Mr. Kongfang

"I'm off to catch a fox. We'll talk again when you have time." Luo Yanjun squirmed all the way over to the pool. Li Banfeng asked, "You're going to catch the fox yourself?" Luo Yanjun chuckled. "How could a fox be so easy to find? If I went to catch it myself and failed, I'd only end up stinking of musk. A job like this has to be left to hunting dogs. A dog's nose is the sharpest." Li Banfeng wanted to ask which dog she planned to take, but Luo Yanjun did not want to say any more. From her position, saying a single word too many could cost her life. Luo Yanjun leaped into the pool. Feng Daiku was a clever woman and understood every single word. When Luo Yanjun spoke of digging earth on the mountain, the "mountain" meant Puluo Province, the "tiger" meant the Peddler, and the tiger's subordinates meant the people of Xuehuapu. Quite a few people from Xuehuapu had been killed lately, yet the Peddler had made no move at all. Looked at from this angle, something really might have happened to him. What could be confirmed now was that the Inner States were still watching and waiting. Until they had definite word of the Peddler, they would not act rashly. However, the Inner States would likely obtain definite news soon enough. The "old fox" they spoke of was probably Xuehuapu's second-in-command, Mr. Kongfang. What this man's strength was, Li Banfeng did not know, but he was certain of one thing: if Mr. Kongfang was killed by the Inner States and the Peddler still gave no response, the Inner States would definitely send in troops. Where was Mr. Kongfang? Where could he be found? It was rather ridiculous when he thought about it—Xuehuapu and Li Banfeng shared a feud as deep as the sea, yet now Li Banfeng had to figure out a way to protect Xuehuapu's second-in-command. Then again, thinking it through carefully, did this man truly need his protection? Mr. Kongfang's strength ought to be superior to Du Wenming's. For the Inner States to kill a figure like that would hardly be easy either. He had to gather information on him first. Even if he truly died, Li Banfeng needed to be prepared. Li Banfeng instructed Feng Daiku, "Pass the news to Ma Junyang and tell him on no account must he panic. The He family, the Lu family, and the Chu family all need to hold steady. Without word from me, nobody is to act rashly—" Before he could finish, the projector chimed in, "The makeshift telephone is ringing." Li Banfeng answered Luo Zhengnan's call and learned that Liao Zihui was looking all over for him. *How does he know I'm in Puluo Province?* Liao Zihui didn't know Li Banfeng was in Puluo Province. He had tried to find Li Banfeng through Shen Jingye and failed, then turned to Ma the Fifth. Ma the Fifth contacted Luo Zhengnan, and only then did he reach Li Banfeng. At the Garrison Office, Liao Zihui was waiting anxiously in his office for news when he suddenly turned around and saw Li the Seventh sitting on the sofa, brewing tea. Seeing how composed Li the Seventh was, Liao Zihui felt a little more at ease. "Director Li, have you had any news of the Peddler lately?" Li the Seventh shook his head. "None." Liao Zihui's heart was in his throat once more. "Don't play games with me on this. I heard the Peddler fought a battle with the man from heaven, and now the Inner States are gearing up for war. If the Peddler is gone, Puluo Province won't survive this hurdle." Li the Seventh looked at Liao Zihui. "If the Inner States truly invade, what do you plan to do?" Liao Zihui said, "What else can I do? I take orders from above. If higher-ups tell me to fight, I fight. If they tell me to withdraw, I can only withdraw." "Don't play games with me either," Li Banfeng said expressionlessly. "What are the higher-ups actually thinking?" This couldn't be concealed. Having stayed in the Outer States for so long, Li Banfeng had a fair understanding of their style. Liao Zihui paused in thought for a moment. "The probability of withdrawal... is higher." This was within Li Banfeng's expectations. If the Inner States invaded, the chances of the Outer States fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with Puluo Province were miniscule. Liao Zihui added, "Naturally, we don't want a war. We hope both sides can remain calm and resolve the issue through peace talks as much as possible." Evidently, Liao Zihui and his superiors were still pinning their hopes on the Balancers. Li Banfeng set down his teacup and first asked Liao Zihui a question. "That decisive battle between the Peddler and the man from heaven—where did you get news of it?" "In Pillow City. Someone witnessed that brutal battle with their own eyes." "What's his background?" "A cultivator of tier one above the clouds named Ye Haolong. By rights, he should have been