When his cigarette was finished, Li Banfeng felt completely refreshed.
The peddler smiled. "Feeling better?"
Li Banfeng took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Better, much better. As soon as I remember that your situation is even more miserable than mine, I feel a whole lot better!"
The peddler drew a feather duster from his cart. "Since you're feeling better, it's time we talked about serious business. How are we settling the matter of you burning down my house?"
Li Banfeng said, "Senior Brother, I gained a lot of worldly experience on this trip to the Inner States."
The peddler rolled up his sleeves. "Is that so?"
Li Banfeng continued, "I went to Chaoge, to Nanhao, to Xiaodu. I saw Boundless City, and I even saw Sui'an Town. I went to so many places!"
The peddler raised the feather duster. "Really?"
Li Banfeng covered his head. "I even met Old Train!"
The peddler set the feather duster aside for the moment. "How is he doing?"
"He didn't come out in person, I only saw his shadow. He took my shadow on a tour around Chaoge's Sixth Ring, and then he helped me escape from Chaoge. I wanted to rescue him too, but he wouldn't agree—"
Li Banfeng recounted his experiences in the Inner States.
The peddler understood the whole sequence of events. "You named Qiao Yi Grand Minister Assistant of Government, no wonder he made you Prince Pingyuan. Even though they clawed back a bit afterward, you handled the whole affair splendidly."
Li Banfeng said, "Since Qiao Yi was able to confer a princely title on me, that proves he won this battle."
The peddler nodded. "He did indeed win. I just received word from the Inner States that their Sage has already fled Chaoge."
"Fled?" Li Banfeng was somewhat disappointed. "Qiao Yi prepared so thoroughly, and I even delivered an imperial edict into his hands. How could he let the Sage escape?"
The peddler was quite disappointed too. "That's all Qiao Yi amounts to. In everything he does, he always tries to cover every base, never stopping to realize that the world never offers such foolproof circumstances waiting for anyone. And their Sage isn't an idiot. By the time Qiao Yi thought through every angle and prepared his moves, that old bastard Zi Qin had already figured out how to counter them."
Li Banfeng was taken aback. "Who is Zi Qin?"
The peddler replied, "The imperial house of the Shang State bears the surname Zi. Zi Qin is the reigning emperor of Shang—the very Sage we're always talking about. Right now, no one knows where the old bastard has fled. With Shan Chengjun at his side, I doubt Qiao Yi can manage to kill him either."
"And who is Shan Chengjun?"
"The Martial Cultivator Patriarch. A native of Puluo Province, but fiercely loyal to the Inner States." The peddler brought out a wine jar, and Li Banfeng fetched a chicken, a plate of beef, a roast duck, and two legs of mutton from the kitchen. The two ate and drank as they chatted.
The peddler first explained the matter of the Martial Cultivator Patriarch. "Shan Chengjun has stayed in the Inner States for many years. In the past, he claimed allegiance to the royal house. Ever since the Sage was beaten back into the Inner States by the daolao ghost, Shan Chengjun changed his banner to professing loyalty directly to the Sage. Not long ago, Shu Wanjuan, the Patriarch of Scholar Cultivators, tried to advise him, urging him to see the situation clearly and remain loyal solely to the royal house. Supposedly Shan Chengjun agreed, yet for reasons unknown, he went back on his word again this time."
Li Banfeng had a question. "Why did the patriarchs of both Scholar Cultivators and Martial Cultivators go to the Inner States? Weren't they both from Puluo Province?"
The question made the peddler look a little awkward. "Do you want to hear Puluo Province's explanation, or do you want to hear mine?"
Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "Is there a difference between the two?"
The peddler raised his wine. "A huge difference—they're exact opposites. Puluo Province's version is that the peddler was unjust in his dealings and drove the two patriarchs away. My version is that they wanted things I couldn't provide, so they left."
Li Banfeng didn't understand. "What couldn't you give them?"
"Rules." The peddler took a big gulp of wine.
Li Banfeng thought about it, then asked, "Did those two patriarchs want special rules of their own?"
The peddler shook his head. "They already had special rules. What they wanted were ordinary people's rules, and that was something I couldn't give them."
Having said that, the peddler looked at Li Banfeng.
He assumed Li Banfeng might not understand, but Li Banfeng understood completely.
It wasn't just a sudden realization; he had long seen the crux of the matter, the greatest distinction between Puluo Province and anywhere else. "Whether in the Outer States or the Inner States, the higher your status, the fewer rules you have to follow."
The peddler nodded. "Precisely."
Li Banfeng continued, "Yet Puluo Province is completely the reverse."
The peddler set down his wine bowl without adding a word. Li Banfeng truly understood.
