In the main room of the companion dwelling, Miss Nine and Hong Ying had fought for an entire day, brawling until the heavens turned dark and the earth dim, wrecking no small amount of the house's furnishings.
Red Lotus stood by the door of Room Two watching the spectacle, while Mengde cowered under the bed, not daring to utter a peep.
Never make a sound. Not the slightest peep.
The calculation cultivator in Room Eight had merely let out a sigh and was thrashed within an inch of his life by the two of them.
Just as Hong Ying gained the upper hand and was about to stomp Miss Nine to death, she suddenly felt a wave of danger closing in.
Creaaak—clatter!
The door swung open, and Zhao Xiaowan returned to the room, carrying the gramophone in her arms.
Hong Ying stopped at once and said with a bright smile, "Xiaowan, you're back!"
Expressionless, Zhao Xiaowan looked at Hong Ying, then at Miss Nine.
Miss Nine kept her head down, bit her lip, and said, "She started—"
"Say no more..." Zhao Xiaowan's face was stern. "Each of you bring a bench over."
Though neither was pleased about it, they still brought benches over and lay across them, each taking thirty strokes of the board from Zhao Xiaowan.
After the beating, when she asked for the cause, it truly was Hong Ying who had stirred up trouble first. Zhao Xiaowan gave her another thirty strokes, and this time, Miss Nine was thoroughly appeased.
The main reason the two had come to blows was that a Nightmare Cultivator in Room Four had awakened.
Among the passengers across the various rooms, this one in Room Four was somewhat peculiar. She made no attempt to hide herself; once awake, she was awake, and the instant she opened her eyes, she claimed the souls of the two centipedes.
These two centipedes had been brought back by Li Banfeng from the "hornet nest." They were not quite dead when brought in, and Room Four seizing their souls had left Hong Ying deeply aggrieved.
To make matters worse, Room Four had remarked that such fine souls were clearly left for her, a comment that thoroughly infuriated Hong Ying.
Hong Ying wanted to teach Room Four a lesson, but Miss Nine talked her down, thinking it wasn't a bad idea to let Room Four keep the souls in check first and wait until Zhao Xiaowan returned to handle the matter.
As it turned out, Hong Ying believed Miss Nine had joined forces with Room Four against her. The more they argued, the more aggravated they grew, until one thing led to another and they were tearing into each other.
Zhao Xiaowan rolled her neck and shoulders, then looked at Red Lotus by the entrance of Room Two. "Have the carcasses of those two centipedes been eaten?"
Cowed by Zhao Xiaowan's overbearing presence, Red Lotus answered in a meek, thin voice, "Not yet. They're all lying over in Room Four. She said she's keeping them."
Zhao Xiaowan gave a slight nod, then said to Red Lotus, "There are a few spots on this puppet body of mine that aren't quite right. Help me tune them up in a bit."
"All right." Red Lotus had no idea why she agreed so readily.
Miss Nine lowered her voice and asked, "I can't help thinking she changed quite a bit on this trip out."
"She did," Hong Ying agreed. "She must have gone off to fight a war. Her temperament has grown rather like it was back in the military camp..."
Zhao Xiaowan walked past Room Two and reached Room Four. Glancing around, she caught the faint scent of rouge and powder. "Are you an elder sister or a younger sister? Come out and say a few words."
A voice sounded from within Room Four: "Who are you? Why should I come out to see you? I don't even know you."
"Fair enough!" Zhao Xiaowan rolled up her sleeves and hoisted the wooden board. "Today I'll make sure you get acquainted."
The door shut. Li Banfeng pulled Mengde out from under the bed and checked the time.
About a quarter of an hour later, everyone heard sobbing from Room Four: "Elder Sister, little sister was only looking after them for you! I harbored no other thoughts, truly!"
Smack! A crisp strike.
Zhao Xiaowan asked, "Truly no other thoughts?"
"Little sister swears, truly none!"
Smack! Another crisp strike.
"Swearing with your mouth, while cursing me in your heart, aren't you?"
