Yu Yunqiu had anticipated that Li Qi would try to intimidate him with a show of force.
He had expected his son might be caned, thrown into prison, or publicly humiliated.
What he had never expected was that Li Qi would openly declare he would beat his son to death in public.
He was certain Li Qi wouldn't harm the son of a dignitary over a mere bondservant, and even less did he believe Li Qi would execute so many people at once for the sake of a bondservant.
Creating such a massive scene was nothing more than Li Qi's attempt to shame him and disgrace the Yu family.
Now was not the time to be stubborn. Clenching his teeth and holding back his resentment, Yu Yunqiu prepared to plead for his son.
Before he could speak, Li Banfeng waved a hand. "Carry out the execution."
Yu Yunqiu turned pale with shock.
He was being serious?
Executing them right now?
The cantaloupe men raised their clubs, and the first blow smashed right into Yu Daoquan's head.
Yu Daoquan collapsed to the ground, howling in agony, as clubs rained down on him.
The several guards around him were knocked down one after another. The cantaloupe men swung their clubs, aiming exclusively for vital spots. Unable to bear it, Yu Daoquan cried out, "Spare me! Spare my life! I only did it on my father's orders!"
Li Banfeng ordered them to stop, then looked at Yu Yunqiu. "You instructed your son to commit murder?"
Yu Yunqiu looked at Yu Daoquan. Moments earlier, his mind had been consumed with how to plead for him.
Now, he bowed to Li Qi and said, "This old man had no knowledge of this wretched creature's deeds."
Li Banfeng nodded. "Since you didn't know, continue the execution."
The cantaloupe men raised their clubs and resumed beating them. Yu Daoquan wailed incessantly toward Yu Yunqiu, "Father, save me!"
The other guards wailed as well. "We can testify! It was the master who ordered it!"
Li Banfeng kept his gaze fixed on Yu Yunqiu. Yu Yunqiu broke into a cold sweat, head bowed in silence.
After half an hour, Yu Daoquan and the several guards were beaten to death in public.
Li Banfeng looked at Yu Yunqiu. "Do you admit your guilt?"
"Your subordinate failed to discipline his household and was inept in raising his son. I cannot shirk the blame." As he spoke, Yu Yunqiu's voice trembled.
He was not heartbroken over Yu Daoquan—he had no shortage of sons.
He was simply terrified, having no idea what Li Qi would do next.
Li Banfeng stared at Yu Yunqiu for a moment, then asked, "I declared the bondservant system abolished. Yet to this day, your household hasn't released a single bondservant, nor have you submitted a register. A single bondservant merely wished to leave your family's porcelain shop, yet he was beaten to death by these villains. Yu Yunqiu, what exactly are your intentions?"
Yu Yunqiu knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly. "Your Highness, your subordinate knows his wrongdoing! My household has a vast number of bondservants, and I have already ordered those responsible to expedite the compilation. I shall present the register to Your Highness today, and within days, release the bondservants in batches per Your Highness's orders."
"I give you three days. If there is still a single bondservant in your household, I will show no mercy!" Li Banfeng rose, glanced at Yu Daoquan's corpse, and said to Yu Yunqiu, "Tend to the funeral matters."
Fearing he might misspeak, Yu Yunqiu hastily declared, "This scoundrel ruined the Yu family's good name. I will simply bury him without ceremony."
Li Banfeng frowned. "I wasn't talking about him. He will remain hung out here. I told you to properly handle Bei's funeral. Do you know who Bei is?"
Yu Yunqiu truly did not know; there was no way he would remember the name of a bondservant.
Li Banfeng said, "He is hanging before the entrance of your porcelain shop. Bury him, and kowtow before his grave to admit your wrongdoing."
Yu Yunqiu dared not argue. "I will obey Your Highness's every command."
Li Banfeng swept his eyes over the crowd and projected his voice: "Within three days, no bondservants shall remain in Xiaodu! Violators will be severely punished without leniency!"
From the shadows, Madam employed a Sound Cultivator technique, sending every word piercing through clouds and splitting stone so that the entirety of Xiaodu heard them with crystal clarity.
The dignitaries and gentry present turned ashen, none daring to utter a word.
