Clang-clang-clang—
Setting down his handcart, the peddler stood before the factory gates and looked at Shi Gongxing's corpse.
The anomalous creatures stood nearby, not daring to utter a word. The peddler asked, "Did he die on his own territory?"
The musk deer had been the first to discover the body, but had no idea how to answer. "Lord Peddler, this is just where we saw the corpse. Where he actually died, we haven't a clue."
The peddler asked again, "Did he go anywhere else beforehand?"
The musk deer answered, "He did, but as to where, we don't know that either."
"Does anyone know?"
The anomalous creatures exchanged glances, and their eyes finally settled on a woman who strongly resembled a sheep.
This woman was clever, pretty, and knew a bit of artisanship, making her deeply favored by Shi Gongxing. Rumor among the creatures had it that by day they studied craftsmanship together upon the machine lathe, and by night they studied craftsmanship together upon the bed.
Terrified, the sheep-woman said with reddened eyes, "Lord Shi left with a man named He Jiaqing. Before departing, he told me he had to make a trip to Qishuiyao."
He Jiaqing?
"This matter truly needs looking into." The peddler pushed his cart and departed.
If Shi Gongxing had died in Qishuiyao, the peddler shouldn't get involved—Qishuiyao was no longer Shi Gongxing's territory.
If Shi Gongxing had died at Feng Daiku's hands, the peddler had even less reason to intervene—Feng Daiku had not yet reached cultivation in the stellar realm.
However, if Shi Gongxing had died on this newland, and at the hands of a cultivator in the stellar realm, the peddler could never tolerate it.
***
In Bitter Herb Village, at the Free-Meal Hall, He Jiaqing sat beside the wall wolfing down rice, cleaning his bowl until not a grain was wasted.
The one ladling the rice wore a bright red padded jacket with rouge smeared all over their face, making it impossible to tell whether they were an older sister or an older brother. They hollered at He Jiaqing, "Want more? If you're not full, I can dish you up another bowl."
He Jiaqing nodded and had another bowl scooped.
He recognized this server. In the past, the fellow had been an uncle who gave meager portions and loved to mix sand into the rice. Now, for reasons unknown, his temperament had completely changed, and his appearance had altered substantially as well.
He had just finished his rice when the distant rattle of a rattle-drum drifted over.
The peddler was here!
He Jiaqing had some matters he happened to want to discuss with the peddler, but just as he was about to step out of the Free-Meal Hall, a woman clad in coarse cloth garments barred the doorway.
Granny Bitter had arrived.
"Senior." He Jiaqing bowed deeply.
Everyone in the Free-Meal Hall hurriedly offered greetings.
Granny Bitter waved a hand, dismissing the others, until only He Jiaqing remained in the room.
Granny Bitter asked He Jiaqing, "What did you come to my place for?"
He Jiaqing lowered his head. "To flee a disaster."
"A disaster from whom?"
"From the patriarch of our sect. He has set his sights on me lately."
Granny Bitter asked, "You mean Xiao Qianshou? Aren't you hiding from the peddler?"
He Jiaqing didn't understand. "Why would I hide from the peddler?"
Granny Bitter looked outside the door. "From what I see, he's come specifically for you. Whatever you do, do not leave this room."
With that, Granny Bitter waved a hand, and an invisible barrier sealed the entrance of the Free-Meal Hall.
Granny Bitter walked outside the hall and watched the peddler hawking his wares as he pushed his cart.
The peddler rarely visited Bitter Herb Village, so the villagers found it a novelty, and quite a few gathered around him to buy goods.
Granny Bitter approached the cart and asked, "Do you have any rattle candy for sale?"
The peddler smiled. "I have rattle-drums, and I have herbal candy, but where would I get rattle candy?"
Granny Bitter asked again, "Do you sell face-washing kettles?"
The peddler shook his head. "I have washbasins and tea kettles, but who's ever heard of a face-washing kettle? Don't joke."
Granny Bitter scoffed. "I doubt you've spent more than a couple of days doing honest business. Rattle candies and face-washing kettles are real rarities, and not a single one can be bought from you. Out with it—what do you want with me?"
The peddler shook his head. "I'm not looking for trouble, only a person."
"Who?"
"He Jiaqing."
"What do you want him for?"
