Who Created the Pathways

Li Banfeng sprinted across the hillside. The judge's brush flew low, trying to carry him along. The mountain forest was dense. The brush struggled just to fly on its own; carrying Li Banfeng was far easier said than done. Holding his breath, Li Banfeng ran forward and signaled for the brush to go ahead on its own. Pfft! A Daolao ghost spewed a mouthful of black mist at him. Li Banfeng dodged with a Half-Step, then stomped down with Treading Ten Thousand Rivers, blowing holes across the ghost's entire body. Yet the Daolao ghost's body didn't shatter. The creature was tougher than Li Banfeng had anticipated. Up ahead, two Daolao ghosts blocked his path. Li Banfeng fixed his gaze, preparing to use Viewing Flowers on Horseback, but in the trees above, two more Daolao ghosts darted back and forth, poised to ambush him at any second. To watch for all the Daolao ghosts around him, he couldn't keep his eyes fixed on a single spot. And if a Daolao ghost sprayed him, what would happen? By his reckoning, the painter Fu Taiyue had turned into that grotesque form because he had been sprayed by a Daolao ghost. The thickets ahead were dense and hard to traverse. Li Banfeng opened a path with Severing Paths, forcibly parting the trees to both sides. By the time he broke through the thicket, his throat tightened, and a dull pain ached in his chest. Holding his breath for so long while sprinting flat out and executing techniques was pushing him to his limit. The terrain opened up slightly ahead. After observing for a moment, the judge's brush shouted, "Take a breath!" Just as Li Banfeng drew a breath, a Daolao ghost rushed from the left, spewing black mist. Strange—why hadn't he sensed the danger in advance? The liquor gourd sprayed a burst of liquor mist over the Daolao ghost, and Li Banfeng flicked a match, setting it ablaze. Engulfed in flames, the Daolao ghost kept chasing behind him, seemingly unaffected. Li Banfeng didn't linger to fight, focusing only on barreling down the mountain. Ahead, more than a dozen Daolao ghosts came leaping and bounding toward him. The teapot splashed out tea, holding them back with a barrier. Li Banfeng detoured around them and kept sprinting. Rumble! Thunder roared continuously as torrential rain came pouring down. More and more Daolao ghosts appeared, and black mist blanketed the area. Li Banfeng couldn't catch his breath, and there wasn't even room left to dodge. As the Daolao ghosts gradually sealed off every route of escape, his situation grew increasingly perilous. If he could use Close the Doors and Bar the Gates, he could wipe out a large swath of them, but the companion dwelling wasn't with him. At the brink of life and death, Li Banfeng thought of the mud pit in front of the eatery in Wuqin Township. That mud pit was deep and soft; anyone who stepped in sank very quickly. Using the technique Mind Traversing a Thousand Mountains, he transplanted the mud pit over. Seeing a Daolao ghost mid-leap, Li Banfeng placed the pit right where it would land. Squelch! The Daolao ghost landed squarely in the mud pit, its body sinking fast. Taking advantage of that split-second opening, Li Banfeng stepped on the Daolao ghost's head and leaped out of the encirclement. When the technique ended, the mud pit vanished, leaving the Daolao ghost trapped in the ground, unable to get out. It worked! In the Lanyang Village newland, along the road leading to the Orange Grove, there was Red Clay Ridge, where the mire was also very soft. Li Banfeng had walked across Red Clay Ridge many times and was thoroughly familiar with it. Straining with everything he had, he transplanted a large stretch of marshland over, sinking dozens of Daolao ghosts in the vicinity into it all at once. This move was an immense success, buying Li Banfeng a significant amount of time and room, but the cost was steep—transporting such an expanse of marsh had nearly exhausted his stamina. Stumbling and staggering down the hillside, Li Banfeng didn't forget what Fu Taiyue had said. Reaching the bottom of the mountain didn't mean he was completely safe; he had to run several more li. Taking advantage of the absence of black mist around him, Li Banfeng caught a breath and charged forward with all his might. Chu