Once the pill poison had been fully cleared, Li Banfeng wandered a few laps around the newland.
Not a trace of any strange monstrosity was in sight; they had probably all gone to the local spirit to prepare for war.
Having earned roughly enough cultivation progress for the day, Li Banfeng returned to the Portable Abode.
*Huu—chhh, huu—chhh.*
The gramophone's wheezing sounded bizarre.
"Wife, are you awake?"
*Huu—huu—*
"Wife, what's wrong?"
*Zzz—crackle—*
A harsh screech tore through the air, leaving a long scratch across the record.
"Wife!" Li Banfeng touched the gramophone. The front casing was boiling hot, while the rear cabinet was as cold as frost.
*Zzz—crackle—*
The gramophone wanted to speak, but no words came out.
What had happened?
Li Banfeng looked around. He had placed the Tang dao, the clock pendulum, the earrings, the liquor gourd, and the teapot in Room Five; only the Judge's Brush remained here.
Li Banfeng picked up the Judge's Brush and questioned it for a long while, but managed to extract only two words: "Don't know."
This fellow had not yet fully awakened.
In his panic and haste, he suddenly heard the songstress flower standing against the wall speak up. "Sir, just now First Madam and Second Madam had a row. I don't know what trick Second Madam used, but First Madam suddenly lost her voice."
"A row?" Li Banfeng stepped into the outer room, his eyes fixed on the Red Lotus.
The Red Lotus offered no response, only staring back at him.
*What does this madman think he's doing?*
*Does he really believe I harmed that vicious woman?*
Li Banfeng carried the Red Lotus into the main room, setting her down directly facing the gramophone.
From the side, the songstress flower piped up, "I don't know what came over them either. Lately First Madam has been bickering with Second Madam constantly; this isn't the first time..."
The petals and leaves of the Red Lotus trembled with rage.
*That wretched slut certainly knows how to wag her tongue.*
*I should have refined her into a magic treasure long ago. But the fuss over the Profound Accumulation Pill stirred up trouble, letting this bitch survive until now.*
The Red Lotus truly wished to absorb the songstress flower, yet she could not do so now.
If she absorbed her, it would be tantamount to admitting she had harmed the gramophone.
The business with the Profound Accumulation Pill had already made Li Banfeng suspicious. If she took the blame for the gramophone's condition on top of that, Li Banfeng would likely never release her.
Li Banfeng looked at the songstress flower, then turned his gaze back to the Red Lotus.
After a long silence, Li Banfeng said a single sentence:
"A-Lian, take that flower."
The songstress flower wailed, "Sir, I spoke only the truth!"
The lotus bloomed slowly, a whirlwind rising from its center that swept the songstress flower inside.
The songstress flower screamed the entire way, yet Li Banfeng did not show the slightest hint of mercy.
After spending so much time together, Li Banfeng knew a thing or two about the lotus's scheming and methods.
If the lotus had truly harmed the gramophone, she never would have left the songstress flower behind as a witness.
The only reason the songstress flower framed the lotus was to preserve her own life, knowing the lotus could refine her into a magic treasure at any moment.
Having dealt with the songstress flower, Li Banfeng went to Room Five and fetched the liquor gourd.
The liquor gourd observed the gramophone for a long while before asking, "Big Sister, where does it hurt?"
*Zzz—zzz—*
The gramophone could not speak, but plumes of steam lingered persistently around Li Banfeng.
Seeing that the liquor gourd could make nothing of it, Li Banfeng brought over the teapot.
The teapot was well-traveled and experienced, and might know something.
After examining her for a while, the teapot replied, "I've never seen such a thing. Perhaps something went wrong with this foreigner-made contraption."
"Foreigner-made contraption" referred to the steam-powered gramophone itself.
Could it be a mechanical breakdown?
Li Banfeng inspected it thoroughly. He regularly oiled its gears, tightened its screws, and occasionally replaced small components, so he knew a great deal about the gramophone's construction. He could find no mechanical defects.
*Huu—huu—*
The gramophone's wheezing grew heavier and deeper, yet puffs of steam continued to swirl around Li Banfeng.
What in the world was wrong?
Li Banfeng was at a complete loss.
*Huu—huu—*
The steam seemed to turn cold.
