Outside a restaurant on Yunsheng Road in Jiacheng District, a man peered repeatedly through the front window.
A waitress stepped out to greet him. "Afternoon, sir. Looking for a bite? Come on in and take a look."
The man shook his head. He had no desire to eat, yet his gaze remained fixed on the restaurant's interior, making the waitress feel distinctly awkward. He was dressed quite decently and looked clean and tidy, not at all like a beggar. What on earth was he looking at?
From a temporary prefab cabin across the street, Tangyuan confirmed the man's identity through surveillance footage. "Target in sight. Squad Two, move now!"
At her command, a group of agents rushed out and pinned the man down.
He gave a start. "Tangyuan, what do you think you're doing?"
Tangyuan kept her voice low. "We're carrying out an official operation. Bureau Chief Shen, please come with us."
Tangyuan's identification was spot-on: the man was indeed Shen Jingye.
After spending half a month in Hulu Village, he had ultimately chosen to return to Yuezhou.
This restaurant on Yunsheng Road had been Shen Jingye's point of entry into Hulu Village. In accordance with the village's rules, one exited where one had entered. Li Seventh had posted security team members on rotating shifts to keep watch here, and the moment Shen Jingye emerged, he had wanted to take one last look back at Hulu Village.
Catching him while he was still lost in melancholy, the security team agents seized him.
This infuriated Shen Jingye. Whatever had transpired, he was still the chief of the Dark Star Bureau! How dare his own subordinates lay hands on him? With his level of cultivation, those few agents stood no chance of truly restraining him, and slipping away would have been effortless.
Yet Tangyuan gave him a quiet reminder: "Bureau Chief Shen, coming with us will only work to your benefit."
Shen Jingye said nothing more and followed them back to the bureau.
***
Come afternoon, Chen Changrui paid Shen Jingye a private visit. Shen Jingye could no longer contain his temper. "Old Chen, what are you playing at? Even if you want to discipline me, shouldn't you at least wait for directives from higher up? At the very least, you'd have to strip me of my post before you can touch me!"
Chen Changrui shut off all surveillance devices before speaking. "Bureau Chief Shen, every step from here on out is of the utmost importance. You must commit this to memory: you did not come back on your own. The Dark Star Bureau tracked you down through exhaustive sweeps and stakeouts, sparing no effort to bring you home."
"Bullshit! Who among you went looking for me?"
"Bureau Chief Shen, this is all for your own sake, so please cooperate. I have a detailed operational plan right here. The Investigation Section and the Security Team have comprehensive logs documenting every stage of the work; everything we did will withstand any scrutiny.
"You must remember: while pursuing leads on Hulu Village, you inadvertently slipped into a dark-dimension space and came under attack from an unidentified spherical organism. I will send you photos and dimensions of that spherical entity shortly; commit them to memory.
"In the course of battling that unknown creature, you located a water source and some moss within the dark-dimension space, and you managed to sustain yourself on those meager scraps until today. Through repeated investigations, Dark Star Bureau agents located the entrance to the dark-dimension space and rescued you from within..."
Chen Changrui recounted the entire narrative in meticulous detail. Shen Jingye frowned. "Old Chen, do you even know where I've been all these days?"
"I don't know, and I don't care to know. Bureau Chief Shen, as far as I'm concerned, everything I just told you is the absolute truth."
Chen Changrui's phrasing was awkward, but his meaning was crystal clear.
Shen Jingye pondered for a moment. "Some parts of this don't add up. You found the dark-dimension space I was in, yet you acted on your own without requesting authorization from superiors?"
Chen Changrui nodded. "It was indeed an unauthorized operation. It was carried out on Bureau Chief Li's orders, and he said he would shoulder the responsibility for acting without leave!"
Shen Jingye asked further, "Now that you've found this dark-dimension space and pulled me out, aren't you going to take next steps?"
