Li Banfeng collected over two thousand copper coins when he suddenly sensed danger approaching. Taking Zhao Xiaowan with him, he left the Western-style house at once and leapt off the edge of the cloud.
Not long after the two departed, Mister Kongfang arrived upon the cloud and returned to his house.
With just a single glance into the hall, Mister Kongfang knew someone had entered.
Who did this?
Few possessed the Cloud Gate art, and even fewer knew of this residence of his. Who could have walked through the front doors of this house?
Reaching the second floor, Mister Kongfang's body shuddered, the copper coins covering him jingling and clattering.
The vault had been robbed!
Pushing open the door, he saw that over two thousand copper coins had been completely cleared out!
This was his blood—every single copper coin had been cast with blood!
To actually come above the clouds to steal from him!
Who found this cloud?
Mister Kongfang inspected the cloud surface and gradually uncovered a few traces.
He went to the edge of the cloud and determined where the intruder had entered and exited.
Yet this was the sky; knowing where they got on and off alone was not enough to deduce where they had gone.
Standing at the edge of the cloud, Mister Kongfang looked out into the distance.
Scanning around, he spotted a patch of cloud appearing nearby.
Was this cloud newly made?
Did he have another new neighbor?
The person who came to my home must be this neighbor. But what a lack of manners!
Today, I must have a proper talk with them and make them see reason!
Mister Kongfang leapt across, landing on the opposing cloud.
*Poof!*
This patch of cloud was rather different. The moment Mister Kongfang landed, he sank halfway into it.
*Sizzle!*
The cloud was packed with steam. Mister Kongfang's copper coins failed to shield him, leaving his legs covered in scalding blisters.
Once he found his footing on the cloud, Mister Kongfang stared at it for a long while.
The vapor was exceptionally dense; Mister Kongfang could only see a small patch beneath his feet, yet even this small patch struck him as utterly illogical.
Does this even count as a cloud?
Why does it feel like a ball of cotton?
What use could there be in putting such a huge wad of cotton up in the sky?
Mister Kongfang glanced down at the blisters on his legs, thinking to himself: *Was this an intentional trap laid out to scheme against me?*
*Perhaps the entire cloud is solid, and only this trapped section is soft.*
Yet to Mister Kongfang's knowledge, such a feat was exceedingly difficult to accomplish on a cloud. A cloud's texture could not be easily altered, and it was hard to blend with other substances, making laying traps on clouds an extraordinarily difficult task.
"It seems I've encountered an expert," Mister Kongfang sneered. "No matter what tricks you used today, I will root you out completely. I'll show you what it means to leave not a single blade of grass standing!"
Ten minutes later, Mister Kongfang returned to his house.
He cut open his trouser legs and applied medicine to his burns. Halfway through, he threw the cotton swab to the ground.
"That wretched place really is just a massive chunk of cotton. There's not even a fucking blade of grass!"
***
Inside the companion dwelling, the glove spat out the copper coins, and the gramophone collected them with delight. "Husband, we have enough!"
"Enough for what?"
"Enough materials to cross the Boundary."
Li Banfeng picked up a copper coin and inspected it. "These things can even cross the Boundary?"
The gramophone puffed steam happily. "I didn't think of it at first either; I just felt these coins were fine goods and kept them. But the peddler's notes say Mister Kongfang had a method to cross the Boundary, and he used these copper coins. According to this humble servant's calculations, if we melt them all down and reforge them, we can craft a new piece of equipment."
Li Banfeng looked pleasantly surprised. He picked up the files the peddler had provided and checked them. Sure enough, there were records concerning Mister Kongfang.
It turned out the peddler had also been exploring Mister Kongfang's functions all along.
"Precious wife, what kind of equipment can we make this time? A new Dark Bridge Cannon?"
The gramophone swayed its large horn. "Not a Dark Bridge Cannon, but a type of fire implement."
What was the use of a fire implement?
"Burn through the Boundary and melt it?"
"Not melting it, but covering the Boundary with firelight."
Li Banfeng asked in pleasant surprise, "Is it a lamp?"
The lady pondered and said, "Calling it a lamp isn't wrong either. It's easy to make. As long as the tools are handy, it can be finished in two or three days. Let us set off right away."