"Shi Gongxing is dead. His corpse lies right on his own territory."
Granny Bitter was taken aback. "You're meddling in this too?"
The peddler countered, "Why shouldn't I?"
Granny Bitter sat on a roadside rock. "Shi Gongxing ceded the territory Old Train left him to Feng Daiku and claimed a piece of newland as his domain. By rights, he was no longer a territorial spirit of the proper lands. Do you still care whether he lives or dies?"
The peddler took down a small stool from his cart and sat down as well. "I don't know where that rumor started. People are always claiming I only look after the territorial spirits of the proper lands. As long as it happens within Puluo Province, I handle whatever ought to be handled. Someone in the stellar realm slaughtering a territorial spirit on their own ground—that is something I will never tolerate."
Inside the room, He Jiaqing listened with rising dread.
Shi Gongxing's death was within his expectations.
Back at Qishuiyao, He Jiaqing had sensed that Xiao Qianshou was trailing them, which was why he had deliberately sent Shi Gongxing ahead. In all likelihood, Shi Gongxing had died at Xiao Qianshou's hands.
Yet Shi Gongxing's body appearing on his own territory caught He Jiaqing somewhat off guard.
Could Xiao Qianshou have waited until reaching the newland before striking?
Now that the peddler intended to lay Shi Gongxing's death at He Jiaqing's feet, He Jiaqing had to speak up in his own defense no matter what.
Yet just as he went to step through the doorway, the barrier outside suddenly flared. A wrenching agony like cleaving blades and hacking axes racked He Jiaqing's body, feeling as if a layer of skin were being flayed from him.
Such was the might of the barrier.
Forget walking through the front door—even if he mastered the Travel Cultivator's Unimpeded Passage, he wouldn't stand a chance of leaving the Free-Meal Hall. Granny Bitter's barrier was not something He Jiaqing could unravel.
Granny Bitter looked at the peddler. "In the past, when territorial spirits of the newlands died on their own turf, you never got involved!"
The peddler shook his head. "I may not have sorted them all out, but you cannot say I didn't care."
He Jiaqing knew this much as well. Matters involving territorial spirits in the newlands were truly thorny to manage, as many among them were running dogs of the Inner States.
Granny Bitter said to the peddler, "When will you ever write down every single one of those rules of yours and post a notice for all of us to see clearly? Stop letting folks who don't know the rules make trouble and cause messes for you!"
The peddler nodded. "That is indeed my fault. Would you be so kind as to call He Jiaqing out? I only have a couple of questions for him."
"No!" Granny Bitter shook her head. "He came to my Bitter Herb Village seeking entry into my sect. He is undergoing my assessment right now and cannot take half a step outside the Free-Meal Hall."
The peddler smiled. "That works too. Then I'll go inside the Free-Meal Hall to question him."
Granny Bitter laughed as well. "Set foot inside the Free-Meal Hall, and you become a disciple under my Bitter Cultivator lineage! When the time comes, you'll have to call me Patriarch!"
"Stepping into the Free-Meal Hall makes one a disciple of your sect?" The peddler frowned. "Since when was that a rule?"
Granny Bitter looked astonished. "It's a rule I set. Didn't you know?"
The peddler's gaze focused, turning slightly chilly.
Granny Bitter stood and dusted off her clothes. "Don't forget this is Bitter Herb Village, my territory. If you make a move against me, wouldn't that count as breaking your own rules?"
As she said this, Granny Bitter had no real certainty in her heart.
The peddler's cultivation wasn't in the stellar realm, so whether it violated the rules came down to whether the peddler chose to acknowledge it.
The peddler put away his small stool. The moment he rose to his feet, the ground beneath him erupted into rolling flames. Several boulders nearby instantly melted, flowing sluggishly beneath his soles.
The watching Bitter Cultivators scrambled onto rooftops as fast as they could, and even He Jiaqing inside the Free-Meal Hall hopped onto the rafters.
The fire was aimed at the peddler, and He Jiaqing only suffered the peripheral fallout, yet he endured considerable agony. First his hair began to smoke, then his skin singed; exhaust his techniques as he might, he could barely withstand it.
The peddler stood quietly amidst the raging fire. First, he stowed the little stool onto his cart, then lifted one foot to inspect his sole.
