Today I'm Going to Touch You

Li Banfeng sat in Old Yao's courtyard, watching a group of stone figures barely a meter tall hauling bricks, mixing sand and mortar, and laying walls. A kiln had been set up outside the courtyard, where several stone figures were firing bricks. When Qiu Zhiheng came up the mountain, he had carried only a single hemp sack of stones on his back. After pouring two buckets of clear water over that sack of stones, the rocks had turned into craftsmen—masons, bricklayers, carpenters, skilled in all kinds of trades. "Brother Qiu, where did you scrounge these up?" Qiu Zhiheng said, "Bought them from a high-tier Craft Cultivator. I used to love the things Craft Cultivators made. If I hadn't been forced into joy cultivation, I really would've wanted to become a Craft Cultivator." Forced? Forced by Lu Dongliang? Li Banfeng didn't press the matter. "Brother, from now on I'll stay here and watch over Old Yao. As long as word doesn't leak out, outsiders won't know anything happened to him, and they won't dare cause trouble in Yaowanggou. "Don't worry about the medicine shop. It's a bit farther away, but business can be managed just the same." Li Banfeng asked, "What about Sister-in-law? Moving here with you?" Qiu Zhiheng sighed softly. This was indeed a thorny issue. He didn't want his wife to suffer along with him, but he was a Joy Cultivator—his wife had to remain by his side. "I'll talk it over with her when I get back." Li Banfeng nodded. "Tell her to wait a few days before moving over. When the time comes, the two of us can take shifts guarding the mountain." "You want to keep watch here? That won't do. You're a journey cultivator; you need to travel all over. How can you stay cooped up in one place?" "I have my ways." Over the past few days, Li Banfeng had been turning this over in his mind: who could actually be trusted to look after Yaowanggou? In the end, he reached a conclusion—inviting any local spirit to Yaowanggou was a bad idea. Yaowanggou's human presence wasn't booming, certainly not comparable to Lüshuiwan. Yet this was proper land—proper land of Puluo Province, split three ways. What newland local spirit wouldn't drool over it? Even if he invited Feng Daiku, there was no telling if she wouldn't harbor ulterior motives. Better to keep watch, just waiting for Old Yao to wake. I'll guard here for a month first. When I have time, I'll wander the nearby mountains without going far. If things get rough, I can sustain myself with pills, and then Qiu Zhiheng can take over next month. A few days later, the house was repaired, and Li Banfeng had developed an in-depth understanding of the surrounding terrain. The mountain terrain was intricate, crisscrossed with paths that could easily disorient a traveler. Old Yao's courtyard was situated in a spot with convenient access yet easy to defend and difficult to attack—an exceptionally rare location, chosen with the eye of a legendary general. Moreover, the place was exceedingly secluded. Li Banfeng couldn't help wondering how the Star of Mourning had tracked it down in the first place. As long as news didn't leak, Li Banfeng felt confident that no one would find this place for years. Yet at noon that day, while strolling through the mountains, he noticed an old man making his way up. The old man wore coarse cloth clothes and had a towel wrapped around his head. A wicker basket hung on his back, and a sickle was held in his hand—by all appearances, an herb gatherer. Where couldn't he gather herbs? Why did he have to come here? He followed the path up the mountain. At this rate, he would stumble upon Old Yao's courtyard in no time. Li Banfeng thought about stopping him, but doing so directly might arouse suspicion instead. Better to just scare him off with the Paper Lady. Li Banfeng returned to the Portable Abode, retrieved the Paper Lady, and looked out again, only to see that the old man had taken a different mountain path. Li Banfeng let out a long breath and turned back toward Old Yao's courtyard. Just an old man. Really no need to be so jumpy. Even if he saw Old Yao's courtyard, what of it? In Puluo Province, wild and desolate mountains were everywhere; stumbling upon a homestead once in a while was hardly unheard of... Wait. As Li Banfeng neared the courtyard, the Thread-Hook Earring caught a sound. It seemed more than one old man had arrived. Another old man had already stepped inside Old Yao's room. At the sound of this old man's voice, cold sweat broke out across Li Banfeng's brow. He recognized him. "Old Yao, drop the act! You think I don't know? You just don't want to see me, do you? "If you won't get up, you can't blame me for being discourteous. I'm taking this whole room full of good stuff! "These flags, this blade—where else could anyone find treasures like these?" Pan Dehai! That was Pan Dehai's voice! How did he get here? "Where did you hide your covenant deed?" Pan Dehai chuckled toward Old Yao. "Won't say? If you won't talk, I'll start digging! I'll dig through every inch of this room; I don't believe I can't turn it up!" Li Banfeng gritted his teeth. He was now a tier-seven journey cultivator plus a tier-six Dwelling Cultivator. Could he defeat Pan Dehai? A head-on clash definitely wouldn't work, but if he could drag Pan Dehai into the Portable Abode, he'd have a chance. The wife alone had dealt with Lord Mountain-Uprooter; teaming up with Hong Ying, they should be able to handle Pan Dehai. I can assist from the side, and