Xiaopang looked at the bald man's corpse. The skullcap was gone, brain matter oozing everywhere, which turned his stomach. "Brother Li, why are you so ruthless? Why do you always target the skull?"
Li Banfeng explained, "I'm a soft-hearted person. I can't bring myself to hit their vitals. The skull is hard and can take a beating; if I hit them somewhere else, I'm afraid it would hurt too much."
*Isn't the skull a vital spot?*
*What kind of twisted logic is that?*
Qin Xiaopang felt his comprehension was lacking; he couldn't wrap his head around Li Seven's reasoning. He looked toward the two women lying in the woods. Caoye was crying, while Youtao's condition was unclear.
Youtao was still alive.
Caoye fed her two medicinal pills, and gradually, Youtao regained some mobility.
She could hardly believe her eyes.
The bald man and his three lackeys—four men in total—had been taken care of just like that by Baisha and Xiaopang?
Just how high was the cultivation of these two young men?
Youtao questioned Caoye, but Caoye couldn't explain either; she had been frightened out of her wits and hadn't clearly seen the clash between the two sides.
Not only could they not make sense of it, but Xiaopang couldn't either.
The entire fight had ended too quickly. Gold-Rimmed Glasses' gang had six people in total, yet in the blink of an eye, they were gone. Xiaopang hadn't even had time to process what had happened.
What pathways did those six belong to? What skills did they have?
Aside from one body cultivator who came with built-in armor, Xiaopang had no impression of the others' abilities because Li Banfeng hadn't given them a single chance to use them.
Xiaopang had always considered the man in gold-rimmed glasses to be the most sinister and ruthless person he had ever met.
Looking at Li Banfeng now, Xiaopang was no longer so sure whether Gold-Rimmed Glasses even counted as sinister.
The bald man and his three lackeys had robbed quite a few people of their snake-spot chrysanthemums, totaling a hundred and seventy-six stalks. This included thirty-eight from Youtao and sixty-one from Caoye.
Having survived with their lives, Youtao and Caoye were profoundly grateful. They hadn't dared hope to get their flowers back, but Li Banfeng returned them anyway.
The remaining seventy-seven stalks, combined with Lao Yanpao's ninety-one stalks, were split evenly between Li Banfeng and Xiaopang.
Qin Xiaopang stared blankly at Lao Yanpao's body.
Lao Yanpao had saved his life; otherwise, Xiaopang would have undoubtedly died at Hu Gaozi's hands. Regardless of Lao Yanpao's motives at the time, the debt of saving his life was undeniable, and Xiaopang didn't want to leave his corpse exposed in the wilderness.
Li Banfeng handed Xiaopang a shovel. "Be quick about it. It's time for us to head down the mountain."
While Xiaopang dug the grave, Li Banfeng carefully searched the corpses of the bald man and his lackeys.
The bald man had over a thousand dollars on him, and the lackeys carried between three to five hundred each, totaling more than twenty-two hundred dollars.
Since Youtao and Caoye had suffered during the ordeal, Li Banfeng gave each of them three hundred dollars as compensation. Of the remaining money, Li Banfeng and Xiaopang each took eight hundred.
The bald man's knife was a fine blade, so Li Banfeng kept it for himself. The three lackeys' weapons were mediocre, so Li Banfeng let the others choose for themselves.
As for what else Gold-Rimmed Glasses and Hu Gaozi carried, that would have to wait until he returned to the Portable Abode. Li Banfeng had taken down those two entirely on his own, so he decided to keep their belongings all to himself.
Xiaopang buried Lao Yanpao, hoisted Youtao onto his back, and the four of them headed down the mountain together.
As they walked along the mountain path, waves of a bloody stench wafted from Youtao, making Xiaopang wrinkle his nose.
"You don't seem like a body cultivator," Xiaopang said, deeply questioning Youtao's pathway. "Body cultivators can take a beating. How did they hurt you this badly?"
Caoye knew the truth, but kept quiet; a cultivator's pathway was a closely guarded secret.
To their surprise, Youtao didn't hide it. She smiled faintly and said, "I'm a Joy Cultivator. We only met by chance, so I didn't tell you the truth at first."
