Gui Jianchou and the ghost servants under his command had fallen ill—with an affliction contagious through mere speech.
Judging by their condition, they were severely afflicted. Gui Jianchou clutched his chest continuously, finding it difficult even to stand.
The ghost servants held up sheets of white paper and bowed deeply toward Li Banfeng with cupped hands. They hoped he would plead with Sun Tiecheng to spare their lives.
Yet if it was Sun Tiecheng they sought, why come to Songling Village? Shouldn't they have gone to the City of Fools?
Still unable to make sense of the situation, Li Banfeng asked them, "Senior Brother is in the city, isn't he?"
Gui Jianchou nodded repeatedly.
Li Banfeng said, "Wait here for now. I'll go find him right away."
Songling Village was completely deserted, leaving only Gui Jianchou and his ghost servants. Where had the villagers gone? Where had Mao Caoye gone?
It was best to fetch Senior Brother Sun first and have Gui Jianchou cured. Once he could speak and answer questions, everything should become clear.
Just as Li Banfeng was about to set off, he saw a man in his forties appear before the farmhouse door. He wore a front-buttoned white shirt, black riding breeches, and his hair was combed neat and glossy.
"What did you come here for?" The man stared at Gui Jianchou, sizing him up from head to toe. From the sound of it, the two were acquainted.
Gui Jianchou bowed repeatedly to the man, offering salutes and clasped-hand gestures. Beside him, a ghost servant raised a sheet of white paper that read:
*We have contracted an illness contagious through speech. We beg you to save our lives.*
Was this man a Doctor Cultivator?
To be capable of curing such a bizarre condition, his medical skills had to be considerable.
The man sneered. "What an amusing thing to say. You nearly brought about a catastrophe by coming here. Why on earth should I save you?"
Gui Jianchou shot a glance at a ghost servant, who hurriedly scribbled: *Because you are the greatest knight-errant under heaven, the supreme hero under the sun! You could never bear to watch people die without lending a hand!*
The man scoffed, "What use is this sort of flattery?"
With that, he grabbed Gui Jianchou's wrist to take his pulse.
After taking the pulse, the man stroked his beard slightly and let out a long sigh. "Strange. This is truly strange."
Gui Jianchou pursed his lips, wanting to grumble, but didn't dare speak.
A nearby ghost servant raised a sheet of paper: *Do you know medicine?*
The man shook his head and answered with absolute candor, "Not a bit!"
Li Banfeng didn't even know what to make of it.
If you know nothing about medicine, what are you feeling his pulse for?
Gui Jianchou's behavior was even more baffling. He seemed to know full well that the man knew nothing of medicine, yet why was he begging him for a cure?
The man rose to his feet and said to Gui Jianchou, "Forget it. I'm too softhearted after all. I'll give you a chance—just one. If you win, I'll help cure your illness. If you lose, get out immediately. Even if you can't walk, you'll have your subordinates carry you out. You're not permitted to leave even a corpse here. Deal?"
What did that mean? Was he proposing a martial duel?
In Gui Jianchou's current condition, he hardly seemed fit for a duel.
Yet Gui Jianchou nodded at the man with a grave expression.
"Good!" The man produced a dice cup, dropped three dice inside, and began shaking it up and down.
So it was a game of dice.
The man's technique was exceptionally deft. The dice cup began in his right hand, twirled three times around the top of his head, transferred to his left hand, and slid along the back of his left hand all the way to his shoulder. From his left shoulder it glided to his right, and from the right shoulder back into his right hand.
With a flick of his right fingertips, the dice cup flew into midair. As it came down, he caught and slammed it onto the table, saying to Gui Jianchou, "Place your bet!"
Gui Jianchou glanced at a ghost servant, who brought the paper close to him.
Clutching his chest, Gui Jianchou lifted a brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote a single character on the sheet: *Big!*
The man said to Gui Jianchou, "Think carefully. You're gambling with your life—no regrets once it's set!"
Gui Jianchou nodded vigorously, indicating he wouldn't regret it.
"All right! Reveal!" The man lifted the dice cup. The three dice showed four, five, and six—indeed big.
The man was silent for a long time before sighing. "So be it. It is the will of Heaven. I shall cure you this once. Uninvolved persons, take your leave for now."
The only uninvolved person present was Li Banfeng.
Hearing this, Li Banfeng promptly stepped outside the courtyard, and two ghost servants closed the gate behind him.
