Which Sweetheart Was That?

The peddler, his face charred and his hair smoking, pushed his cart forward. The cart was in no better shape: the axle was crooked, both wheels were nicked and chipped, and it wobbled as it rolled along. A'yi had shielded her face, leaving her looks unharmed, but her clothes were blown to tatters, barely covering her vitals. Critic had an injured leg, limping behind them and complaining the entire way. "Everything was progressing so smoothly at first! At least a third of the men in that camp had already been infected with the foci of my Oral Transmission and Mental Impartation. Who could have imagined an earthquake would suddenly strike—and who could have imagined that the earthquake was caused by you two! "I was running in an exceedingly difficult posture at the time. Thanks to that earthquake, I took a direct spill and injured my leg! "Many of my patients collapsed to the ground as well, which had a terrible impact on the disease's further transmission!" The peddler snapped impatiently, "You've been whining about this piddling nonsense the entire way! How was I supposed to know the explosives would pack such a punch?" Critic looked at A'yi. "He didn't know, but didn't you know either?" A'yi pondered carefully. "I added some new ingredients to the batch this time. It was a bit fiercer than what Li Qi used to blow up the sacrificial altar. To tell the truth, I really hadn't tested it before!" Critic grew angry. "Is this your attitude toward warfare? You brought an untested weapon onto such an important battlefield?" A'yi retorted defensively, "So what if it wasn't tested? As long as it worked, what's the problem?" Critic disagreed with her logic. "This isn't merely a matter of whether it works. It concerns safety and reliability! What if that blast had killed the peddler just now? Who would be the Lord of Puluo after that?" A'yi lowered her head, looking bashful. "I'm just a woman, and managing Hulu Village isn't easy, but if you were to toss Puluo Province on top of that, it wouldn't really be that big a deal." Critic shook his head. "Running two places at the same time is indeed too exhausting for one person. I think it would be more appropriate to entrust Puluo Province to me." A'yi was displeased. "What do you mean by that? Don't you still have to run Daogui Ridge?" Critic pointed out the distinction: "Daogui Ridge is part of Puluo Province, but Hulu Village is not. Managing both Puluo Province and Daogui Ridge simultaneously presents no contradiction; in fact, it's completely natural." A'yi saw no difference. "Herding one sheep is work, and grazing two is just as easy. I've got plenty of strength; I can make it natural too." Critic still felt he was the better fit. "Since the peddler is no longer with us, the choice of the next Lord of Puluo must be handled with utmost prudence. We must conduct a comprehensive comparison—" Clang! The peddler set down the handcart and turned back to look at them both. Critic slipped behind A'yi. "I was merely making a slightly improper analogy." The three entered Hulu Village, and A'yi first saw Critic off toward Daogui Ridge. Before parting, the peddler took out a medicine box containing six Xuanyun Pills. Critic took one out and handed it back to the peddler. "We agreed on five. You gave too many." The peddler waved his hand. "Keep it. Consider it compensation for the unexpected mishap." A'yi's explosives had triggered an earthquake, which truly had brought unexpected danger to Critic. Critic expressed his gratitude: "You are a fair man. Puluo Province's achievements today are thanks to your absolute fairness." The peddler shook his head. "There is no such thing as absolute fairness in this world. Can you ensure that Tufang's vanguard camp is completely wiped out?" Critic was very confident. "The vanguard camp is certainly finished. My original plan was to have the patients run to Moye City and share this precious focus of infection with every resident in the city. "But because of that unexpected accident, many patients were injured. Whether they can make it to Moye City remains unknown." Listening from the side, Qiu Luoye broke out in goosebumps. "Damn it, this foreign devil is clearly talking about slaughtering people, so how does he make it sound like treating an illness?" The peddler cautioned Critic, "Don't think that having pills makes you invulnerable. You've advanced too