Who Will Be the Local Spirit of Yesong Bridge?

"Ye Jianhuang, isn't it about time we settled our old scores?" The seemingly honest and simple man, who had been squatting on the ground, now stood up. His hands remained tucked into his sleeves as he gave Ye Jianhuang a guileless, good-natured smile. Chu Shaoqiang did not recognize this middle-aged man, but he could clearly see Ye Jianhuang's terror. Ye Jianhuang was indeed terrified. This was Sun Tiecheng, the City Lord of the City of Fools, who had struck dread into hearts back in the day. Ye Jianhuang packed a bowl of tobacco into his pipe, lit it, and took a drag before speaking. "I wasn't the only one who made a move back then." Sun Tiecheng chuckled. "You're not the only one I have to settle scores with either. We just happened to run into each other today, so it works out nicely to start with you." Ye Jianhuang blew out a puff of smoke. Shrouded in the haze, he sought to transform his own body into smoke as well. This was one of a Smoke Cultivator's most troublesome methods to deal with; once the transformation succeeded, most attacks became useless against them. Sun Tiecheng waved his hand, dispersing the smoke before him, and coughed twice. "Couldn't you smoke something better? This smoke of yours is choking people to death. These wretched leaves will be the death of you sooner or later! Once you're dead and cremated, that's when you ought to turn into smoke!" The smoke cleared, but Ye Jianhuang had failed to turn into smoke. Because Sun Tiecheng had just said that once Ye Jianhuang died and was burned to ashes, that was when he ought to turn into smoke. Thinking backwards: if he turned into smoke, wouldn't that mean Ye Jianhuang was already dead? Ye Jianhuang shook his head vigorously. No, he couldn't think like that. This was a Fool Cultivator skill—inverting cause and effect. Ye Jianhuang could turn into smoke because he was a Smoke Cultivator; it had nothing to do with whether he died or not. Yet Sun Tiecheng kept smiling at him. "Go on, try turning into smoke. See if you drop dead, see if you can still turn back!" After a moment of standoff, Ye Jianhuang did not dare turn into smoke. He took another drag and blew it toward Sun Tiecheng, intending to turn Sun Tiecheng into smoke instead. He knew it would be difficult, but even if only a part transformed, even if only for a brief moment, it would win him the initiative. Sun Tiecheng waved his hand. He did not turn into smoke, only coughing twice more. "What the hell are you smoking, dried tree leaves? Blow smoke at me again and I'll sew your mouth shut! With your meager tricks, you actually think you can turn me into smoke? Today, whichever of us turns into smoke drops dead right here!" A Gambling Cultivator skill—All-In Throw. Sun Tiecheng had laid a wager against Ye Jianhuang. If Ye Jianhuang could turn Sun Tiecheng into smoke, Sun Tiecheng would pay with his life. If Ye Jianhuang turned himself into smoke, Ye Jianhuang would forfeit his own life. This completely cut off Ye Jianhuang's retreat. Did Sun Tiecheng know Gambling Cultivator skills? Ye Jianhuang was not sure, but he didn't dare gamble. He couldn't be certain whether Sun Tiecheng dual-cultivated another pathway, nor could he tell which of Sun Tiecheng's words were true. He didn't dare turn into smoke himself, and he had no way to turn Sun Tiecheng into smoke. How was he supposed to fight from here? Ye Jianhuang panicked. His pipe bowl accidentally clattered against the concrete ledge, spilling ash all over the place. He still had plenty of techniques: he could turn smoke into lethal poison, fashion it into blades, or even condense it into a cage to trap an opponent. But would any of that work against Sun Tiecheng? Without the smoke-transformation technique, Ye Jianhuang had already given up on fighting. He wasn't even confident he could flee. Sun Tiecheng clasped his hands behind his back and said leisurely, "Ye Jianhuang, aren't you called Three Bowls of Pipe Smoke? You've only smoked one bowl, the timing hasn't arrived yet. Keep smoking. Switch to some decent tobacco, I'll wait right here." Three Bowls of Pipe Smoke, Ye Jianhuang, a grandmaster Smoke Cultivator, put away his pipe without having put up much of a fight and bowed respectfully to Sun Tiecheng. "City Lord Sun, I wronged you back then. If you spare my life, I am at your disposal." Sun Tiecheng smiled. "At my disposal? Do you