On Sage Peak, the once-grand residence of the Sage had been converted into a temple. Wan Jinxian sat upright at its center, scrutinizing every daolao ghost that arrived to offer worship.
The daolao ghosts circled Wan Jinxian, performing an ancient, primitive dance. Their movements were monotonous yet remarkably orderly, each step, posture, and gesture conveyed with striking clarity.
Critic danced with absolute devotion in their ranks, while Li Banfeng merely followed along, walking in circles with the crowd.
"Aren't you going to dance with us?" Critic was constantly worried Li Banfeng might be exposed. He spoke at a substantial volume but in a very low pitch—exploiting a weakness of the daolao ghosts, whose hearing was insensitive to low frequencies.
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I don't know the moves. Dancing wrong makes it even easier to get caught. Who came up with this dance anyway?"
"I did," Critic said with a hint of pride.
"Are you a dance enthusiast?" Li Banfeng couldn't see the point.
Critic explained, "It's to establish faith. Controlling this many daolao ghosts is an exceedingly complex undertaking. I have to build not only a survival system for them, but a belief system as well. What they believe in is the Ancestor of Disease Cultivators and the Daolao God of War. It's an essential tool for maintaining their cohesion and obedience."
Li Banfeng still didn't get it. "Does establishing faith require dancing?"
"Hoo-gu-ga!" Critic shouted in unison with all the daolao ghosts—an invocation praising the Daolao God of War.
Keeping up the dance's rhythm and power, Critic earnestly explained, "In modern belief systems, written mediums like doctrines and creeds are more readily accepted, because people can ponder and comprehend things through words. But the daolao ghosts have poor cognitive abilities when it comes to written script. Modern faith doesn't suit them; what suits them is a primitive belief system. Dance is the most common form of expression in primitive faiths. First, dance is the most intuitive body language—the stories of the Ancestor of Disease Cultivators and the deeds of the Daolao God of War can be expressed vividly and intuitively through it. Moreover, dance possesses intense infectious power. In a collective dance, everyone's emotions influence one another, creating an atmosphere of a sacred moment and producing spiritual resonance, further solidifying and deepening the ideas of faith."
Li Banfeng looked at Critic. "So, have you found an opportunity to ambush Wan Jinxian?"
"Not yet," Critic shook his head slightly. "During the sacrificial rite is not a good time to strike."
"Then why did you insist on coming to the temple at this specific time?"
Critic said, "According to the rules I established before, a sacrificial rite shouldn't be held at this hour. Wan Jinxian changed the rules; the rites are noticeably more frequent than before. I suspect that aside from farming, eating, and sleeping, the daolao ghosts spend all their time holding rituals now. On top of that, their physical constitutions have undergone an evolution—their resistance to pathogen foci is increasing. I still need some time before I can knock them down."
Li Banfeng grew deeply concerned. "If not even your pathogen foci can bring them down, how will you control them in the future?"
Critic disagreed. "Whether in the Inner States or the Outer States, the actual rulers are never the best fighters. That is the reasonable norm. Puluo Province is purely an exception. The peddler's existence has given you a warped perception, and you've been influenced too deeply by Puluo Province."
Li Banfeng looked at the surrounding daolao ghosts—their bloated bodies, sharp claws and teeth, and their seemingly boundless numbers stretching beyond sight.
"Do you plan to rely on faith forever to maintain control over Daogui Ridge?"
Critic was brimming with confidence. "Do not underestimate the power of faith. I've conducted very thorough research on this. Take these dance movements, for example. Every action symbolizes a sign, and every sign carries a specific meaning."
Critic even provided a specialized explanation of the movements:
The daolao ghosts spread their arms flat.
"This symbolizes the light brought by the Daolao God of War."
The daolao ghosts raised their hands high.
"This symbolizes the revelation brought by the Daolao God of War."
The daolao ghosts held their heads in both hands.
"This symbolizes the wisdom brought by the Daolao God of War."
The daolao ghosts twisted off their own heads.
Critic pursed his lips. "This is... a new move."
Li Banfeng remained calm. He had nothing to worry about; a fourth-tier above-the-clouds Dwelling Cultivator didn't need to fear being easily spotted.
Critic, however, was in serious trouble.
