Li Banfeng sat in the teahouse, turning the pages of Lamp Talks of Karmic Wisdom one by one.
This book also recounted tales of the Wisdom-Karmic Scholar, but unlike other versions, it detailed some of Murong Gui's less flattering history.
In these pages, Murong Gui was still skilled at discerning people's hearts, yet twice he miscalculated and nearly cost his family their foundation.
Murong Gui had once run a gang. In other accounts, he was portrayed as diligent and tireless.
In this book, however, Murong Gui spent half a month lounging in the pleasure quarters, ignoring all affairs and nearly bringing his gang to ruin.
Tracing his fingers along the judge's brush, Li Banfeng asked, "Which one is the real Murong Gui?"
The judge's brush gave its answer: "Both."
Critick arrived at the teahouse. Seeing Li Banfeng reading, he nodded. "If I'm not mistaken, Murong Gui must be in excellent shape right now, seeing how even you've taken such a liking to books."
"I am a person who deeply loves knowledge," Li Banfeng said, setting down Lamp Talks of Karmic Wisdom. "Has your pathway patriarch made a move?"
"Yes. He'll arrive in Moxiangdian tonight, bringing along that good friend of yours. He intends to find Murong Gui first, kill him, take Ge Junma hostage, and force Chu Shaoqiang to show himself.
"If Chu Shaoqiang finds Murong Gui first, things will become a bit more complicated. Patriarch might choose to intercept the win, or perhaps sweep the pot. Those are mahjong terms—I didn't use them wrong, did I?"
"Pretty much got it right."
Critick took a sip of tea. "Regardless of the scenario, we must strike at the right moment. How many fish we catch isn't the point; what matters is whether we can make it safely ashore."
"If your patriarch strikes at Murong Gui first," Li Banfeng asked, "what do you plan to do?"
Critick dabbed his mouth with a napkin. "First, help my patriarch defeat the local spirit and the Inner Stater. Then find a chance to send Patriarch off to the next world, seize Moxiangdian's covenant deed, and return to Lüshui City."
Li Banfeng was genuinely astonished. "You still want to go back to Lüshui City?"
Critick looked slightly melancholy. "Lüshui City was the foundation Patriarch spent his entire life building. Now that the venerable elder is gone, I can't bear to let that foundation go to waste."
Judging from those words, Li Banfeng felt he might have deeply misunderstood Critick.
Tears were practically welling in Critick's eyes, proving just how sincere his feelings for the Lüshui Beggar truly were.
Li Banfeng asked, "And if Chu Shaoqiang strikes at the local spirit first, what do you plan to do then?"
"Then we'll need a bit more patience. Chu Shaoqiang has backing from the Inner States, and his strength clearly surpasses Patriarch's. By my estimates, he might bring three to five formidable helpers from the Inner States.
"However, the one he wants to rescue, Ge Junma, is a pureblood Inner Stater. Ge Junma shouldn't be in Puluo Province—that violates the laws of Puluo Province. Chu Shaoqiang will have to keep a low profile.
"As long as Patriarch chooses the right moment, he still has a chance at victory. Once Patriarch wins, we'll find another opportunity to send him off. After that, there's no rush; we'll have plenty of time to share the spoils."
"And what if Chu Shaoqiang wins?"
Critick fell silent for a moment, then shook his head. "If Chu Shaoqiang wins, I don't think we can fish in troubled waters anymore.
"We hold sufficient intelligence, and Patriarch has made ample preparations. If he still loses to Chu Shaoqiang, that only proves one thing: Chu Shaoqiang brought too many men and too much power.
"In that case, simply staying alive would be a blessing for me. You'd best not wade into those waters either, or you might never find a way back ashore."
Li Banfeng looked at him. "In other words, you never intended to make a move against Chu Shaoqiang at all. Your blade has been pointed at your patriarch the entire time?"
"This is merely my analysis based on the tactical situation," Critick explained. "I hope you won't question my affection for Patriarch because of it."
"I'm not questioning your affection. I think you're a remarkably devoted person."
Li Banfeng pulled down the brim of his hat. Critick raised his teacup. "Once Patriarch arrives, our chances to meet will be scarce. But I trust we will share an unspoken understanding on the battlefield."
Critick's sole target was the Lüshui Beggar.
What did he want from the Lüshui Beggar?
Did he want Lüshui City?
His cultivation wasn't high enough. Did he plan to brazenly pose as a local spirit just like Li Banfeng had?
The territory Li Banfeng had chosen wouldn't draw attention. But if Critick chose Lüshui City, the largest metropolis in Puluo Province, how could he possibly hold it with his strength?
It couldn't just be Lüshui City.
Critick had been wiping his mouth constantly while speaking. Could he be drooling over his patriarch's body?
