Like Fire and Water

The glow of the campfire fell upon his face, and Li Banfeng slowly opened his eyes. The peddler's face suddenly loomed close, gazing down at Li Banfeng with a smile that seemed full of deep concern. "You're awake? Here, drink a bowl of fruit syrup to refresh yourself." Fruit syrup was an old-fashioned drink that looked like fruit juice, but in reality had nothing to do with real juice; it was a beverage mixed from food coloring and saccharin. This bowl was orange-flavored. Li Banfeng's mouth felt dry and bitter, so having a bowl of such a drink was actually quite welcome. He drained the bowl, and when he asked about initiating into a pathway, the peddler's smile brimmed with sincerity. "Congratulations, young man. You've escaped the threat of the Heavenly Light and become a cultivator—or what they call a dark energy user in the Outer States." Why did the peddler sound so strange? His tone carried a formal, official cadence, while his earlier streetwise air had completely vanished. Li Banfeng asked, "Which pathway did I enter?" "Didn't you want to become a journey cultivator before? That wish has been granted!" The peddler poured Li Banfeng another bowl of fruit syrup. "That's good, then." Li Banfeng cupped the bowl and took a large gulp. This one was pineapple-flavored, the golden-yellow liquid carrying pineapple's distinctive sweet fragrance. Seeing that golden-yellow color reminded Li Banfeng of the scene right before he passed out. He had seen golden powder, mixed with a faint blue-green haze. "Only a journey cultivator?" Li Banfeng scrutinized the peddler once more. The peddler's smile remained sincere. "Just a moment ago, you asked another guest whether one could dual-cultivate two pathways. Let me answer for him: yes, you can!" Sure enough! Something had indeed gone wrong! Li Banfeng asked, "Which two pathways am I dual-cultivating?" The peddler hesitated for a good while before saying, "Journey Cultivator and Dwelling Cultivator." The blue powder was the Journey Cultivator. The golden powder was the Dwelling Cultivator. Li Banfeng went numb for a long time. Then he asked, "How is one supposed to cultivate the Dwelling and Journey pathways at the same time?" These two pathways were obviously as incompatible as fire and water. The peddler explained patiently, "That guest earlier said it's very difficult to achieve anything by dual-cultivating two pathways, but I believe that notion is incorrect. When a person cultivates two pathways, their combat capability at the same tier ought to be somewhat stronger than that of a cultivator with only one pathway. Even if they're a tier lower than their opponent, they can still hold their own using techniques from both pathways. Isn't that an advantage? Isn't that potential? I believe the prospects for a dual cultivator are bright!" Li Banfeng nodded. "I think they're bright too. So then, how does one dual-cultivate Dwelling and Journey?" "Let's talk about the Dwelling Cultivator first," the peddler explained patiently. "Due to its special nature, the Dwelling Cultivator can be paired with many pathways. For instance, the Scrying Cultivator. Scrying Cultivators specialize in spying and tracking. If a Dwelling Cultivator dual-cultivates Scrying, they can sit at home and track someone's movements. Even if they're exposed, they remain exceptionally safe under the protection of their dwelling spirit. Moreover, a dwelling spirit can enhance a Scrying Cultivator's abilities, allowing them to pursue enemies across thousands or even tens of thousands of li, and even break through barriers. Therefore, the Dwelling Cultivator is extremely well-suited for dual cultivation." Li Banfeng nodded. "Extremely well-suited. So then, how does a Dwelling Cultivator dual-cultivate with a Journey Cultivator?" The peddler continued his explanation. "Now let's look at the Journey Cultivator. The Journey Cultivator is also exceptionally well-suited for dual cultivation. Without looking too far afield, take Shopkeeper Han of Baisheng Pharmacy in Yaowanggou. Everyone in Yaowanggou knows she's a Medicine Cultivator, but very few know Shopkeeper Han also dual-cultivates as a traveler. Crossing a thousand mountains and wading ten thousand rivers, she gathered countless rare treasures, and only then did she build up Baisheng Pharmacy. Tell me, isn't the traveler well-suited for dual cultivation?" "Well-suited, extremely well-suited," Li Banfeng agreed wholeheartedly. "So then, how does a Dwelling Cultivator dual-cultivate with a Journey Cultivator?" "Dwelling Cultivators and Journey Cultivators are both extremely well-suited for dual cultivation, so putting these two pathways together ought to be wonderful too..." The peddler's voice grew fainter and fainter. Li Banfeng asked in all seriousness, "Wonderful in what way?" "Listen while I make something up for you..." The peddler wiped the sweat from his brow. "All right, I'm listening. Make it up." Li Banfeng remained utterly serious. A few minutes of silence passed. A gust of cold wind blew by, and fresh sweat broke out on the peddler's forehead. "I can't make anything up." "And then?" Sweat broke out on Li Banfeng's forehead as well. Things had gone terribly wrong. The peddler squeezed out a faint smile, seemingly trying to comfort him. "Dwelling Cultivator and Journey Cultivator cannot be