Covered in cuts and bruises, the Sage huddled in the corner, looking up at Shan Chengjun.
"Beloved Minister Shan, this is merely a fleeting misunderstanding between ruler and subject. Why must it come to this?"
Shan Chengjun chuckled, strode forward, and began chatting with the Sage, slapping him across the face with every sentence he spoke.
"Who's your beloved minister? Who's ruler and subject with you? If I hadn't saved you, Qiao Yi would've hung your severed head over the walls of Chaoge long ago!
"Back outside, you couldn't hold onto your realm and let the peddler thrash you all the way to Jianren Mound.
"A vile wretch like you truly belonged on Jianren Mound, yet you couldn't even defend that, hounded right back to Chaoge by daolao ghosts. Speaking of which, what a bloody joke—you brought those daolao ghosts upon yourself! You had Chu Shaoqiang move Daogui Ridge right to your doorstep. Tell me, how shameless can one man be?
"Once back in Chaoge, you were still good-for-nothing. How many in court actually took you seriously?
"When Li Qi entered the Triple City, you finally started panicking, rounded up a few worthless scoundrels, and ran off to risk your life fighting Qiao Yi.
"If you'd actually had the guts to fight, I'd have granted you had a spine. But before Qiao Yi even struck with full force, those pathetic underlings of yours scrambled away in terror, and you ran even faster than them!
"I held Qiao Yi off, fished your miserable life back from the brink, brought you to Tufang, and called you 'Your Majesty' at every turn. And today your imperial wrath flares up, and you try to do away with me?
"You call that imperial majesty? What kind of dragon are you supposed to be? Do you even call that a face? Do you have any face left?"
Shan Chengjun slapped him left and right with alternating hands, striking the Sage across the face countless times until it truly ceased to look like a face, the skin nearly flayed clean off.
"Beloved Minister, We were in the wrong. We are willing to issue an edict of self-reproach, willing to confer upon you the title of Equal-to-the-Crown Prince—"
Shan Chengjun spat right in the Sage's face. "'We'? 'Equal-to-the-Crown Prince'? What bloody good is any title you bestow? You're nothing but a stray dog yourself, and you want to enfeoff me as a prince? You really take me for some peasant from Jianren Mound?"
The Sage hung his head. "Chengjun, regarding this matter, whatever you decide, I will obey. Just spare my life."
"Now that sounds like human speech." Shan Chengjun hauled the Sage up, stuffed him into a burlap sack, and stepped out of the residence.
Arriving at Hao Craftsmanship's residence, Shan Chengjun set the sack down. "Can you modify this thing for me?"
Hao Craftsmanship opened the sack. Seeing that the person inside was the Sage, he showed a flicker of surprise.
Once the surprise passed, he looked up and asked Shan Chengjun, "How do you want him modified?"
Shan Chengjun gave it some thought. "Able to speak and move, obedient, and not causing trouble."
Hao Craftsmanship pondered for a moment, then suddenly noticed the Sage channeling a technique. "I think he's already quite a handful right now—"
Shan Chengjun felt along the Sage's back, and the vertebrae shattered completely under his touch. The Sage's expression smoothed out in an instant. Shan Chengjun wiped his hands and said to Hao Craftsmanship, "I'll leave the rest to you."
He trusted Hao Craftsmanship; he had been willing to entrust the peddler's cart wheels to Hao Craftsmanship, let alone a mere Sage.
There was plenty more to do, but the most pressing matter at hand was seeing the Demon Lord as soon as possible. He had to offer the Demon Lord some alternative counsel.
After seeing the Demon Lord, he also needed to contact Shu Wanjuan; the two of them had much to discuss as well.
***
Following Qiao Yi's orders, Shu Wanjuan delivered a batch of anomalies to the newland. The local deities of the thirteen parcels came out one after another to receive them, every single one putting on a flawless act.