"Not bad. These are new shoes, and you didn't manage to burn through them." The peddler nodded in satisfaction.
Granny Bitter grew a bit tense. She had invested immense effort into this flame, yet not even a scorch mark remained on the peddler's soles.
"Looks like we really are going to fight today." Granny Bitter allowed the flames to entwine her body, putting herself in the exact same plight as the peddler.
"Fight for what? You're right—this is your territory," the peddler chuckled. "Be so kind as to pass word to He Jiaqing: once he's made enough progress in his cultivation here, have him come out to chat with me about Shi Gongxing."
Clang-clang—
Rattling his rattle-drum and treading upon the blazing fire, the peddler pushed his cart and walked away.
The cart was undamaged, the peddler unhurt; walking across molten rock, he didn't leave so much as a footprint behind.
Once he departed, Granny Bitter let out a long breath and drew back the flames. The surrounding grass and trees had turned to ash, and the rocks, having melted and then cooled, formed flat stone patties. Yet what baffled He Jiaqing was that the nearby buildings suffered no damage at all.
Watching the peddler leave Bitter Herb Village, Granny Bitter felt relieved, but He Jiaqing grew frantic.
He had come to Bitter Herb Village to evade Xiao Qianshou, not to hide from the peddler.
Failing to explain things to the peddler now was tantamount to shouldering the blame for Shi Gongxing's death.
Something that could easily have been made clear—why wouldn't she let him explain?
Why?
Wearing a faint smile, Granny Bitter returned to the Free-Meal Hall. "Let's get back to Old Pincers Xiao. Is there any room for reconciliation between you two?"
Looking at Granny Bitter's smile, He Jiaqing wiped away the soot from his face, lowered his head, and sighed deeply. He understood why she wouldn't let him explain.
Granny Bitter had intended all along to foster enmity between him and the peddler.
He Jiaqing didn't dare fall out with Granny Bitter, and even if he wanted to chase after the peddler now, it was probably too late.
Forget it, best address Xiao Qianshou first.
"Senior, there is truly no room for reconciliation between Xiao Qianshou and me."
Granny Bitter pondered for a moment. "Then find an opportunity to settle this matter once and for all."
"But if we settle him once and for all..."
He Jiaqing didn't know how to continue.
If Xiao Qianshou died, the truth about Shi Gongxing could never be cleared up!
***
The five Luo sisters coached Juanzi, and Gong Ziming trained Liangwucai. With the prince and the empress looking more and more the part, Li Banfeng prepared to pave their way and build momentum for mother and son.
Right now, aside from Li Seven's group and the five Luo sisters, no one believed Juanzi was legitimate royalty of Great Shang. To build momentum, a firm foundation had to be established first.
The critical question was, where should this foundation be rooted?
Li Banfeng had considered returning to Green Water City first to print newspapers and broadcast everywhere that the true royal bloodline of the Inner States had been found.
Printing newspapers was simple enough; Li Banfeng owned a newspaper office. But how convincing could that alone be?
Green Water City was far from the Inner States. Creating an uproar in Green Water City would hardly ripple across the Inner States.
The foundation couldn't be laid in Green Water City; it had to be established in Santoucha, right at the doorstep of the Inner States, to strike at the heart of the realm.
To stabilize Santoucha, one had to stabilize the Under City first, gripping it firmly in hand so Mister Kongfang could never seize it back.
Li Banfeng went to Qingyuan Mansion and found Headman Nie Congyang to ask about the rent collection.
Nie Congyang had indeed followed the original instructions: the current month's rent was waived entirely, and subsequent rents were halved.
The matter had been handled well. Li Banfeng nodded. "You've kept your position as headman. Now, have everyone in the building leave and block off the surrounding streets. No one is permitted inside without my order."
Nie Congyang hurriedly led his men out of Qingyuan and blocked the streets around it.
Li Banfeng barked out, "Mad Cultivator technique: Blood Flowing into Rivers!"
Banfeng Zi shook his head and intoned, "There are no others present here; wherefore speak of blood flowing into rivers?"
Banfeng Two held Banfeng Zi in utter contempt. "Can't you speak like a normal person? He just wants us to bring out more brothers."
Before long, over a hundred shadows emerged throughout the building. Some knew a few techniques, some were nimble and skilled, and some were good for nothing, present merely to make up the numbers.
