Hold On!

The statue exhaled a breath at Li Banfeng, knocking him flat onto the ground. He looked back at the statue. The statue looked back at him, smiling. Red Lotus was paralyzed with fear, dreading that the statue would strike again; right now, Li Banfeng had virtually no strength to fight back. After a long wait, the statue made no further move. Stumbling and lurching, Li Banfeng staggered out the heavy iron gate and made it back into the stairwell. He was in terrible shape. His legs were rubbery and his body was numb. He meant to step forward with his left foot, but thrust out his right leg instead, tumbling all the way down the stairs. A cluster of shadows rolled down right along with him, sprawled motionless at the landing, unable to budge. Li Banfeng's hand groped toward his trouser pocket, looking as if he wanted to retreat into the companion dwelling. Watching the images displayed by the Fifth Room girl, Red Lotus murmured, "Not now. Keep moving, go somewhere else!" Hong Ying hoisted Red Lotus up and snapped, "You wench, explain it clearly! Where did that statue come from?" Red Lotus wrenched herself free from Hong Ying's grip. "Where did it come from? Can't you see for yourself? That's a statue of a Heavenly Being!" Hong Ying barked, "How could a mere statue leave Seven like this? Is it a spirit object?" Red Lotus did not know how to explain it either; she had never imagined that statue would appear so abruptly. "Never mind that for now! Go stand watch by the door. If Li Seven comes back in a moment, you must convince him to leave!" Hong Ying was furious. "Why convince him to leave? Can't you see Seven is hurt? What's wrong with him coming home to heal?" Red Lotus scolded back, "You shrew, I'm doing it for his own good! He can't leave the key in a place like this—someone will pick it up!" "Who would pick it up?" "Never mind who! Just hurry up and guard the door!" Hong Ying went to the door, while Red Lotus kept her eyes glued anxiously to the display. After struggling on the floor for ages, Li Banfeng finally hauled himself up. He produced the key and went through the motions of unlocking a door, but his body shuddered violently, and the key dropped to the floor. Danger. The moment he picked the key back up, Li Banfeng's head cleared a fraction. He couldn't leave the key here. In all his three years carrying the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng had always found a safe place to hide the key before stepping inside. This stairwell was far too sinister; there was nowhere safe here at all. He had to get back to his office. Pocketing the key, he began to climb the stairs. A group of Banfeng Twos supported one another, stumbling their way up to the sixteenth floor. They exited the stairwell and staggered toward his office, swaying with every step. Suddenly, Mijian stepped out of the office. When she saw Li Banfeng, she jumped in fright. Li Banfeng was equally startled. Bracing himself against the wall, he steadied his footing. The swarm of Banfeng Twos flattened themselves against the walls and floor, moving fast enough to avoid giving anything away. "Director Li, you haven't left yet?" Li Banfeng nodded. "That's right. You haven't left either?" "I still had some work on hand that I hadn't had time to deal with lately." Mijian had spent the recent period looking after Zhong'er, so quite a backlog of tasks had indeed built up. Even so, the work wasn't particularly urgent. It was well past midnight; there was no reason for her to work this late. Li Banfeng said, "Sort out what's important and leave the rest aside. Head back early and get some rest." Mijian nodded. "Thank you, Director Li. Are you heading home now? I can drive you." Li Banfeng waved his hand. "Go attend to your business." Mijian headed for the restroom. Li Banfeng staggered back into his office, tucked the key safely away, and brought his cluster of shadows back into the companion dwelling. The moment he stepped through the door, Li Banfeng nearly collapsed. Hong Ying caught him and helped him over to the bed. "Seven, what happened? Were you poisoned? Hit by a skill?" "I'm fine. No matter what hit me, we've got nothing to fear!" Li Banfeng waved a hand dismissively. As long as he had Sit Back and Relax, he feared nothing. Lying on the bed, he adjusted his breathing, tuned into the unique state granted by his home, and activated the Sit Back and Relax skill. Ten minutes later, Li Banfeng gave a faint smile and sat up. He remained sitting for less than ten seconds before collapsing right back onto