Wearing a smile, the sedan chair bearer looked at Li Banfeng. "Did you come looking for me? Want me to carry your sedan chair?"
Li Banfeng did not answer, offering a question in return instead. "Are you the local spirit of Yesong Bridge?"
The bearer nodded. "That I am. Your destined opportunity has arrived. Climb into my chair, and I'll carry you a stretch. The first lift of the poles lifts your cultivation."
Li Banfeng looked all around. In the dead of night, not a single pedestrian walked the streets.
The bearer chuckled. "Stop looking. It's just you and me. I waited here specifically for you. Don't you believe me? Come on, get in the chair!"
Could he go?
Just moments ago, while speaking, the bearer had been picking arguments. After he finished three rounds of bickering, Li Banfeng had sensed a terrifying, intense danger.
Earlier, Li Banfeng had asked if he carried sedan chairs, and the man replied that he carried arguments.
Now the danger had vanished, and the bearer's expression had softened considerably.
Yet Li Banfeng could distinctly feel that the peril earlier was no illusion—it had been a bone-chilling draft creeping straight up his spine.
Li Banfeng pulled down the brim of his hat. "To meet a senior like you is an honor. Until we meet again."
The bearer took the white towel from around his neck and wiped his sweat. "What? Scared?"
Li Banfeng turned and walked away, but the bearer caught up to him in two strides.
He had overtaken Li Banfeng, a ninth-tier journey cultivator.
"No wonder you walk so fast. You're a journey cultivator." The bearer suddenly whipped the towel toward Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng dodged with a flash of his body.
The towel struck a nearby boulder, pulverizing the stone into a cloud of dust so fine not a single speck of gravel remained.
Li Banfeng dashed down the flagstone path along the riverbank.
The bearer kept pace beside him. "I say, young fellow, didn't you come looking for me? Why are you running? Don't you want such a fine opportunity?"
Li Banfeng leaped straight across the river to the opposite bank.
The bearer pursued him to the other side and laughed. "Seeking Auspices and Avoiding Calamity? Your first-tier technique is far more formidable than that of other journey cultivators."
How could it not be? It was a first-tier technique personally taught by the coachman, an accomplished master of Seeking Auspices and Avoiding Calamity.
"Young fellow, don't be in such a hurry to leave. Hear me out." The bearer lashed out with the towel at Li Banfeng again.
Li Banfeng stopped dodging. Being chased and beaten like this was no solution. He braced against the blow with Benevolent Dwelling Heart, and before the bearer could retract his move, he stomped out with Treading Ten Thousand Rivers.
*Bang!*
The bearer's towel struck with terrifying force. Even with his technique pushed to its limit, Li Banfeng was knocked off balance.
The stomp of Treading Ten Thousand Rivers was equally ferocious, sending the thick bluestone slabs flying in all directions.
As the smoke and dust cleared, the bearer wiped a smear of blood from his cheek. A tiny cut ran across his cheekbone, barely visible unless one looked closely. That was all Li Banfeng had accomplished with that strike.
What kind of pathway was this? How could he hit so hard and take such punishment?
The bearer nodded in admiration. "Your Treading Ten Thousand Rivers is quite unusual too. I've seen journey cultivators above the clouds, and none of them struck with such viciousness."
Li Banfeng struggled to regain his footing and kept running, yet the bearer trailed right behind him without exerting any effort at all.
He hurled the felt hat from his head toward Li Banfeng. Spinning violently, the hat swooped down, aiming to clamp onto Li Banfeng's head. If that thing latched on, Li Banfeng would be dead for sure.
The projector shone a beam of light, attempting to absorb the hat with its withering technique, but its focus could not keep up.
The glove picked a vantage point and tried to snatch the hat, but it moved too late and caught only thin air.
The Tang dao and the scythe intercepted the hat from the left and right. The hat spun wildly against the Tang dao, which pushed back desperately with its tip, aided by the scythe. Only with great difficulty did they manage to beat the hat back.
The bearer had used only this single artifact—if the hat even was one. A casual toss had left Li Banfeng in such dire straits.
A dead-end alley lay ahead. Li Banfeng dashed toward it; a dead end favored him, for whether through Unimpeded Passage or Cleaving Paths and Opening Roads, he had ways to escape.
"Where do you think you're going?" The bearer materialized out of nowhere, blocking Li Banfeng's path.
Could he not even match the man in speed?
Li Banfeng could change course and keep running. As long as he found the right direction, he could continue maneuvering against the bearer.