He could blend seamlessly among the daolao ghosts, but he lacked the ability to take off his own head.
Wan Jinxian's gaze locked onto Critic.
All the daolao ghosts twisted their wrists, aiming the heads in their hands straight at Critic.
Critic looked at Li Banfeng and asked in a low voice, "What do we do now?"
"Run." Li Banfeng scooped up Critic and bolted straight out of the temple with the Unimpeded Passage technique.
"Ku-ga!" Wan Jinxian bellowed, and daolao ghosts across the mountain rushed to intercept Critic. Li Banfeng rushed all the way down the mountain to the cave where Critic had been hiding, while the roars atop Sage Peak still had not died down.
Critic looked toward Sage Peak. "I was reckless this time. Wan Jinxian will tighten security. In the short term, ambushing him again will be extremely difficult—"
Critic suddenly looked down and noticed a tiny thing about to crawl out of the cave.
Li Banfeng had spotted it long ago. He pinned it underfoot, picked it up, and looked: it was a lump of flesh.
Judging by its texture, there was no blood, only a swelling mass of pus. It clearly came from a daolao ghost.
Critic took the flesh, sniffed it, and said, "This should be Wan Jinxian's flesh. If it followed us here, he's very likely locked onto our location."
As he spoke, Critic began packing his things, preparing to flee.
Li Banfeng was still examining the lump of flesh. It was trying to escape, yet also poised for a fight; though slightly frantic in its struggles, its movements were quite nimble.
"What's the reason for this?" Li Banfeng looked at Critic. "Why can a Disease Cultivator control a severed piece of his own flesh with such agility?"
Critic stared at the flesh. "I've been thinking about that question as well. But before we reach a conclusion, I suggest we destroy it first. Even if my senior brother has discovered us, we should avoid letting him find us so quickly."
Li Banfeng looked at Critic. "Have you tried the powder Zhang Wanlong gave you? Could that powder cause the same kind of transformation in you?"
"From a standpoint of scientific inquiry, I do have the courage to contemplate it. But personally putting it into practice would still be difficult for me. After all, there are insurmountable hurdles here. I am already a cultivator above the clouds in the path of Disease Cultivation. If I choose to cross-cultivate Martial Cultivation now, what kind of price would I pay?"
As they spoke, roars echoed outside the cave. The daolao ghosts under Critic were sounding an alarm—the ghosts under Wan Jinxian had attacked.
Critic urged, "We can debate scientific questions later. Let's find a way to evade this battle first."
"Why run? Can't you take care of them with Not a Blade of Grass Remains or Corpses Strewn Everywhere?" Li Banfeng had great confidence in Critic.
"Did those words really come out of your mouth?" Critic looked at Li Banfeng with profound disappointment. "Together, we observed, witnessed, analyzed, and researched, arriving at today's results only after a series of daring experiments. Once we obtained those results, you flung your hands up and walked away, never shouldering the responsibility of taking care of them. And now you actually tell me to treat them with such ruthless methods? If I use Corpses Strewn Everywhere, what will be left of us? If I use Not a Blade of Grass Remains, the entire hope of Daogui Ridge will be utterly severed! Do you truly have the heart for that?"
Li Banfeng blinked. "Put that way, I really do feel a bit reluctant. You stay here and fight them; I'll go kill Wan Jinxian."
Critic shook his head. "Killing Wan Jinxian requires a better opportunity."
Li Banfeng pulled down the brim of his hat. "I think right now is plenty good. Will Wan Jinxian command the battle in person?"
"Generally not," Critic replied with experience. "Most of the time, he stays in the temple to deploy his forces. Daolao ghosts think differently from humans. I don't know how much human intellect he still has left, but he retains his disposition toward lurking behind the scenes."
Li Banfeng said, "Hold out here a bit longer. I'll head to the temple now. If I'm not back in an hour..."
Critic nodded with a heavy expression. "I will remember you forever, my friend."
Li Banfeng glared at Critic. "What good is just remembering me? If I don't come back, you have to go into that temple and rescue me!"
Li Banfeng was already familiar with Sage Peak; he had been trapped here for a long time by the Mountain upon Mountain technique. With Critic having guided him once before, he made his way into the temple without incident.
