Cleansing the Heart and Purging Thoughts

Li Banfeng laid his cards on the table, making it clear he suspected Wang Zimian had sold Shui Yongquan out. Wang Zimian had claimed Shui Yongquan was sent to the Outer States. Considering Xuehuapu's past conduct, the likelihood that Shui Yongquan had indeed been sold off to the Outer States was extremely high. With things stated so bluntly, all pretense of civility vanished. Wang Zimian fell silent for a moment. He drew another cigarette from his case, lit it, and took two puffs. Looking up at Li Banfeng, he said, "I've grown older, my temper has mellowed, and my mind has broadened. Some matters, I simply can't be bothered to fuss over. Had anyone spoken to me like that in the past, you'd be carried out horizontally." The moment his voice fell, over thirty men emerged from upstairs and downstairs, completely encircling the main hall. Ma the Fifth withdrew his hands into his sleeves, preparing to draw his weapons. Feng Daiku's strands of hair trembled; she too braced for combat. Li Banfeng remained seated in his chair, smoking, wreaths of haze curling around him. Wang Zimian's subordinates brandished their weapons, ready to strike at any second. As the tension mounted to the verge of violence, Wang Zimian raised a hand, signaling his men to hold. Keeping his eyes locked on Li Banfeng, he said slowly, "Get out. And don't ever set foot in Sleepless Town again for the rest of your life." With that, Wang Zimian lowered the cigarette toward the ashtray, intending to stub it out. Li Banfeng's right ear twitched. He glanced at the ashtray, and the Qiansi earring shot out a dart, shattering the glass ashtray to powder. Flying shards of glass grazed Wang Zimian's cheek, leaving a bloody streak. Beneath the shattered ashtray was a hole the size of a coin, threaded with a cord. Ma the Fifth was taken aback, his brow furrowing. "How vicious!" The hole was a trigger mechanism. Just moments ago, Wang Zimian had told Li Banfeng, "Get out." It sounded as though he was letting Li Seven and his companions off. If Li Seven had believed him, stood up, and turned to leave, Wang Zimian would have used the cigarette butt to trip the mechanism, plunging Li Banfeng into a trap. How had Li Banfeng known a mechanism was hidden under the ashtray? It had been concealed with utmost care; even Feng Daiku hadn't spotted it. In truth, Li Banfeng hadn't seen through it either. He knew nothing of craftsmanship techniques. He had merely sensed danger, and that danger emanated from the ashtray beside Wang Zimian's hand. The Qiansi earring had originally possessed no combat power. But when Li Banfeng killed An Zongding, he obtained three magical treasures. Among them was an incense burner capable of transforming smoke into all manner of weapons. The burner's spirituality had been consumed by the gramophone, leaving behind an empty husk. At the earring's own eager request, she and the empty husk were placed together into the bronze lotus, refined, and she gained a portion of the burner's abilities. Just now, as Li Banfeng smoked, clouds of smoke enveloped him. The earring seized the opportunity to burn incense, blending the two plumes so seamlessly that no one noticed. The moment Li Banfeng looked toward the ashtray, the earring fired a dart, smashing it and preventing Wang Zimian from triggering the trap. Blood was drawn on Wang Zimian's face. That meant a blow had been struck against him. One of Wang Zimian's subordinates lunged toward Li Banfeng's back, but Li Banfeng casually flicked his cigarette butt. It struck the man squarely in the eyeball. Within five meters, he never missed. Clutching his eye, the man wailed in agony. The others prepared to strike, but Feng Daiku let out a delicate, chiding sigh. "Why must you?" Her voice carried a hint of reproach, a touch of melancholy, and a trace of pleading and supplication. Wang Zimian's subordinates hesitated, finding it hard to bear raising their hands against her. Ma the Fifth stood up, warily eyeing the crowd. Li Banfeng remained seated in his chair, quietly studying Wang Zimian. He was mainly watching Wang Zimian's face. The earring's strike had indeed been abrupt, and the ashtray had shattered with sudden violence. Yet flying glass shards had actually managed to injure Wang Zimian's cheek. He was a local spirit, a Diligence Cultivator above the