Entangled Cause and Effect

Li Banfeng called out, "Brother Huang." Hearing this, Ye Jianhuang was quite pleased. He said to Li Banfeng, "Brother, let your elder brother take care of some business here first, then I'll congratulate you." With that, Ye Jianhuang held his pipe bowl, took a draw, and blew the smoke into Feng Chongli's face. "Boss Feng, my brother is celebrating a joyous occasion right now. You shouldn't have come to cause trouble on a day like this. How about taking my advice and never coming back to this place?" Feng Chongli held his abacus and flicked the beads a couple of times. This was no idle flicking. Before every major decision, Feng Chongli had to calculate the cost. "Senior Huang, I'm afraid this face won't be easy to grant today." Feng Chongli had run the numbers; letting Li Banfeng off just like this felt like taking a heavy loss. Ye Jianhuang proved accommodating enough. "If you think you're taking a loss, then let's have a fight. My brother is setting up business on this newland, so I'll just treat today as helping him reclaim the land." Ye Jianhuang bit the pipe stem and drew on it. Within the smoke, countless blades seemed to scrape against Feng Chongli's skin. Feng Chongli used his abacus to calculate once more: was it worth fighting Ye Jianhuang over this territory? The result came out: it depended on what state Ye Jianhuang was in. If it was just going through the motions, fighting a bout wouldn't cost much. If Ye Jianhuang was playing for keeps and meant to fight him to the death, the losses would far outweigh the gains. Feng Chongli gave the abacus beads a spin. A sudden gale kicked up, dispersing the smoke Ye Jianhuang had exhaled. Ye Jianhuang was in no hurry at all. Holding his pipe bowl, he coughed twice, unraveling Feng Chongli's technique. The wind died down immediately. Once the wind ceased, Ye Jianhuang blew out another puff of smoke. This time, the vapor slipped inside Feng Chongli's clothes, heading straight for his vitals. Ye Jianhuang was playing for keeps! If he were only going through the motions, the movements would be flashy with little real impact. Yet right now, Ye Jianhuang barely moved at all, but every move was a killing strike. Feng Chongli did not flick the abacus beads again. Faced with a Ye Jianhuang like this, continuing the fight would hardly be wise. Putting his abacus away, he cupped his hands to Ye Jianhuang, Li Banfeng, and He Yuxiu in turn, then spun around and departed. Ye Jianhuang tapped out his pipe bowl and turned toward Li Banfeng. "Brother, time to congratulate you." Li Banfeng cupped his hands in thanks. "Senior Huang, I'm truly grateful for your help just now—" Ye Jianhuang waved his hand repeatedly. "Don't you ever call me 'Senior.' If you call me that, someone's going to be unhappy." He was referring to Sun Tiecheng, as Li Qi had always called Sun Tiecheng 'Big Brother,' which Ye Jianhuang had heard mentioned by Gui Jianchou and Tang Changfa. "If you think well of me from now on, just call me Brother Huang like you did earlier. And this must be my sister-in-law?" Ye Jianhuang looked at He Yuxiu. With a build like that, one could tell at a glance she was built for bearing children. He Yuxiu was so flustered she didn't dare lift her head. In truth, Ye Jianhuang was only teasing her. He Yuxiu did not know Ye Jianhuang, technicalities aside, which was natural since he rarely showed his face in public. Ye Jianhuang, however, recognized He Yuxiu. He was well-versed in matters great and small across Puluo Province, so he naturally knew of this eldest young mistress of the He family. After exchanging a few jests, Ye Jianhuang led Li Banfeng to a secluded spot and got down to business. "Someone asked me to pass you a word: don't always look after other people's business and forget your own." Li Banfeng understood Ye Jianhuang's meaning: City Lord Sun wanted Li Banfeng to return home. "Brother Huang, you saw it too. Xuehuapu has their eyes on this newland. If I leave now, I'm afraid everything will fall through right at the finish line." Ye Jianhuang sighed. "Xuehuapu is indeed tough to deal with. I'll keep watch here for you first. If I can't hold them off, there's still your Big Brother Sun. When you get back home, tell him about it. He protects you so much, there's no way he'll just sit back and do nothing." Li Banfeng returned to the boundary of the territory, gave a few instructions each to He Yuxiu, Ma the Fifth, the cook, and the others, and prepared to leave the newland for the City of Fools. He Yuxiu was reluctant to see him go. "Brother Qi, when will you be back?" Li Banfeng smiled. "Once your position as the local spirit is firmly established, I reckon it'll be about time for me to return. Carry on with the reclamation." Her heart stirred. He Yuxiu glanced over