Dance!

In Lüshui City, at Qianyue Restaurant, Lu Dongliang hosted a banquet to publicly declare that he was taking back the helm of the Lu family. Invitations went out to both the inner Lu family and outer family branches. Anyone willing to attend tonight proved they still recognized Lu Dongliang as the family head. First, Lu Maoxian's branch, which had been expelled from the household by Lu Chunying, all showed up. This was their opportunity to return to the Lu family. Several of Lu Dongliang's diehard loyalists also returned. They had never accepted Lu Chunying in the first place, but with Lu Dongliang absent and unwilling to defect to other families, they had temporarily followed her. Now that Lu Dongliang was back, they came to acknowledge their master once more. Lu Dongliang's pulling power was truly formidable. Ten banquet tables had been laid out, and seven were already filled. Aside from members of the Lu family, he had invited many guests, including an important figure: Ma Chunting, head of the Ma family. Seeing Ma Chunting present, the people in attendance were somewhat baffled. Earlier, when Ma Junyang had a clash with the Outer States, Ma Chunting sent his son to attend the song gathering at Xiaoyaowu. Everyone assumed father and son had buried the hatchet. Now Ma Junyang clearly stood on Lu Chunying's side, yet Ma Chunting was backing Lu Dongliang—it looked as though he was locking horns with his son once again. A few people whispered among themselves, thinking Old Ma had truly grown senile. Living to this age, when others were confused, he couldn't figure things out either. At seven o'clock sharp, the feast began. Lu Dongliang raised his glass first: "I have been away for so long, and so many changes have occurred in the Lu family, causing all of you immense trouble. With this cup, I apologize in advance!" With that, Lu Dongliang drained it in one gulp. That posture, that aura, that measured balance in his speech—who would dare claim he wasn't Lu Dongliang? Having finished one cup, Lu Dongliang raised another: "Now that I have returned, the Lu family's rules must be restored. I will state three matters here first. "First, Lu family people will always be Lu family people. No matter how much friction there was in the past, starting today, bygones are bygones!" Cheers erupted across the hall. The Lu family head, the grand top boss of Puluo Province—his words were just that domineering. Lu Dongliang continued, "Second, the Lu family's money will always be the Lu family's money. All the businesses given away while I was absent must be taken back!" Still plenty of people cheered, but some kept impassive expressions. The Lu family had indeed handed off many businesses recently, mostly to Li the Seventh. Li the Seventh was ruthless. He had dared challenge the Garrison Commissioner, not only coming away unscathed, but even forcing freight fees down by half. He had also reclaimed an entire tract of newland into proper land, connecting it with Wuqin Township to form his very own Qiqiu City. Li the Seventh's momentum was at its peak. Lu Dongliang wanting to wrest all those businesses back from his hands would not be an easy task. None of the guests wanted to offend Lu Dongliang, nor did they want to offend Li the Seventh. They waited to see if a win-win compromise could be struck. Lu Dongliang continued, "Third, the Lu family's friends will always be the Lu family's friends. Today, Master Ma has graced us with his presence, and so have all of our friends. Lu will remember this kindness forever. "And please pass along word to those who did not show up today: Lu will also remember this grudge. I have never been an easygoing man. If trouble strikes in the future and you come begging to me, don't blame me if I give you a cold face!" Cheers resounded through the hall. Everyone secretly congratulated themselves for not spurning Lu Dongliang's face. Three cups down, the feast began. Lu Dongliang instructed his subordinates to prepare the covenant deeds. Coming merely to eat without executing a covenant deed would make this meal free of obligation. A subordinate went to the private room and asked, "Are the covenant deeds ready yet?" He Jiaqing smiled. "Ready long ago. I'll take them to the master right now." The subordinate stopped him. "What's your status? Is this your place? Hand the deeds over!" He Jiaqing frowned. "I've been looking after these deeds all along. Handing them over to you now wouldn't be proper, would it?" "Where do you get off running your mouth? Hurry up and give—" Before he could finish, the