the Second was on her plot preparing for the final battle when she spotted Li Qi rushing over from afar. What happened? Li Qi waved at Chu the Second, signaling for her to take her people and leave immediately. Chu the Second wanted to dash over and help Li Qi, but someone beside her cautioned, "Second Miss, you can't go! We're still reclaiming the land. We can't cross the boundary, or the reclamation will be considered a failure." The ground churned up, and several Daolao ghosts burrowed out together. Li Banfeng was thrown to the ground along with the earth. A Daolao ghost pounced before him; Li Banfeng rolled aside to evade it, while another ghost waiting nearby was kicked away by him. A third Daolao ghost waited to the side, holding black mist in its mouth. Li Banfeng couldn't dodge in time. He took off his fedora to block the poisonous mist, not knowing if it would do any good. Just as the Daolao ghost opened its mouth to spew the black mist, Chu the Second ran over, kicked it away, and pulled Li Qi up from the ground. Li Qi rose to his feet. Chu the Second shuddered, then gritted her teeth and ran forward. Seeing how slowly Chu the Second ran, Li Banfeng hoisted her onto his shoulder and bolted forward. After running more than a li, the remaining Daolao ghosts gave up the chase; they didn't want to stray too far from Daogui Ridge. Li Qi set Chu the Second down and was about to thank her when he saw her trembling violently and collapsing to the ground. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Li Banfeng tried to help her up. Chu the Second crawled aside, shaking her head. "Don't touch me! Don't get it on yourself!" Drops of black fluid, mingled with crimson blood, trickled down from the back of her head. She had been hit by the Daolao ghost's black mist. Enduring the pain, Chu the Second asked in a low voice, "Those were Daolao ghosts just now, weren't they?" A young lady from a prominent family certainly had a keen eye. Li Banfeng nodded. A physician stepped forward. "Miss, please sit and rest first. Before the poison seeps too deep, let's think of a way." Chu the Second gave a cold laugh. "What way could you possibly think of? When poisoned by a Daolao ghost, the only cure is to chop off the poisoned part." Li Banfeng recalled the conversation between Fu Taiyue and his portrait. Fu Taiyue had rushed down the mountain back then with his right hand poisoned; had he chopped off his right hand, he could have survived. But Chu the Second's wound was on the back of her head. "Come on, do it." Chu the Second drew a scimitar and tossed it to Li Banfeng. "What for?" Li Banfeng was stunned for a moment. "Chop my head off," Chu the Second replied calmly. "Are you crazy?" "What else can I do? Turn into one of them?" Chu the Second pointed toward Daogui Ridge in the distance. Once poisoned by a Daolao ghost, one would turn into a Daolao ghost when the poison took effect. Li Qi stared at Chu the Second at a loss. Chu the Second bowed her head and rolled her eyes up to look at Li Qi. The back of her head was swelling at a visibly rapid pace. After locking eyes for a moment, Chu the Second felt an intense dryness in her mouth and wanted to swallow a mouthful of saliva. Another physician stepped forward. "Second Miss, whatever you do, don't swallow! Your mouth is full of toxic fluid right now! "Bear with it for a moment. Don't eat, don't drink. We'll find a solution together. "I remember a medical manual mentioning that Kucaizhuang has a plant called heart-shredding orchid. If crushed and held in the mouth, it can cure this in three days." Li Banfeng said to Chu the Second, "Wait here. I'll go and be right back." Chu the Second shook her head. "Don't bother. The heart-shredding orchid is completely useless." The physician said from the side, "Second Miss, I truly read about it in a medical text..." "Throw that book away; it's all lies," Chu the Second said, knowing Kucaizhuang very well. "I've seen someone go to Kucaizhuang looking for heart-shredding orchids specifically to cure Daolao ghost poison. That person kept dozens of crushed orchids in his mouth and held on for five whole days, but he still turned into a Daolao ghost." Another physician said, "In the Qishuiyao newland, there is a kind of