want to turn into smoke, or turn to ash?" Ye Jianhuang understood all too well: turning into smoke meant death, while turning to ash meant total annihilation, without even a soul left behind. "City Lord Sun, I beg you to spare my life!" Ye Jianhuang pleaded once more. "Your life—is it this?" Sun Tiecheng grasped at the empty air from a distance. Ye Jianhuang felt as though something had gone missing from within his body. Sun Tiecheng pinched a ball of air, kneading and toying with it in his palm. What technique was this now? Had he extracted his life? Ye Jianhuang sensed there was something within that mass of air; if Sun Tiecheng crushed it, his life would be snuffed out. "City Lord Sun, have mercy." Sun Tiecheng nodded. "Go to the City of Fools and wait for me. Don't enter the city, just wait at the gate." Ye Jianhuang said, "I haven't been to the City of Fools in years. I don't know where it is now..." Sun Tiecheng smiled. "Go search for it. You're a grandmaster Smoke Cultivator, that shouldn't be too hard. You'll definitely find it." Ye Jianhuang dared not say another word. Clutching his pipe, he left. He did not turn to smoke, nor did he use any techniques. Like an ordinary mortal, step by step, gingerly and cautiously, he walked out of the abandoned factory. Sun Tiecheng turned his gaze to Chu Shaoqiang. "Whose man are you?" Chu Shaoqiang replied, "Anyone's." The answer sounded utterly pathetic, but it truly came from Chu Shaoqiang's heart. Sun Tiecheng smiled. "Where did the Red Lotus go?" Chu Shaoqiang picked up the briefcase from the floor and presented it with both hands before Sun Tiecheng. Sun Tiecheng frowned. "Still trying to fool me with that briefcase?" Chu Shaoqiang hastily reached inside and pulled out the Red Lotus. Layer upon layer of protective formations encircled the Red Lotus, but anyone else still wouldn't have dared touch it rashly. Sun Tiecheng, however, showed no fear whatsoever, taking the Red Lotus directly with his bare hand. Chu Shaoqiang had left a trigger on the formations; he could activate a technique at any moment to break them. Once the formations broke, Sun Tiecheng would be in direct contact with the Red Lotus, which would quickly summon heavenly light. Yet Sun Tiecheng was completely unconcerned. Cradling the Red Lotus in one hand, he admired it for a long while, entirely unworried that Chu Shaoqiang might make a move. "I'm keeping this," Sun Tiecheng said, stowing the Red Lotus into his sleeve. His sleeve didn't look nearly large enough to Chu Shaoqiang, who had no idea how Sun Tiecheng managed to slip it inside. Having stashed the Red Lotus, Sun Tiecheng told Chu Shaoqiang, "Tell that soap peddler that this thing is with me. If he wants it back, he can come fetch it himself." Chu Shaoqiang nodded repeatedly. Sun Tiecheng pointed toward the ladder below. "Is there a crucian carp down there?" There was indeed a crucian carp below. Chu Shaoqiang said, "He's the one guarding the passage from the Inner States." Sun Tiecheng picked up a steel rebar from the floor, bent it into a hook with his bare hands, and summoned Shi Gongxing to sharpen the tip. With the hook prepared, Sun Tiecheng detached a steel girder from the factory building to serve as a fishing rod, tied a length of rope to it, fastened the hook, and tossed it into the water. Sitting leisurely beside the pool, he began to fish. "Do you reckon this crucian carp will take the hook?" Chu Shaoqiang hastily answered, "I don't know how to fish, so I don't understand how these things work." Sun Tiecheng was full of confidence. "I've already cast my hook—how could he not bite?" Chu Shaoqiang replied, "Well... casting a hook doesn't necessarily mean a fish will bite every time." Sun Tiecheng countered, "This hook is so big, made specifically for him. How could he be so ungrateful?" Chu Shaoqiang ventured, "He does look very much like a crucian carp, but he's actually a person, someone from the Inner States..." Sun Tiecheng continued, "Once he bites, I'll cook him up. Would you dare eat him?" What was Chu Shaoqiang supposed to say? That crucian carp was a person from the Inner States—how could he possibly eat him? "Senior, I'm not fond of fish." Sun Tiecheng smiled. "You feel sorry for this crucian carp?" "I truly just don't like eating fish..." "You'll eat it whether you like it or not—this fish is extraordinarily nourishing!" As the words left his mouth, Sun Tiecheng jerked