subordinate froze on the spot, his eyes glazed and motionless. "Won't let me talk? I couldn't be bothered talking to you anyway." He Jiaqing skimmed the covenant deed and chuckled. "Everyone who showed up today counts as his relative? Look at how this is phrased. I've got a Brotherhood Alliance—he might as well make a Kinship Alliance." Why had He Jiaqing run over to serve as Lu Dongliang's servant? He certainly had no taste for servitude; he had merely disguised himself as a servant to borrow something from this special "Lu Dongliang." Since they were old acquaintances, He Jiaqing had put considerable effort into his disguise art. Holding the covenant deeds, he bowed low and respectfully delivered them to Lu Dongliang's side. Lu Dongliang glanced at the deeds. "Have everyone sign them." He Jiaqing nodded repeatedly, then slipped and accidentally bumped into Lu Dongliang. Lu Dongliang frowned. He Jiaqing apologized profusely. Lu Dongliang paid no heed to the young man; his subordinates were all newly recruited, and he wasn't familiar with them. He Jiaqing distributed the deeds one by one. The guests examined them very closely. Someone beside them even handed out fountain pens, but no one rushed to sign. Could things take a turn here? Lu Dongliang stood up, toasted another cup, and urged everyone to sign the deeds. People agreed readily, yet still nobody picked up a pen. Lu Dongliang sent men down to investigate. These servants were newly hired and naturally unreliable; they spent ages without digging up any information, while quite a few guests slipped away. Ma Chunting stood up and said, "Brother Lu, I'm getting on in years and can't stay up late. Once eight o'clock hits, I have to sleep." Yesterday at two in the morning, Ma Chunting was still visiting courtesan houses, and now he claimed he slept at eight? Lu Dongliang didn't stop him, escorting Ma Chunting downstairs. Once Ma Chunting departed, the guests trickled out one after another, nearly emptying the room in the blink of an eye. What was going on? The moment they were asked to sign, they all backed out? Lu Dongchun finally returned with news: "Lu Chunying is holding a banquet at Xiaoyaowu the day after tomorrow to welcome the family head home." "Welcome who?" Lu Dongliang didn't understand. Lu Dongchun knew it was awkward, but repeated, "The Lu family head, Lu Dongliang." "Where did another Lu Dongliang come from?" Lu Dongchun couldn't explain. "For this, you can only ask Lu Chunying. The 'Lu Dongliang' they found was acknowledged by Duan Shaoxia, and he has already moved into the Lu family mansion. The invitations just arrived. Those guests must have slipped away once they heard the news." Lu Dongliang looked at the invitation and ground his teeth in a curse: "That person deserves to die!" "Eldest Brother, do you mean Lu Chunying or Duan Shaoxia?" "They both deserve to die, but killing them is useless." Lu Dongliang shoved the invitation into his chest pocket. "Hosting a feast at Xiaoyaowu—that's Li the Seventh's idea." Lu Dongchun said, "Since they dared send us an invitation, let's go. When we get to Xiaoyaowu, we confront them face-to-face and expose them! Duan Shaoxia let a man of unknown origins into the Lu family mansion; her chastity is gone, she must be eliminated! Lu Chunying acknowledged a villain as her father; she can't be spared either! Li the Seventh is stirring up trouble behind the scenes—he will be an enemy of our Lu family from now on, and every Lu family member has the duty to execute him!" It was rare for Lu Dongchun to say so much, but in Lu Dongliang's eyes, the first point was completely untenable. "Going to Xiaoyaowu to confront a fake Lu Dongliang in front of Li the Seventh? Who do you take me for? The moment I do that, I've already lost." "Then what do you plan to do, Eldest Brother?" "Find an opportunity to eliminate Li the Seventh first." "He moves like a ghost; an opportunity won't be easy to find. Besides, he's a Journey Cultivator, highly skilled at escaping." A cold light flashed in Lu Dongliang's eyes: "I have a way to make sure he can't get away." *** Two days later, at Xiaoyaowu, guests arrived in droves, packing the hall to capacity. Lu Chunying welcomed guests at the entrance. Duan Shaoxia held the arm of "Lu Dongliang," going table to table to toast. Duan Shaoxia greeted each guest, while "Lu Dongliang" had only one line: "Anyone willing to come today is family to our Lu family!" A newly learned trick. A muskmelon person had limited responses; if he said any more, flaws would show. He Yuxiu and Chu Huaiyuan toasted one