Waking up the next day, Li Banfeng stepped out of the Portable Abode feeling completely refreshed.
He wasn't sure whether sleeping had cleared his head or if the properties of his dwelling had shaken off the Fool Cultivator's technique, but his thoughts were much clearer than they had been yesterday.
In truth, with some things, taking a quiet moment to think would yield the answer.
Could one truly get lost in this city?
No.
Keep walking straight in any one direction, and you would inevitably reach the city wall.
Follow the city wall, and you would inevitably reach a city gate.
And as long as he found a gate, he could leave the city, at which point he would naturally return to normal.
How big could this city possibly be at most?
A hundred li across at the very most!
A hundred li was nothing to Li Banfeng; it wouldn't even take him half an hour.
The only thing he had to be mindful of was running in a straight line the entire way.
The street ahead wasn't quite straight, veering slightly off course, so Li Banfeng vaulted walls and leapt across courtyards, charging ahead in a beeline.
After running for more than five hours, he still hadn't found the city wall.
Ahead lay an avenue lined with open shops and street stalls.
Behind him stretched an alley where folk strolled and chatted.
Li Banfeng felt like he had been here before—more than once, in fact.
Navigating by wind direction, by landmarks, leaving marks along the way... Li Banfeng thought up a hundred methods, yet he still had no idea how to get out of the city.
Ahead stood an auntie who looked fairly kindly. He might as well ask her for directions.
Banknotes in hand, Li Banfeng walked up to her and asked cautiously, "Auntie, how do I get to the city gate?"
The auntie was taken aback. "You're asking for directions?"
Li Banfeng nodded.
"What a silly boy. Why are you offering money just to ask for directions? The city gate is still far off, and look how exhausted you are. Come, step into my house and have a drink of water."
"No need, Auntie. I'm in a hurry and have to leave the city. If you could just point me in the right direction, that would be plenty."
The auntie grew displeased. "I'm only inviting you in for a bowl of water. Could I possibly mean you any harm? If you don't trust me, go ask someone else!"
What should he do?
Go inside with her for a bowl of water?
*I'm a tier-four Dwelling Cultivator. Even if she poisons it, it probably won't knock me out.*
Just as Li Banfeng was about to step inside, the sense of danger born of seeking good fortune and avoiding calamity warned him not to enter.
"Young man, come inside! Where are you going? Weren't you trying to leave the city? Where are you going? You're going the wrong way! Come have a bowl of water with me and I'll show you the way..."
Li Banfeng took off running without once looking back.
After running for another hour, Li Banfeng stared at the alley before him and sank down against the base of a wall in despair.
"Young man, I told you to come let me read your fortune. Why didn't you listen?"
Li Banfeng smiled bitterly again and again.
The fortune teller was back.
He couldn't find the city gates to save his life, yet this man could find him in an instant.
The fortune teller took a seat beside Li Banfeng. "Still haven't let go of that grudge?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I've let it go. All I want now is to get out of the city."
"Hard!" The fortune teller sighed deeply, shaking his head.
"Is leaving the city really so hard?"
"Hard, harder than scaling the heavens. This is the City of Fools; how could leaving ever be easy? Especially for you. A dark aura shadows your brow, your countenance is shrouded in ill fortune, and if you try to force your way out, you'll scarcely keep your life."
Helplessness written across his face, Li Banfeng said, "I truly don't want a fortune reading from you. I already gave you money before. Could you please stay away from me?"
The fortune teller sighed. "I believe in fate. Yesterday, with just one glance, I knew you were a man of extraordinary destiny.
"To tell you the truth, while I was alive, I was trapped in the City of Fools for twenty-eight years, seven months, and three days. Until the day I died, I never found the city gate.
"Yet I believe you can find it. I believe you will not die trapped here in the City of Fools.
"In the north of the city stands a large, three-courtyard manor that has lain abandoned since the day I first arrived in the City of Fools.
"There is unresolved karma between you and that manor. You must stay inside it for a full day and night to dispel this calamity.
"Remember this well: exactly one day and one night. No more, no less. Enter today at a certain hour, and leave tomorrow at that very same hour.
