Wicked

"The Blade Patriarch?" Staring at the knife peddler's severed head, tears streamed down Li Banfeng's face. "Senior, I truly didn't mean to kill you!" The Peddler frowned. "What are you crying for?" Weeping, Li Banfeng said, "Seeing this patriarch die so miserably breaks my heart. What was his name?" The Peddler said, "He was called Chuiduanfa." "Senior Chui, have a good journey. And what about that Strength Cultivator Champion? What was his name?" "His name was Wankaishan." "Senior Wan, you have a good journey too..." "Stop wailing!" The Peddler cut him off. The weeping was getting on his nerves. Li Banfeng wiped his tears. "You don't understand. Crying is an absolute necessity." The Peddler tapped off his cigarette ash. "What's not to understand? Isn't it just ironclad proof? Aren't you just afraid they haven't died completely?" Li Banfeng nodded. "If they haven't died completely, won't their deceased spirits return to the Inner States' furnace? For people of their caliber, they'd definitely be resurrected, right?" The Peddler took a drag of his cigarette. "Their spirits can't reach the furnace. I've locked them all inside their skulls." Li Banfeng stared in surprise. "Which lineage's technique is that?" "It's a technique of the Lock Cultivators," the Peddler said. "The Lock Cultivator lineage is extinct. I wanted to find an apprentice for it, but because the discipline isn't very good in a fight, nobody was ever willing to join." "If it's not good in a fight, it should be solid on defense, right?" Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "Finding someone who likes hoarding things should be quite fitting for cultivating this." The Peddler nodded. "Yes, practitioners of this path used to be especially fond of hoarding things. Once mastered, they could lock down an entire domain." Li Banfeng didn't understand. "What does locking down a domain mean?" The Peddler chuckled. "Invisible, and impassable." Li Banfeng thought about it. "Isn't that just an Unnameable Place?" The Peddler nodded. "Many of the Unnameable Places across Puluo Province were locked away by Lock Cultivators. Back then, to counter the Lock Cultivators, the Artisan Patriarch forged a special key capable of opening the locks on Unnameable Places. Later, that key was taken by Green Water Bow, and now no one knows where it ended up." With that, the Peddler turned his gaze toward Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng took a puff of his cigarette and changed the subject. "What kind of man was the Artisan Patriarch?" The Peddler reminisced for a moment. "As I recall, he was a man of fierce grit. Nowadays, he's probably gone to Tufang State to throw in his lot with the Sage." Li Banfeng looked at Chuiduanfa the Blade Patriarch and Wankaishan the Strength Cultivator Champion. "Those two threw in their lot with the Sage as well. I truly don't understand what's so great about the Sage that's worth them risking their lives." The Peddler sighed deeply. "Back when we fought the Sage, they fought with their lives on the line too. After winning, I rewarded them. Once they took their pay, everyone went their separate ways. Who would have thought that after some time had passed, they would defect to the Inner States?" Li Banfeng was curious about that past feud. "What reward did you give them?" "Money!" The Peddler's answer was plain and simple. "Rewards based on merit. Whoever achieved the greatest merit received the most money. At first, they all thought it was very fair, because money can accomplish a great deal, and many things can be bought with money. "Yet after some time, some of them spent all their money, while others discovered there were things money couldn't buy. "Then they asked me for more. When I refused, they went to the Inner States to ask. The Inner States gave it to them. "However, what the Inner States gave wasn't equal. Someone like Shu Wanjuan was very popular there, so the Inner States gave him an immense amount—bestowing a rich, fertile domain upon him and making him a marquis, just one step away from being made a prince. "Someone like Shan Chengjun wasn't nearly as popular. Although he was also made a marquis, his fief was in an impoverished wasteland, leaving him stuck with no further prospects. "Neither Chuiduanfa nor Wankaishan was