"Li Qi, you have no idea how deep my roots run in the Shang State! To pluck one hair is to shake the entire body! If you wish to maintain a foothold here in the future, you had better not lay a finger on me!"
"Brother Yu, had you told me earlier how deep your roots run, I wouldn't have hanged you. I would have buried you alive."
"I possess endless riches! Spare my life, and they are all yours!"
"Brother Yu, you underestimate me. Even if I don't spare your life, those riches will still be mine!"
Li Banfeng hanged Yu Yunqiu before the gates of the Imperial City, and his lady took the opportunity to harvest his soul.
His corpse could not be sent back to his family just yet; it had to hang out here to air, visible to many pairs of eyes.
Returning inside the Imperial City, Li Banfeng and Ba Suan worked together to calculate Ao Shuangqian's escape route. His lady shielded the palace hall from outside eavesdropping and said to Li Banfeng, "Something happened with the projector. He can concoct pills now."
Li Banfeng could not help but marvel. "Ah Ji's art has finally blossomed. When Glove asked me for the key earlier, he said he'd found an elixir pill. I thought he just picked one up somewhere."
The glove wagged its index finger. "Boss, the projector really refined it himself. The quality is remarkably fine."
Li Banfeng nodded. "Since Ah Ji refined it himself, let him eat it."
The glove praised, "The boss is truly generous!"
His lady felt somewhat helpless, unsure whether Li Banfeng was joking or in earnest. "It is not a matter of who gets to eat it. A projector concocting pills simply defies all reason."
Li Banfeng did not see it that way. "The projector's wither technique originally bore some resemblance to how Red Lotus eats."
Zhao Xiaowan had never paid attention to that detail. She knew the projector possessed a wither technique, but she had rarely seen him use it.
Li Banfeng had seen it many times. "In fact, I suspected long ago that he could refine pills. It's just that this pill came a bit late."
The glove pondered this and found it made sense. "That boy has eaten quite a few good things. How come he only spat out a single pill?"
Li Banfeng showed understanding. "When the projector eats, he can't possibly turn everything into pills. He needs to grow, too. This time he just stuffed himself full, so a pill came out."
The glove nodded. "The boss is right. Living under the same roof, who doesn't have a little selfishness? As the saying goes, 'If the cook doesn't steal, the harvest will fail!'"
The two brothers burst out laughing. Zhao Xiaowan remarked, "Then let us properly calculate just how much the cook has stolen."
Li Banfeng waved his hand. "No need to fuss over it. How many mouthfuls could our Ah Ji possibly steal?"
The glove chimed in beside him. "What the boss says is right. We're all our own people. Who cares about that?"
"Dearest husband, your humble servant was not speaking of Ah Ji."
The glove stopped laughing. "The mistress must mean Red Lotus, right? She's been sneaking bites every meal for years. Adding it all up, it must be quite a sum."
Li Banfeng turned solemn. "Now that you mention it, I remember. Red Lotus has such an appetite, and she really has grown a lot fatter over the years."
The glove asked seriously, "Has she really gotten fatter? I've never touched her anyway!"
Li Banfeng thought back carefully. "I think she is fatter. Back when I carried her from the Outer States to Puluo Province, she was light, but now I can barely lift her!"
The glove and Li Banfeng laughed together again.
After their laughter subsided, the two turned serious once more. Li Banfeng asked, "Did the projector learn his wither technique from Red Lotus?"
The glove stood before Li Banfeng, raising its index finger. "Boss, the projector figured out his wither technique entirely on his own. I can testify to that. Back then, he missed a meal, got terribly upset, and spent every day in Room Five studying techniques with Wu Niang. There was indeed a bit of estrangement between him and the boss. But to say he'd go behind the boss's back and collude with Red Lotus over that—I don't believe it. None of our brothers would do such a thing!"
What the glove said held water, and Li Banfeng trusted the projector as well. But the matter did not sit easy with his lady.
Red Lotus's refining power was coveted by all under heaven. If the projector could grasp such a formidable technique all on his own, how could Red Lotus maintain her supreme value?