the rod, and a massive crucian carp was hauled up out of the pool. The crucian carp thrashed violently on the iron hook, snapping the ladder and cracking the walls, seemingly determined to fight Sun Tiecheng to the death. Yet Chu Shaoqiang could not fathom one thing: as an Inner States person, why on earth had he bitten the hook? Could it be that after staying submerged in water for so long, his intellect had truly degraded into that of a fish? Even now, Chu Shaoqiang still hadn't fully grasped the terrifying power of Fool Cultivator skills. "Fish tastes great, but you have to clean it properly before eating!" Sun Tiecheng slammed the giant crucian carp onto the ground, tore off a large sheet of iron from a lathe to use as a knife, and scraped away the fish scales in a few swift motions. Next, he gutted it, removing the entrails. Just like that, the crucian carp was prepared. Chu Shaoqiang suspected that this Inner States man truly had become a fish; throughout the entire process, aside from flopping around, the carp had mounted no effective resistance whatsoever. Sun Tiecheng shoved the rod through the fish's mouth and turned to instruct Shi Gongxing to build a fire. Shi Gongxing didn't dare utter a single word. He brought in a pile of scrap wood from outside for firewood, dismantled a lathe to build a spit rack, and began roasting the fish right inside the factory. Before long, the fish was roasted cooked. Sun Tiecheng tore off a chunk of fish meat and handed it to Chu Shaoqiang. "Eat." Chu Shaoqiang took a bite, his emotions utterly tangled. He recalled arriving in Puluo Province last year. He had been entrusted with heavy responsibilities by the Inner States, sent to handle vital affairs in Puluo Province. He had sworn an oath that so long as a single breath remained, he would brave fire and water, ready to lay down his life for the Inner States. He had declared publicly that the benevolence bestowed upon him by the Inner States could never be repaid across countless lifetimes. And now, he was eating his benefactor... The whole process was utterly baffling. How on earth had things come to this point? Chu Shaoqiang felt terrible in his heart, but his mouth found it rather delightful. This crucian carp was extraordinarily delicious! Sun Tiecheng tore off another chunk of meat for him. What was he supposed to do? Fighting back the agony in his heart, Chu Shaoqiang ate this piece too. Having swallowed it, he stared at Sun Tiecheng, filled with guilt. Sun Tiecheng frowned. "Help yourself. Don't expect me to wait on you hand and foot!" Chu Shaoqiang nodded and tore off a piece of meat himself. Shi Gongxing brought out two jugs of liquor, and the three spent the entire afternoon finishing off the giant crucian carp. Both Chu Shaoqiang and Shi Gongxing possessed special arts that could expand their stomachs, but after putting away several hundred jin of fish meat between them, they felt rather bloated. Sun Tiecheng didn't feel bloated at all. Still wanting more, he scraped every scrap of flesh clean from the bones, leaving behind a handsome, intact fish skeleton. "Do you two know? This fish is still alive." Shi Gongxing dared not speak, while Chu Shaoqiang couldn't comprehend what Sun Tiecheng meant. Sun Tiecheng caressed the neat, clean fish bones. "He's truly alive, because he wants to live. He can still move. Big crucian carp, if you want to live, give it a twitch." The fish skeleton gave a shudder. Sun Tiecheng touched the gills again. "He can still breathe, so he's definitely alive. Go on, take a breath." The gills fluttered twice, as though drawing breath. "He can still bite." Sun Tiecheng tapped the fish's mouth. The crucian carp opened its jaws and whipped its head, seemingly intent on biting. *Plop!* Sun Tiecheng lifted the fish bones and tossed them back into the pool. The skeleton swam two circles in the water before sinking to the bottom, just like a living creature. Sun Tiecheng poked Chu Shaoqiang's forehead with a finger. "Remember what you ought to remember, and forget what you shouldn't. Be on your way." Chu Shaoqiang left. He didn't walk fast, because his legs were too short. Sun Tiecheng told him not to worry—if he ate plenty of meat and bones, his limbs would soon grow back. Once Chu Shaoqiang was far off, Sun Tiecheng turned to Shi Gongxing and said with a smile, "Remember what you ought to remember, and forget what you shouldn't. You need