Early in the morning, Big Head got out of bed and saw that his wife was already dressed in formal attire and had breakfast ready.
"If you get off work early this evening, go pick up the kid. A few companies are holding conferences over at the hotel, so there's quite a lot on my plate." Ever since she resumed working, Miao Ruifang's spirits had improved considerably.
Big Head nodded. "I'll pick up our kid. I'll make dinner tonight."
"Don't you dare cook. With your skills, who could stomach it? Wait until I get back. If you two are really hungry, have some crackers to hold you over."
Big Head smiled. "How about we eat out tonight?"
"No need. I already bought today's groceries." His wife remained as thrifty as ever.
"Your job is quite busy too. How about we hire a housekeeper?"
"I've only been back at work a few days, and look at you getting ahead of yourself," his wife scolded, displeased. "While we're still not that old, we should make more and save more. There will be plenty of things we'll need money for down the road."
Looking at his wife and child at the dining table, Big Head felt he was the happiest man in the world.
He drove his child to school first, then dropped his wife off at work. By the time he reached the bureau, Big Head was a few minutes late. In the elevator, he ran into a superior who reprimanded him for a few moments regarding workplace discipline.
In truth, that superior was late as well.
Returning to his cubicle, a colleague nicknamed Glasses leaned over and said to Big Head with a secretive look, "Have you heard? Sugar Lump is getting promoted to team leader."
Sugar Lump was a second-tier Infatuated One (Emotion Cultivator) who had joined the Dark Star Bureau three years ago, and now she was already being made a team leader.
Big Head had been with the Dark Star Bureau for nearly twenty years, yet he remained an investigator.
"That's good. Sugar Lump is a decent person." Big Head nodded.
Another colleague, nicknamed Baozi, chimed in, "Brother Ming, I really don't get it. Whether in cultivation or seniority, where can she even compare to you? What qualifies someone like her to be a team leader?"
Big Head gave a small smile. "It's fine. It's good."
Captain Chen and Captain Xiao both arrived. After the whole team held their regular meeting, everyone went about their respective tasks. Big Head took some spare time to make a trip to Yuezhou Third Hospital.
He Jiaqing's hospital room was packed with medical staff. An important tube connected to He Jiaqing had slipped out; exactly how it had come loose remained unknown.
The attending physician said to Big Head, "I suspect the patient might have moved. Otherwise, this tube wouldn't have come out."
Big Head looked at He Jiaqing lying on the hospital bed and said to the doctor, "It might have been an accident."
"Shouldn't this be reported to your captain?"
Big Head nodded. "I'll report it to the captain in a moment."
He did not report it.
He merely wrote in that day's work log that all was normal.
Doing so carried risk.
Yet based on Big Head's experience, ordinarily no one would pay attention to such a thing, and this bit of risk was something he could stomach.
***
Li Banfeng found a patch of wasteland. In Kucaizhuang, wastelands like this were everywhere.
He sowed a bag of seeds across this ground. A Tillage Cultivator in Laobing Village had given them to him; once planted, grain could be harvested within the month.
Kucaizhuang's land was barren, and after growing a single harvest of rapid-crops, the soil would have to lie fallow for a year, but at the very least the sixty-odd people in Kucaizhuang would have enough grain to eat.
Next year, they could switch to another plot to plant. Kucaizhuang was huge—so vast that even after walking for several days and covering over a thousand li, Li Banfeng hadn't been able to find its borders.
The old teapot said Kucaizhuang bordered every place in Puluo Province, but when Li Banfeng checked the map Shopkeeper Feng had given him, he couldn't find Kucaizhuang's location at all.
Just what kind of place this was, Li Banfeng still hadn't figured out.
Things he couldn't figure out could wait; right now, there was plenty of work to do.
The Ascetic Cultivators in Kucaizhuang now held Li Banfeng in high regard. Carrying his Tang dao, Li Banfeng made a round through the households, and a crowd of Ascetics followed him out to farm the fields.
Ascetics could endure hardship and worked diligently, especially when they saw Li Banfeng take out his teapot; everyone was brimming with energy.
When the farm work was finished, those living nearby headed back, while those living farther away pitched tents to spend the night right beside the fields.
Qian Jiafeng and Ou Haidong returned to the same home. Granny Bitter hadn't pursued the matter from that night, as it truly wasn't their fault.
Yet ever since that night, they had grown far bolder, casting the rules completely to the back of their minds.
There were others even bolder than them—such as that middle-aged woman.
She still didn't trust people with a handle, but she loved the handle.
Come nighttime, Li Banfeng distributed liquor to everyone. This time, there was no need to mix it into congee—whoever wanted to drink could come and take it.
In any case, this whole business had been stirred up by the bearded man, so if Granny Bitter wanted to lay blame, it would fall on him.
Li Banfeng didn't care either. After all, Granny Bitter couldn't kill anyone, and as long as she kicked him out of Kucaizhuang, it would be perfect.
