The Sentience of the Territory

On the newland, five thousand three-headed people were preparing for reclamation. One of the three-headed people carried an offering table, learning how to arrange the sacrificial offerings from an experienced reclaimer. Another held a brush and paper, learning from a reclaimer how to draft a covenant deed. Yet another was chatting with Pan Dehai. "Uncle, are you here to reclaim land too?" Pan Dehai smiled and shook his head. "I'm just taking a stroll." After wandering about for a while, Pan Dehai left. Accompanying him were Hundred-Eyed Fish and Gao Shuxia. Ever since failing in their bid to seize Bei Wushuang's territory, the two had been following Pan Dehai. Once they walked out of the hundred-li territory, Hundred-Eyed Fish shot Old Pan a look of deep disdain. "Master Pan, did we come all this way just to take a walk?" Pan Dehai chuckled. "Cooped up in Haichiling all the time, you two young ladies don't gain any skills, only pounds. Getting out for some fresh air isn't a bad thing." Hundred-Eyed Fish snorted. "Oh, Elder Pan, are you mocking us? Are you saying we haven't been looking after you well enough?" Pan Dehai waved his hands repeatedly. "I am a man of virtue. You ladies should mind your words. We're merely partners in business; I've never entertained any improper thoughts toward either of you." This was the honest truth. In all the time they had spent together, the two women had done plenty of work for Pan Dehai, and Pan Dehai had given them ample practical benefits in return, but neither side had ever crossed any lines. Business was business, and personal affection was personal affection. Pan Dehai kept the two strictly separate. Seeing Old Pan truly intended to head back to Haichiling, Gao Shuxia was displeased. "Elder Pan, are we really going back just like this? That wasn't what you said when we came!" Pan Dehai sighed. "Five thousand three-headed monsters, all straight out of Sinners' City. If they turn hostile and fight us for their lives, what do you two ladies have to stop them?" Gao Shuxia looked back at the territory. A newland free from the constraints of the Inner States was truly impossible to look away from. Pan Dehai didn't pause for a step. "Ladies, you'd better pick up your pace. If we run into Lühuazi in a bit, I'm afraid we won't be able to leave even if we want to." Flying Lühuazi's banner, Ma the Fifth had openly brought these five thousand people to the newland. Between Lühuazi's reputation and the sheer strength of five thousand three-headed people, ninety-nine percent of people would never dare set their sights on this newland. However, food, drink, and supplies for five thousand people posed a serious problem. Rations could still be managed—a few cartloads of compressed biscuits would last a couple of days. Water was another matter. If a pack load of water was transported from Lanyang Village, more than half would be drunk along the way. To resolve the drinking water issue, they had to reclaim the land. Li Banfeng wasn't greedy; he selected five hundred able-bodied men to first reclaim twenty parcels of land, each just one li across. This newland lacked something: ever since Li Banfeng received the parcels, he hadn't discovered a single monstrosity here. In fact, that was only natural. The Inner States had agreed to grant the land, not monstrosities. Perhaps He Yuxiu was expected to cultivate these monstrosities herself. Yet reclamation was upon them right now. Without monstrosities, what would they use for the reclamation trials? He Yuxiu's thoughts were simpler. "Since there aren't any monstrosities, let's just skip the trials and reclaim the land directly." Li Banfeng had considered this as well. He also possessed a newland, and every time, he fretted over the trials. Last time when Chu the Second reclaimed land, Li Banfeng had run into issues during the trial, unreasonably ramping up its difficulty. The purpose of a trial was to test whether the reclaimer had the ability to manage the parcel. These three-headed people clearly possessed such ability, making the trial seem entirely unnecessary. Could they simply forgo the trial, then? As far as Li Banfeng knew, no one had ever done that. Meng Yuchun had longed day after day for someone to reclaim her land. When she finally met Li Qi, the offering and deed-drafting steps were simplified, but the trial was the sole step never omitted. Back when Qiu Luoye was anxious to reclaim land, in the later stages, all the trials became mere formalities. Yet even as a mere formality, Qiu Luoye had never dared overlook it. Even on the very last parcel