Raise the Sedan Poles Thrice

Li Banfeng walked down the bluestone alley. The lair of the Light Chasing Society's Boundless Battalion lay in a courtyard deep within. The alley was far from flat ground—it climbed a steep slope in a continuous flight of stairs, demanding considerable effort from an ordinary person. In Yesong Bridge, sloping paths like this were everywhere. Sedan chair bearers could be spotted at almost every alley entrance, outnumbering rickshaw pullers by far. The locals even had a common saying, forever on the lips of the bearers: "Raise the sedan poles thrice, and fortune rolls in." A bearer stepped forward to solicit him. "Need a ride?" Li Banfeng gave a slight shake of his head. The bearer frowned. "Ride or not, give me a straight answer! Looking down on me, are you?" Li Banfeng glanced at the bearer and replied with a smile, "No." The bearer moved to press the matter, but a chilling glint flared in Li Banfeng's eyes. Seeing that look, the bearer asked no more, lowering his head and wandering off to drum up business elsewhere. Li Banfeng cast a backward glance at the man, raising his guard slightly. It wasn't because of the bearer's foul attitude, but because the bearer had actually seen him. Homestead cultivators possessed an innate knack for going unnoticed. Normally, this bearer should have overlooked Li Banfeng, though exceptions did occur. With no other pedestrians in the alley at the moment, one possibility was that the bearer was simply too desperate for business, keeping his eyes glued to the alley and hailing anyone who appeared. Going unnoticed was not invisibility; under intense focus, there was always a chance someone might catch sight of Li Banfeng. Of course, another possibility could not be ruled out: the bearer possessed a high cultivation level and was stationed here as a lookout for the Boundless Battalion. Reason dictated that a lookout wouldn't speak so aggressively or make himself so conspicuous, but being extra cautious was never wrong. A hundred-odd meters from the courtyard, Li Banfeng touched the Qiansi earring at his ear. After waiting a dozen seconds, the earring replied, "Master, nothing." How could there be nothing? Could the Boundless Battalion leave no one in their lair in broad daylight? Perhaps Qiansi simply hadn't detected anyone. Mosonov had said the Boundless Battalion was packed with the Light Chasing Society's elites, so having experts who could elude Qiansi's senses was within reason. Li Banfeng returned to the companion dwelling, brought out a painting, and used the technique of Sheltering a Beauty in a Golden Mansion to produce a lovely woman. Li Banfeng had put substantial effort into this painting of a beauty, blending the Western art techniques of the Pendulum Sect with the ink wash methods Hong Ying had taught him. The picture was both realistic and evocative, the beauty lifelike and imbued with ethereal spirit. The only flaw was that Li Banfeng had only painted half a face; the remaining half had to be concealed behind her hair. Looking at her at home was fine—she was quite alluring—but suddenly bringing this half-faced beauty out onto the street felt slightly eerie. No matter. As long as the wind didn't pick up and blow her hair aside, nobody would spot anything amiss. Standing by the street, Li Banfeng watched the half-faced beauty slip quietly into the compound, then released his control over her. He still remembered the hallmarks of sleep cultivation—it held counters against techniques that transmitted power from afar. The Boundless Battalion might well have sleep cultivators among their ranks, so caution was best. Five minutes later, the half-faced beauty walked back out. Holding down the hair over the left side of her face, she shook her head at Li Banfeng. There really was no one in the residence. Judging by the current situation, there were three possibilities. First: the intel was incorrect, and the Boundless Battalion's lair wasn't here at all. Li Banfeng was unfamiliar with Yesong Bridge, relying on clues gathered by Luo Zhengnan's subordinates. Luo Zhengnan himself knew little about the Light Chasing Society, so faulty intel was entirely possible; this might simply be an abandoned, empty house. Yet the half-faced beauty held out her hand to Li Banfeng, showing a fair, spotless palm. This told Li Banfeng that she hadn't found any dust inside. It was not an abandoned house; people had lived here recently. But where had they gone? Then came the second possibility: the entire Boundless Battalion had mobilized for some mission. The odds of that were low. No matter how urgent the task, leaving behind not a single sentry was unheard of. The third possibility: the Boundless Battalion had caught wind of something and gone into hiding. Were they intentionally hiding from me? Li Seven had wiped out an entire battalion of the Light Chasing Society at the Conqueror Restaurant, so avoiding him was only natural. The question was, how did they know Li Seven had come to Yesong Bridge? Li Banfeng thought about the group traveling