Li Qi was circling around the teahouse, maneuvering against the sedan chair bearer.
When dealing with a contrarian cultivator, the best approach one could think of was to ensure helpers were close at hand.
From atop the teahouse, a high-tier Scrying Cultivator under Liao Zihui quietly observed the situation between the two.
At their current speed, if they passed before the eyes of an ordinary person, that person would not even catch a glimpse of a silhouette. Even for this high-tier Scrying Cultivator, locking onto either of them proved exceedingly difficult.
Once he managed with great effort to fix his gaze on the bearer, he immediately drew out a monocular spyglass and pressed it to his eye socket. His brow twitched, and a beam of light shot out from the glass toward the bearer.
A coin-sized patch of light appeared on the bearer's body. When the Scrying Cultivator lowered the spyglass, the beam vanished, but the glowing spot remained—a mark left on the bearer.
Liao Zihui gave the order: "Steam machine gun, ready!"
Four men hauled over an iron chest measuring one meter square. A burly man poured water into the chest, another shoved coal beneath it, and a Fire Cultivator began preheating the contraption.
Two iron pipes extended from the chest, connected to a pair of steam nozzles. Once the steam pressure was up to standard, two Scrying Cultivators took aim at the mark on the bearer, ready to fire.
Liao Zihui summoned a Sound Cultivator and instructed, "Clear away all bystanders."
Standing on the rooftop, the Sound Cultivator folded his upper lip toward the tip of his nose, quivered for a moment, and emitted a piercing, shrill shriek.
Amidst the shrill shriek, intense terror gripped ordinary folk and low-tier cultivators alike, sending them fleeing from the teahouse in haste until only Li Banfeng and the bearer remained circling below.
Liao Zihui shouted, "Fire!"
The steam burst forth.
Could it be seen?
It could not.
High-temperature, high-pressure steam was colorless and formless. The steam machine gun required no bullets; once the nozzles opened, guided by the mark, the steam struck the bearer square on his body.
At first, the bearer felt nothing out of the ordinary, as if only a faint whisper had passed through him.
By the time sensation caught up, he looked down and discovered a patch of his chest was already thoroughly cooked. The fat had melted away, and the lean meat could be shredded into strings.
The bearer panicked slightly.
Who did this?
Was it Li Qi's doing?
The bearer glared intently at Li Banfeng. If it was Li Qi's doing, the bearer had no need to worry—the wound would certainly heal.
But if it was not Li Banfeng, matters would become very troublesome.
The bearer kept reminding himself that it had to be Li Qi, that he simply hadn't seen the man's technique clearly just now.
Yet Liao Zihui's shout from atop the teahouse rang out with absolute clarity: "Cease your stubborn resistance and surrender at once, and your life will be spared!"
They were the ones attacking?
The steam machine gun engaged once more. The bearer saw the steam nozzles, yet he could not dodge the jetting steam.
This was not solely due to the mark on him; something had gone wrong with the bearer's own condition as well. His physical constitution was deteriorating at a pace visible to the naked eye.
Seizing the opportunity, Li Banfeng vanished from the bearer's line of sight.
*Bang!*
The bearer's frame shook as he took a strike from Viewing Flowers from Horseback.
He coughed once, and that was the extent of the damage.
This was truly bizarre. The steam machine gun could inflict severe wounds upon the bearer, yet Li Qi's Viewing Flowers from Horseback was almost ineffective against him.
The bearer still wanted to pursue Li Qi, but on second thought, the battle was already unfavorable to him, and Li Qi had abruptly vanished. It was better to just leave.
This train of thought was smooth and sensible. The bearer took to his heels, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.
Li Banfeng let out a long breath. Finding a way out of a tight spot didn't necessarily require words.
He cast a glance back toward the teahouse, where Liao Zihui smiled at him.
Li Qi pulled down the brim of his hat and nodded slightly in gratitude, then melted into the night.
***
He felt uneasy throughout the journey back. Li Banfeng was constantly worried that someone would leap out beside him and invite him into a sedan chair.
Being locked onto by a contrarian cultivator was truly a lethal affair. Only after arriving at Xiao Yeci's manor and returning to the companion dwelling did Li Banfeng finally feel somewhat secure.
