Madam devoured Hua Manchun's soul and paced in circles around the room, slowly digesting her meal.
The other members of the household took their seats at the table one after another. A local spirit of the proper land was premium fare, yet still lacked a certain flair compared to purebred Inner States folk. Even so, nobody squabbled or snatched, dining in relative harmony.
Li Banfeng walked over to Madam, planted a kiss on her big brass horn, and said, "Darling Madam, what you promised earlier ought to be fulfilled today."
The gramophone feigned ignorance. "What did your servant promise Husband? To bear Husband a child?"
"Can you really give birth to one?" Li Banfeng groped and caressed the gramophone all over.
The gramophone giggled breathlessly. "Husband, stop fooling around. First tell me, how has your technique practice been going?"
Li Banfeng puffed out his chest. "When using Shadow and Form Relying on Each Other, I can simultaneously use Riding the Wind and Driving Clouds. Having practiced to this degree, Madam should be satisfied, right?"
Hong Ying set down her chopsticks and exclaimed, "Qi-lang, you've learned Riding the Wind and Driving Clouds? Your talent really is extraordinary!"
"Borrowed—I borrowed it from Yingying," Li Banfeng gestured for Hong Ying to keep it down, then turned back to Madam. "Darling Madam, being able to use two above-the-clouds techniques together proves your husband has built a solid foundation. It's high time you took me up to the second tier."
"Words alone are no proof. Husband, perform the techniques and let your servant see."
"Easy enough!" Li Banfeng focused his intent and first activated Shadow and Form Relying on Each Other.
After trying for a good while, the shadow didn't emerge.
The gramophone sighed. "Oh, Husband, and this is what you call a solid foundation?"
Li Banfeng was puzzled as well. Shadow and Form Relying on Each Other was something he had practiced specifically and used quite a bit lately. Before his own wife, he was neither nervous nor flustered, so why couldn't he execute it all of a sudden?
Could something have happened to the shadow?
By the candlelight, Li Banfeng looked down at his feet and discovered he had no shadow.
Where had his shadow gone?
Oh no. It was still in the marsh!
In a shock, Li Banfeng rushed out of the companion dwelling and looked all around, but didn't see his shadow.
Where did that rascal run off to?
Could it have thrown a fit in anger and wandered off on its own?
Li Banfeng repeatedly channeled the technique, alternating between releasing and recalling, trying to summon the shadow back.
After three consecutive attempts, a cluster of bubbles surfaced in the mud pit; the shadow finally responded.
It had been soaking in the mud pit for quite a while.
Li Banfeng dug through the mud for some time until he spotted a pitch-black arm. Grabbing the arm, he hauled the mud-drenched shadow out and recalled it beneath his feet.
Upon returning to the companion dwelling, roaring echoed in Li Banfeng's ears as the shadow raged like a madman, berating Li Banfeng incessantly.
Li Banfeng grew rather irritated as well, ready to call the shadow out for a brawl. The gramophone hastily chimed in to soothe him: "Husband, you're the one in the wrong this time. You can't just toss your own shadow away carelessly.
"The shadow is connected to your soul. If it catches poison, illness, or hostile techniques while out there, Husband will suffer the consequences once it's retrieved."
Li Banfeng huffed, "Then I just won't recall it next time."
"Don't speak out of spite. If Husband doesn't take the shadow back, you won't be able to use Shadow and Form Relying on Each Other. And if the shadow slips off its leash, it will become a disaster for Husband down the road."
Madam had a point. Li Banfeng offered a few words of comfort to the shadow, and after about ten minutes, the shadow let go of its resentment and began cooperating with Li Banfeng's demonstration.
Li Banfeng first activated Shadow and Form Relying on Each Other, releasing the shadow, then employed Riding the Wind and Driving Clouds to lift himself into the air.
He took off a bit too vigorously on the first try, smacking his head against the ceiling. Hong Ying called out from the side, "Qi-lang, adjust your thoughts! Don't always think of soaring into the heavens with one leap; just think of riding the breeze.
"The breeze is right beneath your feet. Picture it as a gentle breeze, not a gale or a cyclone. You can master both its direction and force—"
Under Hong Ying's guidance, Li Banfeng flew with increasing stability, gliding from the main room to Room Twelve, and back from Room Twelve to the main room.
The shadow sat to the side reading a newspaper, completely undisturbed by Li Banfeng.
Madam praised him, "This time Husband has truly mastered the techniques. First take half a Profound Accumulation Pill to stabilize your physique. Rest for a moment, and your servant will guide Husband through the advancement."
