Rest Assured, My Lord

Li Banfeng walked through the night, holding the Tang dao in hand. "My Lord, this humble general..." The Tang dao hesitated for quite a while, at a loss for words. "When did it start?" Li Banfeng asked as he walked. "When did you start referring to yourself as 'this humble general'? If I remember right, it started after we left Tiemenbao." The Tang dao replied, "My Lord remembers correctly. There are things I didn't tell my Lord—not out of any deliberate intent to hide them, but because they were simply too shameful." "How are they shameful?" "General Hong and the Marshal mentioned it before: of the three great vanguards, only one fled. That was me." The Tang dao's voice was very small. "I didn't know you back then. And since you began following me, you've never fled." "I have run once or twice..." "At least you only fled after finishing all three strikes. And at least when fighting for our lives against Qiu Luoye, you didn't flee." "The Marshal's life hung by a thread, and my Lord was staking his very life in battle. If I had fled then, I would be..." The Tang dao sighed. "Let us speak no more of this. That I deceived my Lord is beyond dispute. Allow me to fight this battle for my Lord, and afterward, my Lord may dispose of me however he pleases." Li Banfeng fell silent for a moment before asking, "Back then, my wife said you were no ordinary magical treasure. Did she know your identity all along?" "I would not dare presume to fathom the Marshal's thoughts. When I first met the Marshal, I truly had no idea she was the Marshal." "You never chant 'Every strike takes an enemy head' at home, except for that one time when we fought Qiu Luoye for our lives. Did you think my wife couldn't hear you?" The Tang dao murmured, "Truth be told, even by then, I couldn't be certain she was the Marshal. She isn't the same as she was back then." "When the glove tried to take liberties with honeydew Hong Ying, you nearly chopped him down. You really do look out for General Hong." "General Hong ought to be entrusted to a person such as my Lord! She cannot be defiled by petty scoundrels!" The glove took offense at that: "Who are you calling a petty scoundrel? Besides, that was just a honeydew melon, not the real Miss Hong!" "Don't interrupt," Li Banfeng said, continuing to question the blade. "Every time Hong Ying argued with my wife, you urged neither of them to back down, insisting they fight until there was a clear victor. I thought you were stirring up trouble on purpose, but you actually wanted to drag out the truth of what happened back then, didn't you?" The Tang dao gave a dry laugh. "Nothing escapes my Lord." "You say nothing escapes me? You hid it so deep." The Tang dao stammered slightly, "I... I have wronged my Lord. Once this battle is won, bestow a rust pill upon me, and I shall end my own life." "Stop talking nonsense. It's no big deal," Li Banfeng chuckled. "If our positions were reversed and I were the blade while you were the madman, there are things I would keep from you too. Besides, I never even asked about them. There's just one thing you must tell me truthfully." "My Lord, in this present state I have forgotten much, but as long as I can recall it, I am willing to tell my Lord everything." Li Banfeng asked in all seriousness, "Shoulu and Erdao—between these two names, which do you actually prefer?" The Tang dao gave it serious thought. "Truth be told, this humble general likes neither. But if the two names were blended together, that wouldn't be half bad." Blended together. Li Banfeng understood. "Then from now on, I'll call you Erlü!" The glove wagged its fingers in approval of the great name. The Tang dao hesitated for a moment and said, "Back in the army, this humble general was lean and skilled with a blade. My Lord, what do you think of the name Shoudao?" The sickle disapproved: "Whether a household prospers depends on whether the dadao is fat! Why call yourself Shoudao?" The Tang dao replied, "You're the dadao. It's enough if you're fat." Li Banfeng quickened his pace. "Shoudao, can you still use Beggar Cultivator techniques?" "No longer. After being defeated by Lü Huazi, all my Beggar Cultivation was lost, and only this meager bit of my Martial Cultivation remains." "When we ran into that beggar, you were the first to strike. Did you recognize him?" "I didn't recognize him. He should be a junior Beggar Cultivator. Judging by his methods, he is no higher than Cloud First Tier. I am thoroughly familiar with his techniques." Li Banfeng nodded. "Familiar is good. Tonight we kill this beggar first, and another day we'll find Lü Huazi to avenge you." Avenge him? That was something the Tang dao had never dared dream of. The blade