Zhao Xiaowan knew Li Banfeng never harbored suspicions against those around him. Since she could not put it too bluntly, she kept her thoughts to herself for the time being.
While Li Banfeng was still discussing how to track Ao Shuangqian with the glove, the glove produced a cage. "Boss, this is a fine piece. I don't know how to use it, but I can tell it's worth a fortune. Something so valuable definitely didn't belong to any ordinary person. As long as the boss makes him talk, we might find Ao Shuangqian's whereabouts."
Li Banfeng praised, "Brother, when you do things, my heart is always at ease. This horse looks a bit familiar."
His lady said, "It is familiar. That's the horse that set fire to the grand hall the other night!"
"A fine piece indeed," Li Banfeng smiled. "This one must be taken back for a proper interrogation."
Just as Li Banfeng was about to carry the cage back into the companion dwelling, Banfeng Zi silently slipped under his feet.
He presented everything he had seen and heard, scene by scene, before Li Banfeng's eyes.
Li Banfeng set down the cage and turned a grave gaze upon Zhao Xiaowan. "Lady, where did Wu Niang go?"
The gramophone spoke: "She is lying in ambush near the shipyard. I sent her there. She's meticulous and has sharp eyes. Did she capture Ao Shuangqian?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "Yes, she caught him."
His lady asked, "Did she take him alive? A corpse would do as well."
Ao Shuangqian, like Yu Yunqiu, could deal Xiaodu a tremendous shock.
"Alive or not is hard to say, but a corpse certainly wasn't left behind." Li Banfeng glanced at the projector and said to Zhao Xiaowan, "Lady, if I told you Wu Niang has also learned the wither technique, would you believe it?"
The glove was stunned. This was far too easy to explain: "He was researching techniques with Wu Niang at the time, but... surely Wu Niang didn't teach it to him, did she?"
His lady was not surprised in the least; certain threads were gradually connecting. "Precious husband, do not breathe a word of this. When you return home, act as though nothing happened, and leave it to your humble servant to handle."
Li Banfeng said, "I'll leave domestic matters to you, Lady. But as for outside affairs, I still need to inquire thoroughly. The origin of this Brotherhood Alliance is rather intriguing. If He Jiaqing is merely a member, then who in the world is the head of the Brotherhood Alliance?"
***
He Jiaqing had just finished his shift, leaving Wenyuan Pavilion to find a place to rest.
Over the past several days, he had lingered around Wenyuan Pavilion, adopting several different identities and standing guard alongside the sentries every day, all to steal the covenant deeds.
The deeds were hidden in the Unnameable Land. He Jiaqing had visited twice before and was intimately familiar with the route, but the lock on the door had been changed, and he could not pick it no matter how he tried.
This was only to be expected. He Jiaqing had already burgled the place twice; if Qiao Yi still hadn't switched to a better lock, it would have been a laughingstock.
Yet no matter how good the lock, whatever He Jiaqing set his sights on, he would steal back.
Throwing caution to the wind, he simply took up residence in Wenyuan Pavilion.
Although the Unnameable Land could not be unlocked, the personnel guarding inside surely had to rotate shifts. During the shift change, an opportunity to slip inside would present itself.
Yet after waiting all these days, he saw no one rotating shifts. Could it be that no one was stationed inside the Unnameable Land anymore?
Perhaps whatever guarded the place was not human, but something else entirely.
He Jiaqing continued to wait. The court could not simply ignore these covenant deeds; they would definitely send someone to inspect them.
His guess proved right. Qiao Yi did indeed wish to send someone to check on the deeds. He still owed Li Banfeng ten pairs of covenant deeds, and for every ten days of delay, another pair had to be added.
However, those deeds required careful selection, and Qiao Yi had not yet found the time to attend to the matter.
As the saying went, if you can't afford clothes, don't pine for a hat; if you can't afford trousers, don't yearn for socks.
He had far too many matters to manage, leaving him frazzled from morning till night.
That morning, "Three-headed Qiao Yi" had been besieged by the ministers in the court hall.