Shu Wanjuan was genuinely curious: Where had He Jiaqing found so many Opera Cultivators?
Or perhaps some of them weren't Opera Cultivators at all, but ordinary people bearing Opera Cultivator treasures. Still, He Jiaqing's work was undeniably thorough. The one impersonating Liu Bufei not only looked the part, but his mannerisms and speech fit the identity so well that even Shu Wanjuan found him convincing.
Once the anomalies were settled, He Jiaqing made his appearance. "Marquis, trifling matters such as this should hardly require your personal attention."
What He Jiaqing said was reasonable enough; given Shu Wanjuan's status, distributing anomalies was indeed beneath him.
Shu Wanjuan replied with measured poise: "Thunder and rain, wind and dew—all are the sovereign's grace. Since this is an assignment from the imperial court, as a subject, I must dedicate my full efforts without picking and choosing."
He Jiaqing nodded repeatedly. "Though I am no subject of the court, I have received plenty of imperial grace as well, and I am filled with gratitude toward the court."
That remark left Shu Wanjuan speechless with fury for a long moment.
Factually, that was true: He Jiaqing indeed received the court's favors—the court had delivered anomalies to him and would send land reclaimers in the days to come. Yet in principle, it was nothing of the sort; these favors had been stolen by him.
Angry as he was, Shu Wanjuan could not afford to fall out with He Jiaqing just yet. After chatting for a few moments, Shu Wanjuan received a message from Shan Chengjun, made an excuse, and departed from the newland.
Not long after Shu Wanjuan left, Big Head arrived at the parcel and reported to He Jiaqing on the progress of recruiting new members for the Brotherhood Alliance.
He Jiaqing was displeased. "Recruiting for so many days, and we don't even have half the required hands. Who knows what Shen Rongqing spends her days busy with?"
Big Head was anxious on He Jiaqing's behalf as well. "Let me go help her. I happen to have some free time lately."
He Jiaqing refused. "You can't shoulder everything alone. When you have spare time, tend to your own territory more and earn back some human presence. Now that you're above the clouds, you must redouble your cultivation. We brothers will have to face many formidable enemies in the future."
Speaking of human presence, Big Head had an idea: "Ma Chunting spent heavily hiring a lot of hands to reclaim land in the newland. Quite a few who failed at reclamation lost their livelihoods. I was thinking of hiring them over first."
It was indeed a solid idea.
Ma Chunting had staked his entire family fortune to reclaim land for Ma Chenxing. But once hired land reclaimers failed, no further reclamation could be attempted within a hundred li. Having lost their business, these workers could not find other employment right away, making hiring them quite suitable.
Even so, He Jiaqing remained somewhat uneasy. "It's best our affairs don't get tangled up with the Ma family. Ma the Fifth is sharp-witted; getting involved with him might leak confidential matters.
"If only we had those three-headed people in his service. I visited his territory the other day, and he's already reclaimed more than half of the parcel he just acquired."
Big Head thought for a moment. "What if I add some coin and try to hire some three-headed people from him?"
He Jiaqing shook his head repeatedly. "That won't work. Those three-headed people are fiercely loyal; you won't be able to hire them, and doing so would offend Li Qi.
"Because of the war, Li Qi's eyes are already bloodshot with rage. Whatever you do, don't look for trouble with him at this critical juncture. When Tufang sent emissaries to Bitter Fog Mountain, he butchered them without hesitation. Is there anything that man won't do?"
Big Head nodded. "Understood. I'll do my best to steer clear of Li Qi and Ma the Fifth."
In He Jiaqing's view, Big Head certainly needed to steer clear. Yet watching helplessly from the sidelines left him feeling dissatisfied, as though he were losing out on something.
"Ma the Fifth treats the three-headed people on his territory very well, and they are deeply grateful to him. What a waste of all that human presence."
Big Head was confused. "What does human presence have to do with gratitude? Isn't human presence just about headcount?"
