Li Banfeng took He Yuxiu to an inn and checked in.
He handed the clerk an extra banknote and asked him to prepare a large tub of clean water.
The liquor gourd said to He Yuxiu, "Sister, take off your clothes and soak in the water for a while. I'll help you purge the poison and tend to your wounds."
With a dull, blank gaze, He Yuxiu sat in the room.
Li Banfeng possessed the technique of Perceiving Spiritual Voices and could communicate directly with magical artifacts.
Could other cultivators do the same?
They could, but it depended on their pathway and tier. The stronger a pathway's perceptual power, and the higher a cultivator's tier, the more they could communicate with artifacts.
A Martial Cultivator's perception was not particularly strong, but He Yuxiu was an eighth-tier cultivator. At that level, even if she couldn't speak with artifacts, she should still have been able to sense some of their thoughts.
Yet He Yuxiu sensed nothing. This simply wasn't her forte.
She had tried hard to communicate in the past, but in fits of extreme rage, she had ended up smashing several artifacts, never once succeeding.
Right now, she couldn't hear a single word the liquor gourd said. Li Banfeng translated for her, "Soak in the water for a bit. This sister here will treat your injuries."
With that, Li Banfeng pulled down the brim of his hat and left He Yuxiu's room.
"Sister?" He Yuxiu looked at the liquor gourd.
He called this gourd a sister?
The liquor gourd tugged at its own lapels, gesturing for her to undress.
Blood and water had dried and stuck to her clothes. He Yuxiu tore them off by sheer force, ripping open wounds until blood streamed down her body, and stepped into the tub.
The liquor gourd slowly poured wine into the water. It stung sharply, but He Yuxiu was unyielding and did not utter a sound.
Before long, the wounds were cleaned. The liquor gourd then fed He Yuxiu two mouthfuls of liquor.
These two sips were different in nature from the earlier ones. After swallowing them, He Yuxiu felt her stomach churn violently, and an overwhelming urge to vomit washed over her.
She certainly couldn't throw up into the tub. He Yuxiu tried to stand up, but her legs were weak and rubbery, and she couldn't get up for the longest time.
The liquor gourd swayed toward the door, asking if she wanted Li Banfeng to be called in.
He Yuxiu hesitated for a moment. Feeling truly embarrassed, she struggled out of the wooden tub, found a bucket, and emptied her stomach.
Strange. How did she suddenly learn to feel bashful today?
Even He Yuxiu couldn't figure that out herself.
After throwing up until she had purged everything, He Yuxiu soaked in the tub a while longer. The faint reddish water gradually turned a dark greenish-black.
The poison was being drawn out.
After soaking for more than an hour, seventy to eighty percent of the toxins in her body were cleared. The liquor gourd gave her another sip of wine, and she lay down on the bed to sleep.
The liquor gourd went to the next room to inform Li Banfeng, only to find that he wasn't there at all.
He had returned to the Portable Abode to split the spoils with the glove.
The Jiangxiang Gang's hall in Qishuiyao had quite a few good things. The two of them squatted in Room Three, taking inventory piece by piece. They both knew this room was special—if there was something the train liked, it would be given straight to the Portable Abode.
The glove first spat out two boxes of banknotes. Li Banfeng gave them a rough count; there were over seven hundred thousand.
The glove then spat out a box of silver dollars. Li Banfeng didn't even bother counting them. "Keep all the money for yourself."
"Thank you, Master!" Delighted, the glove spat out an iron chain.
This was the chain that had bound He Yuxiu in the dungeon. Able to trap an eighth-tier Martial Cultivator, it was truly a fine treasure.
Just as Li Banfeng was about to examine it, the Portable Abode absorbed it directly.
"The quality is a bit poor, but it'll do in a pinch," the Portable Abode spoke up.
Li Banfeng didn't understand much about train mechanics. Was an iron chain actually useful to a steam locomotive?
The glove comforted him, "Master, since the house took it, we haven't lost out either. I've got other treasures here."
It spat out a hammer next. This hammer possessed spirituality and could move on its own. They had thought the Portable Abode would take it too, but to their surprise, the Abode showed a bit of disdain.
"The craftsmanship is too crude. Leave it for that girl."
Which girl?
Li Banfeng brought the hammer over to the gramophone.
*Whoosh—*
The gramophone puffed out a cloud of steam and sang softly, "*Oh, husband, your humble servant knows a bit about heavy labor too.*"
Using her stylus, she detached a wooden beam from the windmill gramophone, bound the beam to the hammer, and stowed it into her front cabinet.