"What happened? Are you running out of fuel?"
Li Banfeng scrambled to pour fuel into the gramophone. The stylus suddenly slipped into his palm, gliding slowly along the lines of his hand.
She wanted to leave a mark on Li Banfeng's palm, terrified that he might forget her.
Yet she feared hurting Li Banfeng, unwilling to let the sharp needle pierce his skin.
After tracing a short distance, the needle came to a halt.
*Wife...*
Li Banfeng turned to the Red Lotus. "Is it because of that pill? Is it?!"
The Red Lotus looked at Li Banfeng, staring into his eyes.
He Jiaqing had once said that Li Banfeng never cried, and if anyone ever saw him weep, he was definitely faking.
Why were his eyes red now?
Was he faking?
*Zzz—crackle—*
The gramophone suddenly produced a burst of static.
A sudden worry struck the Red Lotus.
She was not worried about Li Banfeng—he could do nothing to her.
She was worried that the gramophone would muster the last of its strength to drag her down together.
The Red Lotus had guessed right.
That was precisely the gramophone's intention; she could not allow the Red Lotus to harm Li Banfeng.
The lotus suddenly bloomed, and a sheet of blank paper flew into its heart.
In the blink of an eye, the paper transformed into a lotus seed.
Li Banfeng peeled open the seed, and two slips of paper burst forth.
Written on the first slip: *A weak constitution cannot bear excessive nourishment.*
Written on the second slip: *One stalk of Xuanqing flower.*
A Xuanqing flower?
What was a Xuanqing flower?
Li Banfeng asked the liquor gourd, but the gourd had never heard of it.
The old teapot, however, had an impression. "The Xuanqing flower is a medicinal herb. In all my long years, I've only ever seen it once. I've forgotten its exact properties, but I remember it is exceptionally rare and precious.
"It's hard to find, hard to harvest, and impossible to preserve for long. Once picked, it wilts in less than a day, and once wilted, all its medicinal potency vanishes."
Less than a day.
Where could he find such a herb?
Medicine shops certainly wouldn't have it in stock.
Go find Ma the Fifth!
Li Banfeng first moved the bronze lotus to Room Five. Under the present circumstances, he would not allow anyone near the gramophone.
He sprinted to Ma the Fifth's plot. Ma the Fifth was in the middle of cultivation while Yanzi was weeping and pleading.
"Darling, I caught two hussies for you, so please spare me this once! Do whatever you want to those two—torture them to death if you like, don't pity them! Just have some pity on me!"
Cultivation had reached a crucial point when Li Banfeng interrupted, "Fifth Brother, do you know about the Xuanqing flower?"
Ma the Fifth nodded. "I've seen it mentioned in books, but they didn't record its effects."
"Where can I buy it?"
"Buy it?" Ma the Fifth shook his head. "That's a legendary herb that can't be preserved for even a single day. You can only chance upon it; you cannot seek it out."
No leads from Ma the Fifth either.
Who else could he turn to?
The peddler?
He had no idea where the peddler was.
Granny Bitter?
Would he make it in time if he ran to Kucaizhuang?
A day's journey should be enough, but Granny Bitter had banished him, so he couldn't enter Kucaizhuang.
Find Old Yao?
Yaowanggou was too far away, and the road was treacherous.
Who else?
Shui Yongquan!
Shui Yongquan, the local spirit—he seemed to be the only one left to rely on.
Li Banfeng returned to his own plot and set out offerings, incense, and candles. Before long, a ball of green fire appeared above the altar table.
"You have unique methods, so speaking with you takes no effort, and I needn't take human form. Brother Li the Seventh, have you decided to seek glory?"
"Senior, let me ask you one thing first. Have you heard of the Xuanqing flower?"
"Hehehe—" Shui Yongquan chuckled. "You've asked the right person. I know where to find the Xuanqing flower."
"This is a matter of life and death. Don't lie to me."
"Why would I lie to you? The Xuanqing flower is a miraculous medicine for treating severe constitutional weakness, capable of mending the soul.
"However, it cannot be consumed raw. A fresh flower, without the slightest blemish of wilting, must be refined using a secret technique for thirty years before it can be ingested."
The efficacy matched.
Yet thirty years of refinement was far more time than his wife could afford to wait.