of land, he still had to summon a couple of monstrosities to fight a round. The trial definitely held special significance. Li Banfeng pondered whether he should transfer some monstrosities from his own newland. The crux was, how many would he need to move? Li Banfeng planned to reclaim all the parcels in the future; three to five monstrosities certainly wouldn't suffice. Most of the monstrosities on his own territory had come from Qiu Luoye's land and had only just settled in. To make them come here for trials now... He Yuxiu had five thousand three-headed people; this place would soon become proper land. When the time came to relocate those monstrosities again, how many of them could endure such tossing about? What about borrowing some from the surrounding newlands? The trouble was that he wasn't very familiar with the neighboring local spirits; they might not agree to lend out monstrosities... While Li Banfeng fretted over this, He Yuxiu took an open-minded view. "Seventh Brother, there's no need to make things hard on ourselves. If no monstrosities come here to test them, do we really have to go looking for some? "We'll definitely observe the rules of reclamation. Once they set up the offerings in a bit, I'll go respond. If the parcel resonates, we'll have them prepare for the trial. We'll spread the word; as long as monstrosities come, I certainly won't stop them. If no monstrosities are willing to come, then it's just the reclaimers' good luck, and we can't make things difficult for them." Her reasoning made sense, and Li Banfeng was impetuous by nature, so he agreed on the spot. "Let's test one parcel first. If nothing goes wrong, we'll continue reclaiming. If something happens, we'll find another way." The first batch of three-headed people arranged their offerings, and He Yuxiu readied herself to respond. Back when Li Banfeng had first responded to a reclamation, he had relied on the judge's brush to fly and a projector to set the atmosphere. He Yuxiu kept things simple: she masked her face, walked straight to the parcel, and shouted at the reclaimers, "Is it you who wish to reclaim land?" The twenty-five three-headed people stared at He Yuxiu, not daring to breathe loudly, merely nodding in rapid succession. "Approved!" He Yuxiu stepped forward and took a bottle of fine liquor from the table. She poured half of it onto the ground and drank the remaining half clean. Li Banfeng chuckled inwardly. With her being so careless, how could the parcel possibly light up? No sooner had his amusement passed than a collective gasp rose from the crowd—the parcel actually lit up. These three-headed people had never experienced reclamation before. Seeing the parcel's boundary lines for the first time, they were utterly astonished. Li Banfeng was even more shocked than they were. He Yuxiu mumbled just a couple of perfunctory lines and the parcel lit up? After all the times I tried back then, what was that all about? Li Banfeng thought about it for a long while before finding an excuse for himself. He Yuxiu had higher cultivation; she was already above the clouds, whereas Li Banfeng had still been at the ground level back then. It was mainly the difference in cultivation. With the local spirit having granted permission for reclamation, all that remained were the preparations before the trial. The next day, the trial officially began. The twenty-five three-headed people stood ready in full array; this being their first reclamation, none dared let down their guard. Convinced no monstrosity would appear, He Yuxiu watched impassively from the side. Li Banfeng suddenly sensed danger approaching. Gazing into the distance, he saw an enormous figure drawing closer through the darkness. What was that? The silhouette looked remarkably familiar! "Fifth, did you call Yanzi over?" Ma the Fifth took a look and shook his head. "That's not Yanzi. That's not our family's bagworm moth!" "Whose is it, then?" Li Banfeng stepped closer, only to see a gigantic Madam Bagworm Moth munching on leaves as she crawled toward the parcel. "Miss, what are you doing here?" Li Banfeng stepped up to greet her. Madam Bagworm Moth blushed. "Young master, you certainly have a way with words. This lady is here for the trial." Li Banfeng pointed at the three-headed people on the parcel. "You're here to test them?" "Yes, isn't land being reclaimed here?" Li Banfeng thought for a moment and asked, "You're a roaming monstrosity, aren't you? Roaming monstrosities aren't supposed to take part in trials." The bagworm moth nodded. "By rights, I shouldn't come, but I have an invitation!" "Who issued the