But he did not want to drag it out. The gap in strength was too vast; the longer the engagement lasted, the worse it would be for him.
Li Banfeng let out a roar: "*Huyayaya—!*"
The ear-splitting howl caused the bearer to hesitate slightly.
Seizing the opening, Li Banfeng charged directly at him.
The technique of Willful Persistence propelled Li Banfeng's speed to an entirely new tier.
The bearer did not evade. Intending to meet Li Banfeng head-on, he watched the young man charge forward, only to suddenly feel the ground beneath his heels go hollow.
Looking down, he saw an abyss beneath his feet. Li Banfeng had employed Mind Traversing a Thousand Mountains to summon the cliff of Tiemenbao.
Was the cliff of Tiemenbao the optimal choice?
Not really. Li Banfeng had seen plenty of perilous terrains, but in such a high-stakes clash, he had to borrow techniques from his wife through Sprawling Compound while simultaneously charging forward with Willful Persistence. Mind Traversing a Thousand Mountains could not consume too much of his mental focus, and because he knew the valley of Tiemenbao thoroughly, he brought it forth in an instant.
Seeing himself on the edge of a precipice, the bearer did not take it lightly. Recognizing Mind Traversing a Thousand Mountains, he suspected Li Banfeng had further tricks up his sleeve and sought to evade the onslaught.
Yet this assault was not so easily avoided. Putting everything on the line, Li Banfeng lunged forward and delivered a kick squarely to the bearer's chest.
The bearer shuddered under the impact, but he did not tumble down the cliff.
Li Banfeng took off from the spot, rocketing into the distance.
Parting Ten Thousand Li.
Without a way to orient himself, was using Parting Ten Thousand Li wise?
It depended on the opponent. Against this bearer, it was the wisest possible choice—survive first and worry about the rest later.
Li Banfeng kept his eyes locked on the bearer as he shot through the air. The bearer had merely trembled where he stood; he had not been sent airborne.
Even Parting Ten Thousand Li hadn't kicked him away. The bearer's strength was terrifying.
Li Banfeng flew an immense distance. Bereft of directional awareness, he had no idea where he would end up, and when the technique subsided, he plummeted into Yanyun Lake with a loud splash.
Being in the lake was no great problem. Li Banfeng could swim. He stroked with his hands, kicked with his feet, and was just about to break the surface when a sudden, sickening chill washed over him, making him shudder uncontrollably.
Danger!
There might be an ambush on the surface.
Who would lie in wait here? The Light Chasing Society's Boundless Battalion?
It was possible.
Having just escaped the old bearer, falling into the clutches of those foreign bastards would make things truly troublesome.
Li Banfeng dove back toward the lake bottom and opened the companion dwelling.
*Whoosh—*
The moment he cracked the door open, lake water rushed into the main chamber.
Moving fast, he hastily shut the door. Fortunately, not much water had entered.
The gramophone asked in astonishment, "Precious Husband, where on earth did you go?"
Li Banfeng said, "To the bottom of a lake."
"Come quickly, Husband, change your clothes so you don't catch a cold."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "No point. Once I go back out in a bit, I'll still be underwater."
The companion dwelling spoke up. "Don't be in a hurry to leave. That bearer has tracked you here."
Tracked him here?
How could he have?
Li Banfeng had flown here via Parting Ten Thousand Li, traveling in a straight line the entire way, ignoring all obstacles at a speed so blinding the surroundings blurred past.
The bearer had stood motionless on the ground, yet he had managed to chase him down?
"Where is he?" Li Banfeng worried the bearer had spotted the key.
The companion dwelling sighed. "I can't watch the outside all the time. I have to mind the path."
That sounded entirely too abstract. It couldn't keep an eye on the outside because it had to mind the path?
Wasn't the path outside?
Anxious to scout the situation, Li Banfeng contemplated stepping out, but the projector spoke: "Director Seven, this opponent is far too formidable. We shouldn't act rashly.
"We have another way to see what's happening outside."
The projector indeed had a method. It headed to the Fifth Chamber.
A chilling, murderous aura rippled within the Fifth Chamber. The projector grew nervous, but soon settled its nerves. It first used a hand-cranked gramophone to play a record of "An Unchanging Heart": "You are my soul, you are my life, like mandarin ducks in tender love, like phoenixes singing in harmony..."
As the song reached its climax, the projector said with deep affection, "My dear lady, you are in my thoughts every single moment."
The Fifth Chamber maiden opened her mouth and immediately struck with a soul-piercing question: "Then where have you been fooling around all these days?"