"The next steps have already been planned. We are going to launch an in-depth investigation into that dark-dimension space."
Shen Jingye was stunned. "Where on earth are you going to find such a space?"
"It's already been found. Lightbulb and the others spotted it first, and our trackers have been locked onto it ever since. A special operations unit has even gone inside..."
Once Chen Changrui laid out the entire sequence of events, Shen Jingye understood how they were going to play this.
Still, a thread of worry lingered. "Under such harsh conditions, holding out for half a month might expose certain things about me."
Shen Jingye had always claimed publicly to be a raw beginner. Surviving for half a month under such grueling conditions was hardly something a beginner could pull off.
Chen Changrui whispered, "Bureau Chief Li left explicit instructions: you are to deny everything stubbornly. Just say you held out through your own combat capabilities and sheer experience. No one will be able to pick any holes in you."
Shen Jingye still found it hard to believe. "Bureau Chief Li came up with all of this?"
Chen Changrui nodded. "Even if you don't trust me, don't you trust him?"
"Where is Bureau Chief Li right now?"
"He's in Santoucha. While you were away, a major crisis broke out—one that affected the entire Huan Country. Bureau Chief Li was the one who saved the day."
***
Santoucha, Sinners' City.
Clad in protective gear, Li Banfeng stood atop the city wall, which rose over eight meters high, gazing down upon the settlement below.
In terms of land area and population, Sinners' City ranked among the large cities of Puluo Province. Yet looking at the buildings before him, Li Banfeng found it impossible to associate this place with any normal city.
Nearly every structure inside the walls was a single-story concrete barrack. Their dimensions, shapes, colors, and intervals were entirely identical.
The layout reminded Li Banfeng of Qianliangfang, but the dwellings there possessed the warmth of human life—they had interior staircases, courtyards outside, and the look of places meant for living.
Sinners' City had none of that. A single concrete room could house upwards of thirty people. Considering the height and build of the three-headed people, who could barely straighten their backs inside, it was difficult to fathom how thirty-odd souls could be crammed in.
Qianliangfang had gambling dens, theaters, teahouses, taverns, dance halls, and singing parlors.
Sinners' City had nothing—not even a marketplace. Private trading was considered a grave crime here.
According to Liao Zihui's explanation, Sinners' City had only three kinds of structures: residences, latrines, and workshops. The three-headed people ate and slept in the residences, relieved themselves in the latrines, and labored in the workshops. That was the entirety of their existence.
Li Banfeng asked, "Do the people from your Garrison Office live in residences like these as well?"
Liao Zihui shook his head. "Our people live underground, and our vital supplies are stored underground too, primarily to avoid the heavenly light. Brother Li, the people have all been selected and counted. It's about time we headed to the station."
Li Banfeng looked at Liao Zihui, his brows knitting together. "There are only twenty thousand here!"
Liao Zihui nodded. "Twenty thousand, yes. The higher-ups only approved twenty thousand. We can discuss the rest once we're on the train."
Li Banfeng had halted the spread of the Inner States fungus across Huan Country and secured the specific cure that healed the vast majority of patients. In recognition of that extraordinary service, the Outer States had not held back in the slightest with rewards: they had allocated twenty thousand three-headed laborers to Li Seventh and granted him free trade rights in Santoucha.
Free trade rights were no minor privilege. Previously, not even the Four Great Families had the right to enter Santoucha at will; every trip required approval from the Garrison Office, and doing business there involved an extraordinarily convoluted application process.
At first, Li Banfeng hadn't understood what treasures Santoucha held or why anyone would want to trade here.
Only after consulting Ma the Fifth did he learn that this place was teeming with treasures. Due to years of erosion by heavenly light, an abundance of rare curios had formed here; grinding a few rocks from the mountains into powder could yield an exceptional catalyst for accumulating Daoist affinity.
Furthermore, all manufactured goods from Santoucha were remarkably cheap, largely because of the vast pool of labor.