well-liked. In the Inner States, they couldn't even maintain their status as ministers. Desperation breeds change, so naturally they wanted to switch masters. "For them, the most suitable master was naturally the Sage of Shang State. Back when the Sage was still in Puluo Province, they didn't dare come defect to him, because they had signed a pact with me: once they defected to the Inner States, they were forbidden from ever setting foot in Puluo Province again. "Later, when the Sage returned to the Inner States, they wanted to defect to him but had no opportunity; the Cabinet of Shang State would never let the Sage contact foreign ministers so easily. "Now that the Sage has fled Shang State, those who felt frustrated in their ambitions have their chance once more. They've rushed to Tufang State one after another to swear fealty to the Sage, hoping that when the Sage rises again, they will all be made imperial princes. After all, there's a living example right before their eyes." Li Banfeng paused for a moment. "This example you're referring to... surely it isn't me?" "It is you," the Peddler said, looking at Li Banfeng. "You enthroned a little emperor, so you became an imperial prince. That's the path you demonstrated for them, and they all want to follow in your footsteps." Li Banfeng looked at Chuiduanfa and Wankaishan. "If they want to reinstall the Sage as emperor, they should be marching toward Shang State. Why come to the Suihuang Plains?" The Peddler said, "You should understand the reasoning. Where they attack right now isn't up to the Sage. The Sage defected to the Demon Lord, and wherever the Demon Lord commands them to strike, that's where they must strike." In Li Banfeng's recollection, the Demon Lord had been continuously attacking the Slumbering Lands of Lavsha and Inner Amikan. Of course, that didn't mean they had no designs on Puluo Province. The Peddler continued, "This time, the Demon Lord set his sights on the Suihuang Plains. They unsealed an ancient exit from years past, while simultaneously searching for a new exit—an exit without a Boundary." Li Banfeng asked, "How could there be such an exit? Where is this exit without a Boundary?" The Peddler shook his head. "This exit formed naturally. At the beginning, nobody knew where it was. They didn't know, and neither did I. "However, they possessed a spiritual item crafted by the Demon Lord that could detect the exit's location. It was this." The Peddler produced two pearls and handed them to Li Banfeng. One pearl was pure white, coated in a layer of grease. The other pearl glowed with a faint crimson hue beneath its white surface, free of any grease. "This white pearl was given to me by Mud Cultivator Grandmaster Xing Baizhao. The pearl being pure white proves he hadn't found the exit. "That red pearl was just given to me by Blade Patriarch Chuiduanfa. The pearl glowing red proves he had already located the exit." When had Chuiduanfa ever given the Peddler a pearl? Did the Peddler know Thief Cultivator techniques as well? Li Banfeng asked, "The exit location Chuiduanfa found... is it this inn?" The Peddler nodded. He took the pure white pearl, washed away the grease with wine, and a faint red glow soon emerged on the surface of the pearl. A chill ran down Li Banfeng's spine—not an omen from Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity, but pure lingering dread. "Where is this Mud Cultivator Grandmaster?" The Peddler pointed outside the door. "In my cart, sleeping quite soundly." Li Banfeng looked out at the cart by the doorway. "How many of them came in total?" "A great many. They searched everywhere for the exit, practically turning the Suihuang Plains upside down. None of them could find it, but I found them. "Only Chuiduanfa found this inn. He found the exit, and I lost track of him. If not for you, he would have unsealed this exit very soon." Li Banfeng felt an even deeper dread. "An exit without a Boundary... doesn't that mean the Demon Lord's advanced weaponry could be brought straight out?" The Peddler nodded. "Yes. Tufang State's weapons are no worse than Shang State's. If they were allowed to bring their weapons into the Suihuang Plains, the whole of Puluo Province, and even the Outer States, would fall into the Demon Lord's hands." Li Banfeng asked, "Isn't