Li Banfeng obtained a travel permit, bought a train ticket, and prepared to head to Huangtuqiao.
Shopkeeper Feng's elder brother, Feng Chongli, was still in Huangtuqiao waiting to do major business, making him the most crucial lead in Li Banfeng's investigation into the railway tracks.
He didn't tell Qiu Zhiheng the reason for his departure, saying only that he would return as soon as possible.
Only Shopkeeper Feng knew what Li Banfeng was going to Huangtuqiao for, and he accompanied him on the journey.
"That elder brother of mine has a rule. To do business with him, you have to find a witness. This witness must know both you and him.
"Not many people know about this rule, nor is he willing to tell others in advance. When others negotiate business with him, things often end on sour terms for both sides because there is no witness."
Li Banfeng was puzzled. "Why must there be a witness? What happens if you don't find one?"
"Without a witness, the deal will change drastically. If he's buying something, he'll drive the price down, potentially to less than half.
"If he's selling something, he'll hike the price, potentially doubling it—or simply go back on his word and refuse to sell altogether.
"This witness has to do with his cultivation. Doing business without a witness seems to be detrimental to his cultivation."
"If a witness is so important, why doesn't he inform people in advance?"
Shopkeeper Feng shook his head and sighed. "That I wouldn't know."
Though they were biological brothers and even walked the same pathway, Shopkeeper Feng didn't understand Feng Chongli that deeply either.
Before leaving, Li Banfeng went to check in on Old Yao's residence.
The wife had carved a record and said to Li Banfeng, "Take this to that local spirit surnamed Yao. He knows how to fight, and so long as he defends his home turf, the Star of Mourning shouldn't be a match for him.
"However, the Mourning Array has already taken shape in Yaowanggou, and one can never be too careful. If the Star of Mourning launches a sneak attack, this record might come in handy."
There was no questioning the power of his wife's records.
"Old Yao doesn't have a gramophone, though. What's he going to play it on?"
Might as well give him one.
Li Banfeng took a wind-up gramophone from Room Six, which he had bought from the Miaosheng Gramophone Shop.
Li Banfeng often went to the Miaosheng Gramophone Shop to buy gramophones. Gramophones from the country of Amikan had parts compatible with his wife, so they were mostly kept for her upgrades. As for gramophones produced by other countries, whenever one caught his eye, Li Banfeng would buy it for his collection.
This gramophone was manufactured in Autrilia, and its tone was quite exceptional, but Old Yao didn't care for it.
"Western contraptions—I really can't stand them. Leave it in the room, I suppose. It can serve as an ornament."
Li Banfeng placed the gramophone by the bedside. "I've wound the spring for you. Remember, when fighting starts, flip the switch on. It'll be of great help."
Old Yao scoffed. "When I'm fighting a battle, do you think I'll be in the mood to listen to this thing?"
Li Banfeng then handed Ling Miaoying's adhesive tape to Old Yao. "If you get wounded, tape yourself up with this."
Old Yao studied the adhesive tape for a long while. "Is this meant for taping people or patching tires?"
"It's good stuff. Keep it just in case!"
Watching Li Banfeng walk away into the distance, Old Yao sighed. "I never make friends with people. Why give me so many things?"
Just as he finished speaking, a gentle breeze swept through.
A fallen leaf drifted down, suddenly darting at high speed straight toward Old Yao's cheek.
With a flick of his wine gourd, two liang of aged wine splashed out from the spout.
As the liquor washed over the leaf, wisps of green smoke billowed in succession.
Old Yao dissolved into a mist of alcohol and gave chase along the green smoke.
More than ten minutes later, Old Yao returned to his reclining chair and snorted, "Old dog, you sure run fast!"
His left arm was bleeding. Old Yao didn't take it to heart at first, carrying on drinking.
After two sips, he glanced at the tape Li Banfeng had brought, chuckled, and said, "Well, it's the thought that counts. Might as well give it a try!"
***
Inside the Portable Abode, Hong Ying asked, "Yaowanggou is the Bitter Medicine Pass of the old days, isn't it?"
Chhh, chhh—
The gramophone replied with a single word: "Yes."
Hong Ying murmured, "That man truly is Yao Xin."
Again, the same word: "Yes."
"That old bastard is actually still here."
"He has always been here."
"You knew he was here?"
"Yes."
"Does he know you're still in this world?"
"Yes."
"Have you seen him since that incident?"
"No."
"Do you hate him?"
"I have never hated that old general. Out of the entire three armies, he is the only one I never harbored hatred for."
Hong Ying sneered. "Then why do you hate me?"
"You are not like him. He was a competent general. He held Bitter Medicine Pass, and he has held it to this very day."
***
Li Banfeng and Shopkeeper Feng took the train to Huangtuqiao. A whole train, yet only the two of them disembarked at this stop.
From the moment they stepped off the train until they reached the square outside the station, aside from the ticket inspector at the exit, they didn't see another soul.
This place was utterly desolate.