clouds who possessed proper land. His cultivation was definitely formidable, likely on par with Old Yao and Pan Dehai. Could his physical prowess truly be this poor? Wang Zimian kept an impassive expression, but internally he lacked confidence. A Diligence Cultivator's personal combat skills were indeed inadequate. He knew Feng Daiku was on his level. But this was his own territory, staffed with his people. When a Diligence Cultivator had subordinates beside him, combat strength could not be measured by mere cultivation tiers; he was certain he held the upper hand. However, he did not know the true strength of Li Seven and Ma the Fifth. According to outside rumors, Ma the Fifth was a Tier 5 Joy Cultivator, and Li Seven was a Tier 5 Traveler Cultivator. Yet judging by the power Li Seven had just demonstrated, there was no way he was only Tier 5. If the trap had succeeded just now, temporarily restraining Li Seven, Wang Zimian would have been confident in overcoming Feng Daiku with his surrounding helpers. But the trap had been seen through. Li Seven struck with seasoned ruthlessness, his cultivation was an unknown, and the two were in the very same hall. Under such circumstances, prioritizing caution, Wang Zimian would not act rashly. Still, Li Banfeng had struck first inside Wang Zimian's home and injured one of his men. If the matter ended just like this, Wang Zimian's reputation would be ruined. Wang Zimian fiddled with the jade archer's ring on his right thumb. His right hand bore three rings and one thumb ring, all exceedingly valuable pieces of jewelry. In particular, everyone in Sleepless Town recognized this thumb ring—rumor had it that this jade ring was worth two whole factories. Seeing Wang Zimian fiddle with the thumb ring, the head steward quietly slipped out of the manor to muster more men. Seeing Wang Zimian remain silent for a long time, Feng Daiku took the initiative to offer him a way out: "Senior, we came today solely to find the whereabouts of Shui Yongquan. Since he isn't here, we ask Senior to point us in the right direction. If there were any offenses in our words, we hope Senior will be magnanimous." Wang Zimian replied with a dark expression, "Miss Feng, out of respect for you today, I will let the matter rest. As for why Shui Yongquan went to the Outer States, I do not know the inside story. However, I have heard he is in Yuezhou, keeping company with some of my friends. That is all I have to say. Take your leave!" There was an implied hint in his words: his so-called friends referred to the people of Xuehuapu. Shui Yongquan was still in Yuezhou, which counted as providing Li Banfeng with a clue. Feng Daiku gave Li Banfeng a look, signaling that this was as far as the conversation needed to go. Li Seven rose and said, "Fine. I'll go have a look in Yuezhou and drop in on those friends of yours while I'm at it." With that, the three left the manor. Feng Daiku lowered her voice. "Let's quicken our pace. I fear complications." Ma the Fifth said, "Seeing him pull that underhanded trick just now, you could tell this bastard isn't upright. What cultivation tiers are those subordinates of his?" Feng Daiku said, "From what I know, they're all between Tier 5 and Tier 6." Ma the Fifth frowned in confusion. "If I'd known, we should've fought them right then and there. Even if they had numbers, we wouldn't necessarily have lost. I don't see Wang Zimian having any real ability—Old Seven shattered an ashtray and it actually wounded him. With that kind of skill, how can he be a local spirit?" Feng Daiku shook her head. "There's something you don't know. A Diligence Cultivator's personal combat prowess is weak, but they are exceptionally good at elevating the combat strength of those around them. A Diligence Cultivator above the clouds, with just two or three sentences, could elevate that group's combat strength to Tiers 8 and 9. Dozens of Tier 8 and 9 cultivators ganging up on the three of us—when we don't know their pathways, don't know their combat styles, and don't know how many mechanisms and traps were in that room—if a fight broke out, do you think we'd have had the advantage?" As they spoke, Feng Daiku walked faster and faster. Approaching an intersection, about a hundred people appeared ahead, blocking their way. Ma the Fifth was startled. Looking back, another hundred or so had gathered behind