Bloodshed in the Deserted Village

Qiao Shaofen moved at a swift pace, with Li Banfeng tailing closely behind. All along the way, Li Banfeng walked on edge. This woman's pathway was bizarre and her strikes vicious; the slightest misstep could cost him his life. The only reason he dared to follow her was that he had accurately gauged her weak sensory perception. When she had buried "Li Banfeng" in the quagmire earlier, she hadn't even realized that "Li Banfeng" had been made of cabbage. Following her all the way to an abandoned village, he saw Qiao Shaofen enter a grand manor, and he stopped following her. This was Qiao Shaofen's residence, and the Lady Wuqin she spoke of likely lived here as well. Li Banfeng did not linger. He promptly left the deserted village and spent the entire night wandering the newland, but failed to find a suitable route. He had originally planned to detour through the newland back to Qiu Luoye's territory, never expecting the process to be so arduous. Even though he knew the direction, he couldn't find a passable way. Near dawn, Li Banfeng circled back to Wuqin Township, used the mechanism to open the Boundary, and returned from the proper land to Qiu Luoye's territory. Silence hung over the territory. After returning to proper land, the people quickly resumed their regular rhythm of day and night. Come daylight, households woke up one after another. The land reclaimers each searched for a way out, while the three-headed people rebuilt houses and tended the fields. The morning passed quietly enough, but by the afternoon, as the land reclaimers grew anxious to return home and still couldn't find a way out, arguments broke out across the territory in endless waves. Qiu Luoye recounted Wannianlao's situation to Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng wanted to go meet this Wannianlao, but Shui Yongquan advised him to hold off for now. "Old Seven, you want to detour through the newland to reach Wuqin Township, but looking for Wannianlao won't help. Now that the boundaries have shifted, Wannianlao doesn't even know where Wuqin Township is. Earlier, he even mistook us for people from Wuqin Township. "Elephant Qiu fought him, and back then Wannianlao came out on the losing end because he was outnumbered. If we go look for him again now, he'll definitely be on guard and might even set an ambush. We'd better be cautious." After weighing it back and forth, Li Banfeng still decided to make a trip to Wannianlao's territory. Just as he was about to set out, Juanzi invited him into the house. "Seventh Master, there's something I've been hesitating whether I should tell you..." From her expression, the matter put Juanzi in a difficult position. Beside her, Mengzi urged, "What time is it now? Can't you see Seventh Master is in a hurry? Just hurry up and bring it out!" Xiaoshan coaxed as well from the side, "Sister, just show it to Seventh Master." Li Banfeng stood up. "If it's something I shouldn't see, don't show me. Don't force yourself." He didn't blame Juanzi; he spoke from the heart. Everyone had their own secrets, and Li Banfeng never demanded unconditional honesty from those around him. Juanzi stopped Li Banfeng and took a map from her bosom. "Seventh Master, our benefactor gave this to me. I promised never to show it to anyone else. "Now I'm making this one exception to show it to you, Seventh Master. Every bit of blame falls on me. If our benefactor finds out in the future, let the punishment fall on me alone." Li Banfeng took one look and instantly understood the significance of this map. It was a route map of the newland. Juanzi had relied on this very map to journey all the way from Sinner City to Qiu Luoye's territory. By now, the map was no longer completely accurate, because Qiu Luoye's territory had turned into proper land, wedging itself between Wuqin Township and Moxiang Shop. However, the map recorded the surrounding layout of the newland. Some of the mountains and rivers depicted on it were sights Li Banfeng had seen in the newland the previous night. With this map, Li Banfeng could find a path! Who had given this map to Juanzi? Juanzi was unwilling to disclose her benefactor's identity, and Li Banfeng had no intention of prying. Journey cultivators possessed an exceptional sensitivity to maps. Li Banfeng