Li Banfeng wanted his wife to rest for the night, but she couldn't wait. So Li Banfeng took her to the laboratory overnight.
The gramophone had the teapot, the clock pendulum, and Mengde stay behind to assist; she found the three handy to work with.
None of the three was willing, but once the gramophone ignited her flames, none dared utter half a syllable of protest.
Li Banfeng did not lock the laboratory. He left Lühuazi's alms bowl directly with his wife, along with a telephone so she could contact him anytime.
He went to replace the storage batteries for his wife. Halfway there, Luo Zhengnan called. "Miss Chu the Second says she wants to see you. She asked me where you are."
"Tell them to come find me in Qiqiu City."
"Them? Seventh Master, only Chu the Second came looking for me."
"She definitely brought someone with her. Tell them to find me at my residence."
At noon the next day, Chu the Second brought Chu Shaoqiang to Li Banfeng's residence. "We've found out all about the situation on Chu Yaoxian's end. The local spirits on this list are all well-acquainted with He Jiaqing."
"You only managed to find out that single sentence?"
Chu Shaoqiang said, "There's one more thing. He Jiaqing told Chu Yaoxian that he has already obtained the other half of the covenant deed, and that he has secured the covenant deeds to all the surrounding territories as well. According to my deduction, He Jiaqing wants to link these territories together to form a domain. This domain wouldn't be small—if all dozen or so territories are connected, it could rival a small nation in the Inner States."
Li Banfeng shook his head slightly. "Not just a dozen or so. It should be thirty."
Chu Shaoqiang said, "If there are thirty covenant deeds, that territory would be frighteningly vast."
Chu the Second marked the connected boundaries on a map. "The area is indeed not small, but these are all newlands without much population. How useful could they be?"
Li Banfeng asked, "What if they are turned into proper lands?"
"Through land reclamation?" Chu the Second scratched her head. "But that's useless. Once land reclamation succeeds, the territories will shift. Isn't Qiqiu City an example? Once all the lands are opened up, they will each migrate to the edge of the proper lands, and these newlands won't be connected anymore."
Li Banfeng pondered for a moment and added, "What if before the reclamation succeeds, He Jiaqing kills all the local spirits and makes himself the sole local spirit?"
Chu Shaoqiang said, "Then all the newlands will merge into a single territory. Once reclamation succeeds, all the territories will move together!"
Chu the Second's eyes widened. "He's trying to create another Puluo Province! He wants to become an emperor!"
Chu Shaoqiang knitted his brows. "As far as I know, He Jiaqing's cultivation has already surpassed the realm above the clouds. Doing this might violate the peddler's rules, and the peddler will not tolerate him."
Chu the Second knew this rule as well. "He cannot kill local spirits on another's territory, or the peddler won't spare him."
Li Banfeng fell silent for a moment before saying, "He will surely find a way to circumvent the rules."
Chu Shaoqiang looked at Li Banfeng. "Prince, what do you mean?"
Li Banfeng looked at the list in his hand. "Besides Chu Yaoxian, who else on this list are you familiar with?"
Chu Shaoqiang replied, "I'm on speaking terms with all of them; only Gu Wuyan and I have a bit of friction."
Li Banfeng nodded slightly. "Go talk with the local spirits. If they are willing to ally with me and sign an agreement never to join the Brotherhood Alliance, I am willing to hand over their half of the iron certificate covenant deeds. How many do you think would agree?"
Chu Shaoqiang thought for a moment. "Except for Gu Wuyan, they should all agree."
Li Banfeng nodded. "This Gu Wuyan seems quite distinctive. Let's go meet him."
Chu Shaoqiang nodded, then said to Li Banfeng, "Your Highness, Chu Yaoxian said the covenant deeds of these people are all in He Jiaqing's hands. I do not know if that's true or false, but if you cannot get hold of their deeds, it's best not to make promises lightly. A covenant deed is a newland local spirit's very life; you cannot toy with them over this."
Li Banfeng smiled. "I'm not toying with them. I truly can obtain their deeds. Let's start with Gu Wuyan and set an example for them."
The three set out that very day for Huaxian Manor's newland. On the way, Chu the Second cautioned Li Banfeng, "Gu Wuyan's pathway is peculiar. You must be extra careful."