At daybreak the next day, three newcomers arrived at the Free Food Hall, preparing to enter the pathway.
Li Banfeng charged into the food hall and drove them all away with a flurry of fists and kicks.
The food-serving uncle shrank into the kitchen, not daring to make a sound.
Today, this uncle was wearing a red padded jacket.
In the afternoon, while everyone toiled in the fields, Li Banfeng painted off to the side.
Truth be told, his painting skills really had improved somewhat. The general outlines were decent, and the details capturing several working figures were passable.
Chu the Second walked up to Li Banfeng, glanced at the artwork, and asked in surprise, "You know how to paint? Could you paint one of me?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Your family isn't short on painters."
"Just paint one for me! I've put in plenty of effort helping you these past days!"
"Sure. Shall we paint right now?"
Chu the Second shook her head. "Wait until tonight. Let me tidy myself up."
Come nightfall, he went to Chu the Second's residence. Chu the Second was still wearing her coarse padded cotton clothes without any powder or rouge; she had merely washed her face and tidied her hair.
She sat upright in the courtyard while Li Banfeng held a drawing board, earnestly sketching out the lines.
"Does the way I look without makeup look rather plain?" Chu the Second asked, feeling a bit nervous.
Li Banfeng shook his head. "It looks quite good."
"Does sitting still like this the whole time look a bit silly?"
"Not silly at all. Just hold still."
"Should I..." Before she could finish, Chu the Second shivered and hastily rose to her feet.
Li Banfeng turned his head and saw Granny Bitter standing in the doorway.
As if he had expected her to come, Li Banfeng set down his paper and brush, smiling at Granny Bitter. "Another tempering session today?"
Chu the Second hurriedly explained, "Granny, listen to me, I asked him to paint..."
"Girl, go wait in the house. I'll come see you in a bit." Granny Bitter sent Chu the Second away, then said to Li Banfeng, "Follow me."
Li Banfeng followed Granny Bitter all the way into the wilderness. Granny Bitter said to Li Banfeng, "Do you know that cultivators in Kucaizhuang were never numerous to begin with?"
"I know." Li Banfeng nodded.
"Do you know that if you keep making trouble like this, this pathway will go extinct?"
"Really?" Li Banfeng laughed. "If it can truly go extinct, I'd gladly keep making trouble here forever."
Granny Bitter frowned slightly. "What insolence, daring to say such words to my face! Do you know that in this world, someone always has to suffer?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "I know, but people still have to live toward enjoying blessings."
"Do you know that someone who has never suffered bitterness doesn't understand what blessing is at all?"
"I know, but people still have to live toward enjoying blessings."
"Do you know that cultivating through bitterness is an orthodox path as well?"
"It's an orthodox path, but in the end, people still have to live toward enjoying blessings."
Whenever the word "blessings" was mentioned, a smile remained on Li Banfeng's face.
Looking at Li Banfeng's smile, Granny Bitter thought of someone. "Do you know Feng Daiku?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "Met her once."
"Her name bears the character for bitter, yet that very bitterness is what she hated most. Later, when people called her Feng Pocket, she didn't get angry; when people called her Feng Trouser-Belt, she still didn't get angry. As long as that word 'bitter' was gone, she'd answer to whatever they called her. Your temperament is somewhat like hers."
Li Banfeng sneered, "She refused to suffer bitterness herself, yet made me suffer plenty."
"Did she harm you?"
"Depends on how you look at it. Taking everything into account, I didn't come out too badly."
Granny Bitter sighed. "It is cause and effect after all. Do you know why you came here?"
"Do you mean Kucaizhuang?"
Granny Bitter shook her head.
Li Banfeng understood.
When Granny Bitter had initially worried that Li Banfeng wanted to leave, she thought he meant leaving Puluo Province.
When she asked why he came, she was also referring to Puluo Province.
"Why I came, I can't quite say. But staying here is pretty good. Whether enduring bitterness or enjoying blessings, it's all good."
"Very well. I saw you on your way back then, and now I'll see you off once more." Granny Bitter grabbed Li Banfeng's clothes and brought him to a stretch of wasteland. Amid swirling wind and sand, Li Banfeng saw a thick, pitch-black fog.
This was the edge of the newland.
Granny Bitter looked at Li Banfeng and asked, "Do you remember how many times you underwent my tempering?"
"Three times." Li Banfeng had taken three severe beatings in total; he would never forget.
"This bit of karma is settled here. Blessings and bitterness give rise to each other; what is owed must be repaid. By right, I should have made you repay more, repay it far more harshly. But if I let you keep making trouble, my pathway might truly cease to exist."
*My pathway.*
She seemed never to mention Ascetic Cultivators.
Li Banfeng blinked. "Big Sister, could you speak a bit more plainly?"