the bed. What kind of devilry was this? Sit Back and Relax hadn't worked! Li Banfeng used the skill twice in a row, but it had no effect whatsoever. His entire body felt as though it belonged to someone else, every joint knocked out of alignment. Hong Ying glared at Red Lotus and shouted, "What kind of sorcery was Seven hit with?" The Heavenly Maiden was Red Lotus's master. If Red Lotus claimed not to know, nobody would believe her. Yet telling the truth would mean throwing away a golden opportunity. Looking at Li Banfeng's condition, however, if she kept stalling and stayed silent, he might not survive. After wavering repeatedly, Red Lotus opened her petals. Cradled at the center of the lotus was a lotus seed. She curled a lotus leaf around the seed and fed it into Li Banfeng's mouth. Hong Ying remained uneasy. "What did you just feed him?" "A Xuanyun Pill." Miss Jiu gasped. "His body is this weak, and you feed him such a potent pill?" Hong Ying grew frantic as well. "I knew it, you wench! You're up to no good!" Red Lotus poked a lotus leaf right into Hong Ying's face. "I don't have the patience to argue with a bunch of fools. Hurry up and bring Zhao Xiaowan back!" Getting those words out had not been easy for her. Once Zhao Xiaowan returned, many of Red Lotus's plans would fall apart. Yet if Zhao Xiaowan didn't come back, Li Banfeng might not survive the night. Hong Ying said, "This is the Outer States. Xiaowan isn't here." Red Lotus retorted, "Even if she isn't here, you have to find a way to fetch her! I'm only warning you once: Li Seven has gorged on an overabundance of human vitality, and his body is on the verge of bursting. We need Zhao Xiaowan to assist him in an advancement to dissipate that vitality!" "Overabundance of human vitality..." Hong Ying did not fully grasp the concept. After thinking for a moment, she said, "In other words, raising his cultivation will disperse the vitality, right? Then I'll just help him advance his Travel Cultivator path. Bring his Travel Cultivation beyond the clouds, and won't he be fine?" Red Lotus shook her head. "Travel Cultivation won't work. The advancement process is too violent. In his weakened state, he can't withstand a Travel Cultivator breakthrough. A Home Cultivator advancement is relatively gentle; he might still pull through that way." Miss Jiu looked at Hong Ying. "Aren't you Old Seven's dwelling spirit too? Since you're a dwelling spirit, you ought to be able to help Li Seven advance as a Home Cultivator." Hong Ying lowered her head. "I don't know much about Home Cultivation. I understand a bit about ground-level matters, but above the clouds, I'm out of my depth." Red Lotus sighed. "You don't know anything. You rely too much on Zhao Xiaowan. Assisting a Home Cultivator's advancement is the fundamental duty of a dwelling spirit, and you can't even manage that." Hong Ying said, "Then what do you propose? How are we supposed to find Xiaowan?" Red Lotus couldn't come up with an answer either. "I don't know how you should look for her. I remember Qiqiu City has a station." "Right, there's a station! The Old Master built a station!" Hong Ying leaned close to Li Banfeng's ear and spoke softly, "Seven, don't go to sleep just yet. Talk to the Old Master, see if he can take you to Qiqiu City. Once we reach the station, we'll find a way to get Xiaowan." Li Banfeng said nothing, only giving a slight shake of his head. "Seven, why are you shaking your head?" Li Banfeng didn't explain, but the plan was unworkable. Going to the station was useless. Lühuazi's alms bowl had been entrusted to his lady. If she didn't open the door, Li Banfeng had no way to enter the laboratory. He had to contact his lady first and have her open the door before they could meet. Yet if his lady was inside the dark-dimension space where phone calls couldn't go through, how was he supposed to get in touch? Hong Ying pondered for a moment and came up with another idea. "Seven, picture Qiqiu City in your mind. Focus on what Qiqiu City looks like, and we can go there." The companion dwelling followed Li Banfeng's thoughts, so this counted as a method. Li Banfeng shook his head again. That wouldn't work either. Hong Ying grew anxious. "You stubborn man, why do you keep shaking your head?" The liquor gourd understood Li Banfeng's dilemma. "Sister Ying, you folks don't go outside much, so you don't realize the problem. The Old Master can indeed follow Old Seven's mind, but once we reach Qiqiu City, how do we find the mistress?" Hong Ying said, "Let Seven go out and search!" "If