Who Is the Boat Boss

Puluo Province, Haichiling, Toudaoling. Ma the Fifth looked at Qin Tianjiu on the bed and asked the medical cultivator beside him, "How much longer can he hold out?" The medical cultivator answered truthfully, "With my abilities, at most one more day." "One day isn't enough," Ma the Fifth said, shaking his head. "Doctor Critick won't arrive until the day after tomorrow. Think of something else." The medical cultivator lowered his head. "Fifth Master, you hold me in high regard, and I'm certainly doing everything in my power, but I truly can't think of any other way. Master Nine's injuries are simply too severe. Aside from so many broken bones, all his internal organs are damaged. If he had a sturdy frame and could endure medicinal pills, perhaps we could extend his life another day. But his body is frail like this—how could I dare give him any pills?" Ma the Fifth's face darkened, and he said nothing. Fearing Ma the Fifth's temper, the medical cultivator made an excuse and hurried out of the room. The nurse used the pretense of preparing fresh dressings for Fatty to slip away as well. Ma the Fifth was left alone in the room. In truth, he couldn't think of a good solution either. Right now, the only person he could rely on was Critick. Yet how could they make Critick reach Haichiling ahead of schedule? Just as he was at his wit's end, someone pushed the door open and stepped inside. Ma the Fifth frowned. "Who is it?" Li Qi said, "Fifth, don't wait for Critick." Ma the Fifth gave a start and asked in a low whisper, "Seventh, why are you back?" Li Qi locked the door and took the liquor gourd from his waist. The liquor gourd scanned over Qin Tianjiu and said to Li Qi, "Give him two liang first and see how it goes." Ma the Fifth possessed no skill in discerning spirit voices, so naturally he couldn't hear the liquor gourd's words. He only saw Li Banfeng pry open Qin Tianjiu's mouth and begin pouring liquor down his throat. Ma the Fifth grew anxious. "Seventh, will this work? Fatty is far too weak; he can't even stomach medicinal pills." Li Banfeng said, "He isn't weak. His frame looks frail only because he has a Hungry Gut Silkworm in his belly." After two liang of liquor went down, Fatty coughed twice but did not wake. The liquor gourd observed for a moment and said, "He can take another liang." Li Banfeng continued pouring. Ma the Fifth said, "Seventh, if you ask me, we should still wait for Doctor Critick to arrive. Doctor Critick already promised me he could definitely save Fatty." Li Banfeng shook his head. "Don't listen to his nonsense. He isn't a medical cultivator or a medicine cultivator, and treating injuries isn't his forte. If he agreed to come, it's likely because he wants to use Fatty as a test subject. That man's temperament is very difficult to fathom. When dealing with him, you have to be extra cautious." Once another liang had gone down, some color returned to Fatty's face. Li Banfeng put away the liquor gourd. "In a moment, have the doctor come in and examine him. And find me a set of dry clothes." Only then did Ma the Fifth notice that Li Banfeng was drenched from head to toe. Once Li Banfeng changed his clothes, the two moved to a quiet room to talk. Ma the Fifth punched Li Banfeng playfully. "You didn't even give me a heads-up before leaving. Do you know I searched for you all night?" Li Banfeng smiled. "Wasn't I just worried you folks wouldn't let me go?" "How are the Outer States? Are you getting used to living there?" Li Banfeng took a sip of liquor. "I wasn't very used to it at first, but now it feels about the same." Ma the Fifth chuckled. "How could it be about the same? The tricks and novelties they have out there are things Puluo Province can't even dream of." Li Banfeng set down his cup. "Give it some time, and maybe the two places will be the same." Ma the Fifth didn't quite grasp Li Banfeng's meaning, but he didn't press the matter. "Jiang Mengting has missed you like crazy. Can you stay for a few days this time? Going back to Xiaoyaowu to see her?" "No, I won't. Once Fatty wakes up and I ask him a few questions, I have to hurry back to the Outer States." Li Banfeng had run from the newland of Huahu Park to the newland of Tiemen Fort, and from Tiemen Fort all the way to Haichiling. Ma the Fifth didn't know the hardships of this journey, and seeing that Li Banfeng didn't wish to dwell on it, he refrained from asking further. The two had endless things to discuss. Li Banfeng first asked about Fatty: "How did you find him?" Ma the Fifth sighed. "We looked in the wrong place at first. Everyone thought Fatty was in Lüshui City. Later, Miss Feng sent someone with word that Fatty was in Haichiling." Miss Feng? Feng Daiku? Li Banfeng asked, "How did she know Fatty