Haichiling, Sandaoling, Laobing Village.
Niu Fuzhi led his entire household into the temple to offer incense to Lord Seven. Afterward, tools in hand, each headed out to labor in the fields.
Little did they know that two figures stood behind the deity's statue. One was Pan Dehai, the local spirit, who knew the art of concealment and remained invisible to ordinary eyes. The other was Li Qi, whom no one could notice.
There was also an invisible sunflower growing behind the divine statue. At the core of the flower head, a single sunflower seed had grown into a miniature statue of the deity, quietly standing on the disc, its weight bending the stem.
Pan Dehai gently plucked the tiny statue from the seed head, leaving the disc short by one seed.
Holding the statue, he told Li Qi to move elsewhere to talk. The two exited the Lord Seven Temple and made their way to Pan Dehai's dwelling, where Pan Dehai handed the small divine statue over to Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng took the statue and tested it by resting it atop his head. Under his deliberate control, pure popular aura flowed smoothly into his body.
The object was genuine, but the method was bizarre. Li Banfeng had truly never imagined that a divine statue meant to harvest popular aura could actually be a sunflower seed.
"Old Pan, you actually know how to use Farming Cultivator techniques?"
Pan Dehai chuckled. "After cultivating for all these years, one cannot possibly study only a single discipline. I have naturally dabbled in the arts of other pathways as well. Growing this sort of sunflower certainly relies on the principles of Farming Cultivation, but the core technique still originates from the Virtue pathway."
Pan Dehai brought over a pouch of sunflower seeds and explained in earnest, "These seeds were specially nurtured using the Virtue Cultivator skill Spring Breeze and Nurturing Rain. The essence of Spring Breeze and Nurturing Rain lies in edification and moral immersion. Constantly bathed in the Virtue technique, these seeds acquired a measure of spirituality. Once grown into sunflowers, they learned the Virtue technique Receptive as an Open Valley. Sunflowers endowed with that skill can absorb popular aura inside a shrine. The more popular aura there is, the faster the sunflower grows, and once it has absorbed its fill, it bears seeds like this."
Hearing this, Li Banfeng grew displeased. "What did you tell me back then? You guaranteed you could teach me this method, and guaranteed I could master it! Now you tell me it's a Virtue Cultivator skill? How am I supposed to learn that?"
Pan Dehai adjusted his round-framed spectacles, gently fluttered his folding fan, and spoke at an unhurried pace: "Brother Li Qi, calm yourself. This old man already has a plan in place. The best plan is for you to join our Virtue pathway under my tutelage, and I will personally transmit the skill of Spring Breeze and Nurturing Rain to you."
"Nonsense!" Li Banfeng snapped angrily. "Look at what level my cultivation is at! How could I possibly dual-cultivate another pathway now?"
Pan Dehai shook his head. "Ordinary pathways cannot be dual-cultivated, but mine is no ordinary sort. As the saying goes, 'The foundation of all things begins with virtue; the rise and fall of all affairs stems from virtue. Virtue is the bedrock of every pathway under heaven!'"
Li Banfeng brewed his fury for a moment, ready to spit right in Pan Dehai's face.
Pan Dehai continued, "Brother Li Qi, this old man has already comprehended the very origin of all pathways under heaven, and I have now mastered a secret method that will allow you to cultivate the Virtue pathway on the side without suffering backlash from your other disciplines."
Li Banfeng watched Pan Dehai in silence. Certain words coming from this man required special translation. His claim of comprehending the origin of all pathways under heaven likely just meant he had picked up a few techniques from other disciplines. The secret method he mentioned was probably some knack of the Virtue pathway that could blur the boundaries between cultivation bases and circumvent backlash.
A'yi had once mentioned that Fool Cultivators and Mad Cultivators belonged to a special class of pathways that generally did not clash with others. Virtue Cultivators likely fell into that same category, requiring only specific tricks during cultivation.
Yet none of that was the point.
Li Banfeng refused Pan Dehai flat out: "I am not learning the Virtue pathway."
No matter what enticing conditions Pan Dehai offered, there was no way Li Banfeng would ever step onto the Virtue pathway. He clearly remembered Lian Buda's warning: never cultivate a pathway you loathe. A discipline like the Virtue pathway would drive him stark raving mad within a single day.
Pan Dehai let out a long sigh. "If you refuse the best plan, there is still an intermediate plan. I possess a dharma treasure exceptionally suited for the skill of Spring Breeze and Nurturing Rain. I can gift it to you today to aid your casting."
