At the Medicine King Hall branch of the Jiangxiang Gang, Hall Master Luo Zhengnan sat on the rooftop listening to the radio, chuckling as he listened.
"The world is truly vast and full of wonders. A man and two donkeys, right in the middle of the street... To think something like this could actually happen in Yaowanggou!"
While Luo Zhengnan was amusing himself, his subordinate cudgelman Sun Xingbing came up to report, "Han Jinwei has arrived."
"Hall Master Han is here? Quickly, show him in!"
Sun Xingbing said, "Boss, Han Jinwei ceased being a hall master long ago. Why are you still treating him with such courtesy?"
Han Jinwei had originally been the master of the Jiangxiang Gang's Huangtuqiao branch. Because business in Huangtuqiao was so depressed, he had frequently taken his men on assignments in the Outer States.
During his last trip to the Outer States, he happened to receive orders from Xiao Zhenggong to go to Tiemenbao to fight for Spear Zhao Xiaowan. In the end, Li Banfeng outmaneuvered him, leading to the total wipeout of the Huangtuqiao branch.
Later, Spear Zhao Xiaowan was bought back by Luo Zhengnan. Xiao Zhenggong had not granted Luo Zhengnan the position of vice gang leader, but he had fulfilled one promise: he had handed the Huangtuqiao branch over to Luo Zhengnan.
Now Luo Zhengnan was the master of two branches, while Han Jinwei had become his subordinate. Luo Zhengnan truly had no need to show him any deference.
Yet Luo Zhengnan knew how to handle people. He chided his subordinate cudgelman, "You simply don't understand how the world works. What's the harm in calling him Hall Master? Who knows if he might stage a comeback one day? As the old saying goes, 'Courtesy costs nothing.' Translated into foreign talk, that's called having high emotional intelligence, you understand? Now hurry up and invite him in!"
Han Jinwei walked in, and after exchanging a few pleasantries, he stated his purpose: "Hall Master, I'd like to head back to Huangtuqiao to have a look, and look after the gang's business while I'm at it."
Luo Zhengnan smiled, having seen right through Han Jinwei's thoughts.
The man simply didn't want to stay in Yaowanggou under Luo Zhengnan's thumb.
"Hall Master Han, is there still any business left in Huangtuqiao?"
"There is. Three helms, each overseeing an area. I brought the register along for your perusal."
Luo Zhengnan didn't even bother looking. "I went to Huangtuqiao just last month. I walked for a dozen li and barely saw a handful of households. The place is deserted. What point is there in going back?"
"Hall Master, we still have over a hundred brothers there. That matter..."
"Discuss it with the brothers. Those willing to come to Yaowanggou, I'll take in. Those unwilling can snuff out their incense and go their own separate ways."
"Hall Master, that won't do! They are still doing work for the gang."
"Doing what work? You think I don't know? Not a single legitimate trade can stay afloat in Huangtuqiao anymore. The only business left is flesh-peddling."
Han Jinwei lowered his head. "That is still gang business."
The Jiangxiang Gang dabbled in every trade, and human trafficking was indeed among them.
Luo Zhengnan's face darkened, and his tone turned less polite. "Old Han, I've told you some things before, and today I'll say them once more. The gang has its enterprises, but each branch has its rules. In Medicine King Hall, the flesh-peddling trade is strictly forbidden. Whoever touches it is picking a fight with me, Luo Zhengnan."
"Of course, of course." Han Jinwei did not dare cross Luo Zhengnan. After a few casual words, he hastily took his leave.
Luo Zhengnan went back to listening to the radio, still catching reports of the man doing it with a donkey on the street. As he listened, he muttered to himself, "Why would a Mourning Cultivator come to Yaowanggou? Does this have anything to do with that person in Huangtuqiao? That bastard had the gall to provoke Monkey Qiu—he has only his own blindness to blame. Getting taken by a donkey right on the street, he probably won't have the face to linger in Yaowanggou much longer. It'd be best if he gets the hell out, and the sooner the better."
Luo Zhengnan was hoping the Mourning Cultivator would clear out soon, but Yu Heshun hadn't left yet.
Not only had he not left, but after nursing his injuries for two days, he went back to Qiu's Medicine Shop to stir up trouble again.
This was the standard logic of a Mourning Cultivator: whoever harmed him, he would latch onto relentlessly.
"You injured me so badly! If you don't give me an explanation, you'll have to wait on me for the rest of my life!"
Ding Youming, a clerk at the medicine shop, flared up in anger. "Who's going to wait on you for life? What nonsense are you spouting?"
"What did I spout? You people hurt me, and I've come to reason with you!" Yu Heshun repeated his old trick, bellowing at the top of his lungs to draw an onlookers' crowd.