With his current level of cultivation, Li Banfeng had plenty of means to peek or eavesdrop, but he refrained. Gui Jianchou was seeking a cure, and a momentary burst of curiosity shouldn't disrupt serious business.
More than half an hour later, the gate opened.
Gui Jianchou was profusely thanking the man: "Junior Brother Song, I owe you my life! My entire household owes you. If you ever need anything in the future, just say the word."
Gui Jianchou dared to speak.
That proved his illness was cured.
Was this man his junior fellow disciple?
Gui Jianchou stepped forward to introduce him. "Old Seven, this is my junior fellow disciple, Song Qianhun. He is a master of two disciplines. In my eyes, he is a dragon and phoenix among the capable, the very pinnacle of talent!"
Song Qianhun sneered, "How can you still utter such shameless sycophancy? Hypocrites like you are truly nauseating!"
Having said that, Song Qianhun took out a folding fan, gave it a couple of flaps, his eyes gleaming with clear satisfaction.
He didn't seem all that disgusted.
Song Qianhun—a distinctive name. Given that he was Gui Jianchou's fellow disciple, he was likely a Demon Cultivator.
Gui Jianchou called him a master of two disciplines; what was his other path? A Doctor Cultivator?
Yet he had just admitted that he knew nothing of medicine.
Song Qianhun and Li the Seventh cupped their hands in mutual greeting and exchanged pleasantries, formalizing the acquaintance. Turning back to Gui Jianchou, Song Qianhun said, "Senior Brother, I've figured out the symptoms of your affliction, but where the root cause originated still eludes me. I've never heard of a disease that could spread through speech."
Gui Jianchou dared not speak the truth. Going to Sage Peak had been an assignment from Sun Tiecheng; even if he were lent a hundred times his courage, he wouldn't dare reveal it.
"I don't know where it came from either. Today, I was originally planning to visit Lüshui City. The moment I reached the city gates, my chest began tightening in waves. At first, I could endure it, but then it grew more and more agonizing. Some of the ghost servants under me are Doctor Cultivators, so I had them examine me. In the end, instead of curing it, the ghost servant caught it as well."
As he spoke, Gui Jianchou cast a quick glance at Li Banfeng.
The key takeaway from that statement was that Gui Jianchou's ghost servants included Doctor Cultivators.
This implicitly revealed Song Qianhun's situation to Li Banfeng: Song Qianhun himself knew no medicine. Like Gui Jianchou, he was a Demon Cultivator who relied on ghost servants to treat illnesses.
Li Banfeng's thoughts stirred. Treating illnesses through ghost servants? That sounded familiar.
Gui Jianchou continued, "The ghost servant had no idea how he'd caught it either. When he turned around to discuss matters with the other ghost servants, the moment he opened his mouth, all the others were infected, each feeling pain in their chests. Driven to my wits' end, I could only rush to Iron Gate Fort to seek you out. But when I reached the village, I found you hiding and refusing to see me. My heart went completely cold!"
As he spoke, Gui Jianchou shot another glance at Li Banfeng. This statement carried two points of emphasis:
First, Gui Jianchou had come to Iron Gate Fort specifically to look for Song Qianhun; only when he couldn't find him did he turn to Li Banfeng for help.
Second, Gui Jianchou hadn't mentioned a word about Sun Tiecheng, and Li Banfeng must by no means mention it either.
Song Qianhun said, "Senior Brother, you were in the wrong on this. Knowing full well you carried a pestilence, you still came to this village. Weren't you afraid of killing everyone here?"
Gui Jianchou hung his head. "Junior Brother's rebuke is well taken. I was indeed in the wrong."
Song Qianhun pondered for a moment. "You mentioned earlier that you caught this condition on your way to Lüshui City. Could it be the work of the Green Water Bow?"
Gui Jianchou nodded. "I suspect it was Lühuazi's doing. I'll certainly settle this score with him!"
Hearing this, Li Banfeng felt a twinge of tension.
Was it really Lühuazi's doing? Had Lühuazi escaped from Daogui Ridge?
Upon hearing that, Song Qianhun turned his back and said, "I have little dealing with Lühuazi, nor any grudge against him. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to meddle in the grievances between Senior Brother and him."
Gui Jianchou waved his hands repeatedly. "I wouldn't dare trouble Junior Brother with matters of vengeance; I shall handle it myself. Junior Brother, I will remember this kindness. I still have urgent business, so I'll take my leave first. Old Seven, what did you come here to—"
Gui Jianchou wanted to take Li the Seventh along with him, but Li the Seventh couldn't leave just yet.