That was indeed a solid option, but after thinking it over for a long while, Li Banfeng asked, "Is there a worst plan?"
Pan Dehai frowned. "What is wrong with the intermediate plan?"
Li Banfeng put on an honest smile. "I came here to learn a craft from you. How could I have the nerve to accept your dharma treasure?"
Pan Dehai replied with grand generosity: "Virtuous individuals under heaven are few and far between. You and this old man can easily be considered paragons among them. As the saying goes, heroes cherish one another, and kindred spirits see eye to eye. What does a mere dharma treasure matter?"
Li Banfeng waved his hand repeatedly. "Having you as a paragon of virtue is more than enough. Just tell me the worst plan."
He had no desire to take Pan Dehai's dharma treasure. No one could guarantee what nasty surprises Pan Dehai might tuck inside it. And if he handed it to the red lotus to be reforged, only for the treasure to become useless afterward, whom could he complain to?
Left with no choice, Pan Dehai had to lay out the worst plan: "You may also come to me to collect sunflower seeds and plant them yourself. So long as nothing goes awry on my end, the seeds are yours to take at will."
And what if something did go awry on his end?
Weighing the matter repeatedly, Li Banfeng came up with an idea: "I have an intimate acquaintance who shares your pathway, Old Pan. Teach the technique to her, and let her produce the seeds for me."
Pan Dehai hesitated. "This old man devoted an entire lifetime of study to grasp this secret method. How could I casually pass it to an outsider?"
"Rest assured, it will never be shared further. It will be used solely for me. We can draw up a covenant deed."
The following day, Li Banfeng brought Mengde over to study the technique under Old Pan.
Old Pan made endless excuses and dragged his feet, unwilling to teach. Li Banfeng's face darkened instantly. "Lady Wangyou didn't trust you in the first place. Her allying with you this time was entirely out of respect for my face. If I withhold that favor, this alliance falls apart right now."
As he spoke, Li Banfeng's legs began to tremble violently, and his whole body shook along with them.
Pan Dehai inquired with concern, "Brother Li Qi, have you caught a chill?"
Li Banfeng waved him off. "I'm shaking with rage because of you! Just say the word: do you agree to this or not?"
Pan Dehai ultimately yielded to reason and taught Mengde for ten full days.
Mengde already had fine talent for Virtue Cultivation, and applying herself diligently, she mastered the method within those ten days, successfully nurturing the first batch of sunflower seeds.
Carrying the seeds, Li Banfeng traveled to Daogui Ridge and quietly planted one inside the temple.
The moment it was in the ground, worries crept into his mind. Though daolao ghosts had poor eyesight, once the sunflower grew large, they couldn't possibly miss it. They would surely yank it up like a weed.
Pan Dehai possessed an art of concealment, allowing his sunflowers to remain hidden from sight. But if Li Banfeng asked him to teach it, would he agree? Most likely not for free. And if he seized the chance to demand other terms, Li Banfeng would be hard-pressed to handle it.
Was there another way?
There was!
The Array of Blinding Flowers!
Sun Tiecheng had once used the Array of Blinding Flowers to help Li Banfeng hide a covenant deed, and Li Banfeng had also learned the method from Ninth Lady.
The technique's core was rather intricate: select the appropriate orientation, and with the right depth and force, tear open a rift into the Nameless, releasing power from beyond to confound the sight of others.
Li Banfeng gathered two branches and drove them into the soil where the sunflower seed was planted.
After setting them down, he looked for a while, but both branches remained plainly visible.
Since he was the one who laid the array, it naturally couldn't fool his own eyes.
Whom could he test it on?
Critic certainly wouldn't do, nor would the daolao ghosts. Li Banfeng returned to the companion dwelling and used the skill Broadened Bridal Chamber to bring Ninth Lady outside.
Ninth Lady looked at the two branches on the ground and asked, "Are you getting ready to use Hundred Steps Traverse?"
Li Banfeng sniffled. Ninth Lady had spotted the branches at a glance, proving the array had failed.
Seeing his awkward expression, Jiu'er pieced together the situation.
"Ah, so you wanted to lay the Array of Blinding Flowers. This array is tricky to learn. Let your sister set it up for you first." Jiu'er was ever considerate. She arranged the formation on his behalf, veiling the sunflower completely.
Filled with gratitude, Li Banfeng said, "Jiu'er, it's rare for you to come outside. Let me take you on a stroll around."
Delighted, Jiu'er took Li Banfeng by the arm and walked out of the shrine.