The projector answered without hesitation, "I was pursuing art."
"Then keep on pursuing it. Why come looking for me?"
"On the path of artistic pursuit, I encountered danger."
"What does that have to do with me?"
"The danger is outside, and you are the only one who can see it."
"Why should I help you?"
"Only with your help can I survive."
"And why should I let you survive?"
The projector answered passionately, "Because my art was born for you."
Li Banfeng thought the projector's confession was terribly corny, yet to his surprise, a soft radiance shimmered across the walls of the Fifth Chamber.
The Fifth Chamber maiden loved precisely this sort of thing!
Vague lines emerged upon the glow. As they sharpened slightly, it was as if one were peering through a layer of white gauze at the bottom of the lake.
In Yanyun Lake swam fish, crabs, all manner of insects, water weeds, and a sedan chair bearer paddling about.
He had truly followed him here, and he knew he had dived into the lake.
This proved that after Li Banfeng had flown away, the man had pursued him relentlessly from behind.
Just how high was this bearer's cultivation?
Judging purely by the size of the territory, Yesong Bridge was roughly comparable to Yaowanggou. A local spirit's cultivation came from human popularity, so this bearer's cultivation ought to be similar to Old Yao's.
Old Yao was at the third tier above the clouds. Was this fellow also third tier above the clouds?
Li Banfeng possessed a nine-plus-eight cultivation, yet before this bearer, he had no room to fight back, no ability to parry, and had barely managed to flee.
Furthermore, the bearer didn't seem to be exerting his full power; there had even been a trace of playful mockery in his attacks. Was this the overwhelming dominance of a third tier above the clouds over a pinnacle ground-crust?
The sense of suppression was far too intense. The bearer hadn't seized the initiative, nor had he ambushed him; he simply dominated every advance, retreat, strike, and defense, even holding the upper hand in speed. Li Banfeng had fought cultivators above the clouds before, but this was the first time he had faced such a situation.
While he was lost in thought, the bearer floated to the surface and vanished from sight.
Li Banfeng wondered whether he should go out. The projector suggested observing a bit longer, but the Fifth Chamber maiden was growing exhausted. "Let me rest for a while, and tell me properly about your art."
The projector projected the films he had imagined, combining them with his recent experiences, scene by scene onto the wall.
He had stayed away from the Fifth Chamber for so many days, leaving the maiden brimming with resentment.
Yet the moment she beheld the projector's films, the bone-chilling murderous aura lingering in the room dissipated considerably.
The projector lowered its voice. "Director Seven, the upcoming scenes exceed the bounds of realism. Please excuse yourself for the moment."
Li Banfeng cautioned, "Be extremely careful. Call me immediately if anything goes wrong."
The projector seemed entirely confident in handling the situation. Li Banfeng exited the Fifth Chamber and returned to the main chamber, where he heard his wife ask, "Husband, what kind of adversary did you encounter?"
Li Banfeng didn't quite know how to describe him, unable to identify the man's pathway. "I ran into an opponent who is faster, fiercer, tougher, and better than me in every way. I suspect he's the local spirit of Yesong Bridge."
The gramophone remarked in surprise, "Faster than my husband? Is this local spirit a journey cultivator?"
"Why do you say that?"
The gramophone wanted to explain, yet seemed somewhat reluctant.
Hong Ying chimed in from the side. "Seven, once a journey cultivator reaches the ninth tier of ground-crust, their speed far outclasses other pathways. Even against someone above the clouds, as long as their tier isn't excessively high, it's hard for them to outpace you, Seven.
"That's the best part about us journey cultivators—as long as we aren't ambushed, whenever we want to run, we can always find a chance..."
"What's there to brag about running away!" The gramophone raised her wooden board and unleashed a barrage of smacks upon Hong Ying.
Hong Ying gently rubbed her bottom, drawing a deep, hissing breath before letting out a swift exhale, feeling thoroughly refreshed and clear-headed.
After savoring the sensation several times, Hong Ying returned to the mirror and continued styling her hair.
The liquor gourd had never understood. With Hong Ying's speed, she should have easily dodged.
Back when she was blind, taking the hits made sense, but now that she could see, why did she still not dodge?
His wife's anger had not yet cooled, but Li Banfeng's mind was elsewhere.
After thinking for a moment, he said to the gramophone, "Precious Wife, that local spirit probably isn't a journey cultivator. If he had used journey cultivator techniques, I fear I would have lost my life long ago."