***
Li Banfeng returned to Yanshazhai and found Tan Fucheng clutching an ax, howling at the top of his lungs, while a crowd dragged and pulled at him in complete chaos.
"Don't any of you hold me back! I can't keep this hand! I'm chopping it off!"
Having wiped noodle broth with the Hundred Family Surnames earlier, the more Tan Fucheng thought about it, the guiltier he felt, until he was seized by the urge to sever his own hand.
Li Banfeng stepped in to dissuade him. "Brother Tan, keep the hand for now. Take Madam Xiao and Miss Chunying and head back to Qiqiu City immediately."
"But I still want to study here!"
"Don't worry. Once things are settled here, I'll make special arrangements for you to come study. We'll sign a covenant deed—you won't be able to refuse even if you want to!"
"Is that true?"
"True as can be!"
To conduct business that risked life and limb, one had to cut off all rearward concerns. If something happened to Xiao Yeci and the others at Yanshazhai, it would be difficult for Li Banfeng to handle.
Tan Fucheng still possessed his cultivation. Though he had lost his head earlier, once talked down by Li Banfeng, he quickly remembered the purpose of this trip.
His mission was to protect Xiao Yeci and her daughter; studying was secondary.
Packing up the luggage, Lu Yuanxin breathed a sigh of relief. "I never want to come back to this place again."
Li Banfeng chuckled. "Reading books once in a while isn't a bad thing."
As they spoke, an argument erupted from the room.
Xiao Yeci refused to leave. "Nannan, stay two more days with Mama! There are so many books here, Mama hasn't finished reading them yet!"
"Ma, we can buy the books and take them home to read. You can buy as many as you want."
"Some of the collections aren't for sale! Some aren't even shown to outsiders! I spent so much money before they agreed to let me read them! Nannan, stay just one more night, can't we? Just one night!"
"No! Whatever books they are, I'll find a way to get them for you, but you have to come with me right now!"
Lu Chunying dragged Xiao Yeci along, and Xiao Yeci grew angry. "You little girl, since when is it your place to order me around!"
Li Banfeng pushed the door open, stepped inside, slung Xiao Yeci over his shoulder, and tossed her into the carriage.
Xiao Yeci was still thrashing inside the carriage. Li Banfeng found an iron chain, locked the carriage up tight, and told Lu Yuanxin to drive it straight to the train station.
Listening to the weeping from within, Lu Yuanxin lowered his voice. "Seventh Master, if we head into the streets like this, people will think I'm a kidnapper."
Wrapping a carriage in chains was indeed a bit conspicuous.
Li Banfeng unlocked the chain, stepped into the carriage, gagged Xiao Yeci, and bound her securely with the chain instead.
Once the group departed, Li Banfeng let out a sigh of relief and prepared to pack his things, intending to set an ambush in the garden once night fell.
In truth, there wasn't much to pack; all his weapons and magical artifacts were in the companion dwelling.
Yet Li Banfeng felt a strong urge to take a book with him. Yanshazhai truly had many fine books.
*What time is it, and I'm still in the mood to read?*
Even he couldn't put books down, proving that the order of Moxiangdian remained extremely firm. It was clear Murong Gui was in good shape.
This also proved that the giant toad hadn't harassed him.
Why hadn't it harassed him?
What was Ge Junma doing?
Li Banfeng had an uneasy premonition.
He prepared to head to the Willow Garden. Just as he stepped out the door, he saw the owner of the Lu Family Bookstore standing in the corridor, smiling warmly. "Boss Li, you're at Yanshazhai too?"
"Boss Lu, what a coincidence. You came to read?"
Boss Lu shook his head. "I came to deliver some books to Miss Xiao—Miss Xiao Yeci from Lüshui City. Do you know her?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "I do. She went to your shop?"
"Yesterday she picked out a few books at my place, but found them too heavy to carry and asked me to deliver them. I just knocked, but Miss Xiao doesn't seem to be in."
Li Banfeng said, "Miss Xiao has returned to Lüshui City."
Boss Lu sighed. "My fault for arriving late. I intended to come right after lunch, but an old friend showed up and insisted on chatting.
"Back in Lüshui City, this friend was quite an important figure, so I couldn't brush him off. We ended up talking until just now, and that friend is still waiting at my bookstore.
"Boss Li, are you close with Miss Xiao? Could I trouble you to deliver these books to her? If it's too much trouble, I can mail them to her instead."
"No trouble at all. Just leave them with me."
Boss Lu handed several books to Li Banfeng and promptly departed Yanshazhai.
Li Banfeng looked at the books in his hands. One of them was Wisdom-Karmic Scholar, Volume Two only, with no Volume One.