quickly. You'd better rein in your pace, lest you end up like your ancestral master." Critic smiled. "I believe I am different from him—fundamentally different." A'yi instructed A'yun to see their guest off, and Critic left Hulu Village for Daogui Ridge. Daogui Ridge was holding a grand sacrificial ceremony. Critic had already usurped the position of Ancestor of Disease Cultivators, and was now gradually claiming the identity of the Daolao God of War. This popular sentiment was far too precious. He would find other ways to compensate Li Qi, but he could not simply watch it go to waste. When the ceremony concluded, Critic, having absorbed his fill of popular sentiment, entered a cave. He drew a bucket of clear water and wiped down Lühuazi's body. Though Lühuazi was no longer the daolao ghosts' "Ancestor of Disease Cultivators," Critic still took meticulous care of his ancestral master. After washing the body, Critic trimmed his ancestral master's fingernails and chatted with him for a while: "Ancestral Master, I have good news for you. I have elevated our lineage to new heights. "The three techniques I created above the clouds have stabilized my status. Next, I will continue striving for higher realms. "There are two paths upward: one is the fourth tier above the clouds, and the other is beyond the clouds. I know you look down on the path beyond the clouds. I have decided to heed your words and trust your choice; I will advance to the fourth tier above the clouds. "This is a remarkable path, and a dream you could never realize in this lifetime. Now that I am fulfilling it for you, won't you take comfort in that?" Snip! A crisp snap sounded. Critic clipped off one of Lühuazi's fingernails. The fingernail was semicircular—any normal person's clipped nail would be semicircular. Lühuazi's clipped nail fell to the ground and suddenly began to grow rapidly, shifting from a semicircle into an oval, and gradually from an oval into a true circle. Watching the nail continually shift its shape, Critic suddenly clutched his left eye, green pus oozing from it. Lühuazi glared ferociously at Critic, a rasping laugh squeezing from his throat. "Ancestral Master, isn't it a bit early to laugh?" Critic sliced open a pustule on his palm and poured the pus into his own eye, pitting his own focus of infection against Lühuazi's. Five minutes later, writhing in agony, Critic collapsed to the floor. "You should have died long ago!" Lühuazi spoke. Though his voice was raspy, every word was crystal clear. Ten minutes later, Critic rose to his feet and revealed his left eye. The green pus was gone; white pus had blended into the white of his eye, shielding it. Critic had won; Lühuazi's infection was eliminated. Lühuazi stared at Critic with blood-red eyes. He wanted to lunge forward and fight to the death, but he could not shake off the afflictions binding his body. Critic picked up the fingernail from the floor. It was still a semicircle, but staring at it for too long caused its shape to distort. This was the method Lühuazi had used to ambush Critic, and it had nearly cost him his life. Critic found it fascinating. "Using changing shapes to infect an enemy with disease... Back when my cultivation was still at ground level, I used similar techniques, and quite skillfully at that. But after ascending above the clouds, I neglected this art. "Ancestral Master, my respect for you grows by the day. Who knew that even today, you would still be constantly learning and progressing? "I must study this technique thoroughly. Spreading infection through sight is a marvelous way to expand our lineage. Just imagine: if one day people could contract pestilence simply by laying eyes on a totem, what a wondrous world it would be!" Lühuazi gritted his teeth. "You will never see that day. You know nothing of cultivation. Cultivation demands slaughter." Critic chuckled. "I truly respect you, but alas, you fall far short when it comes to understanding our lineage. You have always treated disease merely as an instrument for killing. Cultivation at such a level could never bring you to the zenith of our Dao. "You were always looking for an excuse to slaughter everyone in Lüshuiwan. You found so many pretexts: you once said it was to reach the fourth tier above the clouds, and you said you were acting under orders from the Inner States. "In truth, those were all lies. Tell a lie long enough and you