after another, drumming up the atmosphere. But atmosphere alone wasn't enough. This "Lu Dongliang" seemed somewhat stiff, and doubts inevitably arose among the guests. Word had it that fake Lu Dongliangs were swindling people across Puluo Province—why would everyone else be a fake, and only yours be real? Guests whispered incessantly. Duan Shaoxia looked anxious and asked in a low voice, "Where did Li the Seventh go?" *** In Xiaoyaowu's basement, Luo Zhengnan fed pulverized coal, finer than flour, through a hopper into the furnace. Blazing flames licked the boiler tubes, turning the water inside into steam. Once steam pressure peaked, the main steam valve opened, and the steam turbine began to spin. All Sound Cultivator magical treasures operated at full capacity, sealing off the noise. From the generator end, Luo Zhengnan drew two wires: one attached to Li Banfeng's head, the other directly to his own. "Seventh Master, I still want to caution you: this method of yours is too risky. Tell me what you want to say, and I can transmit everything I hear to them. I can even transmit the music from your music box. There's no need for you to suffer alongside me." Li Banfeng shook his head. "This can't be relayed secondhand. I must speak it to them myself. What's more, they must not know it comes from me—they have to believe it's an epiphany of their own." Luo Zhengnan understood Li Banfeng's line of thought. He wanted the people on the dance floor to hear a voice without leaving any trace, making it feel like an inner conviction rather than an external indoctrination. Luo Zhengnan could do this, just as he could make music from a music box play inside people's minds. But with so many people in the grand ballroom, the price Luo Zhengnan had to pay was enormous. "Seventh Master, with your method, the moment the current runs through, I'll pass out cold. You must keep a sharp eye out—no more than one minute, or both of us are finished!" Luo Zhengnan placed his life in Li Banfeng's hands, and Li Banfeng would naturally not take it lightly. When the power switched on, Luo Zhengnan rolled his eyes back and fainted. Li Banfeng's brows twitched, and a faint smile appeared. Truth be told, that tingling buzz at the temples was quite exhilarating! He first put his fedora on his head to keep the wires from slipping off, then repeated a passage in his mind: "Lu Dongliang is here. His build is material evidence, his appearance is material evidence, that yellow woolen overcoat is material evidence! "The Lu family is here. His wife is a witness, his daughter is a witness, the entire Lu family from top to bottom are witnesses! "Witnesses and evidence, ironclad and indisputable—this is Lu Dongliang!" He repeated it three times. Just past thirty seconds, Li Banfeng immediately cut the power, removed the wires, and revived Old Luo. Old Luo panted heavily, staring at Li Banfeng for a long while before finally recognizing him. "Fort Lord, I want to follow you! As long as you agree, I'll be a man of Tiemenbao from now on!" Li Banfeng was stunned for a moment, then helped Luo Zhengnan sit down. "Old Luo, rest a bit. You'll be fine once you catch your breath." He pulled a lever to stop the steam turbine. Whoosh— The boiler relief valve released a vast plume of steam, sucked by an exhaust fan into the vent and channeled into the sewers. White mist surged through the sewers until it burst above ground. From the outside, Xiaoyaowu looked like an immortal realm above the clouds, scaring the janitor at the entrance so badly that he bolted for the second floor. In the grand ballroom, guests took turns toasting Lu Dongliang; not a single soul doubted that he was fake. Even Lu Chunying's legs felt a bit weak: "Sister Xiu, is this really my father?" Even though He Yuxiu knew full well this was a muskmelon person, at this moment she too felt Lu Dongliang was real, and might even come to seek vengeance against her. Duan Shaoxia was the most anxious of all. She thought Li the Seventh had deceived her, believing that the true Lu Dongliang was right beside her, and that when they returned home tonight, he would surely kill her son. Li Banfeng escorted Old Luo back to his room to rest, smoothed his suit, tipped his fedora up, and pushed open the doors to the ballroom, walking in. He did not use his Dwelling Cultivator talents; he walked into the ballroom under everyone's watchful eyes. Seeing Li the Seventh arrive, guests came forward in droves to greet him. They didn't want to offend Lu Dongliang, nor Li the Seventh; tonight, they had found a win-win solution. Chu