"Little sister wouldn't dare! From the bottom of my heart, I revere Elder Sister, without half a word of falsehood!"
"Bring both the souls and the carcasses to the main room!"
"Yes!"
An invisible force propelled two burly men, who carried the centipede carcasses over, segment by segment.
Li Banfeng asked, "Where did these two men come from?"
Zhao Xiaowan explained, "These are the souls of those two centipedes. It's the Nightmare Cultivator technique 'Changing Faces and Forms,' altering the deceased spirits' shape to make the ghost servants more useful."
Li Banfeng looked at the two burly men; they could still do manual labor, and keeping them around might prove useful.
Zhao Xiaowan shook her head. "These two Inner States men still haven't given up their wicked intentions. Just now I heard Room Four say that they tried to escape multiple times, and once they even plotted to harm Hong Ying. It was fortunate Room Four saved her."
Hong Ying bristled. "Xiaowan, don't listen to that wench in Room Four wagging her tongue! As if I'd ever need that wench to save me!"
Zhao Xiaowan said to Li Banfeng, "Be that as it may, these two Inner States men are good for nothing, and Husband already has Inner States captives on hand. Leave these two to this humble servant to deal with."
Li Banfeng nodded in agreement. Zhao Xiaowan questioned them briefly, extracting Old Train's whereabouts from the mouths of these two worthless sacks, perfectly aligning with Luo Lijun's description.
From then on, the two souls had no further use, serving directly as the lady's evening meal.
Though the world boasted thousands of delicacies, the lady favored only Inner States souls, never tiring of them no matter how many she consumed.
Miss Nine sighed. "At last, we're going to rescue that brother-in-law of mine."
Hong Ying scoffed, "What do you mean, your brother-in-law? Did that mad craftsman ever marry your sister?"
"He hasn't," Miss Nine shook her head, "but I feel he genuinely likes Ayi. Once he's back, take him to Hulu Village, and let my sister question him properly."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Don't bother asking about this. Ayi already has a wife."
Miss Nine huffed, "So what if she has a wife? It's not like she has a husband!"
Hong Ying said, "Old Master, why aren't you laughing? We're about to rescue Old Train!"
"Ah, laughing, hehe," the companion dwelling gave two chuckles, then changed the subject: "Ah Qi, I found quite a few fine things in the Inner States encampment. The glove and I need a couple of days to sort them out. We're in no hurry to go to the Inner States."
"No rush. I need to make some preparations too." Li Banfeng was surprised; the companion dwelling's reaction was not what he had anticipated.
***
Having finished off the souls, Zhao Xiaowan examined the two centipede carcasses. "Husband, did Skinny Donkey Yuan hack these? That boy's blade work has really improved!"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "The Tang Dao rested after three strikes that day. I tore them apart using my shadows."
Zhao Xiaowan inspected the severed edges and shook her head. "Husband, this doesn't look torn at all. These cuts are far too clean."
The cuts were indeed clean, but Li Banfeng considered that normal: "My lady, a centipede is segmented to begin with. When I tear a segment from the middle, isn't it bound to be clean?"
The lady felt around inside the centipede's body for a moment and pulled out half a gear.
Li Banfeng paused. A gear definitely wasn't something that could be ripped apart, yet the break across the gear was equally smooth and neat.
Had a blade chopped it back then?
Li Banfeng carefully recalled the course of the battle. He definitely hadn't struck with a blade; at the time, he had only spoken the words "dismembered by five horses."
Could someone among the shadows have used a blade?
That was certainly possible.
The Heavenly Stem shadows had all been beside his lady back then, and the Earthly Branch shadows might not have been very familiar with using Dismemberment by Five Horses, leading them to use knives.
This left Li Banfeng thoroughly displeased. The true essence and soul of Dismemberment by Five Horses lay in the tearing; resorting to knives ruined the whole spirit of it.
He summoned the Earthly Branch shadows and questioned them one by one.
Banfeng Zi swayed his head back and forth, reciting, "Regarding this matter, we truly know naught."