invitation?" "Chu Yaoxian, Madam Chu gave it to me!" Li Banfeng didn't understand. "Chu Yaoxian is a local spirit of the newlands, isn't she?" "She is!" "Why isn't she guarding her own territory properly instead of running over here to cause trouble?" Madam Bagworm Moth pondered for a moment and shook her head. "Young master, you shouldn't be asking me about that. I only came to conduct the trial. If the trial succeeds, I'll go collect my cultivation reward from Madam Chu. I don't know anything else." Her reply was sound enough. Local spirits hiring roaming monstrosities to do their bidding was common practice on the newlands; back then, Mountain Uplifting Master had hired roaming monstrosities to attack Meng Yuchun's territory. Madam Bagworm Moth said no more and continued crawling toward the parcel. Li Banfeng asked, "Miss, you must be at the eighth layer of cultivation, right?" According to common knowledge on the newlands, a Madam Bagworm Moth's cultivation was directly proportional to her size. This maiden's frame was considerably larger than Yanzi's; Li Banfeng suspected she had reached the upper limit of a Madam Bagworm Moth. The maiden looked back and said, "Young master, you have a sharp eye. Once I earn this bit of cultivation, I'll reach the ninth layer. After the ninth layer, I won't be a bagworm moth anymore—I'll turn into a proper, pretty girl." So Madam Bagworm Moths went through another transformation upon reaching the ninth layer. Yet that wasn't the point. The point was, having an eighth-layer monstrosity test a one-li parcel—wasn't that pure nonsense? Li Banfeng chased after the moth, shouting, "Miss, don't go to the parcel just yet. However much cultivation Chu Yaoxian promised you, I'll compensate you in full." "Next time, young master. I already gave my word to Madam Chu, and I'm a person of my word." Li Banfeng frowned. This was the first reclamation on this territory; he couldn't let this bagworm moth ruin it. Just as he prepared to step in, He Yuxiu stepped in front of him. "Old Seven, don't worry about this. I'll deal with her." The moth looked at He Yuxiu. "And who are you?" He Yuxiu said, "I am the local spirit here. I forbid you from conducting the trial here." Madam Bagworm Moth furrowed her brows. "Oh my, you arranged a trial, yet you won't let me participate? That goes against the rules, doesn't it?" He Yuxiu sneered. "An eighth-layer bagworm moth testing a one-li parcel—is that within the rules?" "If locals from your territory came to conduct the trial, I truly shouldn't meddle. But since there are no locals here right now, you shouldn't bar me." The moth was surprisingly reasonable. Her logic was crystal clear: if you have local monstrosities, I won't interfere; if you don't, there's nothing wrong with me coming as a roaming monstrosity to test them. He Yuxiu, however, had no intention of being reasonable today. "I will bar you, and I won't let you test them." Madam Bagworm Moth wasn't intimidated in the slightest. "If you're willing to throw away your reputation as a local spirit, let's have a fight right here!" Just as the two were about to clash, Ma the Fifth stepped forward to hold He Yuxiu back. "Sister Xiu, it's not worth it. Miss, may I ask your name?" As their eyes met, the maiden averted her gaze slightly. Lowering her head, she murmured, "My name is Arou." "Arou, let us speak in private." Ma the Fifth kept his eyes fixed on Arou. "Then keep it brief." Arou hung her head, feeling a little flustered under his gaze, but followed Ma the Fifth nonetheless. While Ma the Fifth went to attend to things with Arou, before long, an old man arrived at the parcel. Seeing He Yuxiu, the old man cupped his hands in greeting. "Are you the local spirit here?" He Yuxiu nodded. "Please, sit over here. I have a matter to discuss with you." The old man wiped a stone block with his sleeve and invited He Yuxiu to sit. Thinking him a polite, sensible elder, He Yuxiu was just about to sit when Li Banfeng caught her backside with one hand, keeping her from touching the stone block. He Yuxiu's face flushed. "Seventh Brother, in front of so many people, what are you doing?" Li Banfeng said to the old man, "You're an Offering-Taker Old Man, aren't you?" The old man nodded. "You have sharp eyes." "You're here for the trial as well?" "I have an invitation! Lord Rong Sijiao gave it to me!" Rong Sijiao was another local spirit of the newlands. Offering-Taker Old Men typically possessed cultivation around the seventh layer. Li Banfeng had dealt with one before and knew these roaming monstrosities were exceptionally troublesome. Take He Yuxiu just