He Jiaqing said, "You don't understand. There is a special kind of human presence that depends not just on headcount, but on sincere heart and devotion. That kind of human presence is extraordinarily precious."
***
"It's precisely this kind of human presence that will be of immense use once gathered." Li Banfeng held up the sunflower disk and plucked eight miniature idols from it.
This sunflower had been planted on Ma the Fifth's newland and nurtured for quite a while. Among the eight idols, five belonged to Li Qi, born of the three-headed people's gratitude for his saving their lives.
The other three belonged to Ma the Fifth, because he truly treated them well: he paid high wages, and provided living conditions beyond anything they had ever dreamed of before.
Holding his idols, Ma the Fifth asked, "Old Seven, how do I use these?"
Li Banfeng asked, "How long until you ascend above the clouds?"
Ma the Fifth had been brooding over this as well. "By my own reckoning, I can reach the ninth tier by the end of the month. But according to Big Brother Qiu, for half a year before ascending above the clouds, one cannot indulge in pleasure."
Li Banfeng asked gravely, "Not even a little?"
Ma the Fifth nodded. "Not even taking matters into my own hands."
Li Qi encouraged him, "Then you must hold out no matter what!"
Ma the Fifth shook his head outright. "No need to even consider it; I definitely can't do it. Half a year? I couldn't last half a month. Looks like I'm just not fated for above the clouds in this lifetime."
Li Qi pondered for a moment, then offered Ma the Fifth an idea: "What if you cut it off? Would you be able to hold out then?"
Ma the Fifth paled in horror. "Don't you dare joke about that! What point would there be in living?"
Li Banfeng returned to the companion dwelling to ask the Madame if she had heard of anything similar.
The Madame shook her head. "Your humble servant knows little of Joyous Cultivators. We haven't taken in any Joyous Cultivators in our household yet."
Jiu'er chuckled. "Isn't Hong Ying a Joyous Cultivator of the mouth?"
"Bullshit!" Hong Ying was combing Jiu'er's hair and gently tugged on her little braid. "Though I actually do know a little about this. Back then, I heard my second brother mention that there's a type of medicine that can sever a Joyous Cultivator's desires. I wonder if that medicine would be of any use."
"Your second brother?" Li Banfeng recalled for a moment. "The one who was dragged into a painting by Mu Yuejuan and nearly sucked dry?"
Hong Ying nodded. "Mu Yuejuan was the one who told him about it."
Li Banfeng knew of Mu Yuejuan, but the crucial problem was: where could he find her?
Zhao Xiaowan provided a lead: "When we met last time, Mu Yuejuan had joined Snowflake Pu and was staying with Mister Kongfang."
Mister Kongfang—Li Banfeng had almost forgotten about him.
That was a man he could not afford to forget; the more critical the hour, the more vigilantly he had to guard against him.
There were plenty of grievances between Li Banfeng and Mister Kongfang. In the past, Li Banfeng would have avoided him at all costs, but his strength was no longer what it once was; taking the initiative to speak with him was not out of the question.
This was not solely for Ma the Fifth's sake. The war was far from over, and Li Banfeng needed to keep an eye on Snowflake Pu's movements.
Taking the initiative to seek out Mister Kongfang required not only courage, but strength. At a crucial moment, Li Banfeng could bring his whole household to fight together, but Mister Kongfang could rally his subordinates as well.
Moreover, the Madame had said that when Shan Chengjun clashed with Kongfang last time, his original target had been Li Qi. Shan Chengjun had once made even the peddler suffer a loss; to cross swords with someone of that caliber, Li Banfeng had to prepare thoroughly.
First, he had to solidify his cultivation and master the Boundless Traveler technique.
Yet how could Thousand Mountains of Mindful Movement and Headlong Course be combined into one?
Li Banfeng struck upon an idea.
"Yingying, come out with me in a bit."
"What for?"
"To hone our techniques together."
