The Fort Lord's Name Is Fort Lord

Li Banfeng stepped out of the Portable Abode and arrived in front of the courtyard. A group of Dwelling Cultivators stood in neat formation before the gates, waiting for Li Banfeng's orders. "What are you all standing around here for? Did you take care of the tasks I assigned?" Wu Yongchao stepped forward. "Everything is done. Zhou Anju and Ma Dingfu's subordinates have all been dealt with, and someone has been sent up to the cliff." "How many did you send?" "One." Li Banfeng frowned. "I told you to send men, and you sent just one? Add two more! "Three men per shift, rotating every three hours—one on lookout, one to deliver messages, and one for backup!" Wu Yongchao nodded. "I'll see to it at once." "How many people are over at the boiler room?" "Five. All locals from the fort, taking turns stoking the boilers." "Add two sentries by the main gate. Tell them to stay sharp—if there's any sign of trouble, shut the gate immediately. Everyone else, get back inside your houses and stay on high alert. "From now on, the fort lord's compound is designated a forbidden zone. No one is permitted within a hundred meters of the courtyard perimeter." Wu Yongchao gave his assent, called over two other men, and carefully measured out a hundred-meter distance with a tape measure before chalking a boundary line. Everyone then retreated past the line. *They insisted on measuring it with a tape and drawing an actual line.* *Still, that's not bad. Rigid as they might be, at least these Dwelling Cultivators know how to follow orders.* Li Banfeng entered the courtyard alone and wheeled out the windmill gramophone from the Portable Abode. On the turntable lay a freshly engraved record made by his wife. Under the evening breeze, the windmill rotated steadily, winding up the spring mechanism, and music began to play: "I raise high a cup of bitter wine, You know deep down that I am not drunk, Only for your lover, Do I drink this toast, do I drink this toast..." The song was called "A Man's Tears." This dwelling spirit had just killed her Dwelling Cultivator, so this song ought to strike a chord with her. A masterless dwelling spirit could turn into an evil spirit at any moment. Though his wife's plan was thoroughly devised, Li Banfeng was still quite nervous right now. The music played for half an hour, but there wasn't the slightest stir from inside the wing building. Li Banfeng returned to the Portable Abode and spoke to the gramophone: "Dearest, this record of yours isn't working. She refuses to come out." "That shouldn't be!" His wife sounded surprised. "I poured my heart into singing that piece. Any spirit soul should be stirred by it. Even if that dwelling spirit can't leave her quarters, she ought to have shown some reaction. "Husband, move a bit closer to the building." "Closer? If she really comes out, I might lose my life! What, are you aiming to become a widow?" The gramophone sounded quite confident: "Don't worry, Husband. Once you reach the doors of the wing, open the door to our abode immediately and let this humble servant test the waters." Li Banfeng approached the door with great caution as a blast of biting, chilling air swept over him. He immediately opened the door to the Portable Abode, and his wife's singing drifted toward the threshold. This was not played second-hand through the windmill gramophone; this was his wife singing in person. In the past, whenever it came to dealing with deceased souls, his wife's singing had never failed. Yet the wing building remained dead silent, as if the other party truly hadn't heard her song at all. Leaving the door of the Portable Abode open, Li Banfeng waited a moment outside the wing. The singing came to an abrupt halt. Sunk into a feeling of intense intimidation, his wife shouted from inside the abode: "Husband, fall back! I know who this is—it's that deaf and blind slut!" *What deaf and blind...* A gust of yin wind blew again, and the voice of a woman drifted out from the wing: "Wicked wretch, is that you? I can smell that cheap rouge on you—the lowest-grade roadside stuff, a whole big tub for two copper coins. It suits you perfectly! "How many years have I waited for you? Come in! Come inside right now! Let's settle our score once and for all!" "Husband, run!" Li Banfeng pocketed the key, hurried out of the courtyard, and retreated into the Portable Abode. "Dearest, you know this dwelling spirit?" "I do! That wretched bitch deserves death!" Murderous intent radiated from his wife, accompanied by a frantic clatter of gongs and drums. "Dearest, what grudge is there between the two of you?" "A colossal grudge. I gouged out her eyes." *So that's how she went blind.* "Then how did she go deaf?" "She deafened herself—just to block out my singing." *That woman had it rough.* "Sounds like you won a crushing victory back then, Dearest." "I didn't win," his wife answered calmly. "I was careless, and I died at her hands!" *She died at her hands...* *Died at her hands!