the Second approached with ladylike bashfulness and whispered, "Brother Seven, may I have this dance?" When a lady invites, a gentleman should not decline. Chu the Second had been a big help today, and Li the Seventh was in a good mood. He agreed. On the stage, Jiang Mengting had originally planned to sing "Full Moon, Lovely Flowers." Seeing Chu the Second invite Li the Seventh to dance with such ladylike modesty, she turned to instruct the band to change the tune. The intro was a light, bouncy orchestral arrangement with Puluo Province's distinctive jazz flair. With a sincere smile, Jiang Mengting dedicated this song to the dignified, reserved Miss Chu Huaiyuan. "Hypocrite, oh hypocrite, why must anyone be such a hypocrite!" "Phony Virtue"... Getting a rare chance to dance with Li the Seventh, only for Jiang Mengting to sing this song, Chu the Second's facial features twisted slightly. If Li the Seventh weren't here, Chu the Second would have stormed onto the stage and torn Jiang Mengting's face to shreds. Yet Chu the Second quickly composed herself, because Li the Seventh danced with immense vigor; he seemed to love this song, and Chu the Second could barely keep up with his steps. On the second floor, a janitor swept a private box, He Jiaqing's voice sounding in his ear: "Is Lu Dongliang still on the dance floor?" The janitor tapped his broom three times, indicating he wasn't sure. "Go look at the dance floor." The janitor entered the ballroom, spotted Lu Dongliang, and was about to relay the message to He Jiaqing. Just then, Jiang Mengting reached the chorus of the second verse: "Don't put on such a solemn, serious face! Don't pull such a stern scowl and frighten everyone away!" The singing came through loud and clear, causing He Jiaqing's cheeks to twitch violently. "Leave the ballroom! Leave immediately!" The janitor was dumbfounded. He didn't understand what He Jiaqing was doing. Just a moment ago he told him to go to the dance floor, and now he was telling him to leave immediately. The janitor left the dance floor. Once the singing faded into the distance, He Jiaqing rubbed his ears and cursed under his breath, "Not this damn song again!" When the dance concluded, Chu the Second still wanted more, pleading with Li the Seventh: "Brother Seven, dance one more with me. Can we change the song?" "What's wrong with this song? Sounds so festive!" Li Banfeng smiled broadly and signaled Jiang Mengting to sing it again. And Jiang Mengting actually did sing it again. Chu the Second wanted to claw Li Banfeng's back, but thinking that she got an extra dance out of it, she felt she had still come out ahead. *** As the banquet drew to a close, Qiu Zhiheng found Li Banfeng: "Brother, I'm heading back to Yaowanggou." Li Banfeng said, "Brother Qiu, that fake Lu Dongliang knows where you live. Please be extra careful." Qiu Zhiheng truly wasn't worried about that; with Old Xu in Yaowanggou, the safety of him and his family was guaranteed. What he worried about was Li Banfeng. Having crossed this fake Lu Dongliang, Li Banfeng's situation in Lüshui City was perilous. Li Banfeng was well aware of this. He instructed Old Luo and Kuibafang to stay on high alert, keep close watch on "Lu Dongliang's" movements, and remain prepared for battle at any moment. Yet "Lu Dongliang" seemed to vanish into thin air. The subordinates he had temporarily recruited, including Lu Dongchun, went silent without a trace. Had he abandoned Lüshui City to turn his sights on Huangtuqiao? Huangtuqiao was prepared as well. Just as Li Banfeng was pondering whether to add another layer of defenses there, three days later, Luo Zhengnan suddenly uncovered "Lu Dongliang's" whereabouts. "Seventh Master, Lu Dongliang might have gone to Zhengjing Village!" What would he go to Zhengjing Village for? "Is the intel reliable?" "I wouldn't dare say for sure. No one has seen Lu Dongliang, but someone spotted Lu Dongchun in Zhengjing Village. A few old hunters there reclaimed wasteland for the Lu family years ago; they recognized Lu Dongchun, and they even greeted each other and exchanged a few words." If Lu Dongchun was in Zhengjing Village, Lu Dongliang likely was too. What were they doing there? Planning a sneak attack on Zhengjing Village? That hardly seemed wise. Zhengjing Village was in Shui Yongquan's territory. After the battle in Wuqin Township, Li Banfeng and Shui Yongquan had grown closer; teaming up to take down a fake Lu Dongliang should pose no problem. Could there be a catch? Perhaps there truly was. "Lu Dongliang" had been dispatched by the Inner