Flames erupted across Qin Xiaopang's body. In sheer terror, he rolled frantically across the floor.
Yet everyone present—apart from Xiaopang himself—remained completely unfazed.
Yu Nan and her fabric shop clerk knew Old Mr. Yao was a man of genuine ability.
Li Banfeng trusted Old Mr. Yao as well. The fact that Qin Xiaopang could roll around on the ground proved that his legs could finally straighten out.
In less than two minutes, Xiaopang's clothes were burned away, along with his hair and every other trace of body hair. He lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in agony.
Old Mr. Yao asked him with great concern, "Young man, what's wrong? Are you hungry?"
Yu Nan looked embarrassed. She knew Old Mr. Yao had a habit of making light of things, but this was hardly the time for such a joke.
Li Banfeng didn't find it awkward at all; he thought the old man's question made plenty of sense!
Xiaopang felt irritated, but when he checked his own senses, he realized he actually was a little hungry.
The clerk went off to prepare some food. None of that had anything to do with Old Mr. Yao anymore. He hoisted his coin pouch, sauntered out of the courtyard with swaying strides, and Li Banfeng followed right behind him.
Yu Nan stepped forward to stop Li Banfeng. "Seventh Master, there's no need to see him off so far."
Li Banfeng sidestepped her. "I'm not one to neglect proper courtesy."
"It isn't about courtesy, it's that we can't..." Yu Nan couldn't hold him back. A Smoke Cultivator's footwork was far behind that of a journey cultivator of the same tier.
Old Mr. Yao moved swiftly; he had already vanished into the distance not far beyond the gate.
Yet Li Banfeng was by no means slow. Hitting his stride, his figure also melted into the night.
Unable to catch up, Yu Nan knitted her brows. "That man really doesn't understand the rules at all!"
***
Old Yao and Li Banfeng walked in single file for nearly an hour.
Reaching a patch of woods, Old Yao turned around and glared at Li Banfeng. "Why are you following me? Planning to rob me of my money?"
"The patient has been cured, so how could I touch your money? I only wanted to see you off, Old Mister." Li Banfeng looked at him respectfully.
"See me off?" Old Yao took a swig of liquor. "Do you even know where I live?"
Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "I'd guess somewhere quite out of the way. Are we almost there?"
"Far from it. The place I live isn't just ordinary out-of-the-way. Even if you've got good legs, if you go there, you won't be walking back out." Old Mr. Yao was dropping an unmistakable hint for Li Banfeng to stop following. If he kept tailing him, he might well kill him.
Li Banfeng's smile didn't waver. "Old Mister, you're a man of real capability. I'd like to make friends with you."
Old Mr. Yao chuckled. "Heh-heh-heh. In my life, I've actually made plenty of friends.
"One of them I made when I was eight. He snatched my sugar figurine and ate it.
"Another friend I made when I was eighteen. He stole my wife and slept with her.
"And another friend I made when I was eighty. He took everything from me that could possibly be taken.
"A fellow like me has poor eyes. I don't know how to make friends, and I have no desire to make any more."
Li Banfeng said, "Then let's not talk about friendship; let's talk business. If I want to do business with you, Old Mr. Yao, what price should I offer?"
Old Yao took another swig. "Who do you think you're talking to? Do you know who I am? Who gave you the guts to do business with me?"
Li Banfeng showed no fear, replying with an earnest expression, "You're a good man, an honorable man, and a capable man."
Old Mr. Yao grinned. "How do you know I'm a good man?"
"Because you saved Qin Xiaopang's life."
"I didn't save him for free. I took money for it."
Li Banfeng said with complete seriousness, "That's precisely why I'm here to talk business, not to trouble you with empty words and promises."
Old Mr. Yao stared at Li Banfeng for a good while, then suddenly asked in a conspiratorial whisper, "That fat boy's belly got so big... did you do that to him?"
Li Banfeng replied solemnly, "He hasn't given birth yet, so I can't say for sure. I'll have to see if the child looks like me."
Old Mr. Yao lowered his voice further, his expression turning even more secretive. "He's a man. Can men have babies too?"
Li Banfeng remained thoroughly solemn. "Things like this don't depend on gender. It depends on affection."
*Whoosh—*
A gust of chilly wind swept past, and the two fell silent for a long moment.
"Bwahahaha!" the old man suddenly burst out laughing. "You brat, you really are damn well on my wavelength! Out with it, then. What business do you want to discuss? Curing illness or buying medicine? Anything else, you'd better keep to yourself."
Li Banfeng asked, "I haven't decided yet. Once I have, where should I look for you?"