Granny Bitter frowned. "You call me Big Sister? Do you know who I am?"
Li Banfeng pondered for a long time. "Can't say for sure."
Granny Bitter sighed. "Take care, young man."
Blessings and bitterness beget one another.
Li Banfeng walked into the depths of the thick fog. Looking back, he saw Granny Bitter was still there and called out, "Take care, Second Aunt."
Hearing this "Second Aunt," Granny Bitter couldn't help but laugh.
"Second Aunt, blessings and bitterness beget each other. Letting Ascetics enjoy a little blessing once in a while won't hurt you either."
"You rascal. Knowing that blessings and bitterness beget each other means all the more reason not to let this pathway go extinct."
Li Banfeng didn't understand. He smiled at Granny Bitter and walked off.
Watching Li Banfeng's receding back, Granny Bitter sighed.
*Karma cannot be severed after all. You little rascal even ate a stalk of my bitter greens.*
*I met you first. Your fate is tough; you ought to belong to my pathway.*
*My pathway is indeed difficult. Most practitioners die young midway through, and for many years no high tiers have emerged, only to be branded 'Ascetics' by others.*
*After so much trouble, I finally found someone with a fate as tough as yours, yet unfortunately you fear bitterness and refuse to join.*
*Is there anyone else with a tough fate?*
***
Granny Bitter returned to Chu the Second's residence. Chu the Second was staring blankly at the unfinished sketch, lost in thought.
"He's gone," Granny Bitter said calmly.
Chu the Second's body shivered, her hands clutching the drawing paper tightly.
"Does it hurt?" Granny Bitter asked.
"It hurts," Chu the Second nodded, her hand unconsciously clutching her chest. "It hurts terribly."
"It should hurt. Only when your heart knows bitterness can your cultivation advance."
Chu the Second couldn't hold back her tears. "It hurts too much."
"Heartache alone isn't enough; your flesh has to hurt too." Granny Bitter pulled over a bench, picked up a stick of firewood, and barked, "Lie flat right here!"
Sobbing twice, Chu the Second lay flat on the bench.
"You little vixen! Seducing men, are you?! Seduced a man and couldn't even keep him, turning the village upside down and filling it with foul air—now do you know what pain feels like?!"
Granny Bitter swung the stick of firewood, giving Chu the Second's rear end a savage beating.
Chu the Second gritted her teeth, staring at the drawing paper as tears streamed down incessantly.
***
After walking a dozen li through the newland, Li Banfeng gradually figured out his position.
Comparing with Old Yao's map, Li Banfeng quickly found the route back to Lanyang Village.
Turns out the two places weren't far apart at all; if he walked fast, he could make it back in less than a day.
Filled with joy, Li Banfeng was just about to quicken his pace when he suddenly saw a massive body ahead, sprawled on a tree and chewing on leaves.
Was this a green caterpillar?
Could it be...
No, not just one caterpillar.
Two?
Three?
Five?
Li Banfeng didn't dare count any further.
This was Kucaizhuang—Kucaizhuang's newland.
When female Ascetics died, if they were unwilling to reincarnate, they would turn into Madams Bagworm Moth!
So many Madams Bagworm Moth...
Li Banfeng gave his life some serious thought. He felt Granny Bitter made a lot of sense, and he actually wanted to go back to Kucaizhuang and stay for a few more days.
"What a handsome man." A bagworm moth spotted Li Banfeng.
"Look at that beard—that's my favorite kind of man!"
Li Banfeng tore off the beard and shoved it into his pocket. "I don't have a beard."
"Aiyaya, he's even more handsome without a beard!"
Li Banfeng took off running at top speed, a swarm of Madams Bagworm Moth giving chase behind him.
***
In Lanyang Village, Li Banfeng hadn't returned for over a dozen days, making Ma the Fifth pace around in a frantic lather.
Did something happen to Old Seven?
Could it be related to Chu the Second?
I was careless. I should have followed Chu the Second and escorted her out of the newland!
Escorting her out wouldn't have helped either; she could have found her way back.
Why was she so relentless!
Amid his anxiety, he suddenly heard Xiao Chuanzi report, "Fifth Master, Seventh Master is back! There are two bagworm moths chasing behind him, and he can barely run anymore!"
Startled, Ma the Fifth rushed outside the house, mounted Yanzi, and shouted to Xiao Chuanzi, "Quick, lead the way!"
Yanzi said, "Sweetheart, don't panic. Those two vixens—I can deal with them all by myself!"
Ma the Fifth asked Xiao Chuanzi, "Did Old Seven make it back to his own parcel?"
"He did!"
"Spill blood! Spilling blood can stop the bagworm moths!"
"He spilled it! It didn't work—the local spirit didn't do a thing!"
PS: How could the local spirit have no reaction?
In Chapter 8, at the station, Banfeng bought instant noodles from an old lady, and Banfeng called her Second Aunt.
Chapter 184