Looking across the mountainside swarming with daolao ghosts, Jiu'er kept a smile on her face and said, "I just remembered something. The weather has been damp lately, and Hong Ying broke out in a rash all over. I promised to apply ointment for her. Let's head home."
"Hong Ying can get a rash?" Li Banfeng hadn't expected that.
"She can! Her flesh and blood are different from ours—she grew them herself, which makes her far stronger than puppets like us. So, take me home, will you?" Jiu'er tightened her grip on Li Banfeng's arm, her voice growing gentler by the second.
Li Banfeng said, "Applying ointment is no urgent matter. Let's wander the mountain a bit longer."
A roar echoed across the slopes; the daolao ghosts were preparing to begin their sacrificial rite.
Jiu'er fell silent for a moment, then suddenly turned to Li Banfeng and shouted, "I want to go home!"
Li Banfeng hastily sent Ninth Lady back inside.
Jiu'er was someone who had seen great storms, someone who had traded blows with Shan Chengjun and Shu Wanjuan. Could daolao ghosts really frighten her to this degree?
Moreover, the daolao ghosts in Jiu'er's mind were still the creatures from her old memories. The current daolao ghosts had grown far stronger than the ones she remembered.
If the daolao ghosts ever marched out of Jianrengang, what would the consequences be?
Li Banfeng turned his gaze toward Critic's cave. He stared for a long while before departing.
The sunflower seeds that absorbed popular aura were ready, yet as Li Banfeng sat at home, his body still trembled uncontrollably.
Madame could tell this was cultivation backlash, but she had never anticipated it would be this severe.
"Husband, if we absorb popular aura from Daogui Ridge, how long will it take to gather enough for Cloud-4?"
Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, unable to make an accurate estimate. "It should be pretty fast, right?"
Hong Ying asked, "Including your other territories, one month ought to be enough to scrape it together, wouldn't it?"
Li Banfeng said nothing. One month would certainly not suffice.
Hong Ying asked again, "Then what about half a year?"
The gramophone signaled Hong Ying to keep quiet. Looking at Li Banfeng's current condition, she wasn't sure if he could even hold out for six months.
Beside them, Jiu'er gently shook her head at the gramophone. Certain things could not be voiced aloud right now. Cultivation backlash feared nothing more than worry; the deeper the worry, the fiercer the backlash struck.
Yet how could Li Banfeng not worry? In his present state, he didn't know how long he could endure, nor did he know when he would finally gather enough popular aura.
The gramophone came up with an idea: "Husband, you hold popular aura not just at Daogui Ridge. Your reputation in Green Water City is considerable as well. Why not find a spot there to plant some sunflower seeds and see?"
With Madame's reminder, realization dawned upon Li Banfeng.
He went to Xiaoyaowu and planted a sunflower beside the stage, having Jiu'er veil it with the Array of Blinding Flowers.
Everyone in Green Water City knew Xiaoyaowu was the domain of Li Qi and Ma the Fifth. The popular aura gathered here would likely not fall far short of Daogui Ridge.
Where else besides Xiaoyaowu?
In the dead of night, Li Banfeng went to Tiemen Fort and planted a sunflower inside the stronghold.
The following day, he headed to Black Rock Slope and planted another sunflower around the newspaper office.
In Black Rock Slope, the reputation of Night Fragrance was immense, and Boss Ye's fame was just as great. Should he plant several more?
Li Banfeng looked back at the newspaper office. The converted factory building had hardly changed. Editors were still rushing copy for tomorrow's morning edition, and in the workshop, photographers were taking pictures for the start-of-the-month magazine.
Li Banfeng was very fond of the newspaper office; normally, he ought to come stay here for a few days more often.
After being away for so long, he wondered if they still remembered Boss Ye.
A single sunflower head held hundreds, even thousands of seeds; planting just one was enough.
As Li Banfeng walked toward the gate, his foot stumbled, and he nearly tumbled onto the road.
His legs were beginning to disobey him.
Where else could popular aura be harvested besides Tiemen Fort and Black Rock Slope?
Li Banfeng made a trip to Yuezhou. He couldn't speak for other places, but at the Dark Star Bureau, plenty of people still thought of Director Li. He planted a sunflower inside his own office. As Jiu'er helped him set up the array, she noticed his sickly complexion.
"Seventh, if you're tired, rest first. We can figure something else out."
"I'm not tired. I'm used to running around. This is nothing." After sending Ninth Lady back into the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng felt his legs turn to jelly.