Desolate though it was, the area was by no means small. Several broad avenues crisscrossed, with rail tracks cutting through the streets, carrying a resemblance to Heishipo—only the stench of rust and dust was far too heavy.
It was only natural the smell was heavy: the rails were covered in rust, and parked upon them was a small train rusted even worse.
Many of the train's wheels had been stripped away. The few remaining bore the weight of the train, likely preserved only because they were truly impossible to haul off.
The machinery on the train went without saying; apart from the steam drum and boiler, essentially anything that could be stripped was gone.
Walking several hundred meters along the avenue, Li Banfeng didn't see a single open shop. Only one restaurant still had intact windowpanes; touching the sill revealed dust more than an inch thick.
Such a grand town, near the scale of a small city, had actually been reduced to this state of desolation.
Li Banfeng asked Shopkeeper Feng, "Where do we find your elder brother?"
Shopkeeper Feng said, "I remember only one inn remains open in Huangtuqiao. Let's go check over there."
Shopkeeper Feng was a sedentary merchant who rarely traveled and wasn't particularly familiar with the place either. The two fumbled their way along from midday to dusk, walking for more than three hours before finally tracking down the inn.
Surprisingly, the inn wasn't small: a seven-story building with over a hundred rooms in all.
The innkeeper was dozing behind the counter when Li Banfeng asked directly, "We're looking for a guest surnamed Feng."
The innkeeper was displeased. "Can I just disclose guests' business to you like that? Don't you know the rules of doing business?"
Li Banfeng handed the innkeeper two Huan Country notes. The innkeeper pointed toward the stairs. "Room 608. He just came back an hour ago."
The two went up to Room 608 and knocked on the door. When Feng Chongli opened it, Li Banfeng froze for a moment.
He glanced toward Shopkeeper Feng—Feng Xincheng—and lowered his voice. "Did we get the wrong person?"
Feng Chongli said to Shopkeeper Feng, "Xincheng, why are you here? And this is..."
This really was Feng Chongli?
That wasn't right!
Feng Chongli was Shopkeeper Feng's elder brother.
Shopkeeper Feng appeared to be in his fifties.
Yet Feng Chongli looked to be in his thirties. What kind of situation was this?
Shopkeeper Feng briefly introduced Li Banfeng, and Feng Chongli invited the two into the room.
He was staying in a suite, with a sitting room on the outside and a bedroom within.
Once the three were seated in the sitting room, Li Banfeng stated his purpose directly: "Boss Feng, I came looking for you today hoping to buy a pair of iron rulers from you."
Feng Chongli was taken aback and asked, "You wish to purchase weapons?"
"You could call them weapons."
"Then I don't follow. Isn't an iron ruler just a weapon?"
Feng Chongli seemed to still be probing, so Li Banfeng simply made things clearer.
"Back then, you sold a pair of iron rulers to Boss Tu. I took a fancy to that pair, but Boss Tu wasn't willing to part with them.
"I came to ask you whether you still have any more of them here."
Feng Chongli glanced at his younger brother, Feng Xincheng. He felt there was something peculiar about this Li Banfeng.
People of the Jianghu spoke with three parts declared and seven parts held back, placing great stock in testing each other out.
Why was the man before him so direct?
Feng Xincheng said, "Elder Brother, Boss Li is here to do business. I will serve as the witness for this deal."
Though the two brothers had clashing temperaments, Feng Chongli naturally trusted his own brother's character.
"To tell you the truth, I had two pairs of iron rulers in all. One pair was sold to Boss Tu, and I have one pair left."
He really did have a pair!
Li Banfeng nodded. "I'll take them."
"Don't be in a rush. Consider the price first."
As for the price, Li Banfeng was mentally prepared. Tu Yinghong had been financially ruined over them; an item of such importance certainly wouldn't come cheap.
"Name your price."
Feng Chongli raised one finger. "One million silver dollars."
Feng Xincheng choked on his tea and nearly spewed it out.
Even though Li Banfeng had prepared himself mentally, he was rendered speechless for a good while.
One million silver dollars?
Li Banfeng said, "Boss Feng, do you know what kind of price the Paramount, the landmark of Lüshui City, commands?"
"Of course I know. Last year Lu Dongjun sold it to Chu Huaiyuan for eight hundred thousand silver dollars."
"And you want one million for this pair of iron rulers?"
Feng Chongli nodded. "That's truly the price."
"When Tu Shumei bought them from you back then, was it also this price?" Li Banfeng doubted Tu Shumei had even possessed that much wealth.
Feng Chongli sipped his tea. "As for how much Boss Tu spent, you'd best not ask."
Fair enough. Each deal was its own affair.
Could Li Banfeng produce one million silver dollars?
He could.
Back when he sold the Bluffing Tiger spear, Li Banfeng had earned eight hundred thousand silver dollars; six hundred thousand remained in Tiemenbao, and two hundred thousand was on his person.