Making up the numbers was plenty.
Li Banfeng let the shadows linger in the building for a while, then brought them all back into the companion dwelling.
Upon entering Qingyuan Mansion, every one of these shadows had a mark left inside their bodies.
Inside the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng exerted all his might using the technique of Sit Back and Relax, forcing the shadows to spit out the copper coins from their bodies.
These copper coins were treasures. His lady promptly gathered them up to keep for future use. "A hundred or so isn't bad, but if there were more, having Red Lotus forge a weapon or fashion a magical artifact from them would be even better."
"Don't worry, Madam. There are plenty of these."
Li Banfeng led the shadows out again, and before long brought them back once more.
"Well done, my husband! Your humble servant will serve you properly in a moment!"
Li Banfeng asked, "Madam, what exactly is the treasure inside these copper coins?"
"Blood!" the gramophone replied. "Exceedingly rare blood!"
***
Beneath the sea stood a compound, and within the compound was a three-story building.
In the second-floor bedroom of the building, Mister Kongfang was recuperating from his injuries while minting copper coins.
These copper coins had two main components: one was copper, and the other was his own blood.
His previous battle with Huang Yuxian had cost him too many copper coins, so replenishment was necessary.
Yet this presented a dilemma. Mister Kongfang was already wounded; forging more coins meant losing even more blood, which hindered his recovery.
Weighing his options, Mister Kongfang resolved to sacrifice a portion of his blood to replenish three hundred coins first. With great effort, he minted over two hundred, only to find that in the blink of an eye, those two hundred-odd coins were gone.
Who did this?
Mister Kongfang clutched a coin and probed with his senses for a long while before realizing someone had entered Qingyuan Mansion.
Li Seven again!
"What a fine youngster!" Mister Kongfang sighed from the bottom of his heart. "This guy is so fucking shameless!"
Mister Kongfang temporarily severed his connection with Qingyuan Mansion; otherwise, no matter how many copper coins he produced, it wouldn't be enough to cover the loss.
Li Banfeng used Sit Back and Relax for a third time in Qingyuan Mansion, but only acquired twenty-odd coins, sensing that something was amiss.
The gramophone said, "Husband, take your servant out to look. There might be more to this."
Li Banfeng carried the gramophone, which brought along the puppet Red Lotus had just repaired, and they took a tour through the building together.
"What a fine place, what fine craftsmanship!" the gramophone marveled. "Darling husband, the artisanship of this building is utterly bizarre—it is linked directly to Mister Kongfang's body."
Li Banfeng asked, "Does that mean we can find Mister Kongfang straight through this building?"
"In theory, yes, but your servant cannot see the exact entanglements clearly. Why don't you take a look, Husband?"
"Look? How should I look?"
"Using the technique your servant taught you, of course!"
Li Banfeng activated Golden Eyes of Keen Detail, but saw nothing unusual about the building.
"Husband, you use Golden Eyes of Keen Detail so often, yet you never thought of honing it further?"
Li Banfeng said, "I'd like to, but the key knack is hard to pin down."
Golden Eyes of Keen Detail was a first-tier technique of the Residence Cultivator Li Banfeng had learned. To this day, his progress with it had been modest—it was useful, but hard to train.
His lady guided him, "Husband, take a look at the layout of this building's water pipes."
The water pipes of Qingyuan Mansion were not buried in the walls; most ran exposed on the surface. Their layout lay right before their eyes, though the pipes were somewhat tangled and easy to misjudge.
Having activated Golden Eyes of Keen Detail, Li Banfeng naturally made no mistake, discerning the pipes' trajectories clearly.
His lady continued, "Husband, look closer. Is there spiritual energy moving within those pipes?"
Focusing his mind, Li Banfeng watched for a long while and vaguely discerned faint reddish traces running inside the piping.
"Madam, this is..."
"The water pipes of this building connect to Mister Kongfang's blood vessels. Mister Kongfang's copper coins flow through his blood vessels within his body, and they also flow through the water pipes within this building."
Li Banfeng was taken aback. "Madam, what tier of artisan technique is this?"
"Darling husband, this is no artisan technique; this is a Martial Cultivator's method."
"Martial Cultivator?" Li Banfeng couldn't wrap his head around it.