The gramophone fed half a pill into Li Banfeng's mouth, then fetched a cup of water to help him wash it down.
Ever since reaching above the clouds, half a Profound Accumulation Pill was the largest dose Li Banfeng had ever taken.
Once swallowed, Li Banfeng felt a chill churning through his bone marrow, his entire body shivering uncontrollably into a tight ball.
"Madam, whenever I took pills before, I felt warmth inside my body. Why is it so freezing this time?"
"Because the dosage is slightly excessive. When the heat peaks too intensely, it actually makes Husband feel freezing cold. Husband has been too eager to advance, and your physique lags far behind your cultivation. Your servant had no choice but to resort to this inferior measure, using medicine to force replenishment. Fear not, Husband. With your servant protecting you, you will weather this trial."
A blast of warm, humid steam enveloped him as Madam gathered Li Banfeng into her cozy horn.
As the chill gradually dissipated, Li Banfeng faintly heard several voices murmuring by his ears.
"The lacquer on my body has peeled off; who knows what year it'll ever get touched up."
"There's a lump of dust inside my belly that never gets wiped away. It itches something fierce in here."
"Just this one patch of rust right under my eyelids. If I couldn't see it, fine, but looking at it just makes my heart ache."
Who was talking?
Could it be those passengers of unknown origin staying in the companion dwelling?
Li Banfeng had always remained wary of the various tenants residing in the companion dwelling's rooms, including the maiden in Room Five, the calculation cultivator in Room Eight, the suspected Scrying Cultivator in Room Seven, and the mysterious woman in Room Nine.
Especially the mysterious woman in Room Nine—Li Banfeng had nearly been done in by her.
Why were they all talking in my ears?
What did dust in the belly and rust under the eyelids even mean?
The whispers grew more numerous and dense, making Li Banfeng's head spin with dizziness.
After more than an hour, the clamor gradually receded. Madam's gentle singing slowly brought Li Banfeng back to his senses.
"Winter arrives with boundless snow,
My lord's heart is eager, his servant's in a fluster.
Count your own treasures, let love not be forgotten;
A single skill to rely upon is the pillar beam."
The last line was different.
Before, it had always been to add another room for her husband.
Li Banfeng pulled himself out from the horn and asked the gramophone, "'A single skill to rely upon is the pillar beam'—what does that line mean? Did you not add another room to our house this time?"
"A room was added, of course. But Husband must understand the vital importance of this technique. The technique of Counting One's Own Treasures is the pillar technique of a homestead cultivator; Husband must not treat it with the slightest carelessness."
"What is a pillar technique?"
The gramophone explained, "It is the most important technique in a pathway. If Husband masters Counting One's Own Treasures, it is equivalent to hoisting the main beam of the Homestead pathway.
"If you fail to learn it, or do not learn it thoroughly and cannot raise the main beam, Husband's fortune in the Homestead pathway ends right here. No matter how you cultivate in the future, your cultivation will stall at tier two, never to advance again."
Li Banfeng was startled. "The Homestead pathway actually has such a crucial technique?"
"Not just Homestead," said the gramophone. "Every pathway has its pillar technique."
"Travelers have one too?"
Hong Ying chimed in, "They do. The tier-one technique, Wind Rising from Still Earth, is their pillar technique."
Li Banfeng carefully recalled the process of learning Wind Rising from Still Earth. When he first entered the path, relying on the coachman's guidance, he had learned Rickshaw Steps, granting him astounding stamina.
Yet Grandpa Train looked down upon Rickshaw Steps and taught Li Banfeng Train Steps in Dream-Tethering Tower. From then on, Viewing Flowers from Horseback, Treading Ten Thousand Rivers, Sever the Path to Forge a Way, Unhindered Traveler—all sorts of techniques had received an immense boost. That had to be the impact of a pillar technique on one's cultivation.
"Why does the Traveler pathway's pillar technique appear so early?"
The gramophone said, "Every path has its own ways. The Traveler pillar technique appears early, and cultivators use it constantly. It seems as though they learn it solidly, but using it often is not the same as using it properly. When first stepping onto the path, one knows little of its core tenets and can easily stray. If you take the wrong road, no amount of hard work will avail."
Hong Ying huffed, seemingly disagreeing with the gramophone's explanation.
Ignoring Hong Ying, the gramophone continued guiding Li Banfeng: "The Homestead pathway's pillar technique appears late, but Husband already understands much of the Homestead pathway's core tenets. As long as you cultivate with devotion, you shouldn't stray.