asleep that day, but for some unknown reason he suddenly woke up and happened to see the battle." "What do you mean, he should have been asleep that day?" "You don't know the customs of Pillow City? Throughout the four seasons of the year, they only work for one season and spend the other three sleeping. At this time of year, there shouldn't be anyone awake in Pillow City." Pillow City was a place Li Banfeng had heard Ma the Fifth mention, but he had never actually been there. "Give me Ye Haolong's address. I'll go ask him what happened that day." Liao Zihui handed Ye Haolong's address over to Li Banfeng. "I hear Ye Haolong has gone back to sleep. Waking him up now won't be easy." "With such a major event happening, he can still sleep?" "Brother, he's from Pillow City. Even if the heavens collapse and the earth cracks open, as long as he has a pillow, he can sleep." "I'll go burn his pillow then." Li Banfeng pocketed the address and asked about a second matter. "Do you have any news on Xuehuapu?" Liao Zihui said, "That depends on who it's about." Li Banfeng said, "The higher up the ranks, the better." Liao Zihui thought for a moment and spoke somewhat evasively. "Would Du Wenming count as a higher-up of Xuehuapu?" Li Banfeng nodded. "He counts. You have news of him?" Liao Zihui said, "I can investigate. There's an active warrant out for Du Wenming right now, and the Garrison Office has been searching for his whereabouts too." "If you get a lead, tell me immediately." Li Banfeng was just about to walk out of the office when Liao Zihui called him back. "Brother," Liao Zihui coughed lightly for a moment. "Well, you came at just the right time today. Just before you arrived, my men happened to turn up some leads." Li Banfeng turned back. "Oh? What a coincidence." "Indeed!" "Shen Jingye begged you to look into this for a whole month, and every single time you said you couldn't find anything. Yet today of all days, leads just happen to appear." "Indeed! Isn't that quite the coincidence?" Liao Zihui had been investigating Du Wenming all along, and he had learned Du Wenming's whereabouts long ago. The reason he hadn't made it known was that Liao Zihui knew Du Wenming's strength. In Puluo Province, without advanced weapons and equipment or a rich combat framework, capturing a cultivator above the clouds would cost Liao Zihui dearly. If he failed to catch him, the responsibility that originally belonged to the Dark Star Bureau would be pinned entirely on the Garrison Office. "Brother Li the Seventh, the lead I have hasn't been verified yet. I'm telling you now only because the situation is urgent, so you'd best not leak it. Last night, someone saw Du Wenming near Zhengjing Village." *Zhengjing Village?* Li Banfeng had no time to banter with Liao Zihui. He hurried off to Zhengjing Village. Shui Yongquan had degraded into an Injured Demon Fiend, leaving this territory unclaimed. What did Du Wenming want here? Looking for a territory to stabilize his cultivation? Was he that impulsive? Without even asking who Zhengjing Village belonged to? Through him, Li Banfeng might be able to gather news about the Peddler. At the very least, he could get information on Mr. Kongfang. Upon reaching Zhengjing Village, Li Banfeng quickly found clues based on the information Liao Zihui had provided. Du Wenming had been active in the desolate mountains over seventy li from Zhengjing Village, barely changing locations from yesterday to now. What was he doing around here? Li Banfeng hid up in a banyan tree, using its luxuriant aerial roots to quietly observe Du Wenming beneath the tree. Du Wenming stood on tiptoe, leaping back and forth across a clearing in the woods, his posture and dance movements exceptionally graceful. It turned out he didn't just know the marionette dance; he was quite good at ballet as well. But what was he dancing here for? Did this count as cultivation? Li Banfeng was not unfamiliar with this forest. In the past, passing through this forest at a certain speed—neither too fast nor too slow—would lead to the City of Fools. However, after Gu Rusong, the former eldest young master of the City of Fools, was killed, Sun Tiecheng changed the entrance to the City of Fools, so this forest no longer led there. Had Du Wenming come here looking for the City of Fools? His cultivation was indeed considerable, but seeking out the City of Fools of his own accord hardly seemed wise. Relying on a Dwelling Cultivator's trait of not being easily noticed, Li Banfeng stayed in the tree for several minutes without Du Wenming ever sensing him. Feeling the timing was about right, Li Banfeng prepared to make his move. A mountain breeze blew through, rustling the leaves. The cold wind was somewhat chilly. Li Banfeng's body suddenly shuddered uncontrollably, causing the banyan tree's branches and leaves to shake along with him. The gust was quite strong; otherwise, Li Banfeng would have been exposed. Why the sudden shiver? *Danger.