Seeing that the mistress liked it, the glove spat out pliers, screwdrivers, a saw, a chisel, and an adze all at once, and the gramophone took every last one.
All that remained was a pile of glass marbles. The glove spat them out as well. "Master, these are fine hidden weapons, meant specifically to trip people up underfoot."
Li Banfeng had noticed them too; these marbles were indeed unusual. Just as he reached out to pick one up, the marbles rolled clattering into Room Three.
By the time Li Banfeng chased after them, the glass marbles had already been swallowed by the Portable Abode.
"Old man, what do you need these for?"
"To relieve boredom." The Portable Abode's answer caught Li Banfeng completely off guard.
With everything properly settled, Li Banfeng exited the Portable Abode, took the liquor gourd back to his side, and slept for the night.
The Jiangxiang Gang's hall in Qishuiyao had been wiped out, and the Garrison Commissioner would likely take action very soon.
Li Banfeng wasn't worried about that. He was confident he could make an escape, as the border line could no longer stop him.
As for He Yuxiu, there was even less cause for concern; she undoubtedly had her own methods.
Capsizing in a narrow ditch was a rare fluke. He Yuxiu was, after all, the head of the He family. But the reason for this blunder still needed to be cleared up.
***
At dusk the following day, He Yuxiu woke up. Her external injuries were mostly healed, and though traces of poison remained, they no longer hindered her much.
She found Li Banfeng and brazenly made a request: "All my money was stolen. Could you buy me some clothes?"
Her clothes were torn to shreds and soaked in blood; stepping out looking like this was indeed out of the question.
Yet this wasn't an easy task. Money wasn't the issue. The crux was that He Yuxiu was tall and well-built, and she was a woman with a generous heart—a conscience so ample that ordinary garments couldn't contain it.
If her conscience couldn't fit, her peach was even harder to contain; beneath those tattered rags, her plump backside was practically bursting out.
Li Banfeng visited a few tailor shops and bought an oversized men's suit for He Yuxiu to make do with.
A plaid shirt paired with a beige suit jacket, her hair tucked up beneath a fedora—she looked far more dashing and heroic than an ordinary man.
"I... well, I'm hungry," He Yuxiu said, blushing. "Could you treat me to a meal?"
He Yuxiu truly was someone who cared about saving face.
Fearing they might draw attention if they went out, Li Banfeng asked the clerk to prepare food and wine and deliver it to the room.
Qishuiyao not only made great sodas, but its brewed liquor was also mellow and fragrant, making the liquor gourd rub against Li Banfeng nonstop in craving.
Li Banfeng patted the gourd, signaling that she could drink her fill. Most of the wine poured into his bowl was secretly guzzled down by the liquor gourd.
After downing several bowls of wine, He Yuxiu regained much of her spirit. Looking at Li Banfeng, she said, "Brother Li Qi, I really don't know how to repay this great kindness of yours."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "A debt for saving your life is a major affair. Talking about repayment in a couple of careless words shows a real lack of sincerity."
He Yuxiu asked, "Then what do you propose?"
Li Banfeng looked at her and smiled faintly. "We need to do something for real."
He Yuxiu asked euphemistically, "Do you want to sleep with me?"
Li Banfeng waved his hand. "That won't do. There's a generational difference between us. How about this: let's become sworn siblings."
He Yuxiu froze. "Does that get rid of the generational difference?"
Li Banfeng replied, "Once we've sworn brotherhood, what generational gap is there left to speak of? A debt of life is the biggest matter under heaven. If you're going to quibble over seniority, how can you talk about repaying a debt?"
He Yuxiu was genuinely conflicted. Under normal circumstances, Lu Chunying called her Sister Xiu, and she accepted it.
Swearing brotherhood, however, was another matter entirely. It wasn't just a casual form of address; in Puluo Province, this was doing things for real. Afterward, they would genuinely be equals.
Oh well. In the face of a life-saving debt, such trivialities truly shouldn't be fussed over.
Right then and there, the two burned yellow paper and swore their oath.
Li Banfeng said, "Xiu'er, from this day forth, I am your elder brother."
"Right, we're considered... wait a minute!" He Yuxiu objected. "You're the elder brother? How old are you to be my elder brother?"
Li Banfeng lifted the wine jar and said, "A debt of life is greater than the heavens! Why squabble over mere age?"
"No way!" He Yuxiu refused to yield. "You're bullying me too much!"
