some things had to be shown to the He family. Regarding He Jiaqing's matter, your mother told me, and I believe you. However, about this Li Banfeng, I still have a few questions for you."

"I had someone investigate, and Li Banfeng did indeed come to Prozhou. He got off the train in Yaowanggou and hasn't been heard from since. You said he went to the He family's old residence, and I believe that too."

"But I received news from other states that this Li Banfeng is a nobody, utterly without cultivation. Even if he met a peddler after getting off the train, he would still just be an unranked beginner, a little scoundrel. How did he escape from the He family's old residence?"

Lu Xiaolan shook her head. "I told my mother, and I told my second uncle too. I truly don't know how he got out."

Lu Dongliang was silent for a moment, then frowned slightly. "Xiaolan, there's a house spirit inside the He family's old residence. Qiu Zhiheng told me it's no ordinary house spirit."

"Even you couldn't get out. What ability could Li Banfeng possibly have to escape? Even if I believe that, do you think the He family will?"

"Whether the He family believes it or not doesn't matter, Dad. Do even *you* not believe me? How much have I suffered to get the Mysterious Crimson Lotus? Do you know what I've been through these past few days? How could I possibly lie to you?"

Lu Xiaolan's voice was a little high-pitched.

Lu Dongliang blinked, his brows furrowing even more.

"Xiaolan, I'm asking you one more time: did Li Banfeng die at your hands when he was at the He family's old residence?"

"He didn't die! He ran away!"

"Is the Mysterious Crimson Lotus in your possession?" Lu Dongliang's tone grew increasingly serious.

"It's not with me. I don't even know what the Mysterious Crimson Lotus is for. Why would I have it?"

Lu Xiaolan's voice grew louder and louder. Lu Dongliang stopped asking questions.

Silence fell over the room once more. Lu Xiaolan sobbed repeatedly; she was truly wronged.

Lu Dongliang suddenly stood up and left Lu Xiaolan's bedroom.

He didn't believe Lu Xiaolan.

Not only did he disbelieve her, but her tearful and defiant appearance filled him with utter disgust.

Late at night, Li Banfeng arrived at Archway Street and saw the phonograph displayed again in front of Feng's General Store.

Was there news about the travel pass?

He quickly entered the general store. Shopkeeper Feng was still awake and led him directly to the back room.

"Mr. Li," said Shopkeeper Feng, "the elixirs have been sold, but something is unusual about it."

"How so?"

"A customer came and bought twenty Snake-Patterned Elixirs from me, paying on the spot. Then, he wanted another twenty Profound Red Elixirs."

"Each Profound Red Elixir was priced at 250,000, so twenty would be five million. It was his first time buying anything at my shop, yet he wanted to make such a large transaction. I've been in business for many years and have never seen a customer like this."

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, then asked, "Shopkeeper Feng, do you have any dry rations here?"

"Yes."

"What about canned meat?"

"Yes, I have those too. Ingrid's beef cans. How many do you need?"

"Give me two cases of beef cans, and pack thirty catties of dry rations."

Shopkeeper Feng knew what Li Banfeng was planning. "Mr. Li," he asked, "I have compressed biscuits. Would you like some?"

"Give me two cases. Do you have any maps here?"

"I have maps of Prozhou, Yaowanggou, Greenwater Bay, Koudai Ridge, Haichi Ridge, and Santhoucha. However, Prozhou develops new areas every year, so some maps aren't entirely accurate."

"A general direction will suffice. Give me one of each."

Li Banfeng was leaving.

The Lu family had found a lead.

According to Yu Nan's description, Dabuyans' cultivation was far above hers; he was no mere second or third-level figure.

Yaowanggou was no longer safe.

Shopkeeper Feng immediately instructed Chunsheng to prepare the goods and then took two top hats and two fake beards from the counter.

The brims of these two top hats were wide, very suitable for obscuring one's face.

The purpose of the beards was self-evident.

"Mr. Li," he said, "take these with you; they'll be useful on your journey. And take the elixirs you left here as well."