Li Banfeng looked at Song Qianhun and said, "Senior Song and I still have matters to discuss."
"Then discuss it properly. In the territory of Iron Gate Fort, when speaking to Junior Brother Song, you must mind your bounds."
Gui Jianchou left. That was his third hint, and Li Banfeng understood it loud and clear: this Song Qianhun was the local spirit of Iron Gate Fort.
Li Banfeng had once asked the coachman to help find the local spirit, but failed back then. Today, he had run into him right here.
Song Qianhun stared at Li the Seventh for a moment. "If I'm not mistaken, you are the Fort Lord of Iron Gate Fort? The fort lord whose name is literally Fort Lord."
Li Banfeng did not deny it. "Senior is correct."
Song Qianhun nodded with an approving smile. "You've accomplished quite a few practical deeds for Iron Gate Fort. It's evident you have a decent heart and plenty of capability. But let me lay my cards on the table: the seat of the local spirit is something I will never yield to anyone."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Senior worries needlessly. I have never intended to become the local spirit of Iron Gate Fort. I came here today to look for a friend of mine. His name is Mao Caoye, a young rice seller. When he arrived at Songling Village, he vanished, and the villagers here have vanished as well. Senior surely knows where they went?"
Song Qianhun nodded. "I do indeed know. But why should I tell you?"
Li Banfeng frowned. "What does Senior mean?"
Song Qianhun scooped out a handful of silver dollars, flipping them from his left hand to his right, and from his right back to his left. Amidst the swirling dance of silver coins, they flowed like a cascading silver waterfall at times, and leapt like a soaring silver dragon at others—an exceedingly flamboyant display of sleight of hand.
With a flash of silver light, Song Qianhun closed both hands and presented them before Li Banfeng. "Let's have a gamble. If you win, I'll tell you the truth. If you lose, leave Songling Village at once and pretend you never saw me."
"Deal!" Li Banfeng agreed.
Song Qianhun extended his right hand. "Guess whether the silver dollars in my hand are an odd or even number."
Li Banfeng said, "Odd."
Song Qianhun's brows knit. "Think carefully!"
"I've thought it through," Li Banfeng said. "Senior brought out eleven silver dollars in total: five in your right hand and six in your left. There's no mistake."
Song Qianhun fell silent for a moment, then opened his right hand.
There were indeed five silver dollars inside.
His technique had certainly been flashy, but because he showed off too much, the coins stayed suspended in the air for too long. Just before he pulled back his hands, Li Banfeng had seen everything clearly.
Song Qianhun was honest, however; he did not renege. "I accept the loss fair and square. I'll tell you the truth. I knew my senior fellow disciple Gui Jianchou had arrived at Songling Village, and I knew he carried a pestilence. Fearing he would spread it through the village, I used a technique to transport the villagers to my residence. That young rice seller was among them. They are currently fast asleep at my place. Once they wake, all of them will be returned to the village."
Li Banfeng said, "Senior's action truly surprises me a little."
Song Qianhun blinked, then chuckled. "You didn't expect me to care whether these villagers lived or died?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "The common folk of Iron Gate Fort were oppressed by swindlers and bandits for years, yet Senior was never seen taking action."
Song Qianhun said, "I rarely intervene in squabbles between ordinary folk. But my senior fellow disciple is no ordinary person. The pestilence he brought could well be an extinction-level catastrophe for Iron Gate Fort. I could not leave it unattended."
That was Song Qianhun's principle as a local spirit. Li Banfeng offered no further comment on it, instead asking, "According to my calculations, the Peddler should have reached Iron Gate Fort. Has Senior seen him?"
Song Qianhun nodded. "I have. Early this morning he arrived in my territory. I had intended to buy some goods from him, but as soon as we met, an urgent matter came up, and he hurried off."
"What urgent matter?"
Song Qianhun said, "By right, the Peddler's whereabouts cannot be casually divulged. However, I know you are his friend. You once claimed to be his senior brother, and after learning the truth, he didn't hold it against you, which shows your bond is no shallow thing. How about this: let's gamble once more. If you win, I'll tell you where the Peddler went. If you lose, leave Songling Village immediately, don't tell anyone you've seen me, and especially don't tell anyone you gambled with me."
This local spirit seemed very fond of gambling and was quite likely a Gambling Cultivator. Carelessly losing a round to Li Banfeng just now might have posed a severe blow to his reputation.
Yet he had also lost a round to Gui Jianchou earlier. From the looks of it, his gambling luck was rather poor today.