three-eyed bamboo! Wrapping the bamboo leaves around the wound can neutralize the poison!" Li Banfeng was about to set off for Qishuiyao, but Chu the Second stopped him, shaking her head. "That doesn't work either." "Have you seen three-eyed bamboo?" Chu the Second thought for a moment, looking dazed. "Have I seen it? I... think I have. Where did I see it? Was it in Qishuiyao? Have I been to Qishuiyao...?" The physician said, "Second Miss, please don't panic! It doesn't matter if you forget some things, but whatever you do, don't forget the most important things!" "What counts as the most important things?" Chu the Second asked back. "That is, the most vital matters in your life..." Even the physician couldn't explain clearly. Critick said, "Those poisoned by a Daolao ghost must remember who they are. The moment you forget yourself, you'll turn into a ghost right away." Fu Taiyue had painted so many portraits of himself, from his youth to his old age, precisely to remind himself of who he was. Chu the Second suddenly chuckled. "Sooner or later, I'll turn anyway. Why suffer through this? Ah, right... I'm an Ascetic. I remember now. I can endure hardship. But why do I need to endure hardship...?" Her memories were dissipating rapidly. Li Qi touched the judge's brush. The judge's brush sighed; he didn't know the cure. Li Qi tapped the liquor gourd. The liquor gourd sighed, "Even when Old Yao was around, he had no way to cure the poison of a Daolao ghost." Li Qi said to Chu the Second, "Keep thinking about who you are. Absolutely do not drink water or eat anything. Wait here for me to return." Fu Taiyue had held out for so many days; Chu the Second could surely hold out too. As long as she could hold out, a way to cure her could certainly be found. The key was whom to turn to for treatment. First ask his wife, then ask the companion dwelling. If the family didn't know, go to Kucaizhuang to find Granny Ku. Granny Ku would certainly look after her disciple, but could Granny Ku cure Chu the Second? Chu the Second had just mentioned someone turning into a Daolao ghost in Kucaizhuang; Granny Ku might not have a way either. Then he would look for the Peddler. If the Peddler had no solution, he would go to Sun Tiecheng. If Sun Tiecheng couldn't help, there was still Old Xu... He couldn't let Chu the Second die just like this. He couldn't leave a debt of a life owed to her. "Don't leave!" Chu the Second cried out, gritting her teeth. "I saved you! You should be the one to see me off on my final journey!" Li Qi didn't answer, continuing forward. Chu the Second took a knife from a subordinate. "Forget it. In life you despised me, and in death I'll turn into that hideous ghost and disgust you even more. I might as well end it myself." Seeing she intended to commit suicide, Li Banfeng snatched the knife away, preparing to get a rope and tie her up. Chu the Second shouted, "If you dare tie me up, I'll die right now! Just swallowing a mouthful of saliva will poison me to death!" Li Banfeng set the rope down. Chu the Second shouted to the crowd, "All of you, leave! Let me speak with Li Qi alone! While I still remember, I have to say these things!" Critick spoke up from the side, "Before you chase me away, could you allow me to attempt treatment?" She had almost forgotten this foreigner. Chu the Second looked at Critick, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Li Banfeng was deeply skeptical. Critick was skilled at treating diseases, but not at neutralizing poisons. Was he planning to use Chu the Second as an experiment? Critick said candidly, "I have read descriptions of Daolao ghosts in certain books, but I have never actually seen such a creature. "In all the medical books I have studied, the venom of a Daolao ghost is incurable. "I wish to make an attempt now. I cannot say how high the success rate will be, but what I can guarantee is that this will not take up much of your time. "In other words, even if I fail, Li Qi will still have ample time to pursue other methods of treatment, and ample time to hear whatever you wish to say." Chu the Second looked at Li Qi and nodded. She had resolved to die, yet had not abandoned her yearning to live. Li Qi had no reason to stop Critick, so the treatment began