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Chapter 699

Iron Bones of Suihuang

Yao Xin bought a house in Huangtu Town to settle down for the time being. Li Banfeng helped him furnish it, and the two sat across from each other, sharing a few drinks. After sleeping for so many days, Yao Xin’s temperament had not changed in the slightest. He still loved cracking jokes. "Old Seven, have things worked out between you and that Yu family girl? By my reckoning, the two of you should be having a child soon." "Old Yao, Yu Nan and I are completely innocent. She has her own family business, and I have my own wife." Yao Xin was astonished. "You and Little Fat made it work?" Li Banfeng waved his hands repeatedly. "Don't ever let your marshal hear you say that." Yao Xin laughed. "Good lad! Just think of what a prize you landed! In her day, our marshal was the greatest beauty under heaven!" Li Banfeng sighed with emotion. "Not only is she beautiful, she's full of passionate warmth." "Isn't that proof of your incredible blessing!" The two drank a few more cups before Li Banfeng asked, "Old Yao, why did you come to the Suihuang Plains?" Recalling the matter, Yao Xin was still somewhat aggrieved. "I'd only been awake a few days and originally planned to recuperate quietly in Yaowanggou. But then the peddler showed up and insisted I come to the Suihuang Plains. "I didn't want to come at first, but I truly owed him a favor. These past days, Old Xu looked after Yaowanggou on my behalf entirely out of respect for the peddler. "So I figured I'd watch the stall for him for a couple of days. Who would have thought he'd ask me to train the Suihuang Iron Cavalry? Back then, the Suihuang Iron Cavalry was trained by Huang Yuxian and the Dragon Princess. How could I just pick up and train them properly? When I refused, the peddler said he’d pay. "That made me furious on the spot! I told him, is this a matter of money? That’s the worst thing about that peddler—from morning to night, all he knows is talking about money!" Li Banfeng agreed, "Isn't that right? What kind of man are you, Old Yao? How could you possibly care about a little money?" Yao Xin let out a long sigh. "That's what I thought, too. But the price he offered was simply too high. And since I'm a straightforward man, well..." Li Banfeng chuckled, then grew slightly concerned. "Jokes aside, Old Yao, do you really not know how to train the Suihuang Iron Cavalry?" Yao Xin lifted his wine bowl. "I truly know nothing about the Suihuang Iron Cavalry, but I do know how to train Valiant Cavalry. That rabble of cavalrymen in Huangtu Town are all useless. Making anything of them is going to take a great deal of blood and sweat." Li Banfeng nodded. "If you need a hand with anything, just let me know." "Actually, there is something I need your help with." Yao Xin gave his wine bowl a sweep, splashing liquor across the room to kick up a thick alcoholic mist. "Back during the Second Great War, I heard Huang Yuxian's name. Even though I was far away in Yaowanggou, I heard rumors from old friends. "The way that General Huang conducted war was quite similar to our marshal. What's more, she also started out as an opera performer. I found the whole thing strange at the time. Did she have any connection with our marshal?" Li Banfeng asked, "What kind of connection do you mean?" Yao Xin poured Li Banfeng a cup of wine. "Let me put it plainly: are she and our marshal the same person?" Li Banfeng said, "I've asked her. She didn't say no." "Then that makes things much easier!" Yao Xin exhaled a long breath. "The bloodline breed of this Suihuang Plains is peculiar. If I used the wrong method, I wouldn't be able to train those soldiers at all." Li Banfeng had never quite understood this concept. "What exactly is a bloodline breed? Why is the bloodline breed in the Suihuang Plains so peculiar?" Old Yao explained, "Because the Suihuang Plains belongs to the Rear Three-Tenths. You've been in Puluo Province for so long, so you should know what the Three-Tenths Division of Puluo means. "The Front Three-Tenths are peculiar in their terrain: Haichiling, Kudaikan, Pillow City, White Falcon Commandery, Sleepless Town... I don't need to say much about them. If you've been there, you know. "The Rear Three-Tenths are peculiar in their people: the people of Tiemen Fort are honest; the people of Kinless Township are aloof; the people of Moxiang Shop are pretentious; the people of Jianrengang are..." When it came to Jianrengang, Old Yao did not even know how to describe them, so he moved straight to the Suihuang Plains. "The people of the Suihuang Plains are born with fraternal courage and camaraderie. We call such