"A true master of the Martial Path can leverage every usable facet of combat capability to its absolute utmost. That usable capability encompasses one's own physique and weaponry. Blood vessels are Mister Kongfang's physique, and copper coins are his weapons. He is a Grandmaster of Martial Cultivation—the Thousand-Blade Vagrant, Ai Yeqing, whose renown equals that of Zhou Wencheng, the Eight-Peck Scholar."
So Mister Kongfang was a Martial Cultivator all along, and such a famed one at that.
"Madam, you could deduce Mister Kongfang's identity just from the methods used in this building?" Li Banfeng felt it couldn't be that simple. Mister Kongfang had maintained his deception for decades; he shouldn't have been so easily unmasked.
The gramophone said, "Darling husband, your servant didn't deduce it solely from this. Your servant traded blows with Mister Kongfang aboard that passenger ship."
Li Banfeng searched his memories and indeed found the scene from that time; several shadows had experienced that battle from different perspectives.
"Madam, Mister Kongfang said your surname was Huang, and that it was Yin—both of which I understand. But what did he mean by saying your surname was Long?"
"Your servant did indeed carry the surname Long once. I will explain that to you later, Husband. Let's speak of the building first. Your servant employed the technique of Exquisite Scents of a Hundred Flavors, yet within this building I can no longer smell that coppery tang from the blood vessels. Together with the disappearance of the copper coins, your servant surmises that Mister Kongfang has severed his connection with this building."
"Does that mean this building is entirely detached from him from now on?"
The gramophone swayed its horn. "Of course not. Whenever he wishes to reconnect, he can do so at any time. Husband, if all you want is this building, it's quite simple—just tear out these water pipes and rebuild them."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "What use do I have for this building alone? I'm wondering if we could continue drawing the blood of that 'Thousand-Blade Kongfang' through this building. Not only would that secure Santoucha's stability, it would also put Mister Kongfang to excellent use!"
His lady pondered for a moment. "There is a way. Let us return home to discuss it."
The couple returned to the companion dwelling, and his lady went straight to Room Seven. "Brother, I have a matter to discuss with you. If I remember correctly, you are a Voyeur Cultivator, yes?"
The man in Room Seven sighed. "Whether you remember correctly or not, I don't know. In any case, I can't remember myself."
"It doesn't matter if you can't remember. I saw the hook you left behind."
"Madam, I only ever left a hook in this one room. That shouldn't count as breaking the house rules."
"No one said you broke any rules. I only wish to discuss having my husband borrow a technique from you."
The man in Room Seven fell silent for a moment. "I fear that is improper. I am not a house spirit; I shouldn't lend techniques to a Residence Cultivator."
From Room Eight came another man's voice, "Brother, don't be so stubborn."
Room Seven retorted, "This isn't being stubborn; I'm speaking reason."
Room Eight chimed in again, "Brother, really, don't be stubborn."
Ignoring Room Eight, Room Seven spoke directly to the gramophone: "Madam, we must make this clear. Contributing my strength to the household is only right, but I am not a house spirit. Techniques cannot be lent out at whim—that is simply reason!"
Hong Ying walked into Room Seven and asked, "And so what if you have reason?"
Room Seven dug his heels in. "Is one not even allowed to speak reason?"
Over five minutes later, Room Seven coughed at length and rasped with feeble breath, "Well, uh... I was just laying out the reason. If you truly must borrow it, that's fine too. The key is whether the technique can even be used."
The gramophone said, "You needn't worry about that. When your time comes to pull your weight, don't you dare equivocate."
"Rest assured, Madam... No equivocating, absolutely no equivocating..." Room Seven was out of breath; he had to conserve his strength to prepare the technique.
Hong Ying stroked the back of the gramophone's casing. "He won't dare equivocate. Xiaowan, just leave matters like this to me from now on."
The gramophone hummed in acknowledgment and had Hong Ying attend to the brush and ink. Li Banfeng signed a covenant deed with Room Seven.
The husband and wife returned to the mansion. Guided by his lady, Li Banfeng clutched the deed and used the technique of Sprawling Compound to plant a hook.
"How do I plant this?" Having studied the technique of Sprawling Compound for so long, aside from his lady's techniques, Li Banfeng had only ever borrowed Hong Ying's. Both were his house spirits, so borrowing techniques was only natural.