The bearer's offensive methods had been exceedingly monotonous: one was his towel, the other his felt hat. Yet even against those two attacks, Li Banfeng had barely held his ground.
Had the man been a journey cultivator and unleashed Treading Ten Thousand Rivers, Li Banfeng would never have made it back.
The gramophone sang softly, "If he isn't a journey cultivator and is still faster than you, Husband, then he must be high above the clouds. Did you know him before?"
Li Banfeng pondered. "I wouldn't say I knew him. I met him once before and didn't speak to him. Could he have formed a grudge against me over something so petty?"
"Trying to take my husband's life just because you didn't speak? Is a cultivator above the clouds really that petty?"
The glove spoke up from nearby. "He's certainly not generous, and he loves to bicker."
"Loves to bicker?" the gramophone asked the glove. "You think he's a contrarian cultivator? How many years has it been since anyone from that pathway showed themselves?"
The glove said, "There are actually quite a few people in that pathway, because the entry powder is dirt cheap."
"Cheap is useless. Far too few contrarian cultivators ever survive."
Li Banfeng asked, "What kind of pathway is a contrarian cultivator, exactly?"
The gramophone replied, "A pathway that cultivates by bickering and fights by bickering. Divorced from picking quarrels, they can accomplish nothing at all."
Fighting by bickering?
Li Banfeng considered it. "Aren't you describing moral cultivators?"
The glove wiggled its fingers. "Master, the two are quite different. Moral cultivators bully others through preaching, while contrarian cultivators improve themselves through bickering. As for the specifics of how they improve, I don't know much either."
Improving oneself through bickering?
So that bearer had been picking fights with him to amplify his own strength?
"Wife, why did you say earlier that so few contrarian cultivators survive?"
"Because they have foul mouths! Especially in a place like Puluo Province. Most people who step onto that pathway get beaten to death before they can even advance their tiers.
"And once they do advance, a contrarian cultivator is still far weaker than others at the same tier. They're born to take beatings."
"Where do contrarian cultivators fall short?"
"They fall short because their techniques are a hassle to use. That entire pathway has only a single technique, called Kong Bloom."
Li Banfeng blinked. "Isn't that a phrase from the mahjong table?"
"Husband, it has nothing to do with mahjong. That technique is the lifeblood of a contrarian cultivator. On ordinary days, a contrarian cultivator who hasn't picked an argument has no special combat strength whatsoever—they're practically identical to a normal person."
Practically identical to a normal person?
Then what was the point of cultivating this pathway?
"Is that only true for low-tier contrarian cultivators?"
"Not at all, Husband! Even a contrarian cultivator above the clouds is like that. If they want to fight someone, they must first raise at least one argument."
Li Banfeng recalled his first encounter with the bearer. The man had asked if he wanted a sedan ride, and Li Banfeng had shaken his head.
The bearer then looked for trouble, asking why Li Banfeng refused to speak. Li Banfeng ignored the bait and prepared to fight, at which point the bearer walked away first.
"Wife, if I don't answer, does the argument not count?"
"That's right, Husband. One person talking isn't an argument. For a contrarian cultivator to fight you, there must be back-and-forth dialogue—they have to bicker with you once. Only then can they draw half of their rightful combat strength."
"Only half?"
"That's why that pathway has so few followers. Bickering naturally invites beatings, yet their combat power is worse than everyone else's.
"However, if an opponent bickers with a contrarian cultivator twice in a row, the contrarian cultivator gains their full combat strength.
"A contrarian cultivator at full combat strength strikes fast, possesses immense power, and boasts a hardy physique. At that point, they won't be at a disadvantage against cultivators of the same tier."
Li Banfeng asked, "What if they bicker three times?"
"After three arguments, the contrarian cultivator's combat strength doubles. At that stage, they have no rival at the same tier, and they can even trade several rounds against higher tiers."
Now it was confirmed: that bearer was indeed a contrarian cultivator.
During their first meeting, failing to complete the bickering, he hadn't dared to attack because he had no combat strength. Seeing Li Banfeng grow angry, he had hastily fled.
During their second meeting, Li Banfeng had actively sought him out, and the bearer had engaged in three consecutive rounds of bickering, doubling his combat strength and unleashing an overwhelming suppression that left Li Banfeng helpless.
The contrarian pathway was utterly bizarre. Whether an argument succeeded directly dictated the outcome of battle.
"Wife, if a contrarian cultivator wants to fight me, can he bicker with someone else first, and then come fight me once he's powered up?"