at the plot of land; the Three-Headed people had arranged their offerings and were preparing to resume reclamation. By the time she turned back around, Li Banfeng's figure had already receded into the distance. At the gates of the City of Fools, a man stopped Li Banfeng and demanded an entry fee. "It's one silver dollar to enter the city. That's the rule here!" Li Banfeng shook his head. "One isn't enough." The man stared in surprise. "Then how much do you say is fair?" "You have to give five!" The man scratched his scalp. "Isn't five a bit too much?" "It's not," Li Banfeng reasoned with the man in all seriousness. "I've come all this way. Carriage and horse fees cost me a full silver dollar. Rations and drinking water took another half. I got a little scrape on the road, so medicine and gauze cost another half. Adding it all up, that's already two dollars. You offering only one silver dollar—is that right? Where is your conscience?" The gatekeeper counted on his fingers for a good while. "Even if one isn't right, you can't ask for five! Didn't you just spend two?" Li Banfeng waved his hand. "I haven't finished yet. I ran into a highway robber along the way who took three silver dollars from me. How do you account for that money?" The gatekeeper grew angry. "It wasn't me who robbed you! No matter how you calculate it, you can't pin that on me!" Li Banfeng got angry as well. "If I weren't coming to the City of Fools, that money wouldn't have been stolen! It was precisely to enter this city gate that I got robbed of three silver dollars. You're the one guarding the gate, so shouldn't you be the one compensating me?" The gatekeeper hung his head and mumbled, "You're asking for way too much. Five definitely won't do. For starters, hiring a carriage and horse couldn't possibly cost a silver dollar, and you counted way too much for rations and water. As for medicine and gauze, how could that little bit be worth half a silver dollar..." The two argued back and forth, finally reaching an agreement: the gatekeeper would give Li Banfeng three and a half silver dollars. Li Banfeng collected the money and entered the city. The city gatekeeper gave a cold sneer. "Look at you, still looking disgruntled. Let me tell you, giving you three and a half is pretty generous! Back when I was hard-hearted, I'd have only given you three, and what could you have done about it?" Li Banfeng arrived at the Changsan Shuyu. Yan Cui'er was soliciting business at the door, Yan Qing'er was singing a tune inside, Yan Hong'er sat off to the side reading a newspaper, and Tang Changfa was settling accounts in the back hall. Seeing the shopkeeper return, everyone was delighted. Li Qi glanced at the newspaper in Yan Hong'er's hands and couldn't help frowning. "Isn't that last month's newspaper?" Yan Hong'er pouted. "I asked Tang Changfa for newspapers, but he refused to buy any." Li Banfeng was displeased. "Old Tang, I gave you plenty of money before. Why can't you even bear to buy a newspaper?" Tang Changfa rubbed his hands together. "Money is hard to come by and runs out fast. All of it was earned through the shopkeeper's hard toil. Using it for firewood and rice to get by is fine, but how could we squander it anywhere else?" Li Banfeng looked at Tang Changfa. He had previously given him a sum of Huan State banknotes and later another ten thousand silver dollars; Tang Changfa had even shown Li Banfeng the ledgers, and he had barely touched any of it. No matter how much money was given to him, in his eyes there was only water and rice. Surviving and persevering in the City of Fools mattered more to him than anything else. Li Banfeng took out his wallet and first handed a sum to Yan Hong'er. "Go buy newspapers. Buy as many as you want." Yan Hong'er skipped off happily. Li Banfeng then gave Yan Cui'er a sum of money. "Go buy wine and meat. Pick the very best." Tang Changfa grew anxious. "Shopkeeper, how can we take your money? There's plenty of money on the books! And you can't send Yan Cui'er to buy wine and meat—that girl is too simple-minded, she has no concept of spending!" "Stay put, let them go, and let them spend freely." Li Banfeng held Tang Changfa back and handed Yan Qing'er a sum of money as well. "Go buy some new clothes, one for every sister!" Yan Qing'er left in high spirits. Li Banfeng pulled out another stack of banknotes and handed them to Sun Tiecheng. "Go buy some rouge, and doll yourself up with the sisters!" Sun Tiecheng looked at himself in a mirror. "I'm already this handsome, do I still need to doll myself up?" Li Banfeng gave a start and quickly pulled the banknotes back. Just moments ago there had only been the three girls and Tang Changfa in the room; Li Banfeng genuinely had no idea when Sun Tiecheng had stepped in. "Big Brother Sun!" Li Banfeng offered