The commoners in the city still had no idea what was happening; they only heard that trouble had struck the Yu family, though none knew whose family would be next.
The bondservants raised their heads and looked in the direction of the imperial city.
Li Banfeng led the cantaloupe men back into the imperial city.
Yu Yunqiu gritted his teeth in fury. Ao Shuangqian stepped forward and helped him to his feet.
"Brother Yu, my condolences. This younger brother has prepared some modest wine to pay respects to my nephew."
Yu Yunqiu understood Ao Shuangqian's intention and, under the escort of his household servants, first returned to his residence.
Li Banfeng returned to the imperial city and planted cantaloupe men together with Madam. A gramophone's body was ill-suited for farming, so Madam used Zhao Xiaowan's puppet body.
Having sown the seeds, Madam wiped her sweat and nestled into Li Banfeng's embrace to rest. "Husband, merely killing one Yu Daoquan will only make these nobles submit in appearance while rebelling in their hearts. I fear this only treats the symptoms, not the root."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Neither the symptom nor the root lies with the nobles."
Zhao Xiaowan pinched Li Banfeng's chin. "Then where do you say it lies?"
Li Banfeng did not answer. He took a few sunflower seeds from his pocket and buried them in the soil.
"Madam, I've gathered quite a bit of human qi lately, and my yang qi has grown more vigorous too. So, shouldn't we...?"
Zhao Xiaowan blushed, looking at Li Banfeng. "Husband, can it truly work?"
Li Banfeng thumped his chest. "When has your man ever fallen short!"
"Then what are we waiting for!" Zhao Xiaowan pulled Li Banfeng by the arm and headed for the sleeping chambers.
The bedchambers of the Shang State were far too cavernous; once inside, Zhao Xiaowan felt it was hardly different from being outdoors.
"Husband, let us not do our business here. Your humble servant doesn't feel at ease!"
Li Banfeng said, "Madam, at such a crucial moment, don't be so particular."
Madam pouted coquettishly. "Husband~ your humble servant just wants to go home!"
In a flurry of haste, Li Banfeng pulled out his key. When he unlocked the door, Zhao Xiaowan blinked, praising him, "A Travel Cultivator on the fourth tier above the clouds truly is extraordinary. Husband, are we still going home?"
"Home we must go," Li Banfeng said with a calm expression. "Otherwise, how would I change my trousers?"
That night, Yu Yunqiu arrived at Ao Shuangqian's residence. After pleasantries, host and guest took their seats. Ao Shuangqian first raised his cup. "This cup of wine is for my ill-fated nephew."
With that, Ao Shuangqian poured the wine out onto the ground. Tears welled in Yu Yunqiu's eyes.
Having completed the superficial formalities, Ao Shuangqian dismissed the attendants. Yu Yunqiu wiped away his tears, and the two turned to business.
"Brother Yu, what do you think is Li Qi's true purpose in abolishing the bondservant system?"
"He likely wants to use the power of the bondservants to keep us under his thumb."
Ao Shuangqian shook his head slightly. "You are right about using the bondservants' power, Brother Yu, but I don't believe his goal is merely to control us. I could already see a faint trace of murderous intent on his face."
Yu Yunqiu recalled Yu Daoquan's gruesome end and gnashed his teeth. "Does he truly want to wipe us out completely? Would the imperial court let him get away with it?"
Ao Shuangqian sighed. "What Qiao Yi has in mind is something none of us can divine. Perhaps he would be only too happy to see it happen."
Yu Yunqiu was startled. "Qiao Yi has his eye on our lives as well?"
Ao Shuangqian said, "We take our orders from the Emperor, not the cabinet. The cabinet claims the previous Emperor was an impostor, and we believed them. But shouldn't they bring back the true Emperor, then? They constantly speak of a royal tour of inspection—it is hardly surprising that rumors and dissent have spread among us. Perhaps having heard too much criticism, Qiao Yi grew furious and deliberately put on this play alongside Li Qi."
Yu Yunqiu sighed. "If the imperial court has no room for us, then the Great Shang has no room for us either."
Ao Shuangqian shook his head. "Qiao Yi is Qiao Yi, and the court is the court. If Qiao Yi truly dared to move against us directly, he wouldn't need to put Li Qi forward."