trembled faintly. "My Lord, do you still trust me?" "When have I ever not trusted you?" "Since my Lord trusts me, could we make some adjustments to our tactics tonight?" "What adjustments?" "Grand campaigns and the bigger picture—those are matters for the Marshal, beyond this humble general's grasp. But when it comes to a single clash, a single skirmish, this humble general knows how to fight it. That beggar doesn't know my Lord has opened two doors, nor has he seen such bizarre Tillage Cultivator methods. According to my Lord's tactics, he will certainly suffer at first. Beggar Cultivators are petty and narrow-minded; once they suffer a loss, they invariably retaliate with all their might. That is their nature. If my Lord dares to take a gamble, this battle is practically won!" "I dare to gamble. Do you dare gamble alongside me?" The Tang dao straightened its blade. "Rest assured, my Lord. Every strike takes an enemy head!" ... The beggar sat by the roadside, glancing from time to time down both sides of the road. It was already the dead of night, and travelers had long since vanished from the road, yet he dared not slacken in the slightest. The bumps on his face itched terribly, serving as a constant reminder that Lü Huazi could take his life at any moment. A burst of footsteps reached his ears, moving astonishingly fast. Could it be Li the Seventh? It shouldn't be him. He just suffered a loss—he couldn't possibly come back for me so quickly. Did he bring help? The beggar grew tense. Li the Seventh was no weakling himself, so any helper he brought was bound to be formidable as well. If he couldn't beat them, he shouldn't fight head-on. But if he didn't fight head-on, Lüshui Beggar wouldn't spare him. After a moment of torn indecision, the beggar brought out his bamboo pipe and began to play a tune. For a Beggar Cultivator, taking the initiative was more important than anything. Li the Seventh had already fought him once, so Pleading for Pity was out of the question; Playing the Chi and Begging for Food was now the key. With his cultivation, playing just two musical phrases would be enough to snare Li the Seventh in the technique. The only problem was that this bamboo pipe was newly made and slightly inferior in quality. As the tune sounded, a white-clad figure streaked before him, reaching out to snatch the beggar's bamboo pipe. What imposing aura! And so fast! The helper Li the Seventh had enlisted was truly remarkable! Seeing the white-clad figure arrive right in front of him, the beggar instantly pulled the bamboo pipe back, causing the figure to stumble forward. This tactical routine was second nature to him. "Given once, given all—so give a little more!" As he spoke, he casually tore a piece of cloth from the other's clothes! Forcible Seizure had succeeded. Give an Inch and Take a Foot had also succeeded. This was what made Beggar Cultivators so repulsive. When he used Playing the Chi and Begging for Food, if you listened to his tune, you were certain to succumb to his technique, and if you stepped forward to stop him, he would snatch an alms from you instead. The white-clad figure took off running into the distance. The beggar sprang to his feet in pursuit: "Given once, given all—give me an Achilles tendon too!" Why didn't the beggar demand the white-clad figure's life right away? This was experience in battle. How much one could gain from Give an Inch and Take a Foot depended on the gap in cultivation between the two sides. The greater the difference in cultivation, the more the Beggar Cultivator could take. If the gap was small and one demanded too much, the technique would fail entirely. This beggar's cultivation was above the clouds, but he did not know the cultivation of the white-clad figure before him. If he demanded too much or pushed too hard, he might end up with nothing at all. Give an Inch and Take a Foot had already succeeded. Next, as long as it was handled properly, he could enter the cycle of Escalating Demands without taking excessive risks with Give an Inch and Take a Foot. Demanding an Achilles tendon first was an exceedingly wise move. If a Journey Cultivator lost a tendon, their combat strength would be severely crippled. The beggar could both ensure his own victory and prevent his opponent from escaping. The white-clad figure limped furiously ahead while the beggar pursued closely behind. Critick was startled awake from his sleep. He wanted to keep up, but he couldn't outrun them. It had been so late that Critick thought nothing would happen and tried to take a quick nap, never expecting trouble to arrive after all. He hastily jabbed nails into his heels, only to see that the beggar's figure had already vanished into the