with him—some from the Lu family, some from the He family. The composition was somewhat complicated. Could someone among them be a traitor? Hard to say. Tiemenbao had members of the Light Chasing Society, something neither Li Banfeng nor Wu Yongchao had known. Two guards at the Lu family mansion had joined the Society, an infiltration even Duan Shaoxia had been blind to. The Light Chasing Society's reach was exceedingly vast and covert, which was precisely what made them so troublesome to deal with. If a mole truly lurked among his entourage, who could it be? Li Banfeng returned to He Yuxiu's residence. Relying on the homestead cultivator's trait of blending into the background, he carefully observed every member of the entourage. Near dusk, Zheng Siyi, the Garrison Commissioner of Yesong Bridge, arrived at the manor to invite Li Banfeng to dinner. He Yuxiu joked, "Inviting Old Seven alone? Looking down on me, are you?" Zheng Siyi waved his hands repeatedly. "Miss He, don't misunderstand. I'm inviting Mr. Li because we have some private men's business to discuss." "Men's business? I can't listen in?" "It's not that you can't, but having you hear it would make me blush. Once we finish discussing it, I'll host a banquet exclusively for Miss He, and I hope you'll honor me with your presence then." Zheng Siyi spoke with easy wit and gave her ample face, so He Yuxiu dropped the matter and passed the message to Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng did not know Zheng Siyi. Even though the man seemed sincere, Li Banfeng took full precautions before attending the banquet. The venue was Yanyun Tower, the most famous restaurant in Yesong Bridge, right by Yanyun Lake. At night, looking out toward the lake from the upper floors, rising mists gathered like azure smoke connecting straight to the clouds above—one of Yesong Bridge's greatest spectacles. Reaching the private room, Zheng Siyi stood respectfully by the doorway without entering. He wasn't the one hosting Li Seven; the man waiting inside was Liao Zihui. "Commissioner-General Liao?" Li Banfeng smiled. "When did you arrive in Yesong Bridge? Surely you didn't come all this way just for me?" Liao Zihui chuckled. "I originally had other business, but now yours is the only thing left. Brother Li, have a seat. Let's eat and talk." Yanyun Tower's signature dishes all featured specialties of Yanyun Lake: fish, crab, shrimp, and softshell turtle, filling the table with an extravagant spread. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Liao Zihui got down to business. "Brother Li, you came to Yesong Bridge over the Light Chasing Society, didn't you?" Old Liao was remarkably well-informed. What did he want? Seeing Li Seven stay quiet, Liao Zihui continued, "Wiping out an entire battalion of the Light Chasing Society in Lüshui City... Brother, your strike was ruthless indeed." Li Seven smiled. "Did that make things difficult for you?" Liao Zihui raised his cup. "We've had our share of friction before, and bumps along the road are bound to happen in the future. Leaving everything else aside, I propose this toast to you, and for this deed, I thank you." Li Seven blinked, not quite catching Liao Zihui's angle. "Thank me for what?" "Those birdbrains are a thorn in my side and a menace to Puluo Province. Puluo Province can never be allowed to fall into their hands. You did what was inconvenient for me to do, so I owe you my thanks." With that, Liao Zihui drained his cup in one gulp. Li Banfeng drank his cup too. It was rare for the two of them to see eye-to-eye on anything. Setting down his cup, Liao Zihui asked, "Brother, made any progress coming to Yesong Bridge this time?" Li Seven shook his head. "I came up empty." Liao Zihui poured another cup. "Truth be told, brother, that's why I'm here. Because here in Yesong Bridge, I came up empty too. "There's a reason we both came up empty. You did what was inconvenient for me to do; now, I must do what is inconvenient for you." Li Seven was genuinely baffled. "I really can't make heads or tails of that." Liao Zihui shook his head. "Of course you can't, because even I can't lay it out cleanly. Just wait for my word. This mess happened on my watch, so I must provide an accounting." The two shared another drink. Liao Zihui asked, "Brother, you know the Boundless Battalion is the elite of the Light Chasing Society, right?" "I know that." "Do you know why those elites came to Yesong Bridge?" That, Li Banfeng truly didn't know. Even Mosonov hadn't known the reason. Liao Zihui said, "I took the trouble to dig into it. Yesong Bridge is no ordinary place. Do you have any business here?" Li Seven shook his head. Liao Zihui said, "Not only you—neither the Lu family nor the Chu family has business here. The Ma family has a small venture, but it's never amounted to much. Over ninety percent of the business in Yesong Bridge is firmly in the He family's grip." The He family certainly held numerous businesses in Yesong Bridge; from food, clothing, shelter, and transport to entertainment and leisure, He