them. The two groups sandwiched Feng Daiku and Ma the Fifth in the middle. Feng Daiku assumed a look of utter terror. "What are you all trying to do? You're scaring me half to death!" The bespectacled woman from earlier—the one who had been encouraging 'Xiao Liu' in front of the factory—shouted from within the crowd, "Don't listen to this vixen's nonsense! Just now, they acted wildly in front of our Venerable Ancestor. The Ancestor was magnanimous with the younger generation and spared them, yet they show no gratitude and chew their tongues behind our backs! The brave men of Sleepless Town aren't dead yet! Our dignity cannot be cast aside like this! As long as our unyielding bones remain, we cannot let them walk out of Sleepless Town alive!" What was this woman's background? Her name was Kong Baofen, a Tier 7 Diligence Cultivator. Her combat strength was far below Feng Daiku's, but elevating others' combat strength and stoking their fighting spirit was a Diligence Cultivator's specialty. Feng Daiku used techniques to soften opponents' hearts; Kong Baofen used techniques to ignite fury and blazing morale in those around her. A Tier 7 Diligence technique could neutralize an above-the-clouds Emotion Cultivator's technique. And after neutralizing it, Kong Baofen wasn't done. She continued to spur the crowd: "I place my words here today! If we don't sever their heads, I'll discard my life right here! Once the Ancestor arrives, I'll take the vanguard—none of you fight me for it! As long as I draw breath, I will never let them pass!" The crowd roared like thunder. Ma the Fifth said to Li Banfeng, "Old Seven, a brawl is unavoidable today. With a Diligence Cultivator present, we can't take these people lightly. Old Seven? Old Seven?" *Where did Old Seven go?* Only then did Ma the Fifth realize Li Seven was nowhere beside them. Feng Daiku recalled carefully. It seemed that ever since leaving the manor, Li Seven hadn't made a sound. And she hadn't paid any attention to Li Seven earlier either, inexplicably overlooking him entirely. The situation left no time for contemplation. Over two hundred people were poised to charge at any second. With Feng Daiku's strength, handling these two hundred wouldn't be difficult, but once Wang Zimian arrived, it would be a completely different story. Would Wang Zimian come? He would be here shortly. Feng Daiku's anticipation was spot on: Wang Zimian had never intended to let them leave. He hadn't made his move at home earlier because he felt he didn't have enough men on hand, and he himself was too close to Li Banfeng. Before Li Banfeng and the others left, Wang Zimian's steward had already instructed Kong Baofen to gather men and intercept them en route. Now that the ambush had succeeded, it was time for Wang Zimian to strike. While a throng of subordinates waited outside the manor, Wang Zimian went alone to the secret room on the second floor, intending to fetch a few magical treasures. The door to the secret room had more than a dozen locks. Only he could enter; not even the steward was allowed inside. He handled matters with extreme caution. While appearing warm and approachable on the outside, his wariness ran exceptionally deep. He never let his subordinates know what treasures he carried on his person. Diligence Cultivators were inept at personal combat, so these treasures were meant for self-preservation. He first picked up a suit of armor. Calling it armor was generous; it was merely a vest, and it was exceedingly heavy. Wearing it continuously drained the user's stamina, posing a considerable burden even for a cultivator above the clouds like him. Yet as long as he wore this armor, Wang Zimian was shielded from head to toe with no vulnerabilities whatsoever. As for its protective strength, Wang Zimian had once survived an assassination attempt by a Martial Cultivator above the clouds, taking over a dozen blows without sustaining an injury, entirely thanks to this armor. Though the cost was steep, this armor was truly a rare treasure. Defense alone wasn't enough. Holding the armor, Wang Zimian searched for a broadsword over two meters long. This long-handled broadsword was also a supreme treasure. As long as it was held, it could fight enemies according to one's will. Fighting according to one's will meant that if the wielder wanted to decapitate an enemy, the broadsword