a formal, deep bow. Sun Tiecheng called out to stop the three girls. "Don't be in such a hurry to head out. Stand aside, all of you. Today I have something to say to your shopkeeper." The three girls stood obediently by the wall. Tang Changfa called out the rest of the girls, who lined up neatly alongside them. Sun Tiecheng said to Li Qi, "Back then, when you passed the trial of the City of Fools, I gave you rewards and taught you Fool cultivation arts. I didn't teach you for nothing. We had an agreement that when the time was ripe, you would enter my pathway. Now the time is just about ripe. Your cultivation has reached above the clouds, and I have the means to let you practice three pathways concurrently without suffering cultivation backlash. If you enter my pathway, you will be the only living practitioner of Fool cultivation from now on. If you do not enter my pathway, well, there are some matters we'll have to have a serious talk about." Li Banfeng replied, "No need for talk. I want to enter the pathway, wholeheartedly and sincerely!" Sun Tiecheng greatly appreciated Li Banfeng's attitude. "Since you've agreed, I'm going to make my move!" Li Banfeng was startled. "Make what move?" "To enter the pathway, naturally you must apply medicinal powder!" Sun Tiecheng took out a cloth pouch, pulled out a pinch of powder with his bare fingers, and asked Li Banfeng, "Where do you want it applied?" Li Banfeng hesitated. Apply it where the flesh was thickest? In front of so many girls, pulling down his pants was definitely out of the question. Apply it on his palms or the soles of his feet? Injuring his limbs would inevitably impair his combat power. To minimize the impact, Li Banfeng pulled open his lapel and pointed at his belly. "Apply it here!" "All right!" Sun Tiecheng nodded, then smeared the medicinal powder onto Li Banfeng's face. Li Banfeng clutched his face, jumping from the stinging pain. "Didn't I tell you to rub it on my belly?" Sun Tiecheng grinned. "No matter where you said to rub it, I was going to rub it on your face." "Then why did you even ask me?" "It's to temper you. I used an art to see if you could detect it." Li Banfeng refused to concede. "If I used an art on you, could you detect it?" Sun Tiecheng said with absolute confidence, "Of course I could!" "Then I'm really going to use it." Sun Tiecheng drew a short blade. "Go ahead and try!" This man was truly unreasonable. Li Banfeng tucked his hands into his sleeves and squatted down on the floor. "Today is the day I enter the pathway. For such a joyous occasion, you came empty-handed?" Sun Tiecheng said in surprise, "What do you mean empty-handed? Didn't I just give you the medicinal powder?" Li Banfeng huffed, "How much could that bit of powder be worth? At the very least, you ought to teach me an art for it to be respectable." Sun Tiecheng gave a cold snort. "Have I taught you little? How many years did Gu Rusong follow me? I only taught him two arts. You've learned four arts from me over time—is that too few?" "Can he compare to me? I'm a genuine initiated disciple, the only living practitioner of our Fool pathway. Shouldn't you look after me a bit?" Tang Changfa chimed in from the side, "The shopkeeper has a point. You really ought to look after him." Yan Cui'er urged Sun Tiecheng, "Today is our great day of celebration. Passing on a couple more arts is only right." Yan Hong'er nodded repeatedly. "Our shopkeeper is the Eldest Young Master of the city. If you don't dote on him, who else could you dote on?" Yan Qing'er picked up her pipa. "City Lord, I'll sing you a tune. You're the master of our City of Fools; you can't be too petty in your actions." Sun Tiecheng grew exasperated. "Didn't I tell you all to go out shopping? What are you all lingering here for? Go buy your things!" Everyone scattered to their tasks and left. Li Banfeng, wearing an aggrieved expression, remained squatted on the ground. Sun Tiecheng squatted down next to Li Banfeng and snapped irritably, "Fine, fine. Today truly is an auspicious day. I'll pass another art to you. Have you learned it yet?" Li Banfeng froze. "What could I have learned? You haven't taught anything yet!" Sun Tiecheng said with utmost seriousness, "How can you say that? You wanted to learn an art, and I agreed to teach you an art. How can you say I haven't taught it?" "Are you telling a joke?" Li Banfeng couldn't wrap his head around it. "Just because you agreed to teach it means it counts as taught?" Sun Tiecheng remained completely solemn. "If I hadn't agreed to teach you, I certainly couldn't teach you. Wouldn't you say that makes sense?" Li Banfeng nodded. "That does make sense." Sun Tiecheng added, "And if I agreed to teach you, then I have already taught you. Wouldn't you say that makes sense?" Li Banfeng stared blankly