"It's just that Husband's temperament is too impatient. Back when your cultivation was still at ground level, you were rather perfunctory in learning your techniques. Golden Eyes Discerning Autumn Down, Hundred Flavors of Exquisite Perception, and Discerning Spiritual Sounds were bestowed by your servant, and Husband uses them fairly skillfully.
"Heart Arrowing Home, Benevolent Dwelling Heart, Sprawling Compound, Close the Doors and Bar the Gates, and Live and Work in Peace—these five techniques Husband uses frequently, and they can be considered passable.
"As for Hiding a Beauty in a Golden House, Husband's execution is truly unsightly. Making a melon person once in a while barely suffices in battle. With Shadow and Form Relying on Each Other, Husband has only scratched the surface. As for Expand the Domain and Open the Frontiers, it's even worse than Hiding a Beauty in a Golden House; Husband hasn't even learned the surface basics.
"Husband still needs to study those earlier techniques more thoroughly, but under no circumstances can Husband merely go through the motions with Counting One's Own Treasures. Otherwise, your servant truly will have no way to help Husband raise his cultivation further."
Li Banfeng dared not take this lightly and asked earnestly, "How is this technique used?"
"'Family treasures' refers to the cherished belongings of the household. Keeping the family's treasures close to heart, counting them one by one, and bringing them all forth when facing enemies to serve as your right- and left-hand aids—that is the essence of Counting One's Own Treasures."
Li Banfeng chuckled. "Does this technique even need learning? Our family's treasures—I count them every single day! Every time I go into battle, they are my right- and left-hand aids!"
Crossing its arms, the glove wagged an index finger. "The Master treats us like blood brothers, and when we take the field, we never show the slightest hesitation! Living and dying together is what this bond is all about. The main beam of this pathway? Our Master hoisted it long ago!"
The gramophone gave a soft laugh and said to the glove, "You rascal certainly know how to talk; no wonder Husband spoils you so. Counting One's Own Treasures doesn't just refer to you lot; the other items in the house are treasures as well.
"Once, a martial cultivator expert entered a homestead cultivator's courtyard and fought him. That martial cultivator's cultivation was far superior to the homestead cultivator's, and whatever object fell into the martial cultivator's hands would turn into a supreme weapon.
"Yet to the martial cultivator's complete shock, in this homestead cultivator's courtyard, not a single object in his hands would function as a weapon. Not a single object would lend the martial cultivator strength.
"Meanwhile, relying solely on the clutter strewn across the courtyard, that homestead cultivator managed to beat the martial cultivator within an inch of his life. That is an exemplary battle using Counting One's Own Treasures.
"If Husband wants to master this technique, you must not start by working with dharma treasures or spiritual objects. First, you must find an ordinary household item, communicate your intent with it, and see whether a resonance can arise between you."
An ordinary item?
"What kind of item would be suitable?"
The gramophone advised, "The longer an object has been kept in the home, the easier it becomes a family treasure. Items that Husband genuinely cherishes in his heart can also become family treasures."
First, the objective factor of length of time; second, the subjective factor of personal affection.
Li Banfeng looked around the room and first noticed his iron shovel.
This shovel had been acquired along with the scythe. The scythe had developed spirituality and become a dharma treasure, whereas this iron shovel remained nothing more than a shovel to this day.
Though lacking spirituality, this shovel had accompanied Li Banfeng for quite a long time and weathered many vicious battles. In his very first fight on Bitter Mist Mountain, the shovel had rendered distinguished service; when breaking the Star of Mourning's Mourning Array, the shovel had also pulled its weight.
Whether cracking skulls or digging dirt, it had never dropped the chain in critical moments. When counting the treasures in the home, this shovel certainly earned its place.
Li Banfeng set the shovel before him and began communicating deeply with it.
After an hour of communion, the shovel gave no response whatsoever.
Li Banfeng patted the shovel and sighed. "Your personality is still a bit too introverted."
Putting away the shovel, Li Banfeng turned his eyes to the feather duster.
He had a habit of collecting feather dusters. The one he used the most had been bought from a peddler back in Lanyang Village.
This feather duster was crafted from fine materials: bright, soft, dense feathers, with a remarkably resilient wooden handle. Taking it into battle as a weapon, it could withstand blades and axes; using it for daily chores, it swept away all dust; bringing it to dance in social gatherings, it didn't look out of place at all. Treating it as a family treasure was surely the right choice.