Li Banfeng poured more wine for the peddler. "Were the Patriarchs of Scholar Cultivators and Martial Cultivators dissatisfied with that?"
The peddler took a sip, finding the wine slightly bitter. "A great many people are dissatisfied with it. I know that everywhere in the world, the rules are tight below and loose above. No matter what means are used to conceal it, that fundamental law never changes."
Li Banfeng nodded. "True. It never has."
The peddler drained the wine from his bowl. "Only Puluo Province is an exception. Puluo Province's rules are upside down: tight above and loose below. I inverted the rules of Puluo Province with my own hands. That involved countless battles and bloody struggles, and all those myriad matters ended up blamed entirely on me."
Li Banfeng fell into contemplation.
After downing a few more cups, the peddler let out a long sigh. "Let's not talk about this anymore. It only spoils the mood. Let's talk about you burning down my house first."
Li Banfeng asked, "Regarding the matter of Prince Pingyuan, if you were in my shoes, how would you handle it?"
The peddler set down his wine bowl, a sliver of a smile surfacing on his face. "That's easy enough to handle. Becoming a prince is an enormous advantage, something where you definitely don't lose out. But you must mind your sense of proportion. On the Inner States side, you must be meticulous. Make full use of your princely prerogatives: eat of them, drink of them, take from them, demand from them. If the Inner States can tolerate you up to ten parts, take nine point nine parts from them. Leave just that tiny sliver so they can't bring themselves to openly break with you, even as the humiliation sits on their faces like a bad rash."
Li Banfeng nodded vigorously and asked again, "What about on the Outer States side?"
"On the Outer States side, keep things muddled. Blend whatever you want to do into Inner States affairs. As long as you tie it to the Inner States, half the battle is already won."
Li Banfeng agreed whole-heartedly. "Senior Brother, that's exactly how I used to do things!"
The peddler raised his wine bowl. "That's why I say we brothers are kindred spirits!"
The two drank and laughed out loud. Then Li Banfeng suddenly asked, "You're so practiced at this—did you serve as a prince in the Shang State too?"
The peddler lowered his head to pour wine. "Don't talk nonsense. Nothing of the sort."
"Is it not just the Shang State? Were your positions in other places not low either?"
The peddler pressed his lips together. "Why did you burn down my house earlier?"
Li Banfeng hurriedly changed the subject. "Senior Brother, you might trust me, but plenty of people in Puluo Province will misunderstand me. Those folks won't be easy to deal with."
The peddler genuinely didn't consider it an issue. "No need to deal with that. Puluo Province could never unite against a single person, because the concept of unity doesn't exist in Puluo Province. Don't worry about the odd person misunderstanding you, either. Very few people in Puluo Province pose any threat to you, and those few ruthless figures won't lightly move against you. Even if they're resentful, at most they'll grumble a few complaints to me. When that happens, I'll simply sit back and do nothing, and they'll lay all the blame on me. In the end, it's always my fault anyway. I've shouldered enough burdens; one more from you won't break my back."
Li Banfeng nodded. "As long as you take the fall, my mind is much more at ease."
The peddler took a sullen gulp of wine, feeling increasingly disgruntled. "Let's get back to the matter of the house."
Li Banfeng said, "I plan to rescue Old Train. When do you think would be the right time?"
The peddler thought it over. "I've been scheming about that as well. The business with Old Train is too perilous; I'd better handle it myself."
Li Banfeng felt the peddler couldn't go. "With your identity, traveling in and out of the Great Shang is too troublesome. What's more, if anything goes wrong, Puluo Province is finished. Last time you went to rescue Not Much Face and vanished for days, do you know what kind of chaos almost erupted in Puluo Province?"
The peddler looked at Li Banfeng and retorted, "How much trouble broke out? Why don't you tell me?"
Li Banfeng said, "We were lucky nothing happened—and that was because I exhausted every trick up my sleeve to keep a lid on it."
"That's exactly my point! If I'm not around, isn't there still you?" The peddler smiled, tore off a chicken leg, and handed it to Li Banfeng. "When it comes to individual combat power, Puluo Province fears none of their Three Thousand States—and that isn't just because I can fight. Even without me, Puluo Province will keep surviving just fine. Now let's talk about the house again. That house is my home. We both have homes. But you keep setting fires at my home—that's something I really can't abide..."
Li Banfeng followed up smoothly along those lines. "We definitely have to guard our home turf, especially the front door at White Falcon Commandery. The brothers and sisters in White Falcon Commandery have had it far too rough."
The peddler looked at Li Banfeng, his face full of appreciation. "Brother, White Falcon Commandery still remembers your kindness. You even send them supplies every month."