immediately. Critick asked everyone else to back away from the scene, leaving only Chu the Second and Li Qi. He said to Li Qi, "Her wound is too close to the brain. During the treatment, I cannot have Miss Chu lose her memory and trigger the venom's onset. Not only would that ruin all my efforts, but it would also threaten my life. "Therefore, I need your help. Throughout my treatment, you must keep Miss Chu conscious and self-aware. In simple terms: do not let her forget who she is." Critick's treatment began. There was no medicine, no instruments. He merely had Chu the Second lie flat on the ground. Critick sat beside her, motionless as a clay statue. Li Banfeng asked Chu the Second, "What is your name?" "Chu Huaiyuan." "What pathway do you belong to?" "Ascetic." "Are you male or female?" Chu the Second glanced at Li Qi. "Do I need to strip and show you?" Li Qi didn't know what to ask. He had never had much to say to her. "Why did you save me?" Chu the Second smiled. "Stop playing dumb. I have eyes for you—don't you know that yourself?" "Why would you have eyes for me?" "With me, there aren't so many whys." "Ma the Fifth turning out like that—was that all your doing?" Chu the Second shook her head. "A small part was me, but most of it was the Ling brothers. "I went after Ma the Fifth because he stole business from me, and I wanted revenge. "As for why the Ling brothers went after him, I don't know the reason. They belong to the Brotherhood Alliance, and it might have something to do with Lu Xiaolan." Li Qi paused in surprise. "You know about the Brotherhood Alliance?" Chu the Second gave a laugh. "In your eyes, I'm just a stupid, clumsy madwoman, isn't that right?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "I don't think you're mad." Chu the Second clenched her fist, then let out a long breath. "Not only do I know about the Brotherhood Alliance, I also know their leader is He Jiaqing. "I know He Jiaqing is in the outer states, but in truth he has been controlling the Brotherhood Alliance from the shadows. As for targeting Ma the Fifth, it might be for the alliance's interests, or perhaps out of personal spite. After all, both of them were once Lu Xiaolan's fiancés." Personal spite was unlikely. From what Li Banfeng knew, neither Ma the Fifth nor He Jiaqing cared much about Lu Xiaolan. Li Banfeng asked her again, "Knowing full well the Brotherhood Alliance's aims and complexity, why did you still cooperate with them?" Chu the Second blinked. "We didn't just meet today. Do you think I consider so many things when I do something?" "Was buying the Paramount also because of the Brotherhood Alliance's instigation?" "I truly wanted the Paramount. Though, of course, their instigation was part of it." Li Banfeng would need to reevaluate Chu the Second—if she managed to survive. Chu the Second looked at Li Banfeng. "Do you feel even a little bit of heartache for me?" Li Banfeng touched his chest and shook his head. "None at all." Chu the Second sat up, infuriated. "Do you even have a heart? You must have snatched your own heart in your jaws and eaten it long ago!" Li Qi stared at the back of Chu the Second's head for a long time. The swelling at the back of her head seemed to have vanished. Li Qi turned his eyes toward Critick. Critick's cheeks twitched intermittently, slowly swelling up. Had he transferred the toxin from Chu the Second into himself? That shouldn't be possible. In Li Banfeng's understanding, Critick could only transfer foci of disease; toxins were not among them. Chu the Second looked at Critick in astonishment. "You cured me?" Critick glanced at Chu the Second and smiled faintly. "Miss, I did not cure you for your sake. Could you please step away for a moment? I have something to say to Li Qi." Chu the Second looked at Critick's condition, then at the way Critick was looking at Li Qi. Dumbfounded for a long moment, Chu the Second lowered her head and walked off dejectedly into the distance. Critick looked at Li Qi and said slowly, "Do not ask why I did this. With me, there are not so many whys." Li Banfeng nodded slightly. "I don't have to ask." Critick continued, "In your eyes, am I a fanatical, mad foreigner?" Li Banfeng didn't know how to respond. "Seeing me turn out like this, do you feel a