Chaos reigned on the mountain, and chaos reigned inside the temple. All the daolao ghosts were in a state of high excitement. They knew an enemy had slipped in earlier, but they felt no remorse for their lax vigilance; instead, they rubbed their fists and palms in anticipation of the upcoming battle. Some shoved one another, some roared and howled, and several clustered together rolling dice to test their luck for tonight.
Li Banfeng ignored all the daolao ghosts and walked straight up to Wan Jinxian.
There was only one thing he needed to verify: how to kill Wan Jinxian.
To Critic and most cultivators, Wan Jinxian was a formidable opponent, but to Li Banfeng, Wan Jinxian had no ability to fight back whatsoever.
His speed lagged far behind Li Banfeng's, and the claws and fangs on his body posed zero threat.
His pathogen foci were his greatest weapon, but infecting Li Banfeng was extraordinarily difficult. Even if Li Banfeng were accidentally infected, he was confident he could resolve it using the Sit Back and Relax technique. And even if he couldn't clear it completely, Critic was there to help cure him.
Wan Jinxian's sole capital was his physique. Currently, the only method Li Banfeng could conceive of to kill him was to have the liquor gourd burn him with fire.
Yet could the gourd's fire truly consume him?
Seated upon the altar, Wan Jinxian felt a faint unease.
When Critic fled, Wan Jinxian had noticed another figure beside him, but the person moved too swiftly for him to make out any features.
Who was that? What was his background? Why had he meddled in the affairs of Daogui Ridge?
To this day, Wan Jinxian retained his habit of thinking one step ahead whenever something arose.
What he never expected was that Li Banfeng was standing right beside him.
Li Banfeng raised an eyebrow, and Wan Jinxian's four limbs fell to the ground.
He hadn't used the liquor gourd; he had used Five Horses Partition the House.
The technique didn't seem to work against Wan Jinxian. The limbs that dropped to the ground swiftly returned to his torso, taking only seconds to reconnect and heal. Wan Jinxian quickly restored his original form, yet he still could not find where the enemy was. He stood up, hopped a few steps, and discovered he couldn't keep his balance.
His right leg hadn't healed properly—the thigh, calf, and toes had all been severed separately.
The thigh could mend, the calf could mend, but two toes remained motionless.
Li Banfeng smiled. Mathematically speaking, Wan Jinxian could not be divided infinitely.
That made things much simpler. Li Banfeng slowly revealed his form, a halo of light rippling beneath his feet.
Wan Jinxian roared and led a swarm of daolao ghosts charging at Li Banfeng, shrieks and growls echoing endlessly through the temple.
Critic held out in the cave for an hour. Fewer and fewer daolao ghosts came to attack the cave, and Critic realized the center of the battlefield had shifted.
Leaving a few confidants to continue directing the battle in the cave, he manipulated his pathogen foci to alter his appearance, then climbed Sage Peak.
On the mountain slope, he encountered hordes of agitated daolao ghosts preparing to fight in defense of the temple. But when he neared the temple, he found the daolao ghosts performing a dance.
They raised their hands high, bowed forward, and threw their heads back—a celebration of victory.
Did Wan Jinxian win?
Where was Li Qi?
Critic stepped cautiously into the temple, only to find Li Qi standing quietly at its center.
At his feet lay minced bits of flesh and blood, motionless, belonging to Wan Jinxian.
"Hoo-gu-ga!"
Circling Li Banfeng, the daolao ghosts let out a unified roar, offering their cheers to the new god.
What on earth happened?
Critic wasn't curious about how Li Qi had defeated Wan Jinxian—that was Li Qi's forte to begin with. What baffled him was why these daolao ghosts had undergone such a drastic turnaround.
Li Banfeng signaled Critic not to come closer. In an extremely low pitch, he said, "Their emotions are unstable. Wait outside the temple for a bit, and come back in when the timing is right."
Critic walked out of the temple. Masses of daolao ghosts were still flooding inside. They had arrived with ferocious battle intent, yet once inside, all Critic heard were waves of chanting rising higher and higher.
"Hoo-gu-ga! Hoo-gu-ga!"
That chant belonged exclusively to the Daolao God of War. Had they now accepted Li Qi as their God of War?
