Upon returning to Yanshazhai, Tan Fucheng was squatting at the doorway eating noodles with a group of guards. Broth splashed onto him, and Tan Fucheng casually used his copy of the Hundred Family Surnames to wipe it off.
Li Banfeng froze. "You're wiping your hands with a book?"
Tan Fucheng didn't care in the least. "Didn't bring a handkerchief. Just making do."
Why had his attitude changed so fast? Last night, hadn't he wanted to chop off his own finger just because he sneezed?
"You're getting that book all covered in grease. How will you read it later?"
"Not reading it anymore!" Tan Fucheng shook his head. "Reading that stuff is too exhausting. I've hardly touched a book for half my life, and haven't I gotten along just fine?"
*Riiip!*
A guard beside him tore out a page from a book to wipe his mouth.
Li Banfeng wanted to head back to his room. In the corridor, he saw Xiao Yeci, who had lightly dressed up and was just about to head out with Lu Chunying.
"Not reading books today?"
Xiao Yeci shook her head. "No more reading. There are so many books, it makes my head throb. It wasn't easy getting out for a trip; I want to take Nannan out for a stroll. Benefactor, care to join us?"
"You two go ahead. I'd like to get some sleep."
Lu Yuanxin walked out of his room, intending to escort the mother and daughter outside. Seeing they were a bit ahead, Lu Yuanxin lowered his voice and said to Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, something feels off. First thing this morning, I had a sudden, intense urge to read books. But after reading just a few pages, I suddenly couldn't take in a single word."
Li Banfeng smiled. "Maybe you just haven't read in a long time."
Lu Yuanxin shook his head. "I think someone might've used a technique."
Lu Chunying urged Lu Yuanxin to hurry up. Li Banfeng called out, "Be careful on the road."
He Yuxiu had once said that when Lu Yuanxin turned ruthless, he was very much like Lu Dongjun, yet differed in some ways—he was smarter than Lu Dongjun.
From their behavior, Li Banfeng understood the meaning of those three sentences on the scroll.
"The illiterate should feel ashamed" referred to illiterate people like Tan Fucheng; he would feel guilt over his lack of literary knowledge.
"The literate should strive hard" referred to Literary Cultivators like Xiao Yeci; in Moxiangdian, they would become diligent and driven.
"All mortals should study the literary arts" referred to ordinary people who were not illiterate; in Moxiangdian, they would feel the desire to study literary cultivation.
These three sentences formed the order of Moxiangdian.
The one in control of this order was the local spirit of Moxiangdian. Murong Gui repeatedly writing these three sentences was the process of reinforcing that order.
Exhausted from his prolonged duel with Ge Junma, Murong Gui had been forced to temporarily neglect the sentence "All mortals should study the literary arts" so he could pour more energy into battle. That was why Lu Yuanxin hadn't been affected initially.
Last night, Ge Junma had been wounded and temporarily ceased to be an immediate threat to Murong Gui. Murong Gui had reestablished the order of "All mortals should study the literary arts," which affected Lu Yuanxin, prompting his sudden urge to read this morning.
Li Banfeng hadn't been affected because his tier was too high. Given enough time steeped in it, though, he would likely end up like Lu Yuanxin.
The fierce battle they had just fought had forced Murong Gui to drop all the orders and throw everything into fighting, which had also restored everyone to normal.
What a fragile order.
For Murong Gui to maintain the territory's order this way—he was truly the most exhausted local spirit Li Banfeng had ever seen.
Could he have crashed from sheer overexhaustion?
"Brush, why do you suppose there's a local spirit whose life is so exhausting?"
The Judge's Brush answered slowly, "Reading is exhausting. There is no other way."
Back in the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng lay down on his bed to rest his eyes.
The glove crept up to his ear and wagged its index finger. "Master, we're not related to him, and that local spirit doesn't even know what's good for him. We've done everything that decency demands."
The gourd chimed in as well. "Little brother, let's leave. I don't want to linger here a moment longer."
The teapot sighed. "Even Kucaizhuang was better than this place."
The projector said, "This place lacks art."
Even the usually reticent scythe spoke up: "The people here are so thoroughly obnoxious."