little heartache?" Critick's face had swollen up. The swelling on his forehead nearly covered his eyes, and the bulging lumps on his cheeks almost swallowed his lips. Touching his chest, Li Banfeng said, "Truly, none at all." Critick looked at Li Banfeng, panting with difficulty. "I... I still have an unfulfilled wish. I... I hope you can help me fulfill it. "If anyone asks what the venom of a Daolao ghost is like, you must tell them..." "Tell them what?" "Tell them that it is truly... exquisitely delicious!" Critick drew a deep breath, and his bloated cheeks slowly began to recede. He seemed to be sucking something from within his cheeks. Gulp! Gulp! Critick swallowed several mouthfuls of unknown liquid in succession, and his features gradually returned to normal. His face was back to normal, but trouble stirred in his stomach. He clutched his chest, coughing non-stop until he coughed up blood, whereupon his breathing finally eased somewhat. "This flavor... so primitive, yet so pure. As perfect as sashimi." Li Qi looked at Critick. "You neutralized the venom of the Daolao ghost?" Critick shook his head. "Inaccurate. First of all, this is not a poison; it is a focus of disease. In the language of the outer states, it should be called a prion. "Biology has different classifications for prions, but to me, prions are a form of life. Manipulating living disease foci is the vital foundation of my pathway. "The virus within a Daolao ghost is extraordinarily potent. Whether I can control it depends on my strength and luck. "Originally, I did not possess such strength, but the Patriarch's power aided me greatly, and my luck today happened to be exceptional." "You've already brought the Daolao ghost's virus under control?" "Not yet," Critick replied, shaking his head. "Matters are not so simple. Once infected by a Daolao ghost's virus, there is no cure unless the affected limb or part is severed. "Does this characteristic sound familiar to you? Does it remind you of a certain infectious disease? Does it remind you of the Patriarch of my pathway? The disease foci he inflicts are likewise incurable." Li Banfeng nodded slightly. In terms of this single characteristic alone, there were indeed similarities. Critick continued, "Yet one matter requires verification: did our Patriarch come first, or did the Daolao ghosts? "Puluo Province has no formalized history, nor do its historical tales have clear timelines. In this regard, it is very much like my homeland—stripping away history is an effective method of stripping away the soul. "However, based on rough deductions from certain texts, I believe Daogui Ridge existed prior to the Patriarch of my pathway." Li Qi said, "Meaning you think the Patriarch of your pathway was a Daolao ghost, not the Lüshui Beggar?" Critick pondered for a moment. "Such an explanation is still inaccurate. Daolao ghosts possess special abilities, abilities originating from the prions within them, and the prions' power stems from dark matter. "Analyzed from this angle, Daolao ghosts can be called dark adepts—very primitive dark adepts—yet there remains a gap between that and a pathway. "In my homeland, there are many such dark adepts. They are called witches and wizards. They possess dark abilities, yet they cannot employ them freely; they must rely on many complex rituals. "I knew a witch who had to prepare rituals for two whole days just to use a wall-passing spell. Yet to you, it is merely a matter of casually executing a Traveler fourth-tier technique. "The spellcasters of my homeland have no concept of pathways, much less mature techniques. When faced with hunts, they had precious few means to resist. "Who exactly created the pathways? And who was the true ancestor of Disease Cultivators? That is the crux of the matter." Critick's description reminded Li Banfeng of what Ling Miaosheng had said about the Nation of Neiamican. At the moment, however, Li Banfeng was more concerned about another matter. "In truth, you've had your eye on Daogui Ridge for a long time, haven't you?" Critick nodded. "Were you the one who moved Daogui Ridge here?" "I possess no such power." Li Banfeng asked again, "You must have visited Daogui Ridge before." Critick shook his head. "Daogui Ridge sits upon Yangcha