Alongside these two rewards, Li Banfeng had also received a promotion. His rank now stood a full tier above Shen Jingye's and half a step above Guan Zhengyang's. By rights, a shift in rank necessitated a corresponding reassignment of duties, but Li Banfeng refused any reassignment, insisting on remaining in the Dark Star Bureau.
In truth, Li Banfeng cared little about official posts. His primary concern was the three-headed laborers. The higher-ups had approved twenty thousand, which had indeed been delivered, but Liao Zihui still owed him on a private promise.
"Shen Jingye is already back. What about the three-headed people you promised me?"
Liao Zihui said, "The three-headed people in Sinners' City all have official identities, registered name by name on the rolls. Asking me to skim ten thousand of them off for you—where would I get the guts for that?"
Li Banfeng's brow furrowed. "Are you playing me?"
Liao Zihui shook his head repeatedly. "Director Li, that's unfair of you. Old Liao has been in Puluo Province for so many years; my word is as good as a nail driven into oak. How could I go back on what I said? I can't touch the ones inside the city, but there are plenty outside the walls. I've already selected those ten thousand, and they'll be sent along with this very train!"
That sounded more like it.
Worried there might be some hidden catch, Li Banfeng asked first, "What's the difference between the three-headed people inside the city and those outside?"
"In terms of appearance and build, not much at all. It's just that the ones outside live from hand to mouth, constantly going hungry, so they're somewhat leaner than the ones inside."
"You're saying those outside have it even worse than the ones in the city?"
"You bet!" Liao Zihui nodded vigorously. "Ask around anywhere in Santoucha: how hard is it to get a full meal? How many people would put their lives on the line just for one decent feed?"
"How many three-headed people are there outside the city?"
"No one knows. Some say three to five hundred thousand; others say six to seven hundred thousand; some even claim around a million. They have no registered identity and no fixed home. They refuse to enter Sinners' City and cannot leave Santoucha, left to fend for themselves and perish in this place."
Li Banfeng suspected they might not truly be unable to leave; Santoucha had to possess special entry and exit routes. "I've heard that every year, plenty of poor folk come to Santoucha to enter the physical cultivation pathway. Do all of them obtain travel permits through the Garrison Office?"
Liao Zihui shook his head. "If they had the money for travel permits, they wouldn't need to become physical cultivators. Most of them sneak into Santoucha on freight trains. Santoucha doesn't produce coal, so coal trains head in every day. Slip the coal escort two silver dollars, and while the coal is being loaded, they'll hoist you onto the flatcars."
Hopping coal cars was something Li Banfeng had experienced himself, more than once.
Liao Zihui continued, "A great deal of cargo leaves Santoucha every day as well, so sneaking people out isn't particularly difficult. But no matter how bold the cargo escorts might be, none of them would dare smuggle a three-headed laborer out. If they get caught, they'll lose their jobs and be thrown into prison. So, Brother, sending you this ten thousand really carries no small risk on my part."
Before long, Deputy Commissioner Tang Huanjie boarded the train and reported to Liao Zihui, "Commissioner, the cargo is loaded."
Liao Zihui gave the order to depart, and the thirty thousand three-headed laborers traveled alongside Li Banfeng to Green Water City.
Just as before, Liao Zihui arranged steam trucks to transport the laborers all the way to Sheqiao Village. Once they arrived, having completed his assignment, Liao Zihui led his men back to the Garrison Office.
With so many three-headed people arriving at once, provisions of every sort had to be prepared in advance. Fortunately, a reception party was waiting on this end: Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying had brought their people over, and Juanzi had arrived from Qiqiu City with a contingent as well.
Juanzi had come out of Sinners' City herself, and among the new arrivals, she recognized quite a few faces.
She led the crowd forward to thank Li Seventh, and the three-headed people knelt in unison to kowtow to Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng's brows shot up immediately.
