The five Luo sisters stood in the main courtyard of the new monarch's residence, staring at the "brand-new monarch" Li Banfeng had installed.
Luo Lijun first observed him for a brief while in her river-snail form. Worried that her vision as a snail wasn't sharp enough, she transformed into human shape and scrutinized him closely for a long time.
"Seventh Master, isn't this going too far?" Her voice trembled slightly.
Li Banfeng snapped back in fury, "Insolence! Who are you calling out of line? Pay your respects to His Majesty this instant!"
"No, but what about the one from before—"
"There is no before!" Li Banfeng frowned. "There is only this one sovereign. Any further talk is high treason!"
Luo Lijun looked toward her sisters.
Luo Yanjun remained silent. She knew arguing was pointless. It didn't matter who the new monarch was; he was whoever Li Qi declared him to be.
Luo Yujun chimed in with a reminder, "Elder Sister, we aren't the only ones who know the new sovereign. Lang Daoshou, Xie Baheng, and Shan Yuzhu have all seen that monarch before. Swapping him out just like this... isn't appropriate, is it?"
Luo Yanjun gave Luo Yujun a sideways glare. "Then what do you think would be appropriate?"
Luo Yujun pondered for a long time, then gritted her teeth. "How about we just silence them all?"
"Nonsense!" Luo Lijun roared, nearly lashing out with a slap.
Luo Yujun shrank back, not daring to make a sound, unsure of what she had said wrong.
Luo Yanjun sighed. "Look at what kind of situation the Luo family is in right now. How many trusted confidants do we even have? And you talk about silencing them just like that?"
Luo Lijun wanted to see what the other sisters thought. Luo Xiujun was nowhere to be seen, while Luo Shaojun stood beside Li Qi, rubbing her tentacles affectionately against him.
"Useless little hussy!" Luo Lijun kicked Shaojun, then turned to Yanjun. "Go find Xiujun!"
Xiujun had said earlier that she was heading to the latrine. A manor this large had several latrines, and Luo Yanjun searched along the way until she spotted an enormous river-snail shell in the rear garden.
Luo Xiujun had resumed her human form and was standing next to the shell, talking to someone.
"Sister, these pastries are so tasty. You should have some too."
"You go ahead and eat. I brought them specifically for you. Why didn't you tell me about such a huge thing?"
"Seventh Master forbade it. He usually doesn't let me come out at all. I heard you were here and missed you so much that I couldn't resist running out to see you."
Luo Xiujun pulled Xiaoshan into her embrace, hugging him tightly. Luo Yanjun had already been standing beside them for quite a while before Xiujun realized she was there.
"Yanjun, uh... when did you get here...?"
Luo Xiujun hurriedly hid Xiaoshan behind her back.
With a cold expression, Luo Yanjun said, "Didn't you say you went to the latrine? This spot is pretty far from the latrines, isn't it?"
Luo Xiujun stammered, "Well... after using the latrine, I felt a bit dizzy, so I just wanted to sit here for a moment."
Luo Yanjun looked at Xiaoshan behind Luo Xiujun. "Isn't this His Majesty?"
Luo Xiujun shook her head repeatedly. "How could this be His Majesty? His Majesty carries the bloodline of the three-headed people! This is just a kid from an ordinary family—he only has one head. You've got the wrong person!"
As she spoke, Luo Xiujun kept blocking Xiaoshan's face, terrified that Luo Yanjun would recognize him.
Luo Yanjun had already recognized him; she simply couldn't believe her eyes.
How could a three-headed person separate into a one-headed person? How was this achieved?
In the Great Shang, many members of the imperial family had attempted to alter the appearance of the three-headed people, and many had lost their lives in the process.
After looking closely, Luo Yanjun verified that this was indeed Xiaoshan. A living person was standing plain as day right before her eyes; she had no choice but to believe it.
"Xiaoshan, are Juanzi and Mengzi still alive?"