"My lady, I ran into that contrarian cultivator again today."
"Husband, did you perceive the danger beforehand?"
"I perceived it, but it happened too suddenly. I had no chance to get away, and fighting him head-on was out of the question."
Hong Ying turned around. "Let me out! I'd like to see just how strong this bird-man really is."
"Girl, don't brag," the gramophone sighed. "With that temper of yours, if you really ran into a contrarian cultivator, having him raise five or six poles against you in a row would be letting you off easy."
Li Banfeng asked, "Can a contrarian cultivator keep raising poles indefinitely? After raising three, if they keep arguing, does their combat power keep climbing higher and higher?"
"In theory, yes, but it also depends on whether the contrarian cultivator can withstand it themselves," the gramophone explained. "Reaching three arguments doubles their combat power, which is already difficult for them to control. Argue once more, and their combat power might jump to three or four times over. If they strike carelessly, the contrarian cultivator might end up injuring themselves."
The projector chimed in, "Perhaps we could develop a new fighting style around this: have Director Seven keep arguing with the contrarian cultivator until their combat power increases dozens of times over, to the point where they daren't attack Director Seven."
The gramophone's horn swayed vigorously. "Utter nonsense! When a contrarian cultivator stacks their combat power too high, they might injure themselves, but if my husband takes a single blow, he will certainly die. We must never gamble on such a thing."
Li Banfeng gritted his teeth. "Why did this local spirit fixate on me?"
The gramophone sighed. "Precious husband, since we've offended a local spirit, if we can't afford to provoke him, we can at least afford to hide. Let us simply leave this place called Yesong Bridge."
Hide?
Hide until when? Could he really never return to Yesong Bridge for the rest of his life?
Besides, he still didn't know the bearer's true motives. Even if he left Yesong Bridge, he might not shake off this argumentative pest.
The gramophone knew Li Banfeng didn't want to hide. "Husband, let us hide for a short while. Once you advance above the clouds, we can figure out a way to deal with him."
"No," Li Banfeng shook his head. "I have to get to the bottom of this."
Did this local spirit share ties with the Light Chasing Society and want to protect the Boundless Battalion?
The Light Chasing Society bore a grudge against Li Banfeng, and the local spirit had already stacked three arguments against him. If their stances aligned, hiding anywhere would be futile.
If this bearer truly belonged to the Light Chasing Society, he had to be eliminated.
The gramophone sighed. "If my husband truly refuses to leave, try not to act alone. It would be best to have someone by your side to look out for you."
Li Banfeng shook his head. He carried too many secrets; most of the time, he had to act alone.
***
Li Banfeng hardly slept well that night. The next morning, He Yuxiu went out to manage her business affairs. Xiao Yeci wanted to tell Li Banfeng some stories, but seeing his heavy demeanor, she did not dare disturb him rashly.
By noon, Garrison Commissioner Zheng Siyi arrived. Li Banfeng thought Liao Zihui was preparing to make a move against the Light Chasing Society, but Zheng Siyi said, "Seventh Master, the Commissioner-General says the operation has been postponed."
"For what reason?"
"The people from the Light Chasing Society evacuated Shilou Mountain. No one knows where they went."
They evacuated?
Was the bearer truly connected to them?
Zheng Siyi sighed. "Actually, after encountering an ambush last night, we should have anticipated this step. If the enemy dared strike at us, they certainly prepared a retreat."
Liao Zihui still believed the ambushers came from the Light Chasing Society.
Li Banfeng said, "Do you know who ambushed me last night?"
"Probably a high-ranking figure in the Light Chasing Society. Anyone who can withstand a steam machine gun must have a considerable cultivation base."
Li Banfeng said, "I suspect that person is the local spirit of Yesong Bridge—the one who carries the sedan chair."
Zheng Siyi stood dumbfounded. After thinking for a long time, he didn't know what to say. "Seventh Master, don't tease me like this. I've stayed in Yesong Bridge for eleven years, and I've never seen the local spirit here."
Li Qi said, "Please pass the word to Commissioner-General Liao to be extra cautious."