With what had flowed in and out over this period, three hundred thousand could be pulled from the Portable Abode; if he went back to retrieve the money from Tiemenbao, that would make nine hundred thousand.
Adding up the businesses across Lanyang Village, Zhengjing Village, and Xiaoyaowu, Li Banfeng's personal share alone was over six hundred thousand. One million silver dollars was indeed within his reach.
Li Banfeng said, "I'll give you a thirty-percent deposit first and make up the rest later. We'll draw up a covenant deed, but you must let me take the goods with me. How does that sound?"
Feng Chongli pondered for a moment and shook his head.
Feng Xincheng chimed in from the side, "Elder Brother, I vouch for Boss Li's character. I'll guarantee this deal. No one walks around with one million silver dollars on them. You have to give him a few days to get the funds together."
Feng Chongli lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and said, "Since Xincheng spoke up for once, I'll offer a discount—a steep discount. The price of the Paramount: eight hundred thousand.
"Bring the eight hundred thousand before this time tomorrow. Cash in one hand, goods in the other. We inspect the authenticity face to face and execute the covenant deed face to face.
"If you can't bring it, don't come looking for me. I have other business in Huangtuqiao, and after tomorrow, I won't be seeing visitors."
Feng Xincheng protested, "Elder Brother, you're being..."
Feng Chongli's expression darkened as he looked at Feng Xincheng. "I've already given you plenty of face."
These two brothers truly didn't get along.
Feng Xincheng had nothing left to say.
Li Banfeng nodded, pulled his hat brim low, and led Shopkeeper Feng out of Feng Chongli's room.
Shopkeeper Feng's face was flushed red. "Boss Li, I didn't help you with this."
Li Banfeng chuckled. "How can you say you didn't help? You saved me two hundred thousand silver dollars!"
Shopkeeper Feng pursed his lips. "Bargaining is part of doing business. Even without me, he would have shaved something off the price.
"But he's making things far too difficult. Eight hundred thousand silver dollars within a single day—in a godforsaken place like this, where could anyone scrounge that up?"
Li Banfeng didn't know where to scrounge it up either.
The two ate a bite of food. Li Banfeng settled Shopkeeper Feng into a room, then rented a room of his own and returned to the Portable Abode.
Sitting inside the Portable Abode, Li Banfeng counted up his cash on hand: three hundred and eighty thousand in total, still four hundred and twenty thousand short.
He sat on the edge of the bed, silently considering his options.
Option one: go out and rob someone for the money.
In Huangtuqiao, unfamiliar with the people and the terrain, he wouldn't even know where to rob. Moreover, Li Banfeng could never bring himself to prey upon innocent, decent folks.
Option two: rob the iron rulers outright.
That wouldn't do either.
First of all, trade should be fair, entered into willingly by both sides. What right did he have to rob the man?
While Li Banfeng was talking to himself, he suddenly heard the glove speak into his ear: "Master, if you don't want to rob him, I can go 'borrow' the goods back for you."
"Borrow" them back...
Li Banfeng patted the glove. "You certainly have a way with words."
"Then let's go!" The glove was ready to set off, but Li Banfeng shook his head.
"'Borrowing' won't do either. Shopkeeper Feng guaranteed this deal, and that man is his biological brother. We can't put him in an impossible position."
The gramophone chimed in, "Oh, my husband, what could be causing you such trouble?"
Li Banfeng sighed. "My wife, I need to buy something."
"Our household has no shortage of silver and cash. What could possibly be out of reach?"
Li Banfeng said, "I want to buy a pair of iron rulers, and they cost eight hundred thousand silver dollars!"
"Eight hundred thousand? That really is a bit steep. Just what kind of wondrous weapon is it?"
"It's not a weapon. It's something for our house."
Clang-clang-clang—Hah!
The gramophone threw her vehement support behind it: "Oh, my husband! If it's something for our house, you must buy it! No amount of money should be spared! Husband, go exchange the medicinal pills! Golden Origin Pills fetch quite a hefty price!"
That was an idea. High-grade Golden Origin Pills indeed fetched astronomical sums.
However, Li Banfeng still needed to save pills to advance as a journey cultivator. Getting hold of pills was no easy feat; the yield wasn't particularly high.
In the midst of this dilemma, the glove spoke up once more: "Master, if you don't want to borrow the iron rulers, then let's borrow some money."
Li Banfeng smiled wryly. "Where could we borrow that much money?"
"Borrow it from me!" The moment it said that, the glove took two steps back, turned its opening upward, and with a loud clatter, spewed out a massive heap of silver dollars.
The silver dollars piled higher and higher, covering nearly half the room.
The glove said to Li Banfeng, "Four hundred thirteen thousand two hundred and twenty-two silver dollars. Master, give them a count."
Li Banfeng was dumbfounded for a long time.
The glove spewed out a chest of gold as well. "This is what you rewarded me with before. If we calculate it all, it should be enough. If it's still not enough, I have paper banknotes too. It's all for you, Master!"
Chapter 342