Mengzi hurried forward to call out, "What are you doing? Everyone, get up! Seventh Master doesn't permit kowtowing!"
Getting thirty thousand people back on their feet proved to be quite an ordeal. Li Banfeng asked Juanzi, "How do you usually manage these people?"
Juanzi answered, "Back in Sinners' City, each room had an overseer called a room head. Every row of rooms had a row head, and every three rows had a three-row head. If one person committed an offense, all three rows shared the guilt..."
"Enough!" Li Banfeng waved his hands repeatedly. Just hearing about that management structure gave him a headache. "No more talk of rooms. Appoint a centurion for every hundred and a chiliarch for every thousand. Have people from our Qiqiu City serve as the chiliarchs. Get everyone divided up roughly and see that they eat first."
Steamed buns and cooked meats made for an exceedingly simple first meal, yet for the three-headed people, it was an unimaginable luxury. This was especially true for those from outside Sinners' City, who had not eaten their fill in who knew how long; their bodies were far leaner than those from the city. They could only bear to eat half their portion, stowing the remainder on their persons to save for the next meal.
Xiao Yeci and Lu Chunying busied themselves arranging living quarters for the newcomers, sparing no effort.
Every time three-headed laborers arrived, mother and daughter lent tremendous support. If Li Banfeng failed to show some appreciation, it would truly be unseemly.
Yet the Lu family's situation was somewhat particular. Lu Chunying took medicinal pills and cultivated diligently each day, but she remained merely a second-tier travel cultivator. Xiao Yeci had barely reached the third tier and had yet to master her techniques. If he were to push the mother and daughter into becoming local spirits, they would never be able to hold their ground. Even so, Li Banfeng allocated two thousand laborers to Lu Chunying so they could lead them in clearing wasteland.
***
The following morning, another batch of guests arrived at Sheqiao Village.
Sha Dingzhong, Rong Sijiao, Xie Laizi, Banpima, and Dui Shuangliu—a group of local spirits from the newland had arrived. Some brought pills, others brought magical treasures, all claiming they had come to congratulate Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng saw through their intentions at a single glance: these local spirits had all come for the three-headed laborers.
Being the eldest, Sha Dingzhong stepped forward first to talk business. "Those who followed Seventh Master early on are now living in luxury. We few were short-sighted and didn't even catch a taste of the broth.
"Now Seventh Master has brought back such fine helpers. If we fail to seize this stroke of fortune as well, we can only blame our own foolishness.
"Seventh Master, we watch over the He family's territory, we support the Chu family's lands, and needless to say, whenever Fifth Master's domain has any trouble, we spare no effort to help.
"Might we trouble Seventh Master to bring a contingent of hands over to our territories, open up a few more plots on our lands, and let us see a bit of light as well? From now on, Seventh Master's word will be law on our ground, and we'll follow you wherever you lead, ready at your beck and call."
In Puluo Province, people spoke plainly and directly, which Li Banfeng found rather pleasant to hear.
Majiefu, however, cast a glance at Li Banfeng and gave a slight shake of her head.
The other local spirits chimed in one after another, declaring their willingness to follow Li Seventh hereafter. Li Seventh neither agreed nor refused. He had someone arrange a meal for the visitors while he found a peasant cottage, summoning several of his trusted confidants from the newland to deliberate on a strategy.
These individuals were Majiefu, Liangwuchai, Baishoulian, Kui Bafang, and Chi Liuhe, all former subordinates of Qiu Luoye. Duan Wuchou was also among them, though he remained at Ma the Fifth's side and had not come today.
Having spent many years in the newland, they were well acquainted with the conduct of these local spirits.
Majiefu was the first to speak. "Seventh Master, don't be taken in by Sha Dingzhong's smooth talk. That man handles affairs like loose sand; you must tread with utmost caution."
"What do you mean by loose sand?"