"Those little things don't amount to much. If it weren't for the restriction of the Boundary, I'd deliver supplies to them every single day."
The matter of the Boundary was the most urgent thing on the peddler's mind.
The peddler rummaged through his cart, pulled out several document folders, and handed them to Li Banfeng. "These are clues I've gathered recently, all related to the Boundary. Take them back and study them at your leisure."
Li Banfeng put away the materials. Thinking of White Falcon Commandery, the peddler felt a twinge of guilt. "You're right. White Falcon Commandery is Puluo Province's doorstep, and they've suffered far too much. I've given them far too little support. Just like today, when I stood at my own doorway and saw my house burned down by you, you can't imagine how awful I felt."
Li Banfeng set the feather duster aside. "During New Year's, after the fight at Santoucha, you mentioned a reward you hadn't given me yet."
The peddler nodded. "That's why I came looking for you. Would you like to have a home above the clouds?"
Li Banfeng's eyes lit up. "Senior Brother, are you going to teach me the Cloud Gate technique?"
The Cloud Gate technique was a type of boundless technique. It allowed one to possess a fixed cloud in the sky and store a portion of one's combat power upon it. Most crucially, the Cloud Gate technique was an effective means of advancing to the fourth tier above the clouds.
The peddler nodded. "I'll impart the essentials of the technique to you right now. Fix your eyes on the sky."
When Li Banfeng arrived at Xiaoyaowu, it had been dusk. Now darkness had fallen, and under the night sky, starlight flickered.
The peddler said to Li Banfeng, "The Cloud Gate technique is exceedingly simple. As a cultivator above the clouds, mastering three essentials is all it takes.
"First: create a cloud, select a patch of sky, and send the cloud up there.
"Second: leave a mark upon the cloud that establishes a sensory connection with you.
"Third: transmit your own combat power through that connection onto the cloud.
"With that, the Cloud Gate technique is complete."
Li Banfeng looked at the peddler and squeezed out a faint smile. "We're all on the same side here, so let's cut out the foreign gibberish."
The peddler rolled his eyes at him. "How is that foreign gibberish? Which sentence didn't you understand?"
"I understood every word, but I didn't comprehend a single thing. You say 'make a cloud'—first tell me how to make one!"
The peddler took a bite of roast duck. "I can't teach you that; it depends on your own abilities. Different paths have different ways. A Wine Cultivator spouts a mist of liquor and it can form a cloud; a Water Cultivator gathers water vapor and it can also form a cloud. A Painting Cultivator has it easiest—they paint a cloud, and a cloud it is. See if your own path has a means of crafting a cloud."
Li Banfeng asked, "What does a Gold Cultivator make a cloud out of?"
The peddler set down the roast duck, turned around, and looked for the feather duster.
Li Banfeng restrained him. Thinking for a long time, he still had no idea what method a Travel Cultivator could use to make a cloud. But a Dwelling Cultivator did indeed have a way—the technique of Hiding Beauty in a Golden House.
Li Banfeng asked again, "Once the cloud is made, how do you send it into the sky?"
The peddler tore off a piece of mutton. "That's easy. Many paths have means of flight. You know the technique of Riding the Wind and Driving the Clouds. Carry the cloud and fly high up; once you fly high enough that it won't fall down, isn't the cloud sent up there?"
"How do you leave a mark on the cloud?"
The peddler said, "Dwelling Cultivators have many marks, while Travel Cultivators have few. It depends on what you choose. If you've mastered the technique of Hundred Steps Traversal, one step will take you right onto the cloud—and wouldn't that take care of the second step?"
Li Banfeng thought for a moment, then asked, "How do you store combat power on the cloud?"
The peddler said, "That depends on what you imbue your combat power into. Demonic Cultivators put all their combat power into ghost servants, so they store a few ghost servants on the cloud. Frost Cultivators store their combat power in frost and ice, so they place a bunch of ice blocks on the cloud. Sometimes if they put too many by accident, it triggers a hailstorm. If they damage anything, they have to pay compensation; if they don't, I sort them out."
"What about the combat power of a Travel Cultivator and a Dwelling Cultivator?"
The peddler grew impatient. "Go ask your wife! You shouldn't be asking me this."
Li Banfeng thought carefully through the process, but still felt it wasn't that simple. "Could you demonstrate it once so I can see an actual example?"
The peddler shook his head. "I can't demonstrate it. This is a method used by cultivators above the clouds when executing the Cloud Gate technique."
Li Banfeng said, "Aren't you a cultivator above the clouds?"
The peddler had a look of shock. "Who told you that?"
Hadn't the peddler said so himself?