Old Mr. Yao glanced back toward Yu Nan's residence. "Don't they know? Once you reach Baixiang Village, just have them fetch me."
Li Banfeng nodded. "Senior, if I come to Baixiang Village, I will certainly invite you for a face-to-face talk. But if I'm not in Baixiang Village, how should I discuss business with you?"
Old Yao uncorked his wine gourd and took a hefty gulp. "If you're not in Baixiang Village, that depends on how far away you are. If you leave Yaowanggou, my hands are tied. But if you're within Yaowanggou, I can still lend a hand. As for how much help I can give, that depends on your sincerity. Before we talk business, you'll have to pay a deposit."
Li Banfeng agreed on the spot. "What Senior says is reasonable. I only wonder whether this deposit should be delivered to you in person, or burned for you?"
*Whoosh! Rong—*
Another gust of freezing wind blew through the woods, setting the leaves rustling loudly.
Old Mr. Yao froze for a moment, then let out a low laugh. "Not very old, but your eyes are sharp. If you have plenty of time, it's best to bring the money to me. If things are urgent, burning it to me works too. But you can't burn living currency—you have to burn yin money."
"Where can I buy yin money?" Li Banfeng knew this certainly wouldn't be ordinary hell bank notes.
"I have one sheet here. Fifty thousand. Buying or not?" The old man fumbled inside his ragged clothes for quite a while before pulling out a crumpled sheet of yellow paper.
Li Banfeng was already prepared. He drew fifty thousand in cash from the cloth pouch at his waist and handed it over to Old Mr. Yao.
Old Yao was very pleased with Li Banfeng's straightforwardness and gave a slight nod. "Let me make things clear first. Once this paper money is burned, whether the deal goes through or not, there are no refunds. If a job is beneath my standing, don't bother coming to me. As for what my standing is, weigh it yourself. If you're a clever man, you'll naturally find out once the business is done."
Old Mr. Yao turned on his heel and walked away, melting into the mist.
Stowing the paper money safely, Li Banfeng returned to Yu Nan's residence.
Seeing Li Banfeng return unharmed, Yu Nan took a drag from her pipe, her expression tinged with dissatisfaction. "Seventh Master, whatever you plan to do next time, give us a heads-up first. You managed to come back alive this time, but there's no guaranteeing it next time."
Yu Nan was venting her frustration over what had just happened, but Li Banfeng acted as though he didn't catch her drift.
The clerk chimed in from the side to interpret for him. "Shopkeeper Li, this Old Mr. Yao is no ordinary character. He's an eccentric recluse of Baixiang Village. Since you aren't familiar with him, you shouldn't get too close. If you accidentally offend that senior, there's no telling what consequences might follow."
Li Banfeng asked the clerk, "How do you usually contact this master?"
The clerk lowered his head and kept silent.
Yu Nan said to Li Banfeng, "Since he's an eccentric recluse, he naturally doesn't wish to be disturbed. Without Old Mr. Yao's permission, we wouldn't dare reveal the secret behind it to you."
Li Banfeng considered the amount of time it had taken the clerk to fetch Old Mr. Yao.
Half an hour, round trip. The clerk clearly hadn't gone all the way to Old Mr. Yao's home. The old man's home was far away; at Li Banfeng's speed, even an hour hadn't been enough to reach it.
Recalling the scent of incense and paper smoke lingering on the old man, Li Banfeng had his answer.
Li Banfeng looked at the clerk. "Did you set out incense and candles to summon Old Mr. Yao?"
Hundred Flavors Exquisite hidden at the tip of the nose—ordinary scents truly could not slip past Li Banfeng.
The clerk stared at Li Banfeng in astonishment, then turned his gaze toward Yu Nan.
Yu Nan's index and middle fingers were sliding up and down, rubbing the stem of her pipe.
Li Banfeng had seen her make that exact same gesture before, back when she was agonizing over whether or not to kill Rong Jin'an.
It was a nervous habit of hers.
Yu Nan carried the demeanor of a seasoned veteran of the jianghu, but now it seemed she wasn't quite as seasoned as she appeared.
As for Old Mr. Yao, perhaps Yu Nan herself didn't know his true background.
Though her phrasing hadn't been wrong—an otherworldly master.
Old Mr. Yao had long ceased to belong to this living world.
With Golden Eyes Discerning the Minutest Detail to distinguish yin from yang, Li Banfeng had initially thought moss was growing on Old Mr. Yao's robe, only to realize upon closer inspection that he had been mistaken.
That wasn't moss at all. Those were clusters of eerie green flame, identical to the ghost fire found in graveyards.
Chapter 61