night. How could they run so fast? The beggar was bewildered too. Why was that white-clad figure still running so fast after losing a tendon? Did I actually get the tendon? He looked at the bowl in his hand. Though small, the bowl could hold a living person, and resting flat inside was indeed a tendon. It was shaped like a human tendon, yet there was no blood on it, and it gave off an aroma. The aroma of a honeydew melon. Sorcery at work? Even with sorcery, I'm not afraid of him! The beggar didn't bother investigating the source of the magic. Beggar Cultivator techniques had time limits, so he immediately activated Escalating Demands: "Since you've given a tendon, give an eyeball too!" Plop. An eyeball was added to the bowl. No matter what sorcery you use, I'll just dismantle you piece by piece! The beggar shouted again: "One eyeball isn't enough! Give me the other eyeball too!" With both eyes gone, this white-clad figure definitely wouldn't be able to run anymore. When another eyeball appeared in the bowl, the white-clad figure indeed stopped running. Not only did the figure stop, but with its back turned to the beggar, it remained in place and even spoke: "Having taken so many things from me, it's time to pay the remuneration!" A Service Cultivator! The beggar was shocked. He had run into his natural bane. Service Cultivators and Beggar Cultivators countered each other; it all came down to who struck harder. Had he known the opponent was a Service Cultivator, he wouldn't have been so conservative earlier. Now that the Service Cultivator was about to claim payment, what should he do? Flee outright? That this Service Cultivator could run so fast proved they had dual-cultivated as a Journey Cultivator. When claiming remuneration, a Service Cultivator would run even faster. He certainly couldn't outrun them. The beggar threw his bowl forward. In midair, the bowl expanded, trapping the white-clad figure beneath it. Was he not afraid the white-clad figure would slip out using Unimpeded Passage? He truly wasn't. This bowl was specially crafted to delay Unimpeded Passage. As long as the opponent's cultivation wasn't excessively high, slipping out would inevitably take time. By taking advantage of that brief window, the beggar could put distance between himself and the Service Cultivator, then search for an opportunity to strike. Upon sensing the bowl come down, Li Banfeng smiled. Half the battle plan had succeeded. Having trapped the white-clad figure, the beggar bolted. After only a few paces, a white-clad figure caught up beside him, shouting, "You've taken so many things from me, I must have my payment!" Slipped out? So quickly? The beggar panicked slightly. His bowl shouldn't have been pierced so easily. In truth, the previous white-clad figure hadn't slipped out; it was still trapped under the bowl. That had been honeydew Hong Ying. Enhanced by Golden House Conceals a Beauty, she only inherited two traits from Hong Ying: she possessed an imposing aura, and she ran fast. She had no way of using a technique like Unimpeded Passage. Then why did this white-clad figure appear beside the beggar? Because this was a different honeydew Hong Ying. According to Li Banfeng's original plan, he was going to serve as the bait to lure the beggar into attacking. The Tang dao had altered the plan: "My Lord, Beggar Cultivators only deal with ordinary folk. He certainly won't be able to tell apart such rare Tillage Cultivator methods." Li Banfeng had thought an above-the-clouds cultivator couldn't possibly fail to notice the flaws, but the Tang dao knew Beggar Cultivators all too well. The beggar genuinely believed the white-clad figure had broken out of the bowl and caught up. The beggar stopped running. Facing a Service Cultivator seeking payment, he knew he couldn't outrun them. He waited for the other party to claim payment and planned to withstand it directly with Thick Face and Thick Skin. As long as he endured this single blow, he could resume demanding alms and turn the tide of battle. The crucial question now was how severe the demanded payment would be, and whether Thick Face and Thick Skin could hold out. The beggar was fully prepared. Relying on his combat experience, he could activate his technique at any moment without fear of a sneak attack. Pfft! Honeydew Hong Ying stabbed the beggar with a knife. A wound appeared on the beggar's face. Just this? Just this pittance of payment? The beggar was stunned for a long moment, then realized something was terribly wrong. Li Banfeng's tactic had succeeded. Finding a flaw among the sequence of Pleading for Pity, Playing the Chi and Begging for Food, Forcible Seizure, Give an Inch and Take a Foot, and Escalating Demands was