Regardless, if Li Banfeng wanted to know the Peddler's whereabouts, he had to gamble with him.
Once the two settled on the terms of the wager, Song Qianhun brought out a set of pai gow dominoes.
Li Banfeng froze. He didn't know how to play pai gow.
"Could we change the game?"
Song Qianhun shook his head. "I proposed the wager, so I set the rules."
The glove, tucked inside Li Banfeng's jacket pocket, lowered its voice: "Master, have no fear! Leave this to me—I'm an expert!"
Reassured by the glove's words, Li Banfeng relaxed. The two drew their tiles and checked their hands. Song Qianhun remained expressionless, but his fingertips trembled ever so faintly.
The glove immediately spoke up: "Master, he's cheating! He has a tile hidden up his sleeve. If he denies it, tell him to shake out his sleeves!"
Li Banfeng cleared his throat. "Senior, I came to consult you with utter sincerity. If you resort to card tricks, this loses all its fun."
Song Qianhun's face flushed slightly red as he put the dominoes away.
He had this one virtue: he never welshed.
"Since my trick was seen through by you, the loss is naturally mine. I shall tell you where the Peddler went. The Peddler received word that people from the Inner States have slipped into Puluo Province. Unable to bother with business, he rushed off directly to handle the matter."
"Did he mention where it happened?"
Song Qianhun shook his head. "I've heard about people from the Inner States infiltrating Puluo Province before. The Peddler will surely have a way to deal with it; there's no need for you to worry."
Li Banfeng said, "After dealing with the Inner States intruders, the Peddler should still come to Iron Gate Fort, right?"
Song Qianhun thought it over. "That's not certain. It depends on whether things go smoothly."
Li Banfeng said, "If the Peddler comes to Iron Gate Fort again, please pass a message along for me, Senior Song."
Song Qianhun sneered, "It's not out of the question to carry a message for you. But I am a lazy man by nature, and there are certain storms I have no desire to get swept into. If you insist on me delivering this message..."
Li Banfeng took over the sentence, "I have to gamble with Senior again, right?"
Song Qianhun nodded and brought out two dice cups. "One set of dice each. We compare totals—one round decides victory or defeat. If you win, I'll pass your message. If you lose, leave at once and never mention today's events to anyone. How does that sound?"
"Agreed!"
Li Banfeng took the dice cup. Before he could even begin, Song Qianhun had already started shaking his.
Hearing the sound, the glove whispered covertly, "Not good!"
"What's not good?"
"Master, the commotion from that dice cup is too loud! He's going to use the dice-splitting technique—shaking the dice in two!"
"What's the use of that?"
"If the dice shatter in half, the three original dice become six, totaling up to twenty-one points! Master, we've run into an expert; winning won't be easy. In a moment I'll pull a trick to aim for a tie at best. If he catches us, we'll concede early. This man is probably a Gambling Cultivator. Welshing in front of a Gambling Cultivator will cost us dearly!"
Welshing wouldn't come to pass anyway; if Song Qianhun truly refused to carry the message, Li the Seventh could find another way.
As they spoke, the rattling of the dice grew louder and louder.
*Smack!*
Song Qianhun slammed his dice cup against the ground and looked at Li Banfeng. "Why haven't you started?"
Li Banfeng said, "I was waiting for Senior to—"
"No need to wait! You have no chance!" Song Qianhun lifted the dice cup. The three dice had been shattered completely, reduced to a pile of powder.
The glove was baffled.
Li Banfeng was equally bewildered.
"Senior, how many points is this?"
A gust of cold wind swept past, scattering the powdery remnants of the dice until not a speck remained.
The glove whispered, "He seems to have used too much force."
The scene turned profoundly awkward. Song Qianhun pursed his lips, inverted the dice cup onto the ground, and said to Li Banfeng, "You don't need to roll. Speak—what message do you want carried?"
The magical treasures around Li Banfeng were all mocking Song Qianhun, but Li Banfeng didn't laugh.
Playing dice was likely Song Qianhun's hobby. Whether it was a good or bad habit aside, at least his attitude was dead serious.
Li Banfeng said, "I've uncovered some intelligence concerning the safety of Puluo Province. If Senior encounters the Peddler, please have him wait for me in Iron Gate Fort."
Song Qianhun nodded. "Rest assured, I will definitely deliver the message. If the Peddler comes, I will have that rice-selling friend send word to you. Now, I intend to transport the villagers of Songling Village, along with that rice seller, back here. If you don't leave, we'll have to gamble yet again."