Li Banfeng was even more annoyed. "I told you to slay enemies with the technique, and you tell me you know naught?"
Banfeng Zi continued swaying his head: "On that day, before we had even made our move, the centipede's body was already in pieces."
"If you didn't make a move, how did the centipedes break into pieces?"
Banfeng Zi answered, "As for the particulars, I know naught either."
Li Banfeng fumed, "Why didn't you tell me afterward?"
Banfeng Zi replied, "The sages say: better one trouble less than one trouble more."
Li Banfeng questioned the other Banfengs one by one. The answers from the Earthly Branch Banfengs were all identical: they had genuinely not had time to act.
This turned the matter into an unsolved case. How in the world had the centipedes died?
Li Banfeng scrutinized the centipedes' sheared edges; from the outer shell to the internal components, every single cut was remarkably neat.
"This doesn't add up..." Li Banfeng suspected there must have been someone else on the battlefield at the time—a grand master whom Li Banfeng had failed to detect.
The companion dwelling suddenly blurted out, "There was no one else present at the time."
While Li Banfeng was still pondering what the old man meant, Banfeng Two seized the opportunity to deliver a profound summary of the battle:
"This battle was aimed at drilling the troops, in hopes of further elevating the overall caliber and combat capability of our Earthly Branch personnel through the crucible of real combat.
"The spoils of victory are gratifying, and the achievements need no elaboration from me. However, we cannot overlook the undeniable problems in our overall tactical deployment and troop arrangement: fielding only recruits while holding all veterans back on defense—isn't that taking things a bit too far into recklessness?
"Warfare is no laughing matter. The commander's competence dictates the initial trajectory of the battle. One cannot put all one's eggs into a single jianbing pancake..."
Thwack!
Li Banfeng kicked Banfeng Two flying. Whenever this guy delivered a battle summary, every single fault lay with the commander.
Banfeng Two was utterly defiant and moved to scuffle with Li Banfeng again.
Li Banfeng had no time to pay him any mind; he was still brooding over the matter of Dismemberment by Five Horses.
***
Aboard the passenger ship, Li Banfeng said to Luo Zhengnan, "These five sisters are surnamed Luo. They are of your own clan."
Luo Zhengnan didn't know what to say. This was his first time seeing pure-blooded Inner States folk, and frankly, he was a little scared.
The five Luo sisters paid no mind to Luo Zhengnan. Together, they looked at Juanzi, Liangwucai, and Xiao Yeci.
Luo Lijun kept quiet, while the bold Luo Shaojun spoke up first: "Brother Seven, you're saying this is the legitimate royal line of our Great Shang?"
Li Banfeng nodded.
Luo Shaojun looked at Juanzi. "The one with three heads, I understand. But the other two—or three—the situation with these elder sisters, I don't really get."
Li Banfeng put on a solemn look. "What is there not to get? Added together, don't they make three heads as well?"
Luo Lijun snorted. "Add our five sisters together, and that makes five heads!"
Li Banfeng glared at Luo Lijun. "The royal house are all three-headed! Those with five heads are definitely not royals!"
Hearing this, Juanzi's face turned crimson.
Mengzi's face didn't redden; working for Seventh Master, he had both confidence and courage.
Xiaoshan didn't blush either; supposedly, once someone became emperor, they had an imperial harem.
The Liangwucai sisters did their best to keep Juanzi's emotions steady, lest she spout nonsense.
At the critical moment, it all came down to Xiao Yeci's performance. For this occasion, she had prepared for two whole days.
"Back then, the Sage lived in seclusion on Sage Peak. Prince Chun led a band of villains in storming the imperial palace, murdered the Sage, and relying on his repertoire of Opera Cultivator arts, usurped the Sage's throne and realm."
When Xiao Yeci told lies, her face would turn red; if she told too many, her entire body would flush red.
Yet when recounting a story, her face didn't redden in the slightest. This was a new literary piece she had crafted over two days, woven together from various folk tales.
First, she narrated how Prince Chun had harmed the Sage and impersonated him.
