Old Mr. Yao wanted Li Banfeng to go to Haichiling to deliver a prescription to Pan Dehai.
Li Banfeng asked first, "Who is Pan Dehai?"
"The chief in charge of Haichiling."
Chief... that probably meant a local spirit, right?
The chief of Haichiling was a Virtue Cultivator.
Was there some inevitable link between Virtue Cultivators and gluttons?
"What tier is his cultivation?" Li Banfeng had always been curious about this, but after asking, he guessed Old Yao wouldn't answer.
Revealing a local spirit's cultivation was tantamount to revealing Old Yao's own cultivation.
Sure enough, Old Yao didn't say straight out: "As for just how high Pan Dehai's cultivation is, even I can't say for sure. Probably not below mine."
Li Banfeng asked again, "Why do you trust me?"
"I told you just now. Anyone who can cross the border through the newland has to be capable. What's more, your temperament suits mine; you won't use my prescription for evil. Well then, are you willing to go?"
The major families were very likely to clash over Haichiling, and Li Banfeng didn't really want to get dragged in.
Still, that depended on the stakes—Old Yao was offering a handsome reward.
With this liquor gourd, Li Banfeng effectively had an entire distillery, able to obtain Old Yao's medicinal liquor anytime and anywhere. Whether for setting fires or curing illness, this medicinal liquor was peerless.
And as for the map, not only would it let Li Banfeng find his way back to Lanyang Village, but it would also allow him to travel to multiple places without a travel permit. In Puluo Province, that was a truly rare treasure.
Weighing his options again and again, Li Banfeng agreed to the deal.
A map, a prescription, and a liquor gourd appeared before Li Banfeng.
From inside the liquor gourd came a woman's shout: "Fine liquor! Wonderful liquor!"
It really was a magic treasure!
But why was it a woman?
Were there really women in this world who loved liquor like life itself?
The goods had been delivered in advance.
Li Banfeng quickly said, "Old Yao, I don't have that much cash on hand right now. I'll send over the five hundred thousand in a little while."
Old Yao didn't care about that money at all. "No matter about that. Commit the route to memory first."
The map on the table unrolled. A trail of moisture appeared upon it, carrying a rich scent of liquor.
This moist trace ran through Yaowanggou, Lüshuiwan, Kudaikan, Haichiling, Kucaizhuang, Jianrengang, and Tiemenbao.
This was the route Old Yao had mapped out for Li Banfeng.
"There's more than one path through the newland, but you must remember: stick to the path I drew. The other routes are far too treacherous; you don't have the skill to walk them yet.
"Scale the mountains you're meant to scale, cross the ridges you're meant to cross. Do not take detours—not a single one."
"Old Yao, when I reach Haichiling, how do I contact Pan Dehai?"
"First concoct a few doses of medicine. When you reach the disaster-stricken area, kill plenty of bugs. Pan Dehai will see it, and when the time comes, he'll naturally show himself to ask for the prescription.
"It's no easy feat delivering medicine all that way, so he ought to reward you handsomely. As long as he brings it up, don't hold back—fleece him good.
"If he tries to give you a magic treasure, though, do your best to resell it. No matter how precious it is, don't cling to it.
"There's something in the Outer States called a tape recorder; you've probably heard of it. The treasures he has all have tape recorders in them, and before you know it, your secrets could be leaked."
Sell it?
Magic treasures weren't easy to flip; they couldn't be sold off in a day or two.
As long as a magic treasure remained by Li Banfeng's side, it had to enter the Portable Abode. If that secret leaked, Li Banfeng would suffer disastrously.
If worse came to worst, he wouldn't accept any magic treasure at all and would just ask for cash—that was the most practical.
Old Yao continued, "Pan Dehai is a smooth talker. He'll probably shower you with promises; treat them all like hot air.
"If he turns on you and gets violent, just tell him that hurting you means crossing Old Yao. If he ever falls into my hands, I'll settle that score with interest!"