handed the map back to Juanzi; with only a single glance, every route on it was etched clearly in his mind. Shui Yongquan was still discussing with Qiu Luoye how to secure passage through Wannianlao's land. Li Banfeng drew out the path for Shui Yongquan. "Brother Shui, if you're in a hurry to get back, we wouldn't dare hold you." Shui Yongquan waved his hand. "Don't keep me. I really am anxious. Your place has become proper land, but over at mine, no one's even responding to calls for land reclamation." Li Banfeng chuckled. "I was just about to discuss this matter of proper land with you. If you aren't in a rush, stay and do some business." Shui Yongquan was surprised. "Business? Shouldn't we put that aside for now? First find a way out for your people." "The business lies right in the way out. Brother Shui, seeing Brother Qiu's proper land, don't you want a piece? I don't have a whole plot, but half a plot is negotiable." "Half a plot of proper land?" Shui Yongquan didn't quite grasp Li Banfeng's meaning. Qiu Luoye broke into a grin on the side. Shui Yongquan frowned. "What are you smiling at? Did you understand?" Qiu Luoye shook his head. "Don't understand, and don't need to. I listen to Old Seven." Li Banfeng said, "Whether this succeeds depends on you, Brother Shui. The crucial part is that we must not reveal our tracks." Qiu Luoye chuckled. "You can rest easy on that. Old Shui might lack other skills, but his art of concealment is the real deal. When he attacked my turf back then, I didn't notice a single peep." Li Banfeng smiled. "Brother Qiu understood. Brother Shui, do you get it now?" ... Night fell. Qiao Shaofen inspected the vicinity of the newland entrance, then patrolled around the border. She gazed toward Qiu Luoye's territory, her expression as indifferent as ever. The Garrison Commissioner bore a grudge against these people, and Qiao Shaofen did not want to be implicated in the slightest. Kill every single one that came out—Qiao Shaofen had established not only her stance, but also her methods. Wuqin Township was not large. After completing a circuit without spotting any outsiders, Qiao Shaofen returned to the abandoned village. At the entrance of the village sat a man, tall and burly, who was resting on a boulder beside two shoulder-pole loads of sweet potatoes. Qiao Shaofen stepped forward, glanced at him, and asked, "Where are you from?" The man looked up and answered in an honest, rustic manner, "From this township." Qiao Shaofen didn't believe him. "From this township, and you dare enter this village?" This abandoned village was a forbidden zone in Wuqin Township. The man blinked. "I ain't ever been here before either. Walked the road at night and somehow ended up on this path. Was plannin' to head to the morning market tomorrow." Qiao Shaofen asked, "You say you're from this township—which village do you live in? What's your village head's surname? How many people in your family?" "I live in..." Qiu Luoye looked at Qiao Shaofen with a stern, stiff expression and stopped speaking. There were supposed to be lines here; Li Banfeng had prepared the script for Qiu Luoye in advance. However, there were too many lines, and Qiu Luoye hadn't memorized them. Qiao Shaofen sneered. "If you can't answer, don't blame me." In truth, even if he had answered, it wouldn't have mattered. From the moment she saw him enter the abandoned village, Qiao Shaofen had never planned to spare him. Qiao Shaofen coughed and spat at Qiu Luoye's feet. Before the spittle touched the ground, Shui Yongquan emerged beneath Qiu Luoye's feet with a slurp, sucked the spittle into his mouth, and then spat out a glob of mire. Qiu Luoye chuckled. "Old Shui, tastes good, doesn't it?" Shui Yongquan cursed, "This thing is a Mud Cultivator! I've suffered a massive grievance this time! Elephant Qiu, once this is done, I get first pick of the land!" Qiao Shaofen started, realizing something was wrong. She turned to flee, only to see a figure flash before her eyes. Who is this? Bang! Qiao Shaofen felt a tremor in her chest and coughed up a mouthful of blood, as if something had detonated in her stomach. Li Banfeng, lurking in the distance, knitted his brows in secret. He had just used Viewing Flowers on a Galloping Horse against Qiao Shaofen. Viewing Flowers on a Galloping Horse