The primary cause of this onslaught stemmed from Xiaodu. Word had spread that Li Banfeng had abolished the bondservant system there.
Those who spread the news were half fugitive nobles from Xiaodu and half the Luo sisters' publicity efforts.
Several ministers cornered "Three-headed Qiao Yi" in the hall, refusing to let him leave.
"Xiaodu is the ancient capital of Great Shang! How can it be enfeoffed to an outsider?"
"Bondservitude is the ancestral system of Great Shang! How can it be abolished so lightly?"
"Li Qi acts with reckless abandon! Bondservants across the land are rising in revolt, and countless numbers are fleeing to Xiaodu! If this is not dealt with swiftly, the very foundations of our state will crumble!"
There were many other arguments, but the third was the crux of the matter.
Ancestral systems and ancient capitals were mere pretexts on the surface, but bondservants were actively fleeing toward Xiaodu—including bondservants from the ministers' own fiefs. This was a palpable financial loss, one they truly could not stomach.
Nor was it an exaggeration. Xiaodu's abolition of bondservitude threw all of the Shang State into a panic. Its impact far exceeded the incident at the sacrificial altar of Bo City, genuinely threatening to shake the foundations of the Shang State.
"Three-headed Qiao Yi" offered no response, nor could he. He was Xi Zhaofu in disguise.
Yet because he did not respond, the ministers refused to let him leave, forcing Xi Zhaofu to endure it with gritted teeth.
Being cursed out by a few ministers was one thing, but several members of the imperial clan rushed forward and threw punches, subjecting Xi Zhaofu to a sound beating.
Fortunately, Nian Shangyou hailed from a martial background and possessed excellent combat skills, successfully rescuing Xi Zhaofu.
Returning to the mansion and seeing the real Qiao Yi, Xi Zhaofu wept. "I am resolutely not attending tomorrow's court assembly!"
Qiao Yi fumed, "If you don't go, who will?"
Xi Zhaofu was the double arranged by Li Banfeng, bound by a signed covenant deed.
Qiao Yi could neither harm him nor throw him out; he could only use him. After great effort to train him into a convincing figure over this period, having him quit now left Qiao Yi with nowhere else to find a replacement.
Yet Xi Zhaofu refused to yield, shedding his official robes and wailing at the top of his lungs.
When force failed, Qiao Yi turned to gentle persuasion, speaking with mild words: "Worthy brother, conflict is unavoidable in the court. As a minister of state, who does not suffer grievances? Certain things need not be taken to heart; brush them off with perfunctory words, and it will pass."
Xi Zhaofu wiped his tears and said, "You tell me then, how exactly am I supposed to brush them off?"
"Didn't I teach you the art of perfunctory replies?"
Qiao Yi had indeed taught him, putting great thought into tailoring responses for different types of governmental affairs. They committed to no substantive action yet displayed just enough attitude—each character carrying profound subtlety.
Xi Zhaofu, however, was not buying it. "None of what you taught is of any use! They hit me! How do you expect me to brush off a beating?"
Qiao Yi sighed. "That vulgar habit truly must be corrected. Ministers brawling in the imperial court—what kind of decorum is that? Worthy brother, at tomorrow's assembly, a decree must be promulgated. You must prepare thoroughly."
"I won't prepare, and I won't go!" Xi Zhaofu was truly enraged.
"Worthy brother, do not act on impulse—" Qiao Yi coaxed him for over an hour before finally placating him.
The decree to be promulgated this time was indeed vital: Qiao Yi intended to dispatch troops to fortify the Tufang border.
Whenever autumn arrived, Tufang would raid the Shang State, which had become a regular convention between the two realms.
In the past, so long as it wasn't excessive, they were allowed to pillage.
This time, however, was different; Qiao Yi intended to deploy troops in advance.
Having impersonated Qiao Yi for so long, Xi Zhaofu had gained some political acumen. After reading the decree, he could not help but grow anxious. "Are you looking to start a war?"
Qiao Yi nodded. "Tufang has bullied us too far. We must cross swords with them."
Xi Zhaofu shook his head. "How could I dare announce such a decree? Wouldn't that just be waiting to get beaten to death?"