Li Banfeng had once bought Volume One at the Lu Family Bookstore. At the time, he said carrying Volume Two as well would be too cumbersome, so he hadn't purchased it.
Now Boss Lu had brought Volume Two over. Li Banfeng opened a page and saw a crease.
It was a crease he had left behind previously.
Boss Lu hadn't come to deliver books to Xiao Yeci; he had come to deliver a message to Li Banfeng.
A former important figure had arrived in Moxiangdian.
Which important figure?
Chu Shaoqiang was here.
Chu Shaoqiang was currently still at the bookstore, which meant Boss Lu was stalling him, though presumably not for much longer.
Li Banfeng hurried to the Willow Garden. The garden gates were locked shut, not open to the public, but by chance a pair of youths had climbed over the railing and were snuggled together in the woods, admiring the snow.
Li Banfeng brought out the music box. Amidst an elegant melody, the two drifted off to sleep.
After carrying the couple outside the garden, Li Banfeng brought out the projector and began recording the fine details of the woods.
They had to create some concealment. Whether it was the Lüshui Beggar or Chu Shaoqiang, neither could be allowed to find that special willow tree immediately.
The projector was somewhat nervous. "Director Seven, if it were ground-level cultivation, I'd be confident I could fool them. But for figures above the clouds, I really can't boast."
The glove snorted. "Brother, that's where you're wrong. You've eaten plenty of fine dishes from above the clouds. Now that it's time to pull your weight, how can you make excuses!"
The projector didn't shirk after that. Finding a suitable vantage, it cast a projection, concealing both the willow tree and Li Banfeng entirely.
Li Banfeng pulled out the telephone and connected with Luo Zhengnan. "Old Luo, did you find the Peddler?"
Luo Zhengnan was frantic with anxiety. Searching all the way from Haichiling to Yaowanggou, he hadn't spotted the Peddler in any territory.
Li Banfeng said, "Fighting is about to start on my end. Keep looking—you must find him."
A fight was about to break out!
Seventh Master was about to clash with that gang of ruthless powerhouses.
At his wit's end, Luo Zhengnan dialed a number.
A familiar voice came through the receiver: "Dear listener, welcome to Afternoon Teahouse. What would you like to share with us today?"
"The Peddler! I'm looking for the Peddler!" Luo Zhengnan hadn't dialed the wrong number; this was the very radio station he intended to call. "If anyone sees the Peddler, please tell him I'm looking for him in Yaowanggou! It's a matter of life and death!"
***
Darkness gradually fell. Li Banfeng accumulated luck and strength inside the companion dwelling, put on the freshly repaired Qiansi earring, and quietly hid beside the willow tree.
Under the projector's illusion, an ordinary person couldn't see this willow tree at all, but today's opponents were anything but ordinary.
Chu Shaoqiang walked into the garden accompanied by a man dressed in black.
The man in black had large eyes, a long face, and a pointed jaw, resembling a bat. He was Chu Shaoqiang's dedicated messenger, Wang Fuqi.
Chu Shaoqiang had arrived in Moxiangdian this morning. He knew where Ge Junma was, and through Wang Fuqi, he had already established contact with him.
That was why Ge Junma had been unusually quiet today—he was gathering strength, waiting to coordinate with Chu Shaoqiang from the inside to bring down Murong Gui.
Yet Chu Shaoqiang didn't entirely trust Ge Junma. Wanting to confirm Murong Gui's actual condition, he had gone to the Lu Family Bookstore to pry information from Boss Lu.
No matter what he asked, however, Boss Lu claimed ignorance. To prevent further complications, Chu Shaoqiang decided to act tonight.
Reaching the edge of the woods, Wang Fuqi did not rush inside. He picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it into the trees.
The stone did not fly in an arc; instead, it shot along a straight line, ricocheting back and forth among the trees.
The earring whispered a warning: "Master, Casting a Stone to Ask the Way, a high-tier Scrying Cultivator technique."
Just hearing the name, Li Banfeng could guess the technique's purpose; a single hit would likely shatter the projector's disguise.
What to do?
Li Banfeng prepared to deploy the technique of Sprawling Compound, intending to borrow his wife's Sound Cultivator methods to severely injure the Scrying Cultivator outright.
Unexpectedly, mid-flight, the stone was suddenly snatched out of the air.
"Given! I've given it all!" Lü Huazi gripped the stone with a grin!
"Give an Inch and Take a Foot?" Wang Fuqi took fright and hastily recalled the stone.
Chu Shaoqiang shouted, "Don't panic—he isn't a Beggar Cultivator!"
Before the words finished echoing, it was already too late. The stone had returned to Wang Fuqi's grasp, and his hand began to rot away rapidly, bare finger bones showing through.
Chapter 449