Li Banfeng agreed to the arrangement. As the paper ash dispersed, Old Yao departed. Li Banfeng swallowed a Golden Origin Pill and then a Blue Leaf Pill. Added to the time accumulated from dashing through the newland earlier, he was now less than half a year of time away from becoming a third-tier journey cultivator.
After resting at the inn for over five hours, Li Banfeng recovered. He returned to the Portable Abode to catch a second sleep, making sure not to neglect his cultivation as a Dwelling Cultivator.
The next morning at eight o'clock, Li Banfeng left the inn and first visited four different apothecary shops. He bought a pile of herbs and had the shops grind them properly.
The reason he didn't buy everything from a single apothecary was the fear of leaking the prescription; to that end, Li Banfeng even bought many useless medicinal herbs to store inside the Portable Abode.
Returning to the inn, Li Banfeng began concocting medicine according to Old Yao's prescription.
Was concocting medicine simple?
Not by a long shot. Li Banfeng was no Medicine Cultivator. Holding the prescription, he looked up names herb by herb and weighed them out, unable to finish even a single dose after half a day.
"Little brother, have a sip of liquor to warm yourself up and take a breather." The liquor gourd hopped up to Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng eyed the gourd up and down and asked, "Can your liquor actually be drunk?"
"Why wouldn't it be? Listen to you! My liquor cures illness, satisfies cravings, boosts vigor, and dispels cold. Being able to take a sip is your blessing!"
Li Banfeng took a sip; the flavor was genuinely not bad.
"Little brother, you can't prepare medicine like this. If you put every single herb on the scale, won't you exhaust yourself to death?
"Weigh what needs weighing, and for what doesn't, your hands have to have a feel for it!"
The liquor gourd helped Li Banfeng blend the medicine while feeding him sips of liquor.
The work wasn't tiring at all, and over the course of the morning, they concocted more than a hundred doses of ready-made medicine.
The liquor gourd was remarkably intelligent, clearly far above the Tang dao.
By the time the medicine was prepared, it was already noon. Li Banfeng went to the Yu Family Cloth Shop. The shop had not opened for business yet, and only Wang Xuejiao was watching the doors.
Li Banfeng produced five hundred thousand in cash and asked Wang Xuejiao to bring it to Yu Nan to pass on to Old Yao, adding another two thousand as a reward for Wang Xuejiao.
Reaching the intersection of Paifang Street, Li Banfeng had a feeling that something good was about to happen. He halted and looked around.
He was looking for someone—the cart driver with the fire wheels.
And he actually found him. This driver had only two waiting spots: one at the train station and one in Ligou. He was currently lying inside his cart asleep; without looking closely, one wouldn't even notice him.
Li Banfeng stepped forward and gently woke him. The driver rubbed his eyes, looked at Li Banfeng, and smiled. "Need a ride?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "To the Sanpan River newland."
"Sanpan River? That far? In a hurry?"
"Not in a hurry. We can take our time."
"How much are you offering?"
"Name your price."
"If you're not in a hurry, it'll take us the better part of a day."
"Food's on me."
The driver calculated for a moment and quoted a price: "Three thousand five hundred!"
Li Banfeng didn't haggle and climbed straight into the cart.
Though he said he wasn't in a rush, the driver still pulled the cart at flying speed, for this journey was indeed quite far.
Leaving Ligou and traveling for two hours brought them to lunchtime. Li Banfeng asked, "Shall we find a place to eat, or just make do with a quick bite?"
"In the middle of nowhere, with neither village ahead nor inn behind, where would we find a decent place to eat? Let's just make do!" Wiping his sweat, the driver produced flatbreads he had brought along.
He understood Li Banfeng's intention: spending so much money to ride his cart was meant as an opportunity to ask for advice regarding cultivation.
Li Banfeng carried a few cans of food with him, which paired perfectly with the flatbreads, and the two ate and chatted.