Yu Yunqiu nodded in strong agreement. "Regardless of Qiao Yi's intentions, we cannot bow our heads. This old man will not swallow this humiliation lying down."
Ao Shuangqian raised his cup. "Neither can I. To tell you the truth, I have already prepared the register of more than three thousand one hundred bondservants under my command. Tomorrow morning, I will deliver it to Li Qi."
Yu Yunqiu was astonished, unable to understand what Ao Shuangqian meant. "Brother Ao, are you probing me on Li Qi's behalf?"
Ao Shuangqian shook his head. "Not at all. The reason I am presenting the register is, first, to show goodwill and lower Li Qi's guard; and second, to take the opportunity to present Li Qi with a treasure."
Yu Yunqiu asked, "What treasure?"
Ao Shuangqian said, "That is precisely what I wish to discuss with you, Brother Yu. Scrambling and struggling all these years, the Ao family has amassed some savings. While we don't have many presentable weapons, we can still produce two or three. However, Li Qi is a formidable fighter, and we must secure victory in a single strike. I have been pondering what kind of weapon would be suitable, and I would like you to offer some advice."
Yu Yunqiu and Ao Shuangqian jointly controlled Xiaocheng. Having fought each other openly and covertly for years, they knew each other inside and out.
If Ao Shuangqian truly intended to pull this off by his own strength alone, why would he consult Yu Yunqiu? Did he honestly think Ao Shuangqian couldn't decide which weapon to use?
Having spoken to this point, the meaning was clear: Ao Shuangqian had taken the lead, so Yu Yunqiu had to contribute, and if things went south, both of them would bear the consequences together.
Yu Yunqiu set down his wine cup and lowered his voice. "I have heard that Li Qi is a Travel Cultivator above the clouds, remarkably skilled in Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity, Unimpeded Passage, and Wind Rising from Still Earth. Travel Cultivators excel at escape. Defeating him with a grade-one weapon wouldn't be difficult, but preventing him from fleeing will be anything but easy."
Ao Shuangqian asked, "What good plan do you have, Brother Yu?"
Yu Yunqiu said, "This old man possesses a Fire Cage Steed, a supreme treasure among grade-one weapons. I am confident it can take Li Qi's life. But if presented to him alone, I fear it will arouse his suspicion."
Ao Shuangqian had been waiting for these exact words. "Since you are willing to part with such a treasure, Brother Yu, how could I begrudge my own wealth? Tomorrow, I will prepare many gifts to deliver to Li Qi alongside it. So long as the Fire Cage Steed is concealed among them, Li Qi will never notice."
Yu Yunqiu asked, "The Fire Cage Steed requires advance preparation. When do you intend to strike, Brother Ao?"
"Tomorrow night."
Yu Yunqiu turned his wine cup between his fingers. "Brother Ao, submitting the register tomorrow and striking that very night—isn't that a bit rushed?"
Ao Shuangqian shook his head. "Not in the least. You saw it yourself, Brother Yu: yesterday, when Li Qi and Qiao Yi arrived, none of us knew when they reached Xiaodu, catching us completely off guard. After Qiao Yi and Nian Shangyou departed, we assumed Li Qi was left alone in the imperial city, yet last night, a horde of guards suddenly appeared by his side. I once heard that in Puluo Province, this man's actions were always enigmatic and unpredictable. Countless merchant ships pass through Xiaodu every day, and no one can say which vessel carries Li Qi's forces. If we wait a few more days until he gathers an army in Xiaodu, moving against him won't be so easy. By then, his blade truly will be at our throats. What's more, many bondservants in the city are growing restless. If someone truly tears this seam open, it will be hard for us to stitch it back together."
Yu Yunqiu weighed the matter for a long time before nodding. "Brother Ao speaks sense. Opportunity knocks but once. We ought to catch him unprepared. I will deliver the Fire Cage Steed tonight, and tomorrow I will also present my register to Li Qi."
Ao Shuangqian shook his head. "Do not be in such a hurry, Brother Yu. Li Qi just killed my nephew, and he knows you harbor resentment. If you show goodwill now, it will only draw his suspicion. I have agreed to meet with Banchiling and Tie Baisheng tomorrow to see the City Master together and present our registers. Both of them are crafty and will not give away any flaws."