Hong Ying was delighted. "Seventh Brother, you've finally remembered serious business! Let me tidy up, and I'll be right there."
Hong Ying took the matter of honing techniques very seriously. She changed into military attire, intending to drill rigorously with Li Banfeng.
Boluo of the Seventh Room arrived at the main room and said to Zhao Xiaowan, "Mistress, I would like to check on the hooks in Xiaodu."
Hong Ying scolded the Seventh Room, "We're attending to proper business! Why are you meddling?"
Zhao Xiaowan looked at Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng said, "Boluo's business is proper business too. We might as well all head outside together."
Li Banfeng exited the companion dwelling first, then used the Broadening the Bridal Chamber technique to switch the Madame, Hong Ying, and Boluo outside.
Knowing Boluo had something private to say, Li Banfeng did not pick up the key, leading the group further away instead.
Once they reached a secluded spot, Boluo asked Li Banfeng, "Lord Seventh, have you been having nightmares lately?"
Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "It's been a little better these past few days. A while back, the nightmares never ceased."
"What kind of nightmares?"
Li Banfeng said, "I saw Puluo Province reduced to ruins everywhere after a brutal war."
Boluo weighed his words carefully. "I discovered something at home. Whether it has anything to do with Lord Seventh's nightmares, I cannot say with absolute certainty. But lately, while Lord Seventh was asleep, I heard voices."
Zhao Xiaowan asked, "What voices?"
"Voices speaking. Exactly what was said, I couldn't hear clearly. But speaking inside our home while evading my ears—not many possess such capability."
That was plain enough.
The Madame was preeminent among Sound Cultivators; she could evade the Seventh Room's ears, but she would never harm Li Banfeng.
The Shadow Cultivator of the Second Room had special abilities, able to communicate with shadows at an exceedingly low volume, but that trick might not work on Li Banfeng.
Furthermore, the Second Room had suffered at Banfeng the Second's hands and remained under the Madame's strict surveillance; he dared not show himself lightly now, and had no reason to use such methods on Li Banfeng.
Searching further down the line, only Red Lotus remained.
What was Red Lotus's purpose in creating such nightmares?
According to Li Banfeng's deduction, she wanted him to see the devastating aftermath of war and realize the vital importance of the Boundary,
thereby forcing Li Banfeng back to the Dark Star Bureau to rescue A'yu, and through that, rescue the other person in Cell No. 6.
This verified his earlier judgment: the other person in Cell No. 6 was the Celestial Maiden!
Li Banfeng rather admired Red Lotus. "Whatever else she may be, her loyalty to the Celestial Maiden is genuine."
Zhao Xiaowan said, "Husband, do not worry. We have ways to counter this. If the nightmares return, you can stay outside for a couple of days."
Li Banfeng was not about to take that lying down. "This is my home. Why should I hide outside? I'll stay right in the house and see what other tricks she can pull."
Seeing the whole family discussing Red Lotus, Hong Ying grew impatient. "Seventh Brother, didn't you say we were going to hone techniques? I've been waiting here forever. When are you actually going to start?"
"Right now." Li Banfeng made ready. The Madame stood by to offer pointers, and Boluo wasted no time either, hurrying to connect to the hooks in Xiaodu.
Li Banfeng said to Hong Ying, "Yingying, prepare yourself. Let's trade a couple of serious blows!"
Zhao Xiaowan grew slightly nervous. Li Banfeng's combat prowess was formidable, but trading blows openly with Hong Ying like this, he was by no means guaranteed to be her match.
Li Banfeng knew what he was doing.
He had learned Thousand Mountains of Mindful Movement from Hong Ying; if anything was amiss, Hong Ying would certainly spot it.
First, he used Thousand Mountains of Mindful Movement to manifest the scenes of the companion dwelling, thereby boosting his combat power.
Hong Ying nodded. "A genuine manifestation. Passable enough."