The driver asked, "Are you heading into the newland to claim wild land?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I want to cultivate. People say a journey cultivator's cultivation grows fast in the newland."
"Cultivation grows fast, but cultivators die fast too," the driver snorted. "I say, why are people like you always bent on risking your necks? Isn't it nice to cultivate steadily and solidly like me?"
"Speaking of cultivation, there's actually something I wanted to ask. What is the third-tier technique of a journey cultivator called?"
"Third tier?" The driver gave a cold scoff. "How many days has it been since you reached the first tier, and already you're eyeing the third tier?"
Li Banfeng explained, "Once I enter the newland, I plan to cultivate for a decade or two. Presumably I'll reach the third tier no matter what. When my cultivation gets there, if I haven't learned the technique, wouldn't I be missing out big time?"
The driver sighed. "Can you even survive a decade in the newland? Why think so highly of yourself?"
Li Banfeng smiled. "That depends on luck, and also on fate. Perhaps my life is tough?"
The driver shook his head. "If you ask about other things, I could tell you. But asking about techniques? That fare doesn't cover it. For a second-tier technique, you'd have to give me at least ten thousand, and a third-tier technique is another story entirely."
Back then, asking him about the first-tier technique had cost five hundred.
Now a second-tier technique demanded ten thousand.
How much would he want for a third-tier technique? Would a hundred thousand be enough?
A hundred thousand was actually reasonable too. Second-tier cultivators were far rarer than first-tier ones, and third-tier ones were scarcer still. Techniques grew increasingly secretive, so it made sense for them to sell at a steeper price.
"Someone already told me the second-tier technique. I only want to ask about the third tier. The price is negotiable."
The driver still refused. "This isn't about money. Third-tier journey cultivators are few and far between. Can this technique just be handed out to anyone? Even if you gave me a hundred thousand..."
Li Banfeng produced two Xuanzhi Pills and handed them to the driver.
The driver inspected the quality of the Xuanzhi Pills and tucked them away. "We belong to the same pathway, and seeing you braving the newland all on your own isn't easy, so I'll give you a few pointers.
"The third-tier technique of our pathway is called Treading Ten Thousand Rivers."
What did Treading Ten Thousand Rivers mean?
Li Banfeng analyzed it literally and asked, "Does it mean that when scaling mountains and crossing ridges, this technique is exceptionally useful?"
The driver didn't speak. He stood up, and while eating from the can, took a step forward.
Crack!
His foot slammed into the ground with a crisp crack, giving Li Banfeng a start.
Right in front of the driver's toes, a fist-sized stone turned to dust.
Li Banfeng was dumbfounded.
The power of this technique was immense!
The driver looked down at Li Banfeng. "This is one of the hardest-hitting techniques in our pathway. The techniques of our pathway aren't usually hard to learn, with the sole exception of the third-tier technique. This technique is exceedingly difficult.
"When you first enter the third tier, if you can stomp a pebble the size of a fingertip to pieces, consider it your good fortune. As your cultivation grows, the third-tier technique will advance, but by how much depends first on your talent and second on your comprehension.
"When using this technique, you must possess courage and audacity. Focus your intent on your foot and channel your strength into your foot as well. Even if ten thousand soldiers and horses stand before you, you must believe you can tread out a bloody path!
"Many cultivators of our pathway fail to learn Treading Ten Thousand Rivers. If you can't learn the third-tier technique, you cannot advance to the fourth tier, which is why fourth-tier cultivators in our pathway are exceedingly few.
"Furthermore, once you learn this technique, you must use it sparingly. Treading Ten Thousand Rivers consumes enormous energy. We journey cultivators have exceptional endurance, but stomping with full force drains half your strength in one go.
"Unless absolutely necessary, do not use full power. If you unleash full power once, by no means strike with full power a second time. How to unleash it and how to rein it in depends on your own skill."