"So you're a Joy Cultivator," Xiaopang sighed. "Looks like those scumbags got lucky."
According to Xiaopang's reasoning, falling into the hands of the bald man's gang meant Youtao had suffered far worse than a mere beating.
"They didn't get a thing from me. They were saving me for their boss," Youtao said with a self-deprecating smile. "If only they had dared to touch me. Fighting standing up, I'm no match for them; but fighting lying down, not a single one of them would have walked away alive."
Li Banfeng scoffed. "Battered as you are, your tongue is still sharp."
"You think I'm bragging? My skills aren't just empty talk. Aren't you a Joy Cultivator too? How about we go a round?" Youtao cast Li Banfeng an ambiguous glance.
Li Banfeng looked at Qin Xiaopang. "I already have a partner."
Qin Xiaopang looked at Caoye. "I'm a Food Cultivator! I can eat a lot!"
Youtao let out a sigh and looked at Li Banfeng. "You've been picking chrysanthemums the whole way down. Don't you want to try a different flavor? I think flat is much better than round."
Caoye blushed scarlet all the way down to her neck.
Just as Li Banfeng opened his mouth to speak, Qin Xiaopang scrambled to explain to Caoye, "I'm a Food Cultivator, really, a Food Cultivator! I can eat a ton. I'll treat you all to a meal in a bit and show you how much I can eat!"
The four reached the foot of the mountain, where Youtao took out a pocket watch and checked the time. It was already eight o'clock.
The round trip up and down the mountain had exceeded twenty li. Li Banfeng had already felt it: his foundational cultivation for journey cultivator had long since been met, with plenty to spare.
Bitter Mist Mountain was a perilous place. According to Li Banfeng's senses, walking one li here was equivalent to walking three to five li in Ligou Town. Not only had he fulfilled his foundational cultivation, but he had likely accumulated an extra two days of time as well.
In his memory, perilous places seemed to hold a special significance for him.
What significance was that again?
Choked by the toxic mist, Li Banfeng felt dizzy and couldn't recall it for the moment.
He had slept a night in the house, so his Dwelling Cultivator homework was satisfied as well.
If he couldn't remember, there was no point dwelling on it. What mattered now was exchanging the snake-spot chrysanthemums for cash and buying a train ticket back to Yuezhou.
As for how to make the exchange, Li Banfeng was still pondering.
He certainly wouldn't sell the flowers directly; what he wanted to sell were pills.
That would depend on the capabilities of the bronze lotus.
Crossing No Regrets Bridge and leaving the perimeter of the toxic mist, the four greedily inhaled the fresh air.
Youtao vomited twice. Qin Xiaopang sat by the edge of the bridge, gasping for breath, sweat pouring down his pale face.
Caoye took out all her cooling powder and distributed it to everyone. After resting for half an hour, Youtao pushed herself up, barely able to walk on her own.
Cultivators did have exceptional physiques, but while external wounds healed quickly, it didn't mean the toxic mist inside their bodies could be purged so fast.
The group stumbled along, finding every step arduous. Even Li Banfeng, who had recently rested in the house, felt slightly weak at the knees.
Caoye urged them, "Brothers and sisters, when you get home, you must rest and recuperate for a good while. This toxic mist is very damaging to the body, so don't take it lightly."
Li Banfeng sighed. "Was it really worth it for just a few thousand dollars?"
Youtao snorted. "If you were rich, you wouldn't be here risking your neck with us. We're all worthless wretches, so don't bother with that nonsense."
Qin Xiaopang looked at Youtao. "We risk our necks because we have no capital. With your looks and figure, why would you need to risk your life? Plenty of men would be willing to keep you for the rest of your days."
"This lady doesn't need anyone to keep her!" Youtao sneered. "Not only can I support myself, but I can also earn enough to keep my partner!"
Li Banfeng frowned. "Your partner has to be kept by you?"
"I want to, and I have the means!" Youtao rolled her eyes at Li Banfeng. "If you could support your partner, would you have dragged him out here to risk his life with you?"