dual-cultivated. These two pathways are natural enemies. But you can look on the bright side." "What bright side is there?" "The bright side is that you're still alive." The peddler put away his smile. From this moment on, every word he spoke concerned Li Banfeng's life. "Dwelling Cultivator and Journey Cultivator share nothing in common. Their characteristics are violently opposed. By all rights, the moment you took powders from both pathways, you should have perished on the spot. Yet you've survived until now, which proves your constitution is somewhat unique. Of course, that's primarily related to your exposure to the Heavenly Light." "What on earth is the Heavenly Light?" The peddler shook his head. "This matter is far too profound; I wouldn't be able to explain it clearly to you." "Take your time and explain. What if I do understand?" Li Banfeng had to figure out what had happened to him. The peddler pondered for a moment. "Do you know what dark matter is?" "Of course I do." In truth, Li Banfeng didn't know. Given humanity's current level of technology, no one knew what dark matter truly was. But Li Banfeng was a man of higher education; at the very least, he had heard the term. "You really know?" the peddler confirmed once more. Li Banfeng nodded. "I know. I've received higher education." "Well, I don't!" The peddler puffed out his chest. "I don't know what dark matter is, so I can't explain this matter clearly!" Li Banfeng scratched the back of his head, feeling there was nothing wrong with the peddler's logic. "Then let's not talk about dark matter for now." The peddler continued, "Being bathed in Heavenly Light, as you people from the Outer States call it, is a dark matter radiation flux. Dark matter is everywhere, but certain dark matter is rather special. In the speech of the Inner Nine Provinces, this is called an eruption of Dao affinity. Ingesting Dao affinity through proper methods won't harm the body too much, but an eruption from a pathway is far too violent for a mortal to withstand. Once struck by an eruption, the body soon bursts apart, and the lingering Dao affinity might continue to harm others. That's why, if you want to survive, you must initiate into a pathway as soon as possible, using the pathway's catalyst to channel the Dao affinity in your body along a specific direction..." The peddler explained the mechanics of the Heavenly Light in the simplest terms he could, and Li Banfeng quickly grasped the core principle. A dark energy user—what this place called a cultivator—was actually an extraordinary being mutated by the intrusion of special dark matter into their body. The mutation was chaotic and, in all likelihood, fatal. The peddler's medicine could guide this chaotic mutation into an orderly one. Ingesting smaller, regulated amounts of dark matter, as Ma the Fifth and Qin Xiaopang had done, caused the corrosive mutation to progress relatively slowly. Only when the mutation reached a certain degree could they use the peddler's medicine to guide themselves into becoming dark energy users. Li Banfeng, on the other hand, had encountered a dark matter radiation flux. His body had been inundated with a massive volume of dark matter in a brief instant, putting him at immediate risk of exploding on the spot, so he had to be guided at once. There were many kinds of medicines, guiding toward different directions and paths, which consequently yielded different extraordinary abilities. Li Banfeng possessed enough dark matter in his body that he could have chosen any path, or barely managed to choose two similar paths at once. Instead, he had chosen two diametrically opposed paths. Except Li Banfeng hadn't chosen them! Li Banfeng's eyes widened. "Where's Qiao Yuesheng? That birdman who crashed into me just now? This fucking whole mess was his—" The peddler pointed to the straw mat beside him. "Are you talking about him?" Li Banfeng hadn't paid attention to the straw mat next to the peddler, assuming it was wrapped around some miscellaneous goods. Now following the peddler's finger, it seemed a person was wrapped inside. Li Banfeng was astonished. "That's Qiao Yuesheng?" The peddler nodded. "This matter began because of him. He has already given me sufficient compensation. And since you had an accident at my stall, I bear responsibility as well, so I must give you compensation too. That is the duty of my trade. Judging by your condition, you seem to have survived the hurdle of initiation, but the cultivation ahead will be exceedingly difficult for you. According to the Journey Cultivator's nature, even if you don't seek to advance your cultivation, you must walk at least twenty li every day. And according to the Dwelling Cultivator's nature, you must return home at least once a day and stay there for at least two hours." Li Banfeng calculated the time. "That doesn't sound too hard!" It truly didn't seem difficult. Going out for a stroll and covering twenty li was just like jogging ten kilometers. Heading home for a nap, or reading a novel and watching a show—two hours was practically effortless. Seen that way, the conflict between these two pathways wasn't so severe after all. The peddler shook his head. "That's only the early stage of cultivation. Once your tier rises, the distance a Journey Cultivator must walk grows farther and farther, while the time