The Red Lotus definitely had a method, or she would not have provided this prescription.
"Senior, where can I find a Xuanqing flower?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"Do you truly know?"
"I do. Let me ask you again: why should I tell you?"
"What do you want?"
Shui Yongquan laughed. "I want my territory. I want to defeat Qiu Luoye. If you can help me hold a crucial passageway, I can pick a stalk for you."
A sheet of white paper flew before Li Banfeng. The local spirit continued, "If you don't trust me, I can write down a pledge using covenant paper."
"Is covenant paper binding on you?"
"Hehehe, hard to say. It depends on whether you dare to take the gamble. If you're a coward, there's nothing I can do. In any case, there's no reason for me to help you for nothing.
"Let's lay out the stakes plainly. If you can help me hold one key route, I'll fetch you one Xuanqing flower.
"Do you dare fight this battle?"
He couldn't take this fight.
He couldn't trust this spirit.
This was by no means a fair exchange.
If Li Banfeng deceived the local spirit, he would die without a doubt.
If the local spirit deceived Li Banfeng, what could Li Banfeng possibly do to him?
He couldn't fight.
He would lose his life.
Think of another way!
There had to be another way.
Think...
Li Banfeng fell silent for a moment, then looked at Shui Yongquan. "I'll fight."
There was no better option.
"Splendid!" Shui Yongquan was overjoyed. "Do you choose Baiman Valley or Baizu Cave?"
Li Banfeng sneered. "If I choose Baizu Cave, will you agree?"
A valley was completely different from a cave. If Shui Yongquan launched a surprise attack through the valley, Qiu Luoye would inevitably spot him.
"Uh," Shui Yongquan said, caught off guard. "Little brother, I advise you to choose Baiman Valley. The terrain there isn't nearly as complex..."
"I'm not afraid of complex terrain. I choose Baizu Cave!"
Shui Yongquan sighed, realizing that Li Banfeng had very likely seen right through his tactics.
"Little brother, someone is already holding Baizu Cave. Let's negotiate. If you choose Baiman Valley, I'll sweeten the pot."
"Since we can negotiate," Li Banfeng said, nodding, "give me a hundred men."
Shui Yongquan smiled bitterly. "In total, only a hundred-odd people are willing to fight for me. I can't spare any men for you. How about I give you a spiritual object instead?"
"What kind of spiritual object?"
*Clang!*
A set of heavy double doors, over three meters tall and complete with their frame, crashed down before Li Banfeng.
"What is this used for?"
"This is the Waterfall Gate. Plunge it into the earth and douse it with two jin of water, and this spiritual object will take root, forming a barrier that blocks the entire valley and halts the enemy army."
"As long as I place this spiritual object in the valley, it can completely block the enemy?"
Then things would be simple.
"Humph!" Shui Yongquan sneered. "If it were that useful, why would I need you to hold the valley?
"The Waterfall Gate can only hold for three minutes. After three minutes, it wilts, and it requires three days of recuperation before it can be used a second time.
"Furthermore, it isn't a magic treasure. It possesses no sentience and cannot fight on its own. You have to hold the line together with it."
Li Banfeng looked at the massive door leaves. "How am I supposed to hold the line together with it?"
"Brace against the doors. As long as someone is propping them shut, it can hold. The moment you step away, the doors will burst open quickly. If the two leaves open by three feet, the barrier shatters.
"If you can win this battle, I'll give you a fresh Xuanqing flower, along with ten li square of land! The Waterfall Gate will also be yours to keep. Let us draft the covenant now—how about it?"
"Cut the crap!" Li Banfeng shook his head. "I can't possibly win this battle. You want to use me as bait to tie down Qiu Luoye so you can strike at his rear."
Now that everything was out in the open, the ghostly flame flickered twice, its tone laced with admiration. "Impressive. Since you've seen through it, I won't hide it. If you can hold for one hour, you'll be considered to have won the battle."
"An hour is impossible. At most, twenty minutes."
"Twenty minutes is far too short."
"That is the limit of my capability."
The ghost flame drifted for a long while before agreeing. "Fine. If twenty minutes pass and you flee for your life, you die!"
Li Banfeng nodded. "If I hold for twenty minutes and you break your word, you die.
"Even if the covenant deed doesn't kill you, I will!"
