An ordinary spear, a belt that could magnify one's imposing aura, and a button capable of mimicking voices—put them together, and could they become Hong Ying?
Li Banfeng believed they could, because cultivation was invisible.
Yet the prerequisite to making all this a reality was getting the Red Lotus to act.
Li Banfeng moved the bronze lotus from the sixth room into the main hall, where the Red Lotus was already bristling with dew.
"A-Lian, I have a favor to ask."
Pfft!
The Red Lotus spat a bead of dew directly onto Li Banfeng's face.
Wiping his face, Li Banfeng didn't get angry, but the gramophone flared with fury.
"Why, you wretched wench! How dare you spit at my husband? Who gave you the audacity?"
Pfft!
The Red Lotus spat another bead of dew at the gramophone.
Puffing steam, the gramophone was about to tear into the Red Lotus when Li Banfeng shouted, "My wife, if A-Lian refuses to help, my only choice will be to hand Hong Ying over."
Hiss—whoosh—
The wife adjusted her breathing. Her giant horn turned toward the Red Lotus, and drawing her huqin, she sang:
"Oh, little sister, we are one family—there is no need for estrangement! Why must you still hold a grudge over past trivialities?"
Pfft! Another bead of dew.
"Little sister, earlier your elder sister was in the wrong. Please don't take it to heart."
Li Banfeng chimed in to coax her as well. "I made mistakes before, too. Let's just let bygones be bygones."
After both of them pleaded for a long time—and were spat with dewdrops all over their faces—the Red Lotus finally agreed.
The spear, button, and belt were all drawn into the heart of the lotus, and the Red Lotus whispered a few words to the gramophone.
Using her stylus, the gramophone fetched two anthologies of poetry and a stack of newspapers, presenting them to the Red Lotus.
After nearly two hours, a spear was forged.
This spear looked identical to Hong Ying. Even if placed before a high-tier Scrying Cultivator, they might not spot a single flaw.
The gramophone sighed in wonder, praising the Red Lotus's craft without end: "Just as I always say, this wretched... little sister is truly quite useful."
Hong Ying had awakened, but her body was still bound in steam and unable to move.
She sensed a powerful aura, but unfortunately, only her hearing had recovered while her sight remained blind. She had no idea what had appeared before her.
How was this aura even fiercer than her own?
Who was this?
Had enemy troops arrived?
Having been reworked by the Red Lotus, the belt's power was completely unleashed. In terms of sheer imposing aura alone, it had surpassed the real Hong Ying.
Hong Ying spoke: "Vile woman, is this aura yours? No, this bearing isn't like yours. What on earth is this thing?"
Holding the spear, Li Banfeng couldn't quite explain what it was either.
Two high-grade spirit items, reprocessed by the Red Lotus, had been fused with an utterly ordinary weapon. What was one supposed to call such a thing?
Li Banfeng gave it a name: "Bluffing Tiger."
What an imposing name!
Li Banfeng lifted the Bluffing Tiger spear, and it uttered a call:
"Snow dims the painted banners; wind mingles with the beat of drums."
Hong Ying grew tense. "From where comes this rogue? Do you wish to fight me?!"
Li Banfeng was even more nervous than Hong Ying. Looking at the Red Lotus, he asked, "A-Lian, did you refine the Tang dao? That sword is still useful!"
The Red Lotus made no sound. Li Banfeng rushed into the second room and found the Tang dao peeking out through a crack in the door.
The newly made Bluffing Tiger spear could recite poetry, and the way it recited poems left the Tang dao completely entranced.
However, the spear's spirituality derived from two spirit items, not a true dharma treasure. The intelligence of spirit items was exceptionally limited.
The spear's recitation was confined solely to the two anthologies that had been smelted into it; beyond that, it could not speak on its own initiative.
It could exude an overpowering aura, even fiercer than Hong Ying's own, and its voice bore an uncanny resemblance to hers.
Yet it could not handle overly complex interactions, nor did it possess any capacity for independent combat. This was the impassable chasm between a spirit item and a dharma treasure.
Could this spear fool Luo Zhengnan?
That depended on whether the performance was convincing enough.
Li Banfeng stepped out of the Portable Abode, summoned Wu Yongchao, and instructed him to prepare a banquet.