As for Headlong Course, Li Banfeng had a countermeasure as well.
He took out Mengde first and synchronized the time, avoiding repeating the blunder of the Travel Cultivator progenitor.
Since he was newly learning it, he estimated he could only endure for two or three seconds, so he had to act fast.
With everything in place, Li Banfeng shouted at Hong Ying, "Try launching an attack at me!"
Hong Ying praised, "Fine courage!"
She lashed out with a kick. Li Banfeng neither dodged nor hid, not even raising a guard—this was the true essence of Headlong Course!
Zhao Xiaowan cried out, "Husband, careful!"
Before her voice faded, the kick landed flush.
Li Banfeng looked at Hong Ying, smiled faintly, and promptly collapsed to the ground, out cold.
Hong Ying looked at Zhao Xiaowan. "He told me to attack."
Zhao Xiaowan fumed, "So you had to strike to kill?"
"I didn't strike to kill! I held back!"
Just as the two were about to carry Li Banfeng back into the companion dwelling, the Seventh Room spoke: "The hooks in Xiaodu have connected."
***
After sleeping for half a day, Li Banfeng woke up inside the companion dwelling and looked at Hong Ying. "Yingying, are you ready? Let's go outside and hone our techniques."
Hong Ying said in astonishment, "Didn't we already hone them?"
Li Banfeng rubbed his chest, feeling bouts of dull pain. "It seems we did. Let's go hone them again."
Hong Ying shook her head. "I'm not going. If I hurt you again, Xiaowan will beat me to death."
Li Banfeng clutched his chest. "I gained considerable insight this time. You definitely won't hurt me now."
"Then I'll pull my strength even more."
Li Banfeng refused. "If you hold back, Headlong Course won't trigger."
Hong Ying could not dissuade Li Banfeng, but Zhao Xiaowan intervened, advising, "Husband, we can hone the technique slowly. Right now there is an urgent matter: the Seventh Room reached the radio in Xiaodu, and something happened to Qiao Yi."
"What happened?"
"On the battlefield, Qiao Yi was gravely wounded by Shan Chengjun. It's estimated his life can't be saved."
Li Banfeng could hardly believe it. A man as cautious as Qiao Yi didn't know to steer clear of Shan Chengjun on the battlefield?
"Where did this news come from?"
Boluo said, "The radio heard it from Tie Baisheng. With Qiao Yi incapacitated, Xiaodu is in a panic."
Xiaodu would naturally panic. Regarding the abolition of serfdom, Qiao Yi had turned a blind eye, effectively providing them shelter.
What was the state of the Shang State now?
Zhao Xiaowan deduced, "The two nations are at war. With Qiao Yi as the commander-in-chief meeting with such a disaster, the Shang State won't remain peaceful either."
Li Banfeng rushed immediately to Boundless City to seek intelligence from the Luo sisters.
Luo Shaojun had received more news than Tie Baisheng: "Qiao Yi indeed suffered grievous injuries and has already retreated from the front line to Chaoge for medical treatment."
"Who commands the front line now?"
"Qiao Yi handed military authority to several confidants. All of them are of imperial blood, so their rank is sufficient, but whether they can wage war remains to be seen."
"Will the fighting continue?"
Luo Shaojun said, "According to secret dispatches from the front, the Shang army initially won victory after victory. But ever since the Demon Lord's peace overtures failed, both sides fell into a stalemate.
"Shan Chengjun, acting on the Demon Lord's orders, mounted a surprise raid on Qiao Yi's camp. Following Qiao Yi's severe wounding, the army pulled back to nearby Shuiwa City. They shouldn't be deploying troops again anytime soon."
Relying on an ambush, Shan Chengjun indeed possessed the strength to grievously injure Qiao Yi.
"How is the situation in Chaoge?"
"Qiao Yi's prestige was at its peak. With such a massive catastrophe, Chaoge has been shaken to its core. Among the imperial clan, some are devising plans to heal Qiao Yi, while others want to appoint a new commander to continue attacking Tufang.