"They're alive," Xiaoshan replied cautiously from behind Luo Xiujun. "They don't dare come out either. Seventh Master won't let them."
Luo Yanjun walked around behind Luo Xiujun, squatted down on the ground, and asked in a soft, gentle voice, "Xiaoshan, tell Sister, how did you all separate?"
Xiaoshan kept his head lowered, gripping Luo Xiujun's arm tightly. "I don't know how we separated either."
Luo Yanjun's expression darkened, scaring Xiaoshan so much that he shrank back.
Luo Xiujun immediately shielded him. "Yanjun, don't give the child a hard time."
Luo Yanjun instantly put on a smile. "How could I ever bear to give Xiaoshan a hard time? I'm just asking how you separated because I'm truly happy for you from the bottom of my heart."
Clinging to Luo Xiujun, Xiaoshan kept his head bowed and murmured, "I really don't know. There was just a stretch of time when Seventh Master made us eat lots of food every single day. He sent over so many dishes and forced us to finish everything. All three of us had to eat, even when we couldn't take another bite.
"After a while, we grew fat—way, way fatter than before. Then one day, while I was sleeping, I felt an itch on my body, so I wanted to scratch it. In the past, the two hands were rarely under my control, so I barely ever got to scratch an itch.
"But that day, the scratching felt so wonderfully comfortable that it woke me up.
"When I woke up, I realized I was separated from Brother and Sister. We were all separated..." Xiaoshan's voice grew fainter and fainter, until he didn't dare say another word.
Luo Xiujun grew anxious. "Yanjun, my good sister, can you please stop questioning him?"
Luo Yanjun stood up. "All right, I won't ask anymore. Look how frightened you are. I was just curious, that's all."
Luo Xiujun cautioned her, "You must not tell anyone about this."
"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul."
"You gave your word, so keep it," Luo Xiujun said, holding Xiaoshan tight. "If Li Qi finds out about this, Xiaoshan's whole family is finished. What kind of person is Li Qi? He's the sort who kills without batting an eye!"
Luo Yanjun smiled. "We're sisters—can't you even trust me? Come along now; Eldest Sister wants you over there."
Luo Xiujun told Xiaoshan to hurry home, and then followed Luo Yanjun back to the main courtyard.
Luo Lijun paced in agitation. "A new monarch like this will never fool Qiao Yi. All of you, brainstorm ideas and see if there's any way to handle this."
Li Banfeng didn't appreciate that phrasing. "What do you mean 'fool'? This is the new monarch! When is Qiao Yi arriving?"
Hearing that question, Luo Lijun calmed down significantly. "He doesn't seem able to come anytime soon."
Li Banfeng asked, "Why can't he come? Didn't he say he was coming to have an audience with the sovereign?"
Before Luo Lijun could answer, Luo Yanjun stepped forward. "Brother Seven, something happened at the altar in Bo City. Qiao Yi was overwhelmed with grief and rage, and he's fallen bedridden."
Li Banfeng inquired with concern, "What happened to the altar?"
Luo Lijun hadn't wanted to bring it up, but Luo Yanjun had no intention of concealing it. Leaning close to Li Banfeng's ear, she whispered gently, "I heard that the altar in Bo City blew up. It won't be rebuilt within three years. That was the crucial site for creating newland. How could Qiao Yi not be heartbroken?"
Li Banfeng rubbed his ear; it tickled slightly. "Lord Qiao and I have quite a history. Pass a message to Lord Qiao for me: tell him to take good care of his health."
Still whispering right by Li Banfeng's ear, Luo Yanjun murmured, "Rest assured, Brother Seven, I'll be sure to pass it along."
Luo Shaojun felt something was off; Yanjun's lips were practically grazing Li Qi's ear. "Sister, is there anything you can't say out loud?"
Yanjun shook her head. "Adult matters aren't for children's ears. Brother Seven, you just told Qiao Yi to take care of his health, but my own body has been feeling a bit heavy lately too. Some day, I'll need to ask you to help adjust it."