Yu Yunqiu, however, remained uneasy. "Precisely because they are crafty, if they learn of our plans, it could work against us."
Ao Shuangqian smiled. "Brother Yu, I am bringing the two along merely to keep up appearances. Why would I ever reveal the inside story to them?"
Yu Yunqiu was somewhat reassured. "Tomorrow night, I will assemble some men and wait at home. If something catastrophic befalls the City Master, we must make a show of it."
Ao Shuangqian nodded. "Both to comfort the City Master and to intimidate the bondservants. The matter is settled."
The following morning, Ao Shuangqian brought Banchiling and Tie Baisheng to the imperial city to present their registers.
As this was resolute compliance with the City Master's command, Li Banfeng naturally did not refuse, receiving them in person.
Ao Shuangqian had distinctive features. The shape of his head resembled Ye Shengge's—pointed at the crown with long whiskers—though Ao Shuangqian was more burly in build.
Most peculiar of all, Ao Shuangqian possessed a pair of pincer hands. While they looked clumsy, these pincers were remarkably nimble; when turning the pages of the register for Li Qi, he flipped through them with seamless fluidity.
By the aesthetic standards of Puluo Province, Banchiling was quite pretty. Her original form was a cow, yet she had delicate features, with a pair of horns concealed within her topknot. When silent, she appeared almost entirely like a Puluo Province beauty. Even when speaking, there was little amiss, aside from a set of broad buck teeth that looked slightly unnatural.
Tie Baisheng's name sounded like a blacksmith's, but his original form was actually a horse. He had a long face, large eyes, and an overall appearance resembling that of Puluo Province folk, though because he wore horseshoes on his feet, his footsteps went clop-clop with every pace.
This was a tradition of the Tie family: the louder the hoofbeats, the higher the status. Tie Baisheng was a dignitary, the highest-ranking in the Tie family; those familiar with him could distinguish his footsteps from far away.
All three dignitaries presented their registers, and none lacked courtesy, each having prepared a chest of gifts for Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng knitted his brows, adopting the mannered tone of an Inner State official. "What is the meaning of this? Just what sort of person do you take Li to be?"
Ao Shuangqian smiled. "Your Highness, this is merely a modest token of our regard. So long as you do not disdain such humble gifts, we simply—"
Li Qi flipped the chests open.
Ao Shuangqian choked on his words.
Who opens gift chests right in front of people's faces? At the very least, one waited until the guests departed!
Li Banfeng examined the gifts inside each chest. Ao Shuangqian's consisted mostly of porcelain, Banchiling's mostly of fabrics, and Tie Baisheng's mostly of jade wares.
"These things must be worth quite a bit of money, right?" Li Banfeng asked the three in all seriousness.
The three dignitaries flushed red. "They are merely humble tokens."
Li Banfeng asked, "Are they truly that humble? Are you looking down on me?"
The three dignitaries glanced at each other, none knowing how to respond. Tie Baisheng was the first to speak: "Your Highness, this chest of items I offered is indeed quite valuable. They are all top-grade jade."
Banchiling rolled her eyes at Tie Baisheng repeatedly.
Ao Shuangqian breathed an inward sigh of relief; at least Tie Baisheng had smoothed the matter over.
Li Banfeng accepted the gifts and registers, showering high praise on the three.
Leaving the imperial city, Tie Baisheng asked Ao Shuangqian, "Lord Ao, when do you plan to release your bondservants?"
Ao Shuangqian replied, "In the next day or two."
Banchiling asked, "Lord Ao, do you truly mean that?"
Ao Shuangqian put on a grave expression. "Since I presented the register to the City Master, my loyalty to him is naturally wholehearted. How could I ever feign compliance while acting in defiance?"
Hearing this, Banchiling and Tie Baisheng felt a tangle of mixed emotions. Returning to their respective residences, each pondered future counterstrategies.
Meanwhile, Li Banfeng remained in the grand hall inspecting the gifts sent by the three dignitaries, listening to each one with Discerning Spiritual Sound.
There was a peach-red porcelain horse of exquisite craftsmanship, but Li Banfeng detected no spiritual sound from it.
There was a comb from which faint spiritual sound could be heard, repeating a single line over and over: "Who will comb my hair? I found the comb, but I can't find my head."