Li Banfeng stared at the feather duster for two whole hours, but it gave no response either.
What went wrong this time?
Was the feather duster introverted too?
Switching to other objects, Li Banfeng looked at the iron ruler, looked at the Mandarin Duck Axes, looked at the fake mustache he usually pasted onto his face...
Having stared at personal belongings for several hours, Li Banfeng collapsed onto the bed, eyes bloodshot.
This technique was simply too hard to learn.
The gramophone comforted him, "Husband, there's no rush. You're still far from the next advancement, so you have plenty of time to study the technique."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "It's not a matter of study; I haven't even found the threshold to the technique."
The gramophone gently massaged Li Banfeng's brow with a puff of steam. "Blame your servant for this; your servant failed to explain the essentials clearly. Let me think carefully and see if there's a way to help Husband find the knack."
Li Banfeng embraced the gramophone. "Madam explained it clearly enough. It's just my own comprehension that's lacking."
"Don't speak so dishearteningly, Husband. This technique truly isn't easy to learn."
With a few words of comfort from Madam, Li Banfeng's confidence returned, and he began scouring the house for treasures once more.
After searching for a while, a realization dawned on him.
The shovel, the feather duster, the fake mustache—these items certainly pleased Li Banfeng, but he usually carried them on his person; they hadn't spent much time inside the companion dwelling.
Which object always stayed inside the companion dwelling?
Li Banfeng's gaze landed upon a corner of the main room, where a vase was sitting.
Back when Li Banfeng had blown up the Jiangxiang Gang's Xianle Dance Hall in Yaowang Gully, he had taken this vase from the dance hall.
He never intended to grow flowers and had only used it to hold his feather duster. After all this time, though he hadn't paid much attention to it, when he thought carefully, the vase had been in the companion dwelling for quite a long while.
Li Banfeng stared at the vase for an hour until his eyes were congested and his scalp felt ready to burst.
The gramophone urged, "Darling Husband, you mustn't be too hasty. Rest for a bit—"
Whoosh. A gust of wind stirred, and the vase slowly lifted off the ground, floating in midair.
The gramophone gasped in delightful surprise. "What wonderful talent Husband has! You've found the way!"
Hong Ying was startled as well. Turning around from the vanity table, she asked, "He found a doorway?"
Li Banfeng waved toward the vase. "Come, miss, come sit by my side."
"Miss?" The gramophone listened with Discerning Spiritual Sounds for a moment but detected no movement from the vase, baffled as to why Li Banfeng addressed it as a miss.
The vase hovered in place, reluctant to fly closer, seemingly distrustful of Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng picked up the feather duster and walked over. Fearing a beating, the vase quickly dodged aside.
"Don't be afraid. There's a lump of dust in your belly making you itch, but you can't clean it out, right? Don't be afraid, I'll sweep it clean for you."
Half in doubt, the vase allowed Li Banfeng to pull it gently into his embrace.
Cradling the vase, Li Banfeng inserted the feather duster and swirled it around for a moment. A wad of dust was swept out by Li Banfeng.
"Doesn't itch anymore, does it?"
The vase hovered in midair, mouth tilted toward Li Banfeng, seemingly expressing its gratitude.
"Any other place feeling uncomfortable? I'll clean it up for you too."
Before he finished speaking, the vase darted toward Li Banfeng, its opening capping straight over his head.
The gramophone was startled at first, but promptly sensed goodwill emanating from the vase.
"Husband, you've mastered it!"
"Hahaha!" Li Banfeng laughed in muffled mirth from inside the vase.
The whole household joined in the celebration. The glove wagged its index finger and declared, "Our Master is someone who refuses to be bested! No matter how difficult the technique, grit his teeth and he'll master it for sure!"
The projector sighed in admiration, "This is art! Art penned with perseverance and willpower!"
The Tang dao remained in high excitement: "'The sharp edge of a sword comes from honing, the sweet fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold!' My Lord possesses grand ambition, daring, and boldness—he has raised the main beam!"
The family sang praises for over ten minutes, only to notice Li Banfeng gripping the vase and desperately tugging to yank it off.
The teapot asked in bewilderment, "What kind of technique is he practicing now?"
The gramophone cried out, "What technique?! There's no air in there! Quickly help Husband pull it off, don't let Husband suffocate!"
Hong Ying drew her sword and said, "I'll just chop the vase to pieces. I definitely won't hurt Qi-lang."
From within, Li Banfeng shouted in a muffled voice, "Don't chop it! This is our family treasure!"
Chapter 563