Then she told of how the Sage's orphans—Juanzi, Mengzi, and Xiaoshan—with the help of their mother, Consort Shuang, risked life and limb to escape Prince Chun's clutches.
The first story was comparatively easy: Prince Chun was an imperial prince residing in Wuyouping, and his princely residence was close to Jianrengang.
Moreover, Prince Chun was indeed an Opera Cultivator. Though he rarely returned to Great Shang, all of Great Shang knew there was a prince fond of singing opera.
And now, this prince had gone missing, perfectly aligning with the plot of impersonating the Sage.
Having chosen such a fitting assassin, the tale of regicide had a remarkably solid footing.
The second story was somewhat harder to pull off. Luo Lijun looked at Juanzi, constantly feeling this person lacked the bearing of royalty.
This was indeed a three-headed person, but that was precisely the problem. Luo Lijun asked, "The Sage resided in Puluo Province for so long that he had already shed the royal form. How could his descendants possibly revert to it?"
Because the kings of Great Shang had lived in Puluo Province for a long time and intermarried with its people over generations, they had indeed lost the traits of three-headed people.
Yet that was the very crux of the story.
"Back then, the Sage already showed signs of a bloodline resurgence. The imperial princess and two imperial princes he fathered with Consort Shuang had already developed royal traits." Li Banfeng went along with the narrative and introduced Liangwucai: "This is Consort Shuang, the biological mother of the imperial heirs."
Seeing Liangwucai, the five Luo sisters found the situation slightly more plausible. Shaojun had pretty much figured it out:
"Sister, the Sage had one head, Consort Shuang has two heads, and their children have three heads. This truly makes sense..."
Luo Lijun swatted Shaojun aside with a slap, then turned to look at Li Banfeng. "Young Master Li, isn't this matter a bit too bizarre?"
"Insolent!" Li Banfeng glared at Luo Lijun. "Who are you calling bizarre?"
"I mean, just this... this..." Luo Lijun wanted to say this three-headed person, but she couldn't bring herself to utter it.
In Great Shang, the term "three-headed people" carried a derogatory tone toward royalty, so Luo Lijun had scruples about using it.
More importantly, Li Banfeng's aura was exceedingly intimidating, making Luo Lijun hesitant to speak carelessly.
Luo Yanjun ventured cautiously, "Young Master Li, please don't be angry. We aren't saying this imperial prince is a fake."
"Insolent!" Li Banfeng barked again. "Do you have no sense of decorum?"
Luo Yanjun quickly corrected herself: "I mean, His Imperial Highness... might not be... Though he is of royal stock, his origins..."
Even Luo Yanjun, who was adept at speaking around in circles, found her tongue faltering under Li Banfeng's imposing might.
Li Banfeng said, "The royal house are all three-headed people! Only a member of the royal house can be your king! Does that fake Sage have three heads?"
The five sisters shook their heads in unison: "No!"
Li Banfeng asked next, "Without three heads, is he of the royal house?"
The five sisters shook their heads again: "No."
Li Banfeng asked once more, "If he isn't royalty, can he be the king?"
The five sisters were dumbfounded. After pondering for a long while, they answered, "He cannot..."
Reversing cause and effect—the technique was used without a flaw. Xiujun and Yujun were thoroughly convinced, believing that Juanzi before them was indeed the imperial prince, and that the Sage in Zhaoge was an imposter!
Yet Luo Lijun and Luo Yanjun couldn't turn their thinking around.
In their minds was an ingrained notion: a large part of the reason the Sage could never hold undivided sway over the court was his bloodline.
The Sage lacked three heads and was thus constantly subjected to criticism. For him to produce children with three heads now was utterly unbelievable. To Luo Lijun, once the foremost of the feudatories, and Luo Yanjun, who routinely handled state affairs, this deep-seated concept was not so easily reversed.
Luo Lijun asked outright, "Regarding the Sage's murder, who else knows of this aside from His Imperial Highness and Her Highness Consort Shuang?"