Then what about everything done before?
The stories, legends, dances, and totems he had created—did none of them count anymore?
Did daolao ghosts only worship the strong?
"Treating Li Qi as the new god isn't a bad thing either. After all, he and I were the ones who modified these creatures together," Critic consoled himself, yet he still felt a lingering dissatisfaction.
"How much did I sacrifice for them? How much did Li Qi contribute? After that first modification, Li Qi never once looked after them!"
No, daolao ghosts shouldn't merely worship the strong. The Green Water Bow was immensely powerful, yet it never earned their faith.
There had to be other factors at play, though it was currently unclear whether those factors stemmed from Li Qi or the daolao ghosts themselves.
Li Banfeng was pondering the same question.
After he killed Wan Jinxian, the daolao ghosts had fallen into a brief frenzy of rage. Li Banfeng thought he was in for a bitter battle, but before long, the fighting ended, and the excited ghosts gathered around him to begin their sacrificial ritual.
What the exact reason was, Li Banfeng didn't know either. At this moment, it was hard for him to concentrate on thinking; a wondrous sensation was crashing against his thoughts again and again.
It felt as if he were wearing the local spirit seal atop his head, human qi surging through his veins.
The quantity of human qi wasn't vast, but every fluctuation of it was exceptionally distinct.
As the human qi surged inward, Li Banfeng sensed the changes in his own body, which reminded him of Pan Dehai's description of where human qi originated.
The quantity of human qi depended not only on the number of people, but on an essential factor called sincerity.
Eating, drinking, defecating, and urinating were sincere.
Falling in love and courting was sincere.
Gratitude toward Lord Seven was sincere.
And reverence toward "Hoo-gu-ga" was equally sincere.
Every single roar of the daolao ghosts was profoundly genuine, so genuine that Li Banfeng could directly perceive the purity of the human qi.
Such high-purity human qi seemed capable of being harnessed directly, allowing Li Banfeng to feel his cultivation growing in real time. It was truly advancing.
Calming his mind to perceive further, Li Banfeng detected something amid the shouts, positioned right behind him.
Choo-shhh! Choo-shhh!
Steam puffed in a rhythmic cadence. The sensation was so familiar—it was the companion dwelling. Outside the dwelling, Li Banfeng could sense the companion dwelling itself, and turning his head, he could even see the silhouette of the locomotive.
He sliced his fingertip and let drops of blood fall to the ground.
The companion dwelling had fallen into slumber and could not adapt or transform right now. Under these conditions, to what degree could he control the Close the Doors and Bar the Gates technique?
He tapped the ground lightly with the tip of his foot, and a halo of light rippled outward.
Very bright, very slow.
The halo passed through a cluster of daolao ghosts. They stared curiously at the light beneath their feet, some unable to resist bending down to touch it.
The halo was hot, hot enough that they pulled back their hands, yet still within tolerable limits.
A little slower, a little gentler.
Layer after layer, the halo rippled outward. The daolao ghosts suffered no harm; regarding the light as a divine miracle, their roaring chants climbed to new heights.
The light source spread to the edges of the temple, freezing in place against the walls. Not a single daolao ghost was harmed by the halo.
It was controllable!
Li Banfeng meticulously controlled the boundary. He had achieved mastery over the Dwelling Cultivator boundary, yet he could hardly believe it was real.
A Dwelling Cultivator's boundary didn't have to harm people, provided one's control was precise enough.
The process of control was exceedingly complex: he had to reflect continuously on the source of the power, which lay in the companion dwelling. He had to visualize the silhouette of the companion dwelling repeatedly in his mind, including the details of every single carriage.
As the halo pulsed back and forth, the fanatical daolao ghosts gradually settled down.
Li Banfeng slowly withdrew the halo and walked out of the temple. The daolao ghosts stood motionless where they were, watching him leave.
From their perspective, they couldn't see Li Banfeng's appearance, but that didn't diminish their reverence for him in the slightest.
Critic was still waiting outside the temple. Seeing Li Banfeng walk out unharmed, he hurried forward and asked, "How on earth did you do it? Why were you able to replace Wan Jinxian as the Daolao God of War?"
Li Banfeng couldn't answer the question for now; there were many details he hadn't figured out either.