"Once you step outside, with your back squarely to the main gate, walk straight ahead without stopping for anything.
"If you encounter a wall, bash through the wall. If you encounter a tree, crash through the tree. Whatever you encounter, do not stop. Keep walking for half an hour, and you will reach the city gate.
"Young man, my piece is said. Believe it or not, the choice is yours."
The fortune teller walked off.
Li Banfeng sat by the wall and sneered. "Why on earth would I believe you?"
*What karma could I possibly have with some manor?
I've never even been to this place, so where would any karma come from?*
...
Late at night, Li Banfeng arrived in the north of the city and entered the deserted manor.
He truly didn't want to trust that fortune teller, but he genuinely could find no other way out of the city.
The manor's front courtyard was modest, bordered by a row of south-facing outer quarters—gatehouses meant for servants. Passing through the festooned gate, he reached the main courtyard. Facing south from the north stood the principal house, flanked by side wings on the left and right.
Li Banfeng entered the principal house; the outer section was a reception hall, while the inner part was a bedchamber.
Looking up, he saw that many roof tiles had fallen away, leaving gaps that opened straight to the sky.
The furnishings remained fairly orderly, but dust lay half a finger thick. It had indeed been abandoned for a very long time.
Taking a feather duster, Li Banfeng brushed away the dust, sat down on a chair, and pondered his next move.
Should he retreat into the Portable Abode next, or stay in this deserted manor?
Entering the Portable Abode would certainly be safer, but would stepping inside count as leaving the manor? Would the day and night count then?
Stay here without entering the Portable Abode?
*Whoosh—*
A gust of chill wind blew past.
A thin layer of dust stirred from the table.
If he stayed here for a day and a night, no one could guarantee what he might run into.
*Better go back inside.*
Li Banfeng went into the Portable Abode and stayed for less than a quarter of an hour before coming back out with a paper girl.
He couldn't just hole up in the Portable Abode; he still had to stay in the manor to resolve the karma.
This paper girl had been drawn stroke by stroke by his own hand, costing him an immense amount of effort. Without engaging in combat, she could last over three hours.
He instructed the girl to patrol the manor and raise the alarm immediately if anything happened.
Next, he arranged his various magical treasures beside him and hung the calendar poster directly opposite.
The elegantly shaped Mengde bowed deeply and said to Li Banfeng, "Sir, which song would you like to hear?"
"No songs. Just set up the clock face."
Listening to her sing ran the risk of being drawn into a dream at any moment; Mengde possessed considerable prowess in that regard.
Mengde propped the clock face up before Li Banfeng, and he sat waiting.
Was the fortune teller telling the truth or lying?
If he dared deceive him, the next time Li Banfeng crossed paths with him, they would definitely need to have a good talk.
What should they talk about?
Resort to violence straight away, or try to reason with him?
Could he pry the location of the city gate out of his mouth?
Trying to outsmart a Fool Cultivator in the City of Fools—wasn't that biting off more than he could chew?
*Stop thinking. Don't think about anything. It only brings on a headache.*
After waiting nearly two hours, Li Banfeng was nodding off in a daze when a sudden, sinister chill swept over him. He shuddered, instantly snapping awake.
An extra person had appeared beside him—it was the fortune teller.
"What did you come here for?"
The fortune teller smiled. "I came to help you break the malevolent influence."
"Isn't staying here for a day and night enough? What influence is there to break?"
"Merely staying here won't do. If you wish to endure this day and night in peace, you must also be marked with a talisman."
"Did you come to sell talismans? Fine, name your price."
The fortune teller shook his head. "I told you, I take no money from you. I value only destiny. Young man, give me your hand, and I will draw a talisman on it for you.
"With this talisman, the vengeful spirit in this room won't dare touch you."
"There's a vengeful spirit in this room?" Li Banfeng's brow twitched. If a vengeful spirit truly lurked here, he would definitely be able to see it.
"The vengeful spirit here has been watching you all along, yet you cannot see her. The karma bound to you stems from her, and the tribulation in your destiny likewise arises because of her.