Wu Yongchao didn't know the reason, but if the fort lord didn't say, he wouldn't ask.
Once food and drink were purchased, Li Banfeng chose the grand mansion as the gathering place, laying out over twenty tables on the first floor and specially preparing a tea room in the eastern auxiliary building.
What had come over the fort lord?
Hadn't he said before that the grand mansion was forbidden ground?
Especially the eastern auxiliary building, which was under no circumstances to be entered.
The explanation Li Banfeng gave was that the issue with the mansion had been resolved, and going forward it would serve as the venue where Tiemenbao conducted official business.
The Dwelling Cultivators were overjoyed. Previously, they had all believed that an evil demon or monstrosity had haunted the fort, and seeing someone pinned to death right before the gates had sent the entire settlement into a panic.
Now the monstrosity was gone, undoubtedly eradicated by the fort lord.
Filled with reverence, everyone toasted the fort lord one after another.
Raising his cup, Hu Fangyuan said, "Fort Lord, this cup represents my deepest respect for you. I don't normally drink, but having this cup today is purely to give you face. I'll drink it dry first; you drink as much as you see fit."
Li Banfeng looked at Hu Fangyuan. "If I don't drink it all, wouldn't that mean I don't know what's good for me?"
After he finished the cup, the female Dwelling Cultivator Li Zhijuan came over. "We womenfolk don't drink, but I hold the fort lord in high esteem. I'll have a toast with you."
Emptying her cup, Li Zhijuan looked at Li Banfeng with flushed cheeks. "Fort Lord, I really finished it."
"All right..." Li Banfeng felt too embarrassed not to finish his as well.
Having downed the second cup, Wu Yongchao approached with a cup in hand. "Fort Lord, I don't usually drink either..."
With a dark expression, Li Banfeng said, "If you don't drink, then don't drink."
"No matter what, I must have a drink with the fort lord today."
"I don't want to drink with you."
"When are you going to pay back what you owe me?"
Li Banfeng poured himself a cup. "Chao, what sort of talk is that? Think of the bond between us..."
Drinking went on into the dead of night, and well over half of the three hundred Dwelling Cultivators were dead drunk.
The next day, when the market opened, the Dwelling Cultivators all lay in bed at home, not venturing outside. As Luo Zhengnan squatted by the street selling vegetables, an old oil vendor murmured in his ear, "They held a victory banquet yesterday, and everybody got plastered. A girl just told me."
Luo Zhengnan made no sound. He spotted Li Banfeng strolling leisurely through the market.
Neither spoke a superfluous word. Luo Zhengnan followed Li Banfeng directly into the residence where they had previously met.
Host and guest took their seats. Li Banfeng cut straight to the chase: "I've decided to sell the item. Have you gathered all the money?"
Luo Zhengnan chuckled. "All of it. Not only is it all gathered, but I brought it with me!"
Li Banfeng stared blankly. "Eight hundred thousand silver dollars?"
Ten thousand silver dollars filled a large chest. Eighty chests of silver dollars—how could he possibly have brought all that along?
Lowering his head, Luo Zhengnan took out a sack from his waist.
He untied the sack's cord, but the sack did not open.
This sack was a spirit item; opening it required a verification process.
Luo Zhengnan pressed the sack against his forehead and communicated with it for a moment.
Watching the entire procedure, Li Banfeng probed, "What kind of method is that?"
Luo Zhengnan didn't shy away from answering at all. "It's called short-range wireless communication. In the Outer States, they call it Bluetooth technology. I'm especially fond of things from the Outer States. I may be getting on in years, but I still like to keep up with the trends."
Li Banfeng stared at Luo Zhengnan's skull, looking closely for the Bluetooth switch.
A thing like that couldn't stay on all the time; it was quite a drain on battery.
Once the Bluetooth verification was complete, the sack opened.
Luo Zhengnan reached into the sack and retrieved a tray.
The sack shuddered in a spasm, as though about to vomit.
Luo Zhengnan urged gently, "Don't rush."
He placed the tray flat on the ground. Connected beneath the tray was a mechanical readout dial, currently reading zero.
The tray looked like a scale, but it wasn't one; it was a mechanical counter.