Yuxiu had to inspect operations of all sizes across the town. Why did all the business here belong to the He family? Had nobody else cared for it? From a purely commercial standpoint, it truly wasn't enticing. Liao Zihui offered an example: "Yesong Bridge yields abundant timber, but the timber here isn't cheap. Once you subtract shipping costs, how much profit is left? "I ran the numbers—less than five percent. Any slight mishap, and the deal turns into a loss. "Puluo Province has plenty of timber-producing regions, and other places yield at least thirty percent. So why does the He family cling to Yesong pine and refuse to let go?" Li Seven asked, "Because Yesong Bridge's timber is of superior quality?" Liao Zihui said, "The pine from Yesong Bridge is decent, but not irreplaceable. What's more, with the He family monopolizing the local timber trade, "they never drove down purchasing prices. They hold a monopoly, yet never manipulated the profits. Doesn't that suggest there's more to the story?" Yesong Bridge's situation was indeed peculiar; He Yuxiu had already lost interest in the local businesses. Yet why had the He family operated here for so long before? Did they hold some sentimental attachment to this land? Li Banfeng asked, "Has Yesong Bridge always been like this?" Liao Zihui shook his head. "I looked into it. Twenty years ago, timber prices in Yesong Bridge were much lower than now, and trading timber here yielded at least a thirty percent margin. "Once He Haiqin stepped in, the market shifted. By buying at high prices, he drove up the local timber rates. "With acquisition costs raised, he turned around and sold at low prices, squeezing his own profits to nothing while driving every other family out of business. "In other words, He Haiqin paid an enormous price just to manufacture an unprofitable enterprise. Why would he do that?" Li Seven pondered for a moment. "So nobody would compete with him." Liao Zihui nodded. "Exactly. With no profit to be had, most people genuinely didn't care to fight him. But Lu Dongliang did. "Lu Dongliang clashed with He Haiqin in Yesong Bridge for three full years. Back then, Lu Dongliang didn't have He Haiqin's financial backing; he sank a good chunk of his family fortune into it and still failed to beat him. That was how the bad blood between them began. "Over a venture that made no money, why were two men willing to fight tooth and nail?" Stroking his chin, Li Seven said, "Because there's something good here." Liao Zihui said, "More accurately, because there is great opportunity here. Brother Li, have you heard the saying, 'Raise the sedan poles thrice, and fortune rolls in'?" Li Seven nodded. "I've heard it. The bearers say it often." Liao Zihui said, "At first, I took it for mere auspicious banter from the bearers. But after investigating for a long time, I realized a secret was hidden inside. "In Yesong Bridge, there is a special opportunity. If someone catches the eye of the local spirit, they can encounter three opportunities, elevating their strength three times—also known as having their sedan chair lifted thrice. "The first lift elevates cultivation: cultivating for one year in Yesong Bridge equals three years elsewhere. "The second lift elevates tier: a fifth-tier cultivator encountering the opportunity advances straight to the sixth, or even the seventh tier, shaving off twenty years of effort. "The third lift elevates standing: supposedly, it can lift an earthbound cultivator straight above the clouds. "Brother Li, now do you understand why He Haiqin insisted on locking down Yesong Bridge?" Of course he did. The temptation was immense, rivaling the Xuansheng Red Lotus. Li Seven pieced it all together. "So Lu Dongliang and He Haiqin's feud was over this opportunity as well?" Liao Zihui nodded. "I compiled Lu Dongliang's past experiences in Yesong Bridge. He fought tooth and nail against He Haiqin, and tumbled through the sheets just as fiercely with local socialites. "Lu Chunying was sired during that very period. Lu Dongliang was a lustful man, but he didn't pursue just anyone; he targeted women from established, storied families to pry for information and hunt for traces of the local spirit." As he spoke, Liao Zihui handed Li Banfeng a dossier. "Brother, these are the families Lu Dongliang interacted with in Yesong Bridge back then. "He Yuxiu probably doesn't know Yesong Bridge's secret yet. She's close to you and likely won't suspect your intentions. "I'll leave this great opportunity to you, brother. Call it my token of thanks for your help with the Light Chasing Society, and my apology for our past feuds. "You're still young. Whether you want this opportunity in Yesong Bridge is up to you. But please, stay in Yesong Bridge for two more days. When it comes to the Boundless Battalion, I must give you an explanation." Li Banfeng asked, "What kind of explanation?" "You found the Boundless Battalion's lair without a doubt. They came to Yesong Bridge seeking that same opportunity. But since the place was right and the timing was