now: had she sat on that stone block, it would have counted as accepting the Offering-Taker Old Man's service. Once three services were rendered, she would have to wait for him to collect his due. Li Banfeng certainly couldn't let the Offering-Taker Old Man enter the parcel. If he went in, those simple, honest three-headed people would be toyed with until they died. "Old sir, don't be in such a hurry to start the trial. Let me discuss something with you—" Before Li Banfeng could talk him around, a cook arrived behind them. Li Banfeng recognized this cook—he was one of Meng Yuchun's subordinates. "Brother, you've come too?" Li Banfeng hardly knew what to say. Seeing Li Banfeng, the cook bowed in haste. "Seventh Master, this is your territory? Then I won't participate." "Hold on," Li Banfeng asked. "Did you receive an invitation to conduct a trial as well?" The cook nodded. "I have ties with Local Spirit Sha Dingzhong; he invited me. I discussed it with Miss Meng, and she gave her consent." "Sha Dingzhong came deliberately to cause trouble on orders from the Inner States, didn't he?" Li Banfeng recalled He Haiqin mentioning that a group of local spirits was rushing over to seize territories, with Sha Dingzhong, Chu Yaoxian, and Rong Sijiao among them. "I truly know nothing about that," the cook said, not daring to speak recklessly. Cupping his hands again, he said, "Seventh Master, please carry on with your business. I won't intrude any further." "Brother, don't leave just yet. There are some things I still don't quite understand and need to ask you about," Li Banfeng said, keeping the cook. "If a territory never has suitable candidates for a trial, could we simply forgo the trial altogether, have the local spirit acknowledge it directly, and count the reclamation as successful? Would that work?" Li Banfeng had asked the right person. The cook was knowledgeable and experienced, having spent years knocking about the newlands; he knew a great deal indeed. "Seventh Master, reclamation must have a trial. If you skip the trial, it will never work." "If the local spirit acknowledges it, isn't the reclamation successful?" The cook shook his head repeatedly. "People often misunderstand reclamation, thinking that as long as the local spirit nods, the reclamation succeeds. But even if the local spirit nods, if the territory itself doesn't accept it, the reclamation will not succeed. The glowing boundary line won't extinguish, the reclaimers inside cannot leave—leaving counts as a failed reclamation—and outside reclaimers cannot step inside; even if they do, their participation won't count." "The territory itself must resonate," Li Banfeng said, carefully analyzing the concepts. "Seventh Master, my understanding is only partial, but I'll tell you what I know," the cook explained as best he could. "A local spirit is the master of a land. To become a local spirit, one must first become intimately familiar with the territory." Li Banfeng knew this. Ascending above the clouds to become a local spirit required thorough familiarity with the territory, using it to stabilize one's status. The cook continued, "The process of familiarizing oneself with a territory is a process of establishing mutual connection and resonance. Only when the territory resonates does it recognize you as master of the land." Hearing the cook explain it this way, Li Banfeng began to grasp the concept. The cook went on, "Reclamation is the same. It means demarcating a small parcel on the territory and setting up a minor landholder. That minor landholder must obtain the approval of the local spirit, but also the recognition of the territory itself. The trial is the process by which reclaimers gain that recognition from both. Seventh Master, think about it: if you were the territory and I were the local spirit, and I brought in a friend, carved out a piece of land, declared it his, and gave my nod without caring whether you agreed—would you feel comfortable with that? "If you felt disgruntled, the reclamation would definitely fail. A rift might even form between the territory and the local spirit—to put it bluntly, the territory would get angry. If this happens too often, the rift deepens, and over time, the territory will cease to recognize the local spirit. "I've seen this happen before. There was a local spirit whose territory lay very close to Black Rock Slope. Every year, many people came to reclaim land there. He was very amiable and easygoing, and many prominent families across Puluo Province were glad to send people to reclaim his land. That man grew impatient for results, eager to turn his