After Zheng Siyi left, Li Banfeng continued pondering his counterstrategy. Lu Chunying wanted to stroll around town. "Seventh Brother, shall we go together?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "You go. Take more guards with you, and talk to strangers as little as possible along the way."
Lu Chunying took Lu Yuanxin and six guards. Just as they reached the front gate, a sedan chair bearer called out, "Miss, care for a ride?"
Li Banfeng shuddered and rushed to the gate to look. Several bearers stood there, but none was the local spirit of Yesong Bridge.
As long as it wasn't him, that was fine. That local spirit had practically driven him neurotic.
Lu Chunying didn't wish to ride. To a journey cultivator, climbing a slope was hardly difficult.
Failing to drum up business, the bearers walked back beneath a large tree to continue waiting for fares, their words laced with a bit of sarcasm.
"Too cheap to take a sedan, but has to claim she wants to walk herself."
"People like that are the most pretentious. No matter how much they paid, I wouldn't carry them."
Li Banfeng suddenly heard a voice say, *"How did you get schemed against by a contrarian cultivator? What a bloody embarrassment."
Who spoke?
Li Banfeng looked at the group of bearers. They were chatting amongst themselves; none seemed to be addressing him.
Yet the voice sounded familiar. Li Banfeng rubbed his forehead, returned to the main hall, sat on a chair, and began talking to himself.
"Who spoke just now?"
"I didn't speak."
"I wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say."
Li Banfeng fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Do any of you know how to deal with a contrarian cultivator?"
"If he hadn't picked an argument with you yet, there might have been a way. Now that he's already raised three poles, it's too late for anything."
"You handled this far too rashly. Without any preparation, you dared go looking for a local spirit."
"You've seen too many local spirits and stopped taking them seriously. Go ask around—how many people spend their entire lives without ever knowing what a local spirit looks like?"
Hearing Li Banfeng talking to himself and arguing fiercely with his own thoughts, Xiao Yeci entered the hall and asked cautiously, "Benefactor, what's wrong with you?"
Li Banfeng smiled. "Nothing. I was just thinking about the stories you told me yesterday."
Xiao Yeci sat beside him. "If you want to hear more, I can keep telling them! I have plenty of good stories."
Li Banfeng turned his face and stared at Xiao Yeci for quite a while.
Her cheeks flushed crimson, her breath turning slightly hurried.
Li Banfeng asked, "Do you have any rather unusual stories?"
"What... what kind of unusual?" Xiao Yeci stammered, flustered.
Chunying wasn't here, nor was Sister Xiu. Could today be a special day?
What kind of story would fit such a day?
Li Banfeng asked, "Was there ever a hero who fought for justice in Yesong Bridge, and in the end remained here instead of traveling to faraway lands?"
"Oh, that kind of story..." Xiao Yeci sounded a bit disappointed, but she pondered seriously for a long time. "There was a man of considerable fame who ultimately died in Yesong Bridge. I don't know if he counts."
"He counts. What kind of person was he?"
"It's hard to say. I don't even know if he was a hero."
"Tell me in detail."
Xiao Yeci recalled, "This man was called Song Laizi. He suffered from yellow favus all over his head, had no hair, and his face was pitted and pockmarked—quite frightening to look at.
"Originally, he was a local rogue who cursed in the streets and acted wildly, committing plenty of misdeeds.
"Back then, a band of roaming bandits arrived at Yesong Bridge and slaughtered many people. The townsfolk either fled or were slain; everyone thought Yesong Bridge would be wiped out entirely by these marauders.
"Yet Song Laizi refused to yield. He gathered over a hundred brave men, took up weapons, and fought the bandits desperately. The fighting lasted a full year. Song Laizi brushed with the gates of the underworld several times before finally driving the bandits away.
"The local spirit admired Song Laizi and wanted to take him as a disciple, bestowing upon him a splendid cultivation base. But Song Laizi's head had been battered in battle, and he became utterly deranged. First, he hurled insults at the local spirit; later, he claimed he wasn't Song Laizi at all, that he had turned into someone else.