Song Qianhun's purpose was clear: he didn't want Li Banfeng to see his relocation methods.
Li Banfeng waved his hand. "No more gambling. This junior will take his leave. Senior, having a hobby does no harm, and having some fun in daily life is fine, but you must never gamble with money—you'll lose everything in the blink of an eye."
Li the Seventh turned and left the village.
Song Qianhun watched Li the Seventh's departing figure and scowled. "Winning a mere two rounds, and look how arrogant he gets!"
The dice cup floated up in front of Song Qianhun and snorted, "Humiliating, isn't it? Made a laughingstock of yourself, didn't you? You're already a Gambling Cultivator above the clouds—how can your technique still be this atrocious?"
Song Qianhun snapped angrily, "On that last roll, if you hadn't applied hidden force, would I have shattered the dice completely to dust?"
The dice cup huffed, "If I hadn't applied hidden force, forget the dice—even I would have been shattered by you! You're simply not cut out for this!"
"If I wasn't cut out for this, could I have cultivated above the clouds?"
The dice cup scoffed, "That's because you were diligent enough! If I hadn't looked out for you all these years, you would've gambled away the very pants off your backside!"
"Ptui!" Song Qianhun spat. "The last time we set up a game in Yanlou Village, you didn't leave me with my pants either!"
***
Li Banfeng returned to the companion dwelling, lay down on the bed, and couldn't think of a plan.
His lady comforted him, "Husband, this humble servant feels this matter cannot be rushed. Even if you told the Peddler, he wouldn't have much of a way to deal with it either."
Indeed, what could the Peddler do?
In the end, it was nothing more than running everywhere and catching who he could, one by one.
His lady continued, "Puluo Province is like a dilapidated house. When a torrential rain arrives, the Peddler pushes his cart, patching here in the east and mending there in the west. When it can no longer be patched, he catches the leaks with a basin himself. Husband, the Peddler possesses such formidable skill, yet there are times when even he cannot be in two places at once. If Husband were to patch and mend alongside him, who knows what this dilapidated house could be made into?"
Li Banfeng pondered for a long time, then took the newland covenant deeds and went to Lüshui City first.
"Ah Gui, you've done well on this errand! I must reward you handsomely." Sun Tiecheng first had the red lotus take in the golden-thorn peaches; layers of glowing light rippled across the red lotus, signaling the start of pill refinement.
Sun Tiecheng nodded in satisfaction, then said to Gui Jianchou, "Release Zhang Gunli's soul as well. I'll help you discipline him!"
Gui Jianchou was delighted. Zhang Gunli's tier was too high, and his soul carried numerous techniques and contraptions. To control his deceased spirit, one had to exercise extreme caution; if backlashed, ghost servants slaying their masters was hardly unprecedented.
Now, as long as Sun Tiecheng applied some techniques to make Zhang Gunli recognize Gui Jianchou as his sole master, he would surely be utterly loyal and never dare rebel.
Gui Jianchou produced a porcelain bottle, broke the seal over its mouth, and released Zhang Gunli's soul.
Zhang Gunli stood before Sun Tiecheng, uttering with a fierce look, "So it is Castellan Sun. Long time no see."
Sun Tiecheng looked at Zhang Gunli and laughed, "You son of a beast, even turned into a ghost, you're still this arrogant?"
Zhang Gunli laughed as well. "You stray dog, neither human nor ghost—just how many more years do you intend to eke out a miserable existence?"
Sun Tiecheng praised, "Oho, your speech even carries a scholarly air now. You've made progress, kid."
Gui Jianchou laughed, "Not only does he carry a scholarly air, he even planned on courting a scholarly beauty. For the sake of Puluo Province's number one talented woman, he threw away his little life."
Sun Tiecheng laughed for a moment, then suddenly paused and turned back to Gui Jianchou. "What did you just say?"
Gui Jianchou said, "He Jiaqing had Shen Rongqing set up the trap, borrowing something from him. When the due date arrived, Zhang Gunli went to collect the debt, and only then did he fall into our hands. Castellan, I told you about this before."
Gui Jianchou had indeed mentioned it, but at the time Sun Tiecheng had only focused on setting up the scheme against Zhang Gunli and hadn't inquired too much into the details.
Now, looking at Zhang Gunli, Sun Tiecheng's brow gradually furrowed. "Old Zhang, do you lack women?"