territory into proper land. He treated the trials with total carelessness; for some parcels, he didn't even hold a trial and simply gave them away. Over three thousand plots of wasteland were reclaimed on his land, and many thought his territory would truly become proper land. Who could have imagined that one day, his covenant deeds unearthed themselves from the soil! That local spirit was unaware at first, and by the time he felt unwell, it was too late. Once the deeds surfaced, his cultivation plummeted, and because he failed to handle it in time, his soul was damaged, turning him into an Injured Demon Fiend. A territory of such great promise vanished just like that. That is an example of a territory taking vengeance on its local spirit. So Seventh Master, you must handle the matter of trials with the utmost care." Li Banfeng asked, "If one encounters a territory without monstrosities and truly has no way to hold trials, does that mean the wasteland can never be reclaimed?" The cook shook his head. "Seventh Master, after explaining all this, what I really want to say boils down to one sentence: a territory has sentience. You must treat the territory as a living person. I've never seen a territory devoid of monstrosities, but I have seen parcels where no monstrosities came to test them. Some reclaimers pick parcels in desolate, remote areas where monstrosities are scarce to begin with, and with the reclaimers being quite strong themselves, most monstrosities aren't willing to risk their lives for cultivation rewards—even if forced by the local spirit, they won't come. After three days pass and the trial period ends, no monstrosities have come to fight, yet it still counts as a successful reclamation, because the territory knows the reason why. Seventh Master, I truly haven't seen any local monstrosities on your parcel, but that doesn't mean no one has come to test it. Roaming monstrosities have arrived, not to cause trouble, but specifically for the trial. If you forbid roaming monstrosities from fighting, you are deliberately cheating, and the territory will never accept that." Li Banfeng listened intently. The concepts the cook explained gave him a fresh understanding of territories, local spirits, and reclaimers. Thinking about it, he found it rather strange—these concepts felt remarkably familiar, though he couldn't pinpoint why right away. The territory recognizes the local spirit, while the local spirit and territory protect the reclaimers together... This was almost like a residence, a dwelling spirit, and a Dwelling Cultivator... While Li Banfeng was still lost in thought, the Offering-Taker Old Man slipped into the parcel behind his back. "Friends, you've worked hard. Please, sit." The Offering-Taker Old Man swept a flagstone on the ground with his sleeve. Just as several three-headed people were about to sit, Li Banfeng shouted, "Don't sit! He's here to test you!" The twenty-five three-headed people realized what was happening. The Offering-Taker Old Man shot Li Banfeng a glare and engaged the three-headed people. The three-headed people held the physical advantage, but their combat experience was exceedingly limited and their fighting style was rudimentary, relying solely on raw brute force. Less than ten minutes into the fight, six three-headed people inadvertently accepted the Offering-Taker Old Man's service three times and lost their fighting capability, forced to watch silently from the side. He Yuxiu grew anxious; fighting like this, the three-headed people stood almost no chance of victory. Li Banfeng wasn't anxious—anxiety served no purpose, and he couldn't interfere. He retrieved two Golden Origin Pills from his robes and handed them to the cook. The cook was startled; this gift was far too precious. "Seventh Master, I cannot accept this—" "Keep them, brother." Li Banfeng watched the reclaimers' battle, then looked over at the five thousand three-headed people waiting for water. This was clearly another vicious move by the Inner States. The newland granted by the Inner States had no native monstrosities, which gave roaming monstrosities full justification to conduct trials. Roaming monstrosities were exceptionally powerful in combat, which created immense difficulty for reclaiming the newland. If Li Banfeng wanted to borrow monstrosities from neighboring territories, no one would dare lend them. Any local spirit whose monstrosities went over would effectively be offending the Inner States. If Li Banfeng wanted to relocate monstrosities from his own territory, it would mean exposing his own newland; when that happened, the Inner States