was in Haichiling?" "She said an old friend asked her to pass along the message." An old friend? Was Feng Daiku referring to Pan Dehai? Pan Dehai was the local spirit of Haichiling; it made complete sense that he could locate Fatty. Yet why would he ask Feng Daiku to deliver the message? Had their grievance simply blown over? Had that piece of meat in his heart already healed? Ma the Fifth continued, "Once we reached Haichiling, I had just sent men out to gather information when Old Zuo happened to spot dozens of people cornering Fatty on the street. He led the brothers to rescue Fatty. That bunch was truly ruthless—even Old Zuo was badly injured." Li Banfeng considered this carefully. Zuo Wugang was a sixth-tier martial cultivator who had followed Li Banfeng for over a year. He had earned plenty of medicinal pills, practiced diligently, and was already on the verge of reaching the seventh tier. Yet that group had managed to injure Old Zuo. "What's their background?" Ma the Fifth shook his head. "They were very sharp. According to Zuo Wugang, within less than a minute of fighting, they hadn't fallen behind, but they couldn't bring down Old Zuo either, so they pulled back." Li Banfeng asked, "Have you heard of the Ferry Gang?" Ma the Fifth was taken aback. "Do you mean river bandits?" "Not river bandits. A gang running business between the Outer States and the Inner States." Ma the Fifth shook his head. "I've never heard of such a gang." "They might not be very well known in Puluo Province." Ma the Fifth still shook his head. "A gang without a big reputation wouldn't be able to handle business in the Outer States. Anyone who can operate out there is no ordinary figure; they all have deep roots in Puluo Province. Even you and I had a tough time winning our business in the Outer States. In Puluo Province, aside from the great clans, the only gangs capable of doing business in the Outer States are top-tier ones like the Sanying Sect, the Qingyun Society, and the Baihua Sect. I've truly never heard of the Ferry Gang among them." Li Banfeng had asked Luo Zhengnan as well, and he hadn't heard of the Ferry Gang either. Among the influential powers, Ma the Fifth was generous, sociable, and had wide connections. Among the gangs, Luo Zhengnan was a seasoned veteran with rich experience. Both men were thoroughly knowledgeable, yet neither knew of the Ferry Gang. That proved the Ferry Gang had another identity in Puluo Province. Right now, the only person who might know their identity was Qin Tianjiu. The two waited and chatted, and before they knew it, two hours slipped by. The medical cultivator came back to report that Qin Tianjiu had awakened. Li Banfeng sat quietly in the corner, his presence completely undetectable to the medical cultivator. Ma the Fifth looked at the medical cultivator with contempt. "Didn't you just tell me he could hold out for one day at most?" The medical cultivator looked ashamed. "Fifth Master, you have the aid of an expert; please don't mock a clumsy fool like me." Ma the Fifth smiled, waved him off to rest, and entered Qin Tianjiu's room with Li Banfeng. A nurse had been looking after him inside. Ma the Fifth dismissed her as well, and only then did Li Banfeng speak up: "Fatty, how are you feeling?" Before he spoke, even Qin Fatty hadn't noticed Li Banfeng. When he saw Li Banfeng, tears welled in Qin Fatty's eyes. "Seventh Brother, Fifth Brother, I owe you two once again..." Ma the Fifth chuckled. "We're brothers; don't talk like that." Li Banfeng frowned. "What happened to you before? Why didn't you tell us?" Qin Tianjiu pursed his lips. "I came to Haichiling wanting to cultivate for a while. But I ran into a few bastards who tried to rob me. I fought them, and ended up beaten like this." Ma the Fifth blinked. "Rob you? How much money did you have on you?" Qin Fatty said, "I had three hundred silver dollars on me." Ma the Fifth laughed. "Are you kidding me? People with skills that good would risk their lives over three hundred silver dollars?" Qin Fatty nodded. "They're greedy people, too..." Ma the Fifth smiled without replying; he certainly didn't believe it. Li Banfeng asked Fatty, "Speak clearly. Was it for silver dollars, or for a wife?" Ma the Fifth started. "Brother, you have a wife?" Qin Tianjiu pressed his lips together, stammering for a long while before asking, "Seventh Brother, how did you know?" Li Banfeng frowned. "Don't ask how I know. I'm asking you: is she your wife?" Qin Tianjiu's eyes reddened. "I don't know if she counts as my wife. I don't know what we even are. Seventh Brother, you have great ability, so maybe you saw it long ago. When I was in Yaowang Ravine, there was a girl in my courtyard. I didn't know her name or where she came from. I could only see her