"You told me yourself that your cultivation isn't beyond the clouds."
The peddler looked even more astonished. "Just because I'm not beyond the clouds means I have to be above the clouds? What kind of logic is that?"
Li Banfeng's eyes widened. "It's sound logic! If you're not above the clouds, what else could you possibly be?"
The peddler pushed his cart and said, "I'm a ground cultivator."
Li Banfeng stared at the peddler, speechless for a long time.
"I've told you the method. Practice on your own." The peddler pushed his cart and walked off.
Ground? How was that possible?
The next morning, just as Liao Zihui arrived at his office, Li Banfeng knocked and walked in.
Liao Zihui immediately stood up. "President Li, when did you arrive?"
Li Banfeng said, "Could you not speak to the president?"
Liao Zihui cupped his hands in a formal bow. "The Prince of Pingyuan honors us with his presence. Forgive Liao for failing to welcome you properly."
"Brother Liao, could you not speak to the prince?"
Liao Zihui sat on the sofa and brewed a pot of tea for Li Banfeng. "Brother, what brings you to see me?"
"I'd like Brother Liao to submit a request to higher-ups on my behalf. I want to requisition twenty thousand three-headed people from Sinners' City."
Liao Zihui said, "Forgive my presumption in asking, but what do you intend to do with these three-headed people?"
Li Banfeng did not hide it. "Form a royal guard to protect the safety of the Shang State's new ruler."
In the past, that single sentence would have made Liao Zihui blow his top.
Demanding men from Sinners' City to form an army—was Li Seven not openly declaring rebellion? Just hearing about it was enough to drive someone mad.
Yet today, Liao Zihui was exceptionally calm. "I'll have my people submit a report to superiors immediately. It should be approved within a few days."
Words had to suit the occasion. When he had been Chief Li of the bureau, making such a request would have been excessive. But now that he was President Li of the institute, such a demand was far more reasonable.
Li Banfeng subsequently obtained a travel permit and headed to Qishuiyao that very day. He checked in with the Luo sisters to let them know he was safe, then made a trip to Yucui Building to bring Banfeng Two back.
Banfeng Two had rendered great service this time, and Li Banfeng decided to reward him handsomely.
"Between us brothers, let's not beat around the bush. Tell me straight: what do you want?"
Banfeng Two replied tactfully, "You've been sitting in that seat for so long—isn't it about time I took a turn sitting there for a couple of days?"
Harboring ill intentions, Banfeng Two was promptly suppressed deep into Li Banfeng's mind.
Luo Shaojun could not bear to part with Li Seven, weeping her heart out in his embrace.
No matter how reluctant she was, Li Banfeng had to leave. It was time to go home.
Leaving Qishuiyao, Li Banfeng took a carriage to Santoucha.
Entering the underground city, he reached the Sea Market and flew all the way onto the passenger ship. At the prow, the gramophone was playing "Blooms Under a Full Moon":
"Drifting clouds disperse, bright moonlight shines on loved ones, blissful and reunited, drunk on this day—"
His lady's singing talent was peerless under heaven. Jiang Mengting liked this song so much, yet her singing was far behind his lady's.
Should he bring her onto the ship to learn from his lady?
Although she had worried Li Banfeng might run into danger, the gramophone had truly missed her husband. Her giant horn sucked Li Banfeng's head in with one gulp, showering him with affection for a good long while.
Scalded until he steamed, Li Banfeng sat on the deck and recounted everything he had seen and heard along the way.
When speaking of the Inner States, the gramophone's voice drifted a bit off-key; certain things still couldn't be brought up. Li Banfeng skipped past the Inner States affairs and handed the document folders to her.
The gramophone looked through the materials and gasped in surprise. "Darling husband, where did you get these? Materials like this are exceedingly rare! We can make some wonderful things with them!"
"The peddler gave them to me."
"You went to see the peddler?" The gramophone could hardly believe it. "The peddler actually let you come back?"
"Didn't I tell you? I don't need to hide from him. Let's go home. I brought back quite a few good things too."
Entering the house, Hong Ying set down her powder puff, and Jiu'er put down the washboard. Together, they came forward to welcome Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng felt a twinge of shame. He had gone all the way to the Inner States and hadn't even bought back a single box of rouge.
But the glove had helped him carry back plenty of second-class weapons—longswords, side sabers, and a pile of loose spare parts for the gramophone.
The companion dwelling sighed. "Fine weapons from the Inner States... I haven't seen any in many years. A pity their spirituality is gone."
Li Banfeng carefully inspected each weapon. Their exteriors were all intact, so why had their spirituality vanished?