right, why did neither of us manage to corner those birdbrains?" Li Banfeng replied, "Because someone leaked the word." "Which is why I must give you an explanation, and give myself one too. Keep an eye on tomorrow's papers." Liao Zihui drew a travel permit from inside his robes and handed it to Li Seven. "This travel permit is valid indefinitely with unlimited trips. In Puluo Province, you could count the people who can get their hands on one on the fingers of one hand. It's yours." Li Banfeng took the permit and glanced over it. "Commissioner-General Liao, what's gotten into you today? Giving me so many good things... are you really about to retire?" "Retirement's still a ways off." Liao Zihui poured another cup of liquor. "I'm demonstrating sincerity—my sincerity in cooperating with you. Brother Li, we must work together against the Light Chasing Society, or Puluo Province is finished. Once we've wiped out those bastards, we can go right back to clawing at each other." ... Back in the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng carefully perused the materials Liao Zihui had given him. During his three years in Yesong Bridge, Lu Dongliang had accumulated quite a backlog of romantic entanglements, and the families he associated with indeed possessed bits of information regarding the local spirit, much of which Liao Zihui had compiled into the dossier. Why had Liao Zihui gathered all this? According to what Li Banfeng knew, Liao Zihui wasn't a dark adept; he had no cultivation. Yet cultivation was inherently invisible; if Liao Zihui truly wished to conceal his strength, ordinary people would find it near impossible to detect. He had heard from Lightbulb that Liao Zihui's greatest desire was to retire peacefully in Puluo Province. Supposing he did have cultivation and had kept it hidden all along, was it possible that after retirement, he intended to make a bid for above the clouds? He had handed these materials over to me. If I can successfully navigate this path of the sedan lift, I might be able to help him out down the road. In truth, the three opportunities in Yesong Bridge were undeniably enticing, especially the third, which elevated one's standing directly. With it, Li Banfeng's plan to ascend above the clouds could be put into practice immediately. Yet was this information genuine? Looking at the dossiers Liao Zihui had assembled, most of the contents were legends, and the accounts of different families contradicted one another constantly. How credible and valuable these materials were left Li Banfeng deeply skeptical. "Dearest wife, have you ever heard of the local spirit of Yesong Bridge?" Whoosh— "Precious husband, this humble servant has heard of Yesong Bridge. The scenery is said to be lovely, but as for its local spirit, I truly know nothing." If his wife didn't know, Hong Ying knew even less; she hadn't even heard of Yesong Bridge. The liquor gourd seemed to recall something. "I seem to remember Old Yao mentioning it once. I've forgotten the details, only recalling something about 'three lifts.'" Li Banfeng said, "'Raise the sedan poles thrice, and fortune rolls in.'" The liquor gourd pondered for a moment and wobbled. "Seems to be that one." Old Yao had also quoted the saying, so the rumors were likely true. He had to find a way to track down this local spirit. ... Early the next morning, Li Banfeng first headed to Yanyun Lake. In the dossiers Liao Zihui provided, there were over a dozen claims regarding the local spirit's dwelling, the most widely accepted being the bottom of Yanyun Lake. How would one search the bottom of Yanyun Lake? Plunge into the water and search around the lake bed? With Li Banfeng's current cultivation, he could certainly pull that off. Yet was the local spirit's dwelling out in the open, or hidden away in some peculiar place? After weighing it, Li Banfeng abandoned the idea of diving into the lake. Because into this lake, He Haiqin had dived, Lu Dongliang had dived, and in all likelihood, Liao Zihui had dived as well. How did he know they had? The claim that the local spirit dwelt at the bottom of the lake was far too widespread; not only Lu Dongliang knew it, but He Haiqin surely had too. They definitely would have looked, yet neither found the spirit. Had either of them succeeded, they would have ascended above the clouds right here in Yesong Bridge. Why, then, did so many claim the local spirit resided at the lake bottom? In fact, it wasn't hard to understand. One only had to stand at a distance and observe to spot the reason. Yanyun Lake was cloaked in mist year-round, appearing from the outside like an ethereal, mystical realm. If you stopped passersby on the street and asked where the local spirit was, eight out of ten would probably guess the lake. That was likely how the legend had begun. Looking back over the dossier, were any of the other dozen-plus locations real? If even one of those places held truth, Liao Zihui, using the advantages of his post, would have found it already. The dossier effectively served as a process of