Old Seven steps outside, how does he get back in?" "He can unlock the door with the key and come back!" "The key isn't in Qiqiu City; it's still back in the Outer States!" The companion dwelling could follow Li Banfeng's consciousness, but the key remained in the office, stationary. The moment Li Banfeng stepped out, he wouldn't be able to return. Hong Ying was stumped. Only now did she realize just how many constraints bound Li Banfeng and the little train. Now that the little train had fallen into a deep slumber, there was no flexibility, making those restrictions insurmountable. Miss Jiu said, "As long as we find Zhao Xiaowan, Old Seven can be saved. Even if he can't return home right away, Zhao Xiaowan can surely figure something out, right?" Red Lotus said, "That won't work. A Home Cultivator's advancement must take place within the dwelling." In other words, even if Li Seven managed to find Zhao Xiaowan, he would still need to return home immediately. Hong Ying gritted her teeth. "How about this: I'll go out, take the key, and sprint to Qiqiu City to find Xiaowan! I'm fast enough! I can definitely make it in time!" The liquor gourd said, "Sister Ying, do you know the way?" Hong Ying shook her head. "I don't, but that doesn't matter. You can guide me. Don't you follow Seven everywhere?" "Sister Ying, once you leave this room, you won't hear my voice." Hong Ying was taken aback. "Why not?" "Because you don't possess the skill of Discerning Spiritual Sound, and..." Miss Jiu cut in, "And you're not the sharpest tool in the shed; you don't know the methods for communicating with magical treasures." Hong Ying arched her brows. "Who says I don't? I could speak with every magical treasure I used in the past! Besides, if I can hear the gourd talking inside the room, why wouldn't I hear it outside?" Miss Jiu said, "That's the Old Master's doing. Even in his slumber, that power remains active." The Tang dao asked from the side, "Are his other restrictions still active as well?" Hong Ying realized a grave issue. She walked over to the door and tugged at it. The door wouldn't budge. She couldn't leave at all. Even though the companion dwelling had fallen into a deep sleep, its strict rules for family members remained in force. Without its permission, a dwelling spirit could never walk out the door. Hong Ying glared at Red Lotus. "Why did your master want to harm our Seven!" Red Lotus replied, "How would I know what she's thinking? Can you blame this on me?" "If not you, who else? If anything happens to Seven, I'll claim your master's life!" As the two began bickering, the glove shouted, "Stop arguing! Something's wrong with the master!" Li Banfeng, who had seemed relatively calm, began convulsing violently on the bed. Red Lotus gently stroked Li Banfeng's body with a lotus leaf. "He absorbed far more human vitality than I estimated. He won't last long." Hong Ying demanded, "How long can he hold out? Give me an exact time!" "About an hour." "An hour?" The entire household was dumbfounded. Where could they possibly find Zhao Xiaowan in an hour? Hong Ying cried, "What good is an hour?" Red Lotus retorted, "An hour is already a stroke of luck for him! If I hadn't just fed him that Xuanyun Pill, he'd probably be dead already!" Miss Jiu's voice trembled slightly. "Ah Qi, take a gamble. Picture that laboratory in your mind and see if you can bump into Zhao Xiaowan. If you run into her, pull her back before the door shuts." Hong Ying shook her head. "That door closes too fast. If you miss, everything is lost." Miss Jiu asked, "Then what else do you suggest? Just let Ah Qi wait here to die?" Hong Ying yelled, "Old Master, let me out! Seven can't hold on much longer!" The companion dwelling gave no response. Amidst the rising panic, Li Banfeng gritted his teeth and sat up, soaked in sweat. Clenching his jaw, supported by a cluster of Banfeng Twos and leaning heavily on the Tang dao, he made his way to the door. Hong Ying rushed forward to wrap her arms around him. "Seven, where are you going?" Li Banfeng turned back and managed a smile. "Don't worry. I'll be right back." Back in the office, Li Banfeng produced his phone and had Old Luo connect him to his lady. As long as the call went through, he could use Parting by Ten Thousand Li to reach her side. As long as she wasn't inside the laboratory, he could get in touch. Yet what were the odds she wasn't in the lab at this hour? Those slim odds held Li Banfeng's life in the balance. A moment later, Old Luo succeeded in putting the call through—his