Majiefu said, "Any day you ask him to handle something, he'll whip up a storm of wind and sand that looks tremendously impressive. But once the dust settles, all that's left is a dusting of loose dirt, and everything is right back where it started."
Liangwuchai was quite familiar with Rong Sijiao. The head named Liangwu spoke first. "Seventh Master, Rong Sijiao is utterly fickle. In the past, he called Lord Qiu brother, but later fell out with him over some petty trifle.
"Had he cleared the air to Lord Qiu's face, that would have been one thing. But he insisted on waiting until Lord Qiu was at war to stab him in the back.
"Lord Qiu had just suffered a defeat at Master Shui's hands, with hardly any men left under his command. Rong Sijiao brought his people charging in, demanding to carve away ten li of territory from Lord Qiu."
Li Banfeng frowned. "Did Big Brother Qiu give it to him?"
Liangwu shook her head. "Lord Qiu refused and prepared to fight him to the death. At the crucial moment, it was Master Shui who set a trap for Rong Sijiao, luring him onto Lord Qiu's territory. Master Shui and Lord Qiu joined forces and beat him senseless. Ever since, Rong Sijiao never dared show his face before Lord Qiu again, and Lord Qiu never raised his voice at Master Shui either."
Hearing this, the other head, Liangchai, let out a soft sigh and remarked in a melancholy tone, "Lord Qiu and Master Shui—those two men might well have been husband and wife in a past life."
Hearing Liangchai's comment, Liangwu furrowed her brows deeply, unwilling to say another word.
Lately, Li Banfeng had been rushing back and forth between Puluo Province and the Outer States. Certain matters had been handled far too hastily, and he had lacked the time to truly understand some of these people and their histories.
Today was the time to learn. Li Banfeng stepped out of the cottage, and the local spirits hurried forward to meet him.
None of them had any appetite for eating; they were all waiting on Li Banfeng's answer.
Li Banfeng asked first, "If I were to dispatch laborers to your territories, have you prepared their food and lodging?"
The local spirits exchanged glances. Xie Laizi was the first to speak up. "Everything is ready on my side. Food and lodging are all arranged."
Seeing Xie Laizi dare to make such a claim, the others chimed in. "We're ready on our ends as well! We guarantee none of them will suffer!"
"All ready?" Li Banfeng chuckled. "Fine then. I'll pay a visit to each household to see for myself. Brother Xie, shall we start with yours?"
"Sure... sure..." Xie Laizi lacked even a shred of conviction. "No need to rush, Seventh Master. Tell me first how many hands you plan to give me, so I can see if the lodgings I've arranged are sufficient."
Li Banfeng countered, "You must know full well what you've prepared. We'll talk numbers after I've seen it!"
"There's no hurry about that. You can inspect it anytime. Let's first settle the—"
Before Xie Laizi could finish, Liangwuchai walked up to Li Banfeng's side. "Seventh Master, I'm very familiar with Brother Xie's territory. Let me guide you."
"Alright, let's go." Li Banfeng scooped up Liangwuchai and made ready to depart, but Xie Laizi stepped in to block him. "Seventh Master, I'm... not fully prepared just yet. What I meant earlier was that I have the best of intentions!"
The others nodded in unison. "We all share those good intentions! These three-headed monsters are Seventh Master's subordinates; we certainly wouldn't let them freeze or starve!"
Li Banfeng set Liangwuchai down and looked at the crowd, his expression turning exceedingly stern. "They are not monsters, nor are they my subordinates. They are my brothers and sisters, and I will not stand by and watch them suffer."
As he spoke those words, everyone nearby turned to look. The three-headed laborers wondered if their ears were deceiving them—Li Seventh had actually called them brothers and sisters.
Li Banfeng looked at the gathered local spirits and continued, "I must trouble all of you to return and get your territories properly sorted out. Once everything is prepared, come back and talk to me."
Sha Dingzhong tried to offer an excuse, but suddenly someone called out, "Seventh Master, we're ready! Food and lodging are fully provided—we would never mistreat our friends!"