"What pathway is he on?"
"He's a rhyme cultivator. He speaks in meter and rhyme. The more accurate his rhymes, and the closer what he speaks aligns with his enemy's circumstances, the stronger his combat prowess."
Hearing 'meter and rhyme', Li Banfeng immediately thought of poets. "Did rhyme cultivators originate from literature cultivators?"
Chu Shaoqiang shook his head. "Literature cultivators study the Four Books and Five Classics, whereas rhyme cultivators speak the colloquial vulgarities of the marketplace. They do not share the same roots. Your Highness, if you wish to talk business with Gu Wuyan, you must remain calm. Rhyme cultivators are notorious for infuriating people; do not stoop to his level."
The three reached Gu Wuyan's territory. More than thirty percent of this hundred-li expanse had already been reclaimed. Within the newland were villages, shops, and even a theater house, bearing some resemblance to Zhengjing Village, which Li Banfeng found quite endearing.
Chu Shaoqiang entered a hand-pulled noodle shop and said to Li Banfeng, "Gu Wuyan frequents this shop. If we wait here for a while, we're sure to run into him today."
Li Banfeng scanned the patrons in the noodle shop. It wasn't any grand restaurant; those who came here were farmers and hunters from the village, eating simply to fill their bellies.
Frequenting such a place showed that Gu Wuyan probably didn't put on airs.
Chu Shaoqiang ordered three bowls of noodles. The three ate while waiting. Just as they were nearly finished with their noodles, a chiming of bells rang out from the doorway.
Chu Shaoqiang said, "Gu Wuyan is here."
Li Banfeng looked back and saw a middle-aged man in his fifties. His hair was neatly combed and his face washed clean. He wore a short jacket of blue cloth washed pale, covered in patch upon patch.
In his hands, he held a pair of massive ox hipbones, tied with red tassels on top and bells dangling below.
The two ox bones went *clack-clack*, beating out intricate rhythmic flourishes, and the man began to chant:
"Strike the joint clappers, take big strides,
Here before the noodle shop my feet arrive!
A noodle shop wielding a big broad blade,
Fine gravy, fine broth, finest spices made!
With clear sweet water and flour pure white,
Kneaded to a dough ball round and tight,
Rolled to a wrapper broad and flat,
Sliced into noodle threads fine as that!
Boiled in the cauldron swirling round,
Served in the bowl like lotus blooms unbound!
Tasty to eat and lovely to see,
A pound and a half per belly's spree!
I'll tally the count for the boss's hand:
Thriving business, ten thousand grand!"
Li Banfeng thought he chanted quite well, finding it rather entertaining.
Chu the Second lowered her voice. "This beggar is Gu Wuyan."
Chu Shaoqiang frowned. "Don't talk nonsense. Show some respect to a senior. He isn't a beggar; he's a fool."
Li Banfeng was taken aback. "Calling him a fool counts as respect?"
Chu Shaoqiang said, "Answering Your Highness, 'fool' isn't exactly respectful either, but it's the jargon of the trade. He performs *shulaibao*. The two ox bones in his hands are called 'joint clappers'—they're the tools of his trade, and also his weapons. Performers in this craft call themselves 'Old Fools', so calling them fools isn't considered an insult. They are buskers who make a living through street performing; whatever you do, you must never call them beggars."
The noodle shop proprietor hurriedly grabbed a handful of loose change and offered it to Gu Wuyan.
Gu Wuyan did not take the money with his hands; he caught it between his pair of ox bones.
Chu the Second said, "That's another rule of their trade. They must collect the money with the ox bones, and the shopkeeper has to give. If they don't, he starts hurling curses."
Right as they spoke, Gu Wuyan cast a glance inside the shop, struck his clappers, and chanted:
"Step out the door and head up north,
A living running dog comes forth!
A living running dog with skin so thick,
Can crawl, can bark, does bowing tricks!
Acting like a human, slurping noodles free,
Eat and drink your fill, you'll get the shits for a spree!"
Chu Shaoqiang gave two dry laughs. "Your Highness, see that? Rhyme cultivators have nothing to do with literature cultivators. This pathway is far too vulgar."
Li Banfeng didn't share that view. "I think his verses have quite some flair. Who was he cursing just now?"