"The local spirit grew furious and told the people of Yesong Bridge that Song Laizi had to be killed, that as long as he lived, he would bring catastrophe upon the town.
"The people were terrified. They conspired together to poison Song Laizi. He fell for the trick and was poisoned to death. Even so, the local spirit's wrath was not appeased; he destroyed Song Laizi's corpse and shattered his soul.
"Ever since, every so often, fierce winds blow through Yesong Bridge, carrying thick clouds of dust. People say that dust is what became of Song Laizi."
Li Banfeng listened with utmost concentration and asked several detailed questions. "Do you know where that band of roaming bandits came from? How did Song Laizi defeat them? Did he possess cultivation?"
Xiao Yeci shook her head. "I can't remember most of it. There are several storytellers in town who occasionally mention Song Laizi. Benefactor, if you want to hear it, I can take you to find them!"
"Sounds good!" Li Banfeng followed Xiao Yeci out of the manor. At the entrance, several sedan chair bearers stepped forward to solicit them. "Good sir, young lady, care for a ride?"
Li Banfeng was somewhat sensitive toward bearers, and Xiao Yeci wished to walk with him longer, so neither took a sedan chair.
The group of bearers returned grumpily beneath the large tree to resume their idle chatter:
"Even folks from a wealthy family aren't willing to take a sedan when going out?"
"With such a massive manor, who knows how much they had to skimp to save up for it."
"Are they genuinely rich, or just pretending?"
A middle-aged man, squatting on the ground with his hands tucked into his sleeves, spoke up: "The rich don't necessarily take sedan chairs, and those who take sedan chairs aren't necessarily rich. The truly wealthy might pretend, and those who pretend might make it real. Who can clearly say what kind of person is being carried in a sedan?"
A bearer beside him asked, "Why can't I understand what you're saying?"
The middle-aged man chuckled. "Because you haven't read enough books."
The bearer snorted. "If you've read so many books, why are you here carrying sedan chairs? But then again, are you even a sedan bearer?"
The middle-aged man replied, "Why wouldn't I be?"
The bearer looked him up and down. "How come I've never seen you before?"
"There are plenty of sedan bearers under heaven. Have you seen every single one?"
The bearer looked around. "Who's your partner? You can't carry a sedan chair all by yourself, can you?"
The middle-aged man lifted the sedan chair with both hands. "Who says one person can't carry a sedan? Haven't I lifted it right now?"
"That's not carrying, that's hauling."
"What do you care? The front pole and the rear pole are both off the ground. As long as the chair can move, it counts as being carried!"
The middle-aged man walked off, hauling the sedan chair.
*As long as it can move, it counts as being carried?*
The other bearers were stunned for a long time. Upon reflection, they all felt what this middle-aged man said made a great deal of sense.
***
After listening to storytelling for an entire day, Li Banfeng returned to the manor and carefully organized his thoughts.
Judging by the accounts of different storytellers, this Song Laizi had likely been a real person. Because of his peculiar circumstances as an unconventional hero, he had not been overly romanticized by the storytellers, and most plot points held up to scrutiny.
In addition, Li Banfeng deduced that Song Laizi had possessed cultivation—he had been a Martial Cultivator, and one of no low tier. In the spoken tales, Song Laizi had no fixed weapon; he could slaughter a dozen men wielding nothing more than a broom, a quintessential trait of a Martial Cultivator.
As for Song Laizi's various misdeeds, most tales glossed over them, and the few storytellers who described them only mentioned petty thefts and street scuffles.
However, the detail of Song Laizi going mad appeared exceedingly abrupt. After driving away the marauders, Song Laizi had resumed his familiar rogue lifestyle. He harbored no ambition to dominate Yesong Bridge, nor did he demand an extra word of gratitude from anyone.
What could drive a powerful man without grand ambitions to madness? Was it truly due to an injury sustained while fighting bandits?
Then why hadn't he gone mad when he was injured? Why did he only lose his mind a while after the bandits had left?
Was he feigning madness?
Why would he feign madness?
If he wasn't mad, why had he been poisoned to death by common folk?
Ordinary townsfolk could never have deceived him. Even if they had managed to, given his cultivation base, the poison required to kill him was not something commoners could lay their hands on.