* Someone else was lurking nearby whom Li Banfeng hadn't detected. He crouched on a bough, quietly watching Du Wenming. After crouching for a moment, he sensed the banyan tree's spiritual presence. *You're thirsty?* It hadn't rained in a long time, and the banyan was somewhat parched. Li Banfeng took out the teapot, had it regulate the water temperature, and poured some tea over the banyan's roots. The banyan was deeply grateful. Every leaf adjusted its angle as best it could, casting shadows to conceal where Li the Seventh was. After another two minutes of waiting, Du Wenming, who was in the middle of dancing, slipped and fell flat on his back. There was no water on the ground, only a few protruding roots. Du Wenming clearly hadn't tripped over a root. A Dance Cultivator above the clouds couldn't make such an amateur mistake. He had stepped on something—it looked like a roller skate. How could there be roller skates in a newland? No, it wasn't a roller skate; it was an abacus. The abacus flew up from the ground, its frame shattering as shards shot toward Du Wenming's forehead. Lying on the ground with no time to get up, Du Wenming swayed his body left and right, barely dodging the abacus frame. As the frame embedded itself into the earth, the rods shot toward Du Wenming one after another. Du Wenming continued swaying on the ground, but dodging this time was far from easy. Many rods pierced through his clothes, and a number of them struck at tricky angles, piercing his flesh. He managed to avoid being pinned lethally by the rods, but next came the abacus beads. Five on the bottom, two on top—seven beads per rod. The abacus had twenty-two rods in total, and over a hundred beads shot in from various directions, sealing off virtually every possible angle of evasion. Worse still, Du Wenming couldn't dodge right now; he was pinned to the ground by rods through his clothes and flesh. In his desperation, Du Wenming kicked off his pair of shoes. These dancing shoes were magic artifacts, and they helped him block half the beads. Du Wenming forcefully tore himself free from the rods in the ground and, relying on his bodily control, dodged thirty percent of the remaining beads. The final twenty percent could not be avoided, so Du Wenming simply took them head-on. The beads struck into his flesh, sending sprays of blood flying. Du Wenming stumbled and staggered; it was evident that a Dance Cultivator's physical constitution wasn't particularly rugged. Over thirty bloody holes had been punched into his body, and that wasn't the end of it—the abacus beads darted chaotically through him, wreaking havoc on his bones and internal organs. Du Wenming struggled to his feet, balancing on one foot, and spun furiously like a top—over a hundred rotations from left to right, then over a hundred from right to left. Relying on this violent spin, Du Wenming turned himself into a centrifuge, forcefully expelling the abacus beads from inside his body. Having rid himself of the beads, Du Wenming wanted to flee, when suddenly a man appeared before him. The man wore a white short-sleeved jacket with frog fastenings down the center and black trousers. In his hand, he rolled a pair of walnuts, and between his lips dangled a rolled cigarette. Du Wenming recognized him. "Zhang Gunli, weren't you already—" "You want to say I was dead?" Zhang Gunli smiled faintly. "You haven't paid off the debt you owe me, yet you're hoping for my death? Where in the world would you find such a sweet deal?" From the tree, Li Banfeng watched intently. So this was the real Zhang Gunli. He still remembered A Se's painting, which recorded the scene of the fake Zhang Gunli blowing up in the City of Fools. So this was the hunting dog Luo Yanjun had spoken of. Du Wenming said, "The debt can be repaid, but today is not the time." Zhang Gunli chuckled. "Is that up to you to decide? I think today is the perfect time!" "That depends on how capable you are. Everyone says the abacus and walnuts are the supreme skills you rely on to make your living. I've already tasted the abacus; even with the element of surprise, you're nothing special." Du Wenming turned his knees outward and hoisted his shoulders, assuming his signature marionette dance. "My boy, you've mixed up your words. The supreme skill is the abacus; what I rely on to stay alive are the walnuts. Make sure you don't confuse the two." Zhang Gunli flicked his sleeve, and four abacuses hovered beside him, differing in design and size. Du Wenming was startled. Had Zhang Gunli not even used his full strength