Whenever the tray received an impact of a certain force, the counter's number would tick up by one. The display could show up to ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, meaning every hundred thousand, it would reset to zero.
Luo Zhengnan inserted a tube into the sack, and the sack convulsed again.
This time, the sack truly couldn't hold it in any longer and spewed silver dollars down through the tube.
Clang, clang, clang!
Silver dollars struck the tray, a ceaseless chime echoing as the counter ticked continuously upward. Li Banfeng and Luo Zhengnan watched with their own eyes as the sack poured out eight hundred thousand silver dollars in an unbroken stream.
Eight hundred thousand silver coins piled up on the floor, leaving almost no room to step foot in the room.
Luo Zhengnan smiled. "Fort Lord, all the money has been delivered. Is my sincerity evident enough?"
Wasn't he afraid the fort lord would double-cross him?
He was!
Yet Luo Zhengnan had a backup plan; there were other things inside that sack, though he wouldn't resort to them unless pushed to the absolute brink.
With the money delivered, Li Banfeng didn't drag his feet either.
He went up to the second floor, locked the room door, entered the Portable Abode, and fetched the spear.
When he placed the spear before Luo Zhengnan, its overwhelming aura sent a violent shudder through the man, nearly causing him to tumble beneath the table.
It was the real thing.
No doubt about it!
Luo Zhengnan steadied his nerves and, after two attempts, finally took the spear into his hands and stuffed it into that massive sack.
The sack went into severe convulsions, straining with all its might before managing to swallow the Bluffing Tiger spear.
Terrified, Luo Zhengnan wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Li Banfeng, "Fort Lord, no offense intended, but next time you sell an item like this, at least find something to seal it with. Handing it to me just like this... grabbing hold of it nearly scared the soul right out of me! I'm afraid this sack of mine won't hold out for long either."
Li Banfeng sighed. "The only thing capable of sealing this spear was that auxiliary building next door. But the seal has been broken by me, and right now I can't think of anything else that could keep it contained."
Luo Zhengnan glanced at his sack.
The sack was still spasming, seeming utterly drained of strength.
This was his most vital spirit item; looking at it pained Luo Zhengnan's heart.
"It's getting late, and I should be on my way. Having met, we can consider each other friends. The jianghu is vast and the roads are long; may we look out for one another down the line. Fort Lord, until we meet again."
Seeing Luo Zhengnan turn to leave, Li Banfeng extended a polite courtesy: "Hall Master Luo, what's the rush? I have modest wine prepared. Why not have a cup or two?"
Luo Zhengnan waved a hand. "I'm a straightforward man, so let me speak plainly: with this thing on me, I won't feel at peace for even a single moment. Once I've dealt with it, I will come visit your manor again."
With that, Luo Zhengnan departed.
By the time he walked out of the fort, Wan Jinxian was still running his fortune-telling stall by the roadside.
Seeing Luo Zhengnan leave in such a hurry, Wan Jinxian quickly sent a message to He Jiaqing.
"Jiaqing, Old Luo has come out of the fort. Looking at his hurried demeanor, the deal must have gone through."
"Gone through? So quickly?" He Jiaqing felt Luo Zhengnan wasn't one to act so hastily.
"I don't think it was quick at all!" Wan Jinxian was deeply concerned. "Luo Zhengnan wasn't the only one who came out. The rest of the Jiangxiang Gang has left the fort as well."
He Jiaqing was startled. "They're pulling out?"
Wan Jinxian said, "Yesterday Tiemenbao held a victory banquet, leaving the Dwelling Cultivators half-dead from drinking, and the seal on the forbidden grounds was torn off. Luo Zhengnan entered the fort this morning, and by noon he was hurrying out. I fear the deal isn't merely agreed upon—it's very likely already concluded!"
Gritting his teeth, He Jiaqing nearly tumbled off his sickbed.
"Old Wan, keep your eyes on Luo Zhengnan at once! Do not let him walk out of Tiemenbao. If the item is in his hands, get it back no matter the cost!"
PS: Luo Zhengnan has performed a great service, spending eight hundred thousand silver dollars to bring home a grand treasure.
Yet can he truly bring this "grand treasure" back?
Chapter 230