the group of treasures can help too. The key is how to lure him inside. As Li Banfeng pondered a strategy, he suddenly heard someone else speaking in the courtyard. "Looks like we're late." "Not late. Right on time." A powerful sense of danger washed over him; Li Banfeng instinctively reached for his key. Don't rush. He couldn't act rashly, or he might not even get the chance to hide the key. He was a tier-six Dwelling Cultivator; relying on the natural talent of a Dwelling Cultivator, he shouldn't draw attention easily. Yet what caliber were the two in the courtyard? They clearly knew Pan Dehai was inside, yet remained so calm. Could they have already noticed me? Relying on his familiarity with the terrain, Li Banfeng concealed himself in a hidden spot where line of sight was decent enough to barely make out the courtyard. As luck would have it, that herb-gathering old man was heading toward the courtyard. Why was this old fellow so good at timing? Anywhere else you could go, yet you had to come here! "Anyone home? I'm just passing through, hoping for a sip of water!" The old man stood at the courtyard gate, peering inside. Standing in the courtyard were a beggar and an elegantly dressed man. The man was in his fifties. Glancing at the old man by the gate, he said to the beggar, "Someone's come looking for death." The beggar shook his head. "Leave him be for now. He can't see us anyway." Ordinary people truly couldn't see them. Even with Li Banfeng's seven-plus-six cultivation, he had to rely on his Golden-Eyed Keen Insight technique to spot them. The beggar called toward the house, "Paragon of Virtue, come on out! It's been quite a while since we met." Pan Dehai stepped out of the house and looked at the two in the courtyard. "Gentlemen, long time no see. What sweet breeze blew the two of you here today?" The middle-aged man said, "Listen to you, speaking as if this were your home. I was just about to ask: what did you come here for?" Pan Dehai chuckled. "To visit an old friend." "Friend? You? Worthy? When did Old Yao ever acknowledge you as a friend?" Pan Dehai raised an eyebrow. "We grew up together as childhood friends, so of course we're good friends. Old Yao has neither son nor daughter, so naturally his estate falls to me. "Lin Dexing, you certainly don't count as Old Yao's friend. What sort of thing you are, you know full well in your own heart." Lin Dexing! Li Banfeng gritted his teeth. That son of a bitch! Old Yao's entire life had been ruined at this bastard's hands. He was actually still alive. His cultivation had also reached Above the Clouds. I have to find a way to kill him. Lin Dexing glared at Pan Dehai. "Cut the useless fucking drivel. I can't even be bothered to look at you twice. While I'm still in a good mood, get the hell out." Pan Dehai straightened his expression. "That's not how it works, is it? I was here first." "So what if you were here first? If you want to die, just say the word!" The beggar spoke up: "Let's speak reasonably and not harm our harmony. Since Old Pan arrived first, let him catch up with his old friend." The beggar's voice sounded very familiar; Li Banfeng felt he had heard it somewhere before. Yet restricted by the angle of his view, he couldn't see the beggar clearly. Pan Dehai looked at the beggar, his tone much more polite: "Brother Lü, you're a founder of a sect, not like this dog Lin Dexing." Brother Lü? Lüshui Beggar? A cold prickle ran over Li Banfeng's skin. Now trouble had arrived. How could he possibly fight the Lüshui Beggar? The newcomer truly was the Lüshui Beggar. He chuckled, looking at Pan Dehai. "Tell me then, how am I different from Brother Lin?" Pan Dehai said, "You possess status and standing; how could you lower yourself to be mentioned in the same breath as mere riffraff like this?" The Lüshui Beggar laughed. "I'm a beggar, yet you think so highly of me?" Pan Dehai waved his hand. "Heroes care not for origins. Between you and me, brother, it's mutual admiration among heroes." The Lüshui Beggar chuckled, pustules blooming across his face. "You even call me a hero?" Pan Dehai nodded. "I have always respected you as a hero. But since you are a hero, we must reason things out. "By age, I am your elder brother; by cultivation, I am your senior. By greater righteousness, shouldn't one respect the elderly and honor the virtuous? By minor propriety, shouldn't there be first come, first served? By etiquette, if I respect you by a foot, you respect me by ten feet—surely there's no flaw in what I say?" The Lüshui Beggar looked at Lin Dexing. "Say what you will, that actually makes sense." "This fellow Pan is the most shameless of all! Let's not waste our breath on him!" Lin Dexing charged straight at Pan Dehai. His movement was crisp, his footwork clean, devoid of any wasted motion. With such precise technique, he was clearly a Martial Cultivator. Pan Dehai frowned. "Young Master Lin, this is where you're in the wrong. How can you bully the few with the many?" Lin Dexing suddenly felt as if he were treading on cotton. His legs grew limp and weak, his footing staggered, and just as he reached Pan Dehai's vicinity, sensing he couldn't bring his martial arts to bear and held no advantage, he retreated. Virtue Cultivator technique: Emulate the Virtuous. Lin Dexing glanced toward the Lüshui Beggar, waiting for him to attack together. The Lüshui Beggar looked at Pan Dehai. "I didn't lift a finger just now. Does that count as bullying the few with the