Li Banfeng took the top hats and beards, then said to Shopkeeper Feng, "Leave the elixirs with you. Sell as many as you can. If I don't come back, consider them a gift to you."

Shopkeeper Feng's eye twitched. Having been in business for so many years, he realized that this person was truly showing genuine regard.

Li Banfeng genuinely wanted to give the elixirs to Shopkeeper Feng.

For no other reason than that Dabuyans had paid so readily before. If Shopkeeper Feng had wished, he could have betrayed Li Banfeng at any time.

But he hadn't done so, and that friendship was worth Li Banfeng's repayment.

Just as Chunsheng finished preparing the goods, he suddenly heard movement from the front counter.

"Shopkeeper Feng, have the elixirs I ordered arrived?"

Upon hearing that voice, Li Banfeng's hair nearly stood on end.

Dabuyans, the private detective!

Shopkeeper Feng gestured for Li Banfeng to stay in the back room and not come out. He put on a smiling face and went to the front counter to greet the customer.

"Esteemed customer, why have you come so late?"

Dabuyans chuckled, "I was just passing by and came to inquire about the elixirs. Shall we go to the back room to discuss it in detail?"

Shopkeeper Feng shook his head. "No need to go to the back room. There's no news about what you wanted yet. Please come back in a couple of days."

"No news yet?" Dabuyans sounded quite surprised. "But my friend urgently needs the medicine. How much stock do you have available here? Let's discuss the price in the back room."

Shopkeeper Feng shook his head. "You've come at an inconvenient time; all my current stock has been sold out."

"That inconvenient? If the Profound Red Elixirs are gone, surely you still have the Snake-Patterned Elixirs? Or perhaps we could go to the back room and discuss the Snake-Patterned Elixir business?"

Shopkeeper Feng looked at Chunsheng and asked, "Do we still have any Snake-Patterned Elixirs?"

Chunsheng scratched his scalp and said, "Shopkeeper, the Snake-Patterned Elixirs ran out yesterday."

"The Snake-Patterned Elixirs are also out of stock?" Dabuyans grew even more surprised. "Then what other elixirs do you have? Let's go to the back room to discuss it in detail."

Dabuyans kept mentioning the back room, clearly indicating he knew Li Banfeng was in there.

Given the situation, Shopkeeper Feng wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

In the back room, Li Banfeng heard everything clearly with his Silk-Pulling Earring.

He put all the cans, dry rations, and biscuits into his Portable Residence, then threw the key out the window.

At the front counter, Shopkeeper Feng's expression changed, his smile vanishing. "Esteemed customer, I'm out of elixirs. Please come back another day."

"All elixirs out of stock? Shopkeeper Feng, have you given all your elixirs to someone else?"

Shopkeeper Feng chuckled, "That's not something you should ask, as it doesn't concern you."

Dabuyans shook his head. "I find you insincere. I want to go to the back room and see if there are any elixirs left."

As he spoke, Dabuyans bypassed the counter and started walking towards the back room. Chunsheng stepped forward to block his path. "What do you think you're doing? Were you invited in? Why are you barging in?"

Dabuyans chuckled, "Young man, are you trying to fight me?"

"What if I am? I'm not afraid of a fake foreigner like you!" Chunsheng glared and grabbed a feather duster nearby.

Anyone else would have scoffed at Chunsheng for overestimating himself.

But Dabuyans didn't laugh. Although Chunsheng was holding a feather duster, his movements were unusual.

"So, he's a martial cultivator," Dabuyans realized. Chunsheng was indeed a martial cultivator.

Martial cultivators could skillfully wield all sorts of weapons; even a feather duster could be used to its maximum advantage.

A feather duster's main offensive power was in its wooden handle, which could jab, sweep, or lash out. But that didn't mean the feathers were useless.

The colorful feathers could obstruct an enemy's vision, and an old duster, used for many years, could even send up old dust to attack the opponent's eyes.

Shopkeeper Feng said from the side, "As the saying goes, even if business doesn't happen, goodwill remains. I'll still keep an eye out for those elixirs for you. Let's not spoil our harmony over a minor matter."