Hearing this, Luo Shaojun winked at Li Banfeng.
According to the court etiquette of Great Shang, when addressing an imperial consort, one normally did not use "Your Highness"; only when addressing an empress could "Your Highness" be used.
By calling Consort Shuang "Her Highness," Luo Lijun showed that deep down, she was already leaning that way; she too wanted to establish Juanzi as the Sage's sole imperial prince.
Li Banfeng glanced at Xiao Yeci. In a tiny voice, Xiao Yeci said, "I can prove it! I was Her Highness Consort Shuang's personal maidservant, truly!"
"Truly! Indeed!"
Li Banfeng glared crossly at Xiao Yeci, whose face flushed red with embarrassment.
Telling a story from the perspective of an onlooker was no problem for Xiao Yeci, but claiming herself as an eyewitness carried the guilt of lying. When Xiao Yeci spoke those words, she didn't even dare look up.
Luo Lijun felt things were growing more and more suspicious: "Relying on only a single witness to substantiate the matter—the footing seems far too tenuous."
Li Banfeng had already thought of this. "The Sage you speak of—after he returned to the royal capital, did he present the Imperial Jade Seal of the Realm?"
Luo Lijun shook her head. "No, he didn't. Back then he claimed that when besieged by a band of traitors, the Imperial Jade Seal was lost on Sage Peak. At the time, I presumed the seal had been used for his escape art."
Li Banfeng asked, "How do you know it was used for an escape art? Have you ever seen the Imperial Jade Seal?"
Luo Lijun shook her head. "I have not seen it, but I have heard rumors: the Imperial Jade Seal of the Realm can forge a path, open a gate, and seize a chance at life."
"Do you recognize this?" Li Banfeng produced a jade seal and handed it to Luo Lijun.
Luo Lijun took the jade seal and examined it for a long time.
She had indeed never seen the actual seal, but she had seen plenty of photographs of it. Judging by shape and material, she truly could spot no flaw.
Yet photographs of the jade seal existed in Puluo Province as well; forging one wasn't necessarily out of the question.
Luo Lijun handed the seal to Luo Yanjun. Luo Yanjun inspected it closely for quite some time, then asked, "Young Master Li, why is the character 'Chuan' carved onto the jade seal?"
Indeed, the character "Chuan" was etched into the bottom-left corner of the seal. Without a careful look, one wouldn't notice, but it had not escaped Luo Yanjun's eyes.
Li Banfeng took the seal back and said, "That is not the character 'Chuan.' That is a symbol denoting three heads, carved by the Sage in his dying moments to signify that he had reclaimed his ancestral bloodline and that the imperial heirs possessed three heads."
After offering the explanation, Li Banfeng silently cursed Chuanzi. That fellow could never kick his habit; whatever he made, he always found a way to leave his name behind.
Luo Lijun asked, "Can this seal activate the escape art?"
"It can!" Li Banfeng nodded. "However, unless one is driven to absolute extremity, this art cannot be used lightly. There is a price attached."
Xiujun asked, "What is the price?"
Shaojun cast a glance at Xiujun. "Sister, how can you be so imprudent? That is a royal secret. How could we possibly pry?"
With both witness and material evidence present, the proof was mountain-solid!
With Luo Shaojun taking the lead, the four sisters nodded one after another toward Luo Lijun.
Luo Lijun remained hesitant, but this was the Luo family's finest chance to reverse their fortunes. After weighing it for a long while, she agreed.
She stared at Juanzi for a moment. Juanzi felt thoroughly awkward, her eyes wandering.
Mengzi possessed a resolute will, keeping a straight face and holding his tongue.
Xiaoshan thought Luo Lijun was pretty, so he kept staring right at her.
Such conduct was exceedingly rude, and Luo Lijun could not help furrowing her brows. "When His Imperial Highness left the imperial palace, he must have been very young."
Xiao Yeci nodded repeatedly. "Indeed, yes! Not old at all!"