Walking along the mountain path, Li Banfeng shivered twice in succession as an important matter crossed his mind.
"Where is Lühuazi?"
Critic blinked. "Don't tell me you want to replace the Ancestor of Disease Cultivators too?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I can't replace the Ancestor of Disease Cultivators. The only one who can replace him is you. You need to replace him as soon as possible; once he revives, things won't be so easy to handle."
Critic considered it. "He shouldn't revive. I'm certain he wasn't tainted by Zhang Wanlong's powder."
Li Banfeng stopped walking. "This has nothing to do with Zhang Wanlong's powder. Wan Jinxian managed to break through your pathogen foci not because he obtained the powder, but because his cultivation underwent a transformation."
Critic found this unbelievable. "He lived like a clay statue. I never gave him much opportunity to cultivate."
Li Banfeng didn't agree. "He was cultivating all along, nourished by human qi. Before coming to Daogui Ridge, he was a surface cultivator who couldn't absorb human qi. After turning into a daolao ghost and undergoing a period of transformation, he gained the ability to absorb human qi. Once his cultivation rose to a certain level, he broke through your pathogen foci. But Lühuazi's situation is different. He was already a cultivator above the clouds. During this time, he has been continuously nourished by human qi. His strength may have reached an unfathomable realm by now. If we can't control him, the disaster he brings will be far more terrifying than Wan Jinxian."
Critic pondered for a long time. He was a clever man, quick to grasp certain points. "The human qi you speak of comes from the daolao ghosts."
Li Banfeng nodded. "That was an opportunity you created for them. You fashioned both of them into deities, leading them to absorb vast quantities of sincerely offered human qi."
Critic sorted through his memories. "I also fashioned myself as the messenger of the deities, and many daolao ghosts are fiercely loyal to me."
Li Banfeng said, "Which is why your cultivation has also grown extraordinarily fast."
With the pieces falling into place, Critic had to adjust his forthcoming strategy.
The two walked all the way to the foot of the mountain, where Critic said to Li Banfeng, "If I were left to grope in the dark and summarize on my own, arriving at the answers you gave me would have been exceedingly difficult. Have you done deep research into Disease Cultivators and daolao ghosts as well?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I hadn't researched it before, but from now on, I ought to look into it seriously."
Critic smiled. "You didn't have to share your conclusions with me at all. You must know how precious this insight is to me."
"Telling you the truth was purely out of our friendship."
Hearing Li Qi speak of friendship moved Critic deeply. "My friend, since you are so frank with me, I shouldn't hide anything from you either. I'll tell you where the Ancestor is hiding right now, and we can go see him together."
Trying to drag me down with you again.
Li Banfeng flatly refused. "You'd better go see him yourself. I trust this matter is still under your control."
Was it truly under control?
To be honest, Critic didn't have complete certainty, but right now he felt somewhat indebted to Li Qi.
"Is there anything you want to ask me? I will answer your questions candidly."
Li Banfeng thought for a moment and asked, "Is Zuo Anna really your sister?"
"Just that?" Critic shook his head. "Her surname is Zuo, and mine is Cui. We're obviously not blood siblings."
Li Banfeng frowned. "Does that even count as being candid? How could your surname possibly be Cui?"
Critic shrugged. "I'm an Inner Amikan. You don't understand our customs and culture."
Li Qi left. Critic silently tallied up the accounts in his heart.
Wan Jinxian's matter was resolved, and the remuneration was already held in custody with Li Qi via the covenant deed.
Other matters would also require payment, and at no small cost.
Leaving Jianrengang, Li Banfeng returned to the companion dwelling. Pushing open the front door, he found the room in complete disarray.
The bed was overturned, the shelves had fallen, and books and newspapers were scattered all over the floor.
Li Banfeng could tell at a glance that the bed lying overturned on the floor did not belong to the main bedroom.
Standing by the bed, the gramophone let out a sigh. "Husband, this humble servant truly cannot understand. How were you able to cast a technique outside the dwelling?"
Li Banfeng carefully inspected the cluttered furnishings and exclaimed in surprise, "This is Room Six!"
The gramophone nodded. "Broadening the Bridal Chamber. Husband, you've mastered it."
Chapter 703