States. Shui Yongquan might not dare fight him; when dealing with the Inner States, Shui Yongquan tended to flinch, which was a common flaw among all newland local spirits. That night, Li Banfeng went to Zhengjing Village. The village remained bustling and thriving. Hunters traded goods, farmers reclaimed plots, merchants ran small businesses, and Critick had opened a clinic here. Li Banfeng entered the clinic and asked, "Doctor Critick, weren't you running a hospital in Lüshui City? What brought you here?" Critick didn't answer. He simply unbuttoned his shirt, baring his chest. Li Banfeng saw his newest tattoo: "I Love Zhengjing Village!" "I don't doubt that," Li Banfeng motioned for Critick to button up. "I'm asking about the deeper reason." Critick wrote a prescription for a patient and sent him off with a nurse to fetch medicine. Whether he took medicine didn't matter—the lesion on the patient had already been devoured by Critick. He just wanted to get rid of the nurse and patient. Left alone, Critick locked the door and told Li Banfeng: "I came here to do business." "What business?" "The same business as last time: fishing in troubled waters." Li Banfeng grew interested: "Which fish are you trying to catch this time?" Critick remained silent for a moment: "If I say the fish is you, you won't strike at me directly, will you?" Li Banfeng blinked: "Have you considered catching a different fish?" Critick explained: "You know me. I never wanted to make an enemy of you. Our friendship runs so deep. But this matter isn't up to me. My grandmaster knows Lu Dongliang is near Zhengjing Village, and he wants to profit from the clash between you and Lu Dongliang." "Why did your grandmaster target me and Lu Dongliang? Couldn't he think of another place to fish?" Critick said, "Because he detests you, and he detests Lu Dongliang. As far as I know, he shares an old grudge with Lu Dongliang." That wasn't surprising. As the former top boss of Lüshui City, Lu Dongliang certainly had dealings with Lühuazi. If Lühuazi got involved, this wouldn't be something Li the Seventh and Shui Yongquan could handle. Li Banfeng said, "Perhaps my conflict with Lu Dongliang isn't that deep. Perhaps things can be reconciled. Your grandmaster might find no fish to catch here." Critick nodded: "Grandmaster thought of that too. If there's any sign of reconciliation between you two, I am to spread a plague in Zhengjing Village and pin the blame on Lu Dongliang." Li Banfeng didn't quite understand: "If a plague breaks out, it could only be your work or Lühuazi's. How could you pin it on Lu Dongliang?" Critick looked at Li Banfeng: "Friend, I truly treasure our friendship. There are things I shouldn't tell you, yet I'm telling you today. You know too little about Disease Cultivators, and too little about plagues. Coughing and fevers are plagues; herpes and abscesses are plagues too. But you may never have seen that a human body exploding can also be caused by a plague. "Hundreds or thousands of people blowing up into paste in a short time, followed by me swiftly withdrawing the lesions—when you see that scene, what would you think happened? "I believe you'd think a high-tier Journey Cultivator used Treading Ten Thousand Rivers or Galloping Horses Viewing Flowers to commit a massacre here. "Lu Dongliang is a high-tier Journey Cultivator. Do you think you wouldn't suspect him?" Li Banfeng tipped up his brim: "You wouldn't actually do that, would you?" Critick shook his head: "If the target were a city, it might be worth the risk. But doing this in a village within a newland—once exposed, it offends the local spirit and offends you. I honestly don't think it's worth it. "Yet, as I said, this isn't my call. If Lu Dongliang makes a move, I must seize some profit from your clash. If Lu Dongliang drags his feet, then I must act. And even if I don't, my grandmaster might come here to act in my place. You wouldn't want to meet him either, would you?" Li Banfeng pulled down his fedora: "In that case, it sounds like there's nothing to negotiate between us." "There is," Critick brought out three little clay figurines bought from a village vendor. "You are in the village, I am in the village, and Lu Dongliang is in the village. "You and Lu Dongliang encounter each other somewhere in the village. For whatever reason, you are unwilling to fight inside the village, so you lure Lu Dongliang outside, somewhere far away. "Both of you are high-tier Journey Cultivators, while I, as a Disease Cultivator, have a hard time keeping up. So I end up missing the fight. "Do you find