on occasion when I stuffed myself full. When I saw her, she saw me, too. She'd sit foolishly in the tree, and I'd stand foolishly beneath it. The two of us would just stare foolishly at each other, sometimes for an hour or so." When a food cultivator ate enough, their combat strength and perception both rose, so seeing a ghost was hardly unusual. Ma the Fifth asked in surprise, "You just kept staring? You didn't do anything else?" Qin Tianjiu said, "She was so pretty; just looking at her was enough to satisfy my heart. What more could someone like me hope for? I'm useless at everything and can't even manage myself. When things got busy in the gang, I'd even forget to eat. A food cultivator can't skip meals—missing even one is unbearable. That night, I was starved, so I got up in the middle of the night to search for food. When I lifted the pot lid, I found cooked rice inside. I ate the whole pot, and when I looked up into the tree, I saw her. For the first time, she smiled at me. "From then on, I went home every day to eat. Every day, she cooked for me, mended my clothes, and washed my clothes. I saved a little money and bought her some jewelry. She wouldn't wear it, but hung it on the scholar tree, keeping it in front of her eyes every day. I knew she genuinely loved it. "Later, when I was heading to Lüshui City, I told her about it. I said I wanted to take her with me. She broke off a branch from the scholar tree and gave it to me. I planted it at my new place, and the tree took root, and she came too. But the sapling was too small for her to climb, so I invited her inside to sit." Ma the Fifth nodded. "At least you had some sense. What happened after she came inside?" Qin Fatty said, "We kept staring at each other just like before..." "Just staring the whole time?" "I wanted to kiss her, but I never dared. "Thanks to Seventh Brother and Fifth Brother looking out for me, I had gained some standing in the Sanying Sect, and more guests began visiting my house. Once, a man named An Zongding came by bringing gifts, insisting on having a casual meal at my place. Normally, I didn't like having people eat at my house, but he was a friend of the Grand Gold Seal, so I couldn't brush him off. I had my subordinates order food and wine from a restaurant and set up a table at home. "After that meal, I thought that was the end of it. Who could have imagined that bastard An Zongding was just casing my place? The next day, when I came home, the girl was gone. I asked the neighbors and learned An Zongding had come by with men. "I gathered some brothers to find that scoundrel. Later, we learned he had gone to Haichiling. I was going to take the brothers there, but after buying the train tickets, they got cold feet." Li Qi asked, "Why were they afraid to go?" Fatty sighed. "As I said, An Zongding is a friend of the Grand Gold Seal. The brothers quietly told me that An Zongding has immense influence—even the Grand Gold Seal has to speak to him with great deference. They didn't dare cross such a ruthless figure." Li Banfeng's brows shot up. "Meaning your Grand Gold Seal knew about this all along?" Fatty said, "I never brought it up with him, but he must have guessed. That day, I went to Haichiling alone, asking around everywhere for An Zongding's whereabouts. In the end, I actually tracked him down—he was discussing business at the Shiweitian Restaurant. I staked out the restaurant entrance, and I finally caught him. "But I never expected he'd have so many ruthless fighters under him. I was no match for them. If I hadn't eaten my fill and been tough enough to take a beating, I definitely would have died by their hands." Ma the Fifth frowned. "Why didn't you tell us about this?" Fatty shook his head. "I truly couldn't bring myself to say it. I couldn't very well say I'd taken a ghost for a wife, and now that she was lost, I needed my two brothers to help me find her, offending a powerful figure like An Zongding in the process. I really..." Ma the Fifth knitted his brows. "What's wrong with a ghost wife? A wife is a wife. No matter what she is, she's your wife. Why get hung up on that?" Fatty truly had been in the wrong on that point; Ma the Fifth had never cared about such distinctions. Having a brother's wife laid hands on infuriated Ma the Fifth. "What background does this An Zongding have? I've honestly never heard of that wretched bastard." Li Banfeng said, "Shen Jinzhong, the Grand Gold Seal of the Sanying Sect, definitely knows who An Zongding is. Shen Jinzhong knew why Old Nine went missing, yet he kept it hidden from us and fed us a bunch of damn lies. Fifth, head back to Lüshui City and call Shen Jinzhong out directly. Ask him who An Zongding really is. If he still refuses to speak, it's time for the Sanying Sect to