"Xiu'er, drink this bowl first and listen to my reasoning. Having me as your elder brother won't put you at a disadvantage. To tell you the truth, you don't even know how old I really am. Let's start with the debt of saving your life..."
She didn't know his real age?
Didn't he call Ma the Fifth his brother?
Was she truly not getting the short end of the stick?
He Yuxiu grew more and more conflicted.
***
Out of two jars of wine, a jar and a half was polished off. Most went down He Yuxiu's throat, while the rest was basically claimed by the liquor gourd.
The gourd marveled inwardly: *The booze in Qishuiyao sure packs a punch!*
Her face flushed, He Yuxiu patted her chest and looked at Li Banfeng. "Seventh Brother, I owe you my life. From now on, your business is my business. Come mountain of daggers or sea of flames, your little sister won't hesitate for a second!"
"Straightforward! Xiu'er, I admire your character!" Li Banfeng praised her and poured her another bowl.
He Yuxiu took a large gulp, then continued, "Listen, can we work something out? Your little sister has tumbled through the jianghu for so many years. Calling you Seventh Brother in front of others feels a bit embarrassing.
"How about this: when nobody's around, I'll call you Seventh Brother and you call me Little Sister. When there are people present, I'll trouble you to call me Sister. What do you say?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "You just said you've tumbled through the jianghu for so many years. How did you end up falling into the hands of the Jiangxiang Gang?"
"Humiliating! It's so damn humiliating!
"Last night you said I had guts, and I said I had none. I truly didn't bring any backup. I only came out here as a refugee seeking shelter.
"Being a refugee is embarrassing enough, but then to capsize in a filthy ditch like this..." He Yuxiu lit a cigarette, propped her forehead in her hand, and recounted the whole story:
"I crossed the Garrison Commissioner, and all our family businesses were shut down. Later, after much difficulty, we finally salvaged the businesses. Ma the Fifth was afraid the Commissioner would settle old scores, so he told me to hide out in the newlands.
"I couldn't stand staying in the newlands—just thinking about it makes me feel suffocated. I wanted to take refuge in Qishuiyao instead. It's a remote place, and I cultivated here for a few years, so I had some foundation.
"I even deliberately swapped my identity, changed my clothes, didn't dare bring a single guard, bought a hard-seat train ticket, and made my way cautiously to Qishuiyao.
"Once off the train, I went looking for an old friend. I had agreed with him beforehand to have him arrange a place for me to stay.
"Who could have guessed that bastard sold me out? That very night, someone made a move on me.
"Your little sister isn't bragging—over a hundred people surrounded me and attacked, every last one a capable cultivator. Yet I still hacked out a bloody path!"
Fighting her way out of an ambush by over a hundred cultivators!
Li Banfeng did not doubt this in the least.
Judging from the combat strength He Yuxiu had displayed the previous night, among all the people Li Banfeng had met, she was the very ceiling of the eighth tier.
However, being able to rally over a hundred cultivators at once made one thing certain: the Garrison Commissioner had intervened.
He Yuxiu took a sip of wine and continued, "My artifacts were lost, and my travel permit was gone too. None of that mattered as long as I kept my life. I fought and ran for two whole days and nights before finally shaking those people off.
"Two days and nights without food or water. I was starving and dying of thirst, so I looked for a soda stall to grab something to eat.
"I didn't dare go anywhere conspicuous, so I found a secluded spot. Who would've thought I'd run into that Jiangxiang Gang bastard? A few bottles of soda knocked me flat.
"I weathered the stormiest waves, only to be taken down by a soda-peddling piece of trash! Tell me, how damn humiliating is that? Seventh Brother, you must never mention this to anyone. Your little sister truly can't afford to lose that face."
Hearing this, Li Banfeng shook his head. "Sister, there's nothing shameful about this."
He Yuxiu looked up. "I was brought low by that bunch of wretched thieves, and that's not shameful?"
Li Banfeng asked, "Have you read the *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*?"
He Yuxiu shook her head. "I haven't read the book, but I've heard a few segments from storytellers."
Li Banfeng smiled. "Do you know Lü Bu?"
"Of course I know him! In the Three Kingdoms, he was the best fighter!"
"How did Lü Bu die?"
"He died at the White Gate Tower, tied up by his own subordinates and brought before Cao Cao."
"What were those subordinates named?"
He Yuxiu blinked and shook her head. "I can't remember that."
"Zhang Fei was known as a warrior worth ten thousand men. How did he die?"
"He was murdered by his own subordinates too."
"What were their names?"