They weren't wrong. Moxiangdian was indeed obnoxious—the people were obnoxious, the atmosphere was obnoxious, and the local spirit was obnoxious too.
Yet this was Puluo Province territory. No matter how obnoxious it was, it couldn't be handed over to the Inner States.
Old Luo was still on his way to Haichiling. Was there any way to notify the Peddler sooner?
Right, the companion dwelling now had six sets of tracks, capable of reaching somewhat nebulous destinations.
Li Banfeng envisioned the scenery of Haichiling, while simultaneously picturing the Peddler shaking his pellet drum and hawking his wares in the streets.
After pondering for over a minute, Li Banfeng felt it was about ready. Just as he was about to step outside, he heard the companion dwelling say, "No need to go out and look. I didn't move."
Li Banfeng was taken aback. "Why didn't you move?"
The companion dwelling chuckled with a sigh. "Old Seven, not everything in this world can be done. Tracking the Peddler is something that cannot be done. Not only can I not do it, you must never do it either."
Even the companion dwelling feared the Peddler that much?
Hong Ying advised, "That sundries peddler's mind is hard to fathom. Even if you find him, he might not be willing to intervene."
The Tang dao chimed in too. "Milord, whether the Peddler comes or not depends on Moxiangdian's destiny. Perhaps this place was simply fated to endure this calamity."
"A place so obnoxious should just be left to run its course."
"We should leave quickly too. If we delay, we might get dragged into it."
The gramophone said nothing, merely wrapping Li Banfeng in a plume of steam.
Li Banfeng looked at the Judge's Brush.
The Judge's Brush leaned against the wall, huddled in a corner, without uttering a word.
...
At noon the next day, Luo Zhengnan sent word: "Seventh Master, I reached Haichiling, but I couldn't find the Peddler."
Arrived too late?
Li Banfeng said, "Go to Kudaikan at once."
"Seventh Master, I contacted an old friend. The Peddler didn't go to Kudaikan."
Based on the Peddler's pattern of movement, he should have been in one of these two places.
Where had he gone?
"Old Luo, keep searching. Let me know the moment you have news."
Li Banfeng went to the poetry club, still pondering what kind of poem to leave for Critick.
The poem had to subtly convey the time and place of their meeting, making sure Critick could understand it while keeping it opaque to everyone else.
To his surprise, standing outside the door, Li Banfeng could already hear an impassioned recitation:
"The footsteps of dreams are in Moxiangdian! The value of life is in Moxiangdian! The meaning of struggle is in Moxiangdian! I am willing to dedicate my all to Moxiangdian!"
Standing at the entrance, Li Banfeng beckoned to Critick.
Amid the rolling eyes of the young women and men inside, Critick walked out the door.
"It makes no sense! Those were lines written straight from my heart, yet even the men despise me!" Critick grumbled, holding his teacup.
Li Banfeng found it hard to comprehend Critick's mental state. "You're being pressed so hard by the Lüshui Beggar, yet you still have the heart to come out for matchmaking?"
Critick shrugged. "What choice do I have? These are all the investigative channels I have available. Even if he's the founder of my pathway, he can't expect me to dig up results this fast."
"I've already found the results."
Critick was startled. "What did you find?"
There was a gramophone in the first-class private room. Li Banfeng took a record from the cabinet, wound the crank, and played "Where to Find an Intimate Friend" to cover the sound of their voices.
"The local spirit of Moxiangdian is named Murong Gui."
"Murong Gui, the Wisdom-Karmic Scholar," Critick said after taking a sip of tea. "I've heard of him. He's a legendary figure in Moxiangdian, and I once suspected he was the local spirit myself. Is your intelligence reliable?"
"Extremely reliable. I can also tell you that He Jiaqing's information is accurate: Murong Gui's condition is indeed not good. I imagine you must have noticed some anomalies yourself."
Critick didn't quite understand. "The anomalies you're referring to are..."
"Yesterday morning, you would have noticed a change in the people of Moxiangdian."
Critick pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Yesterday morning, counting myself, only three people showed up at the poetry club. The other two didn't want to recite poetry; they felt reciting poetry was pointless, that they didn't want to live such exhausting lives. They only sat for a little while before leaving."
"That's because the local spirit here became extremely weak. He had just fought a battle."