would thoroughly investigate Li Furong, and the newland's covenant deeds might even bring backlash upon him. This conundrum would be hard to crack. Amid his deep contemplation, the battle reached its conclusion. In about half an hour, all twenty-five three-headed people were defeated by the Offering-Taker Old Man. This Offering-Taker Old Man exercised restraint. Using Offering Cultivator skills, he subdued the twenty-five people and compelled them to leave the parcel on their own without taking a single life. Several who resisted fiercely were wounded, but not severely. The old man was adept at handling things: he hadn't provoked Li Banfeng or He Yuxiu, yet had secured his cultivation reward. A hawk soared overhead. The Offering-Taker Old Man looked up and watched the hawk circle over the parcel three times before he stepped out. His victory over the reclaimers had been recorded by that sparrowhawk. The hawk would inform Rong Sijiao, who would pay the Offering-Taker Old Man his reward. The Offering-Taker Old Man could choose to stay and conduct more trials, or quit while he was ahead and leave immediately. Yet the old man was exceptionally clever. Instead of deciding for himself, he passed the choice to the local spirit: "Madam, with my humble skills, I only wish to earn a bite to eat here. Will you grant me that favor?" He Yuxiu wanted nothing more than to thrash him; how could she possibly allow him to stay and run more trials? Li Banfeng, on the other hand, wanted to keep him. If the Offering-Taker Old Man left, other monstrosities would come to conduct trials, and they might not be like him, fighting only for victory without taking lives. The cook sensed Li Banfeng's thoughts. Having received two Golden Origin Pills, he felt indebted and wanted to help. "Seventh Master, these reclaimers have some ability; they just don't know much about tactics. With a bit of guidance, they could hold their own against roaming monstrosities." Li Banfeng was delighted. "Brother Cook, you must help me with this." The cook nodded. "Since Seventh Master thinks so highly of me, hear my plan first. To begin with, we can no longer reclaim parcels of just one li—we must start at three li at least. Roaming monstrosities all have cultivation at the fifth layer or above; fighting a battle against roaming monstrosities for a one-li parcel simply isn't worth it. The first thing we must do is raise the reclamation parcel size to three to five li, allowing only one or two roaming monstrosities into the parcel at a time. This way, the reclaimers can endure it, and it will look acceptable to the territory." A one-li parcel was one plot of land; a three-li parcel was nine plots, and a five-li parcel was twenty-five plots. The cook had hit the nail on the head: fighting roaming monstrosities couldn't just yield a single plot; they had to ensure the battle was worth the cost! The cook continued, "The second thing we must do is teach these reclaimers how to fight. They prefer a straightforward charge, rushing straight ahead. Against a bagworm moth, that actually works—with their arm strength, they can tussle with a bagworm moth. But against an Offering-Taker Old Man, it won't do. In a little while, gather another group of reclaimers and set out the offerings again. Tomorrow, I'll undergo the trial alongside them and teach them some tactics along the way." The cook was truly a stand-up man. Li Banfeng thanked him profusely and hurried to assemble the personnel for reclamation. To reclaim three li of land, Li Banfeng gathered one hundred three-headed people. The cook shook his head. "Seventh Master, more people isn't necessarily better. If even one cowers and steps outside the boundary line, all our efforts will be wasted. Let me choose thirty from this hundred—that will be plenty." Once the cook had selected the people, drafted the deed, and arranged the offerings, He Yuxiu was just about to step forward to respond when a man walked up to speak with her. "Eldest Miss He, don't be in a hurry. I have a matter to discuss with you." He Yuxiu stared at the man, studying him for a moment before asking, "Are you Feng Chongli?" Hearing that name, Li Banfeng looked over as well. Why had Feng Chongli come? Was he after this territory too? He was a man from Xuehuapu. He Yuxiu had not mistaken him; the visitor was indeed Feng Chongli. Feng Chongli removed his fedora and bowed to He Yuxiu. "Eldest Miss, it is truly my honor that you remember a humble man like me. I've come today to discuss a major deal with you—a deal worth three million silver dollars." "Three million silver dollars?" He Yuxiu laughed. "That's