* Li Banfeng gave a start. This was an encounter with a mortal nemesis. And yet, mentioning this matter, his wife sounded remarkably composed! His wife had died at her hands in the past—just how high was this dwelling spirit's tier? Li Banfeng asked, "Do you want revenge on her, Dearest?" "Revenge must be taken, but the time is not yet ripe. Unless we lure her into this dwelling, this humble servant will have no chance of victory. If I enter her quarters, in my current state, I am no match for her." Inside that woman's quarters, even his wife wouldn't be able to defeat her? There was such a monster inside Tiemenbao? "Looks like we can't keep Tiemenbao after all." "No need to worry, Husband. That bitch's Dwelling Cultivator is dead, and she is both deaf and blind, unable to find her way. Even if an opening is left in the building, she won't be able to get out. "Tell the Dwelling Cultivators of Tiemenbao to keep their distance from this place as much as possible. If they must enter the compound, under no circumstances should they step into that wing building. "A Dwelling Cultivator and a dwelling spirit can establish a covenant. If any Dwelling Cultivator inadvertently speaks the dwelling spirit's name, it would amount to securing a new cultivator for that bitch, and things would become troublesome." *Hiss, hiss—hiss, hiss—* The Red Lotus emitted sounds. She seemed to recognize this dwelling spirit as well. The gramophone turned its horn toward the Red Lotus and asked, "Sister Red Lotus, are you saying you have a way to subdue that bitch?" *Hiss, hiss—* The Red Lotus confirmed. A long silence fell over the Portable Abode. Li Banfeng spoke first: "My wife doesn't feed on dead things." The gramophone followed up: "And the Red Lotus doesn't feed on the living." A dwelling spirit counted as a living spirit. Li Banfeng and his wife laughed together, their laughter chilling and sinister. *Hiss, hiss—* The Red Lotus spoke again. His wife relayed: "She says she has other methods." Li Banfeng fell silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod. He picked up the Red Lotus and carried her to the Fifth Chamber. "Reflect on your actions here for a few days. No food for you!" *You have other methods?* *Aren't you just trying to trick me into letting you out?* Watching Li Banfeng walk away, the bronze lotus sprayed a stream of dew droplets. *** Li Banfeng exited the Portable Abode and entered the main building. It was best not to pry into his wife's past affairs unless she chose to speak of them herself. There were quite a few good items left in this courtyard. Ma Dingfu had known where they were kept and had revealed everything to Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng first headed to a secret room on the third floor and retrieved two numinous artifacts. The first was a black button capable of altering a person's voice. This artifact had been crafted from pure empty spirits. Due to limited spirituality, it hadn't attained the rank of a dharma treasure and lacked the capacity for advancement, but its function was remarkably potent. The button had four holes, but sewing only a single hole onto a piece of clothing was enough to use it. The method of operation was somewhat complex: twisting the button allowed one to continuously shift vocal timbre, and reaching a specific pitch depended on the user's trial and error. The second numinous artifact was a belt. According to Ma Dingfu, this belt was even more precious, having been crafted from a great xiao—an agglomeration of empty spirits. The belt's sole function was to project an aura of dread. Zhou Anju possessed no cultivation, yet merely by buckling this belt around his waist, he could plunge Li Banfeng into terror. A dual-fourth-tier cultivator falling into fear before a white lamb—the power of this belt, much like the techniques of a Fool Cultivator, seemed capable of transcending tier boundaries. Aside from these two artifacts, Li Banfeng also uncovered a hundred and fifty thousand silver dollars and a sizable quantity of gold bars inside Zhou Anju's compound. He summoned several Dwelling Cultivators and had them carry the cold, hard cash out into the open courtyard. Wu Yongchao called out in all directions, assembling the entire roster of Dwelling Cultivators. Li Banfeng looked at the chests of silver. "This is your money—the money gouged out of you by Zhou Anju. Whoever was bled more, Ah Chao, check the ledger, calculate the amounts, and divide it fairly." Wu Yongchao led several men to count the funds, while the rest of the Dwelling Cultivators looked silently at Li Banfeng. They couldn't see his face. The brim of his hat was pulled low, revealing only a full beard. They had met plenty of men who took their money, but never once had they met someone who gave money back to them. After a long silence, an elderly man stepped forward to offer his thanks: "Lord Peddler, I thank you..." "Don't call me Peddler," Li Banfeng said, shaking his head. "The peddler is my junior martial brother's moniker." "Then, this..." The old man had no idea how else to address him. Having finished counting the gold and silver, Wu Yongchao turned to Li Banfeng and said, "Fort Lord, the totals have been tallied, and the share per person has been calculated." He called Li Banfeng Fort Lord. He was an honest man, but he was no fool; he knew who treated him well. "Fort Lord, thank you." The elderly man bowed toward Li Banfeng. "Fort Lord!" "Fort Lord!" "Thank you, Fort Lord!" One after another, the Dwelling Cultivators began chiming in, calling him Fort Lord. Li Banfeng let out a cold laugh. "I killed two of your successive fort lords, and now you want me to be your fort lord? Does that seem appropriate?" The crowd didn't know how to respond. It truly wasn't very appropriate, and they were quite conflicted. Li Banfeng laughed aloud. "Well, I think it's very appropriate!" *Is it really appropriate?