Amidst churning thoughts, Li Banfeng placed himself into Song Laizi's shoes.
The bandits were gone. The only one left in Yesong Bridge who could pose a threat to Song Laizi was likely the local spirit.
Song Laizi had feigned madness to deal with the local spirit.
The one who poisoned Song Laizi had been none other than the local spirit.
The local spirit chose poison surely because he couldn't defeat Song Laizi in a fair fight.
And the reason he couldn't defeat Song Laizi was that Song Laizi refused to accept the cultivation bestowed by him.
If the local spirit of Yesong Bridge had always been that sedan chair bearer, then Li Banfeng could confirm one thing: this bearer lacked the ability to bestow cultivation upon others.
His claim of bestowing cultivation was an outright scam, and Song Laizi had refused to take the bait.
What would have happened if Song Laizi had taken the bait?
He would have become like the gifted scholar Liu Yuansheng, or the chivalrous heroine Wang Saihong.
He would have received a splendid cultivation base, and then departed Yesong Bridge.
Did they truly depart Yesong Bridge?
Why were there no subsequent tales about them?
Why did fierce winds blow through Yesong Bridge every few years, filled with choking dust?
When it came to heroes, people always longed for a happy ending.
In the legends of heroes, to satisfy that yearning, many stories were distorted.
Just like the legends concerning Zhao Xiaowan: many of the stories were true, but the endings were all distorted.
No one wanted to believe that the hero Zhao Xiaowan had died in military infighting. To grant her a more dignified end, people even disregarded the existence of Hong Ying, subsuming her as part of Zhao Xiaowan.
By the same logic, no one wanted to believe that heroes like the scholar Liu Yuansheng and the heroine Wang Saihong would abruptly vanish from the mortal world without a trace.
A sickening chill surged up his spine, striking straight into his skull.
Li Banfeng shuddered.
In his mind, the clues grew increasingly clear.
Qiu Luoye had dared oppose the Inner States for the sake of his territory.
Yao Xin had not hesitated to sacrifice his life for Yaowanggou.
Even someone like Pan Dehai, when Haichiling fell into desperate straits, fought to the death against neighboring local spirits.
Having experienced so much, Li Banfeng seemed to have developed a misconception that local spirits always protected their domains.
Yet was every local spirit truly a protector of their land?
Not necessarily.
The local spirit of Yesong Bridge was very likely not a protector.
He had continually targeted the high-tier cultivators within his territory, using the rumor that "raising the sedan poles thrice brings rolling fortune" to lure them, deceive them, and ultimately kill them.
The so-called gift of a splendid cultivation base was merely using three arguments to lock onto them.
And the fierce winds full of dust that blew every few years were because those people had been reduced to ashes and smoke.
What was the purpose behind this?
Li Banfeng could not fathom it for the moment, because he was viewing things from Song Laizi's perspective.
Precisely because Song Laizi had countered the local spirit, he was not viewed as a traditional hero in Yesong Bridge, which in turn prevented his story from being excessively distorted.
From Song Laizi's perspective, feigning madness had been his way of dealing with the local spirit—with this contrarian cultivator.
Why would feigning madness counter a contrarian cultivator?
He had claimed he wasn't Song Laizi...
After pondering for a long time, Li Banfeng looked at Xiao Yeci and let out a faint smile.
Xiao Yeci sniffled and shivered. "Benefactor, what's wrong with you now?"
"Yeci, you've been a massive help. In the future, I'll listen to your storytelling every day!"
***
At Yanyun Tower, Li Banfeng hosted Liao Zihui for a meal. Once seated, Liao Zihui went straight to the point regarding the local spirit: "Brother Li, you said the one you fought the other day was the local spirit of Yesong Bridge. Where does this claim come from?"
Li Qi smiled. "Commissioner-General Liao, you don't believe it?"
Liao Zihui shook his head. "I truly don't. I know you're young and capable, Brother, but you're only a Tier 5 journey cultivator. How could you tangle with a local spirit for so long?"
Li Banfeng said, "That was entirely thanks to your assistance, Commissioner-General."