Qiao Yi said, "Rest assured. Among the ministers, few will oppose this decree, while quite a few will support it."
"What is the logic in that?"
It was not something easily explained. Regarding their stance toward Puluo Province and the Outer States, factions were split between hawks and doves, and the same applied to Tufang. With intersecting factions, the situation was exceedingly complex.
Qiao Yi had no intention of explaining it to Xi Zhaofu. "You need not understand the reasoning behind it. In a few days, I will go meet Prince Pingyuan. He will certainly agree with my stance."
Hearing that Li Qi was involved, Xi Zhaofu naturally paid attention.
He had no choice but to take it seriously; a signed covenant bound him to Li Qi.
Qiao Yi imparted all the essential points of the decree to Xi Zhaofu, who went off to practice on his own.
Nian Shangyou reminded him, "My lord, when meeting Li Qi, one cannot go empty-handed."
The thought brought a pang of distress to Qiao Yi's heart, but distress served no purpose.
He produced a name list. "This is a roster I drew up based on prior intelligence reports. Due to the rush, it has not been carefully weighed. Take it and verify it first."
Nian Shangyou hurriedly took the roster. To be entrusted with verifying a list drawn up by Qiao Yi himself was a mark of immense regard and trust.
Qiao Yi instructed further, "If the verification shows no errors, gather the covenant deeds within three days and accompany me to Xiaodu."
Nian Shangyou pressed his lips together, speechless for a long time.
How was this mere verification?
Giving him only three days to gather the covenant deeds was effectively sending him out to kill people.
Nian Shangyou scrutinized the roster. Fortunately, the targets were individuals relatively loyal to the Shang State, making them comparatively easy to strike. Had they encountered rebels, he might not have managed to kill even one in three days.
Qiao Yi assigned over a dozen assistants to Nian Shangyou, and Nian Shangyou set off for Puluo Province that very day.
Three days later, Nian Shangyou returned carrying ten halves of covenant deeds. Qiao Yi inspected them, confirmed their authenticity, and sent Nian Shangyou to Wenyuan Pavilion to retrieve the corresponding matching halves.
When Nian Shangyou arrived at Wenyuan Pavilion, He Jiaqing was patrolling the courtyard. He could not afford to miss such a golden opportunity.
Slipping a bracelet onto his wrist, he trailed silently behind Nian Shangyou into the library. Though Nian Shangyou had over a dozen attendants at his side, not one noticed He Jiaqing.
This bracelet was a magical treasure rooted in Home Cultivation, which He Jiaqing had bought at great expense before coming to the Inner States.
Inside the library, Nian Shangyou took ten covenant deeds, turned, and left, after which the Unnameable Land locked shut once more.
He Jiaqing remained inside. In the brief interval of its opening and closing, he had deciphered the mechanism to unlock it. Once Nian Shangyou was gone, He Jiaqing began scouring for covenant deeds.
His earlier deduction had been correct: the reason shifts were never changed was that no living guard watched over the deed archive at all.
Now he was the only soul left in the library, yet he dared not lower his guard. Hidden traps and mechanisms were bound to lurk here.
The names of the thirteen local spirits were etched into his memory. He was familiar with Wenyuan Pavilion's sorting methods, and combined with his talents as a Thief Cultivator, locating these deeds was no difficult task.
He found Liu Bufei's deed first. But the instant his fingers grazed the iron token, a chilling sensation struck his back. A pointed blade drove in from behind his heart, its tip bursting out through his chest.
What kind of mechanism was this, so thoroughly concealed?
Qiao Yi had paid special attention to these thirteen covenant deeds, assigning a first-grade weapon specifically to guard them.
This first-grade weapon recognized no one except Qiao Yi. Even if Nian Shangyou had touched one of these thirteen deeds just now, the weapon would have slain him without hesitation.
Worst of all, this weapon possessed Home Cultivator attributes. A Home Cultivator defending his dwelling possessed not only terrifying combat prowess but also a natural counter against Thief Cultivators. Caught completely off guard, He Jiaqing was critically wounded on the spot.