earlier? Li Banfeng found it hard to understand as well. Even if Zhang Gunli was completely confident of defeating Du Wenming, against an opponent above the clouds, he shouldn't underestimate his foe like this. Having gained the upper hand, he should have pressed his advantage to finish him off. What was he waiting for? Did he want to use Du Wenming to draw someone else out? Rolling the two walnuts, Zhang Gunli grinned at Du Wenming. "My boy, I'd hate to kill you just yet. I'm in good spirits today, so I'll play with you for a bit." With a clack of the two walnuts, all four abacuses flew toward Du Wenming. The wooden abacus reached Du Wenming's waist first. Du Wenming twisted his joints to evade it, but as the abacus brushed his clothes, fire suddenly erupted. No matter how he dodged, he couldn't dodge the flames, and his clothes caught fire. He had no time to put out the fire, or even strip off his clothes, before the iron abacus lunged head-on. Du Wenming threw his head back with all his might; the iron abacus missed on its first strike, then came down from above, aiming once more for his face. Du Wenming leaned further back until the back of his head pressed against his spine, dodging the iron abacus. The largest one, a stone abacus over a meter long, crashed down from above. With nowhere to dodge, Du Wenming caught and held it up with his hands. The glass abacus darted close and abruptly exploded, peppering Du Wenming with tiny glass shards and drenching him in blood. Worst of all, some glass dust was inhaled by Du Wenming. He began coughing violently, spitting up phlegm streaked with blood. The wooden abacus swept back, continuing to set Du Wenming ablaze, while the beads of the iron abacus turned into razor blades, carving countless gashes into him. The stone abacus in his hands felt as heavy as ten thousand jin; Du Wenming was on the verge of being crushed. He looked up at Zhang Gunli. "Senior, your supreme skill still isn't much to write home about!" Zhang Gunli laughed. "Don't just talk tough. Show me some real skill." Du Wenming glided back and forth, holding up the stone abacus while struggling frantically against the wooden and iron ones. Zhang Gunli twitched a finger, and the stone abacus abruptly grew heavier, forcing Du Wenming's elbows to bend. Du Wenming's footing faltered, and he deliberately shifted his center of gravity. The stone abacus slid off his left shoulder, smashing the wooden abacus to pieces and knocking the iron abacus away. Tossing the stone abacus aside, he spun around to smother the flames on his body and rushed straight at Zhang Gunli, intending to drag him into his dance. Zhang Gunli chuckled, and four hundred abacuses rose into the air, encircling Du Wenming. "My boy, your old man has abacuses to spare!" Over four hundred abacuses besieged Du Wenming. Li Banfeng could no longer even see Du Wenming's figure; all he could make out were bits of flesh and blood flying out from the gaps between the abacuses from time to time. More than a minute passed, and Du Wenming was still struggling amidst the abacuses, refusing to submit. Zhang Gunli praised him, "Young man, I admire your grit. But debts must be paid; that's the rule. Do you want an intact corpse, or do you want to be turned into mincemeat?" The words seemed ordinary enough, but upon hearing them, Du Wenming fell into utter despair, as if certain he was doomed to die by Zhang Gunli's hand. Because he owed Zhang Gunli money, he had fallen victim to Zhang Gunli's technique: Intimidation and Despair. Li Banfeng didn't understand Loan Cultivator techniques very well; all he saw was Du Wenming, who had been resisting desperately, gradually lose his will to fight. With a single technique, he had driven Du Wenming into such a corner. That the real Zhang Gunli was this formidable truly exceeded Li Banfeng's expectations. Du Wenming appeared to have no way out. If Du Wenming was killed and the Peddler still gave no response, would the Inner States conclude that the Peddler was dead? As Li Banfeng hesitated over whether to intervene, a burst of laughter came from the distance. "Old Zhang, you're a grandmaster of your path too. Bullying a junior like this hardly seems appropriate, does it?" Zhang Gunli did not recall his abacuses, nor did he intend to let Du Wenming off. He merely demanded, "Who is it? Come out and speak!" A flash of golden light swept past, accompanied by a succession of crisp clinks. Every single abacus clattered to the ground, frames, rods, and beads shattering across the earth. Watching from afar, Li Banfeng saw quite a few copper coins mingled among the scattered abacus parts. Shattering four hundred of Zhang Gunli's abacuses with a handful of copper coins—whoever had arrived possessed extraordinary