Chu the Second snorted. "Cursing my dad, of course! Who else could 'living running dog' refer to?"
Chu Shaoqiang frowned. "Impudent! Mind your tongue! How do you know he was cursing me? It could just as easily be the Prince!"
Chu the Second shook her head. "He doesn't even know Brother Seven. How could he be cursing him?"
Chu Shaoqiang called out toward Gu Wuyan, "Brother Gu, come inside for a chat."
Holding the ox bones, Gu Wuyan smiled at Chu Shaoqiang. "Whose dog leash slipped loose to let you out? What business does a man have talking to a dog like you?"
Seeing things turn sour, the shopkeeper rushed to mediate. "Old Fool, I've already paid. Head on to the next shop!"
"I'm not going to the next shop today. I'm settling down right here!" Facing Chu Shaoqiang, Gu Wuyan continued chanting:
"Are you a man or are you a hound?
If you've got balls, come walk around!
My hands are empty, my spirits low,
I'll take your dog head for wine on the go!"
On the way here, Chu Shaoqiang had been urging Li the Seventh to stay calm, but in just these few moments, his own veins were already bulging.
This was not because Chu Shaoqiang lacked composure, but because the other party had used a rhyme cultivator technique: Rhyme Stabbing the Heart. *Shulaibao* employed the thirteen grand rhyming categories; as long as the speech followed meter and rhyme, every single word pierced straight into the target's heart. Chu Shaoqiang couldn't help but lose his temper.
Yet angry as he was, Chu Shaoqiang took no action. Having already fallen under the technique, if he fought Gu Wuyan directly right now, he would surely suffer.
Gu Wuyan shouted at the entrance, "Say, didn't you come looking for me? Come on out and trade a few blows!"
Without a change in expression, Chu Shaoqiang produced two earplugs from his sleeve and stuffed them into his ears.
Yet plugging them was useless.
Gu Wuyan chanted two more verses. Chu Shaoqiang's earplugs shattered, and fresh blood trickled from his ear canals.
Outside, the clattering clappers did not cease, and Gu Wuyan kept chanting. Chu Shaoqiang's brow split open, his nasal bridge crooked, and his cheekbones contorted with cracking sounds.
With a flick of Chu Shaoqiang's sleeve, several buttons shot out, flying straight for Gu Wuyan's face.
These buttons were originally blindingly fast, but once they neared Gu Wuyan, they began dancing to his rhythm, bouncing with each beat.
Gu Wuyan waved a casual hand and smashed the buttons to powder, not missing a single beat, his rhyming cadence flowing ever smoother.
Face covered in blood, Chu Shaoqiang said to Li Banfeng, "Your Highness, either we leave or we strike. If we delay any longer, this subordinate will be gravely injured."
Li Banfeng looked at Chu the Second. She was sitting right beside Chu Shaoqiang, completely unaffected.
Li Banfeng was unaffected as well. The other diners in the noodle shop were terrified, but otherwise completely normal. This proved that rhyme cultivator techniques had targeting specificity—the alignment Chu the Second had mentioned.
Gu Wuyan was chanting about Chu Shaoqiang's deeds, and his target today was Chu Shaoqiang. Even if Chu Shaoqiang were well-prepared, it would be futile; once a rhyme cultivator seized the initiative, countering them became exceptionally difficult.
The shopkeeper was still pleading, "Master Fool, please don't make things difficult for me! I'm running a business here!"
Gu Wuyan snorted:
"Shopkeeper, don't chime in!
Pick up money, pick up treasure, don't pick up a scolding din!
Help a man, help a ghost, don't help him!"
Li Banfeng stood up and strolled slowly to the entrance. "The shopkeeper is right; people have a business to run. If you want to fight this badly, let's change locations. I'll fight you."
Gu Wuyan looked at Li the Seventh, struck his clappers, and grinned:
"Little brother, don't be hasty, you're not the one I seek!
Who are you, who is he? I don't take Zhang Fei for Li Kui!"
Li Banfeng smiled. "Never mind Zhang Fei or Li Kui. I came today specifically for you."
Gu Wuyan raised his voice:
"Little brother, talking big, glaring eyes to pick a fray!
If you want to fight, don't walk far, let's spar right here today!"