only dealt this much damage? Just what cultivation level did this Qiao Shaofen possess? Li Banfeng felt the damage was insufficient, but for Shui Yongquan, buying this brief window of time was more than enough. Untying the water gourd from behind his back, he splashed it toward Qiao Shaofen. Tens of thousands of water droplets pelted her like bullets, riddling her entire body with bloody holes. This was Dripping Water Penetrates Stone, a third-tier technique of the Water Cultivator pathway. The tier of the technique was not particularly high, but its lethal force was devastating. Though Qiao Shaofen shed plenty of blood, the holes swiftly healed over. Li Banfeng was astonished by Qiao Shaofen's recovery speed, but Shui Yongquan was not surprised in the slightest. Such was the nature of a high-tier Mud Cultivator. Dripping Water Penetrates Stone striking a Mud Cultivator was just like puncturing soft mud with a sharp weapon. Shui Yongquan waved his water gourd again, and a curtain of water enclosed Qiao Shaofen. Li Banfeng had seen this method before. It was an advanced art: Water-Leaking Curtain Seal, an eighth-tier Water Cultivator technique. Once trapped by the curtain of water, one must never move; the water curtain was like blades, capable of slicing a person into mincemeat. Without a second thought, Qiao Shaofen plunged right through the water curtain. Even with her formidable cultivation, the moment she passed through the curtain, she was reduced to a heap of mush on the ground. Yet turning to mush didn't matter. The mass of fleshy mud crawled across the ground for a moment, then swelled, reshaped itself, and turned back into Qiao Shaofen. Though she was missing a bit of skin and flesh, Qiao Shaofen was still not gravely injured. Pulling the hairpin from her hair, she hurled it at Shui Yongquan. A deluge of mire poured down, nearly trapping him. Breaking free of the mire, Shui Yongquan's sleeves suddenly elongated and wrapped around Qiao Shaofen. Qiao Shaofen tried to rip the sleeves apart, but they were made of water. Her hands plunged into water, giving her no purchase no matter how hard she pulled. Yet when she tried to slip free from the sleeves, they hardened into solids, binding Qiao Shaofen tightly from head to toe, threatening to strangle her to death at any moment. This was the ninth-tier Water Cultivator technique, Belt of Water. Whether the sleeves were solid or liquid depended entirely on their purpose in offense or defense. Bang! With a dull blast, Qiao Shaofen's body was constricted until it burst by Shui Yongquan's sleeves, her entire form exploding into soft mud once more. The mud was still writhing, poised to reconstitute again. Qiu Luoye stepped forward to stomp on it, but was stopped by Shui Yongquan. "Old Shui, I've watched you two trade blows for several rounds now," Qiu Luoye said, thoroughly exasperated. "You're back and forth with no rush at all. Have you taken a fancy to her?" Shui Yongquan laughed. "That was all foreplay just now. Now comes the real deal!" As he spoke, Qiao Shaofen had already reformed into human shape. Shui Yongquan spread his hands flat, standing motionless where he was as mist rose around him. Seeing Qiao Shaofen about to flee, Li Banfeng closed in with Half-Step and stomped down beside her with Treading Ten Thousand Rivers. Shattered stones flew, pelting Qiao Shaofen. Li Banfeng hadn't expected to injure her—Shui Yongquan's techniques had failed to finish her off, so Li Banfeng's techniques certainly wouldn't pack enough punch either. He merely needed to buy Shui Yongquan a bit more time. Unexpectedly, Qiao Shaofen actually was wounded. The flying gravel pierced through her body, leaving holes all over, but this time, the punctures did not heal rapidly. Qiao Shaofen realized something was amiss. She wasn't bleeding much, but the wounds stung fiercely, and stiffness gripped her joints in waves. She gouged a bit of flesh and blood from her wound, seeking to smear it onto Li Banfeng, but Li Banfeng darted aside and evaded it. Had he failed to dodge, Li Banfeng would have been immediately engulfed in mire. Taking advantage of Li Banfeng backing away, Qiao Shaofen tried to flee again, but Qiu Luoye appeared behind her and kicked her flat onto the ground. Ordinarily, Qiu Luoye's kick shouldn't have harmed