Li Banfeng rose to his feet and bowed deeply in thanks to the driver.
A third-tier cultivator could only crush a fingertip-sized pebble.
This driver had crushed a fist-sized stone with a single stomp—and had certainly not used full power.
What did that mean?
It meant his cultivation might be at the fifth tier, or even higher.
To receive his guidance, this bow of respect was well deserved.
"Now that we're full, back in the cart we go." The driver prepared to pull the cart.
Li Banfeng didn't get in. "Senior, having you pull me puts my heart at unease. I can walk the rest of the way myself. Could you give me some guidance on the fourth-tier technique as well? The price is completely negotiable."
Li Banfeng prepared to bring out the Zihuan Pill.
If the driver didn't care for it, Li Banfeng was even willing to bring out a Golden Origin Pill.
The driver chuckled. "Little brother, techniques are the bedrock of a cultivator's livelihood and survival. I taught you that technique not just for two pills, but truly out of fellowship for a comrade of the same pathway.
"When you asked straight away about the third-tier technique, I guessed you'd already reached the second tier. Seeing a rare talent like you emerge in our pathway brings joy to my eyes as well.
"If it were someone from another pathway, even if they heaped a mountain of gold before me, I wouldn't tell them a thing, for that would be cutting off the lifeline of journey cultivators.
"Now that you know the third-tier technique from me, you shouldn't tell others either, though I can't clamp your mouth shut. Don't ask about the techniques beyond the third tier. When the day comes that you're close to the fourth tier, if you're still alive, I'll tell you then.
"Remember well what I warned you earlier: journey cultivators wander far and wide, crossing a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers; with every step you take, you must exercise ten thousand measures of caution."
Li Banfeng did not dare press the matter and stood ready to take his leave.
The driver waved his hand. "You already paid the fare, so I must deliver you to your destination. Hurry up and get in. I have my rules."
For the rest of the journey, the driver pulled the cart at the same speed as before, taking Li Banfeng all the way to the entrance of the Sanpan River newland.
The Sanpan River was a river that flowed according to a strict schedule.
Why was it said to flow according to a schedule?
Because the river changed every eight hours—three times a day—hence the name Sanpan River.
Every day from eight in the morning until four in the afternoon, the Sanpan River was exceedingly gentle, its water murmuring softly at knee-depth, no different from any ordinary stream.
From four in the afternoon to midnight, the river abruptly ran dry, leaving not a single drop behind. There wasn't even muddy sludge in the riverbed; aside from some scouring marks left by the rushing water, it looked no different from ordinary flat ground.
After midnight, colossal waves surged in as the river suddenly flooded, swelling five to six meters deep and completely submerging both banks.
Fortunately, the Sanpan River was not long; after flowing for less than thirty li, it drained underground through a cavern.
Yet with a daily flood, no one could withstand living here. Nobody inhabited the vicinity of the Sanpan River, and very few people ever entered this newland to claim land or hunt.
The best way to enter the Sanpan River newland was to head upstream along the dry riverbed while there was no water.
One could also walk through the wasteland on either bank, but there were too many ferocious beasts along the river, preventing rapid progress. If the Sanpan River surged while one was trapped, unable to advance or retreat, things would become dire.
When Li Banfeng reached the riverbed, it was just eight in the evening. It happened to be dry, leaving plenty of time to spare.
Striding briskly, Li Banfeng entered the newland in less than half an hour.
After traveling another fifteen li upstream along the riverbed, Li Banfeng saw a mountain.
According to the map's directions, this mountain was called Mount Xueya. The first stop on the journey to Haichiling required scaling Mount Xueya.
Why did that name sound so creepy?
Just as Li Banfeng was looking for a path up the mountain, he suddenly heard someone speak behind him: "Passerby, you can't climb this mountain. Mount Xueya is the domain of the dripping bloodfang monster. Run into it, and not even a scrap of bone will be left of you."
Chapter 154