The Blue Leaf Poplar indeed possessed the medicinal property to neutralize pill poison; it was simply that this quality could not be utilized.
The dozens of herbs in the medicinal powder Zuo Wugang provided were likely substitutes for the Blue Leaf Poplar.
Yet since the Red Lotus had already deciphered the formula, why hadn't it produced the prescription directly instead of having Li Banfeng go to such great lengths to find the Blue Leaf Poplar?
Li Banfeng trusted the Red Lotus's judgment. The substitute ingredients were probably hard to obtain as well, and their efficacy would surely fall far short of the Blue Leaf Poplar.
The old man urged Li Banfeng not to search for the tree, but Li Banfeng remained obstinate.
"Since I've made the trip, I can't go back empty-handed."
The old man let out a long sigh. "First help me gather the oranges."
The dozen or so scorched orange trees were entirely beyond saving. The old man climbed up to pick the fruit while Li Banfeng caught them below. Before long, the massive oranges were piled like a small mountain.
Once the oranges were gathered, Li Banfeng followed the old man to haul water and water the saplings.
The vast orange grove contained three water wells. The old man took considerable pride in this: "When clearing wasteland in a newland, opening up a plot allows you to dig a well. All three of these plots were cleared by me."
This made it plain: he was the master of this orange grove.
After watering the saplings, the old man took Li Banfeng to catch bugs off the trees. Over the course of the afternoon, the two caught several hundred snout beetles alone.
Catching beetles was quite entertaining. Li Banfeng scrambled up and down among the orange trees without feeling tired in the least. Had the old man not told him to stop and rest, Li Banfeng could have stayed there catching them all day.
"These snout beetles are all yours. You can sell them for quite a bit of money back home," the old man urged him again.
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I don't want the snout beetles. I only want the Blue Leaf Poplar."
The old man sighed repeatedly. "Fine, fine. Go have a look at the tree you planted."
He walked over to where Li Banfeng had buried the seeds and poured the water remaining in the bucket over the spot.
Having watered it, the old man quietly gazed at the damp earth, speaking slowly. "I've stayed in this orange grove for who knows how many years. To keep these oranges from being ruined, I've taken who knows how many beatings.
"I've been strung up on trees and beaten, pinned to the ground and beaten, struck with clubs, stabbed with knives.
"Just now, I was nearly burned alive.
"There are people who don't ruin the orange trees, and you are one of them.
"There are people who have spoken up on my behalf—counting all these years, fewer than ten people in total—and you are one.
"There are people who have raised a hand to help me fight—in all these years, only three—and you are one.
"No one has ever helped me plant oranges. You are the first."
As he spoke, the soil rustled, and a shoot broke through the ground.
Li Banfeng watched calmly as the sapling grew larger and larger, until it sprouted greenish branches and unfurled tender blue leaves.
He had sown orange seeds; he hadn't expected a Blue Leaf Poplar to sprout.
Could an orange tree actually be a Blue Leaf Poplar?
Yet all the orange trees around them had green leaves.
Li Banfeng couldn't fathom the reason, so he quietly watched the poplar grow with astonishing speed.
Once it reached over a foot thick and more than ten meters tall, the poplar stopped, ceasing its growth.
The old man looked at Li Banfeng and said, "The Blue Leaf Poplar is a fine thing. A pity people were too greedy, obstinately chopping it to extinction.
"Young man, how much do you want? Take as much as you like."
Seeing many fallen branches and leaves scattered across the ground, Li Banfeng gathered them and stuffed them into his pockets. "These are enough."
This wasn't Li Banfeng being polite; he genuinely felt he should only take this much.
Reflecting on what he had done, it was nothing more than dealing with two villains for the old man. Even if he hadn't intervened, the old man could have easily ended their lives.
As for helping tidy up the oranges, that was merely lifting a finger.
Burying the seeds had indeed moved the old man, but Li Banfeng didn't believe he had done anything earth-shattering.
The oranges tasted good, and good things ought to be cherished. It was as simple as that—no reason to claim credit for such a matter.
Moreover, the old man had told him the origin of Lüshuiwan. The value of that information alone was beyond calculation.
Take with moderation and know when to stop—this was what Li Banfeng truly believed.
The old man smiled. He stared at Li Banfeng, laughing softly for a long time. "If only everyone in the world were like you."
With that, the old man waved his hand, and a branch more than two meters long fell from the poplar, landing right in front of Li Banfeng.
"Take it, lad. This branch of Blue Leaf Poplar has lost its vitality and can't be planted, so don't try to grow it. If this isn't enough, come find me again."
Li Banfeng picked up the branch and thanked the old man.
The old man chuckled. "Is there anything else you want? Want to take some water?"
Water sources were the hardest to find in a newland. Most people who reached the orange grove had long since finished whatever water they carried.
But Li Banfeng didn't need any; there was water inside the Portable Abode.
Seeing that Li Banfeng didn't want water, the old man asked again what else he might want.
The old man was so generous—why did so many people come here to ruin the grove?
Why ruin such wonderful oranges?