get a new Gold Seal!" Ma the Fifth nodded. "Once I dig up An Zongding's background, I'll put an end to that bastard right away." Li Banfeng shook his head. "Don't rush to kill him yet. Wait for word from me. That fellow is likely tied to the Ferry Gang. Let me look into them further on the Outer States side." Ma the Fifth asked, "What about Old Nine's wife?" Qin Tianjiu kept his head lowered, not daring to speak, but his heart burned with worry. Li Banfeng looked at Qin Tianjiu and scolded, "You foolish idiot. How many times have I told you to bring any trouble to us? You never listen, so you deserved every bit of suffering this time! Don't fret about your wife anymore; I've already brought her back." Surprise and joy lit up Fatty's face. "Seventh Brother, really? Where did you find her?" Li Banfeng said, "In the Outer States. In a couple of days, I'll have Old Luo bring her back to you. This matter runs deep, and quite a few familiar faces are entangled in it. Hurry up and nurse yourself back to health—we brothers have a fierce battle to fight." *** After eating a little food, Qin Tianjiu drifted off to sleep. Li Banfeng gave Ma the Fifth some instructions, as it was time for him to return to the Outer States. Ma the Fifth was reluctant to see Li Qi go. "You didn't even get to eat a meal after coming back. At least take something to eat on the road." Li Qi truly was hungry. Haichiling was that sort of place—spend two hours here, and anyone would feel famished. "Then let's have a bite!" "What do you want to eat? I'll have a cook make it fresh for you." Li Banfeng waved his hand. "No need to go to such trouble. I want guokui—fresh meat-stuffed guokui. Haichiling has the most authentic guokui; I've been craving it in the Outer States." Ma the Fifth nodded. "Haichiling's guokui is indeed great; I love it too." He sent someone to buy twenty guokui flatbreads for Li Banfeng to carry. Li Banfeng frowned. "With this many flatbreads, I won't be able to finish them." Ma the Fifth said, "Eat what you can. Just don't go hungry on the road." Li Banfeng accepted the guokui and warned him, "One thing to remember: be careful regarding the Ferry Gang. They might very well come looking for you." Ma the Fifth was even more worried for Li Banfeng. "You're alone in the Outer States, so you need to be even more careful. If things look bad, hurry on back!" After parting ways, Li Banfeng hurried toward Tiemen Fort. Following Old Yao's map through the newland would take a normal person over ten days, but Li Banfeng moved fast and arrived within half a day. By the time he reached the Tiemen Fort newland, ten guokui were left. Li Banfeng put them into the companion dwelling, and an hour or so later, he surfaced from the lake and returned to Huahu Park. Back at his residence, Luo Zhengnan was waiting inside. Li Banfeng handed the green-clad maiden, Feng Yuqiu, over to Luo Zhengnan. "Old Luo, can you see this girl?" Not every pathway could see deceased spirits. Old Luo's pathway gave him strong perception, but even so, it took him considerable effort to make out the green-clad maiden's figure. Li Banfeng handed the covenant deed to Luo Zhengnan. "Old Luo, make a trip to Haichiling and hand this maiden over to Qin Tianjiu. While you're at it, help me investigate a man named An Zongding." At the mention of An Zongding, Old Luo actually recalled something. "He seems to be a merchant. Once I return to Puluo Province, I'll look into him more thoroughly." Li Banfeng said, "I had Ma the Fifth go to the Sanying Sect to ask about this very matter. Keep an eye on Shen Jinzhong's movements. If he truly dares turn hostile, help Ma the Fifth take care of that bastard." Luo Zhengnan agreed, took the green-clad maiden, and departed for Puluo Province that very night. *** When the clock struck 11:58, Li Banfeng gathered all his treasures and weapons and headed for the Cultural Palace. Today was the day he had agreed to meet Fourth Mother Yin, and it was also the day the Ferry Gang was delivering goods to her. Once he entered the private box, Fourth Mother Yin said, "I heard them say the Boat Boss is personally delivering the goods tonight, but whether he'll actually show up, I can't say for sure." "Where are they delivering to?" "Right here to my place." Li Banfeng smiled. "You run your business here, and he delivers here—that's pretty much like the rules of a supermarket." Fourth Mother Yin sighed. "I don't count as running a supermarket; I'm just setting up a stall inside one. Taking deliveries at the Cultural Palace means giving the snack vendor a cut, and that cut comes out of my pocket." Li Banfeng said, "If you don't want to pay a cut, receive your deliveries somewhere else." Fourth Mother Yin shook her head. "That won't do. If I switch