Mountain. In Puluo Province, only a specific category of people can ascend Yangcha Mountain." "What kind of people?" "Those who can find the entrance to Yangcha Mountain. "Yangcha Mountain belongs to the proper land. The proper land is divided into three parts: the Fore Three-Tenths, Middle Three-Tenths, and Rear Three-Tenths. Aside from these nine-tenths, there remains one-tenth known as the Unexplained Lands. Yangcha Mountain belongs to the Unexplained Lands." Li Banfeng was familiar with this concept; Ma the Fifth had explained it to him before. "Is Yangcha Mountain like Kucaizhuang?" "The same, yet different," Critick explained. "Yangcha Mountain and Kucaizhuang both belong to the Unexplained Lands; in that regard, they are identical. But Kucaizhuang has entrances everywhere—one can reach Kucaizhuang from any territory in Puluo Province. "Yangcha Mountain is the exact opposite. There is no entrance, or rather, no entrance that can be reached through normal means. As for why an entrance appeared in this newland, I cannot fathom it either." At this point, Critick suddenly smiled. Li Banfeng knew why he was smiling. "No need to worry about why. This entrance suits your desires perfectly. You can go and investigate the origins of the pathways." Critick nodded. "My luck is indeed good, but if I truly wish to investigate thoroughly, I will need the help of the local spirit." "What does this have to do with the local spirit?" Critick rose and gazed at the distant mountain. "The appearance of Daogui Ridge may be a blessing to others, but to the local spirit, it is a massive trouble. "The local spirit will soon seal off the entrance to this mountain, and when that happens, ascending it will be difficult for me. "Li Qi, I saved Chu the Second's life, and Chu the Second saved yours. That is equivalent to me saving your life. You must help me with this." "Help you how?" "Negotiate with the local spirit on my behalf. Give me three days to freely enter and leave Daogui Ridge each day." "Three whole days?" "It cannot be helped. Only when thunder and rain clash do the Daolao ghosts on Daogui Ridge appear. I cannot say for certain which day it will rain." Woooo—hooo! Woooo—hooo! The train whistle blew, urging Li Banfeng to hurry back. Li Banfeng got to his feet. "I'll go ask for you and see if three days will work." Allowing Critick up the mountain was easy enough; blocking the mountain entrance would not be so simple. Yet not blocking it was out of the question, or before long the entire territory would be crawling with Daolao ghosts. Just how had Daogui Ridge gotten here? Could a way be found to send it away? Passing Chu the Second's camp, he saw her packing up her things. Li Banfeng cleared his throat. "You saved me earlier, and I haven't thanked you properly yet." "No need to thank me. Thank that foreigner. A life for a life—we're even." "You're in such a rush to leave?" It was rare for Li Banfeng to ask an extra question. Chu the Second kept her head down, packing her clothes as she spoke: "What else would I stay for? I crossed the boundary, so the land reclamation has failed. According to the rules of the newlands, I can't reclaim land within these hundred square li anymore." "It's negotiable. I'll talk to the local spirit. You've reclaimed land here for what barely passes as three days." Chu the Second put down her clothes. "You know the local spirit?" "We have some acquaintance." "Alright then. I'll await your word." Li Banfeng pulled down the brim of his fedora and departed. Sitting in her tent, Chu the Second recalled Li Qi's demeanor just now and couldn't help smiling. "Still the same flavor." …… Back in the companion dwelling, the gramophone was frantic: "Husband, did you go to Daogui Ridge?!" Li Banfeng was startled. "Precious wife, how did you know? Even I didn't know I had ascended Daogui Ridge. Thunder and rain raged up there, Daolao ghosts ran amok all over the ground, and I nearly lost my life." He recounted what he had experienced on Daogui Ridge, scaring his wife terribly as well. "Oh, Husband, this humble one is to blame. At first, you mentioned a Painting Cultivator had arrived and painted a mountain, so I truly thought it was that Painting Cultivator's doing. But seeing your cultivation surge