men 'iron-boned men.'" Li Banfeng deduced, "Courage and camaraderie means they are bold on the battlefield and possess backbone." Old Yao waved a hand. "It's far more than that. The courage of an iron-boned man isn't a personality trait—it's their bloodline breed. On the battlefield, it yields tremendous prowess. Back then, they even beat Old Train into submission." Li Banfeng was stunned. "How did they beat him into submission?" Old Yao explained in earnest, "Take an iron-boned man: if he's a raw beginner, his individual combat prowess is just that of a raw beginner. "Five iron-boned men, even if all five are raw beginners, might well overcome five second-tier cultivators. "Fifty iron-boned men, even if still raw beginners, might well overcome fifty fifth-tier cultivators. "If you assemble five hundred iron-boned men, there is no telling what heights of combat power they could reach. "Back then, I led five hundred iron-boned men onto the battlefield. Those five hundred were trained personally by our marshal. In our first clash, we ran into Lu Qianjiao. I don't know if you've heard of her; she's the peddler's sweetheart. "A master at warfare! Yuan Shoulü, who served as vanguard alongside me back then, was beaten senseless by her!" The Tang dao at Li Banfeng's waist gave a snort, rocking several times. Old Yao continued, "I charged forward with those five hundred iron-boned men, and in a single clash, we shattered Lu Qianjiao's battle formation. She suffered a miserable defeat, losing nearly half her troops—and every one of them was an archer she had meticulously trained! They say she was so furious she nearly choked the peddler to death. "In our second clash, we met Ai Yeqing. That fellow could fight, and his subordinates were fierce too, but he had no idea how to command an army. His men were just like him—superb individual brawlers. After a brief melee, they were scattered. Ai Qiandao was beaten half to death, his face slashed to ribbons, nearly losing his life. "In the third clash, I ran into a truly ruthless character." "What kind of ruthless character?" Li Banfeng listened with relish. He was familiar with all these figures and had never realized they shared such a thrilling past. Old Yao sighed. "Old Train sent out his prized disciple, Che Wushang. Before the battle, that kid created immense fanfare and genuinely scared me. I specifically prepared three sets of battle tactics just to guard against battlefield surprises. "Who would have thought that the moment our two armies engaged, Che Wushang ran! I couldn't wrap my head around it at the time. I thought, you're infantry running from my cavalry—isn't that just courting death? "So I gave chase. But that was where I miscalculated. I never imagined I couldn't outrun him! "Che Wushang was far too good at running, and his men weren't slackers either—each ran faster than the last! "I pursued them all the way until our warhorses collapsed from exhaustion, yet we still hadn't caught up. Later, General Hong sent a messenger telling me to stop the pursuit, warning that Shan Chengjun and Lu Qianjiao were about to flank my rear. "That scared the life out of me. I pulled back as fast as I could. Despite taking every precaution, I still fell into Shan Chengjun's ambush along the way. That old bastard was far too skilled a fighter. In that battle against him, I lost over thirty percent of my iron-boned men. It broke my heart! "To this day, whenever I think of that matter, I still resent Che Wushang. That kid has skin as thick as a wall, and he still frequently pulls carts in Yaowanggou. The moment I lay eyes on him, I feel miserable. How on earth did he pull off that feigned retreat so flawlessly? How could I have fallen for his trick!" "Old Yao, you've misunderstood Brother Che. That might not have been a feigned retreat at all." Li Banfeng felt a surge of longing. If he could raise tens of thousands of iron-boned men in Puluo Province, they might truly hold their ground against the Inner States in the future. "Old Yao, are iron-boned men found only in the Suihuang Plains?" Old Yao shook his head. "Not necessarily. You can find iron-boned men in other places too, but they're exceedingly rare—you might not find a single one with that bloodline breed among ten thousand people. "Yet here in the Suihuang Plains, they're easy to find. You can dig one up out of every few dozen men." "What are the traits of an iron-boned man?" Old Yao took a sip of liquor and pondered for a long while. "I can't clearly explain what traits they have, but I can recognize them on sight. According to the marshal, I carry this bloodline breed myself, so I was born with the ability to spot who is an