to stay here. If anyone wants to go to the Inner States, let them go—drop them into the pool to feed the fish." With that, he poked Shi Gongxing with a finger as well. Shi Gongxing shuddered, grabbed a wrench, crawled under the lathe, and got back to work. Sun Tiecheng chuckled and ambled leisurely out of the abandoned factory. ... At Yesong Bridge, inside the Smoke and Cloud Pavilion, Li Banfeng hosted Zheng Siyi for a meal. Naturally, Zheng Siyi did not dare be remiss, bringing gifts along to the feast. The two ate and drank pleasantly in a harmonious atmosphere. After three rounds of wine, Li Banfeng brought up the main topic. "The reason I invited Brother Zheng today is to ask for a favor. There's a pavilion on Shuiyun Road where a special place exists. I'd like to go in and have a look." After Liao Zihui's departure, Zheng Siyi had cordoned off the area around the pavilion and stationed guards there. Those few men naturally couldn't stop Li Banfeng, but Li Banfeng couldn't locate the entrance to that special place. Zheng Siyi said, "According to Chief Envoy Liao's deduction, that stealth space is the residence of the local spirit of Yesong Bridge." "Stealth space?" Zheng Siyi explained, "A stealth space is a special pocket of space beneath normal dimensions. Because it's difficult to find the entrance through ordinary means, it is called a stealth space." Li Banfeng asked, "Are there spaces that don't exist under normal dimensions?" "Yes," Zheng Siyi nodded. "I'm a straightforward man, so I'll be frank about what I know. There is a category of space outside our familiar dimensions that cannot be observed through ordinary means; we call those dark dimension spaces. I can't say much about dark dimension spaces, though, because I don't know much myself. "If Seventh Master wants to view the local spirit's residence, I can pull my men back at any time to make things convenient for you. But there are two things I must tell Seventh Master first. First, there's nothing good left in that stealth space. Chief Envoy Liao went in once, and Chief Envoy Xia went in once; virtually everything useful has already been taken. "Second, I have no way of opening a stealth space. Only the General Office has specialists like that. By Chief Envoy Liao's side is a man named Fu Qingguang; he is quite special, capable of opening stealth spaces through his techniques. "I don't have much contact with Fu Qingguang. If Seventh Master can find him, this will be easy. If you can't find him, someone from his same pathway might also be able to get it done." "What pathway is he from?" "I actually did inquire about that. In the Outer States, they call them magnetic perceivers, while here in Puluo Province, they call such folks Electric Cultivators. This pathway is exceedingly rare. Members of the same pathway stay in touch and look out for one another, but outside the pathway, very few people know about them." A magnetic perceiver? An Electric Cultivator? Could Luo Zhengnan belong to this pathway? While Li Banfeng pondered, Zheng Siyi produced a box from his bosom and lifted the lid. "Seventh Master, would you do me the favor of taking a look? How is the quality of this item?" Li Banfeng took the box and looked inside. Nestled within was a Profound Accumulation Pill. He naturally recognized it, but in front of Zheng Siyi, Li Banfeng did not speak rashly. "Brother Zheng, this must be an extremely precious pill, isn't it?" Zheng Siyi lowered his voice. "The value of this pill is immense, but we have no use for it; only cultivators above the clouds can use it. In the local spirit's residence, three were found in total. Chief Envoy Liao submitted two to the superiors and set one aside for me. "I figured having it with me serves no purpose, so I might as well use it to do a favor and present it to Seventh Master." Li Banfeng waved his hands repeatedly. "Such an expensive item—I couldn't possibly accept it." Zheng Siyi chuckled. "I heard from Chief Envoy Liao that Seventh Master is well-acquainted with the local spirit of Qiqiu City and knows quite a few cultivators above the clouds. A pill like this in Seventh Master's hands is where its true value lies!" Li Banfeng shook his head. "Reward without merit is not something I can accept. I truly cannot take this." Zheng Siyi said, "To be frank, I also have a favor to ask. Ever since graduating from university, I've worked here in Puluo Province, and I