a Dwelling Cultivator must spend at home grows longer and longer. The two will soon become impossible to reconcile. Furthermore, once a Journey Cultivator reaches higher tiers, they cannot stay in one place forever, whereas a residence is fixed and a Dwelling Cultivator cannot run about everywhere. That is why these two pathways are natural enemies. Of course, that's a problem for later, to be solved down the road. Right now, there is another difficult hurdle: for a Journey Cultivator to pass the barrier and advance to Tier One, they must stay in a perilous place for a full day and night. This is where the trouble lies. A Dwelling Cultivator must return home every single day. If they fail to return home for even one day, they might drop dead on the spot. How are you supposed to stay outside for a full day and night?" Li Banfeng blinked. "What counts as a perilous place?" The peddler looked astonished. "Aren't you educated? You don't know what a perilous place is? It's somewhere that could take your life at any moment." "How is that defined? Sleeping in the middle of the road could get me run over by a car at any moment!" The peddler nodded. "That's actually quite a good idea. You can try going to the middle of the road. If your cultivation acknowledges it, you really might advance a tier!" "Cultivation can acknowledge things?" "Why wouldn't it? Your cultivation is now part of you. You have senses, so your cultivation naturally has senses too. Have you decided to sleep in the street?" "I was just saying..." Li Banfeng fell into contemplation. A Dwelling Cultivator had to return home every day. But how did that apply to someone like him who didn't even have a home? If he had no home to begin with, which home was he supposed to return to? Thinking of this, Li Banfeng asked directly, "Right now I don't own a residence, so I have no home to return to. Sleeping out in the open, exposed to the wind and dew, wouldn't count as violating the rules of a Dwelling Cultivator, would it?" The peddler nodded. "That is true enough." Hearing this, Li Banfeng smiled. "Then isn't it simple? I'll go to a perilous place first, endure a full day and night, become a Tier One Journey Cultivator, and only then buy a residence. Wouldn't that resolve the whole issue?" The peddler shook his head. "That won't work." "Why won't it?" "That amounts to abandoning the Dwelling pathway. Dual cultivation requires cultivating both pathways. If you abandon one of them, you will lose your life." Li Banfeng said hurriedly, "I'm not abandoning it. I'm just cultivating Journey first, and then cultivating—" "What's the use of merely saying it with your mouth?" The peddler cut Li Banfeng off directly. "Cultivation is part of your body; your actions represent your true intent. You cultivate Journey to Tier One and attain minor success in your cultivation, yet you don't even possess a suitable residence, and your Dwelling cultivation hasn't even stepped onto the proper path. Doesn't that amount to abandoning the Dwelling pathway?" "Isn't that a bit of a stretch? That's not my intention!" The peddler shrugged. "It's no use telling me. If you don't believe it, feel free to try." "Try... trying is out of the question." Li Banfeng sank into thought again, then gritted his teeth. "I just won't advance in tier at all! I'll hold out like this until I find a way!" "Like him?" The peddler lifted the straw mat, revealing Qiao Yuesheng's mangled corpse. Calling it mangled was an understatement; it was a pile of shredded flesh. If the peddler hadn't stated earlier that this was Qiao Yuesheng, Li Banfeng wouldn't have recognized him at all. "How did he end up like this?" The peddler covered the corpse again. "He was a dark energy user, a glutton—meaning a Food Cultivator. Compared to Journey Cultivators, Food Cultivators don't run exceptionally fast, but so long as they've eaten their fill, they are far faster than ordinary people. Under the rules of the Outer States, dark energy users aren't allowed to compete in sporting events; it's considered cheating. But this kid threw caution to the wind for fame and fortune. Dark matter cannot be observed, so no one could detect his cultivation, but he feared someone would notice his abnormality. A Food Cultivator must eat five jin of food every day. Afraid of exposing himself, he didn't dare eat, let alone gain a tier. He continually exploited his physical talents without cultivating through proper methods. Just as you said, he held out like that, and in the end, he held out until he turned into this state. You cannot hold out forever. You must raise at least one of them, Dwelling or Journey, to Tier One. If you stall for too long, your fate will surely be the same as his." "Can I stop once I reach Tier One?" "No. Even if you lack all ambition, you still cannot slack off on your daily basic cultivation." Li Banfeng looked at the straw mat wrapped around the corpse. "When will cultivation ever come to an end?" "There is no end," the peddler said, shaking his head. "From the moment you chose this path, you were destined to walk it for a lifetime." Li Banfeng looked up at the peddler. "Then tell me, how am I supposed to get past this hurdle?" The peddler looked back at Li Banfeng. "Two paths. Pick one. The first path: make your home in a perilous place, and I'll arrange a residence for you."