lady really wasn't in the lab! Li Banfeng was overjoyed; such was the tacit understanding between husband and wife! Now, as long as she answered and called back shortly, Li Banfeng could find someone to use Parting by Ten Thousand Li with, taking the key and flying straight to her side. Yet after a long wait, she never picked up. Had she not heard it, or was there some other reason? Could something have happened to her? Li Banfeng hung up. As he pondered, a sudden numbness overtook his hand, and the telephone receiver slipped to the floor. It slid along the carpet toward the door. Li Banfeng tried several times to stand and pick it up. He managed to struggle to his feet, but before he could take a single step, he collapsed heavily back into the chair. *Thump, thump, thump!* Someone was knocking outside. Li Banfeng called out, "Come in!" Mijian pushed the door open and entered. Li Banfeng asked, "Why haven't you left yet?" Mijian said, "I was just about to leave, so I wanted to check if Director Li needed a ride." Li Banfeng studied her for a moment. "Didn't I just say I don't?" Mijian nodded. "Then I'll be going." "Hold on!" Li Banfeng stopped her. "Are you on duty today?" Mijian stammered, "Yes—well, no, I was just handling some work here." "Who's on duty today?" Mijian answered, "Haitangguo." "Call Haitangguo over." Mijian pressed her lips together. "Haitang... she got hungry and went out to grab a bite. She asked me to cover for her for a bit..." Li Banfeng said, "You're covering her shift, yet you offered to drive me home?" Mijian lowered her head. "That was thoughtless of me. I'll return to the duty room right away." When he had run into her earlier, she hadn't come out of the duty room. Li Banfeng said, "You sent Haitangguo away, and now you came back to confirm when I'm leaving. What are you planning to do?" "I... I didn't—" "Tell the truth!" Mijian's voice trembled as she replied, "Director Li, I... I wanted to go to the records room." "What for?" Mijian confessed, "The day before yesterday, I saw an inventory list. It said the records room has a special formula that might cure Zhong'er. I wanted to give it a try. I didn't mean to hide it from you, but I..." "You are not allowed to go!" Li Banfeng glared at her fiercely. "If you dare go, I'll break your legs and turn you and Zhong'er into a pair of cripples! Do you understand me?" "But I—" "I will heal Zhong'er's legs myself. Now go home immediately! You are not to go to the stairwell, and you are not to enter the records room! Do you hear me!" Mijian nodded. She noticed the oddly shaped object on the floor, which resembled a landline telephone receiver. Li Banfeng said, "Hand that to me." Mijian handed the receiver to him. Li Banfeng waved her off. "Call Haitangguo back to resume her shift, and get yourself home right now." Once Mijian left, Li Banfeng tried calling his lady again, but she still didn't answer. *Darling wife, why aren't you picking up?* Li Banfeng felt his bones shifting out of joint once more. With no way to reach his lady, what other options remained? Was this the end? Li Banfeng returned to the companion dwelling, lay on the bed, and closed his eyes to meditate. Hong Ying asked with concern, "Seven, did you find Xiaowan?" Li Banfeng signaled for her to stay quiet. He needed to concentrate now, to guide the companion dwelling somewhere with his consciousness. That place was very far away. Could the companion dwelling find it? *"Ah Qi, we have tracks—eight whole railway tracks! We have a route, we have a direction. As long as we don't cross paths with a formidable foe, we'll definitely find it!"* *Old Master, is that you? Aren't you asleep? Can you speak while sleeping? Am I hallucinating?* *"Ah Qi, hold on. We've weathered so many storms together; we can definitely pull through this one."* Over forty minutes ticked by, and Li Banfeng lay completely still on the bed. Hong Ying's lips turned pale with fright. Miss Jiu clenched her fists, afraid to make a sound. The glove checked Li Banfeng's breathing. He was still alive. "Master... Master..." The glove trembled all over. *Rumble!