started my family here too. Over these twenty-odd years, I've grown accustomed to living in Puluo Province. If I were to go back to the Outer States, I wouldn't even sleep soundly. "My thoughts match Chief Envoy Liao's: I plan to retire and grow old right here in Puluo Province. Should I run into trouble in Puluo Province in the future, I'll need Seventh Master to look out for me." Li Banfeng declined again and again, but Zheng Siyi insisted, and the Profound Accumulation Pill was ultimately given to Li Banfeng. Returning to the residence, He Yuxiu came to discuss something with Li Banfeng. "Old Seven, I really don't want to run the businesses at Yesong Bridge anymore. The money is meager, but the hassles are endless. I'm planning to hand them all over to Chunying." Lu Chunying stood by without a word. She didn't want to take over the businesses here either, but since Sister Xiu had spoken, it was awkward to refuse. Li Banfeng said, "Hand the businesses over to me. I quite like this territory." "Then it's settled." That very day, He Yuxiu completed the handover. Li Banfeng entrusted the businesses to Ma the Fifth. Ma the Fifth found it troublesome as well, but since Old Seven had agreed to it, he couldn't say much. Five days later, Ma the Fifth and Luo Zhengnan arrived at Yesong Bridge together. While Ma the Fifth sorted out the businesses, Li Qi touched base with Zheng Siyi and brought Luo Zhengnan along to find the local spirit's residence. His deduction was correct: Luo Zhengnan was indeed an Electric Cultivator. Upon reaching the pavilion's vicinity, he quickly detected an abnormal situation. However, Luo Zhengnan didn't have Fu Qingguang's fine equipment; his gear was all home-brewed. Working all the way until four in the morning, taking nearly the entire night, Luo Zhengnan barely managed to open an entrance. He couldn't enter himself either, having to stay outside to maintain it. "Seventh Master, make it quick. I reckon I can only hold it for ten minutes or so." Li Banfeng squeezed through the entrance into the stealth space. Inside was a three-story Western-style building with a modest courtyard. Looking up, one could see the night sky and stars; looking down, one could see dewdrops upon the flowers and grass. This was simply a courtyard situated alongside Shuiyun Road, only impossible to observe by ordinary means. Li Banfeng crossed the yard and entered the building. He searched the living room first, then took a lap through the second and third floors before departing the stealth space. With the glove present, searching for items did not require wasting much time. Zheng Siyi had mentioned earlier that all the good things had been cleared out. Li Banfeng was neither looking for magical artifacts nor pills; he only wanted to find the local spirit's covenant deed. Yet the glove detected nothing, and Li Banfeng found no clues. In all likelihood, that sedan chair bearer hadn't buried the deed at his dwelling. That made things hard to find. Xiao Yeci had once read in a book that some local spirits of proper lands chose not to bury their covenant deeds at their residences, which was a relatively cautious choice. Now Li Banfeng truly understood the meaning behind such caution. The sedan chair bearer was already dead. Unless he could find the bearer's covenant guardian, that covenant deed might never be found. He was a sedan chair bearer—what kind of entity would his covenant guardian be? Li Banfeng and Luo Zhengnan left Shuiyun Road. Walking to the riverside, Li Banfeng noticed a newly opened bookstore with a sign reading "Lu Family Bookstore." Boss Lu's business was expanding. He would have to stop by another day to see if this shop shared the same layout and pattern as the earlier branches, and whether Boss Lu happened to be inside. Returning to the residence, Li Banfeng sat by the lotus pond in the rear courtyard, holding a meeting with himself. Banfeng B: "The bearer's covenant guardian must definitely be another sedan chair bearer. A trade like sedan chair bearers inherently exists in pairs." Banfeng C: "Yet we didn't see another bearer before." Banfeng D: "That proves the other bearer is hidden very deeply. But so long as we grasp this lead, there's a chance of finding that other bearer." Banfeng E: "I think you're oversimplifying things. Who says a sedan chair bearer's covenant guardian has to be another bearer? If the connection were that obvious, there