skill. Zhang Gunli looked around, but the newcomer had yet to reveal himself. He tapped the two walnuts in his palm, and a brilliant light erupted from his hand. The intense glow bathed Du Wenming, causing his heavily wounded body to emit scorching smoke, bringing him to death's door. A man materialized in the night and pulled Du Wenming aside. Zhang Gunli scrutinized the newcomer. The man wore a robe of white embroidered all over with golden copper coins, and on his head was a conical bamboo hat with tassels hanging beneath its brim. At the tips of the tassels hung copper coins as well, swaying back and forth so that Zhang Gunli couldn't make out his face. The man drew a folding fan from his wide sleeve, a copper coin dangling from the end of the fan as well. Zhang Gunli smiled. "You are Mr. Kongfang?" He could have killed Du Wenming long ago; the reason he had dragged things out was precisely to wait for this person to show up. "I wouldn't dare claim the title of 'Mister.' Just call me Brother Kongfang. The copper coins on the ground are yours; our accounts are settled." Hearing "our accounts are settled," Zhang Gunli immediately checked Du Wenming's IOU. Merchant Cultivators had a technique called Clear Accounts. If the technique took effect, the IOU Du Wenming had signed would be incinerated. However, for the Clear Accounts technique to take effect, certain conditions had to be met: either the payment was roughly equal in value to the goods, or Zhang Gunli voluntarily accepted the settlement, or there was a vast disparity in cultivation between the two sides, allowing the Merchant Cultivator to settle the account by force. Seeing that the IOU had not burned, Zhang Gunli felt somewhat reassured. At least it proved their difference in cultivation was not excessively large. Mr. Kongfang fanned himself with the folding fan. "Old Zhang, no need to worry. Xuehuapu adheres to rules. If you don't accept the settlement, I won't force you." Zhang Gunli put away the IOU and chuckled. "Why should I accept it? How much could those few copper coins of yours be worth?" "Those copper coins have quite a history, Brother Zhang. I have no intention of letting you take a loss." "Tell me just how old they are, then, and let's tally it up carefully." Zhang Gunli waved a hand, and the shattered abacuses on the ground floated into the air. Frames reassembled, rods slipped back into place one by one, and beads threaded themselves onto the rods. In moments, all four hundred-plus abacuses were completely restored. Mr. Kongfang sighed. "Brother Zhang, being this calculating will only hurt harmony!" Zhang Gunli sneered. "What harmony do I have to keep with you? Do I even know who you are?" Four hundred abacuses flew toward Mr. Kongfang. Mr. Kongfang snatched a stone abacus from among them, wielding it in hand to parry left and strike right, shattering every charging abacus to pieces. The shattered abacuses reassembled once more, continuing to besiege Mr. Kongfang. This fighting style was truly an eye-opener for Li Banfeng. No wonder Senior Brother Sun had said that if one hadn't seen Zhang Gunli using an abacus, that Zhang Gunli wasn't real. The abacus was Zhang Gunli's supreme technique. Over four hundred abacuses, every one capable of striking, instantly reforming whenever destroyed—once trapped by these abacuses, it seemed no one could stand a chance of winning. Yet Mr. Kongfang did not panic in the slightest. He tore the stone abacus apart and hurled its beads outward. Peach-pit-sized stone beads pierced through layer upon layer of abacuses, hurtling straight toward Zhang Gunli. Zhang Gunli never imagined his own stone abacus could be turned against him. Exceedingly fast and striking from an awkward angle, Zhang Gunli was caught unprepared; a bead struck his chest, punching clean through his body. For someone of his level, a wound like this was hardly catastrophic, but taking that hit caused Zhang Gunli's prestige to waver. Loan Cultivators feared losing prestige above all. Once their momentum waned, their techniques began to falter, and the shattered abacuses could no longer reform swiftly. Dodging and weaving among the abacuses, Mr. Kongfang drew out an iron abacus, quickly carved a path through, and arrived right before Zhang Gunli. Zhang Gunli fished several dozen silver dollars from his robe and hurled them at Mr. Kongfang. This was a Loan Cultivator technique: Tribute of Coins. If Mr. Kongfang were struck by the silver dollars, it would count as borrowing Zhang Gunli's money. As long as one owed a debt to a Loan Cultivator, one would suffer immensely in combat against him. By all logic, he had to dodge this and avoid letting the coins touch him in the slightest. Yet Mr. Kongfang didn't dodge at all. He reached