"Survive this day and night, the debt of karma will be paid, and the tribulation will dissipate.
"Back then, I was just like you, trapped for a lifetime in the City of Fools because of a knot of karma.
"I've helped you along the way seeking nothing in return, simply wishing to keep you from walking down the same path I did."
The fortune teller produced a writing brush, dipped it in ink, and looked at Li Banfeng with an earnest face.
Li Banfeng extended his hand. Just as the fortune teller was about to draw the talisman on it, Li Banfeng suddenly asked, "How many years were you trapped in the City of Fools?"
The fortune teller sighed deeply. "Twenty-two years, six months, and eight days."
Li Banfeng nodded.
*Wham!*
He drove a fist right into the old man's nose.
Clutching his nose, the old man cried, "Why did you hit me?!"
Li Banfeng had thought the punch might pass right through, but to his surprise, this ghost with complete flesh and blood actually felt pain.
"Old ghost! A moment ago you said twenty-eight years, seven months, and three days! In the blink of an eye, it turned into twenty-two years, six months, and eight days! You don't even bat an eye when you weave your damn lies!"
The two immediately began scuffling.
The old man wasn't much of a fighter; under normal circumstances, Li Banfeng could have knocked him flat in three punches and two kicks.
Now, however, circumstances were anything but normal. Whether throwing a punch or a kick, Li Banfeng seemed like an entirely different person from his usual self.
It wasn't that he lacked strength, nor that he lacked speed; he had grown dull-witted. With every strike he made, the timing and the technique were off.
If it was off, then off it would be—he'd just fight blind and ugly! He was in his early twenties; could he really fail to beat an old geezer?
Pulling hair, gouging eyes, scratching faces... Trading blows with youthful vigor, Li Banfeng fought the fortune teller to a standstill.
The clock pendulum surged forward and slashed the fortune teller twice, but neither cut went deep, and she even accidentally nicked Li Banfeng.
Knowing her martial skills were lacking, she hastily turned back to urge the Tang dao, "Come help!"
The Tang dao sighed. "With my aim today, it is best I do not strike, lest I injure our lord by mistake."
This was no joke. The clock pendulum excelled at absorbing and spraying blood, whereas the Tang dao was a pure combat treasure. If one of his slashes landed on Li Banfeng, it truly could take his life.
None of the treasures dared act lightly. Only Mengde retained some confidence; she shouted at the fortune teller, "You're wicked!"
The fortune teller lamented, "A youngster beating an old man—wicked indeed!"
Guilt surged in Li Banfeng's heart, earning him an extra kick from the fortune teller.
Mengde's attempt had misfired. Who else could help Li Banfeng?
In this critical moment, it all came down to the liquor gourd.
The liquor gourd was on the Mind Cultivator pathway and had richer combat experience than Hanxue.
"Sister Hanxue, seek his heartstrings!"
This was Mind Cultivator jargon; seeking someone's heartstrings meant using techniques to manipulate their thoughts.
The liquor gourd lowered his voice to Hanxue. "Our pathway's techniques focus primarily on disturbing the mind, which should share similarities with Fool Cultivators. Even if we cannot counter them outright, the techniques themselves might still be able to contest theirs."
Hearing this, Hanxue immediately readied her technique.
Seizing the opening, the liquor gourd brought his body crashing down onto the fortune teller's head.
Hanxue looked at the liquor gourd. "You talked about all those techniques just now..."
The fortune teller was left reeling with dizziness, and Li Banfeng seized the chance to follow up with a kick.
Taking that blow, the fortune teller had no desire to keep fighting. Just as he tried to flee, the paper girl wrapped her arms around him from behind.
Startled, the fortune teller exclaimed, "Young lady, what are you holding me for? Have you no shame..."
Li Banfeng spat. "You take advantage and have the nerve to scold her? Come with me!"
The old man broke free from the girl's embrace and noticed quite a few paper scraps falling from her body.
"You're a Dwelling Cultivator?" The old man stared at Li Banfeng in astonishment.
Li Banfeng said nothing.