Where else could he go?
Many in Qiqiu City remembered Li Qi. There was also Zhengjing Village, and...
And Qingyan City. He wondered if those children still remembered.
Li Banfeng traveled to Qingyan City, intending to plant a sunflower in a warehouse beside the station. Before he could even dig the hole, his calves gave out, and he collapsed by the warehouse, knocking over a pile of cargo crates. He couldn't get up for a long time.
Ordinary people wouldn't have noticed Li Banfeng, but the falling crates drew the warehouse watchman over.
The watchman glared at Li Banfeng and snapped, "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing. I just came to check if my goods arrived." Propping himself against the crates strewn across the floor, Li Banfeng struggled to his feet.
The watchman waved a hand dismissively. "Go look somewhere else. Your goods definitely aren't here."
"I remember they were right here."
"Impossible. Move along, hurry. This warehouse doesn't store goods."
"If it's a warehouse, why doesn't it store goods?"
The watchman grew impatient. "Is this your first time in Qingyan City? You don't even know about this warehouse?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Is there something special about it?"
"This is our Benefactor's domain!" When he spoke the word 'Benefactor', the watchman raised his voice. "Right in this very place, our Benefactor saved the children of Qingyan City! He saved our own flesh and blood!"
Li Banfeng stood stunned for a long while. "You people know about that?"
The watchman was equally stunned. "How could we not know? Those were our children! The children told us with their own mouths!"
Li Banfeng looked back at the warehouse, then back at the watchman. "You all still remember that?"
"Of course we remember! That is our Benefactor!" The watchman pointed at Li Banfeng. "Hurry up and get lost! This place cannot be disturbed. It is sacred ground in Qingyan City! You're lucky you ran into me—in the middle of the night, I won't make trouble for you. Once the other watchmen arrive, see if they don't teach you a lesson!"
The watchman was actually quite frightened. Not knowing the stranger's background, he only wanted to drive Li Banfeng away.
Li Banfeng took a few stumbling steps, then turned back to ask, "Do you truly all remember?"
"We remember! Who could ever forget our Benefactor? Now get out of here, move!"
Li Banfeng stumbled all the way out of the warehouse and sat down by the roadside.
A faint smell of smoke always lingered in the air of Qingyan City. Looking at the gray, hazy streets, Li Banfeng murmured softly, "People still remember. They still remember..."
"Plenty of people remember you. A sunflower should indeed be planted in Qingyan City." The peddler set his shoulder pole down by the roadside, took a bowl from his baskets, mixed a bowl of fruit syrup, and handed it to Li Banfeng.
Sitting by the road, Li Banfeng gulped it down.
After finishing the warm, hefty bowl, he felt a bit of strength return.
Looking at the peddler's baskets, Li Banfeng said, "The truck still isn't fixed?"
"If it were fixed, would I still need to carry this pole around?" The peddler fished out five packets of medicinal herbs from his baskets and handed them to Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng examined the packets. "What medicine is this?"
"Soul-Returning Decoction. Take one packet every three days; it will last you half a month. Those seeds were given to you by Pan Dehai, weren't they?"
Li Banfeng nodded.
"Hand them to me."
Li Banfeng gave the bag of seeds to the peddler.
The peddler took one out and buried it by the roadside. "Many people here remember the Benefactor. The sunflower here will sprout soon."
He dipped his fingers into some vanishing cream, smeared it over the spot where the seed was buried, and concealed the sunflower.
"Many other places remember you as well," the peddler said, lifting the bag of sunflower seeds. "I'll go plant the seeds for you. Once you finish the Soul-Returning Decoction, wait for me in Green Water City."
Li Banfeng looked at the medicine packets in his hand. "I have to drink Soul-Returning Decoction?"
The peddler nodded. "If you don't, you won't survive. The clash between Home and Travel is too severe. Seeing you looking fine earlier, I didn't pay it much mind. I never expected the backlash to hit with such ferocity once it flared up."
Li Banfeng put away the packets and looked up at the peddler. "Why are you always able to find me?"
The peddler glanced behind Li Banfeng. "Earlier, it was because I didn't trust you."
Li Banfeng asked, "And later?"
The peddler hoisted his shoulder pole. "Later, I didn't want to look for you, but I couldn't afford not to—otherwise, I'd have to wait around for you to burn down my house."
Li Banfeng rose to his feet. "I owe you such a massive favor. How can I ever repay it?"