Liangwucai caught the underlying message. Liangcai said in a somber tone, "After leaving the palace, a widowed mother and her orphans wandered from pillar to post, running ragged just to eke out a living. We have indeed lacked in disciplining Juan'er and the others."
Luo Lijun said nothing. Truth be told, this Consort Shuang's demeanor wasn't much either; even the maidservant attending the consort was lacking quite a bit of polish.
Luo Shaojun noticed the issue as well and hurried to smooth things over: "Her Highness Consort Shuang has endured much hardship over the years. Now that we are to assist His Imperial Highness in restoring the court, leave these minor matters to us to handle."
The five Luo sisters would be responsible for instructing Juanzi in etiquette, but Liangwucai could not be left to them. For an imperial prince who grew up among the common crowd, not knowing courtly manners stood to reason; but if an imperial consort also knew nothing at all, the tale simply wouldn't hold water.
Li Banfeng summoned Qiu Zhiheng. As the chief steward of the Lu family, his sense of decorum was beyond doubt. According to Xiao Yeci's tale, Consort Shuang had been wed from Puluo Province, so having Qiu Zhiheng instruct her could even impart some distinct Puluo Province flair.
Qiu Zhiheng was in a bind. He wanted to consult books, but a place like the underground city had no proper bookstores.
Li Banfeng said, "Brother Qiu, no need for so much trouble. Just teach her etiquette according to the Lu family rules."
Qiu Zhiheng waved his hand dismissively. "That falls far short. Before Lu Dongliang rose to prominence, the Lu family couldn't even be counted as a top-tier clan in Puluo Province. With barely two generations of accumulation to our name, how could we match the dignity of a royal house?"
Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "How about the Ma family?"
Qiu Zhiheng pondered. "Among the four great clans, the Ma family has the deepest foundation, but counting from Ma Junyang, they've been among the great families for only three generations.
"The He family made their start slightly earlier than the Lus. If you want to know about their family rules, you need only look at He Yuxiu.
"The Chu family has been around for about the same span as the Hes, and you can see their family style plain enough on Chu Huaiyuan.
"Back in the day, the Jiang family was also once a first-rate prominent clan whose household knew some propriety, but after reigning supreme in Green Water City for less than twenty years, the Jiangs fell into ruin; their so-called cultured etiquette has left no trace behind.
"Puluo Province does not lack ruthless overbearing lords; every few years, an outstanding figure or two will crop up. But when it comes to true nobility, one can probably find them only in books."
Puluo Province had no nobility. In this regard, it truly differed from other places.
The gap between Lu Dongliang and the peddlers on the street was huge, but a chasm like that between Xie Baheng and Luo Lijun was nowhere to be found in Puluo Province.
Yet who could be found to teach Liangwucai?
Qiu Zhiheng thought of a suitable candidate: "There's a man beside Old Xu named Gong Ziming. He's a disciple of the Sage and ought to know plenty of rules. I'll summon him. I have a way to send word to Old Xu, though we'll have to wait a few days."
Li Banfeng nodded. "A wait of a few days is fine. I have urgent business to attend to as well."
Returning to the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng sat down beside the gramophone. "My lady, is the Xuanyun Pill ready?"
Using her stylus, the lady lifted a medicinal pill. "Husband, this time you must take a whole pill."
Li Banfeng consumed the pill and lay back into the gramophone's embrace.
The gramophone looked toward Hong Ying and Little Nine. "What are you two standing around dazed for? Hurry and tend to Husband's advancement!"
***
He Jiaqing followed Shi Gongxing to Qishuiyao. The route was convoluted, looping back and forth multiple times before they finally reached Shi Gongxing's former factory.
"Senior, why go through so much trouble?"
Shi Gongxing warned He Jiaqing not to raise his voice: "This is Feng Daiku's territory now. Her technique 'Silk Threads Covering the Board' is formidable. If I hadn't looped around the whole way here, the moment we stepped into Qishuiyao, she would have spotted us."
Walking to the end of the factory floor, He Jiaqing leaned over to inspect the pool: "This is the entrance to the Inner States?"