there a Boundary surrounding the Suihuang Plains?" The Peddler nodded. "There is, but a Boundary of that scale cannot stop Tufang State. I have a mole inside Tufang State; their grand army was waiting right on the other side of the exit. It was a hair's breadth away from being opened to them." Li Banfeng glanced back at Blade Patriarch Chuiduanfa. "The more I look at him, the more despicable he seems!" The Peddler wholeheartedly agreed. "That bastard is utterly vile. When he defected to the Inner States back then, he struck underhanded blows against Puluo Province. Now, defecting to the Sage, he intended to strike underhanded blows against Puluo Province once more. Before this, he also killed twelve newland local deities. I hadn't even settled that score with him yet, and here they came to the Suihuang Plains..." "Senior Brother, wait a moment!" Li Banfeng looked at the Peddler. "Were the twelve local deities killed by them?" The Peddler asked, "What do you think? They wanted to seize territory for the Sage, so they killed those twelve local deities. If they seized a few more parcels and linked them together, wouldn't that create another Jianrengang?" Li Banfeng pondered the whole affair, then asked the Peddler earnestly, "Is that true?" The Peddler glared at Chuiduanfa's severed head and barked, "Did you kill the twelve local deities?" Chuiduanfa gritted his teeth in silence. The Peddler nodded. "He didn't speak, which means he confessed." Li Banfeng nodded. "Yes, confessed. I witnessed it with my own eyes." The Peddler then looked at Wankaishan's severed head. "Were you Chuiduanfa's accomplice?" Wankaishan kept his eyes shut, not uttering a word. Li Banfeng nodded. "This one confessed too." The Peddler asked both heads, "Did you intend to slaughter all the surrounding local deities to make another Jianrengang for the Sage?" Neither spoke. Li Banfeng nodded. "Both of them have confessed." The Peddler said, "You know what to do next, right?" Li Banfeng nodded. "Since both seniors have already pled guilty, the matter is settled as fact." The Peddler showed great appreciation for Li Banfeng's attitude. "Since it's settled as fact, let's wrap this up quickly. Leave the souls for your wife, the bodies for Red Lotus, and keep the heads as evidence. The two of us personally avenged those twelve local deities—that carries plenty of prestige, and the story will hold up cleanly." Li Banfeng lowered his voice. "Are we still going after the real culprit?" "Of course we are!" The Peddler knew better than anyone. "That old dog Shu Wanjuan—I'm looking for a way to lure him out. Once he's baited, I'll chop him up along with the rest, claiming he defected to the Sage as well and was the mastermind behind this affair. "Qiao Yi will have lost a top-tier fighter, and he'll have to scramble to clear his own name. Since he's backing the new emperor, he must draw a clear line between himself and the Sage. When the time comes, I'll make him swallow this bitter pill in silence too." Li Banfeng was silent for a moment, then asked, "Senior Brother, how did you come up with such an ingenious idea?" The Peddler replied calmly, "Because I'm wicked." A flash of understanding dawned on Li Banfeng. The Peddler said, "The Sage is wicked, the Demon Lord is wicked, Qiao Yi is wicked, and the Outer States are wicked. Quite a few of my old friends turned out to be villains. If I weren't wicked, how could I have held out against them to this day? "Brother, you earned the top merit in this battle. I have something to give you." With a wave of the Peddler's hand, the cart rolled into the inn. The Peddler opened the cargo cabinet, dragged out the corpse of Mud Cultivator Grandmaster Xing Baizhao, and handed it to Li Banfeng. "Give the soul to your wife, send the body to Red Lotus, and there's no need to keep this head." Li Banfeng said, "Red Lotus doesn't see eye to eye with me. She always skims a heavy cut when refining pills." "Let her skim. You won't lose out," the Peddler said, taking out twelve pairs of covenant deeds. "These twelve pairs of covenant deeds were recovered from Chuiduanfa. Take them and handle them as you see fit." Li Banfeng took the deeds and whispered, "Weren't these twelve pairs of deeds in He Jiaqing's hands?" The Peddler said, "My original plan was to frame