locations and there's a problem with the goods, where would I go for justice? How could I ever stand up to the Ferry Gang?" She couldn't stand up to the Ferry Gang—could the snack vendor? Since Li Banfeng had bought up all her deceased spirits, Fourth Mother Yin had no other business. The two sat in the private box, making idle conversation. Fourth Mother Yin reminded Li Banfeng, "If you have a grudge with the Ferry Gang, you'd better fight them outside. The boss of this black market isn't someone to mess with either. Stirring up trouble on his turf might cost you dearly." Li Banfeng smiled. "I haven't met the boss of this black market yet. I'm actually looking for a chance to make friends with him." Fourth Mother Yin was extremely nervous, sweat trickling down her cheeks. "Big Boss, when figures of your caliber clash, it's earth-shattering! Don't drag a tiny ant like me into it. Just picturing the two sides fighting scares me half to death." Li Banfeng offered a reminder of his own: "Being scared is fine, but wetting your pants isn't allowed. If you absolutely have to wet them, let me know in advance." "If I could control it in advance, would I—" Fourth Mother Yin huffed, and her phone vibrated. She had received a message and quickly told Li Banfeng, "Big Boss, the Boat Boss has arrived! He'll be coming up any moment. Go wait downstairs first." "Why go downstairs? I'll just hide right here." Li Banfeng smiled and stepped into the corner of the box. Light from the movie screen cast into the room, creating a patch of shadow that concealed him perfectly. Fourth Mother Yin said, "Good heavens, you call that hiding? Children playing hide-and-seek do a better job than that!" Li Banfeng said, "I know illusion arts. They definitely won't find me." Fourth Mother Yin was terrified. "The Boat Boss's cultivation is terribly high—what use are illusion arts? I'm telling you, if I get scared into wetting myself later, don't blame me!" Li Banfeng glared at her. "Dare to wet yourself, and I'll sew your mouth shut!" "What's sewing my mouth going to do? It's not coming out of my mouth!" Fourth Mother Yin waited trembling for the Boat Boss's arrival. Before long, a knock sounded on the door of the private box. Adjusting her expression, Fourth Mother Yin opened the door. Three men stood at the entrance, wearing vests and conical bamboo hats. The hats were large and pulled very low, and beneath them were masks. There was nothing unusual about this; every time they delivered goods, the Ferry Gang wore this attire. From appearance alone, one couldn't tell whether the Boat Boss was among them. The man standing in the middle made no move, signaling to the men on his left and right to hand over the goods. The man on the left produced a stack of covenant deeds and handed them to Fourth Mother Yin, while the man on the right produced an invoice and handed it over as well. Fourth Mother Yin checked the invoice first, then opened the covenant deeds one by one to examine them. The other party had delivered eight deceased spirits in total, every one of top quality. Looking at the grade and price of these spirits, and seeing that the man in the middle never lifted a finger, Fourth Mother Yin could deduce that the one in the middle was likely the Boat Boss. By the rules, she couldn't say much, and with the prices listed beneath the invoice, she couldn't haggle either. Of course, the wholesale price was cheaper than the retail price, and Fourth Mother Yin profited from that margin. Ten suitcases of cash were passed over one after another, with the snack vendor serving as witness in the middle. Once the other party verified the count without error, they took the money and departed. After the Ferry Gang and the snack vendor had both left, Fourth Mother Yin let out a long breath and said toward the corner where Li Banfeng had been, "Big Boss, you're truly capable—they actually didn't notice you. Now that they're gone, did you get a good look? I suspect the one in the middle was the Boat Boss. What do you think... Big Boss, are you there? Big Boss?" Fourth Mother Yin felt as though someone ought to be in the shadow, but when she walked over, there was nothing. That Big Boss truly was an expert. When had he slipped away? Where had he gone? *** The Boat Boss and his party of three were traveling along the expressway outside Yuezhou City in an off-road vehicle. One man drove, another watched over the cash in the back seat, and the Boat Boss sat in the passenger seat, scrolling through his phone. At four in the morning, traffic on the expressway was sparse. The vehicle had been cruising steadily when a silhouette suddenly flashed across the road ahead. The driver slammed on the brakes. "Who the hell is—" Bang! A splatter of gory filth plastered against