Li Banfeng looked around and said to the old man, "I'd like to eat another orange."
The old man laughed. He led Li Banfeng over to the pile of oranges and peeled one for him with his own hands. "Eat! Eat your fill!"
After eating two oranges, Li Banfeng stood up and took his leave.
The old man smiled. "Whenever you want to eat oranges in the future, come visit me."
***
Shouldering the branch, Li Banfeng left the Orange Grove and returned to the Portable Abode.
Entering the Portable Abode, Li Banfeng carried the branch straight into the outer room.
The wife exclaimed in surprise, "Oh my, husband, what is this? Isn't this a Blue Leaf Poplar? Why have you brought this back?"
Li Banfeng had prepared his excuse well in advance: "I want to reforge the Tang dao in the furnace."
*Da da da—tai!*
The wife beat out a slow tempo and said, "Husband, heed your humble servant's words. Do not reforge the Tang dao. That weapon is formidable enough as it is. If you add the Blue Leaf Poplar, it will be like giving wings to a tiger. If it turns against you in the future, wouldn't you be raising a tiger only to invite disaster?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "You have a point, Madam. But I went through untold hardships to get this Blue Leaf Poplar; I can't just let it go to waste."
"Forge your sickle, then. And the iron ruler and the Mandarin Duck Axes. You're fond of those weapons, yet they have no spirituality at all. Making them tougher and sturdier would be fitting for my husband's standing."
The wife certainly knew how to say the right things.
"I'll listen to you, Madam."
Inside the outer room, the Tang dao trembled with fright; it had overheard the conversation between Li Banfeng and the gramophone.
"Master, this subordinate is fiercely loyal! You must never melt me down and reforge me!"
Li Banfeng gave a cold scoff. "So you know fear now?"
With that, he tossed the Tang dao, pendulum, earrings, and the rest of his treasures into the fourth room. Once certain there would be no disturbance, the bronze lotus opened its petals.
She drew the entire Blue Leaf Poplar into her lotus heart, along with the leaves and twigs Li Banfeng had collected.
To be safe, she also absorbed the sickle, shovel, iron ruler, and Mandarin Duck Axes.
Li Banfeng returned to the main room and slept the night. The wife showed no abnormalities, merely complaining that today's ingredients were not lavish enough.
At dawn the next day, Li Banfeng got up and went into the outer room. The petals of the bronze lotus were already spread open.
The seven-holed lotus heart was completely filled with seven lotus seeds.
The first two lotus seeds each burst to yield a Xuanchi Pill, refined from the two tree-burning men yesterday.
The third lotus seed burst to produce Li Banfeng's favorite sickle.
Outwardly, the sickle appeared unchanged, but when he felt its texture, Li Banfeng could sense a resilience it had never possessed before.
He didn't dare touch the blade, as it was coated in lethal poison.
Next were the shovel, the iron ruler, and the Mandarin Duck Axes.
The final remaining lotus seed rested in Li Banfeng's hand for a long time before cracking open.
With a pop, it released one hundred and seventy-seven blue pills.
Each pill was roughly the size of a Golden Origin Pill. Since they were refined from the Blue Leaf Poplar, Li Banfeng called them Blue Leaf Pills.
Could these pills counteract the pill poison of the Golden Origin Pill?
Li Banfeng trusted the bronze lotus.
He wrapped the pills in tinfoil, stowed them in a cloth pouch, and brought out the weapons to show them off to his wife.
Aside from these, Li Banfeng had found an odd weapon on the two tree-burners: an iron rod with a pointed tip, over a foot long, forged entirely from iron.
"What kind of weapon is this?"
*Chhh-chhh—*
"It's a Judge's Brush," the wife recognized it. "Though this Judge's Brush isn't a weapon; it's a treasure. Listen closely, husband—it makes a sound."
Li Banfeng could hear voices from any object endowed with spirituality.
He listened for ten-odd minutes but heard nothing at all. Growing a bit annoyed, the wife had Li Banfeng place the Judge's Brush beside the turntable, then spewed a blast of steam onto it, heating it until the brush glowed bright red all over.
The Judge's Brush spoke. The communication seemed remarkably rapid, so fast that Li Banfeng couldn't understand a word it was saying.
The wife snapped at the Judge's Brush, "Things made by Sloth Cultivators are utterly useless."
Sloth Cultivators?
What kind of background was that?
The wife said to Li Banfeng, "This Judge's Brush can fly. It can carry one person a hundred meters at a time, two people forty or fifty meters, and three people around ten meters. At most, it can carry three people.
"The way to use it is simple enough: draw a circle on the ground, have the people who want to fly stand inside it, declare the direction, and wait for the Judge's Brush to respond.
"It's just that the thing is too lazy. Sometimes it won't deign to respond for a day or two. Husband, one of these days find someone endowed with spirituality and reforge it."
This Judge's Brush could fly; it seemed those two men had crossed the Wireworm River with it.
Sloth Cultivator—today he had learned of yet another cultivation pathway.
Li Banfeng wanted to ask more about Sloth Cultivators, but the gramophone couldn't be bothered with such mundane matters and hurried him to go buy groceries.