A rhyme cultivator technique: Starting Rhyme to Raise Momentum.
Li Banfeng sensed the peril. Gu Wuyan's combat strength noticeably surged, but it remained within the range Li Banfeng could endure.
The shopkeeper looked ready to weep. "I beg the two of you, please just take it somewhere else!"
Li Banfeng looked at Gu Wuyan. "Can we really not change places?"
Gu Wuyan shook his head. "No changing! Right here is best! We'll wager life and death here; whoever loses gets buried right here."
For a rhyme cultivator, changing locations truly was out of the question. He had chanted here for so long that he had drawn in the crowd's energy, stirred his own spirit, and even rallied the feng shui. This was the prime spot where his condition was at its peak.
The pair of ox bones clacked louder and louder, rattling the eardrums of the noodle-eaters until they fled in terror. Gu Wuyan was bringing out the vicious stuff.
"Little brother, bold to come, come and be killed, I'll bury you whole!
Shopkeeper, do me a favor, sell no noodles, sell coffins for the soul!
Our coffin here is truly fine, one end broad and one end small,
Stow a dead man, he won't flee; stow a living man, he can't bear it at all!
Sized to fit your measure tight, be laid to rest before the night!"
Li Banfeng felt shudder after shudder run through his body. He had been struck by the technique.
This was a rhyme cultivator technique: Rhyme Tugging the Sinews, a lethal technique of rhyme cultivators.
Every word and syllable landed directly upon Li Banfeng's tendons and joints, tugging at his bones and vibrating in resonance with his internal organs. Had it been an ordinary person, their flesh and blood would have shattered on the spot.
Yet Li Banfeng did not shatter. Weathering the brunt with his House of Benevolence technique, he walked toward Gu Wuyan step by step.
Chu Shaoqiang was stunned.
Li Banfeng was a Travel Cultivator. Without dodging or fleeing, he was actually withstanding Gu Wuyan's lethal strike.
Gu Wuyan was somewhat nervous as well, the momentum he had just built instantly dropping by half. "Youngster, quite the cultivation you have. Might I first inquire your honorable name?"
Li Banfeng did not answer. The Tang dao suddenly leaped out, thrusting straight toward Gu Wuyan's face.
Gu Wuyan hurriedly blocked with the ox bones in his hands.
With that block, Gu Wuyan saw the Tang dao's appearance clearly. His hands trembled; he seemed to recognize this blade.
The Tang dao suddenly shifted, turning the thrust into a slash, and struck Gu Wuyan across the chest.
Gu Wuyan parried with the ox bones again, but he wasn't as fast to adapt as the Tang dao, taking the hit.
Yet the Tang dao had not unsheathed, merely striking against his chest in its scabbard.
Gu Wuyan's face flushed crimson, caught between wanting to fight and not daring to.
The Tang dao traded over a dozen passes back and forth with Gu Wuyan, never once leaving its scabbard.
Without unsheathing, it didn't count as drawing the blade, so the Tang dao wasn't bound by its three-strike restriction.
It wanted to keep fighting Gu Wuyan, but Gu Wuyan had lost all desire to fight. He stood rooted to the spot, head bowed.
"Lord Donkey, is that you?" Gu Wuyan whispered. He had not only recognized the Tang dao's appearance, but also its unique blade technique.
Li Banfeng was taken aback. Gu Wuyan actually knew the Tang dao was Yuan Shoulu?
How had he figured it out?
The Tang dao had been home for some time before the lady seemingly discovered his identity, and even Hong Ying hadn't recognized that the Tang dao was Yuan Shoulu.
Were the two of them that familiar with each other?
The Tang dao poked Gu Wuyan in the chest.
Gu Wuyan dared not dodge or parry, enduring it where he stood.
"Lord Donkey, I won't fight anymore," Gu Wuyan said, looking up at Li Banfeng. "Young hero, might I ask your name?"
Li Banfeng said, "Let us find a suitable place to talk in detail first."
Chu Shaoqiang and Chu Huaiyuan wanted to follow, but Li Banfeng waved his hand, telling them to wait in the noodle shop.
Gu Wuyan was no longer stubborn. He extended a hand and said, "After you." Li Banfeng followed him out of the village and into a small courtyard.