would strike on its own; the timing, distance, angle, and force required no consideration from the wielder. Its power was beyond question. Once, when Wang Zimian battled a Strength Cultivator, even while wearing his armor he had been wounded because this very broadsword cut straight through it. Later, that Strength Cultivator was overwhelmed by numbers and perished on the spot, whereupon the broadsword fell into Wang Zimian's hands. Using this broadsword came with risks. After executing one strike, the user would suffer dizziness for three days. After ten strikes, the user would collapse unconscious on the spot. Wang Zimian rarely used it. Carrying it was primarily to bolster morale; he wanted to show the others that he meant business. If it came down to a direct clash, within three to five moves he wouldn't fall behind, allowing the rest to witness his might. A Diligence Cultivator's personal combat strength was severely lacking, so every step required meticulous caution. On this front, Wang Zimian was thorough to a fault. In addition to the polearm, he needed a sidearm. Li Seven was a Traveler Cultivator; if he closed the distance, fighting with this broadsword wouldn't be ideal. Carrying the armor and holding the broadsword, Wang Zimian was in the middle of selecting a short weapon. Both the armor and broadsword were rather temperamental: once picked up, they couldn't be set down casually, or else they might refuse to exert their full power on the battlefield. Yet both treasures were immensely heavy, making it genuinely awkward to hold them continuously like this. "Let me hold them for you," Li Banfeng offered, taking the armor and broadsword. "Thanks," Wang Zimian nodded, and then stared blankly at Li Banfeng. Paying no heed to the treasures' temperaments, Li Banfeng tossed them aside and kicked Wang Zimian flat onto the ground. Wang Zimian reached for the magical treasures on the rack, hoping to grab anything to mount a defense. Li Banfeng swung his scythe, severing Wang Zimian's wrist. To Li Banfeng, Wang Zimian's speed was like a lagging video; striking him felt like cutting a frozen frame. It was no exaggeration to say that if Wang Zimian had over two hundred helpers beside him, even if their cultivation wasn't high, two Li Banfengs plus Feng Daiku wouldn't have been able to defeat him. Even using Fool Cultivator techniques might not have worked. Given Li Banfeng's experience as a Fool Cultivator, he could not yet fool over a hundred people in a short period. But Wang Zimian could encourage over a hundred people, filling them with boundless fighting spirit. That was where a Diligence Cultivator's specialty lay. Wang Zimian had spent his entire life in this pathway and would never have given Li Banfeng an opening to strike back. Yet now, Wang Zimian was trapped alone in the secret room by Li Banfeng. Did he still have a chance to fight back? Yes! Once a Diligence Cultivator reached a certain level, they could encourage not only people, but also magical treasures. Li Banfeng wasn't the only one capable of communicating with treasures; Wang Zimian possessed that means as well. However, the crucial issue was that to encourage treasures, he had to speak. At such close range, would Li Banfeng give him the chance to open his mouth? Wang Zimian had two strategies. The first was to use the mechanisms in the secret room to put distance between himself and Li Banfeng, then encourage the treasures to battle him. There were many mechanisms in the secret room. But the problem was that the ashtray in the hall had been seen through by Li Banfeng. Could the other mechanisms fool him? Wang Zimian didn't dare take the risk. The second strategy was to make a desperate gamble. Even if a Diligence Cultivator lacked combat power, his physical body was still above the clouds. Even if Li Banfeng slashed him twice, it wouldn't kill him on the spot. If he could successfully land his Diligence technique before dying, the room full of treasures would swarm Li Banfeng, turning the tide of battle. Yet what if the technique failed before he died? Wang Zimian didn't dare bet his life on it. While his thoughts churned, Li Banfeng's scythe slashed forward again. Wang Zimian prepared to make a desperate stand, but just as he opened his mouth, his body flew backward across a distance. Wang Zimian was puzzled. He possessed no flying