elimination for Li Banfeng; the places mentioned in it were practically off the table. If Liao Zihui's findings were useless, whose could be trusted? He Haiqin had failed too. The only ones who might have made actual progress were the Light Chasing Society's Boundless Battalion. Where had the Boundless Battalion gone? After wandering around Yesong Bridge all day, Li Banfeng passed an alley entrance at nightfall, encountered a newsboy, and bought a paper. The newspaper office in Yesong Bridge was one of the few businesses not monopolized by the He family; it was run by the Ling family. Li Banfeng skimmed through the news and found a brief report in the lower right corner of the front page. An accident had occurred at Yesong Bridge Station: a train conductor and two station attendants were struck and killed by a train. This news was rather odd. Li Banfeng hadn't clashed much with station attendants, but he knew the strength of train conductors. Pushing Li Banfeng off a train took only a single shove of their pole. How could someone like that be hit and killed by a train? Even if they couldn't stop a train, they could at least dodge it. The article was brief, containing virtually nothing about the cause of the accident, merely detailing the post-incident handling. Li Banfeng folded the newspaper, recalling Liao Zihui's words: Why had he come up empty upon arriving in Yesong Bridge? Liao Zihui had promised an explanation. Li Banfeng raised an eyebrow, understanding the implication. The mole wasn't in his own ranks—it was at the train station. Whenever Li Seven took the train, he used anonymous travel permits and tickets. Yet station staff and a conductor had still tracked his itinerary and reported it to the Boundless Battalion. With the Conqueror Restaurant incident freshly past, the Boundless Battalion knew Li Seven was targeting the Society. Learning that he had reached Yesong Bridge, they had chosen to relocate immediately. That was why both Li Seven and Liao Zihui had come up empty. A leak had emerged at the train station, and those moles were likely members of the Society. Liao Zihui could never tolerate that—hence his vow to deliver an accounting to himself and to Li Seven. Now, the three who died in the "accident" were the accounting Liao Zihui had delivered. He sought deeper cooperation with Li Seven to eradicate the Light Chasing Society. Li Seven had never held a high opinion of Liao Zihui, but this cooperation seemed acceptable. Tucking away the paper, Li Banfeng was about to return to the residence when a bearer nearby asked, "Boss, need a sedan?" Li Banfeng glanced back. The bearer wasn't talking to him, but to another man. Such occurrences happened often; as a high-tier homestead cultivator, Li Banfeng was regularly ignored. Yet one bearer hadn't ignored him. "'Raise the sedan poles thrice, and fortune rolls in.'" Another bearer assisted the man into the sedan, and the pair carried him up the steps and into the alley. Bearers always worked in pairs; a single person couldn't carry a sedan chair. Yet the bearer he encountered that day had been all alone. Could he be the local spirit of Yesong Bridge? Such a coincidence? Running into him just like that? On second thought, it wasn't pure chance. Li Banfeng had gone looking for the Boundless Battalion. The battalion had come to Yesong Bridge to seek the opportunity of the sedan lift—which meant tracking down the local spirit. They wouldn't have picked their lair randomly; they must have scouted beforehand. That location was very likely close to where the local spirit resided. Combined with his innate foundation for seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster, he had encountered that bearer at the opportune moment. And that bearer was where the opportunity lay—he was the local spirit of Yesong Bridge. With that realization, Li Banfeng hurried back to the alley he had walked the day before. He doubted he'd be lucky enough to run into that same bearer again, but he might well uncover some clues. To his surprise, right at the alley mouth, he truly ran into that bearer once more. The bearer was sitting listlessly beside a sedan chair. Li Banfeng stepped up to greet him. "Waiting for a fare?" The bearer gave him a look. "What do you think? If I'm not waiting for a fare, am I waiting to die?" Li Banfeng pointed up the slope. "Carry me up. How much?" The bearer sneered, "Pay whatever you feel like. If I asked for a hundred thousand silver dollars, could you afford it?" Li Banfeng asked, "You're carrying it by yourself?" The bearer frowned. "What kind of nonsense is that? One person carries it on his back; two people lift it together. Can't you count?" Li Banfeng maintained his smile, but a surge of anger welled up uncontrollably. As the anger surged, Li Banfeng suddenly sensed a wave of danger closing in. The bearer looked at Li Banfeng with a smile. "'Raise the sedan poles thrice, and fortune rolls in.' You came looking for me?" Li Banfeng asked, "Are you a sedan carrier?" The bearer rose to his feet. "I carry arguments."