this explanation reasonable?" As he spoke, Critick placed two clay figurines in the distance, with the third struggling to catch up behind them. Li Banfeng frowned: "Fighting outside Zhengjing Village doesn't seem to give me an advantage." Critick shook his head: "Fighting inside Zhengjing Village won't necessarily give you an advantage either. The local spirit here is Shui Yongquan, your friend—I know that very well. If you want to defeat Lu Dongliang, you must rely on Shui Yongquan's power. Leaving Zhengjing Village without leaving Shui Yongquan's territory still lets you receive his aid, and you won't have to smash your beloved Zhengjing Village to pieces. Why not?" Li Banfeng moved the figurine representing Lu Dongliang back to its original spot: "If I want to leave, but he refuses and insists on fighting in the village, I can't just abandon it." "I can help you," Critick stroked the figurine representing himself, and a layer of dark green pus quickly coated it. "I doubt Lu Dongliang would want to deal with a Disease Cultivator while handling you." He was right. Nobody wanted to face a Disease Cultivator. Reaching an agreement, Li Banfeng left the clinic. He didn't return to Zhengjing Village proper, but went to his own territory—the original one-li plot he had reclaimed under Shui Yongquan. The wooden cabin was still there, maintained regularly, and quite tidy. Li Banfeng sent others away, pricked his palm, and spilled blood on the ground. Before long, a ball of will-o'-the-wisp hovered over Li Banfeng's head, circled for a moment, and demanded sternly: "Who are you?" "Li the Seventh." Li Banfeng was startled, wondering what kind of joke Shui Yongquan was playing. "How did you reclaim this wasteland back then?" "Found a place and hid for three days." Shui Yongquan suddenly manifested, staring at Li Banfeng for a long time. Li Banfeng noticed scars on his face and asked, "Did you cross hands with Lu Dongliang?" Shui Yongquan shook his head: "Not Lu Dongliang. An Opera Cultivator. He came disguised as you, and I fell for it, nearly suffering a terrible loss." An Opera Cultivator? So the Inner States had sent an Opera Cultivator to pose as Lu Dongliang. Li Banfeng asked, "How did he find you?" "He spilled blood on this land." Li Banfeng didn't understand: "This is land I reclaimed. If he spilled blood here, how could you sense it?" Shui Yongquan said, "High-tier Opera Cultivators can replicate a person's blood. He must have gotten hold of your blood earlier." "How could he have gotten my blood?" While Li Banfeng was still pondering, Shui Yongquan asked again: "How did Ma the Fifth reclaim wasteland?" Li Banfeng said, "That starts with a pair of house centipedes. Back then, what happened was..." Pfft! Shui Yongquan abruptly spat a mouthful of water at Li Banfeng. Drenched from head to toe, Li Banfeng wiped his face and said, "Brother Shui, couldn't you at least wait until I finished speaking?" Shui Yongquan waved his hand: "No need, Old Seven. I know it's you." Li Banfeng said, "That Opera Cultivator managed to hurt you—he must be quite skilled." "It's hard to judge an Opera Cultivator's combat skills. They have no other tricks, but their sneak attacks are top-notch. This Opera Cultivator has already reached above the clouds; a single ambush from him could cost a life." At this, Shui Yongquan gave a bitter laugh: "I've truly grown old. Even though I realized he was an Opera Cultivator, I still took a beating from him. For some reason, I just completely let my guard down at the time." For someone as cautious as Shui Yongquan to drop his guard? There had to be another reason behind it. "Old Seven, is this guy from the Inner States?" Li Banfeng did not conceal it: "Most likely sent by the Inner States to seize land. I'll find a way to draw him away so as not to implicate you." Shui Yongquan smiled: "Brother, you underestimate me. I'm not reckless like Qiu Daxiang, but when someone fights to my doorstep, I won't tolerate him either. Stay on my territory these next couple of days, stay on high alert around everyone, and if anything happens, spill blood to call me immediately. I've already figured out a way to deal with him; no matter what appearance he takes, he won't fool me. When I catch that bastard again, I'll take his life!" Shui Yongquan left, and Li Banfeng returned to Zhengjing Village. An Opera Cultivator could disguise himself as anyone—this truly was troublesome. There were many acquaintances in the village, so Li Banfeng had to remain vigilant against everyone. Entering his wooden cabin, Li Banfeng was about