techniques. Had a flying treasure stepped in to help him? According to past experience, unless he used a technique, treasures wouldn't act on their own initiative. But at this life-and-death juncture, perhaps a treasure had recognized the dire situation and acted voluntarily. He was now five or six meters away from Li Banfeng. That distance gave Wang Zimian the confidence to speak: "Follow me, all of—" He had spoken only five words when he let out a huge yawn. A Judge's Brush hovered before him. The Judge's Brush was speaking to him. "I saved you. Pay me back the principal." It was indeed the Judge's Brush that had saved him, carrying him back five or six meters to dodge Li Banfeng's scythe. Originally, he had wanted to gamble against Li Banfeng, hoping he could encourage the treasures to fight for him before Li Banfeng could cut him down. Now that the Judge's Brush had claimed its principal, Wang Zimian didn't need to gamble anymore. He lacked even the strength to open his mouth and speak. His eyes glazed over, his fighting spirit utterly spent. Li Banfeng hoisted him up and carried him into the companion dwelling. Hong Ying complained, "Seven Lang, we can't eat anymore. My old clothes barely fit as it is." The gramophone giggled. "Look at you being so spoiled. If our man weren't so capable and let you go hungry, you'd know how miserable that feels." Li Banfeng instructed the gramophone, "Wife, I still have business outside. I'll leave this man to you. Make sure you get the truth about Shui Yongquan's whereabouts." "Rest assured, Husband. Leave such a small matter to your humble slave." The household was full of cheer, but one person wasn't too pleased. The companion dwelling spoke: "Ah-Seven, you only care about feeding your wife. Did you forget about this old man?" "I didn't!" Li Seven started. "Old Master, you can eat along with them!" "What use is eating this to me?" The companion dwelling was genuinely disgruntled. "You should be thinking about getting more trinkets back for me!" *Trinkets?* Li Banfeng didn't understand the old master's meaning, but the gramophone reminded him: "The Old Master likes the trinkets made by the Inner States people." She meant the external steam engines crafted by the Inner States. At present, the Old Master had only acquired two: a fan and a teapot. Neither Guo Gaoge nor Wang Zimian carried such trinkets on them. Why did the Old Master like these things? Was it purely as toys? If not for play, but to study craftsmanship, having two should already be enough. Inner States agents serving as spies weren't easy to find either, so Li Banfeng could only offer a perfunctory reply: "Don't worry, Old Master, I'll definitely keep an eye out." With that, Li Banfeng exited the companion dwelling and picked up Wang Zimian's right hand from the floor. His right hand bore three rings and one thumb ring. Holding the severed hand, Li Banfeng left the secret room and entered the main hall. The crowd waiting at the entrance, eager to head out to battle alongside Wang Zimian, were scared out of their wits the moment they saw the hand. Li Banfeng swept his gaze over them and asked, "Who's in charge here?" The crowd remained silent. Li Banfeng frowned. "I'll ask one more time. Who's in charge?" Everyone looked toward Wang Zimian's steward. The steward shook his head frantically. "Why are you looking at me? We all work for the Ancestor! I'm not in charge of anything!" Li Banfeng looked at the steward and said, "Lead the way." The steward pressed his lips together. "I'm really not—" Li Banfeng's brow twitched. The steward lost his nerve and led Li Banfeng out of the manor. As he walked, the steward grumbled inward. *What is happening? When has the Ancestor's manor ever produced cowards? Why are they all acting so gutless today?* On the street, Feng Daiku and Ma the Fifth were still confronting the crowd. The mob's momentum was fierce and their shouts were deafening. In particular, Kong Baofen kept shouting about leading the vanguard, though she had yet to actually strike. Yet if Feng Daiku and Ma the Fifth rashly attempted to break through, these people certainly wouldn't let them leave. Xiao Liu, the worker, had finished delivering blueprints and was walking back when Kong Baofen yelled, "Xiao Liu, come over here! Show them the mettle of our youth!" Before Xiao Liu could understand what was going on, Kong Baofen dragged him into the crowd and placed him in the front row, less than ten meters from Feng Daiku. Kong Baofen told Xiao Liu, "Xiao Liu, I didn't misjudge you! You can endure hardship and have courage. Having young men like you in the factory makes me proud from the bottom of my heart! I was the one who brought you into Sleepless Town, and I believe my choice was right. Even if we lose our lives, we cannot lose our backbone! These two disgraced our Ancestor, and we must never forgive them!" *Who are these two...?