iron-boned man." Li Banfeng hurried to pour more wine for Old Yao. "Then let's find them right away! Gather several thousand, even ten thousand, and train them into a grand army!" Old Yao waved his hands repeatedly. "Gathering too many is useless. Iron-boned men are hard to train. Didn't I just tell you? Their courage is a bloodline breed, not a moral character. There are cowards among iron-boned men. "If all five hundred iron-boned men are true braves, they can sweep across any battlefield. But if just three or five cowards appear among them, the entire force collapses instantly into a rout, performing worse than ordinary soldiers." Li Banfeng was surprised. "Even three to five cowards out of five hundred isn't acceptable?" "Not at all!" Speaking of this, Old Yao grew somewhat anxious. "I took a walk around the Suihuang Plains and encountered plenty of iron-boned men, but eight out of ten are cowards. Turning them into Valiant Cavalry will take tremendous effort." The territory of the Suihuang Plains was simply too vital. Li Banfeng resolved that if Old Yao truly failed to train them into Valiant Cavalry, he would bring his wife out to train the troops. Speaking of important territories, it was not just the Suihuang Plains. Yaowanggou was equally critical, and there was Bitter Mist Mountain as well. "Old Yao, now that you've come to the Suihuang Plains, who is guarding Yaowanggou? Is Old Xu still there?" "Old Xu had other matters to attend to and left first. Qiao Wuzui is guarding it now." Li Banfeng had heard the name Qiao Wuzui, but knew very little about the man. "What kind of person is he?" "I knew Qiao Wuzui when we were young. We shared the same cultivation path and our personalities meshed remarkably well, so we were good friends. "However, our backgrounds differed. I came from the military ranks, while he hailed from the underworld of rivers and lakes. Later, when the war broke out, he followed the peddler and I followed the marshal. Each serving our own master, our friendship fell apart. "Among those around the peddler, he counts as quite loyal. With him were Smiling Ghost King Gui Jianchou, Three Bowls of Pipe Smoke Ye Jianhuang, and Hundred Flowers Painter Mu Yuejuan. Mu Yuejuan in particular held immense admiration for the peddler; to get him to look upon her with favor, she changed her temperament significantly. Even though these people once did things to wrong the peddler, I believe that page can eventually be turned." Li Banfeng was eager to learn about that past. "What did they do to wrong the peddler?" Old Yao sighed. "They joined forces with Shan Chengjun and Shu Wanjuan to destroy the City of Fools." Li Banfeng's brow twitched. This was a crucial piece of information. "Why did they destroy the City of Fools?" Old Yao remained silent for a long time before shaking his head slightly. "I can't say for sure. I don't know much about the City of Fools. Not just me—even our marshal knew very little about it. "Back then, rumors spread that our marshal had dealings with the City of Fools. That was pure nonsense. Yet it was precisely that rumor that gave Shu Wanjuan and Shan Chengjun an excuse. They gathered a band of people and wiped out the City of Fools. "At the time, the peddler was occupied with dealing with the Inner States. By the time he received word, he was so enraged that he nearly killed Shu Wanjuan and Shan Chengjun. "Shu Wanjuan and Shan Chengjun fled with their followers, and the Sage seized the opportunity to let the Inner States' forces in. The peddler went to hold off the Inner States and handed the army over to Old Train. "Old Train was originally a master at commanding troops, but he suddenly went mad and fought abominably. Bitter Crone took over the army, and her methods were even more absurd. "She turned the army into Bitter Greens Manor, forcing everyone from top to bottom to suffer hardships alongside her. Who would still be willing to fight for her? "Their internal strife was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our marshal. We won battle after battle. "Just as total victory was within our grasp, who could have predicted that the peddler would summon Lu Qianjiao and the Heavenly Maiden? "Lu Qianjiao's archers were formidable, but that was secondary. The Heavenly Maiden's finesse was on another level entirely. Through some unknown means, she rallied all those people back together—even Shu Wanjuan and Shan Chengjun returned. "From then on, the war became brutal. Add to that the Sage pulling underhanded tricks from time to time, and the situation on the battlefield took a sudden turn for the worse. As for the rest, I've told you before, and I don't care to bring it up