the windshield. The driver exploded into bloody flesh. The Boat Boss seized the steering wheel at once, steadying the vehicle. The man in the back seat asked, "Boss, who was that just—" Bang! The man in the back exploded as well. The Boat Boss didn't look back. He knew what Viewing Flowers from Horseback was. The man in the back had already laid eyes on the other party, which meant it was already too late. Li Banfeng was right beside the vehicle, currently walking along the highway's green median. He had slain two of the Boat Boss's subordinates. What did he intend to do next? Next, he intended to kill the Boat Boss. If he could capture the Boat Boss alive and pry out the truth about the Ferry Gang, that would certainly be a fine outcome. But if a live capture proved impossible, Li Banfeng would kill him without hesitation. Li Banfeng wasn't afraid of losing leads. Clues were plentiful, but an enemy only had one life. Compared to leads, Li Banfeng cherished his enemies' lives far more—so taking their lives came first. He flickered in front of the vehicle again. The Boat Boss had to watch the road, so naturally he saw Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng's figure vanished in an instant. The Boat Boss brought the car to a halt and stuck his head out the window, trying to track Li Banfeng's movements, but failed. The opponent was far too fast. The Boat Boss had a premonition that Li Banfeng's gaze had already locked onto him and could blow him apart at any moment. He was right. Li Banfeng's gaze was fixed squarely upon him, and where his sight gathered, Li Banfeng was about to blast him to pieces. The Boat Boss jerked his head back into the car. Li Banfeng's brows twitched, and he triggered the art. Hum—! Bang! An explosion erupted. The entire vehicle blew up. Li Banfeng froze for a moment, not quite understanding the situation before him. The power of Viewing Flowers from Horseback was indeed staggering, but it was limited to living organisms. How could the car explode as well? Li Banfeng hadn't focused his sight on the vehicle at all! And before the car exploded, there had been a distinct humming sound—what was that about? The wreckage was still burning. Li Banfeng leaped beside the car, seeing bills fluttering everywhere and a mound of mangled flesh and shattered bone. Among the remains were the driver and the guard. Was the Boat Boss among them? Li Banfeng couldn't very well piece the corpses together to check, but he suspected the Boat Boss was very likely still alive. He touched the Qiansi earring, which responded, "Master, I feel so dizzy!" Not only was the Qiansi earring dizzy, but Li Banfeng also felt a faint dizziness. There was a sound—a strange sound. Li Banfeng activated his skill to discern spirit voices. Listening closely, a low, subdued melody reached his ears. The sound was too soft and the pitch too low for Li Banfeng to make out the overall tune, but he could vaguely catch a few lyrics. "Flour..." "Scallions..." "Sesame seeds..." This didn't sound like a song; it sounded like the host's script from some culinary show set against background music. Was it coming from the car radio? Li Banfeng attempted to trace the source of the sound, but as he searched, the dizziness steadily worsened. This was a sound cultivator art. The man in the conical hat was a sound cultivator. There he was! At the mouth of a distant tunnel, Li Banfeng spotted a man wearing a conical hat. The two were more than five hundred meters apart. If Li Banfeng charged over now with Treading Ten Thousand Rivers, even if he couldn't kill the man, he could seize the initiative. The man in the conical hat stood motionless at the tunnel entrance, low singing pouring steadily from beneath his mask. After confronting each other for a moment, Li Banfeng tapped the ground with his toes, just about to surge forward, when he suddenly sneezed. At such a tense juncture, this sneeze was somewhat comical. Yet at such a critical moment, the opponent was just standing at the tunnel entrance waiting to clash with an advanced journey cultivator—wasn't that comical as well? Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Calamity! Li Banfeng rubbed his forehead. The opponent's singing was not only making him dizzy, but it was also clouding his thoughts. For the man to stand there so calmly meant he had laid a trap. What sort of trap it was remained impossible to judge for the time being. Li Banfeng's figure vanished once more, and the man in the conical hat instantly grew tense. Boom! Li Banfeng unleashed Viewing Flowers from Horseback again. The distance was too great for Li Banfeng to demand the technique's full lethality, yet the resulting force was astonishing. A gaping hole was blasted through the mountain above the tunnel. The man in the conical hat had not died, but blood seeped from beneath his mask. He was wounded, his clothes soaked through with red. A voice whispered in his ear: "Come with me!" As the words fell, the man in the conical hat vanished. Li Banfeng saw a figure in black appear beside the man in the conical hat and whisk him away. That had been the trap. Someone had been lying in ambush by his side; had Li Banfeng charged recklessly just now, he would inevitably have suffered a sneak attack. What level of cultivation did this person in black possess? To face two at once—should he pursue? Li Banfeng chose to pursue. If he couldn't beat them, he would figure it out then. He leaped near the tunnel entrance and rapidly closed in behind the pair, kicking out with Treading Ten Thousand Rivers. Squish— The kick felt as though it had struck soft cotton, completely devoid of force. What was happening? A trap on the ground? It had nothing to do with the ground; it was Li Banfeng's own state. There was no force in the strike because Li Banfeng had no strength. A sudden, violent hunger washed over him, leaving his legs so weak they turned to jelly. The figure in black and the man in the conical hat turned at the same time and charged toward Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng spun around and fled. In the grip of extreme hunger, his pace grew slower and slower, while the two pursuers drew closer and closer. Once he reached the highway, Li Banfeng's figure abruptly vanished. The figure in black and the man in the conical hat searched all around, but found no trace of him. The figure in black asked, "Who is this person? Is it Li Qi?" The man in the conical hat shook his head. "Li Qi doesn't have cultivation like this, but this person may be connected to him." As he spoke, the man in the conical hat glanced at the cash by the off-road vehicle. A few suitcases of money had escaped the fire. The man in the conical hat and the figure in black picked up the cases and vanished into the night. *** Inside the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng was eating guokui flatbreads, downing six in a single breath. The gramophone asked with concern, "My husband, why are you starved like this?" Li Banfeng said, "I had a fight with two people just now, and halfway through, I suddenly grew ravenous!" The gramophone considered this. "You must have encountered an above-the-clouds food cultivator." Li Banfeng said, "Don't food cultivators eat food themselves to make themselves stronger?" The gramophone said, "An above-the-clouds food cultivator can compel others to eat. If the other party refuses, they will feel extreme hunger, to the point of lacking the strength to fight." Li Banfeng picked up the seventh guokui. "This art is quite something. Even after eating this much, I still don't feel full." Hong Ying looked at the guokui and asked curiously, "What is this flatbread made of? Why are you eating it with such relish?" "What's it made of? Flour, of course!" Li Banfeng smiled. "Add some scallions, sprinkle some sesame seeds, and stuff it with meat..." Li Banfeng paused, then began repeating those three words over and over: "Flour, scallions, sesame seeds." He remembered the lyrics sung by the man in the conical hat. Hong Ying thought the ingredients were nothing special and simply took a bite to taste. The gramophone reminded her, "You haven't been revived yet; don't eat mortal food." Hong Ying didn't care much. "It's just one tiny piece; it won't hurt. It doesn't taste like much to me anyway. Master Seven, how does it taste to you?" Li Banfeng muttered to himself, "A modesty cloth..." Hong Ying burst into laughter. "Master Seven, you like to eat that? I'll take mine off and give it to you in a bit." "Shameless creature!" The gramophone pinned Hong Ying down, pulled down her trousers, and gave her a sound spanking. Li Banfeng was still muttering to himself, "A modesty cloth..." Sensing something was amiss, the gramophone asked, "Husband, what modesty cloth are you talking about?" Li Banfeng asked the gramophone, "Precious wife, within the sound cultivator arts, is there any technique capable of countering Viewing Flowers from Horseback?" Hong Ying gave a cold laugh. "If there truly were such a technique, this wicked woman wouldn't have crippled my eyes." The gramophone struck Hong Ying with a ruler and said to Li Banfeng, "There is a technique, but it is exceptionally difficult to use. One must counter it with the melody they are most adept at, and even then, success is not guaranteed." The melody they were most adept at. Li Banfeng said, "I know who that man in the conical hat is. He uncovered his modesty cloth." Hong Ying rubbed her bruised peaches and said, "Why uncover that? How disgusting."