for a long time. "What kind of logic is that?" "This is the principle of inverting cause and effect," Sun Tiecheng chuckled. "Whether I've taught you depends entirely on whether I agreed. Think carefully—does what I say truly make no sense?" Li Banfeng actually felt it made great sense, because he had been struck by the art. Yet this defied the normal logic of his understanding, so Li Banfeng could not bring himself to admit the reasoning behind it. "There's a flaw in the cause and effect you just described. You can't calculate it like that." Sun Tiecheng smiled. "Then how do you say it should be calculated? Do you have the final say, or do I? What is cause and what is effect depends on how the art is cast. Can you understand now?" Li Banfeng carefully pondered the essentials of the art. After thinking for a long time, he murmured, "This is the unnameable?" Sun Tiecheng nodded. "Good lad, you've caught on! Other pathways use the unnameable as a means, but our pathway uses the unnameable as its underlying mechanism. That is why our pathway dares to claim number one in the world!" Li Banfeng contemplated the laws governing shifts between cause and effect. This art was clearly not easy to learn. Sun Tiecheng told him not to rush. "Reversing cause and effect is hard work. When you're just starting, don't pick causal relationships that are too rigid to overturn. For example, 'I entered Changsan Shuyu and ate dinner.' That is normal cause and effect. If you try to invert it into 'I haven't eaten dinner, therefore I haven't entered the shuyu,' that inversion is a bit too rigid. Right now, I haven't eaten dinner, yet here I am inside the shuyu. The plain reality is right before your eyes, so trying to flip it isn't easy. I have the ability to do so, but you still need more tempering. You can start by inverting less rigid causal links. You can flip it into 'I ate dinner, proving that I entered the shuyu.' Inverting it that way is much smoother." Li Banfeng gave it a try. Indeed, the difficulty between the two kinds of causal inversion was worlds apart. Sun Tiecheng chuckled. "Brother, got the hang of it now?" Li Banfeng nodded repeatedly, then rose and said, "Now that I've entered the pathway, I should address you as Master." Sun Tiecheng gave a wry smile. "You've got things backward. Now you remember to call me Master? Even if you want to, you can't." Li Banfeng paused in surprise. "Why can't I?" Sun Tiecheng pulled over a chair and had Li Banfeng sit down. "If you were still outside the door, then indeed you should call me Master; outer disciples should address me as Master. But once you enter the pathway, you can only call me Big Brother. In our pathway, there are only brothers, no masters. You must remember this—it is an unalterable rule." Li Banfeng did not understand. "Why is there such a rule?" Sun Tiecheng was silent for a moment before saying, "If the day ever comes when the two of us become enemies and must fight to the death, I will definitely tell you, 'I passed my skills to you, I am your master, you cannot betray your master and ancestral teachings.' You must never fall for it. In our pathway, there are no masters, nor is there any such thing as betraying your master and ancestors. Show me no mercy either." The words were somewhat heavy. Li Banfeng blinked and said, "How could the two of us become enemies? Where is this coming from?" Sun Tiecheng said with a solemn expression, "Have you committed it to memory?" "I have," Li Banfeng nodded repeatedly. Yan Cui'er returned with wine and dishes, and Tang Changfa quickly set the table. Looking at the food box, Sun Tiecheng shook his head repeatedly. "How could this little bit be enough to eat?" Tang Changfa said, "It's quite a lot, enough for a whole table!" Sun Tiecheng took out several silver dollars. "Go buy more, add a few more tables! Have everyone in the shuyu come eat together—don't leave out anyone who sweeps the floor or wipes down the dust." This was a grand day for Changsan Shuyu, and a grand day for the City of Fools. Sun Tiecheng was overjoyed. Whoever came to toast him, he drained his cup. Even after finishing two jars, he still felt he hadn't drunk enough. Setting down his wine bowl, Li Banfeng brought up the daytime events. "Big Brother, the people from Xuehuapu have set their sights on me. Earlier they investigated me in secret, and now they're stirring up trouble out in the open. Today, it was all thanks to Brother Huang's help that I escaped a calamity." Sun Tiecheng was quite pleased. "Ah Huang handled it well. And you've got guts, daring to demand territory from the Inner States people. That territory won't be easy to hold." Li Banfeng said, "That's exactly what I'm worried about. If I run into Xuehuapu people again, what should I do?" Sun Tiecheng laughed. "What else