Li Banfeng sneered, "The Lesser Underworld is right ahead. Can groceries from that place be bought?"
That question stumped the wife.
"Well... er... husband, your humble servant ate a meal yesterday and isn't too hungry today. Let's... let's not buy any food from there."
Li Banfeng turned and walked away. Fearing Li Banfeng might apply machine oil to her again, the wife didn't dare say another word.
***
Leaving the Portable Abode, Li Banfeng used his art of seeking good fortune and avoiding calamity to find a relatively safe spot on the wasteland, then swallowed a Blue Leaf Pill.
After swallowing the Blue Leaf Pill, he took a Golden Origin Pill.
Did the quality of these two pills correspond one-to-one?
They should; otherwise, the bronze lotus wouldn't have refined so many.
After taking the Golden Origin Pill, Li Banfeng's body began to go numb, but he didn't lose control.
The pill poison remained, but the Blue Leaf Pill was working as well.
He tried taking two steps forward, stumbling a bit with difficulty.
After resting for an hour, he could walk like a normal person.
After three hours, his Wind Rises on Level Ground ability had basically recovered.
It worked!
The Blue Leaf Pill was extraordinarily effective!
Try taking another Golden Origin Pill?
No.
His body was still somewhat limp and numb; the effects hadn't been completely neutralized.
This was a newland; there was no telling what he might encounter. Better maintain a pace of one pill a day for now.
It was just that the return journey would have to be taken a bit more slowly.
***
Covered in wounds, Lu Dongjun returned to his residence. Wan Jinxian hurried forward to inquire about what had happened.
Lu Dongjun was unwilling to say much, so his subordinates explained the events to Wan Jinxian.
Today, Lu Dongjun had gone to the casino to collect debts, only to find that his eldest uncle, Lu Maoxian, was already waiting there. Lu Maoxian was a seventh-layer Literary Cultivator and advanced in years; logically speaking, he was no match for Lu Dongjun.
However, he had brought numerous hands with him. Surrounded and overwhelmed, Lu Dongjun had taken a beating.
"Damn it!" Lu Dongjun cursed. "What evil spirit possessed that old bastard? He heard a couple of words from Monkey Qiu and actually turned on his own nephew!"
Wan Jinxian sighed. "Master, this definitely isn't just Monkey Qiu's doing."
Lu Dongjun nodded. "I know. Duan Shaoxia definitely has a hand in this too!"
Wan Jinxian shook his head. "It's not just Duan Shaoxia either. Think about it, Master. Lu Maoxian still has three sons. The Eldest Master has fallen, and if you fall as well, then among your generation, his branch will have the most seniority. The position of family head would become up for grabs."
Lu Dongjun came to a sudden realization: "He's deliberately smearing my reputation so his sons can usurp the seat! That old dog—he ought to piss and look at his own reflection! What the hell do his sons count for?!"
Wan Jinxian brought over a newspaper. "Lu Maoxian deliberately ruined your reputation. This is today's morning paper. The news has already spread. Take a look!"
Lu Dongjun took the paper, glanced at it, and ground his teeth in fury.
Headline: *Brothers Turn Against Each Other; Lu Dongliang's Fate Bleak; Orphan and Widow Left Helpless, Madam Duan Cries Out in Vain.*
Wan Jinxian said, "I can already write the next headline for the newspaper: *Old Patriarch of the Lu Family Steps Forward, Cleansing the Clan to Uphold Justice and Reclaiming the Lu Family Banner!*"
Lu Dongjun was beside himself with rage. "That bird-brained bastard Ling Miaowen—spouting utter drivel and dragging my name into it?! I think he's tired of living! I'm going to pay him a visit shortly!"
Wan Jinxian advised, "Master, take the long view. You must not lose your temper right now. We should think about our next move instead. I have an idea, Master—perhaps you'd care to hear it."
Lu Dongjun tore the newspaper in his hands to shreds.
***
At Second Miss Chu's residence, Chu Huaiyuan laughed aloud as she held the newspaper.
"The Lu family is in utter chaos. Paramount will soon be mine. Have someone prepare the carriage; we're going to Lanyang Village."
Wen Hongyan licked her forearm. "Lanyang Village again? Have you taken a liking to Ma the Fifth?"
"Me, fancy him?" Chu the Second scoffed. "What's so good about him? With that meager courage of his, I wouldn't spare him a second glance. He doesn't have that flavor at all."
Wen Hongyan picked up a coconut, shaved off the top, and took a sip of coconut water. "If you don't care for him, why bother going to Lanyang Village?"
Chu the Second had a maid bring over several dresses to choose from. "You don't understand business. Paramount is a place that can make money, but it's also a place that can lose money. When it comes to making money, I'm indeed not as skilled as Ma Junyang. I need to bring him over to help me run it for a while."
"Ma the Fifth is so cunning, I doubt he'll be obedient." Wen Hongyan cracked open another coconut.
Chu the Second selected a long red dress. "If he won't obey, tie him up and bring him back. I have ways to make him listen."
Chapter 141