Li Banfeng smiled and turned to summon Baishoulian. "I know a master of the culinary arts whom I've been meaning to introduce to you. This is the man."
The Cook had arrived.
Baishoulian hurried over to exchange greetings. After a few pleasantries, the Cook got straight to the point: "Our young mistress prepared long ago. Clothing, food, housing, transport—everything is in place, just waiting for everyone to grace us with their presence."
The Cook was Meng Yuchun's man. Meng Yuchun had set her sights on the three-headed laborers as well.
Li Banfeng told the Cook to rest for a while, then returned to the companion dwelling and went straight to the station.
Meng Yuchun's territory bordered Li Banfeng's. Li Banfeng's territory had a train station—a major stop where the train halted for an hour. Li Banfeng traveled directly to Meng Yuchun's domain, skipping pleasantries to ask plainly, "What do you want the three-headed people for?"
"Land reclamation!" Meng Yuchun replied with utter candor. "I want to turn my territory into formal land as well!"
"Have you thought this through? You need to be clear on the consequences."
"I haven't thought much about consequences; overthinking never helps. Back then, Qiu Luoye didn't think about anything either, yet he got the job done. If I stand around second-guessing myself, the opportunity will slip right by."
"Fine. Take me to see the lodgings you've prepared for them."
Meng Yuchun led Li Banfeng to a clearing beside a maple forest, where she had constructed over five hundred wooden cabins.
Li Banfeng asked, "Did the anomalies in your territory build these for you?"
Meng Yuchun shook her head. "Are you joking? Asking the anomalies on my land to build houses for reclaimers? Ask them if a single one would be willing to do such a thing! I hired Zhang Wanlong to build them; he has plenty of men under him."
Plenty indeed; one mu of land could probably yield a hundred of them.
Meng Yuchun opened the granary as well. "The grain was also bought from Zhang Wanlong. It's enough to feed two thousand people for a month. Once it runs out, I'll buy more from him. Not just grain, either—I've provided wine and meat too."
Li Banfeng was thoroughly satisfied with Meng Yuchun's preparations. He produced the covenant deed he had drafted in the companion dwelling.
After reading through it, Meng Yuchun hesitated slightly.
"Frightened?" Li Banfeng moved to take the deed back.
Meng Yuchun pressed her hand firmly over the paper. "I'm not afraid. I'll sign!"
With a blood handprint pressed onto the page, the matter was settled. Meng Yuchun asked Li Banfeng, "How many hands do you plan to give me?"
"Three thousand. I'll deliver them after the New Year."
Li Banfeng slipped into his jacket and departed Meng Yuchun's territory.
***
The moment they heard the figure of three thousand, Sha Dingzhong and the other local spirits grew agitated.
Li Banfeng had told them to go back and tidy up their lands, but they refused to listen, demanding an explanation from him.
The temptation of three thousand three-headed laborers was immense. The efficiency of their land reclamation was formidable, and even more critically, those three thousand laborers would directly fulfill the threshold of human vitality required to convert newland into formal land—Qiqiu City was living proof.
Sha Dingzhong said, "Seventh Master, we admit our preparations were lacking. But we came all this way and haven't secured a single worker, dismissed by you with a wave of the hand, while you turn around and hand three thousand to Meng Yuchun. Isn't that doing business a bit unfairly?"
Before Li Banfeng could respond, Majiefu spoke up. "Old Sha, you're talking nonsense now, aren't you? The laborers belong to Seventh Master. Seventh Master can help whomever he pleases! Does he need to consult anyone else's mood to do that?"
A couple of sharp words from Majiefu weren't enough to drive Sha Dingzhong off. "Seventh Master, we wouldn't dare give you an attitude. We came here wanting to show you our loyalty; we just don't know if you think us worthy."
Such fine words, yet they cornered Li Banfeng on the spot.