He Yuxiu scratched her head, unable to answer.
"You can't remember, can you?" Li Banfeng pressed. "How did Guan Yu die?"
He Yuxiu thought for a moment. "I remember he was tripped up by a horse-tripping rope."
"Who set that rope?"
He Yuxiu widened her eyes. "How could I possibly know that?"
"Exactly! I don't know either!" Li Banfeng said earnestly. "Countless heroes have capsized in narrow ditches, but a hero remains a hero.
"Xiu'er, you were besieged by over a hundred cultivators and fought your way out through a river of blood. You are a hero. Falling into an ambush when your strength was utterly spent is nothing to be ashamed of!"
He Yuxiu lowered her head. "I'm just afraid people will laugh at me. I can't go around telling everyone I fought my way through a hundred men. If I keep saying that, won't it just make people mock me more...?"
Li Banfeng looked at her. "Laugh? Let them laugh. If they laugh behind our backs where we can't hear them, let them laugh their fill.
"If they dare laugh to our faces, we'll knock out their front teeth and see if they can still smile."
He Yuxiu held her wine bowl, looking intently at Li Qi.
She was clumsy with words and couldn't express certain feelings clearly.
Yet for some reason, she felt that calling him Seventh Brother was truly not a bad bargain at all.
"Xiu'er, what do you plan to do next?"
He Yuxiu thought for a moment. "Go to the newlands, I suppose. The He family has land in the Qishuiyao newlands too. Ma the Fifth was right—only the newlands can hide someone."
"If someone sold you out in the proper land of Qishuiyao, won't someone sell you out in the newlands? Let's just return to Lüshui City. We'll go back openly and honorably."
"Openly and honorably?" He Yuxiu said. "Just buy a ticket straight to Lüshui City? I'm afraid we won't even be able to set foot in the station."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Who said anything about buying tickets? Doesn't your He family have a dedicated train? Order the private train to come here and escort the family head home!"
He Yuxiu was stunned. "Isn't that way too conspicuous?"
"Scared?"
He Yuxiu pondered for a moment, then drained her wine in one gulp. "I'll listen to you. I'm not afraid!"
Li Banfeng nodded. "That's the spirit. As brother and sister, we must carry ourselves with dignity!"
Dignity was all well and good, but could their lives be preserved?
"Seventh Brother, all my artifacts were lost in the fight, and I have no way of contacting home right now. As for anyone else, I don't dare trust them."
"Leave that to me."
Li Banfeng contacted Luo Zhengnan and told him to notify Ma the Fifth to reach out to the He family, ordering their private train to depart immediately for Qishuiyao to bring their leader home.
Ma the Fifth couldn't fathom Li Banfeng's line of thought. Doing this seemed like sending He Yuxiu to her death.
After a moment's consideration, he contacted the He family anyway.
The He family immediately dispatched their private train, taking along roughly a hundred guards of various ranks to retrieve their master.
The train departed that very day, expected to arrive in Qishuiyao three days later.
The He family guards prepared themselves for a fight to the death; they were even prepared to do battle aboard the train itself.
The Garrison Office received the news and realized immediately: He Yuxiu was openly defying them.
They ordered the Jiangxiang Gang to conduct an all-out search for He Yuxiu. Dead or alive, results had to be produced within three days.
With the Qishui Hall wiped out, the Garrison Office mobilized a large number of hands from other branch halls.
The Garrison Commissioner's orders were explicit: He Yuxiu's life had to end in Qishuiyao. Under no circumstances was she to be allowed to board that private train back to Lüshui City, and the deed had to be carried out with utmost secrecy.
Even with the Garrison Commissioner's covert backing, this was no small task for the Jiangxiang Gang.
Elites from several halls arrived, and every available method was put to use.
Over the next three days, the entirety of Qishuiyao would be turned upside down!
***
Aboard a steam freight train bound for Lüshui City, He Yuxiu sat up from a railcar packed with coal. Wiping the coal dust from her face, she asked, "Seventh Brother, is this the dignity you were talking about?"
Li Banfeng gave a snort. "What, looking down on me? Is that any way to speak to your elder brother? Have you forgotten family discipline?"
"I'm not looking down on you. I just feel the way we're traveling is a bit... you know..."
Li Banfeng adopted a stern expression. "Let me tell you, I'm not afraid of them. I'm avoiding their brunt. I'm doing this for..."
"Seventh Brother, I think the train conductor is coming!"
Li Banfeng flattened himself against the coal pile, utterly motionless.
Chapter 370