The blade twisted amidst his internal organs. He Jiaqing could faintly sense a man standing behind him, yet could not pinpoint his exact location.
He attempted to use the skill Replacing Pillars with Rotten Timber to break free from the man's blade, but several attempts ended in failure.
The blade clung to He Jiaqing's flesh, impossible to shake off.
Unless the thief died, this first-grade weapon would never relent.
He Jiaqing's consciousness gradually dimmed, his eyes still fixed on Liu Bufei's deed.
What to do?
What could he do if he couldn't dislodge the blade?
Clutching the deed, He Jiaqing's eyes rolled back, and he slumped limp onto the floor, devoid of breath.
The thief had died; the first-grade weapon stayed its hand.
This first-grade weapon was indeed a man of average build and ordinary features, possessing virtually no distinguishing traits.
After a minute or so of waiting, a slit over an inch long cracked open across He Jiaqing's abdomen.
The first-grade weapon looked on, unmoved. Toward one already dead, it would make no reaction whatsoever.
The fissure grew larger and multiplied, splitting downward to his toes and upward to the crown of his head.
The first-grade weapon continued to stand in silence.
He Jiaqing's body shattered completely, and another He Jiaqing crawled out from the ruptured shell.
He was not dead. Just moments ago, he had invoked the Thief Cultivator technique Cicada Turns to Pupa, forming a layer of shed husk over his body. Once pupated, he was indistinguishable from a corpse.
Now, invoking Cicada Sheds Its Carapace, he wriggled free of the husk.
His wounds lingered, leaving his footsteps unsteady.
Not bad. His journey had not been in vain; at least he had secured Liu Bufei's deed.
Clutching the deed, He Jiaqing headed for the door. Two rows of shelves later, he stopped dead in his tracks.
He saw Xin Rushuang's covenant deed.
Xin Rushuang was also one of the thirteen local spirits. Should he take her deed as well?
He Jiaqing looked toward the man standing by the wall, calculating rapidly.
If he touched another deed, would it trigger that first-grade weapon again?
Probably not.
The weapon had already struck once, and now that it was convinced the thief was dead, it shouldn't act a second time.
Besides, even if it wished to strike, he could keep his eye on it. He Jiaqing was a Thief Cultivator above the clouds, possessing absolute confidence in his vision.
Employing his Nimble Hands, He Jiaqing snatched Xin Rushuang's deed at once.
The cold iron token settled in his grip, and instantly, his chest turned equally ice-cold.
The man by the wall was gone.
He Jiaqing had miscalculated. Touching the deed a second time earned him a second stab.
This wound landed right beside the first, the blade once more lodged deep inside, churning within the flesh.
Blackness overtook He Jiaqing's vision, and he collapsed to the floor.
Ten minutes later, the Unnameable Land swung open. Nian Shangyou stepped inside, followed by a disguised Qiao Yi.
The moment the first-grade weapon was triggered, Qiao Yi received word. He immediately inspected the thirteen covenant deeds. Having checked them, he would no longer need to worry about the deeds in the future.
For all thirteen deeds had been stolen—not a single one remained.
Qiao Yi was now deeply worried for the local spirits. He immediately ordered Nian Shangyou to contact Shu Wanjuan to ensure the safety of those thirteen spirits at all costs.
Just who had stolen the deeds?
Nian Shangyou saw no bloodstains, nor any traces of a struggle.
He saw the first-grade weapon standing quietly in the library.
It seemed as though it had never moved, the blade in its hand spotless.
Who possessed such sublime skill to steal the deeds right under its nose?
***
Outside the First Wall, He Jiaqing collapsed onto a heap of coal, gasping for breath.
There were thirteen holes in his body.
He had utilized thirteen layers of the Cicada Turns to Pupa technique, taking a full thirteen stabs, every single blow landing on a vital point.
After stealing the thirteen deeds, He Jiaqing had employed the Thief Cultivator technique Fire Dies, Smoke Clears to erase every trace, paying particular care to obliterate his own blood.
Erasing his blood prevented tracking and guarded against the curses of the Inner States.