Zhang Gunli laughed, "I have no shortage of vulgar, ordinary beauties, but those possessing both talent and grace are hard to come by. I truly fell for her. I tumbled and crawled across the martial world my entire life, only to end up ruined by a woman. Thinking back on it, it truly chills my heart."
Gui Jianchou laughed heartily. "Now you know it chills your heart? Too late! Do you feel immense regret inside? How about crying a couple of times for me to see!"
Zhang Gunli didn't cry, and Sun Tiecheng didn't laugh either.
Sun Tiecheng turned back to Gui Jianchou. "Describe what happened then in more detail. How many of you fought Zhang Gunli?"
"Myself, Mu Yuejuan, Feng Chongli, and He Jiaqing."
Sun Tiecheng pondered for a moment and asked again, "What cultivation level was Feng Chongli?"
"Past 'above the clouds.' He also knows the Peddler's exclusive technique, 'Fair to All.' Everyone says he's the Peddler's personal disciple."
Sun Tiecheng was somewhat surprised. "When has the Peddler ever taken a personal disciple? Did you see that clearly?"
Gui Jianchou said, "I wouldn't dare say for sure that it was 'Fair to All.' That was Zhang Gunli's guess at the time, and to me it looked quite like it."
Sun Tiecheng said, "This Feng Chongli can be considered to have real ability. What about that He Jiaqing?"
Gui Jianchou said, "He Jiaqing is a Thief Cultivator, with cultivation above the clouds, though his exact tier is unknown. Word has it the Sage's jade seal is in his possession, so he has some ability as well."
"Who else?"
"No one else!" Gui Jianchou shook his head. "The remaining two, one named He Haisheng and the other Shen Rongqing, didn't make a move. Their cultivations are still at ground level."
Sun Tiecheng pondered for a moment, then asked, "Did you all use your full strength?"
Gui Jianchou thought about it and said, "Using full strength wouldn't be accurate. Zhang Gunli's walnuts were stolen by He Jiaqing, and we knew him inside and out, so fighting him naturally didn't take much effort. I told you all of this before."
Yes, Gui Jianchou had reported it beforehand, and going after Zhang Gunli had been directed by Sun Tiecheng.
Yet Sun Tiecheng hadn't witnessed the battle firsthand; certain details were indeed unclear to him.
Sun Tiecheng murmured softly, "Blame me for asking too little. Given Old Zhang's abilities, you fought a bit too easily..."
Gui Jianchou said, "It was mainly because our prior preparations were thorough; we gave Zhang Gunli no chance to turn the tables."
Sun Tiecheng pondered for a long time, then suddenly looked toward Zhang Gunli's right hand.
In Zhang Gunli's right hand was an abacus.
"This abacus is still here?"
Gui Jianchou was quite proud. "When I collected Zhang Gunli's soul back then, I swept this abacus into the bottle as well. None of them noticed. This is a fine treasure."
Sun Tiecheng took the abacus from Zhang Gunli's hand. Zhang Gunli was startled and tried to snatch it back, but was subdued by Gui Jianchou's technique.
Holding the abacus, Sun Tiecheng examined it closely for a moment and asked, "Did he use this abacus?"
Gui Jianchou said, "It's his signature weapon; of course he used it!"
Sun Tiecheng scrutinized the abacus beads. "Did he really use it?"
Gui Jianchou thought again. "He should have used it. I remember abacus beads flying all over the sky back then."
A Xiong chimed in from the side to remind him, "Master, you might be misremembering. Someone indeed used an abacus during the battle, but that was Feng Chongli—his weapon is also an abacus. I never saw Zhang Gunli use an abacus."
"He didn't use it?" Gui Jianchou recalled carefully. The battle had been so intense back then that he truly hadn't paid close attention to Zhang Gunli's abacus.
Sun Tiecheng waved the abacus before Zhang Gunli's eyes. Zhang Gunli panicked visibly, his soul growing unstable.
"Ah Gui, take this." Sun Tiecheng tossed the abacus to Gui Jianchou. The moment Gui Jianchou caught it, Zhang Gunli struggled desperately, trying to snatch it back.
"Ah Gui, step farther away!" Sun Tiecheng ordered. Carrying the abacus, Ah Gui walked outside the hall.
Zhang Gunli lost his strength, his struggles growing weaker and weaker. By the time Gui Jianchou walked more than ten meters away, Zhang Gunli's eyes had dulled and his expression turned numb; he stood in place, unable to move.
Sun Tiecheng shook his head slightly. "This isn't Zhang Gunli."
Chapter 543