Li Banfeng looked Luo Yanjun up and down. "You don't look heavy to me."
Luo Shaojun nudged Yanjun aside. "Brother Seven, don't look at her."
With a smile on her face, Luo Yanjun said, "My body wasn't heavy to begin with, but carrying that shell on my back makes it feel heavy. Even if I take the shell off, I can't put it too far away; wherever I go, I still have to bring it along. I wonder if there might be a way in the future to separate from that shell once and for all."
Luo Lijun stared at Luo Yanjun in utter shock.
The snail shell was the very lifeblood of the Luo family—how could they ever separate from it completely?
Yujun was puzzled as well, having no idea what Yanjun meant.
Xiujun broke out in a cold sweat, her clothes drenched through.
Fortunately, Luo Lijun had other concerns weighing on her mind and didn't probe into the matter for the time being. She divided the tasks among the sisters: Yanjun would continue gathering intelligence from Chaoge; Yujun and Xiujun would stay at the manor to teach the new monarch court etiquette; and Luo Lijun would take Luo Shaojun back to Boundless City to manage municipal affairs and recruit talented individuals.
Boundless City faced tremendous difficulties in its operation. Most of the time, it could not remain within the Luo family's fief.
No one could say for sure when Qiao Yi might strike at the Luo family, so Boundless City rarely lingered in one place for long.
Yet the city's constant wandering meant that its supplies and resources were erratic. The functioning of Boundless City relied heavily on Li Qi's support.
Li Qi was willing to keep sustaining Boundless City, but he also laid down a new rule: "Starting this month, Boundless City must abolish the bondservant system."
Luo Lijun was dumbfounded. "This was established by our ancestors—"
Li Banfeng pushed up the brim of his hat and looked at Luo Lijun. "I don't know your ancestors, nor do I care what they thought. I can't control other places, but from now on, there will be no more bondservants in Boundless City."
Luo Lijun wanted to argue further, but the matter had been settled by Li Banfeng and was beyond debate.
Luo Yanjun held Luo Lijun back. "Elder Sister, listen to Brother Seven. You can't go wrong."
Luo Lijun looked at Luo Yanjun, baffled as to why she would speak up for Li Qi on this issue.
Watching Li Qi's departing back, Luo Yanjun murmured under her breath, "Great changes are coming. This man is going to bring about massive change. Elder Sister, our Luo family must stick close to him and obey him in everything from now on.
"He won't just be Prince Pingyuan in the future. Down the line, countless people across the Great Shang will be counting on him—perhaps countless people across the Eleven Provinces and Three Thousand States will look to him."
***
Late at night, Li Banfeng entered the room, sat on the edge of the bed, and asked Xiaoshan, "Did you say everything?"
"I did," Xiaoshan nodded. "I said it all according to your instructions, Seventh Master."
"Did they notice any flaws?"
Xiaoshan puffed out his chest. "No flaws at all! When it comes to dealing with the elder sisters, I have my ways."
Li Banfeng praised him, "I knew you were capable."
Xiaoshan felt a bit embarrassed. "Sister Xiujun definitely didn't suspect anything, but I didn't expect Sister Yanjun to show up too. Sister Yanjun is far too clever. Even without any flaws, she can still guess a few things. A clever sister like that is really hard to handle."
Li Banfeng didn't mind. "It's fine if she guessed it. The more she guesses, the better."
As he spoke, Li Banfeng's legs began to tremble uncontrollably.
Xiaoshan looked at him. "Seventh Master, what's wrong?"
Li Banfeng stood up. "Nothing. I just want to go out for a walk."
His Dwelling Cultivator path had been at Cloud-4 for some time, while his Travel Cultivator path still remained at Cloud-3.
The gap between Cloud-3 and Cloud-4 was immense, and the backlash between his cultivation arts was becoming noticeable.
Should he advance his Travel Cultivator path to Cloud-4 as well?
Advancing was a good thing, but the critical issue was where he was going to get all that human presence.