He Jiaqing tried to rise from the coal heap, but his body possessed no strength.
He could not linger here long; this coal served as sustenance for the people of the Inner States.
He Jiaqing knew their habits. While they could consume rice, fruit, vegetables, wine, and tea, their staple food consisted of coal and grease.
Once people from the Inner States came to haul provisions, He Jiaqing would certainly be exposed. He had to leave the coal heap as soon as possible.
He drew out the thirteen covenant deeds and counted them meticulously. With every number he tallied, his mind regained a fraction of clarity.
"A profitable venture," He Jiaqing coughed up a mouth full of bloody foam, yet still managed a laugh. "Brotherhood Alliance, how many lifetimes of good karma did you amass to find me? Entrusting the name of the Brotherhood Alliance to me was the best deal you ever made!"
***
Inside the companion dwelling, Zhao Xiaowan stroked Wu Niang's cheek and praised, "Look how charming this girl is. Sister Red Lotus has made so many puppets, but Wu Niang turned out the prettiest."
Luo Yuni leaned close to Zhao Xiaowan, swishing her skirt. "Madam, don't you think I'm pretty?"
Zhao Xiaowan smiled without speaking. Jiu Niang, who was braiding Hong Ying's hair, glanced at Red Lotus and complimented, "Pretty, everyone is pretty. Red Lotus's craft is indeed superb."
Hong Ying gave a cold snort. "No matter how fine the craftsmanship, in the end, it's not your own body."
Zhao Xiaowan sighed. "We cannot compare to you. Having a puppet body at least gives our hearts something to anchor onto. Sister Red Lotus, please trouble yourself to make a few more."
Red Lotus unfurled her lotus leaves and said, "Easy enough. I ate my fill this meal, so making a few more is no trouble."
It was rare for Red Lotus to be so generous. Zhao Xiaowan said, "Very well then. We shall reward everyone according to their merits and make one for each in turn. Glove has earned no small merit, so he should be first."
The glove wagged its index finger. "I thank the mistress for her kind intentions, but I don't care to assume human form just yet. Being a glove suits me fine—nimble and handy for getting work done. If the day comes when I wish to become human, I'll consult the mistress then."
"Ingrate! By the time you wish to become human, Sister Red Lotus might not care to serve you," Zhao Xiaowan rolled her eyes at the glove. "Brother Ah Ji, do you want a human body?"
The projector's lights flickered as he considered the question earnestly. "Madam, I still wish to explore further along the path of art."
"Go explore at your leisure then, a bunch of ungrateful things," the gramophone grumbled, then looked toward the wine gourd. "Sister Gourd, you possess the finest figure in our household. Would you like a puppet?"
The gourd chuckled. "Elder Sister flatters me. How could my figure ever compare to yours? In all of Wansheng Province, there isn't a single soul with a finer figure than Elder Sister's."
Everyone froze.
Zhao Xiaowan asked, "What place is Wansheng Province?"
"What Wansheng Province?" The gourd blinked in surprise as well. "A slip of the tongue! I meant Puluo Province, and Elder Sister misheard me. Since Elder Sister was thoughtful enough to offer, I'll shamelessly accept. I want this puppet."
"Splendid!" Zhao Xiaowan raised her voice. "The one in Room Seven, do you want a body?"
The occupant of Room Seven replied, "Since Madam speaks of rewarding merit, and I have done nothing to deserve reward, I shall pass."
Zhao Xiaowan said, "You have rendered quite a few services recently."
"Have I?" Room Seven's tone dripped with disdain. "Merely helping Madam discern a single weapon is hardly of consequence. I truly cannot accept this reward."
Ba Suan quietly advised, "Brother, don't be so stubborn."
Zhao Xiaowan smiled. "Identifying that radio was indeed a tremendous help to my husband. Do accept this puppet body."
Room Seven remained unyielding, unwilling to grant Zhao Xiaowan even this much face. "I cannot accept it. I truly am unworthy."
Hong Ying put down her powder puff and walked toward Room Seven. "It seems we've been treating you far too courteously of late."
Chapter 729