The peddler shook his head. "It isn't that big a favor. Running a few errands with some helpers is all it takes. You will certainly weather this tribulation, and that is entirely earned by your own deeds."
Returning to the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng handed the medicine packets to the gramophone. "Madame, brew a dose for me first. This is Soul-Returning Decoction from the peddler."
Hearing 'Soul-Returning Decoction', Madame's heart sank. For the peddler to give such a thing proved her husband's condition was in grave peril. She hurried off with her cookware to brew the medicine.
The red lotus silently drifted beside the brew. Catching the scent, its petals trembled faintly.
Hiss—
A plume of steam coiled around the red lotus, and the petals instantly shrank back.
"General Zhao, what are you doing? Can I not even watch while you brew medicine?"
"Do you just want to watch, or do you want to drink? The peddler's exclusive secret medicine has your mouth watering, hasn't it?"
Steam billowed around the red lotus, and it sensibly retreated to a distance.
Dose after dose went down. In the blink of an eye, nearly half a month passed. Sustained by the Soul-Returning Decoction, Li Banfeng's condition remained manageable.
He first went to Daogui Ridge. Behind the shrine, he found the sunflower.
With sacrificial ceremonies held every day in the temple, the sunflower had produced five small statues.
The appearance of these statues was virtually identical to the ones crafted by the daolao ghosts: a man dressed in a suit, wearing a fedora, standing upright. Because the brim was pulled so low, his face was barely visible.
This was the daolao ghosts' impression of Li Qi.
The daolao ghosts held rites daily and were deeply devoted in their faith toward Li Banfeng, yet the quantity still took him by surprise.
Absorbing the popular aura from the statues one by one, a question crossed Li Banfeng's mind.
There were many Lord Seven Temples in Sandaoling. During the New Year, temple fairs took place in every village, so the amount of popular aura could not have been small. Yet Pan Dehai had only given Li Banfeng two statues.
Old Pan was still hoarding quite a bit. One of these days, he would have to have a chat with him.
That night, Li Banfeng arrived at Tiemen Fort.
The number of Home Cultivators in Tiemen Fort was limited, and one could hardly expect them to hold sacrificial ceremonies. Li Banfeng hadn't harbored high hopes.
Yet when he located the sunflower, three statues had actually formed on the disc.
Their appearance differed from those at Daogui Ridge: this figure wore armor, gripped a long blade in hand, and stood with imposing majesty.
This was Tiemen Fort's memory of their fort master. To them, he was an existence akin to a door god.
Yet this quantity baffled Li Banfeng. The number of Home Cultivators could not begin to compare with the daolao ghosts. How could three miniature statues have formed in such a short span of time?
A gap still remained between the mechanics of popular aura formation and Li Banfeng's understanding.
The next day, Li Banfeng went to Black Rock Slope. The sunflower at the newspaper office had produced two statues: one fully matured, while the outline of the other was still indistinct and could not yet be harvested.
The fully grown statue wore a tailcoat, a top hat, a pipe in his mouth, and held a stack of newspapers in his hand.
This truly matched the image of the newspaper proprietor.
Tomorrow was the agreed date. Li Banfeng returned to Green Water City and first checked on the sunflower beside the stage at Xiaoyaowu.
Four statues rested upon the disc!
One had to admit, Green Water City had always been the primary wellspring of popular aura.
The appearance of these statues was rather peculiar: wearing a long gown, with long hair flowing, one hand gently lifting the hem of the dress, the other resting over the chest, as though offering a curtsy.
Li Banfeng stared at the statue for a long time, then asked Madame, "Is this me?"
Madame looked for a long while as well. "It doesn't seem to be Husband."
Li Banfeng placed the statue atop his head to test it for a moment. He could feel popular aura surging, but he couldn't absorb a single drop.
This aura wasn't meant for him. Looking closely at the statue's face, Li Banfeng soberly realized the truth: this was Jiang Mengting's popular aura.
Most people who came to Xiaoyaowu to listen to songs came for Jiang Mengting.
There were several other immature statues whose forms suggested they were all songstresses of Xiaoyaowu. Most patrons didn't think of Li Qi while listening to music.
Li Banfeng set the statue aside and sat quietly on the bed. His legs shook violently, causing the whole bed to creak and groan.
The gramophone sighed softly. "Husband, the day has arrived. Go wait for the peddler."
As she spoke, she glanced toward the red lotus.
PS: If things didn't work out on the peddler's end, he would just have to gamble one more time—head to the Dark Star Bureau and seek the Heavenly Maiden's statue.
Chapter 716