It was very simple language, nothing special.

But Dabuyans found it quite logical.

Was this the Art of Eloquent Speech?

"Shopkeeper, are you a literary cultivator?"

Shopkeeper Feng smiled. "Just assume I am a literary cultivator."

Dabuyans couldn't discern Shopkeeper Feng's cultivation path. He nodded and exclaimed, "What a hidden gem of a general store, truly a place where dragons and tigers lurk!"

Both sides were at a tense standoff, about to engage, when Dabuyans' eyes twitched. He suddenly changed his mind. "I was presumptuous. My friend urgently needs medicine, which made me speak somewhat hastily. Please don't take offense, both of you. I'll take my leave."

Dabuyans exited the general store. Shopkeeper Feng immediately told Chunsheng to close the shop and look for Li Banfeng in the back room.

Li Banfeng was already gone. The back room window was open, suggesting he had escaped through it, but there were bars on the window, and Shopkeeper Feng didn't know how Li Banfeng had gotten out.

Li Banfeng had thrown the key out the window and used his Portable Residence to escape.

He ran frantically down the deep alley, preparing to leave Rigou immediately.

After running out of Archway Street, he suddenly felt something strange behind him.

It wasn't obvious, but Li Banfeng could feel it—a thread seemed to be floating behind him.

Could it be...

Spider silk!

Li Banfeng was greatly alarmed. He turned and snapped the spider silk, but it was too late.

A harmonica sound rang in his ears. Dabuyans was pursuing him.

He had set up spider silk around Feng's General Store, and it was sensing the silk's vibration that had prompted him to leave the store. Otherwise, he would have chosen to force his way in; Shopkeeper Feng and Chunsheng combined might not have been his match.

"A general store with so many high-grade elixirs—I found that quite unusual. I heard there was an outsider who frequently came to this store to buy things, and you were the first person who came to mind."

"I waited for you near the general store for two days, and you finally showed up. That's a detective's skill."

"Li Banfeng, my friend, I know your name. Although we've met, you might not know me. Let me introduce myself: I am a private detective, Dabuyans."

"I told you our connection wouldn't end. We could have had a good reunion in Jiangyue Mountain New Land, but I didn't expect you to attract Lady Suomao."

"That day, I suffered a lot. You probably don't know what I went through then. Don't worry; everything I experienced that night, I'll make you experience it again."

"Tell me, what did you experience that night? I'm quite curious." Li Banfeng wanted to seize an opportunity to escape, but suddenly felt immense danger all around him.

Dabuyans chuckled, "A traveling cultivator? Sensing danger? This whole area is covered in spiderwebs. If you want to escape, just try. If you run into a spiderweb, it'll save me trouble."

As he finished speaking, Dabuyans waved his hand, and two clumps of spider silk shot out from his sleeves.

Li Banfeng hastily dodged, avoiding one clump only for another to appear. In an instant, he was cornered.

The suppression of power was so overwhelming that Li Banfeng could barely breathe.

Although his cultivation wasn't visible, Dabuyans made no attempt to conceal his malice, making Li Banfeng realize he had no chance of victory.

Dabuyans bared two sharp fangs and approached Li Banfeng. "Give up your futile struggles," he said. "You have nowhere to run."

What should he do?

Lead him into the Portable Residence?

Could his wife defeat him?

Even if she could, what if he refused to go inside?

Dabuyans was not an opponent Li Banfeng could easily control.

If he couldn't lure him in and Dabuyans took the key, Li Banfeng would be completely trapped inside the Portable Residence.

Li Banfeng touched the Tang saber in his waistband, preparing to take a gamble and see if he could cut through the spider silk.

Suddenly, a man's voice came from nearby: "Sir, you told me to go to Ande Hall Pharmacy. I went, but their doctors are useless; they can't cure my herpes at all."

Dabuyans froze, then turned to see the foreigner—the one covered in herpes.

Tritik looked at Dabuyans and smiled faintly. "You gave me wrong directions, and I suffered quite a loss. As compensation, hand this person over to me."