out, caught every single silver dollar, and flung them straight back into Zhang Gunli's face. Before Zhang Gunli could complete the technique, he scrambled to dodge the silver dollars. Dodging left and right, he failed to evade three of them: one struck his forehead, one nailed his chin, and one embedded itself into his cheekbone. Mr. Kongfang smiled. "Old Zhang, what were you thinking? Pelting me with silver dollars? These silver dollars were minted by our Xuehuapu; naturally, they obey us." Zhang Gunli had to exert considerable force to pull the silver dollars out of his face. Mr. Kongfang gave his folding fan a light wave. "Old Zhang, I've given you ample face. My junior brother has been beaten like this by you. If this debt still can't be cleared, then today you and I will have to fight to the death!" Zhang Gunli hesitated. In the past, running into such a ruthless figure, he would have let the matter drop. He wasn't short on money. Having tumbled through the martial world for so many years, he had plenty of uncollectible debts; he never gambled with his life. However, today's situation was somewhat special. He hadn't come to collect a debt; he had come on a mission. The Inner States had ordered him to kill Mr. Kongfang if possible, and if he couldn't, to hold out until reinforcements from the Inner States arrived. Rolling the two walnuts back and forth in his palm, Zhang Gunli seemed poised to use a magic artifact. Mr. Kongfang glanced at the walnuts. "You don't have many magic artifacts left. The good stuff was all given to the fake Zhang Gunli, and when the fake died, it all ended up with Gui Jianchou and Mu Yuejuan." These matters had all been told to Mr. Kongfang by Feng Chongli, though before today, neither of them had realized that Zhang Gunli had actually been a fake. Zhang Gunli rubbed the two walnuts forcefully. "I may not know you, but you should know me. Since you've heard of Zhang Gunli's reputation, you should know that I never do business at a loss. I've given away plenty of good things, but I've earned back plenty of good things too. Do you dare make a wager with me?!" "If you have good things, bring them out and let me see," Mr. Kongfang said, casually picking up a wooden abacus and lightly flicking its beads. "I'll calculate it for you to see whether your life is worth more, or your good things." Zhang Gunli rubbed the walnuts, hesitating to bring them together. Mr. Kongfang looked up. "Are you stalling for time? Waiting for reinforcements from the Inner States? Or perhaps... the Inner States' reinforcements are already here?" As he spoke, Mr. Kongfang looked toward the banyan tree behind him. Although Li Banfeng possessed the innate gift of being overlooked, Mr. Kongfang's level was simply too high. If he hadn't grown suspicious, Li Banfeng could have stayed hidden; but once he actively searched, it was hard for Li Banfeng to evade his senses. "Who is up in the tree? A helper of yours?" Mr. Kongfang stared intently at the banyan. Zhang Gunli felt that reinforcements from the Inner States wouldn't arrive this quickly; if reinforcements had truly arrived, they would at least have given him a signal. Having made countless enemies throughout his life, he suspected an old foe had come. Step by step, Mr. Kongfang walked toward the banyan tree. Unable to clearly make out the face of the person in the tree, he also had to stay wary of Zhang Gunli behind him. Crouching in the banyan tree, Li Banfeng drew a weapon from his waist. His body a bloody mess, Du Wenming struggled to his feet from the ground. Despite his severe injuries, he readied himself for battle. The forest fell deathly silent. Mr. Kongfang drew closer and closer to the banyan tree. *Clack, clack, clack!* The sound of a rattle drum rang out. Du Wenming gasped in delight, "The First Chief has arrived!" Zhang Gunli froze for a second, pulled Du Wenming's IOU from his robe, and burned it on the spot. "Consider your debt paid." With that, Zhang Gunli turned tail and bolted. The Peddler had arrived. He had to run as fast as possible; a single step too slow, and his life would be forfeit. Du Wenming stumbled toward the banyan tree. "First Chief, Fir—" Mr. Kongfang seized Du Wenming from behind and leaped, flying out of the forest. Du Wenming asked in bewilderment, "Senior Brother, the First Chief is here, why are we leaving?" Mr. Kongfang said, "Have you forgotten our Pu's rules? What happens inside the Pu isn't spoken of outside the Pu. We'd best not see the First Chief." The drum sounded, and the Peddler arrived—such was karma. Sitting in the tree, Li Banfeng held the rattle drum and wiped the sweat from his face. P.S. The rattle drum had been bought at the night market, originally intended as a gift for the companion dwelling.