many?" Pan Dehai said, "Don't tie your shoes in a melon patch, nor adjust your cap beneath a plum tree. Standing there watching, how could you not invite suspicion?" The Lüshui Beggar's vision blurred; Pan Dehai's technique was affecting him. The Lüshui Beggar chuckled and nodded. "If I don't look, will that do?" He closed his eyes. Lin Dexing was taken aback. He sensed something strange about Lü Huazi's attitude—it seemed he didn't want to exert himself. If Lü Huazi wouldn't lift a finger, Lin Dexing had to do it himself. Yaowanggou was vital to him; he wanted to use Yaowanggou's human presence to preserve his cultivation. He closed in on Pan Dehai once more. Pan Dehai said unhurriedly, "Propriety is the root of virtue. To attack without declaring battle is a breach of propriety and constitutes a loss of one virtue. The weight of one virtue exceeds a thousand jun!" Lin Dexing's steps grew heavier and slower, as if a great mountain were pressing down upon him. Virtue Cultivator technique: Great Virtue Carries All Things. Lin Dexing raged, "You dog of a thief, you dare speak of virtue? How many wicked deeds have you done over the years? Can you even count them yourself?" "Insolent speech—another loss of virtue." Lin Dexing's back bent; he nearly plunged face-first to the ground. He turned his face to Lü Huazi for help. Lü Huazi kept his eyes shut, completely unmoved. Pan Dehai said, "Powerless to fight on your own yet seeking outside help—such conduct is contemptible. Another loss of virtue." Lin Dexing tried to rush forward to fight Pan Dehai to the death. Pan Dehai said, "Overestimating one's strength constitutes a loss of virtue." Unable to support his own body, Lin Dexing tried to retreat. Pan Dehai spoke again: "Flinching before battle constitutes a loss of virtue." ... With every lost virtue, Lin Dexing had to bear an additional thousand jun of weight. Before Pan Dehai, without even having the chance to strike, Lin Dexing had been pinned flat to the ground. Pan Dehai looked down at Lin Dexing. "I went to a lot of trouble to take advantage of Old Yao. Yaowanggou is close to Haichiling. As the old saying goes, the pavilion closest to the water catches the moonlight first. This place belongs to me. I advise you not to contest it." At the side, Lü Huazi remarked, "If we're talking about proximity, Lüshuiwan is closer to Yaowanggou." Pan Dehai said, "Being close means you shouldn't make a move all the more. As the old saying goes, a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow. Find another place." As he spoke, Pan Dehai subtly intensified his technique; Lin Dexing coughed up blood under the pressure. Lü Huazi frowned. "As the old saying goes, before beating a dog, you must look at its master." Pan Dehai smiled. "The old saying also says, killing the chicken serves to warn the monkey." Even as he spoke, Pan Dehai amplified his technique once more, intending to kill Lin Dexing first before dealing with Lü Huazi. Lü Huazi sighed. "Old Pan, do you really want to take Yaowanggou?" "Brother Lü, Yaowanggou is mine." "I'm standing right in front of you, yet you act so tough. I really don't know who gave you the nerve!" Lüshui Beggar wiped a smear of sweat and flicked it toward Pan Dehai. Pan Dehai dodged in haste, and his technique fell apart. Freed from the crushing weight, Lin Dexing dashed straight for Old Yao's room. His plan was to let Lü Huazi handle Pan Dehai while he went to dig up Old Yao's covenant deed. Li Banfeng prepared to strike, but unexpectedly, Pan Dehai suddenly barred the doorway and clashed fiercely with Lin Dexing. At a distance of more than twenty feet, a Virtue Cultivator held the advantage. Now, separated by barely three to five feet, how could a Virtue Cultivator match a Martial Cultivator? After three exchanges, Pan Dehai's face was covered in blood and his round-framed glasses were shattered. Fortunately, he carried numerous treasures; with a long sword, he temporarily drove Lin Dexing back. "This place is mine today, and no one can take it from me!" Pan Dehai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and spat on the ground. Li Banfeng froze for a long moment. He couldn't understand: why was Pan Dehai showing such backbone today? Did he want Yaowanggou that badly? Had something happened to Haichiling? Lü Huazi opened his eyes and took two steps forward. "It's yours? On what basis is it yours? I'm going to go dig up his deed right now. Let's see if you dare lay a finger on me." Pan Dehai was terrified. He truly didn't dare touch Lü Huazi—one touch and he was finished. Yet he did not budge, remaining planted in the doorway. Li Banfeng readied himself; he was going to ambush Lü Huazi. In the blink of an eye, Lü Huazi flashed right before Pan Dehai. "Try touching me, then!" "Why are you so arrogant? Are you the only one who can't be touched?" A voice came from outside the courtyard. Everyone looked over together, only to discover that the old man asking for water hadn't left yet. He could actually see the three people in the courtyard? How could he see them? The old man stepped into the courtyard. Lü Huazi asked, "Who are you?" "None of your business who I am." The old man waved a hand, and beside him a young man suddenly materialized. Li Banfeng was stunned. He knew this young man. The old man said to the young man, "Genzi, give me the bucket." Xiao Genzi handed the bucket to the old man. The old man hoisted the bucket and said to Lü Huazi, "Today, I'm going to touch you."