to pull out his key to go into the companion dwelling when he heard footsteps outside. Opening the door, Li Banfeng saw a woman in her twenties standing there, looking flustered. "Who are you?" Li Banfeng didn't know her. Lowering her head, her cheeks blushing, she said, "You're Seventh Master, aren't you? Everyone in Zhengjing Village has heard Seventh Master's name, but few have seen Seventh Master. Getting to see you once means I haven't lived in vain." Keeping his distance, Li Banfeng pulled down his fedora: "You've seen me now." The woman pleaded, "Seventh Master, please say a few more words to me. When I go home, I can brag to my sisters for a year." Before Li Banfeng could reply, Critick's voice sounded from outside: "Ma'am, you're being too greedy. You just said that seeing Seventh Master once meant you hadn't lived in vain. Now that you've seen him, why are you still lingering here?" As the words fell, a spray of green pus splashed onto the woman's face. The woman cried out in horror and spun around to flee. By the time Li Banfeng chased out of the cabin, she was nowhere to be seen. Critick rubbed the pustules on his face and said to Li Banfeng, "She has my pus on her; I can sense her location." Li Banfeng was surprised: "You showed up right on time tonight." Critick smiled: "You might not believe it, but in my clinic, there's a woman who looks identical to her. That woman is still getting an IV drip in my clinic. I went out for a stroll and saw her come to your room. Whether it's a clone technique or disguise art, I knew this wasn't simple. We could go to the clinic first to check on that lady, and ask if she has a twin sister..." Li Banfeng waved his hand: "Never mind your clinic for now. Let's catch the person who just ran!" Critick chuckled: "He was struck by my art. Even with cultivation above the clouds, he'll lose a massive amount of combat strength. In this state, the initiative is in our hands; no need to rush..." "Stop chattering, let's go!" Critick ran ahead, and Li Banfeng followed behind. After running several dozen li, Li Banfeng grew anxious: "Can you go any faster?" Critick said, "I'm not a Journey Cultivator; I'm a Disease Cultivator. The gap in our speed is insurmountable. Before finding this woman, you have to learn to adapt..." "Fine, I'll adapt!" Resigned, Li Banfeng could only follow Critick at an unhurried pace. After another hour of running, an ancient city appeared ahead. Critick pointed at the ancient city: "That woman fled into this city." Li Banfeng was astonished: "How could there be a city in a place like this?" Critick said, "I find it strange too. Shall we go in and take a look?" Li Banfeng looked back: "How far have we run?" Critick shrugged: "You're the Journey Cultivator; don't ask me about distance. But by my estimation, we are still within Shui Yongquan's territory. If we encounter danger, you can call upon the local spirit for help. Do you want to go into the city or not?" Li Banfeng hesitated a moment, then gritted his teeth: "As long as we're still on Brother Shui's turf, there's nothing to fear. We've chased this far, so looking inside won't hurt!" The two entered the ancient city. Watching the pedestrians coming and going, Critick lowered his voice: "I sense that woman. She's nearby, very close to us." Li Banfeng nodded: "Why are you helping me so much?" Critick blinked, surprised: "For our friendship, and for my love of Zhengjing Village." Li Banfeng smiled: "Do you truly love Zhengjing Village?" Critick nodded: "From the bottom of my heart." "What do you have to prove it?" "Does this even need proof?" As he spoke, "Critick" walked toward Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng held out a hand, gesturing for him not to come closer: "Who on earth are you?" "Critick" fell silent for a moment: "Don't you think it's too late to ask who I am?" Li Banfeng asked, "Why did you have to lure me to this place?" "Because I don't want to fight Shui Yongquan again. He found a special technique that can wash the makeup off my face. And I didn't want to watch you run away. You're a high-tier Journey Cultivator; if you really run, I can't catch you." The man opposite him smiled. He wasn't Critick, and there was no longer any need to keep up the disguise. An Opera Cultivator above the clouds showed almost no flaws in appearance. Li Banfeng looked around, panic on his face: "What kind of place is this?" The Opera Cultivator shook his head: "You don't need to know what place this is. No one can save you here, and you can't escape. Just wait quietly for your death."