The old man's experience was indeed broad; he had recognized Li Banfeng's tier-four technique.
"That shouldn't be. You run so fast—aren't you a journey cultivator? Could you have cultivated two pathways? But Dwelling and Journey cannot be cultivated together..."
Li Banfeng wasted no more breath on the fortune teller. Only rage filled his mind now—rage at having been made a fool of by this old man.
"My wife, dinnertime!" Dragging the fortune teller, Li Banfeng stepped into the Portable Abode.
"Husband, have you made it out of the City of Fools?" the wife asked with delight.
"Not yet." Li Banfeng tossed the fortune teller in front of the gramophone. "Let's eat first, anyway."
The fortune teller looked at the gramophone, looking her up and down, and asked, "Are you his dwelling spirit?"
The gramophone sneered. "Good eyes."
The fortune teller shook his head repeatedly. "Impossible. His dwelling couldn't possibly be in the City of Fools..."
*Whoosh—*
A burst of scalding steam made the fortune teller cry out. The gramophone snapped, "Insolent! Who permitted you to speak? First tell me: are you a Fool Cultivator?"
The fortune teller nodded. "When I was among the living, I was indeed a Fool Cultivator."
"What tier of cultivation do you hold?"
"Tier two!"
"Tier two?" Li Banfeng didn't believe it. There was no way he could have been dragged into such a tough brawl by a mere tier-two cultivator. "Don't believe him, my wife. This old wretch's cultivation is definitely higher than tier two."
The wife, on the other hand, felt the old man was not lying. "Husband, your humble servant heard from seniors that there are indeed precedents of tier-two Fool Cultivators slaying tier-three cultivators, and even holding their own against tier-four cultivators."
Tier two holding their own against tier four?
Just how overwhelmingly strong was this pathway?
Li Banfeng said, "If you're tier two, what tier is that plaster seller?"
The fortune teller replied, "He is tier three."
*He has tier-three cultivation?
His cultivation is even higher than this fortune teller's?
Are you joking?*
"What tier of cultivation is the innkeeper of Youlai Inn?"
"He is tier four."
That innkeeper who had brandished a cleaver wanting to hack Li Banfeng to pieces.
The innkeeper who had led an entire inn full of people chasing Li Banfeng all over to chop him up was a tier-four cultivator?
Weren't Fool Cultivators supposed to be extraordinarily shrewd?
"Swindler!" Li Banfeng shook his head. "My wife, this man is a swindler."
Unable to tell for certain at the moment, the gramophone turned to ask, "Do you know how to leave the City of Fools?"
The fortune teller nodded. "I know. Only I know. I can guide him out—it all depends on whether you trust me."
Guide him?
Out of the question.
Li Banfeng would never let this fortune teller back out.
*Hiss, hiss—*
The wife disagreed as well. "Old thing, letting you out would only harm my husband. Tell me the method to leave the city. If it works, I will naturally let you go. If it doesn't, I will slice you into ten thousand pieces."
The fortune teller nodded. "What I told your man earlier was the honest truth. He shares karma with that deserted manor. He must stay there for a day and a night to sever the karma before he can leave the city."
Was what he said true?
What if he was deceiving her husband?
Send her husband out to try it first?
Yet if they didn't believe him, what other choice was there?
Torture him, force a confession slowly.
What if torture turned the truth into a lie?
*Chug-chug—*
*Chug-chug—*
The gramophone spun faster and faster.
The fortune teller looked increasingly calm.
Li Banfeng's thoughts spun even faster than the gramophone.
The other magical treasures couldn't devise a plan.
Even Red Lotus seemed somewhat torn.
The Portable Abode fell unusually quiet. Amidst the burning tension, a yawn suddenly broke the silence.
"Are you hungry?"
The Judge's Brush spoke.
He had uttered a rare four words.
He seemed to be speaking to the gramophone.
Greatly astonished, the gramophone asked, "Are you asking if I'm hungry?"
Too lazy to repeat himself, the Judge's Brush added just one more sentence:
"If you're hungry, eat."
Chapter 204