"There are also those eyeing Qiao Yi's position, lobbying and currying favor among the imperial relatives, hoping to succeed him as Senior Grand Secretary of the Cabinet."
"Can Qiao Yi still be healed?"
Luo Shaojun shook her head. "According to court officials, he's hanging on by a single thread of breath. He likely won't pull through."
Li Banfeng sorted through the sequence of events and noticed a critical issue.
In Luo Shaojun's description, no one mentioned how many heads Qiao Yi had.
Since Qiao Yi's single-headed identity had not been exposed, that proved the one wounded was 'Three-Headed Qiao Yi'—it was Xi Zhaofu.
What was the real Qiao Yi doing?
Upon receiving the news, the Madame focused her attention on the battlefield.
"Tufang and the Shang State falling into a stalemate was to be expected. With the vanguard camp and granaries destroyed, Tufang suffered severe losses, but their main host remains intact, their vital energy not critically crippled. Once they steady their footing, they should be able to halt the Grand Shang's offensive.
"Yet just as the great war reached a stalemate, Qiao Yi happened to be wounded. Husband, don't you think this is a bit too coincidental?"
It was indeed suspicious, feeling as though Qiao Yi were deliberately withdrawing from the battlefield.
Two days later, Luo Shaojun received further news: "Qiao Yi is on the verge of death. There is only one method that might save him—
"to enter the smelter."
Li Banfeng did not understand. "Does that count as saving him?"
"It is a desperate measure of last resort. Given Qiao Yi's current condition, entering the smelter for recasting carries an eighty-percent chance of death, but there is also a chance he might recast his vessel and be reborn."
Li Banfeng's expression turned grim.
If the one wounded was Xi Zhaofu, under no circumstances could she be allowed into the smelter.
Not only would this endanger Xi Zhaofu's life, but it would also threaten Xi Zhaofu's shadow.
Should he go to Chaoge to see for himself?
Was Xi Zhaofu in Chaoge right now?
With the covenant deed in place, Qiao Yi shouldn't be able to harm Xi Zhaofu. Going rashly might only cause complications.
***
In the Ninth City of Chaoge, the streets were completely deserted. Every building was immaculate, yet devoid of the slightest sign of life.
Leading Xi Zhaofu, Qiao Yi passed through layer upon layer of palaces until they reached the great hall of the Ninth City.
Amidst the thick fog, Xi Zhaofu saw a colossal shadow occupying nearly all the space within the hall.
Xi Zhaofu was terrified. The gloomy chill, the bone-piercing cold, and the faint, ghostly shrieks made her feel as though her soul were about to scatter.
"This is the smelter of the Grand Shang State," Qiao Yi said to Xi Zhaofu, looking at the monstrous structure in the hall. "Fret not, I will not make you enter. I have no wish to kill you."
Xi Zhaofu was unable to speak, trembling violently from head to toe.
Qiao Yi smiled. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so long ago. I have plenty of ways to circumvent Li Qi's covenant deed.
"Bringing you here today is to tell you one thing: I have already entered the smelter. From this day forward, I remain myself, while you will need to assume a different identity."
Qiao Yi summoned Nian Shangyou. Nian Shangyou entered the underground chamber and triggered a mechanism.
The smelter in the hall moved.
Within the murky shadow, broad leaves unfurled slowly from the colossal entity, one by one.
Xi Zhaofu's body continued to shake.
The shadow on the ground trembled alongside her.
Banfeng the Third, within the shadow, gazed quietly at those unfurling leaves, finding the sight strangely familiar.
That gigantic entity resembled a lotus.
A cyclone rose from the center of the lotus. Banfeng the Third could clearly hear shrill, agonizing shrieks converging from all directions, continuously pouring into the lotus core.
P.S. This lotus eats them alive.
Chapter 736