again." Li Banfeng was keen to know more about the Heavenly Maiden. Old Yao reminisced for a long while. "I don't know much about her either. But she is an old acquaintance of the peddler. Exactly when they met and how deep their connection ran, nobody knows." Li Banfeng was even more curious about the City of Fools, but his wife had never mentioned this chapter of the past, and the reasons for the city's destruction differed from what she had told him. "Old Yao, did your marshal truly have no dealings with the City of Fools?" Yao Xin downed a large bowl of wine and sighed. "Didn't I tell you? It was all nonsense. Our marshal might have known the daughter of the Lord of the City of Fools, but what did that amount to? "Back then, when our General Hong swept across the battlefield invincible, even though the two armies were at war, the peddler still awarded her the silver coin of the Travel Cultivator Champion. Could that be considered General Hong colluding with the enemy? "Yet certain treacherous scoundrels seized upon that very fact, submitting memorials to the court accusing General Hong of treason! Those bastards all deserve to be slaughtered! "Then again, given what General Hong did to the marshal afterward, she was a bastard too!" To be frank, the peddler conferring the title of Champion upon Hong Ying while they were at war was an act ordinary people could hardly fathom. Yet Old Yao saw nothing wrong with it. "What's so odd about that? Plenty of people in our army were named Champions by the peddler. "Back then, I was quite anxious, wondering when he would bestow a Champion title upon me so I could brag about it for the rest of my life!" Li Banfeng was still trying to grasp the peddler's mindset, but Old Yao had long understood it. "War is war, and cultivation paths are cultivation paths. The peddler has always viewed the two separately. "When all is said and done, didn't the initiation powder for all us cultivators originate from the peddler's hands?" Li Banfeng looked at Old Yao, astonished. "Your powder came from the peddler as well?" Old Yao nodded. "The years when the peddler was selling powder predate all of this by far. The war came much later. Once the war ended, quite a few old brothers from the army went over to follow the peddler as well." As they spoke, Old Yao grew drowsy. "There are things I don't know much about, but that wicked scoundrel Pan Dehai knows considerably more. You could go ask him. "Though I doubt that wicked scoundrel would dare speak. There's no benefit in it for him, and saying too much risks offending people." Old Yao yawned, finished another cup of wine, and lay down on the bed to sleep. Li Banfeng left Huangtu Town by carriage. When they reached the town gate, Old Liu pulled out a few banknotes and stuffed them toward the old man in charge of the horses at the inn. The old man refused them. "Put that away properly! I don't need your damn pity." Old Liu snapped, "You stubborn bastard, the inn is gone and your job's gone with it! What are you going to eat from now on?" Li Banfeng said, "Don't worry. I gave money to the innkeeper so he can reopen the business. When the time comes, go back to him for work and tell him I sent you." The old man said nothing. He felt deeply grateful to Li Banfeng, yet couldn't bring himself to say it aloud. Old Liu was in high spirits. Along the way, he asked Li Banfeng, "Who is that innkeeper to you? Why did you give him money?" Li Banfeng smiled. "I took quite a few of his tables and chairs. I couldn't just take them for nothing." "How much could those wooden things possibly be worth?" Old Liu drove the carriage all the way to the border of the Suihuang Plains. "Just wait around here. Tomorrow morning, someone will come to open the Boundary. As long as you have a travel permit, you'll be able to pass through." Li Banfeng found it troublesome. "Take me straight to the newland. I'll leave through the newland." "That's asking for pure misery! How many folks have tried walking out through the newland, only to wander for years and end up right back where they started? The newland here is terribly difficult to traverse—not only are there monsters everywhere, you can't find a path. Listen to me: just wait here." Old Liu drove off in his carriage. Li Banfeng returned to the companion dwelling to spend the night. He diligently practiced the technique of Joining Bridal Chambers, while also not neglecting to hone his other skills. Even the gramophone sounded gratified: "Precious husband, now that you've become a Champion, your spirit truly is different." Hong Ying was unwilling to be outdone: "Seventh Brother, you should practice your Travel Cultivation properly