wouldn't even be any point in appointing such a guardian." Banfeng F: "We have no better options right now. If we want to find the covenant deed, our only choice is to trace this lead through the sedan chair bearer." Sun Tiecheng: "I don't think you necessarily need to keep digging. I already have the deed. If you want it, I can give it to you." Banfeng A declared the meeting adjourned. Rising, he said to Sun Tiecheng, "Brother Sun, when did you get here?" "Just now. I saw you were rather busy, so I didn't interrupt. Go on, keep discussing your matters—I'll just sit for a bit and head off." Li Banfeng shook his head. "It's just a habit of mine. When I ponder things, I sometimes talk to myself." Sun Tiecheng looked at Li Banfeng and asked with utter seriousness, "You're not always like this, are you?" "No, just occasionally. It's only once in a while." Sun Tiecheng smacked his lips. "What am I going to do? I've only taken two disciples: one was done in by you, and the remaining one turns out to be a lunatic." Li Banfeng shook his head. "I'm not crazy. I've seen doctors, and they all said I wasn't crazy." Sun Tiecheng sighed and produced two arched iron tallies. "This is the covenant deed for the territory of Yesong Bridge. That contrarian cultivator is dead, and I've already changed the name on it to Li Er. Do you think that works?" Li Er? "You mean me?" Sun Tiecheng nodded. "Why call me Li Er?" Sun Tiecheng said, "You're my second disciple." Li Banfeng shook his head. "No way. I want to be the Eldest Disciple." "The Eldest Disciple position is taken!" "Didn't he die?" "Even if he died, he's still the eldest disciple. The status remains." Li Banfeng tucked his hands into his sleeves and squatted on the ground. "No way. I want to be the Eldest Disciple!" Sun Tiecheng frowned. "Why are you being so unreasonable?" "Who's being unreasonable?!" Li Banfeng snapped indignantly. "That previous disciple of yours colluded with the Inner States, plotted rebellion in the City of Fools, and tried to take my life! If I hadn't risked life and limb against him, the City of Fools would be finished, and our pathway's lineage would be extinguished! Yet you still want to preserve his seniority? Aren't you breaking my heart?" His barrage left Sun Tiecheng utterly speechless. After hesitating for a long while, Sun Tiecheng sighed. "Fine, fine! Then I'll change it to Li Yi! But as for the name Li Yi, you must own up to it!" Li Banfeng said, "Of course I'll own up to it. That name definitely sounds way better than Li Er!" Sun Tiecheng shook his head. "This isn't a matter of what sounds good. Writing your name on this covenant deed isn't just about finding you some turf—I want you to leap up above the clouds!" Sure enough, Sun Tiecheng's thinking aligned with Li Banfeng's: he didn't want Li Banfeng going to the Inner States either; he wanted Li Banfeng to skip past the tenth tier and ascend above the clouds. Li Banfeng raised his brows. "Isn't ascending above the clouds still a long way off?" Sun Tiecheng offered a meaningful smile. "In my view, it's not far at all. Otherwise, your eldest senior brother wouldn't have ended up dead at your hands. I've modified the covenant deed for you. Once you find a suitable place to bury it, whether you can hold on to it will depend on your fortune." Li Banfeng asked, "It seems this territory of Yesong Bridge won't be easy to defend?" Sun Tiecheng stood up and said, "This is proper land. Once you ascend above the clouds, an abundance of human presence will be waiting for you. Who wouldn't want such a fine territory? "If things had been handled discreetly, it might have been fine. But now the Outer States folks have kicked up such a massive racket, alarming the entire Puluo Province. Anyone wanting a bite of this juicy prize will be reaching their claws in here. "I'll help you hold the line for a while and catch up with a few old friends while I'm at it. But I can't protect you forever. Once I've seen off that bunch of old friends, you'll have to rely on yourself." Li Banfeng fell into a dilemma. It wasn't because Sun Tiecheng had used some technique; the situation at hand was genuinely agonizing to weigh. Li Banfeng had his own territory, and now Sun Tiecheng had handed him Yesong Bridge. His own territory was well-hidden, but its returns were limited. Yesong Bridge offered bountiful gains, yet far too many covetous eyes were already fixed upon it.