can you do? Beat the shit out of them! If you can beat them, beat them to death! If you can't beat them, lay low for now, and when you get a chance to stab them in the dark, beat them to death then!" Li Banfeng sighed. "Everyone says Xuehuapu is dangerous to cross, and this time I've thoroughly offended them." Sun Tiecheng chuckled repeatedly. "Vanishing cream might be dangerous to offend, but what the fuck is Xuehuapu? So what if you offended them? Their lot in life is getting thrashed!" Li Banfeng said, "They run the coin-minting business and have plenty of ruthless figures under them. With my current capabilities, I really can't compete with them." Sun Tiecheng shook his head. "Brother, there are some things I can't spell out for you. Just listen to me: whenever you can beat them, don't hold back, beat them to death. If you really can't beat them, come find me, and I'll beat them for you." In Sun Tiecheng's eyes, Xuehuapu was actually so beneath contempt. After a few more drinks, Li Banfeng looked toward Tang Changfa and several familiar girls. "Big Brother, I want to take them outside to gain some experience." The moment those words were spoken, Tang Changfa, Yan Cui'er, and the others all put down their chopsticks. Sun Tiecheng remained silent. Tang Changfa said to Li Qi, "Shopkeeper, we haven't stepped outside in many years. We don't even know what the outside looks like. If we leave now, who knows how much trouble we'd stir up? In the end, we'd only be a burden to you." Li Qi shook his head. "You could never be a burden. You all have your own ways of handling things. Coming outside with me, you'll be the perfect helpers." They looked at one another in silence. Sun Tiecheng smacked his lips. "All of Puluo Province is on guard against our pathway. They've been with me for so many years; I'm also a bit worried that if they leave the city, they might just be walking to their deaths." Li Banfeng thought for a long while before saying to Sun Tiecheng, "Then we won't go to Puluo Province. We'll go to the Outer States. The Outer States don't know much about our pathway." Hearing about the Outer States, Tang Changfa panicked even more. "City Lord, the Outer States might truly know nothing about us, but we know even less about the Outer States! Outside of newspapers, I've barely ever even seen the words 'Outer States'!" Sun Tiecheng took a sip of wine and savored the flavor. This time, he was somewhat intrigued. "Old Seven, tell me the truth: taking them to the Outer States, is it to assist you, or to repay me? If it's to repay me, forget it—I have no need of your repayment. But if you truly want to take them out to see the world, I actually think that's a good thing." "They'll make fine helpers in the Outer States, that's the honest truth." Li Banfeng genuinely did need some helpers in the Outer States. Tang Changfa still didn't want to go. "City Lord, we really can't—" "What do you mean you can't?" Sun Tiecheng waved his hand dismissively. "In the city, you listen to me. In Changsan Shuyu, you listen to the shopkeeper! Wherever the shopkeeper tells you to go, that's where you go!" Everyone fell silent. Sun Tiecheng was in high spirits and poured Li Qi another bowl. "Set a date and set off with them. If you truly find them useful, keep them around longer. If they really turn out to be useless, just send them back to me." Li Banfeng stayed in the City of Fools for several days. Under Sun Tiecheng's guidance, he mastered the art of inverting cause and effect. He also received word from He Yuxiu that the first three-li plot on the newland had been successfully reclaimed. The cook was truly formidable, having different strategies for different roaming anomalies. The Three-Headed people learned quickly as well; on the final day of the trial, without much guidance from the cook, the Three-Headed people devised their own countermeasure and successfully defeated the Offering-Taker Old Man. The reclamation proceeded smoothly. With a water source secured, the five thousand-plus people could be settled comfortably. Ye Jianhuang remained on the newland, and Xuehuapu sent no further troublemakers, so the affair was considered completely settled. "Good lad," Sun Tiecheng praised him. "You carved a piece of flesh right off the Inner States!" Li Banfeng did not take all the credit. "Big Brother, that crucian carp skeleton was left behind by you, wasn't it?" Sun Tiecheng nodded. Li Banfeng smiled. "I was only picking up the spoils from Big Brother." Sun Tiecheng shook his head. "Those spoils aren't something just anyone could pick up. I left that fish behind to see whether the Inner States truly dared to fight the Outer States. Looking at the situation now, the Inner States bark loudly, but their nerve is lacking. They'd rather compensate you with a territory