start believing it yourself; at times you even fooled the peddler. "Wiping out Lüshuiwan wouldn't actually have helped you much, would it? "The real reason you wanted to destroy Lüshuiwan so badly was that you had gone mad, wasn't it? "You don't love Disease Cultivation—you never have. You relied on disease to kill enemies, and you relied on disease to weed out the old and weak, making Lüshuiwan wealthy and powerful. But you never actually loved disease. "Straining with all your might along a Dao you despised ultimately drove you out of your mind!" Lühuazi's pupils contracted repeatedly, as though struck right in his vital spot, a wave of terror surging through his heart. Critic rinsed the towel and wiped Lühuazi's face once more. "Ancestral Master, that is where you and I differ. Your talent was so exceptional, yet you lacked love for our Dao. That destined you to achieve only limited heights. "I, on the other hand, truly love our lineage. I am willing to sacrifice every human in this world to our Dao. "Naturally, that does not include you. I will keep you around—leave you until the very end—so you can witness that glorious moment alongside me." Lühuazi averted his gaze, whether unwilling or afraid; he avoided looking directly into Critic's eyes. Having finished wiping Lühuazi's face, Critic thought of someone else. "Perhaps I should spare him as well. He has provided me with quite a lot of help, and one more person to witness that moment wouldn't hurt. Ancestral Master, do you know who that is?" *** On a bench in Huahu Park, Li Banfeng held the gold bar, speaking with A'yu. "I've settled things with her. She has already established the Boundary where you asked." Li Banfeng was delighted. "Where did she set the Boundary? Should I steer clear of it?" "You certainly should steer clear. The Boundary was placed at the newland exit of Tiemen Fort. From now on, the people of Tiemen Fort can no longer enter the newland." Li Banfeng was astonished. "Why put the Boundary so far away? Are we giving up Puluo Province's own newland altogether?" "Puluo Province? Newland?" A'yu pondered the terms. "I never considered the newland to be part of Puluo Province, and neither did she. In places that aren't Puluo Province, I cannot help. "Only the peddler thinks the newland falls within Puluo Province. You can ask him for help instead. Oh, I forgot to ask you—do you know the peddler?" "I do." Li Banfeng didn't deny it. How could a cultivator of his level not know the peddler? A'yu's voice gradually took on a sinister, ruthless edge. "Everything concerning me and her—where we are, our circumstances, and how I contact you—you must not tell the peddler, nor anyone else. Otherwise, you will never find me again. Do you understand?" Li Banfeng said, "What if I could find someone to rescue you? Could I disclose some information to him?" "No! You absolutely cannot tell anyone else." A'yu's tone turned gentle all of a sudden. "I am the foremost beauty in the world, and I'm waiting for you to save me. "I don't want anyone else coming for me. If you truly care for me, make some time to bring me something to eat." The voice in his mind vanished. Li Banfeng promptly contacted Teacher Song. "Please pass word to Brother Song and have him tell the residents of Tiemen Fort right away: do not approach the newland any longer. A Boundary has appeared at the entrance." Song Shu quickly relayed the message to Song Qianhun, then called Li Banfeng back. "Banfeng, I have some of the latest research on wormholes that I'd like to share with you. Could you come over to my place?" His wife was still modifying the Dark Bridge Cannon, and she indeed needed to study some theoretical knowledge. If going to the teacher's house was strictly for studying, Li Banfeng had no objection, but he feared she might harbor other intentions. For instance, ideas concerning the Brotherhood Alliance. While Li Banfeng hesitated over whether to decline, an extra path suddenly appeared beside the park, where a pretty young woman was waving to him. "Teacher, I'm a bit tied up right now. Let's discuss academic matters another day." Li Banfeng hung up the phone and trotted merrily along the path, following A'yun to Hulu Village. At A'yi's residence, the peddler produced a notebook. "This is a notebook left behind by Old Train. Consider it payment for this job." A'yi took the notebook and glanced through it, her smile