Yet the fellow in Room Seven was not a house spirit. This wasn't something that could be borrowed on a whim just with a sheet of paper.
His lady said, "That depends on how well you conduct your outside business, Husband."
Li Banfeng was startled. "What business do you mean, Madam? I've never engaged in the business of hooking."
"Your servant means the business of deceit."
Li Banfeng protested with righteous indignation, "Don't say such things! When has your husband ever deceived anyone?"
Spewing steam, the gramophone chuckled twice. "Husband is quite right. Husband never deceives anyone. Husband doesn't know those deceptive Fool Cultivator techniques. Husband isn't a Fool Cultivator at all, and Husband has never deceived your humble servant."
"Mhm," Li Banfeng responded softly.
The gramophone continued, "Husband, make an exception today and deceive yourself just once. Tell yourself that the one in Room Seven is your house spirit."
Li Banfeng sighed. "Deceiving oneself is still rather difficult."
"Is it difficult, Husband? You are someone capable of techniques of Heavenly Harmony—something even your servant cannot do. What could possibly stump my husband?"
Li Banfeng smiled modestly and summoned Banfeng Zi. "Do you think Room Seven is our house spirit?"
Banfeng Zi shook his head. "Nay."
Li Banfeng asked again, "Does he reside in our home?"
Banfeng Zi nodded. "Yea."
"And is he a soul?"
"Yea."
"Is a house spirit not a soul residing in one's home?"
"Yea."
Li Banfeng said, "Then tell me, is he a house spirit or not?"
Reversing Cause and Effect succeeded, but after pondering for a moment, Banfeng Zi still hesitated. "Has he acknowledged a master?"
Acknowledging a master was a crucial step for a house spirit. If handled improperly, the Fool Cultivator technique would struggle to take effect.
Li Banfeng brought out the covenant deed. "He even signed the deed. How could he not acknowledge a master?"
Ironclad Evidence took effect as well.
Clutching the covenant deed, Banfeng Zi said with difficulty, "Yet we... still do not know his name."
This hurdle was tricky. For a house spirit to acknowledge a master, the Residence Cultivator needed to call out the spirit's name.
Yet this step could not currently be fulfilled, as Room Seven had forgotten his own name.
Li Banfeng said, "Isn't that simple? We'll have Yingying beat him up; whatever we call him, he'll answer to it."
After a long silence, Banfeng Zi nodded repeatedly. "Indeed, there is truth to that reasoning!"
Li Banfeng said, "Then let's not dilly-dally—borrow it!"
Banfeng Zi trembled all over. Among the many shadows, second only to Banfeng Two, Banfeng Zi knew the most techniques; using Sprawling Compound was well within his capabilities.
Yet today, employing this technique proved arduous. Even with the deed signed, Room Seven cooperating to the best of his ability, and Banfeng Zi convincing himself that Room Seven was indeed a house spirit, forcibly borrowing the technique remained remarkably difficult.
Li Banfeng felt it wouldn't work, but his lady was full of confidence. "Husband, Room Seven has lived in the dwelling for so long; he must have an affinity with the house. The key to Sprawling Compound lies in the resonance between the Residence Cultivator and the house. As long as there is affinity with the dwelling, this technique can be borrowed!"
After over a dozen attempts, Li Banfeng was drenched in sweat, and Banfeng Zi's shade had noticeably faded. After expending such tremendous effort, they finally hung a hook on the main water pipe.
"Will just this one hook work?"
Aching with sympathy, the gramophone wiped the sweat from Banfeng's brow. "It will. This hook is set right on the vitals. Room Seven's tier is not low, so Mister Kongfang definitely won't notice it. In the future, whenever he connects to this building, you will surely sense it. When that time comes, his blood will be yours to draw whenever you wish, Husband!"
A smile surfaced on Li Banfeng's face, but then another thought occurred to him: "If I'm not here at Qingyuan Mansion, how am I supposed to draw his blood?"
The gramophone chuckled, "That will depend on whether the Old Master is willing to leave a train station here. He's acquired plenty of fine treasures lately!"
Li Banfeng nodded slightly. "Santoucha—we can hold onto it!"
"We can! Darling husband, we've paved the road flat; all that's left is to march right ahead!"
Chapter 663