too! I have a silver coin as well. If you train well, I'll give the Travel Cultivator Champion title to you!" Li Banfeng chuckled. "I'm running east and west every single day. Have I been slacking on Travel Cultivation?" The gramophone inquired about the details of the battle in the Suihuang Plains. Li Banfeng gave a rough account and relayed Old Yao's situation to his wife. At first, his wife felt lingering dread, but upon hearing that Old Yao had arrived, she was considerably reassured. "Yao Xin can bring out the Suihuang Iron Cavalry. I believe he possesses that ability." Hong Ying snorted. "I have that ability too! If you don't believe me, let me go and try!" The gramophone scolded her gently, "You must compete over everything. Focus on restoring your physical body properly, lest you prove useless on the day you go outside." Hong Ying fumed, "Who says I'm useless? If I go out right now, I can still fight!" Ninth Miss sensed a deeper implication: "General Zhao, it seems war is upon us." The gramophone puffed out steam. "It began long ago. With the peddler driven to such lengths, I fear this war will be fought even more fiercely than the one back then." Li Banfeng raised a crucial question: "Precious wife, what is the Dragon Princess's origin?" The gramophone chuckled. "Didn't this humble servant tell you? My surname is also Long." "The Dragon Princess is also you, my wife?" Li Banfeng was startled. "Why create two identities?" "Indeed, why create two identities?" The gramophone sighed. "This humble servant must have had her difficulties. Once this servant remembers, I will tell husband bit by bit." The next morning, Li Banfeng waited beside the border line until nine o'clock, when officials from the Boundary Office arrived. Li Banfeng had not brought a travel permit; he simply presented his Dark Star Bureau credentials. Naturally, the name Li Seven was well known. The Boundary Vice Envoy immediately granted clearance and escorted Li Banfeng all the way to the train station. This territory was called Tiewangang. Li Banfeng still remembered that an expert Food Cultivator named Lady Wangyou resided here. Back then, Pan Dehai had wanted Lady Wangyou to accept Qin Little Fat as a disciple, but Lady Wangyou refused, disliking Little Fat for being overly pedantic. He would have to pay a visit to this expert another day, but there was no time now. Li Banfeng had to hurry back to Green Water City; the matter of the newland's local deities had not yet been fully settled. Taking the train to Green Water City, Li Banfeng first went looking for Chu Er. In some matters, turning to the newspaper was useless; having Chu Er contact Chu Shaoqiang would resolve the issue far more quickly. "Seventh Brother, did you retrieve all the covenant deeds?" Chu Er's eyes sparkled, fixed unblinkingly on Li Banfeng, reluctant to look away. Li Banfeng nodded. "Tell them the revenge for those twelve local deities has been taken as well. The peddler and I took it together. The culprits were Chuiduanfa and Wankaishan." Chu Er thought carefully. "Chuiduanfa... 'Blowing on hair to sever it'... That sounds like a prominent figure among Blade Cultivators." Li Banfeng said, "He was the Blade Patriarch. Your father should recognize the name. Have him spread the word across the newland." Chu Er nodded and hurried off to find her father. Chu Shaoqiang would certainly disseminate the news, but relying solely on his word carried limited credibility. Li Banfeng found the Rhyme Cultivator, Gu Wuyan, and explained the situation. Gu Wuyan was skeptical. "Master Seven, I know both Chuiduanfa and Wankaishan. They defected to the Inner States long ago. Would they dare run back here to do such a thing?" Li Banfeng said, "If they didn't claim territory for the Sage, why would the Sage grant them official posts and noble ranks?" "Still, if they dared return, the peddler certainly wouldn't spare them!" "Indeed, he didn't spare them!" Li Banfeng produced the two severed heads. "See for yourself!" Upon seeing the two heads, Gu Wuyan's mouth fell open, unable to close for a long time. "Th-Th-They were just killed like that?" Li Banfeng wore a solemn expression, his tone firm. "Twelve local deities could not die in vain. That vengeance had to be exacted!" "Th-Then what about He Jiaqing and Bitter Crone?" "They had other difficulties. In time, an explanation will be given." Li Banfeng did not elaborate on the matter. The peddler had agreed to let He Jiaqing go, so Li Banfeng could not let He Jiaqing take the blame. "Never mind them for now—the vengeance has been exacted after all! I knew there was still justice in Puluo Province!" Gu Wuyan examined the two heads closely. This