far too difficult. Trap the beggar with Shutting Doors and Barring Gates, then use Journey Cultivator techniques to finish him off? It was a good thought. However, Li Banfeng was not proficient with Shutting Doors and Barring Gates, and the beggar's Thick Face and Thick Skin might be able to withstand the barrier's radiance. If the beggar snatched an item from him or played a tune in the meantime, Li Banfeng would suffer a grievous blow. To defend against the onslaught of an above-the-clouds Beggar Cultivator was virtually impossible with Li Banfeng's current cultivation. In a direct confrontation, he would be subdued in just a few exchanges. If one couldn't breach the enemy's offense, one had to breach his defense. By forcing out Thousand-Jin Bowl, half the battle plan had succeeded! The remaining half was Thick Face and Thick Skin. This technique was tricky because the beggar was seasoned and always had it at the ready. There was only one circumstance where he couldn't prepare the technique: Immediately after the technique had just been triggered. Thick Face and Thick Skin had already been triggered and expended; a cut had appeared on his face. This brief interval was Li Banfeng's optimal window. A silhouette flashed past before the beggar. The beggar's Thick Face and Thick Skin technique was not yet ready, so he had to lock his gaze onto the opponent; otherwise, he would fall victim to Viewing Flowers on a Galloping Horse. What he did not expect was that the figure he locked eyes with was still honeydew Hong Ying—a third honeydew Hong Ying. Li Banfeng suddenly materialized behind the beggar. This was perilous; the beggar might snatch something from his person. Willful Course—Li Banfeng staked everything on this gamble! He stomped down with Treading Ten Thousand Rivers, sending blood and flesh spraying from the beggar's body. The beggar was wounded, but not fatally; with cultivation above the clouds, he could withstand this stomp. Li Banfeng raised his leg and delivered another stomp. The beggar endured it once more. With cultivation above the clouds, his physique remained incredibly formidable even without Thick Face and Thick Skin. He turned back to grab Li Banfeng's clothes. Li Banfeng did not dodge; instead, he took out the key to the Portable Abode. "Every strike takes an enemy head!" the Tang dao roared, cleaving straight down toward the beggar's forehead. Its placement was exceedingly precise. If the beggar didn't dodge, this strike would cleave his forehead in two; if the beggar dodged, Li Banfeng would instantly use Viewing Flowers on a Galloping Horse. Yet the beggar had another option—one all too familiar to a Beggar Cultivator. "Given once, given all!" Without a second thought, the beggar seized the Tang dao directly. When an opponent counterattacks, snatch their weapon directly. This was a standard Beggar Cultivator tactic, and Give an Inch and Take a Foot took effect. This time, he didn't want to be conservative anymore. He wanted nothing less than Li the Seventh's head. "If given, then let it be given!" Li Banfeng seized the beggar and activated Heart Arrowing Home. What immense strength! The beggar was shocked. What technique was this? "Give me your head!" The beggar activated Give an Inch and Take a Foot, but failed. Willful Course had forcefully boosted Li Banfeng's Dwelling Cultivator techniques to Tier Nine. With a two-tier gap separating him from Cloud First Tier, the beggar could not pluck Li Banfeng's head. Had he asked for one of Li Banfeng's hands, he might have succeeded. Li Banfeng dared to gamble because he followed the Tang dao's advice: having suffered a loss before, the beggar was bound to strike hard this time. "Fight!" the Tang dao cried out. Dozens of honeydew Hong Yings in the surroundings slammed into him all at once. Tier Nine Heart Arrowing Home, combined with the Tang dao's fierce dragging, the jostling and slamming of the crowd of Hong Yings, and the beggar's existing injuries—these combined forces dragged the beggar toward the door of the Portable Abode. This is a dwelling? Such terrifying strength comes from Dwelling Cultivator techniques? How could this man be a Dwelling Cultivator? How could a Journey Cultivator dual-cultivate as a Dwelling Cultivator? The beggar couldn't comprehend it, nor did he have the mind to think about it. He had no wish to enter a Dwelling Cultivator's abode. "Given once, given all..." The beggar grabbed Li Banfeng's clothes, preparing to activate Give an Inch and Take a Foot again. "Wuu-ya-ya-ya!" The wife roared from within the house. The beggar suddenly felt the world spinning around him. Stripped of all power to resist, he was dragged by Li Banfeng straight into the Portable Abode.