Qiao Shaofen. If Qiao Shaofen dissolved into mire, she could have trapped Qiu Luoye instead. Yet right now, Qiao Shaofen could not dissolve into mire. She spat toward Qiu Luoye, attempting to create a mud pit in a desperate last stand. Yet what she spat out was not saliva, but dry ash. To have contended until now against two local spirits and Li Banfeng, Qiao Shaofen's cultivation was by no means low, and her combat prowess was genuinely formidable. However, she had fallen into Shui Yongquan's calculation, completely countered in tactics. After hearing Li Banfeng's description earlier, Shui Yongquan had already suspected that Qiao Shaofen was a Mud Cultivator, but he couldn't be certain whether it was her own method or the work of some magical artifact. Thus, he had Qiu Luoye serve as bait to draw Qiao Shaofen into striking first. Once Qiao Shaofen struck, Shui Yongquan consumed her spittle specifically to identify her pathway. Having confirmed she was a Mud Cultivator, Shui Yongquan's tactics were settled. Starting with Dripping Water Penetrates Stone, following with Water-Leaking Curtain Seal, and then using Belt of Water—none of these techniques could inflict fatal harm on a Mud Cultivator. In Shui Yongquan's words, this was foreplay. The foreplay served only one purpose: water exchange—gradually replacing the moisture in Qiao Shaofen's body with Shui Yongquan's own. The essence of a high-tier Mud Cultivator was a mass of mire. Drawing out and replacing all the water in the mire was no easy feat, which was why Shui Yongquan chained his techniques one after another. Once about half the moisture had been exchanged, the main act began. With the main act came the fatal strike. Shui Yongquan invoked the Water Cultivator above-the-clouds techniques: Pouring Water into Water and Spilled Water Can Be Retrieved. First, his own water thoroughly mingled with what remained of Qiao Shaofen's water until their properties became alike and could answer Shui Yongquan's summoning. That was the above-the-clouds technique, Pouring Water into Water. Once the technique succeeded, Shui Yongquan drew back most of the moisture. The mist rising around his body was the water he had reclaimed—the above-the-clouds technique, Spilled Water Can Be Retrieved. Li Banfeng was swift on his feet, so during this interval, it fell to him to buy Shui Yongquan time. Having been struck by these two techniques, Qiao Shaofen transformed from a wet mud figure into a dry mud figure, her combat strength plummeting drastically. Shui Yongquan could no longer exchange blows with Qiao Shaofen either; using any further technique would be tantamount to gifting her water. With Li Banfeng's current cultivation, killing Qiao Shaofen in a short window would also prove difficult. If Qiao Shaofen stalled for time and found water, she would still have a chance to recover. Yet neither Shui Yongquan nor Li Banfeng needed to fight Qiao Shaofen anymore—because now, it was Qiu Luoye's turn. Qiao Shaofen jerked her head, and her disheveled hair turned into mire worms that gnawed relentlessly at Qiu Luoye, injecting venom into his body. Qiu Luoye feared neither the biting worms nor this meager venom. Smiling, he stepped forward and stomped the lower half of Qiao Shaofen's body to pieces. Qiao Shaofen shrieked hoarsely, "Noble warrior, spare my life! I'll do anything you want! I admit my wrongs, I'll kowtow to you!" Qiu Luoye chuckled. "We're not kin or friends—what are you kowtowing for? I can't accept such a courtesy!" Qiao Shaofen crawled desperately with her remaining half-body, still trying to find a water source. As long as she could buy a little time, as long as she could find water, she could recover. Yet against Qiu Luoye, stalling for time was no easy task, a fact Li Banfeng knew all too well from experience. Bang! Bang! Bang! Shrieks echoed repeatedly amidst a continuous barrage of dull thuds. Under a flurry of fists and kicks from Qiu Luoye, Qiao Shaofen was battered into a scattered mess of debris. Banfeng's heart ached—a whole meal for his wife had gone down the drain. He wasn't even sure if these pulverized remnants could be taken back for pill refining. Still, their business deal was close to fruition. The three men looked at each other and grinned, their excitement growing with every passing moment.