Inside the courtyard was just a single tile-roofed cottage. The furnishings were exceedingly sparse, but kept immaculately clean.
Li Banfeng gave his name: "I am Li the Seventh. Forgive the intrusion."
Hearing the name Li the Seventh, Gu Wuyan hung his head and said, "Since you are Lord Donkey's friend, I ought to treat you with courtesy. Had this been last year, I would still have respected you as a hero. But now I hear you became a prince in the Inner States... How am I supposed to view this...?"
Before Li Banfeng could speak, the Tang dao hopped out again and poked Gu Wuyan's chest twice.
Gu Wuyan bowed his head and said, "I know. I owe a debt of gratitude to Lord Donkey that I can never forget in this lifetime. Seventh Master, whatever instructions you have, please command me."
Li Banfeng said, "I would like to form an alliance with you so we can look out for each other. What do you say?"
Gu Wuyan scoffed. "Prince, you think too highly of me. What am I? How am I much better than a beggar? What right do I have to forge an alliance with you?"
Li Banfeng frowned. "What difference does it make to you that I became a prince in the Inner States?"
Gu Wuyan shook his head. "It doesn't affect me at all, but I just can't stand the Inner States. As long as I have a single breath left, I will fight the Inner States to the bitter end."
Li Banfeng smiled. "You say this wherever you go?"
Gu Wuyan nodded. "Wherever I go."
Li Banfeng nodded. "Fine, then there's no need for an alliance. But you must promise me two things. The first is what you just said: no matter where you are, you must fight the Inner States to the very end. The second is that you cannot join the Brotherhood Alliance."
Gu Wuyan said, "I share a decent personal relationship with Young Master He. He did mention the Brotherhood Alliance to me, and I was thinking—"
Li Banfeng interrupted him. "The two things I just mentioned: can you do them?"
Gu Wuyan asked, "You won't let me join the Brotherhood Alliance because you and He Jiaqing don't get along?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "The feud between him and me has nothing to do with you. I see that your spine is sturdy enough, so I want you to live a little longer."
Gu Wuyan didn't understand. The Tang dao waved before him.
Gu Wuyan bowed his head. "Since you are Lord Donkey's friend, and I still owe him a debt of gratitude, these two matters I shall—"
Li Banfeng tipped the brim of his hat lower. "This doesn't count as repaying Yuan Shoulu's favor. Yuan Shoulu just saved you once again, so you owe him another life. The agreement is right here. Whether you sign it or not is your decision."
The Judge's Brush had already drafted the agreement: just two terms. First, never surrender to the Inner States; second, never join the Brotherhood Alliance. Gu Wuyan read through it and pressed his thumbprint.
In Gu Wuyan's view, swallowing his pride before Li the Seventh was all for Yuan Shoulu's sake.
Li Banfeng took out a piece of an iron certificate and waved it in front of Gu Wuyan.
Gu Wuyan froze. Though the writing on the iron certificate was small, he naturally recognized his own name.
*Li the Seventh has my covenant deed?*
Gu Wuyan's heart leaped into his throat. If Li the Seventh wanted his life, all he had to do was destroy the covenant deed, leaving Gu Wuyan without the slightest chance to resist.
His mind raced with regret; he felt he should have signed the alliance pact with Li the Seventh earlier.
Li the Seventh wasn't a bad sort. He hadn't taken advantage of a person in distress. Lord Donkey was willing to follow him probably because he valued his character.
*Yet now that my covenant deed is held in his grasp, I'll naturally be at his mercy from now on. I only hope he's magnanimous enough not to take revenge for today's affair...*
"Take it." Li Banfeng handed the iron certificate to Gu Wuyan.
Gu Wuyan was stunned for a long while. He wanted to reach out and take it, but pulled his hands back.
"Seventh Master, what is the meaning of this?"
"Don't want it?" Li Banfeng smiled, stuffed the covenant deed into Gu Wuyan's hands, and turned to leave.
Clutching the deed, Gu Wuyan chased him out of the courtyard. "Seventh Master, I was ignorant and failed to see reason. I apologize to you! Seventh Master, whatever orders you have, just speak the word and I will obey! You can't just hand this to me, and I can't just accept it like this. I don't have the face for it! I'm not that kind of person! Seventh Master, please wait! Whether climbing mountains of blades or plunging into seas of fire, just give the command! Give me a task to do, or I truly cannot accept this!"