turning sweeter. "Brother Peddler, if you ever have another good assignment like this, be sure to count me in!" "Count you in?" The peddler scoffed. "Good thing I ran fast! Any slower, and heaven knows what shape I'd have been blown into! You even wrecked my newly repaired cart!" "How big a deal is that?" A'yi patted her chest. "Leave the cart to me. I'll have it fixed for you by tomorrow." "By tomorrow?" The peddler looked at the wheels with an aching heart. "Battered like this, who knows how many tomorrows it'll take to fix! Next time something like this comes up, I'm taking Old Seven!" A'yi waved her hand dismissively. "Old Seven won't do. He only bought a tiny bit of explosives from me, not even enough for himself. How could he blow up a grain depot for you?" The peddler snorted. "If he couldn't blow it up, he could at least burn it down!" A'yi remained unconvinced. "How do you know he could burn down a grain depot? What have you ever seen him burn?" The peddler said, "I've seen him burn houses!" Li Banfeng walked over, lighter in hand. "Senior Brother, whose house are you talking about burning?" The peddler snapped, "Not my house, in any case!" Li Banfeng sat down next to the peddler and chided him, "I really have to say this: why can't you just stay put in Puluo Province instead of running around everywhere all day? Do you know what massive trouble has broken out these past few days?" The peddler grew even more incensed. "Where are your manners? Is that any way to speak to your senior brother?" Beside them, A'yi chimed in smugly, "We blew up Tufang's grain depot—a massive one!" Li Banfeng's eyes lit up. "How big?" A'yi was still calculating the dimensions in her head. Coming from an artisan cultivator background, she was particularly sensitive to measurements; she wouldn't speak casually unless the figures were accurate. The peddler offered an analogy instead: "Big enough to make Tufang grieve for years." Wasn't that a bit of an exaggeration? "Tufang is an entire country. Would they really grieve for years over a single grain depot?" A'yi poured a cup of tea for Li Banfeng. "Brother, you don't understand the situation. The people of Tufang aren't like the Shang people—they eat grain. But the Inner States have no sunlight, so their crop yields are low. Grain is exceedingly precious in Tufang." Li Banfeng recalled the newland. "The newland doesn't have sunlight either, yet Farming Cultivators can still harvest plenty of grain there." Qiu Luoye, who was more familiar with the Inner States, waved a hand. "The soil and climate are different. Puluo Province's seeds don't work once they reach the Inner States." Li Banfeng still didn't understand. "If grain is so precious, why don't the people of Tufang just eat coal like the Shang people do?" A'yi shook her head. "It's not that simple. The Shang people can consume coal because they poured generations of blood and sweat into devising potent techniques that modified their bloodlines to digest coal. "What's more, they have the Great Smelting Furnace, which can do countless things the people of Tufang couldn't dream of." Li Banfeng organized his thoughts. "If I recall correctly, both the people of Tufang and Shang have steam engines as their core, right? The Tufang people eat grain, so what drives their steam engines?" A'yi explained earnestly, "The core principle of a steam engine is simply using heat to boil water. Coal produces heat, and grain produces heat as well. But for the people of Tufang, grain provides not only thermal energy, but also other nutrients that sustain their lives." "Don't the Shang people need nutrients?" A'yi nodded. "They do. They must eat normal food too, just not in large quantities, because they can separate thermal energy from other nutrition. That's why the Shang people don't consume anywhere near as much grain." Having traveled between the Inner States, Outer States, and Puluo Province for years, A'yi possessed a great deal of knowledge, though Li Banfeng only half understood. Qiu Luoye told Li Banfeng not to overthink it. "She talks about this every single day—I'm sick of hearing it. I've had a table of wine and food prepared; let's eat and chat." Once the dishes and wine were served, A'yi felt something was missing. "Had I known, I would have kept that foreign devil around so we could celebrate together." Li Banfeng asked, "Which foreign devil?" "That Disease Cultivator!" "Critic