"No. Whoever he wants to fight, he must bicker with. If he bickers with someone else, he'll still have zero combat strength against you, Husband."
Li Banfeng came up with a countermeasure. "Tomorrow I'll bring He Yuxiu along. Let the contrarian cultivator bicker with me, and I'll have He Yuxiu deal with him."
*Hehehe—*
The gramophone giggled. "The logic holds, but contrarian cultivators aren't fools. If you bring a helper, why would he show his face so easily?"
"Wife makes a good point," Li Banfeng sighed. "Next time I run into that bearer, I simply won't bicker with him."
"It's already too late, Husband."
"How is it too late?"
"The duration of the Kong Bloom technique lasts very long."
"How long?"
"That depends on how long the contrarian cultivator lives."
Li Banfeng was startled. "Don't tell me it lasts a lifetime?"
"Yes, Husband. Once a contrarian cultivator raises his arguments, they truly hold for a lifetime. From now on, whenever he fights you, he will always possess double combat strength."
What kind of pathway was this?
Its combat strength was tailored specifically toward a single target?
Listening to him bicker three times was equivalent to being permanently marked for life?
The crucial question was, why did this man have to target Li Banfeng?
Was he the local spirit of Yesong Bridge or not?
The gramophone offered Li Banfeng advice: "Because contrarian cultivators constantly bicker during their cultivation, it's very difficult for them to conceal their malice. As long as you make good use of Seeking Auspices and Avoiding Calamity, Husband, you can evade him."
Always running was no permanent solution.
As Li Banfeng gathered his thoughts, the projector returned from the Fifth Chamber. "Director Seven, the Fifth Chamber maiden showed the outside scene once more. That bearer has indeed left."
The gramophone remarked, "To be able to see outside our house, this woman's cultivation is not low. I doubt she'll help us for free."
The projector said, "Mistress is right. The Fifth Chamber maiden said she'd help us this once, but next time, she will demand payment. What that payment will be, she hasn't decided yet."
The gramophone reminded Li Banfeng, "When dealing with her, be exceedingly cautious."
Li Banfeng stepped out of the companion dwelling, swam up from the lakebed to the shore, and returned to Xiao Yeci's manor.
After changing into dry clothes and sleeping through the night, Li Banfeng sought out He Yuxiu the following morning to inquire about legends surrounding Yesong Bridge.
He Haiqin had occupied Yesong Bridge for so many years; even if He Yuxiu didn't know the exact reasons, she must have heard some rumors and odd tales.
He Yuxiu pondered for a long while before saying to Li Banfeng, "I did hear Haiqin mention a few things, but as for what he actually said, I've forgotten it all."
"Xiuer, you really are a candid soul." Li Banfeng hardly knew how to describe his feelings.
He Yuxiu felt slightly embarrassed. "You can't blame me for this. Those were all baseless yarns anyway. I only listened for entertainment—how could I remember?"
At this point, He Yuxiu remembered someone. "Xiao Yeci loves that sort of stuff. She tells stories to Youtao all the time. Youtao likes listening and then telling them to me.
"Only Youtao tells them terribly, so I couldn't be bothered to listen. Go ask Xiao Yeci. She's a Yesong Bridge native to begin with, so she should know plenty."
Li Banfeng found Xiao Yeci. The moment he brought it up, her spirits soared.
"Benefactor, do you truly want to hear them, or are you just teasing me?"
Li Qi asked in surprise, "Why would I tease you? If you tell me stories, I'll listen attentively! If you tell them well, I'll even give you a tip!"
Hearing this, Xiao Yeci beamed with joy. "Then please excuse my clumsy attempt!"
She actually possessed a storyteller's gavel. Seated behind the table, she brought it down with a crisp *smack* and began narrating in proper storyteller fashion the tale of Liu Yuansheng, a scholar from Yesong Bridge.
"Liu Yuansheng came from a poor family, but he was diligent and studious. In his early twenties, he was already a well-known scholar in Yesong Bridge! Not only did he write exquisite essays, but he was also adept in the four arts—the zither, Go, calligraphy, and painting!"
Using his wit and intelligence, this Liu Yuansheng performed numerous good deeds for the people of Yesong Bridge. Later, he earned the appreciation of Yesong Bridge's local spirit and was granted deep cultivation.
Xiao Yeci sighed with emotion. "This is what they call 'good and evil will ultimately have their reward; it is only a matter of early or late'! A good man like Liu Yuansheng deserved such good fortune!"