Majiefu glanced at Li Banfeng, at a loss for how to counter.
Li Banfeng surveyed the crowd and first explained Meng Yuchun's situation. "The reason I assigned hands to Meng Yuchun is that she holds genuine goodwill toward me."
"I hold genuine goodwill toward Seventh Master as well!" Sha Dingzhong uttered the words without a hint of shame.
"Good! Then I'll take you at your word!" Li Banfeng brought out a covenant deed. "Gentlemen, I have two conditions. As long as you agree to them, I will send laborers your way after the New Year.
"First, the people coming from Santoucha are my brothers and sisters. They may lend you assistance, but they are not your subordinates.
"Second, since I am helping you reclaim land, certain matters in your territories must be decided by me. Exactly which matters are clearly specified in the deed. Press your blood handprints, and I will deliver the workers after the New Year."
Sha Dingzhong took the deed and looked down. The very first clause read: "At no time and under no circumstances shall the territory be surrendered to the Inner States, nor shall the local spirit obey orders from the Inner States."
Li Banfeng added a warning: "Don't try looking for loopholes. Don't think about handing your territory to someone else so they can hand it to the Inner States. That won't fly. It states clearly later in the deed: if the territory ends up in the hands of the Inner States, it will be deemed a breach of our covenant!"
The local spirits fell silent. Li Banfeng smiled. "If you're not signing, please see yourselves out."
Sha Dingzhong left himself an out: "Seventh Master, since you aren't sending people until after the New Year, I'll return with my answer after the New Year."
The other local spirits followed suit, all promising to give their answers after the holidays.
The local spirits of the newland were the most difficult sort to deal with in all of Puluo Province—not because of their combat strength, nor because of their cunning, but because of their wavering allegiance.
Most local spirits in the newland held only half of their covenant deeds, while the other half remained in the hands of the Inner States. To put it bluntly, half their lives were clutched tightly by the Inner States, which meant most of them could never truly shake off that control.
Meng Yuchun had dared to sign the deed, but did she actually possess a way to break free from the Inner States?
Of course she didn't. She had simply seen Qiu Luoye's successful precedent and wanted to gamble alongside them. Yet regarding the current circumstances, the Cook was far from optimistic.
At dinner, the Cook and Baishoulian manned the stoves together. Li Banfeng enjoyed a feast, downing two cups of wine, before the Cook spoke from the heart: "Seventh Master, once Miss Meng clears out a thousand fang of land, the Inner States will likely take notice."
Baishoulian shook his head. "I'd say it won't even take a thousand fang. Look at Rong Sijiao's demeanor—that fellow is harboring malice. Mark my words, he'll run to tattle to the Inner States within a couple of days."
The Cook sighed. "Brother, you don't just have great culinary skills; your eyes are sharp too. I think Rong Sijiao is entirely capable of doing that. When the time comes, how is Miss Meng going to handle it?"
Baishoulian reassured him, "Brother, put your mind at ease. Since Seventh Master gave Miss Meng his word, he must have made preparations for what follows.
"Wait, where did Seventh Master go?"
While the two were speaking, Li Seventh had vanished.
***
Chu the Second finished taking inventory of New Year goods and ordered land reclamation across the territory halted so everyone could prepare for the holidays together.
Tallying up the expenses and organizing the business revenues, she was thoroughly exhausted. Just as she was searching for the Paramount ledger, Li Banfeng handed it directly to her.
Her sleepiness evaporated.
"Brother Seven, you came to see me?"
"Not just you. Primarily your father."
Chu the Second looked displeased. "What do you want with my father?"
"To do business!"
Chu the Second smirked. "What business could you possibly do with my father? Are you trying to buy me from him?"
"Not that," Li Banfeng said, shaking his head. "I want to buy something of far greater value."
Chu the Second lowered her head, rolling her eyes upward to look at him. "Brother Seven, think carefully before you speak."
Chapter 619