* Under Kong Baofen's encouragement, Xiao Liu's fighting spirit surged, but he genuinely had no idea what was happening. From the other side, someone shouted, "The head steward is here!" Kong Baofen shouted loudly, "The Ancestor is here! Let's fight them to the death!" Then another voice shouted, "The Ancestor didn't come!" Kong Baofen followed up, shouting, "Don't be rash, everyone! Don't let them get away!" "Your Ancestor did come," Li Banfeng walked up to Feng Daiku and Ma the Fifth, lifting Wang Zimian's right hand. "The person didn't come, but his hand did." The clamorous crowd instantly fell dead silent. Even Feng Daiku and Ma the Fifth were bewildered by the sight. *Where did Li Seven go just now? Whose hand is that? Could it belong to Wang Zimian?* The two of them weren't familiar with this hand, but the people of Sleepless Town knew it intimately. They recognized the rings adorning the fingers, and even if they didn't recognize the rings, they knew the jade thumb ring on the thumb. Everyone knew that thumb ring was worth two factories. Li Banfeng swept his gaze over the crowd. "Wang Zimian is injured. He has gone elsewhere to recover, and I fear he won't be able to return to Sleepless Town in the future. Before leaving, he entrusted a matter to me. He said the Diligence Cultivators in town are all his fellow sect members, and he asked me to look after them properly. Let me ask you: who among you are Diligence Cultivators?" No one made a sound. No one knew his purpose in seeking out Diligence Cultivators. Li Banfeng looked at Kong Baofen with a smile. "If you're not a Diligence Cultivator, I won't be able to look after you. And if I don't look after you, it's hard to say what might happen in the future." Li Banfeng lacked the skill to fool over a hundred people for now. Fooling this single person, however, was hardly a problem. Kong Baofen was frightened out of her wits. *Not looking after those who aren't Diligence Cultivators? What does that mean? Does it mean non-Diligence Cultivators will be killed?* Kong Baofen hurriedly stepped out of the crowd. "I'm a Diligence Cultivator." With her taking the lead, things became much simpler. Over twenty Diligence Cultivators stepped out from the crowd one after another. There were quite a few practitioners of this pathway. Li Banfeng looked at them and said, "There are probably some who couldn't make it, right? It doesn't matter. I'll trouble you to pass a message to them: I'm giving you all one day to leave Sleepless Town immediately and never return. One day from now, if any Diligence Cultivator refuses to leave, I'll see to it they depart permanently. Do you all understand?" The Diligence Cultivators looked around, utterly at a loss. Realizing something was wrong, Kong Baofen yelled, "On what grounds are you driving us away? We are the masters of this town! Unless the Ancestor speaks, we're not going anywhere!" Li Banfeng glanced at Ma the Fifth. "Old Five, I don't want to look after this one anymore. I'll leave her to you." Ma the Fifth nodded and stared at Kong Baofen for a moment. Feng Daiku thought Ma the Fifth intended to claim Kong Baofen for his own, but she had misjudged him; seeing someone like Kong Baofen merely disgusted him. Kong Baofen shuddered as blood rushed to her head, and blood began trickling from the corners of her eyes and nostrils. She tried to encourage the others to charge forward and fight, but under the technique, her speech failed her. "S-spare me!" At the verge of death, Kong Baofen managed to squeeze out only two words. Ma the Fifth chuckled. "Don't beg for mercy. So many people are watching. For you to be so craven and terrified of death, what will others think? Just a moment ago you were eager to take the vanguard, and now you beg for mercy. Where will the Diligence Cultivators put their pride after