This comb could hardly be considered a dharma treasure, merely a spiritual object, so Li Banfeng handed it over to Madam to deal with.
The other items possessed no spiritual nature. Even so, Li Banfeng dared not be careless; he did not bring them into the companion dwelling, instead having the cantaloupe men find an attic to stow everything away.
Upon returning to his residence, Ao Shuangqian drew a cage from his sleeve.
Inside was not a bird, but a red-haired horse no larger than a thumb, lying quietly in the cage without making a sound.
That it could pass right under Li Banfeng's nose without being detected showed that this horse was exceptionally formidable. Ao Shuangqian asked the red horse, "Did you memorize Li Qi?"
The red horse nodded.
Ao Shuangqian opened the cage and let the red horse out.
The red horse's form blurred, transforming into a wisp of smoke that drifted out the window and vanished from sight.
By nightfall, Li Banfeng's yang qi was surging, and he felt he was ready once more.
Knowing he couldn't rush things, he invited Madam into the grand hall. While discussing business, he set the mood. After waiting a full hour, just as Li Banfeng felt the moment was ripe, he suddenly sensed the air in the hall turning feverishly hot.
This heat did not come from Madam—it was a warning from Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity.
When danger approached, Li Banfeng usually felt a chill all over his body, but this time was an exception: waves of dry heat washed over him.
He wanted to leave the hall, but upon reaching the entrance, he found the doors wouldn't budge.
Attempting to rush outside with Unimpeded Passage, neither the walls nor windows could be traversed.
Using Sever Path to Open a Road by force, he tried several times, but only a faint crack appeared on the wall, failing to open a path.
Outside the window, the scenery remained unchanged, showing no sign of anomaly.
Yet through Discerning Spiritual Sound, Li Banfeng could faintly hear a sound—one strikingly similar to Tie Baisheng's footsteps.
Activating Golden Gaze Discerning the Minute and looking toward the sound, Li Banfeng spotted a red steed suddenly darting past the window.
"It's a porcelain horse!" Madam saw it too. "It's the very porcelain horse they gave you earlier, Husband!"
That porcelain horse had been gifted by Ao Shuangqian. Li Banfeng had examined it, finding no spiritual nature. Why was it moving now? This spiritual object had hidden itself so deeply!
Amid his thoughts, rolling flames swept in, engulfing the entire hall.
Li Banfeng pulled out his key and returned with Madam to the companion dwelling.
That night, a great fire broke out in the imperial city, reducing the entire grand hall to ruins, and Prince Pingyuan went missing without a trace.
Xiaodu's two presiding dignitaries rushed men to fight the fire through the night, yet the blaze was too ferocious for mortal hands to resist.
This was no mere excuse: Yu Yunqiu and Ao Shuangqian had both brought many men and exerted their utmost effort to extinguish the flames, yet the fire truly could not be stopped.
Both knew full well the might of the Fire Cage Steed: as long as a single living creature remained inside the hall, the Fire Cage Steed would not cease.
The two kept up their frantic efforts until the following morning, playing their parts to the absolute fullest.
Looking upon the crumbling walls and ash, Yu Yunqiu grabbed a cantaloupe guard and roared, "Was the City Master truly inside this hall? Did you see it with your own eyes?"
Banfeng Two, possessing the cantaloupe guard, replied in a trembling voice, "I saw with my own eyes the Prince enter the hall and never come back out."
Yu Yunqiu beat his chest and stamped his feet. "How could such a tragedy have occurred!"
Ao Shuangqian used his pair of pincers to dig relentlessly through the ruins, shedding tears as he dug: "City Master! Your Highness! Do not despair, your subordinate is coming to save you!"
Many surrounding dignitaries wept as well. Tears in her eyes, Banchiling helped Ao Shuangqian dig through the rubble. "Just yesterday the City Master was hale and hearty. How could it be that today..."
Tie Baisheng wept as he dug through the debris. "Your Highness, how could you abandon us like this!"
"His Highness has the favor of heaven, he will surely hold out!" Yu Yunqiu also joined in digging.
"Your Highness!" The cluster of dignitaries wept as they all pressed forward to dig.
"You must hold out!" Li Banfeng also walked over to help them dig.