Shui Yongquan roared with laughter. "What bold words! I believe you!"
The covenant deed was prepared in an instant. Shui Yongquan dripped two drops of dew onto it and said to Li Banfeng, "Your turn. Press your thumbprint!"
Li Banfeng bit his fingertip and pressed his bloody print onto the paper.
The ghost flame circled in the air. "Brother Li the Seventh, the covenant is sealed. Three days from now, the battle begins at five in the morning. You'll have to fight for your life out there.
"For those twenty minutes, airborne forces aside, as long as no ground troops break out of the canyon, you will have succeeded.
"One more reminder: you must seek help from Brother Ma the Fifth. He has three bagworm moths under his command; they might be able to hold the line for a short while. Otherwise, you won't last a single minute."
...
Li Banfeng went to Ma the Fifth's plot, took two bundles of blank paper and two buckets of ink, and immediately returned to his own plot to start printing paintings.
After printing roughly three hundred sheets, Li Banfeng stopped.
There was plenty of paper and ink left, but he didn't have that much blood to spare.
Besides the printed sheets, several more had to be hand-drawn.
Li Banfeng summoned the clock pendulum to guide him in drawing.
*Huu—huu—*
The gramophone had lost consciousness, but her wheezing persisted.
Li Banfeng watched the flame inside the fuel tank and added half a bucket of fuel for his wife.
That evening, Li Banfeng went to Ma the Fifth's plot, intending to discuss the battle.
Ma the Fifth was still in the dark. He had ordered his men to pack up the gold, silver, and valuables on the plot, telling everyone without cultivation to evacuate immediately.
For the next two days, only Ma the Fifth, Zuo Wugang, Cao Zhida, Zhen Jincheng, Xiao Chuanzi, Xiao Genzi, and the three Madam Bagworm Moths would remain.
According to Li Banfeng's calculations, the three Madam Bagworm Moths should be able to hold for three minutes.
Zuo Wugang could hold for one minute.
The rest combined could perhaps hold for another minute.
The Waterfall Gate could last three minutes.
The remaining twelve minutes would fall entirely on Li Banfeng himself.
The canyon was very long, so those twenty minutes wouldn't be spent entirely in desperate melee; there was also the time the enemy needed to march. The canyon was ten li long; even marching unimpeded, they would likely take about ten minutes to traverse it.
Calculated that way, as long as the enemy had no journey cultivators, it wasn't utterly hopeless.
Apart from that, another question remained: once this battle was over, how many of them would survive?
Ma the Fifth had no idea he was being recruited for war, his mind still focused on defending his land.
"Old Seventh, in a bit I'll tell Yanzi to go over and help you guard your plot. Old Zuo will be on your side too. You can't go crazy. Once the fighting starts, if it looks like Shui Yongquan is losing, we retreat immediately. We can't stubbornly cling to the land."
"Right, right..." Li Banfeng seemed somewhat absentminded.
Ma the Fifth frowned. "This is a matter of life and death. You need to take it seriously."
"I am, I am..."
Ma the Fifth was still worried. "How about this? Let Cao Zhida go over there too. That kid is sharp..."
Li Banfeng looked closely at Ma the Fifth.
He was offering all his best hands to him.
Was he not afraid of dying himself?
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Fifth Brother, nobody needs to go. I can manage alone."
Ma the Fifth frowned. "Why are you joking around? This is a war!"
"I'm not joking. I run faster than any of you. Having more people around will only be a burden."
Ma the Fifth thought about it and realized that was true. Li Banfeng was a journey cultivator, and he indeed ran fast.
"Old Seventh, I'm just afraid that you..."
"Don't worry. When it's time to run, I won't hesitate," Li Banfeng said, standing up. He urged, "Three days from now, the battle starts at five in the morning. If it reaches five-thirty and I haven't come looking for you, it means I've already fled. You run immediately too."
"Five o'clock?" Ma the Fifth frowned. "They're only going to fight for half an hour?"
"Half an hour is plenty. The canyon isn't far from our plots. By the time the enemy forces charge through, it'll be too late for you to run."
Li Banfeng left Ma the Fifth's plot.
He hadn't mentioned anything about joining the war.
The plan had to change.
This was his own affair; he could not drag them into it.
Chapter 188