Ding Youming wasn't afraid of him, and his voice boomed even louder: "Who hurt you? You were hurt by a donkey! Go reason with the donkey! Let the donkey wait on you for the rest of your life!"
At those words, the crowd burst into uproarious laughter.
Flushing red, Yu Heshun said, "Stop talking nonsense..."
"Who's talking nonsense? Ask everyone here! Who doesn't know you got done by a donkey right in the middle of the street?!"
"I... that was..." Yu Heshun wanted to explain that he had fallen under an art.
Ding Youming gave him no chance to explain. "I don't care whether you were genuinely passionate or just faking it—at the end of the day, you got done by a donkey right on the street!"
"I—I was..."
"You were done by a donkey!"
"Stop spitting venom!"
"I have proof right here—you were done by a donkey!" Ding Youming switched on a projector—one that Li Banfeng had specifically brought over.
The footage of him doing it with a donkey on the street was projected right before the entrance of the medicine shop.
The onlookers roared with laughter and cheered. Yu Heshun was nearly dead from fury and shame, turning around and storming away.
In the back hall of the medicine shop, Li Banfeng asked Qiu Zhiheng, "He won't ruin the shop's feng shui, will he?"
Qiu Zhiheng shook his head. "We haven't suffered any censure from bystanders, so the feng shui won't be harmed. He won't be able to stay in Yaowanggou any longer."
Outside the shop, waves of laughter rose one after another.
Li Banfeng didn't laugh.
Something wasn't right about this.
Mourning Cultivators were indeed difficult to deal with; Li Banfeng granted that.
Qiu Zhiheng certainly possessed methods; Li Banfeng acknowledged that as well.
Shopkeeper Feng and Yu Nan hadn't wanted to invite bad luck, so they had gone away to take cover—that made sense.
Yet why had the coachman gone into hiding?
The coachman was a senior expert among journey cultivators. If there were only this one Mourning Cultivator, and if his strength was merely at this level, the coachman would certainly have had ways to deal with him.
Things might not be so simple.
Two days later, the Yu Family Cloth Shop reopened.
Upon seeing Li Banfeng, Yu Nan was delighted and invited him inside for drinks.
After a couple of cups, Li Banfeng brought up the matter of avoiding the disaster. Yu Nan answered, "Shopkeeper Feng told me something big was about to happen in Yaowanggou and advised me to take cover outside for a couple of days, so I went to the newland."
The information had still originated from Shopkeeper Feng.
A few days later, Shopkeeper Feng returned as well.
Learning that Li Banfeng was back, Shopkeeper Feng was pleasantly surprised. "Boss Li, it's been so long! I've been waiting for you for days. Let's settle the money for the medicinal pills first."
The medicinal pills Li Banfeng had left on consignment with Shopkeeper Feng had all been sold.
Shopkeeper Feng adhered strictly to business rules; he followed agreements and kept clear, precise accounts without cutting any corners.
Li Banfeng waved a hand. "There's no rush on the pill money. First, tell me about avoiding this trouble. Where did you hear the news?"
Shopkeeper Feng took a sip of tea. "Heard it from a friend."
He didn't wish to elaborate on this, and Li Banfeng never pressed him on things Shopkeeper Feng preferred not to discuss.
"I came to see you because I'd like to ask about someone—your older brother, Feng Chongli."
Shopkeeper Feng frowned slightly. After a long silence, he asked, "May I ask what business you have with him?"
"Business matters."
Shopkeeper Feng let out a sigh. "I truly dread bringing him up. Though we're blood brothers, we don't walk the same path. But he and I had an agreement: when it comes to business, we must look out for each other. Since you've asked, I can't keep it to myself. A while back, he made a trip to Huangtuqiao, and came from Huangtuqiao to Yaowanggou. He came looking for me, warning that a Mourning Cultivator was coming to Yaowanggou and telling me to go hide. Mourning Cultivators are the bane of merchants. I passed the word along to Boss Qiu and Shopkeeper Yu, and I took shelter back at my family's old home in the countryside. Only over the past couple of days, after hearing the Mourning Cultivator had left, did I dare return. If you want to do business with my elder brother, as far as I know, he went back to Huangtuqiao. Go there and have a look; he probably hasn't left yet."
Huangtuqiao was a town wedged between Lüshui City and Heishipo.
Li Banfeng had passed Huangtuqiao several times by train, but he had never visited.
The next day, Qiu Zhiheng helped Li Banfeng procure a travel permit and saw him off to the train station.
When they reached the station square and had just stepped down from their rickshaw, they suddenly heard people arguing. Following the noise with their eyes, they saw a crowd harassing a rickshaw puller.
A young man in his twenties said, "It's just a few steps to Yuanzheng Street, and you're demanding eight dollars? Have you lost your mind to poverty?"