Sweat beaded on Xiaopang's forehead. "I'm a Food Cultivator! How many times do I have to tell you people..."
"I know you're a Food Cultivator. It's nothing to be ashamed of," Youtao said with a chuckle. "My partner isn't a Joy Cultivator either. She's a Dwelling Cultivator."
Caoye realized with a start, "No wonder you asked me about Dwelling Cultivators, Sister. It must really be hard on you—it's inconvenient for Dwelling Cultivators to go out and make money."
"Earning money is secondary," Youtao said, shaking her head. "She's a young lady. I don't want her showing her face in public."
Li Banfeng gasped in realization. "So your partner is a woman!"
The others nodded. "Oh, so she's a woman."
After a few more steps, Li Banfeng turned his head and stared at Youtao. "Your partner is a woman?!"
"Is that a problem? What's wrong with a girl?" Youtao's brow furrowed slightly. "You think round is better than flat, and I think flat is better than long. What's wrong with that?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "Nothing wrong with that, I suppose."
Youtao turned and pinched Caoye's cheek. "Tell me, Sister, am I right?"
"Sister... uh, sure..." Caoye quietly widened the distance between them.
Qin Xiaopang looked somewhat dazed. "I'm, uh... a Food Cultivator."
Pedestrians became more numerous on the road, and Li Banfeng raised his guard, wary that someone might try to rob them of their flowers.
He suspected this place was entirely devoid of the rule of law.
Youtao, however, appeared quite relaxed. "Don't worry. Once we're down the mountain, everyone has to abide by the rules. At least they can't rob you openly, or they can forget about ever setting foot in Yaowanggou again!"
Amidst the thick mist, colorful banners fluttered.
The major medicine shops were right before their eyes; the time to make money had arrived.
Qin Xiaopang and Youtao's eyes gleamed with anticipation, and even the shy Caoye could hardly hide her excitement.
The shopkeepers of each medicine shop had already set up stalls to collect the flowers. But as they approached the stalls, Li Banfeng heard bursts of arguing.
"Twenty-five dollars? Do you think you're buying cabbage?!"
What was twenty-five dollars?
Caoye looked at the snake-spot chrysanthemums in her bag, unable to believe her ears.
Qin Xiaopang stepped forward to inquire, and before long, he returned, gnashing his teeth.
"Let's go, let's get out of here! We're not selling!"
People all around joined in the shouting: "We're not selling! We'd rather let them rot in our hands than sell!"
"This is too damn much! We absolutely can't sell!"
The shopkeeper of the Liu Family Medicine Shop bared a mouthful of yellow teeth and said with a beaming smile, "If you don't want to sell, fine by me. If you think I'm offering too little, try somewhere else."
The other shops were no different. The proprietress of the Chu Family Medicine Shop dabbed cosmetic powder onto her face as she spoke: "Twenty-five dollars a stalk. That's the price this year. If you want to sell, be quick about it; if not, I'm packing up my stall."
Why had it dropped to twenty-five a stalk?
Wasn't it supposed to be eighty-five?
The situation was as follows.
Several major medicine shops had sent their own people up the mountain and found a cliff face covered in patches of snake-spot chrysanthemums.
They had harvested all those chrysanthemums, dividing over a thousand stalks among each shop.
With those thousand-plus stalks as their reserve, the medicine shops had no fear of running short. They had conspired together to drive the price down.
Yet this cut was far too brutal.
At twenty-five dollars a stalk, four flowers could refine one snake-spot pill—a cost of one hundred dollars, sold for ten thousand. A hundredfold profit.
Youtao sat down on the ground, speechless for a long time.
Caoye lowered her head, tears spilling uncontrollably down her cheeks.
Xiaopang stamped his foot in fury. "I'm not selling, I'm damn well not selling! I don't believe I can't find another buyer!"
"Stop talking out of spite!" Youtao gritted her teeth. "If you don't sell to them, who else can you sell to? All the major medicine shops of Yaowanggou are right here!"
Qin Xiaopang glared. "Then we won't sell in Yaowanggou! We'll take them somewhere farther!"