* Li Banfeng continued, "From this day forward, I am your fort lord! Anyone who objects can step forward right now!" The crowd still didn't know how to respond. They felt even more conflicted. A female Dwelling Cultivator named Li Zhijuan lowered her voice and said, "What if someone kills this fort lord too? What do we do then?" Her voice was very quiet, but Li Banfeng heard it clearly. Li Banfeng shouted at the top of his lungs, "Even if someone kills me, he won't be your fort lord! Because from now on, you will only ever have one fort lord—me! "Any other questions?" A male Dwelling Cultivator named Hu Fangyuan asked in a small voice, "What if you die? What should we do then?" This question was very crucial. *These Dwelling Cultivators, their mouths are as sweet as if they've been dipped in honey!* "In life, I am your fort lord; in death, I remain your fort lord! Even as a ghost, I won't let you off! "Anything else to ask?" A female Dwelling Cultivator named Tang Yanning mustered her courage and asked, "Fort Lord, what is your name?" Li Banfeng answered, "My name is Fort Lord. Have you memorized it?" *The fort lord's name is Fort Lord...* The crowd was conflicted to the point of utter bewilderment. A male Dwelling Cultivator named Yuan Zhenguang asked with genuine earnestness, "We don't know your name, and we can't see your face clearly. What if someone impersonates you? What do we do then?" Li Banfeng said, "As Dwelling Cultivators, getting into bed you must recognize your wife; getting out of bed you must recognize your shoes; leaving the fort you must recognize the way back; and entering the fort you must recognize your fort lord! "If you can't even manage something as simple as that, what kind of Dwelling Cultivator are you?" *Entering the fort means you must recognize the fort lord?* *Do Dwelling Cultivators even have such an ability?* *Does such logic even make sense?* While the crowd of Dwelling Cultivators was still trying to sort through their thoughts, Li Banfeng laid down three rules: "First rule: The fort lord's name is Fort Lord! "Second rule: Tiemenbao has only one fort lord! "Third rule: Everyone in the fort must obey the fort lord!" Having heard these three rules, the Dwelling Cultivators weren't quite so conflicted anymore. They felt this actually made a lot of sense! "Once you've collected your money, go attend to your respective duties. Every single task I assign must be handled thoroughly. "Right now we must guard against retaliation from Feiying Mountain. Keeping watch, delivering messages, guarding the main gate—everyone must put their heart and soul into it. Understood?" The gathered Dwelling Cultivators answered in resounding unison, collected their shares of the money, and scattered to attend to their tasks. The next morning at dawn, Li Banfeng donned a mask and changed his clothes. Ensuring that none of the Dwelling Cultivators would recognize him, he climbed up to the cliff. On the platform, three Dwelling Cultivators were standing guard. Working diligently and meticulously was a virtue of Dwelling Cultivators. None of the three slacked off for even an instant; all three stared intently at Li Banfeng. The one responsible for keeping watch spotted Li Banfeng and immediately alerted the other two. Li Banfeng closed his eyes and sighed. *I'm standing right in front of you. What are you alerting them for?* The one responsible for backup asked, "Who goes there?" *Not bad. At least that attitude is proper.* The most infuriating one was the messenger—he grabbed the rope and started climbing down the cliff. Li Banfeng called out, "Where do you think you're going?" The messenger kept silent. *I'm going to deliver a message! How could I disclose such a top-secret matter to an outsider?* Li Banfeng was incensed: "Can't you bang a gong or beat a drum? Do you really have to run all the way down yourself to deliver the message?" This group of Dwelling Cultivators didn't lack combat ability, nor did they lack the will to fight. What they lacked was combat experience. *Where can I get them some experience?* Li Banfeng gazed toward Feiying Mountain in the distance. *Why haven't they come yet?* *** *Whew—clatter, clatter, clatter—* Behind Hall Master Luo Zhengnan, a Jiangxiang Gang disciple from the Medicine King Hall dialed a telephone number, and the line connected. Xiao Zhenggong was soaking in a swimming pool, flanked by more than a dozen young, attractive women soaking alongside him. "You'd better have something urgent to tell me!" With a cigar clamped in his mouth, Xiao Zhenggong strained to maintain his patience. Luo Zhengnan dismissed his subordinates and lowered his voice: "Chief, good stuff. I've found that gun." "Which gun are you talking about?" Xiao Zhenggong threw his cigar aside. "The very one you've always wanted! Zhao Xiaowan!" Xiao Zhenggong's body couldn't help but tremble.