After digging for a moment, everyone turned to look at Li Banfeng.
"Your Highness, is that you?" Tie Baisheng was the first to speak.
"It's me," Li Banfeng nodded. "What are you all digging for?"
Everyone looked at one another in bewilderment. Banchiling wiped away her tears and hurriedly stepped forward to offer congratulations: "Your Highness is blessed with immense fortune!"
Tie Baisheng turned grief into joy. "I knew Your Highness would survive this tribulation!"
The crowd of dignitaries wiped away their tears in unison, offering congratulations to the City Master.
Only Ao Shuangqian and Yu Yunqiu couldn't stop their tears no matter how hard they tried.
"Not digging anymore?" Li Banfeng quietly watched Ao Shuangqian.
Ao Shuangqian sobbed twice. "Since Your Highness is safe and sound, there is naturally no need to dig."
"Then let's talk about serious business," Li Banfeng smiled. "You delivered your register yesterday. Have the bondservants been released?"
Ao Shuangqian sobbed for a good while before explaining, "Yesterday, your subordinate already informed the bondservants to seek their own livelihoods henceforth. However, their numbers are vast, and they cannot find somewhere to go on such short notice. Your subordinate had no place to settle them."
Li Banfeng said, "No matter. Those who cannot find a way to survive, have them come find me. I will settle them."
Ao Shuangqian lowered his head, not daring to say another word.
Li Banfeng then looked at Banchiling and Tie Baisheng. "You two also presented your registers yesterday. When do you plan to release your people?"
Banchiling glanced at Tie Baisheng, who answered, "Like Lord Ao, we will release our bondservants today."
Li Banfeng offered the two an appreciative smile, then turned his gaze to Yu Yunqiu. "Old Yu, you haven't delivered your register yet?"
Yu Yunqiu bowed his head. "It will be delivered today."
"Old Yu, do you know how to ride a horse?" Li Banfeng asked out of the blue, scaring the soul right out of Yu Yunqiu.
What did he mean by riding a horse?
It seemed the plot had been thoroughly exposed.
Even the Fire Cage Steed couldn't kill him—just how terrifying was this man's battle prowess?
With Li Qi right before his eyes, Yu Yunqiu feared he might take his life at any second.
Li Qi swept his eyes across the crowd. "Last night, someone set a horse loose in the imperial city. I found it quite interesting. I happen to love horse riding—I can ride five horses at once. If anyone fails to hand over their register today, they can come to the imperial city to accompany me on a ride."
That afternoon, the dignitaries delivered their documents one after another.
They were truly frightened.
A sudden fire in the imperial city was certainly no accident—everyone knew that much in their hearts.
Li Qi had been in the grand hall, the hall had been reduced to ashes, and yet Li Qi had emerged without a scratch. None of them could wrap their heads around it.
When confronted with something one cannot comprehend, do not overthink it, lest you be dragged into trouble. All the dignitaries understood this truth.
Surrendering the registers first satisfied appearances; as for whether the bondservants dared to leave, that was not something Li Qi could dictate.
Once the dignitaries handed over their registers, the gentry dared not drag their feet. The commoners, who had few bondservants to begin with, also submitted their registers.
By evening, Room Eight diligently sorted through the registers and tallied the numbers. Li Banfeng praised him, "Brother, fine work. I spoke with the red lotus and had her refine a puppet for you."
Stepping out of the companion dwelling, Zhao Xiaowan had already worked out how to use the three grade-one weapons. Madam warned once more, "Husband, if you push too hard, the nobles are bound to stir up grave trouble. This fire in the grand hall was likely just the beginning."
"Madam, no need to pay any heed to the nobles. They truly aren't the key."
"Husband, then what on earth is the key?"
Li Banfeng stood at the city gate, waiting late into the night until over a dozen worms came crawling toward the imperial city.
The worm leading at the front was named Shun, a bondservant of Yu Yunqiu's household.
"The key people are here," Li Banfeng muttered, quietly watching these dozen or so bondservants.
They hovered near the gate, not daring to approach.
Li Banfeng looked at the bondservants and spoke each word with deliberate weight: "If you lack the courage to come, I will lend you spine. But if you have no wish to come, no one can save you."
Chapter 725