***
Shu Wanjuan and Liu Bufei summoned the remaining twelve local spirits one by one. In the end, they only met seven of them; the other five had vanished without a trace.
Liu Bufei was terrified and at a complete loss. "Marquis, I followed Lord Qiao's instructions to the letter! Ever since arriving in Puluo Province, every single move we made has been cautious. If Lord Qiao assigns blame, you must speak a fair word on our behalf!"
Shu Wanjuan gave a barely perceptible nod.
Speak a fair word? Speak with what? These thirteen local spirits had been meticulously selected by Qiao Yi, and now five were dead. Qiao Yi certainly wouldn't let the matter drop.
The imperial court would inevitably investigate. Shu Wanjuan would consider himself fortunate if he wasn't implicated, so how could he spare any thought for Liu Bufei?
Shu Wanjuan merely urged Liu Bufei to exercise utmost caution. On his way back, as he pondered how to report back to the court, he passed through the territory of the Cold Cultivator Xin Rushuang and spotted a corpse.
The corpse was conspicuous, lying out in the open wasteland.
Xin Rushuang was dead. Her heart and liver had been stolen, and her body was covered in wounds; it was hard to tell which blow had ended her life.
Shu Wanjuan stood beside Xin Rushuang's corpse, motionless for a long time.
He wasn't grieving for Xin Rushuang; he barely knew her.
He had been shaken—shaken by a junior.
After killing twelve local spirits, Shu Wanjuan had nearly killed He Jiaqing. Having escaped by the skin of his teeth right outside King Yanluo's gates, that junior should have known to stop.
Yet who could have imagined that he would dare return to steal territory?
During their second encounter, Shu Wanjuan had scared He Jiaqing away again. Given the intimidation he had dealt previously, Shu Wanjuan had been certain He Jiaqing would never dare come back.
Yet Shu Wanjuan had been wrong. He Jiaqing still dared to steal. He had come to steal right under Shu Wanjuan's nose! Such thieving audacity truly rivaled Smiling Pincers.
Shu Wanjuan weighed his options.
This was Xin Rushuang's own territory. Someone boldly killing a local spirit on their own land—did that count as violating the peddler's rules?
He could simply have Liu Bufei go confront the peddler. A local spirit murdered on their own land warranted an explanation from the peddler.
But what if the peddler refused to give an explanation?
This wasn't like the previous incident where twelve local spirits were slain. Those twelve had died unjustly, but everyone knew full well the true origins of these thirteen local spirits.
Moreover, only Xin Rushuang had been killed within her territory; the other local spirits were merely missing. On top of that, it wasn't clear whose hand had killed Xin Rushuang. If the peddler chose to ignore it openly, it would be justifiable in both reason and principle. Trying to force the peddler to swallow a bitter pill would likely fail.
In that case, should he return directly to Chaoge to deliver his report, explaining the current situation clearly?
Could this matter even be explained clearly? Was he supposed to just confess his own incompetence and declare the task impossible?
Even if he did, it wouldn't help. Qiao Yi wouldn't let him off, and this mess would still fall on him to clean up. In the end, Shu Wanjuan would shoulder the blame for nothing and might even be stripped of his nobility.
In this dilemma, Shu Wanjuan suddenly sensed something amiss.
With a flick of his wide sleeve, a copy of *Night-Falling Snow* flew out. Lines of text from the book arranged themselves around him, forming a protective barrier that enclosed him in their center.
Two figures approached from the distance. One was He Jiaqing. The other wore a long robe, a bamboo conical hat, and a veil, fully covered from head to toe, enveloped in a layer of mist.
In the past, Shu Wanjuan would have sent out text to investigate the woman's identity, but today he refrained.
He looked at He Jiaqing and smiled coldly. "You young rascal. You really are a thieving sort who'd risk his life for profit."
He Jiaqing walked calmly toward Shu Wanjuan. "Senior, you flatter me. I love wealth, but I cherish my life just as much. The reason I dared to come meet Senior here is that I believe Senior values the younger generation and cannot bear to kill me."