The glove was puzzled too. "I took great pains to look after them all the way. How can you say they lost their spirituality?"
The companion dwelling snorted. "If you don't believe me, let that girl inspect them."
The gramophone, accustomed to consuming souls, was exceptionally sensitive to spiritual energy. After probing for a long while, she replied, "The old master is right. These weapons carry a trace of spiritual aura, but next to nothing remains."
Li Banfeng recalled Luo Lijun's words: weapons from the Inner States could not be brought into the Outer States or Puluo Province. On the road toward the Outer States, these second-class weapons were stripped of their spirituality. Even under the glove's protection, they hadn't escaped that fate, reduced to relatively ordinary objects.
Seeing Li Banfeng's disappointment, the companion dwelling hastily added, "They're still fine weapons, after all. Leave the gramophone parts to Zhao Xiaowan and the swords and sabers to me. We'll study them thoroughly."
This was clearly just comforting Li Banfeng; these items had little research value.
Banfeng Two slipped out noiselessly and ran over to the Second Chamber. He, on the other hand, had something good.
"Brother, I haven't seen you in so long, I truly missed you! Shadow Cultivator techniques proved enormously useful on this trip to the Inner States. No matter what, you have to teach me a couple more tricks."
The Second Chamber gave no response—nor could it.
The whole household was present, lively and bustling. With Banfeng Two trying to speak to the Second Chamber now, how could it dare to reply?
Banfeng Two grew annoyed. "Will you teach me or not? At least say something! If you keep quiet, I won't be polite!"
The Second Chamber still made no sound. In a fit of anger, Banfeng Two drew out the wooden stick. "Brother, recognize this? If you don't speak, I'm starting the beating!"
"Wait a moment!" the companion dwelling and the Second Chamber shouted in unison.
Banfeng Two stood dumbfounded for a long moment.
The Second Chamber being scared made sense, but why did the old master tell him to wait as well?
"Ah Qi, where did that stick come from?"
Li Banfeng searched through Banfeng Two's memories. "Old Train gave it to him. He said to bring this stick to the Second Chamber to learn Shadow Cultivator techniques, and if the Second Chamber refused to teach, to thrash him with it."
"Thrash him with a stick... heh-heh." The companion dwelling gave a dry chuckle. "Old Train is as humorous as ever."
Li Banfeng took the stick from Banfeng Two's hand and examined it carefully for a moment. "Old Master, is there something special about this stick?"
"Special? Quite special indeed. A stick that can beat the Second Chamber is certainly extraordinary." The old master's tone sounded somewhat odd.
Li Banfeng carried the stick to the Third Chamber. "Why don't you examine it closely?"
"Examine it... fine, I'll take a close look."
What was going on here? The companion dwelling clearly saw the stick was out of the ordinary, so why was he inspecting it so begrudgingly?
The stick was laid upon the floorboards and slowly disappeared. After a long wait, there was still no sound from the companion dwelling.
Li Banfeng asked, "Old Master, what did you find?"
The companion dwelling deliberated for a long while before saying, "This seems to be... a map."
"A map of where?"
"Where could it be a map of? Let me take a closer look."
This was a map Old Train's shadow had personally handed over. Li Banfeng already had a guess. "Could this be Old Train's hiding place?"
"Is it? Must be! Let me look closer." The companion dwelling's voice grew fainter and fainter.
Li Banfeng said, "Old Master, do you actually want to rescue Old Train or not?"
"I do, of course I do. This map is extraordinary, I must study it slowly."
After sleeping a night in the companion dwelling, the next morning Li Banfeng brought out paper and brush and began to paint.
Hong Ying walked over, looked at the paper, and asked in all seriousness, "Seventh Brother, what are you painting?"
"Clouds!" Li Banfeng dipped into the ink and carefully outlined them.
"So it's a cloud. I thought it was a pond."
Li Banfeng was displeased. "Can't you tell a pond from a cloud?"
Hong Ying took Li Banfeng's hand and guided him stroke by stroke. "Seventh Brother, don't be cross. Painting clouds is all about artistic conception; three to five strokes are more than enough."
As a young lady from a prominent family, her brushwork was indeed extraordinary. In just a few strokes, Hong Ying brought forth the artistic conception of clouds racing before the wind.
But a cloud drawn with just three or five strokes couldn't support human dwelling. Artistic conception alone wasn't practical enough.
Li Banfeng put away the drawing paper, swapped brushes, and decided on a different approach. Just after mixing his oil colors, he suddenly glanced back and saw a woman with disheveled hair sitting behind him.
"Master, learn from me."
PS: "Yuni, don't frighten my husband. Comb your hair neatly and teach him how to paint properly."
Chapter 679