was vengeance extracted personally by the peddler and Master Seven; even if doubts lingered in his mind, he had to set them aside for now. "It's not enough that you know. You must sing this abroad so all the surrounding territories know the vengeance has been taken and the covenant deeds have all been recovered!" "Understood!" Gu Wuyan went back to fetch paper and brush. Li Banfeng did not understand. "What are you getting those for?" "I need to write the lyrics." Gu Wuyan intended to write down the entire event, stroke by stroke. Li Banfeng frowned. "That's uncalled for. Clappertales are composed and sung on the spot." "Out of the question!" Gu Wuyan shook his head. "How could an event of this magnitude be sung as a mere clappertale? This calls for allegro storytelling! By the way, where did my bamboo clappers go?" Only then did Li Banfeng realize that clappertales and allegro storytelling were two distinct arts. Returning to Xiaoyaowu, Li Banfeng went looking for Zhong'er. Zhong'er had come here to seek medical treatment, but given the peddler's current state, who knew when he would have time to attend to him. Li Banfeng had intended to chat with Zhong'er and urge him to wait patiently for a few days, but discovered he was not there. Upon inquiring, he learned that Zhong'er had gone with Lightbulb to find Lian Buda. What were they looking for him for? Lian Buda knew nothing of the healing arts. Li Banfeng went to Lian Buda's residence and found Zhong'er sitting in the courtyard alongside Lightbulb, beads of sweat pouring incessantly down his body. "What are you doing?" Li Banfeng asked Zhong'er. Zhong'er lowered his voice. "I've entered a new cultivation path." He wanted to dual-cultivate? Li Banfeng shook his head. "You're already injured like this, yet you're entering a new path? Wouldn't it be better to wait until your wounds heal and then study martial arts with both feet firmly on the ground?" Lian Buda emerged from the house. "Did you ask him if he even wants to study martial arts?" Li Banfeng looked at Lian Buda, then asked Zhong'er, "When you joined the Dark Star Bureau, didn't you choose to be a Brawler yourself?" Zhong'er raised his head, his gaze turning profound and serene. "As a man of ambition and ideals, what I truly wanted to choose back then was Joy Cultivation. But the Dark Star Bureau didn't offer that profession, so I..." "So you ran here to enter Joy Cultivation?" Zhong'er shook his head. "No, I entered Oil Cultivation. Master said that once I master Oil Cultivator techniques, my path in Joy Cultivation will yield twice the results with half the effort." Professor Balloon had once noted that when people arrived in Puluo Province, their temperaments would undergo changes, with most becoming more extreme. Had Zhong'er become extreme? Or was this his true nature all along? "If you enter Joy Cultivation, how will you face Mijian?" Zhong'er replied placidly, "I will make her happy. There are devoted, single-minded Joy Cultivators in this world." Truth be told, that was not entirely false—Qiu Zhiheng was an example. Yet now that he was dual-cultivating Martial and Oil paths, Joy Cultivation had essentially bid farewell to Zhong'er. Moreover, Zhong'er had taken up Oil Cultivation while at the third tier of Martial Cultivation. Was he not afraid of facing backlash? Lian Buda seemed completely confident and admired Zhong'er greatly. "This disciple of mine has limitless prospects." Li Banfeng smiled. "Brother, did you come to my place just to poach my people?" Lian Buda shook his head. "I found him an additional path—how can you call that poaching? This boy is honest by nature, yet deficient in the element of oil. He's a perfect fit for my path." Li Banfeng chuckled dismissively. Lian Buda grew serious. "You don't believe me? Minghui, walk a few steps to show him." Zhong'er rose to his feet and walked step by step toward Li Banfeng. Though he did not walk fast, he was no longer limping! Li Banfeng stared in astonished disbelief for a long while before Lian Buda chuckled. "Impressed?" "Impressed!" Li Banfeng nodded. "Brother, could you tell me the secret behind this?" "Certainly not!" Lian Buda tossed his large face. "This is a secret of my path. You aren't one of our practitioners, so why should I tell you?" Li Banfeng lowered his voice. "I ran into the peddler over the past two days and learned quite a few secrets. Do you want to hear them?" Lian Buda snorted. "What secrets could there be that I don't know? I don't care to hear them!" "Very well. Zhong'er, practice diligently. I'll take my leave." As Li Banfeng headed for the door, Lian Buda came hurrying after him. "How about we exchange a few secrets?"