He Jiaqing as having defected to the Sage, claiming he stole the deeds in Shang State to exchange them for territory on the Sage's behalf, and that he conspired with the Sage's subordinates to slaughter the twelve local deities. When dealing with Shu Wanjuan, I was going to clean him up at the same time—it would have flowed naturally. "Old Mother Ku wouldn't be able to protect He Jiaqing then, because she cannot shield an accomplice of the Sage; otherwise, many across Puluo Province would turn against her. She would have had to swallow that bitter pill in silence. "He Jiaqing is a clever man. He brought the twelve pairs of deeds to beg for mercy, and those twelve pairs saved his life. I've spared him for now. Now that I've given the deeds to you, how do you intend to handle them?" Li Banfeng put away the deeds. "Find twelve suitable people to serve as local deities." The Peddler asked, "Don't you plan on linking these lands together to turn them into proper territory? You have many three-headed people under your command; land reclamation isn't difficult for you. With such a vast domain in hand, there's so much you could accomplish." Li Banfeng shook his head. "Puluo Province has no need for an emperor." The Peddler opened his cart cabinet and took out six single covenant deeds. "He Jiaqing also gave me the remaining six orphan deeds. Now they're all yours." Accepting the deeds, Li Banfeng looked up at the Peddler. "You trust me?" The Peddler nodded. "I trust you." Li Banfeng thought for a moment and asked, "If there are still local deities who refuse to submit, how should that be handled?" The Peddler shook his head. "No need to handle it. Pin it all on me." From outside came the rumble of hoofbeats—the Suihuang Iron Cavalry had arrived. The Peddler let out a sharp whistle. Li Banfeng felt a sudden chill, and the hoofbeats outside swiftly receded into the distance. They had all been frightened away by that single whistle. Li Banfeng asked, "What kind of technique was that?" The Peddler looked taken aback. "You don't even know this? It's a Sound Cultivator technique, Wind and Cranes. Isn't your wife a Sound Cultivator? Haven't you borrowed this technique using Sprawling Compound?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "I occasionally borrow some Sound Cultivator methods, but I haven't borrowed most of the techniques." The Peddler sighed helplessly. "You advanced too quickly; your techniques are too crude. You must polish them thoroughly in the future." Li Banfeng listened for a moment using his Qiansi Earring. Not only had those cavalrymen fled, but all the residents around the inn had cleared out completely. Within a li, not a soul remained. Tracking their flight carefully with the earring, Li Banfeng was left speechless by the result. "A single whistle scared them into fleeing over three li. This Suihuang Iron Cavalry is utterly pathetic. How could anyone rely on them to defend the Suihuang Plains?" The Peddler sighed. "The people of the Suihuang Plains possess unique combat methods, and their fighting prowess is formidable. Unfortunately, they've lost their grit, forgotten their battle tactics, and instead learned the tricks of devouring their own kind. "I will find someone to help them recover their backbone. If that person fails, you'll come to the Suihuang Plains when the time comes and force the grit out of them. "If you can't manage it either, take away those who should be taken, leave behind those who should be left, and I will have Critic come over. I believe he can hold the Suihuang Plains." The Peddler stood up, tidied his cart, and pulled out a wrench, handing it to Li Banfeng. "The little train seems to have run into some trouble. This is the Artisan Champion's wrench. Take it and use it." Li Banfeng looked toward the cart. "The Artisan Champion is here too?" The Peddler nodded. "Yes. Quite a few old friends are in here." Li Banfeng wondered just what magnitude of battle the Peddler had gone through. "Hurry and pack your things. I'm going to lock this place down in a moment." The Peddler pushed his cart to the inn's entrance. Noticing his slightly unsteady footing, Li Banfeng asked, "The blood on you—is it yours, or theirs?" "Both," the Peddler replied casually, though pushing the familiar cart still seemed to require