Liao Zihui still shook his head. "My subordinates are reasonably capable, but repelling a local spirit with just a steam machine gun? I don't believe I possess such great ability."
Li Qi sighed. "In that case, you trust neither me nor yourself?"
"I truly can't trust it; the facts stand right before our eyes."
Li Banfeng said, "What if the local spirit of Yesong Bridge is a contrarian cultivator?"
"A contrarian cultivator?" Liao Zihui was astonished. "Can someone of that pathway even cultivate above the clouds? In Puluo Province, where picking arguments every day is the norm, how long could such a person even survive?"
"This local spirit has lived for a very long time. Clearly, he is an exception."
Liao Zihui was stunned for a long while before letting out a long sigh. "'Raise the sedan poles thrice'... It wasn't talking about a sedan chair, but about arguments.
"Put that way, it makes sense. That contrarian cultivator local spirit hadn't bickered with us beforehand, so his combat power couldn't be brought into play. That's why he traded blows back and forth with us."
Li Banfeng asked, "How much information do the Outer States possess regarding contrarian cultivators?"
Liao Zihui pondered for a long time. "The Outer States know very little about them. I only recall that in the Outer States, contrarian cultivators are called oppressors."
"Oppression doesn't seem to have much to do with bickering."
Liao Zihui said, "I'll look up the specifics and give you an answer tomorrow."
Li Banfeng said, "Commissioner-General Liao, if this local spirit has close ties with the Light Chasing Society, do you still have the courage to wipe them out?"
Liao Zihui did not hesitate. "Even if a local spirit interferes, I must eradicate the Light Chasing Society. This matter concerns the very survival of Puluo Province."
"Is the Light Chasing Society an ancient organization?"
"Not particularly ancient. It only appeared in recent years, yet their misdeeds are too numerous to record."
If the Light Chasing Society wasn't ancient, did what happened to Liu Yuansheng, Wang Saihong, and Song Laizi have any connection to them?
Li Banfeng raised his wine cup. "Commissioner-General Liao, be extremely careful. In these coming days, under no circumstances should you bicker with anyone."
***
Late at night, Li Banfeng walked through a deep alley, still pondering the connections between these events. A gust of night wind blew past, and goosebumps suddenly erupted across his skin.
Danger!
Li Banfeng did not rush to flee; instead, he scanned his surroundings.
A face wearing a felt hat abruptly appeared before his eyes.
"Seventh Master, care for a sedan ride?"
The sedan bearer had arrived.
The local spirit of Yesong Bridge was here.
"Are you calling me?" Li Banfeng stared at the bearer for a moment.
"Who else would I be calling? You think I don't recognize you?" The bearer chuckled, preparing to raise another pole.
Li Banfeng smiled as well, refusing to take the bait. "I am not Li Qi. You've got the wrong person."
"Not Li Qi? Then who are you?" The bearer prepared to continue the argument.
Li Banfeng said, "I am Li Qi's older brother. My name is Li Liu."
The bearer laughed aloud. "Li Liu? Just how many brothers are there in your family?"
Li Banfeng answered earnestly, "There are seven brothers in our family. I am the sixth, and I resemble Old Seventh the most."
"You're still feeding me nonsense right before you die?" The bearer no longer intended to argue. The person before him wouldn't bite, clearly prepared for this; it was better to finish him off quickly.
Li Banfeng remained calm. He wasn't angry, nor did he perceive the other party to be bickering. "I'm not feeding you nonsense. I truly am not Li Qi. Li Qi is a journey cultivator."
"Then what pathway are you?" The bearer prepared to strike. As long as his opponent was Li Qi, he held absolute certainty of victory.
Li Banfeng pulled a clay doll from his breast pocket. After infusing it with qi, the doll began to move.
The bearer froze. "You're... Golden House Hiding a Mistress?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "I am a homestead cultivator. Homestead and journey cultivators cannot dual-cultivate; that is ironclad proof known to all under heaven. Now you see clearly: I am Li Liu, not Li Qi."
The bearer fell silent for a long time.
He felt that in this battle, he might not possess such certain victory after all.
Chapter 492