Li Banfeng had already walked far ahead. Gu Wuyan wanted to chase him, but couldn't keep up.
The Tang dao turned back and poked Gu Wuyan. "You useless wretch! I pointed out a good path, yet you don't even know how to walk it! If I'd known you'd be like this, I should have turned you into a blade back then!"
Gu Wuyan said nothing. He couldn't hear the Tang dao's words either, but he could sense the blade's deep reproach.
The Tang dao scampered back to Li Banfeng's side, wanting to plead on Gu Wuyan's behalf. Li Banfeng smiled faintly. "He's a fine man. As long as he doesn't violate the agreement, I certainly won't make things difficult for him in the future. How do you know him?"
"When I heard the name Gu Wuyan, I didn't think it was him either. Later, when Miss Chu the Second mentioned he was a rhyme cultivator, I grew suspicious. This fellow was originally named Gu Dalian. Back in the day, he served with me in the army camp, always my subordinate. Later, when I became a local spirit, he served as my guard. Later still, when I was defeated by Lühuazi, he was killed by Lühuazi as well. After that, I left the opportunity of rebirth to him, letting him live another life. The price was that I turned into a blade, never able to turn back. That's why he has always felt indebted to me."
Li Banfeng said, "You've remembered so many things?"
"Indeed, I've remembered quite a bit, especially after seeing this lad—so many things came back."
Li Banfeng was surprised. "You even possessed a means of rebirth?"
The Tang dao shook its blade. "It wasn't that I had a means of rebirth, but that a certain person possessed such means. Who exactly it was, I truly cannot recall. I vaguely sense that this matter is related to the furnaces of the Inner States. Gu Wuyan didn't remember that person back then either, but perhaps he remembers now. My lord, how about we go back and ask him now? You've shown him such tremendous kindness; there's no way he wouldn't tell you."
Li Banfeng raised his head and looked ahead.
Chu Shaoqiang was walking over.
Li Banfeng said to the Tang dao, "Now is not the time. When there's a chance in the future, we'll ask Gu Wuyan."
The Tang dao also looked at Chu Shaoqiang. "Do we still need to guard against this person?"
"Of course we must guard against him. Chu Shaoqiang has passed through life and death multiple times and survived to this day; he is by no means a simple man. Besides, the moment I wrapped things up, he came over—don't you think the timing is a bit too coincidental? Furthermore, in all probability Gu Wuyan hasn't remembered who that person was either. If we ask and learn nothing, while having our own secrets exposed, we would take a massive loss."
Chu Shaoqiang approached and asked with concern, "Your Highness, where did Gu Wuyan go? He didn't harm you, did he?"
Li Banfeng said, "The business is done. I gave him the covenant deed to this territory."
Chu Shaoqiang was startled. "You truly had the covenant deed?"
Li Banfeng smiled. "Yes. I have every covenant deed on the list—He Jiaqing gave them to me. Tell the other local spirits that if they want their deeds, they can come to me. If they don't believe it, they can ask Gu Wuyan."
Chu Shaoqiang nodded repeatedly. "It shall be as Your Highness says."
Chu the Second looked at Li the Seventh, beaming with pride. Every feat Li the Seventh accomplished filled her with immense satisfaction.
Chu Shaoqiang felt a shiver of fear; the Li the Seventh before him inspired genuine dread deep within his heart.
He was reconsidering his own stance, and reconsidering his next moves.
***
Li Banfeng originally intended to tour the surrounding territories, but by afternoon he received a message from his wife.
"Precious husband, the device is finished."
"So fast?"
Li Banfeng rushed immediately to the laboratory, where an enormous torch stood before him.
The gramophone lit the torch and said to Li Banfeng, "Fitted with two lenses, shining the firelight upon the Boundary can cover it. As long as the firelight does not go out, the Boundary will remain masked, making it much easier for us to cross."
Li Banfeng hugged the gramophone and showered her with kisses for a long time.
Though the appearance differed greatly, Li Banfeng believed this was the searchlight used by the Garrison Office!
"Precious wife, I'll go buy the lenses right away. We'll run a test tonight!"
Chapter 684