Critick grew tense. "Fought whom? Has Chu Shaoqiang arrived already?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Not Chu Shaoqiang. Ge Junma."
"What a strange name." Critick recalled for a moment and shook his head. "I don't know this person."
"Your founder definitely knows him. Even if he hasn't met him, he's certainly heard of him. Pass the information to him, and he'll surely have a way to verify it. As for the source of your information, you'll have to fabricate a lie yourself."
Critick swirled his teacup a few times and drained the tea in one gulp.
"I trust you. This information is far too precious. As an exchange of equal value, I'll tell you a few things about He Jiaqing.
"That friend of yours has become an ally of my pathway's founder. His cultivation is extraordinarily high, capable of breaking through the Layered Peaks and Ridges technique at Jianrengang."
Li Banfeng recalled his experience at Jianrengang. "Is the Layered Peaks and Ridges technique you mentioned the one that prevents people from leaving Jianrengang?"
Critick nodded. "Yes, it is a very advanced Joy Cultivator technique. If I'm not mistaken, that friend of yours stole a way out from within the opponent's technique and led me out of Jianrengang.
"Deducing from that, he should be a thief—what Puluo Province usually calls a theft cultivator—and his cultivation is not on the ground tier.
"Cultivation above the clouds requires special means to support one's standing. His previous anchor of standing was lost, and his current anchor comes from Gouweicao. You should know this person."
"You mean the beggar I killed?"
Critick nodded. "My founder took his covenant deed. As a bargaining chip in their deal, he gave that covenant deed to He Jiaqing."
Li Banfeng was somewhat curious. "What kind of thing is worth so much that it requires a covenant deed in trade?"
Critick puffed out his chest and answered proudly, "Me!"
Li Banfeng was taken aback. "The Lüshui Beggar traded a covenant deed for you? Looks like he really treasures you!"
"That's why I love the old founder," Critick said, pouring Li Banfeng a cup of tea. "I've delivered my information. Do you consider the value equal?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "Roughly equal."
Seeing Li Banfeng preparing to leave, Critick asked, "Are we still doing the business of fishing in troubled waters?"
"We are," Li Banfeng said, pulling his hat brim lower. "If you get news, come find me at the teahouse again."
...
"Ge Junma... he actually went to Moxiangdian." Sitting in a corner cradling his begging bowl, the Lüshui Beggar couldn't help but chuckle.
He Jiaqing tossed a silver dollar into the bowl. "Is the information reliable?"
The Lüshui Beggar stared at the silver dollar in the bowl for a moment, then suddenly said, "You already gave it..."
Before he could finish, the silver dollar in the bowl vanished.
"Impressive skill," the Lüshui Beggar praised. "Critick obtained the intel through the Inner States. He's been to the Inner States; he wouldn't dare lie to me about this."
He Jiaqing twirled the silver dollar around his fingers. "To be safe, it's best to wait a bit longer. Once Chu Shaoqiang shows himself, it won't be too late to strike."
"No need to wait," the Lüshui Beggar said, standing up. "Ge Junma is in Moxiangdian, so Chu Shaoqiang will definitely go to save him.
"We'll head over, claim the land, claim the covenant deed, and take Chu Shaoqiang's head too. Where else would you find such a great bargain?"
He Jiaqing continued to fiddle with the silver dollar. "Before the deal opens, we'd better divide the shares. Do you want heads or territory? We'd best make this clear."
The Lüshui Beggar sneered. "Don't you want a new Puluo Province? You'd bicker over a trivial matter like this?"
He Jiaqing smiled. "I want to change Puluo Province, but I need at least a foothold. Just like doing business, you always need a shop first.
"I want Moxiangdian's territory very much. If you want it too, we can talk it over slowly."
The Lüshui Beggar frowned. "You took a covenant deed from me, and now you want the territory as well? Aren't you being too greedy with this business?"
He Jiaqing tossed the silver dollar back into the Lüshui Beggar's bowl. "You've already given the covenant deed. Letting me earn a bit more won't hurt you either."
The Lüshui Beggar shook the bowl, the silver dollar clinking inside. "If you want to earn more, put in more effort. Chu Shaoqiang, Ge Junma, Murong Gui—out of those three heads, how many can you take?"
Chapter 448