went too?" "He sure did!" A'yi clutched a roast chicken, washing it down with wine, her tone laced with admiration. "That fellow can really fight! He wiped out Tufang's vanguard camp! If we could have taken Moye City with it, we'd have struck it rich." Li Banfeng let out a long breath. "If I'd known you were set on fighting, I wouldn't have had to endure so much scolding!" Qiu Luoye asked with concern, "Why did they scold you? Were those old fogies looking for an excuse to give you a hard time?" "Tufang sent over three hundred men to probe us, insisting on climbing Mount Bitter Fog. Old Xu and I slaughtered them all." Li Banfeng recounted the general sequence of events. A'yi downed a large bowl of wine and set it down. "Good kill! Anyone scolding you doesn't know right from wrong! Puluo Province has rules: pure-blooded Inner Staters aren't allowed to take a single step into Puluo Province. They sent that many people—how could that be tolerated?" Li Banfeng said, "It couldn't be tolerated, but with war breaking out between Shang and Tufang, Puluo Province ended up dragged into the mud by Qiao Yi. Thinking about that still pisses me off." The peddler shook his head. "We weren't dragged in by them. Even if we didn't enter the war, Tufang would never let Puluo Province off the hook. This fight was bound to happen sooner or later." Li Banfeng asked, "Why must Tufang fixate on Puluo Province?" "Because Puluo Province can genuinely hurt them." The peddler looked at Li Banfeng and chuckled. "Getting blamed naturally stings, but there's no helping it. When trouble arises, the tall ones are supposed to hold up the sky—and now, you've grown tall as well." "It doesn't sting that much. So long as Tufang hurts, I feel much better." Li Banfeng drank a bowl of wine and suddenly remembered something. "I need to make a trip to Shang State. Since we've already struck, we can't just let Qiao Yi watch from the sidelines. They have to fight too." The peddler chuckled. "Pay no mind to Qiao Yi. He has a sharp nose. In less than two days, Qiao Yi will deploy his troops, and he'll go for the kill. Tufang might not be able to withstand it this time." After the meal, Li Banfeng and the peddler strolled through the village. Li Banfeng was contemplating whether to tell the peddler about A'yu. The small gold bar had been placed inside the companion dwelling by Li Banfeng, and this was Hulu Village; beneath several layers of shielding, A'yu might not necessarily know. Yet what if she did? A'yu's Peep Cultivator techniques went beyond Li Banfeng's understanding. Could he afford to take this gamble right now? If the connection with A'yu was severed, many things would become difficult to resolve later. Even without speaking directly, he could drop an oblique hint. "Senior Brother, what's the background of that sister-in-law up in the clouds?" The peddler blinked. "Which sister-in-law do you mean?" "The one whose house I'm always setting fire to." The peddler was even more astonished. "You saw her?" Li Banfeng considered it. "In a manner of speaking." "What does she look like?" Li Banfeng stared at the peddler. "Where is this coming from? She's your sweetheart—could it be you've never seen her?" The peddler pinched his fingers, calculating the time. "I haven't seen her in many years." Li Banfeng didn't understand what he meant. "Don't you frequently stay on that cloud?" The peddler nodded. "I just walk up there and stroll around the house. I usually don't go inside. Did you enter?" "I did." "Where did you go in?" The two stared at each other for a moment, and the peddler produced his feather duster. Li Banfeng quickly added, "I never saw her face, only heard her voice. She's always sending me somewhere, and that place is in the Outer States." Having said this much, the peddler ought to understand. The peddler put away the feather duster and looked around. It was hard to tell whether he truly understood or not. He didn't mention that woman again, only instructing Li Banfeng, "Have your wife keep researching the Boundary. That is a matter of great importance." "Is researching that still of any use?" The peddler thought very highly of the Dark Bridge Cannon. "Some things are useless, but some are useful. The thing your wife is researching is extraordinarily useful. "Also, keep a close watch on the war. Regardless of whether Tufang or Shang emerges victorious, neither will let