Shu Wanjuan said nothing. Lines of text continuously shuttled around him, guarding against the slightest opening.
He Jiaqing was right: Shu Wanjuan was reluctant to kill him. Not out of affection for the younger generation, but because he wasn't sure he could pull it off.
Earlier, Shu Wanjuan had been wounded by the combined assault of Li Qi and Face Not Big, and was subsequently gravely battered by heavenly light. With only half a breath remaining, it was Shan Chengjun who had pulled him back from death's door.
His combat power had yet to recover, yet he dared not let it show. He could only put up a false bluster to barely protect himself.
Fortunately, he was facing He Jiaqing today, not the peddler, and not Li Qi.
He Jiaqing came to a stop at a distance, maintaining a safe gap between them. "Though I am not a disciple of the Scholar Cultivator path, in terms of seniority, I should address you as Patriarch.
"I know that you came this time bearing imperial decrees. But matters have come to this: if you return to report to the court, some things will be impossible to explain away. Wouldn't it be better for the elder and the younger between us to build a friendly bond and accommodate one another?"
Shu Wanjuan chuckled. "Accommodating each other is easy to say, but how does this help both sides? If I accommodate you, I'll be the one facing disaster."
He Jiaqing shook his head. "Not necessarily. May I ask Patriarch: now that these thirteen local spirits have left the Great Shang, will they ever see Lord Qiao again in this lifetime?"
Shu Wanjuan pondered this. It was difficult to answer. One couldn't say there was absolutely no chance. Once the Shang State completely conquered Puluo Province, Lord Qiao might come to see them. But until then, Lord Qiao was unlikely to visit Puluo Province easily, and even if he did, he wouldn't bother meeting these few local spirits.
He Jiaqing stated plainly, "I don't think they'll ever see Lord Qiao again. When Patriarch returns to Chaoge to report, if you say they are alive, then they are alive."
Shu Wanjuan shook his head with a laugh. "You are truly arrogant—so arrogant that you take no one seriously. Do you think you can fool the imperial court just because I spout wild lies? Do you think the court won't send people to inspect?"
"I have already prepared for that." He Jiaqing flicked the folding fan in his hand. The figure standing behind him lifted her bamboo hat and veil.
Her facial features were identical to Xin Rushuang's. When she unfastened her outer robe, her figure was also remarkably similar.
"An Opera Cultivator," Shu Wanjuan identified her identity at a glance. "Unfortunately, she lacks the arts of a Cold Cultivator."
Shu Wanjuan had correctly identified the Opera Cultivator, but claiming she lacked the arts of a Cold Cultivator was mistaken.
He Jiaqing nodded to the woman beside him. Understanding, she waved her hand, and a puddle on the ground instantly froze into solid ice.
Shu Wanjuan nodded. "Using a Cold Cultivator relic—good technique. Ordinary people won't spot any flaws.
"Did you prepare only this one Opera Cultivator?"
He Jiaqing said, "I have prepared one for every single territory."
Shu Wanjuan thought for a moment and added, "There are thirteen local spirits in total across these lands. Six dead ones have been replaced by you. Won't the remaining seven who are still alive notice the ruse?"
He Jiaqing cupped his hands around his folding fan. "Patriarch, as I mentioned just now, I have prepared a stand-in for every single territory. Since everything is ready, wouldn't those who are still alive be somewhat superfluous?"
Shu Wanjuan looked at He Jiaqing in silence.
The lines of text hovering around him came to a halt.
"Why should I trust you?" Shu Wanjuan asked.
"Puluo Province has its own rules." With a flick of He Jiaqing's wrist, the folding fan transformed into a sheet of covenant deed.
***
Up on Daogui Ridge, Li Banfeng stood beside his own divine statue, rapidly absorbing human presence amid a grand sacrificial ceremony.
After drawing it in for a short while, Li Banfeng walked out of the shrine.