than dare raise a hand against the Outer States." Li Banfeng sighed. "Had I known it was a game set up by Big Brother, I'd have demanded several more newlands from them to see if they'd agree." Hearing this, Sun Tiecheng burst into laughter. "You lad certainly have grand ambitions! Do you have any idea that you conferred a local spirit with your own hands?" "Is that so?" Li Banfeng thought through the entire chain of events; He Yuxiu truly had been conferred by his own hands. He smiled casually. "That doesn't amount to much either." "Doesn't amount to much?" Sun Tiecheng looked Li Banfeng up and down. "A local spirit is a feudal lord of an entire realm. What kind of person do you think can confer a local spirit?" This was something Li Banfeng truly didn't know. Sun Tiecheng offered no further explanation; humming a little tune, he turned and strolled off. With their belongings packed, Tang Changfa entrusted the shuyu to Yan Qing'er to manage, and taking along Yan Hong'er and Yan Cui'er, followed Li Banfeng out of the City of Fools. Li Banfeng had originally planned to take them by train. With his influence, procuring three anonymous travel permits was no problem, and by traveling by rail the entire way, they wouldn't have to suffer such a grueling trek. Yet less than twenty li from the City of Fools, Tang Changfa began to tremble. He didn't know how to move his legs to walk, nor how to open his mouth to speak. This was not mere nervousness. Tang Changfa was terrified that the Fool art would fail, terrified he wouldn't believe he was still alive, terrified he would slowly turn back into a dead man. Yan Cui'er was trembling right alongside Tang Changfa. Yan Hong'er was proud and clever, forcing a facade of calm before Li Banfeng, but deep down she was equally terrified. Li Banfeng said to the three of them, "I walked out of the City of Fools. Am I alive?" The three nodded. Li Banfeng continued, "You also walked out of the City of Fools, so of course you are alive too!" Yan Cui'er nodded, believing whatever the shopkeeper said had to be true. Yan Hong'er stayed quiet; she felt it wasn't true, but didn't dare say it aloud. Tang Changfa couldn't hold it in any longer and blurted out, "Shopkeeper, you are different from us." Li Banfeng feigned surprise. "How are we different? We're the same when we eat, the same when we drink, the same when we sleep, the same when we enter the pathway, and the same when we learn arts. Whatever we do, there's no distinction between us. Aren't we the exact same kind of people?" Li Banfeng aligned the cause and effect, and Tang Changfa felt reassured. He thought they could make it all the way to the station, but unexpectedly, after another several dozen li, the condition struck the three of them again. They had stayed in the City of Fools for who knew how many years; this wasn't something a single use of an art could cure. In this state, getting on a train might spark endless trouble. If they lost control of themselves, they could very well blurt out the secrets of the City of Fools. Better to travel by the newland. Li Banfeng led the three through the newland. After trekking a full day, they pitched camp to rest for the night. Just as Li Banfeng was about to return to his companion dwelling, he smelled the scent of acrid smoke. A fire? Li Banfeng stepped out of his tent and followed the scent of the smoke. After walking a bit over two li, he spotted a man who had built a stove out of several stones and was adding firewood into the firebox. Seeing Li Banfeng, the man stood up and clapped his hands. "The night wind is growing chilly. Fearing you might freeze, I lit a stove to warm you up." Li Banfeng smiled. "Over two li away from us, we really can't feel any warmth." The man tossed in some more firewood. "Haven't you come here now? I predicted you would come, so I built a fire here, waiting for you to come warm yourself." Li Banfeng nodded. "You're quite kind. What did you lure me over here for?" The man answered with genuine earnestness, "I want to have a fight with you to determine a victor." Li Banfeng asked, "And after determining a victor?" The man produced a covenant deed. "If you win, I'll sign this covenant deed, and this land beneath my feet will be yours to dispose of." Li Banfeng said, "And if you win, He Yuxiu's land belongs to you, is that it?" "I won't take that land for nothing," the man produced another covenant deed. "If I win, you sign this covenant deed, and I'll trade the land beneath my feet for He Yuxiu's territory. You won't be taking much of a loss either." Li Banfeng asked, "How should I address you?" The man put away the covenant deeds, poked at the fire in the stove, and chuckled. "I like lighting stoves and stoking fires high and bright. The territory beneath your feet belongs to me."