some effort. *** Inside the companion dwelling, Madame stared at the three corpses, stunned for a long while. "Chuiduanfa, Wankaishan, Xing Baizhao..." Hong Ying recognized the trio as well. "Seventh Brother, did you mold clay figures or dough figurines? How did you make them look so lifelike?" Li Banfeng offered no lengthy explanation, setting down the bodies and turning in a hurry to leave. Earlier, when Li Banfeng had hauled in a pile of tables and chairs, the gramophone hadn't had a chance to ask. This time, she swiftly stopped him. "Husband, what on earth happened? You look injured." "Eat first. Don't touch the heads of Chuiduanfa and Wankaishan; I still have use for them. "My lady, after you've eaten, examine this wrench. When I return shortly, I'll explain everything in detail." Setting down the wrench, Li Banfeng took out a silver coin. "And this—keep it safe for me for now." Li Banfeng departed. Hong Ying inspected the corpses and said to the gramophone, "It really is the three of them. Wankaishan's head was twisted right off. You can tell from the ragged break—the bones and flesh were twisted out of alignment." Ninth Miss watched from the side, astonished. "I remember Wankaishan loved twisting off other people's heads the most. Who could have the immense strength to twist off his head?" Hong Ying checked Chuiduanfa's body next. "His head was severed by a blade. The cut is exceedingly clean." Ninth Miss looked at Xing Baizhao's corpse. The cause of death was hard to determine; there were no visible wounds on his body. With her wealth of experience, Hong Ying pried open the corpse's mouth and saw a thick mass of silt. Ninth Miss said, "Don't tell me he was drowned in mud. Isn't he a Mud Cultivator Grandmaster?" Hong Ying was rendered speechless. These formidable masters had all died by the very methods they excelled at. The gramophone stepped closer. "No need for wild guesses. The Peddler and my husband must have joined forces to kill these men." Hong Ying pursed her lips, saying nothing more. Ninth Miss sighed softly. "Sister Xiaowan, let me speak frankly—don't take offense. Given Ah Qi's current combat power, facing people like this would be quite difficult." "What do you know?" The gramophone chuckled coldly, placing the silver coin before them. "The Peddler gave this to my husband. Don't you recognize true worth?" Ninth Miss examined the silver coin for a good while, then gasped, "This is the real thing!" Hong Ying was dissatisfied. "Why the Dwelling Cultivator Champion? Seventh Brother's Travel Cultivation isn't lacking either!" The gramophone smiled smugly. "Dwelling Cultivator is Seventh Brother's proper path; other methods are merely auxiliary." Hong Ying grew angry. "What do you mean, proper path? Seventh Brother opened two businesses—which one isn't proper? What's so special about this silver dollar? I have one too. I'll give mine to Seventh Brother!" The gramophone smiled disdainfully. "What good is you giving it? Would anyone recognize it?" The more Hong Ying thought about it, the angrier she became. Ninth Miss urged from the side, "Sister Yingying, why don't you give that silver coin to me? I'll be the Travel Cultivator Champion, and I'll recognize it!" "Pah!" Hong Ying spat at Ninth Miss. "As if you're worthy!" The gramophone looked at the three corpses, pondering why they had gathered together. "Husband said he reached the Suihuang Plains. Could that exit have opened again?" *** With everything packed, Li Banfeng stepped out of the inn. The Peddler was leaning against his cart, waiting. After checking to ensure no one was around, the Peddler activated a Lock Cultivator technique. Li Banfeng saw no distinct movement from the Peddler, and the Peddler stated plainly, "The movements of Lock Cultivator techniques are extremely stealthy." The movements were stealthy, but the result certainly was not. In the blink of an eye, the entire inn vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a patch of barren earth where not a single blade of grass grew. Li Banfeng asked, "Is that exit without a Boundary still here?" The Peddler nodded. "Still here, but the lock I put on it won't be easily opened." Li Banfeng asked again, "What if someone obtains that key capable of opening locks?" The Peddler looked at Li Banfeng. "Which