* Li Banfeng felt the companion dwelling shudder. He dragged himself off the bed and walked out the door once more, accompanied by the swarm of Banfeng Twos. The Banfeng Twos stacked together, clinging beneath Li Banfeng's feet. One man and one shadow stumbled through the streets. Reaching a fork in the road, Li Banfeng collapsed to the ground with a dull thud. His consciousness wavered. In his ear, he heard Banfeng Two speaking: "Old Jia, hold on!" Second by second, time slipped away. The shadow lifted Li Banfeng back to his feet. Li Banfeng trudged forward until he arrived before a grand manor. A guard blocked his way. "Who goes there?" Li Banfeng looked up. "The Prince of Pingyuan." The guard started in surprise and hurried inside to report. This was the Marquis Manor of Boundless City. In the past, Li Banfeng would have barged straight in, but today he lacked the strength. Moments later, Luo Shaojun came rushing out of the estate. "Brother Seven, you're back! Brother Seven, what... what happened to you?" Li Seven was on the verge of falling, but Luo Shaojun caught him just in time. Li Banfeng managed with difficulty, "Take me... to Yucui Pavilion." Luo Shaojun quickly supported Li Banfeng over to Yucui Pavilion. "Brother Seven, this place is perilous. Be very careful." "Wait for me outside." Li Banfeng stepped inside the building. Before he could even begin climbing the stairs, a wave of malice washed over him, and he crashed to the floor once more. A woman's voice sounded by his ear: "So you remember how to come back?" Li Banfeng chuckled. "I returned in such a rush, I didn't even bring you a gift." "Leaving your life behind will serve as gift enough." A figure clad in blue swept past Li Banfeng. "How did you get injured like this?" "Not injured. I absorbed too much human vitality." Li Banfeng lay sprawled on the stairs, truly unable to get back up. The steps of the staircase shifted smoothly upward, level by level, carrying Li Banfeng to the second floor. Jiang Ling'er gathered Li Banfeng into her arms and gently laid him on the bed. "Can I still be saved?" Li Banfeng asked. "Don't move." Jiang Ling'er carefully felt his pulse. After a moment, Jiang Ling'er said, "If you want to live, your only option is to advance and burn off that human vitality. But your constitution is critically weak; an advancement might not succeed. Do you dare take the gamble?" "I'll gamble!" Li Banfeng nodded. Jiang Ling'er asked again, "What tier is your Home Cultivation at?" "Tier Three above the clouds. Be completely honest with me." Jiang Ling'er continued, "You have two paths. One is to advance into the stellar realm. However, there is so much human vitality in your body that even if you succeed, you won't exhaust it all. You'd need to recuperate at home for several years. The cultivation above the stellar realm has no distinct tiers, allowing you to gradually dissipate the vitality." This girl didn't look particularly sharp, yet she knew quite a lot. Li Banfeng asked, "And the other path?" "The other path is advancing to Tier Four above the clouds." Li Banfeng opened his eyes, looked at Jiang Ling'er, and smiled. "I like that one." Jiang Ling'er did not smile; it seemed she didn't know how. "Advancing to Tier Four above the clouds requires far more human vitality than reaching the stellar realm—enough to essentially deplete all the vitality in your body. But advancing to Tier Four requires releasing all of that vitality at once. Your physical frame cannot endure it." Li Banfeng asked, "Because I'm too weak right now?" "Not because you are weak, but because no Tier Three cultivator in this world can endure it. By the numbers, a Tier Three cultivator above the clouds can hold ten thousand units of human vitality, but advancing to Tier Four requires discharging eighteen thousand units all at once. Releasing eighteen thousand units directly would tear a cultivator's body apart. That is why Tier Four cultivators above the clouds are exceedingly rare. Theoretically speaking, that path is an absolute dead end—unless you possess the Cloud Gate skill, allowing you to disperse a portion of the vitality into something linked to you, yet outside your body." Li Banfeng nodded repeatedly. "I know the Cloud Gate skill. It's just that my cloud isn't here." "Where is your cloud?" "Qiqiu City." "Where is Qiqiu City?" "A city in Puluo Province." "Then it's too late." A hint of helplessness surfaced in Jiang Ling'er's eyes. She had little impression of Puluo Province, but she knew it lay unimaginably far away. "There's still time!" The Judge's Brush trembled at Li Banfeng's waist. "Make another cloud!" Li Banfeng looked at Jiang Ling'er. "Can you help me craft a cloud?" Jiang Ling'er nodded slightly. "If you aren't particular about the texture, making one isn't an issue. But do you still have the strength to send a cloud into the sky?" Li Banfeng fell silent, feeling as though he couldn't even fly. "He can!" the Judge's Brush declared. "Let's do this!"