"And then?"
Xiao Yeci said, "Having gained cultivation, Liu Yuansheng left Yesong Bridge to travel far and wide, continuing to do good deeds!"
"What kind of good deeds did he do?"
Xiao Yeci scratched her head. "That, nobody knows. The story ends right there!"
"Well told! Here's your reward!" Li Banfeng placed two silver dollars on the table. Xiao Yeci certainly didn't lack money, but she happily pocketed the tip nonetheless.
"I have more good stories, Benefactor! Would you like to hear them?"
"I would. Tell as many as you have."
"Then let me tell the tale of the female knight-errant Wang Saihong! Wang Saihong was not originally from Yesong Bridge. At seventeen, she arrived in Yesong Bridge, performing street acrobatics to make a living. At the time, a gang of ruffians saw how pretty she was and harbored wicked thoughts..."
Unlike the story of Liu Yuansheng, Wang Saihong was an itinerant martial artist. Her tale featured fewer battles of wits and far more martial action. Whenever the story reached a climax, Xiao Yeci would strike a couple of heroic poses. Li Banfeng enjoyed her theatrical flair, and his cheers never ceased.
Yet these two entirely different tales shared an identical ending.
Because she eradicated bullies and helped the weak, performing countless good deeds, the female knight Wang Saihong won the appreciation of the local spirit, was endowed with profound cultivation, and ultimately left Yesong Bridge to pursue chivalry elsewhere.
Li Banfeng produced another stack of silver dollars. "A great tale. Are there more?"
Seeing how much Li Qi enjoyed them, Xiao Yeci was delighted. She narrated from morning until evening, recounting over a dozen stories. Each had a unique style, yet their conclusions were all identical: the protagonist earned the appreciation of the local spirit, acquired cultivation, and subsequently departed Yesong Bridge.
These stories hadn't been invented by Xiao Yeci; she had gathered them from far and wide.
Such an ending was indeed common in folk legends, but when over a dozen stories all shared the exact same resolution, the pattern was peculiar.
Just as Li Banfeng was pondering the connection between the tales, a guard arrived to report that Garrison Commissioner Zheng Siyi had come to invite Seventh Master.
Zheng Siyi had no close relationship with Li Banfeng; coming to see him now was almost certainly on Liao Zihui's orders.
Sure enough, Zheng Siyi invited Li Banfeng for tea, and waiting inside the private room at the teahouse was none other than Liao Zihui.
Upon seeing Li Qi, Liao Zihui smiled. "Brother Li, you saw that accounting I gave you, didn't you?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "Commissioner-General Liao truly acts decisively."
"Only by cleaning out the moles can the work ahead be accomplished." Liao Zihui unfolded a map. "Mount Shilou—have you ever been there, Brother?"
Li Banfeng glanced at the map. "Passed by once, but never climbed it."
"I just gathered intelligence that the Light Chasing Society's Boundless Battalion is hiding out on that mountain. Tomorrow at noon, I'm leading troops up the mountain on a bandit-suppression raid. We'll treat them as mountain bandits and wipe them all out.
"However, marching troops up will inevitably make noise, and those foreign scoundrels will definitely try to flee. If even one escapes and leaks the matter, it will be hard for me to smooth things over.
"I must trouble you, Brother, to provide backup in secret. Anyone who slips through the net, finish them off. We cannot leave a single one alive."
Li Banfeng examined the map. "I'll head up the mountain first to scout the routes."
"Scout all you want, Brother, but this is strictly between the two of us. You mustn't alert the enemy."
"Rest assured." Li Banfeng pocketed the map and left the teahouse.
He had taken only two steps outside when he felt danger bearing down. A voice whispered right beside his ear: "Mister, need a sedan ride?"
Li Banfeng's skull buzzed. He picked up his legs and bolted.
The bearer wiped the sweat from his face with his towel and pursued in hot pursuit.
Hearing the commotion, Liao Zihui peered down from the teahouse balcony, only to see chaos erupting in the street below, making it impossible to tell what was happening.
A Scrying Cultivator among his subordinates said, "Commissioner-General, someone is ambushing Li Qi."
Liao Zihui was startled. "Who?"
Yesong Bridge Garrison Commissioner Zheng Siyi chimed in, "It must be the Light Chasing Society again."
Liao Zihui gritted his teeth. "Those hairy devils dare cross swords with me in broad daylight! Tell the men to grab their weapons! Protect Li Qi, and round up those Light Chasing Society dogs for me!"
Chapter 491