is why that key must never fall into anyone else's hands." Li Banfeng nodded. "When will that person who can help them recover their grit arrive?" The Peddler took an alarm clock from his cart and checked it. "I expect tomorrow. The Suihuang Plains has never had a local deity because I was worried one would surrender to the Inner States. So, I found someone who won't surrender." With that, the Peddler pushed his cart to leave. Li Banfeng asked, "If one day the Suihuang Plains truly turns into a domain of daolao ghosts, how should we explain it to everyone?" The Peddler looked back. "No need to explain. Just pin it all on me." Pushing his cart, he gave his rattle drum a shake, intending to cry his wares, but coughed twice, as if lacking the breath to shout. *** Tufang State, Wuxian City. Battered and bruised, Shan Chengjun stumbled into his residence. Behind him followed more than a dozen others, all severely wounded. Half-reclining in a chair, Shan Chengjun swept his gaze across everyone, then suddenly let out a dry laugh. "Champions, grandmasters, and patriarchs... Bearing such grandiose titles, don't you feel disgraced? Heading out to battle with a bunch of useless fools like you, some dead, some wounded, without even winning the fight—I truly find it humiliating." A man clad in white robes entered the mansion and said to Shan Chengjun, "His Majesty sent me to inquire about the outcome of the battle." The others bowed respectfully one after another. Only Shan Chengjun remained reclining in his chair. "Please convey to His Majesty that this battle was a defeat and our wounds are severe. We shall await another day to seek an audience." *** At dusk, Li Banfeng was dining in a small tavern by the town wall. Old Liu picked at the food with his chopsticks, unable to eat, and lifted his cup, unable to drink. "Let's get out of here!" Old Liu urged. "You stirred up such a massive fuss—how can you still have the appetite to eat here?" "If I don't eat, how do I cure my hunger?" Li Banfeng was gnawing on a chicken leg when shouts and fighting suddenly broke out near the town gate. "Who set this rule for you? What right do you have to charge money just to enter the town?" Hearing that voice, Li Banfeng grinned, and the wine gourd chuckled as well. The men guarding the gate were furious. "That's the rule in Huangtu Town! The entrance fee goes to the Suihuang Iron Cavalry—this is hazard pay for the valiant cavalry!" Li Banfeng looked at the gate guards and said to Old Liu, "Yesterday such a massive incident nearly scared their souls away. Just one day later, they're back at the gate collecting money. Look at their guts." Old Liu didn't agree with Li Banfeng's assessment. "They're making money, so of course they're bold. What are you rambling about?" Li Banfeng smiled. "I'm just enjoying the show." At the town gate, the one arguing with the guards was an old man. He wore tattered clothes and a battered hat riddled with holes. His cheeks were flushed red, and his bulbous drinker's nose was even redder than his cheeks. "Hazard pay?" The old man spat at them. "Whose lives are you risking yours for? Are you lot even worthy?" Furious, several guards grabbed the old man. "Are you looking to die?" The old man let out a loud burp, releasing a thick wave of alcohol vapor. Dizzied and unsteady on their feet, the guards collapsed to the ground. The patrolling Suihuang Iron Cavalry, hearing that someone was causing trouble at the gate, rushed over to investigate. When they arrived, a mist of wine washed over them; unable to keep their saddles, the cavalrymen tumbled from their warhorses one after another. "Can't even handle a mouthful of liquor, and you call yourselves an Iron Cavalry?" The old man seized one of the cavalrymen. "With soldiers like you, how do you expect to fight a war in the future?" The cavalryman glared at the old man, gritting his teeth. "Don't run if you've got the guts!" The old man laughed. "I won't run. Run a couple of laps first and let me see." Scritch! The old man struck a match. Flames burst out across the fallen cavalrymen, sending them screaming and bolting across the wilderness. "Run faster!" the old man shouted with a laugh. "I have strong medicine right here—let's see if it can cure every last affliction in you!" PS: He's finally awake.