Puluo Province off the hook." The two walked for a while longer. The peddler looked at Li Banfeng. "You've truly grown tall, shouldering quite a lot. I have something to give you." The peddler took out a sheet of paper and handed it to Li Banfeng. It was a sheet of white paper folded in half. The inner faces were extremely sticky and adhered tightly together; Li Banfeng tugged at it for a while but couldn't peel it open. "What is this paper for?" "Old Train used it to blow his nose." Holding the paper between his thumb and forefinger to keep it as far away from himself as possible, Li Banfeng asked, "Are you telling me to keep this snot?" The peddler frowned. "This is good stuff, you blind ingrate! Take it back and let your family have a look. Someone is bound to understand it. Shan Chengjun tried to snatch this paper in the past, and even he failed to get it." *** A group of Shan Chengjun's subordinates escorted the Sage to Moye City. The Sage stood atop a sand dune outside the city, taking in a panoramic view of the conditions within. Moye City had already been sealed shut; no one inside could get out. Several people infected with pestilence were scurrying about the city with drooping arms and agape mouths. Many corpses littered the streets, decomposed and festering so severely that their contours were indistinguishable. The Demon Lord had assigned the Sage the mission of purging the plague within the city as swiftly as possible. The Sage looked back at Shan Chengjun. "I just had men investigate: roughly thirty percent of the city has perished from the pestilence, and the status of the remaining seventy percent is unknown. Beloved Minister Shan, I entrust this matter to your disposal." Shan Chengjun held the cart wheel, gazing at the yellow sand filling the sky, and then at the sprawling Moye City. "Hao Shouyi, add a few things to this for me." Shan Chengjun handed the wheel to the artisan cultivator Hao Shouyi, then commanded, "Teng Chuanchang, release poison into the city." The Poison Cultivator Teng Chuanchang was most obedient to Shan Chengjun. He simply asked, "What kind of poison?" Shan Chengjun replied, "Something lethal, and something that doesn't require you to step foot inside." Teng Chuanchang estimated Moye City's area and felt it would pose some difficulty. "Indoors, it should be able to claim lives, but outdoors the venom will scatter with the wind, making it hard to be effective." The Sage frowned. "Beloved Minister Shan, what is the purpose of this?" Shan Chengjun offered no explanation. "Your Majesty, simply listen to me." Teng Chuanchang approached the city walls, spread his sleeves, and released several dozen kingfishers. There was nothing unusual about the shapes of these kingfishers, though their color was vivid—a vibrant emerald green. Flying into the city, they darted back and forth among the buildings; whenever they spotted someone inside a dwelling, they spat a plume of emerald-green smoke within. The smoke carried a pungent, fishy, bitter stench. Upon smelling it, those with weaker constitutions died on the spot, while those of hardier stock rushed outside, retching uncontrollably. Shan Chengjun flew atop the city wall, stood upwind, and picked up the wheel. Hao Shouyi had attached a mount and a hand crank to the wheel, fitting blades onto its spokes. Gripping the crank, Shan Chengjun spun the wheel rapidly. The surrounding wind and sand shifted direction, sweeping through every street of Moye City in turn. Those fleeing into the streets were pierced through by the gale-driven sand, blood spraying across their bodies. The Sage flew into a fury, shouting at the onlookers, "Quickly, stop him!" No one dared to stop Shan Chengjun, nor could anyone have halted him. After about half an hour, Moye City fell silent. Shan Chengjun approached Teng Chuanchang and instructed, "Release more poison. Not a single living soul must be left." The Sage glared daggers at Shan Chengjun. Shan Chengjun remained calm and bowed. "Your Majesty, the Ruler of Tufang called upon us to handle this precisely for this result. "If so much as one infected soul walks out of this city, it could very well cost tens of thousands more lives. "Tufang botched this themselves and doesn't want to bear the infamy, so they dumped this scapegoat's pot onto our backs. It's bad enough that we must carry the blame; did you expect us to look pretty while carrying it?"