quite a sum. The entire Paramount only cost eight hundred thousand silver dollars. Tell me first, what kind of deal is this?" Feng Chongli pointed beneath his feet. "This land right here. A territory a hundred li across. I wish to offer three million silver dollars to buy it." He Yuxiu shook her head. "Not for sale." Feng Chongli produced an abacus. "If you think that's too little, the price is negotiable. Name a figure first, and I'll calculate it carefully." He Yuxiu wasn't one for haggling. Cutting through the chatter, she said, "No need to calculate. No amount of money will buy it." Flicking the abacus beads, Feng Chongli urged again, "Eldest Miss, you really ought to tally this ledger properly. You must clearly weigh the gains and losses here. I know you wanted this land to ascend above the clouds; I can find you another newland, completely free of charge—I'll give it to you as a gift. Granted, the newland I offer has an incomplete deed, just a single one, but since your goal was merely to ascend above the clouds, one deed is plenty. Having an extra one is actually a burden. Right now, this territory has two covenant deeds, drawing flies like honey, with plenty of people craning their necks to watch. I am a businessman, so I come offering money to buy it from you. But others may not abide by such rules; they might not offer a coin, and they might even take your life. Which choice yields profit and which brings ruin—tally it up for yourself." He Yuxiu had no patience for further babble from Feng Chongli. "None of what you say matters. This territory is not for sale. Clear off." "I reckon you aren't the one who calls the shots here anyway," Feng Chongli said, turning his gaze toward Li Banfeng. "Li Qi, what do you say? Can this deal be made?" Li Banfeng was thinking. He wasn't thinking about how to conduct business; he was thinking about how to fight this battle. Anyone else would have been scared off by Lühuazi's name combined with the imposing presence of five thousand three-headed people. But Feng Chongli could not be frightened away. He wasn't afraid of Lühuazi, nor did he appear intimidated by five thousand three-headed people. According to the clues provided by An Zongding, Feng Chongli's cultivation had already surpassed the clouds. Li Banfeng was currently approaching the second layer above the clouds in both Dwelling and Travel Cultivation, while He Yuxiu had only just reached above the clouds without establishing a layer yet, and her body was far from healed. The two of them alone certainly couldn't beat Feng Chongli, and even mobilizing all five thousand people wouldn't guarantee victory. Cultivators beyond the clouds could not strike against the local spirit of a territory on proper land—Li Qi knew this much. Did they still have to obey this rule against the local spirit of a newland? Li Banfeng wasn't quite sure. Not knowing, he asked outright. "If we don't want to sell, are you planning to force the buy?" Feng Chongli chuckled. "You hit the nail on the head. I'm determined to have this land. Whether you want to sell, *cough cough cough*, or not, you will, *cough cough cough*, have to sell—" Right as he was delivering his ruthless threat, he coughed incessantly, which severely ruined the momentum. Li Banfeng was curious as well: why had Feng Chongli suddenly started coughing? As it turned out, a middle-aged man had walked up beside him, smoking a pipe. Whatever tobacco was packed into the bowl, it was extraordinarily acrid and choking. Feng Chongli watched the man holding his long pipe, taking puff after puff. Seeing the tobacco in the bowl nearly burned out, Feng Chongli deliberately asked, "Are you finished smoking?" The middle-aged man tapped out the ash, and in the blink of an eye packed another bowl. "Far from it! Whenever I smoke, it's three bowls at a stretch!" Feng Chongli nodded slightly. "If I'm not mistaken, you are Three Bowls of Pipe Smoke Ye Jianhuang, Senior Ye." "You guessed wrong. My surname isn't Ye, it's Huang." Ye Jianhuang lit his pipe and took a puff with a grin. Feng Chongli gave a bow. "Senior, are you after this territory as well?" Ye Jianhuang exhaled a plume of smoke and shook his head. "I didn't come for the territory; I came for my brother. Old Seven, I heard you opened for business, so I came to congratulate you!" Li Banfeng didn't know Ye Jianhuang, but he recalled what Tang Changfa had said at Changsan Shuyu: City Lord Sun had recruited two helpers—one named Ah Gui, and the other named Ah Huang. Li Banfeng stepped forward with a smile to meet him. "Brother Huang, I've been waiting for you for ages!"