rapidly over these past two days, I only then suspected you had gone to Daogui Ridge." "Where was Daogui Ridge originally? Why would it appear on my territory?" "Precious Husband, no one can say clearly where Daogui Ridge truly is. Many things in the Unexplained Lands cannot be explained. As for why Daogui Ridge appeared on Husband's territory, it may be related to the Heavenly Heart Stones." "Does Daogui Ridge produce Heavenly Heart Stones?" "Not quite. Heavenly Heart Stones possess the property of guiding the way. This humble one suspects someone intentionally placed Heavenly Heart Stones on this territory to draw the entrance of Daogui Ridge here." Rubbing his chin, Li Banfeng said, "Who wants to harm me?" Hong Ying said, "Regardless of who wants to harm you, if you send the Heavenly Heart Stones away, you can send Daogui Ridge away." Hearing this, the companion dwelling flared up in fury: "Out of the question! The Heavenly Heart Stones have already been built into the station! It's too late to dismantle it!" The glove poked out from Li Banfeng's pocket. "Old Master, we have to be reasonable. You dismantled the Joyous Earth Station before, and that Joyous Earth was still usable. Why can't the Heavenly Heart Stones be dismantled?" The companion dwelling snorted. "That's construction technique! What would a petty thief like you know about it?!" Li Banfeng was still pondering who on earth had placed the Heavenly Heart Stones here. Was this person targeting me? Could my status as the local spirit have already been exposed? "Precious wife, is there any way to seal the entrance to Daogui Ridge first? I want to investigate a few things." "That..." His wife hesitated. Hong Ying said, "It can't be sealed. No matter how many methods you use, there will always be people willing to risk everything to climb it." "What's so good about that place? Why does everyone want to go up?" "Brother Seven, Daogui Ridge is a sacred ground for cultivation. On the ridge, Traveler Cultivators can tread hazardous terrain; Literary Cultivators can spark literary inspiration; Martial Cultivators can combat yin energy to temper their physiques; Nightmare Cultivators can gather yin energy to command dead souls... "If I recall correctly, thirty-three pathways can reap immense benefits on Daogui Ridge, their cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds once they ascend. How many people do you think can resist such temptation?" Li Banfeng rubbed his forehead, finding the matter increasingly troublesome. Yet he had also gleaned a crucial piece of information: Hong Ying knew about Daogui Ridge, but she didn't know about the Lüshui Beggar. This proved that Daogui Ridge most likely predated the Lüshui Beggar, which meant Critick's conjecture was correct. The gramophone consoled him, "Oh, Husband, Daolao ghosts all yearn to return to Daogui Ridge and generally do not wander far, so there is no need to worry overly much." Indeed, the few ghosts that had pursued Li Banfeng had not strayed far. Yet leaving Daogui Ridge here meant that any anomalous creatures unable to resist the temptation would climb it, and precious few would return alive. Once word got out, who knew how many would flock here drawn by its reputation? By then, many eyes would fall upon Li Banfeng's territory, and his identity as Li Furong would quickly be exposed. While he was at his wit's end, the companion dwelling spoke up: "There are two Heavenly Heart Stones left, which aren't unusable. Think of a destination, and I'll find a way to send Daogui Ridge away." Send it away. Where could he possibly send it? …… "I ordered you to deliver Daogui Ridge. Where on earth did you deliver it?" At the Sage's Residence on Sage Peak, the Sage sat in his study, waiting for Chu Shaoqiang to give him a reasonable explanation. Sitting across from him, Chu Shaoqiang answered, "An unexpected turn occurred mid-transit. The Heavenly Heart Stone guiding the way was suddenly lost." The Sage asked, "Lost where?" Chu Shaoqiang replied, "It should be in the newlands. I am still investigating." "When can you have results?" Chu Shaoqiang thoroughly disliked the Sage's attitude, but mindful of the man's status, he maintained sufficient restraint. "At most three days. I will give you an answer."