The human presence was very pure and surged in powerfully, but because it had not accumulated over time, the quantity remained limited. Usually, the human presence offered to Li Qi by these daolao ghosts went completely to waste because it couldn't be collected.
Li Banfeng couldn't keep standing beside the statue absorbing it indefinitely. As for his own lands, he had already drawn a round of human presence from them; apart from Green Water City and Furong Newland, the other areas didn't hold much.
Advancing from Cloud-3 to Cloud-4 required ten parts of human presence. Li Banfeng had accumulated less than two parts. Where could the remaining eight-plus parts come from?
Before obtaining more information, Li Banfeng didn't want to risk entering the stairwell for the time being. Going there wouldn't guarantee encountering the Heavenly Maiden's stone statue, and even if he did, he might not make it back alive.
Li Banfeng recalled someone: Pan Dehai. He possessed the ability to collect human presence.
"Back when we were dealing with the insects on Haichi Ridge, Pan Dehai's overall behavior seemed trustworthy enough." Li Banfeng specifically consulted Critic for advice.
"You shouldn't be asking me about this. I hold a fairly unique view of Virtue Cultivators: in my eyes, no living Virtue Cultivator is worthy of trust." Critic held a watering can, watering the small flower inside the tin can.
The flower was growing very well. Li Banfeng looked at it with his Keen Golden Eyes; the child stood inside the heart of the flower, head raised, gazing at Critic.
Li Banfeng went to Haichi Ridge, met Pan Dehai, and explained the purpose of his visit.
He wanted to learn Pan Dehai's method of collecting human presence.
Pan Dehai sighed. "This technique may sound ordinary, but it's a capability bought with a lifetime of my accumulated learning. It cannot be lightly passed on to anyone who lacks virtue."
"What do you think of my character?" Li Banfeng had no desire to beat around the bush with Pan Dehai. He directly employed the art of Regret Over Meeting Late. Though his mastery wasn't entirely refined, it still had some effect.
In Pan Dehai's eyes, Li Banfeng seemed to acquire an extra aura of light.
Usually, before uttering a single sentence, Pan Dehai would turn it over in his mind three times. Now, looking at Li Banfeng as though he were an old bosom friend reunited after a long parting, he spoke much more candidly.
Yet candid though he was, Pan Dehai didn't budge on the price. "Brother Li Qi, if you want to learn the method of collecting human presence, I can teach you, and I guarantee you'll master it.
"However, I have an impudent request of my own that I hope you can help with. The local spirit of Tiewangang is a Food Cultivator named Lady Wangyou. I mentioned her to you before, and I had intended to entrust Qin Tianjiu to her. Although Xiao Qin's matter didn't pan out, I still wish to form an alliance with Lady Wangyou. I'd like to ask Seventh Master to mediate between us."
Li Banfeng examined Pan Dehai closely. "Why are you so set on allying with her? Is it because Lady Wangyou is pretty?"
Pan Dehai sighed. "Brother Li Qi, what kind of person do you take me for? I respect this heroine from the bottom of my heart and have never harbored any improper thoughts toward her.
"The reason I want to ally with her is twofold: first, out of respect for her character, and second, out of admiration for her skill. Her cultivation long ago surpassed three tiers above the clouds, yet she remains a local spirit. Someone like her is exceedingly rare.
"Over the years, I have performed many deeds of virtue, and relations with my surrounding neighbors haven't been terribly harmonious. War is looming over Puluo Province, and I fear finding myself isolated without support in the future. That is why I want to ally with this expert, so we can watch out for each other."
Pan Dehai was indeed being sincere today. Having performed so many "deeds of virtue," he knew very well that he was likely to be ostracized.
Still, Li Banfeng couldn't fathom any reason why Lady Wangyou would agree to an alliance with Pan Dehai.
Li Banfeng sighed, "Old Pan, this matter of yours isn't going to be easy to handle!"
Pan Dehai let out a sigh as well. "Old Seven, this technique of mine isn't going to be easy to learn either!"
Chapter 714