The rickshaw puller looked bewildered. "Is... isn't this the going rate for everyone?"
From the station to Paifang Street was eight dollars; that was the standard rate.
Yuanzheng Street was slightly farther than Paifang Street, so asking for eight dollars really wasn't excessive.
Yet the crowd refused to let it go. An old woman snapped, "What going rate? Demanding extortionate prices when you see an old person! With conduct like yours, you deserve to stay dirt-poor for generations! Seven dollars, take it or leave it—are you going or not?"
Frightened, the rickshaw puller nodded. "All right, let's go then."
The old woman called out, "Get in!"
Over a dozen people began piling toward the rickshaw, frightening the puller out of his wits. "Folks, this rickshaw seats two people at most! What do you think you're doing?"
The old woman sneered, "Who says it only seats two? Can't we just squeeze in together?"
The puller tried to hold them back. "No! You'll wreck my rickshaw!"
"What's this? You take our money and won't let us ride? Bullying outsiders, are you? Is this the culture in Yaowanggou? Can a wretched place like this ever amount to any good?"
With everyone shoving and jostling, the rickshaw puller grabbed his shafts and bolted.
Li Banfeng did a quick headcount; fifteen people had swarmed the puller.
Qiu Zhiheng was dumbfounded as well. He said to Li Banfeng, "Brother, let's get out of here quick! Don't let their bad luck rub off on us."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I can't leave just yet. I need to see an old friend."
Qiu Zhiheng froze. "I'm heading to see an old friend too. We couldn't possibly be looking for the same person, could we?"
As it turned out, they truly were looking for the exact same person.
Qiu Zhiheng led Li Banfeng to Baixiang Village, and from there they traveled over seventy li southeast until they reached a desolate mountain.
Deep in the desolate mountain, past two communal graveyards, a small courtyard came into view in the distance.
Entering the courtyard, a blast of alcohol fumes greeted them. Old Yao was sprawled on a lounge chair, clutching a flagon of wine, singing opera:
"This letter arrived at the opportune hour, Heaven aids Huang Zhong in winning great power! Standing by camp gates, I sound the rallying cry; listen close, young and old, hear the roots of our tie..."
*Dingjun Mountain*!
Truth be told, with Old Yao's measured cadence and rhythm, he actually sang it quite well.
Seeing Li Banfeng, Old Yao stood up from his lounge chair, caught Li Banfeng's hand, and chuckled, "What brings you here, boy?"
Li Banfeng replied politely, "I came specifically to pay my respects to you, elder."
"How's business?"
"Thanks to your blessings, business is quite good."
"Why didn't you bring your wife and children along?"
"I... uh..." Li Banfeng didn't know how to respond.
Old Yao frowned. "Young Qiu, I don't mean to criticize, but look at that beard of yours. Why don't you groom it properly?"
Li Banfeng looked at Qiu Zhiheng, an awkward expression on his face.
Old Yao glanced at Qiu Zhiheng and rubbed his forehead. "Drank a few cups too many and saw double. That one is Young Qiu!"
He turned back to Li Banfeng and added, "How did you end up coming with Young Qiu?"
"Brother Qiu and I already knew each other."
"I know you two know each other. Girl, let me warn you: Young Qiu has a family; he's no match for you. Haven't you always fancied Li the Seventh? Actually, that Li the Seventh isn't any good either!"
"That thing called Li the Seventh is actually quite decent," Li Banfeng said, staring at Old Yao. "Just how much did you drink?"
"Not much!" Old Yao held up two fingers. "Eight and a half jin. Another half jin is still in the flagon."
Qiu Zhiheng said, "Old Yao, we came to let you know that Mourning Cultivators have arrived in Yaowanggou."
"I heard about that!" Old Yao looked nonchalant. "Isn't it just one Mourning Cultivator? Don't tell me you can't even handle that. Did you really need to come find me over such a trivial matter?"
Qiu Zhiheng shook his head. "It's not just one. Fifteen of them showed up in total."
"Fifteen?" Old Yao froze, sobered instantly.
"How could fifteen have come?" Old Yao muttered to himself. "How many people are there in that pathway altogether? How could fifteen possibly show up?"
After a moment of silence, Old Yao looked up. "Have either of you been to Huangtuqiao recently?"
Li Banfeng shook his head repeatedly; he had never been there.
Qiu Zhiheng said, "I went once at the beginning of the year."
"What was the situation like there?"
"Not good. Completely depressed. Hardly anyone left."
Old Yao blinked. "I remember that place produces coal and has iron mines. It shouldn't have fallen into such a state."
Qiu Zhiheng said, "Doing business there comes with endless trouble. The merchants all moved to Heishipo, and regular households relocated as well."
Old Yao set down the wine flagon, his expression stunned. "Has that Star of Mourning set his sights on me?"
Chapter 338