Youtao scoffed. "Quit talking nonsense. Where else could you go? Have you ever even left Yaowanggou?"
Qin Xiaopang plopped onto the ground. "Then I'll wait for the peddler to come!"
"Wait for the peddler?" Youtao let out a bitter laugh. "That guy in glasses said it himself: once harvested, snake-spot chrysanthemums rot within a single day. If we don't sell them today, they won't be worth a copper tomorrow."
Qin Xiaopang snorted. "That guy in glasses wasn't a good person anyway."
Caoye sobbed, "He was telling the truth. Tomorrow these flowers really will rot, and they won't be good for anything."
Youtao sighed. "Forget it, let's just sell them. Making a little is better than nothing. I have thirty-eight stalks here, which will fetch nearly a thousand dollars. That's better than walking away empty-handed. We're just cursed with wretched lives!"
"I'm not selling, no matter what!" Xiaopang hurled his sack to the ground, growing angrier the more he thought about it.
After a moment's contemplation, he suddenly looked at Li Banfeng.
He leaned in close to Li Banfeng and whispered, "Brother Li, do you still have that pill?"
Li Banfeng nodded and handed a snake-spot pill to Xiaopang.
Xiaopang glanced around, led everyone to a secluded spot, and handed the snake-spot pill to Caoye. "Little Sister, take a look at this. Is it real?"
Caoye was a Medicine Cultivator. She didn't know how to refine snake-spot pills, but she could tell real from fake.
After examining it for a moment, Caoye's eyes widened. "Brother Pang, this really is a snake-spot pill! Where did it come from?"
Xiaopang looked at Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng said, "I met an old woman on the mountain. She said she'd trade pills for chrysanthemums—one pill for ten flowers."
"Ten flowers?" Caoye couldn't believe it was real, and neither could Youtao.
Ten flowers could only yield two pills. Was this old woman only taking a hundred percent profit?
The medicine shops here were taking a ten-thousand percent profit!
"Could this pill be a counterfeit...?" Caoye began to doubt her own judgment.
Xiaopang snapped, "Didn't you just say it was real?"
"I'm afraid I made a mistake. How could there be such a price in this world? Maybe I should just..." Caoye looked back toward the banners of the medicine shops.
"I believe you!" Youtao handed her bag to Li Banfeng. "You saved my life, and you gave me back my flowers. Whether it's real or fake, I trust you! Even if I lose it all, I'll take the loss!"
Xiaopang handed his bag to Li Banfeng as well.
Caoye hesitated for a moment before placing her bag in Li Banfeng's hands too.
Xiaopang looked back toward Bitter Mist Mountain. "Who knows if that old woman is still up there? Brother Li, could you help us...?"
Asking Li Banfeng to make another trip up Bitter Mist Mountain made Xiaopang feel guilty. "Brother Li, I'll go with you."
Li Banfeng raised an eyebrow. "I'm just going to try my luck. Don't come along and make a mess of things."
Li Banfeng retraced his steps, and deep in the thick fog, he opened the Portable Abode.
He knew doing this carried risks and might invite unwanted suspicion.
However, if he held onto the snake-spot chrysanthemums without selling them, he would arouse suspicion all the same.
When the time came to sell the snake-spot pills in the future, Li Banfeng would have neither connections nor helpers, which could easily lead to even greater trouble.
Looking at the repulsive faces of the medicine shopkeepers, there was no telling what they might do. Li Banfeng genuinely had no desire to sell his snake-spot pills to those shops.
Helping Xiaopang and the others would let him see if he could discover an alternative outlet.
In any case, once this business was concluded, he would return to Yuezhou, never come back to this place, and never cross paths with these people again.
Entering the Portable Abode, Li Banfeng held the snake-spot chrysanthemums, wondering how to open the bronze lotus, only to discover that the bronze lotus was already open.
Upon its seven-holed lotus heart lay three lotus seeds.
Where had these three lotus seeds come from?
Li Banfeng froze.
Holding up his candle, he looked around the room, realizing that something seemed to be missing.
What was missing?
Where had the corpses of Gold-Rimmed Glasses and Hu Gaozi gone?
Chapter 35