Shi Gongxing sighed, "I haven't visited in a long time, so I don't know who is guarding it now. Some Inner States folk have venomous temperaments; you must be exceedingly cautious."
He Jiaqing gave a slight shake of his head. "I have no intention of entering the Inner States today."
Shi Gongxing frowned. "If you don't intend to go, what did you come here for?"
He Jiaqing said, "Just casing the joint first. Before heading in, I still have preparations to make."
Shi Gongxing was rather disgruntled. If He Jiaqing didn't go to the Inner States, he wouldn't get the other half of the covenant deed, and all those earlier promises would be nothing but empty talk.
He Jiaqing saw through Shi Gongxing's thoughts and retrieved a magical treasure from his coat.
It was a carving knife, a magical treasure once wielded by a famed master, capable of perceiving the images envisioned in a craftsman's mind and completing the carving on its own.
"A modest token of my regard. I hope Senior will accept it. What He has promised will surely be honored."
Shi Gongxing took the carving knife and asked, "How much longer do you plan to stay here?"
He Jiaqing had intended to leave the factory, but suddenly sensed something was amiss.
After a moment's consideration, He Jiaqing said, "Senior, please head back first. I'll wander around Qishuiyao a bit more."
Shi Gongxing was only too eager to leave first. "If you cross paths with Feng Daiku, it has nothing to do with me."
"Rest easy, Senior. In all my dealings, I never embroil others."
Shi Gongxing left the factory at once, hurrying toward the newland. Before he had gone far, he suddenly felt a void at his chest: the carving knife he had just accepted seemed to be gone.
Dropped it?
Shi Gongxing was an above-the-clouds cultivator; he shouldn't make such a blunder.
He looked back. He saw no carving knife, but behind him stood an emaciated, small-statured old man.
"Old Shi, looking for this?" Holding the carving knife, the old man waved it before Shi Gongxing.
"Senior Xiao..." Shi Gongxing's voice quavered. "I... I was just passing through here."
Smiling Thousand Hands cut Shi Gongxing off. "Cut the idle chatter. Let me ask you: where did He Jiaqing go?"
Shi Gongxing replied, "Still inside the factory—right at the entrance to the Inner States. You know the place."
Smiling Thousand Hands shook his head. "I've already been there. He isn't there. Presumably, only you know his whereabouts."
Shi Gongxing waved his hands frantically. "Senior, I know nothing at all!"
Smiling Thousand Hands twirled the carving knife in his fingers, revealing two sharp fangs. "This knife can carve wood, and it can carve bone. Would you care to give it a try?"
Shi Gongxing didn't know how to explain himself, and Smiling Thousand Hands didn't seem inclined to listen either.
***
In the newland, outside Shi Gongxing's factory, several strange creatures were patrolling around the workshops.
Passing the entrance, a musk deer asked the water deer beside him, "Why are we pacing aimlessly around this factory?"
"Doing our job, what else?" The water deer didn't mind in the slightest. "We get to earn cultivation base every month anyway. Isn't that great?"
The musk deer didn't want to keep working here. "What good is that measly bit of cultivation base? This godforsaken hole is so remote there isn't even a single land-reclamation pioneer around. Day in and day out, the factory turns out useless junk that can't be sold. What's the point?"
The water deer shook his head. "I think this gig is far better than risking our lives against land-reclamation pioneers. Besides, our Master Shi is a prominent figure. When he crafts fine goods down the line, business booms, and customers pour in, he'll likely shower us with rewards!"
The musk deer sighed. "Fat chance, if you ask me. I've never once seen this factory open for business!"
The two shot the breeze as they completed another lap around the factory. When they passed the front gate again, the musk deer came to an abrupt halt. "What's that hanging by the gate?"
The water deer looked over and let out a shriek: "It's Master Shi!"
Shi Gongxing's severed head was hanging at the factory gate. Below it hung a skeleton, every scrap of flesh and blood cleanly stripped from his body.
P.S. Shi Gongxing was Old Train's disciple, and just like that, he was gone.
Chapter 662