this?" "Spare me, have mercy—" Kong Baofen wailed repeatedly. Ma the Fifth deliberately slowed her demise. "Show me some of that mettle! So many people are watching you. You can't go losing your backbone!" Xiao Liu stood right beside her, watching Kong Baofen the entire time. Kong Baofen had no mind to look at Xiao Liu. She kept her eyes on Ma the Fifth, begging for mercy over and over, until she finally died before the pain could make her pass out. Li Banfeng said to Ma the Fifth, "There's a pile of good things in Wang Zimian's manor. He told me personally just now that all of it is a gift to us. You and Miss Feng go divide it up first. All his properties in Sleepless Town are gifted to us as well. We only have to do one thing: drive every Diligence Cultivator out of Sleepless Town. Sleepless Town belongs to us now, and from now on, the people of Sleepless Town will live like human beings." Ma the Fifth understood Li Banfeng's meaning: matters in Sleepless Town would be left to him and Feng Daiku for now, while Li Banfeng found an opportunity to return to the companion dwelling. Feng Daiku still couldn't fathom how Li Banfeng had dispatched Wang Zimian. Ma the Fifth laughed. "Don't think about it, and don't ask. When something happens, just listen to Old Seven—you won't go wrong." Looking at the room full of magical treasures, Feng Daiku's eyes went wide. "Wang Zimian's accumulated wealth is truly astonishing." Ma the Fifth nodded. "Let's collect the items first. As for our share, we can discuss it however you like. Mine is yours; I can give it all to you. But Old Seven gets the lion's share, and he must have first pick of the best." Inside the companion dwelling, Wang Zimian had confessed everything he needed to confess. He had led men to find Guo Gaoge and seized Shui Yongquan from his hands, all for the sake of investigating Li Seven. Li Banfeng asked, "Why must Xuehuapu investigate me?" Wang Zimian said, "It was an order from above." "Who is your superior?" Wang Zimian shook his head repeatedly. The gramophone said, "Husband, there's no need to force him. He can't say it. There's a curse binding him, similar to the one on An Zongding." Li Banfeng asked again, "What did you find out?" Wang Zimian said, "Shui Yongquan is a tough nut to crack. I tortured him, and he endured it. When he couldn't endure any longer, he used water to wash out his own mental apertures. I couldn't get anything out of him." Li Banfeng didn't understand. "What does that mean?" The gramophone explained from the side: "It is an above-the-clouds Water Cultivator technique: Cleansing the Heart and Purging Thoughts. It washes away all memories, reducing one to a crippled wreck." *A crippled wreck...* "Hasn't he... already become an Injured Demon Fiend? How could he... still use an above-the-clouds technique?" Li Banfeng's voice lacked its usual cadence. "Husband, Shui Yongquan is an intelligent man. He certainly had means to retain his techniques. It's just unexpected that he turned it upon himself." To avoid betraying Li Banfeng, Shui Yongquan had erased his own memories. The gramophone knew Li Banfeng was hurting inside. She worried he might suffer a relapse of his madness, yet she had no idea how to console him. Li Banfeng remained silent for a long time. Then he planted a heavy boot on Wang Zimian's face and demanded, "Where is he now?" "In Chu Zikai's hands. He needs money, and Xuehuapu needs money too. I advanced them far too much silver and simply couldn't keep providing any more. I gave Shui Yongquan to Chu Zikai to settle the debt. Chu Zikai is in Yuezhou, preparing to sell Shui Yongquan. An Injured Demon Fiend can fetch a massive price," Wang Zimian said with great difficulty. Li Banfeng applied more pressure with his foot. "Where is your covenant deed? Speak!" Wang Zimian didn't dare hold back: "My covenant deed... is buried beneath my manor." Li Banfeng instructed the gramophone, "Wife, eat slowly. The slower, the better!" The gramophone complied: "Rest assured, Husband. Our whole family will eat together; we certainly won't let him die an easy death." Stepping out of the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng went to dig up Wang Zimian's covenant deed. *Brother Shui, wait for me. I'm coming to save you right away.* PS: With a piece of proper land, perhaps Shui Yongquan's divine status can still be restored.