A Heap of Loose Sand

Mu Yuejuan wore a short-sleeved qipao with blue flowers over a red ground. Swaying her waist, she stepped languidly out of the Western-style house. Holding a rolled cigarette in a pair of tweezers, she took a light puff and strolled through the garden in front of the house. The blossoms were lovely today, but a patch of Chinese herbaceous peonies didn't look quite right. Mu Yuejuan walked up to the peonies and looked down, spotting scattered petals fallen upon the damp soil. Painting cultivators excelled at observation; petals blown down by the wind and petals knocked off by a person were worlds apart. Mu Yuejuan picked up a petal and examined it for a moment, discerning that it had fallen yesterday. Yesterday, she hadn't left the house, and neither had Ai Yeqing. Aside from stepping out onto the balcony occasionally for fresh air, the two of them had barely left the bedroom. "Who left these petals?" Mu Yuejuan shoved the remaining half of the cigarette into Ai Yeqing's mouth. Whether out of spite or not, she pushed with enough force that she nearly scalded his lips. Ai Yeqing puffed on the cigarette and glanced at the petals. "Li Qi left those. I know he came by yesterday." Mu Yuejuan ran a fingertip along the bridge of Ai Yeqing's nose. "Since when were you two on such intimate terms? He drops in on your house without even saying hello?" Ai Yeqing gave a wry smile. "Call that dropping in? He was clearly casing the joint." Mu Yuejuan pinched his nose. "And you just let him case it? You let him walk away just like that? If you're going to be so careless, I'm not staying here anymore." She wasn't joking. In all the years Mu Yuejuan had survived, caution was what had kept her alive. She had no desire to linger for a second in a place that didn't feel safe. Ai Yeqing didn't care all that much. "It's not that I let him go. The one casing the place was his shadow. Catching his shadow does nothing for me. I might as well wait for him to come find me in person and see what he's actually up to." Mu Yuejuan searched all around for footprints but found none. She couldn't understand how one of Li Qi's shadows had managed to get up onto the cloud. Ai Yeqing smiled. "Could it have walked over by using your paintings?" Mu Yuejuan quickly changed the subject. "Do you know when he'll come in person?" Ai Yeqing pondered for a moment. "I reckon soon. He's an impatient man." Ai Yeqing's prediction proved true. Before noon had even arrived, Li Banfeng appeared at Ai Yeqing's door, carrying an iron bucket in his hand. Ai Yeqing and Mu Yuejuan stepped outside, looking at Li Banfeng together. Li Banfeng held up the iron bucket. Ai Yeqing froze for a second. "And this is...?" "A meeting gift for you." The gift was offered with utter sincerity. The last time Li Banfeng visited Mister Kongfang's residence, he had taken away quite a few copper coins—all forged from Mister Kongfang's own blood. Li Banfeng had truly felt guilty about not returning the courtesy. Ai Yeqing took the bucket and probed it carefully for a long time, yet sensed no spirituality whatsoever. It was neither a numinous treasure nor a spiritual object. To an ordinary person, it wouldn't even count as a handy weapon. Mister Kongfang was no ordinary person, of course; in his hands, even this iron bucket could be used to wage battle. But what was special about it? Why had Li Qi made a special trip just to deliver a bucket? "Does this thing serve some purpose?" "It certainly does!" Li Banfeng explained in all earnestness. "Yesterday, seeing that neither of you stepped outside, I figured relieving yourselves must have been rather inconvenient. I thought about buying you a chamber pot, but using a chamber pot didn't seem quite appropriate for Senior Mu, so I bought you a bucket instead." Ai Yeqing asked, "And you think this bucket is appropriate?" Li Banfeng nodded. "Very appropriate. I asked the general storekeeper, and he said the bucket is top quality and even comes with a lid. Holding two or three days' worth shouldn't be a problem at all." Ai Yeqing opened his mouth, then closed it, repeating the gesture several times. He felt he had to say something, yet had no idea where to begin. Mu Yuejuan couldn't hold back a laugh. "He didn't come empty-handed, so why don't you invite our guest inside to sit?" Mister Kongfang ushered Li Banfeng into the living room. Li Banfeng immediately broached the most pressing matter: "Did you know that Du Wenming sold the Outer States' guide formula to Tufang?" Ai Yeqing twirled a copper coin in his fingers. "Matters regarding Du Wenming should be addressed to Du Wenming." "Except I can't find him right now." "Don't kid around. You are Master Seventh of Puluo Province, Director in the Outer States, and Prince Pingyuan in the Inner States. Who in the world could you not find? Unless the man is already dead." Li Banfeng smiled without answering. The copper coin in Ai Yeqing's hand spun faster and faster. Sensing the foul atmosphere, Mu Yuejuan stroked Ai Yeqing's back. "If you want to fight, have a real fight. If not, speak civilly." The coin slipped from between his fingers back into his palm. Ai Yeqing said to Li Banfeng, "Back when he first took office in the Outer States, he sold plenty of things—some to civilians, some to the Inner States. He even had his own shops in the Outer States' black market. Having served in the Dark Star Bureau, you should know at least a bit about that." Li Banfeng recalled an incident: at the Cultural Palace Supermarket, certain merchants peddling powders managed to get off scot-free even after being caught. Ai Yeqing continued, "He sold the most to organizations like Hundred Demons Workshop, Birch Hermitage, and the Light Chasers. Those groups didn't just pay him money; they granted him status as well. And anything sold to them ultimately found its way into Tufang. As for him selling the guide formula to Tufang, I truly knew nothing about it. But hearing you mention it today, I'm not the least bit surprised. Du Wenming is a pragmatic man. If the price is right, he will sell anything." This was precisely what Li Banfeng feared most. A'yu and the Heavenly Maiden were imprisoned in the Dark Star Bureau, and Du Wenming certainly knew about it. Had he sold them off to Tufang as well? Ai Yeqing added, "Du Wenming once tried doing business with the Shang State too. After I caught wind of it, he nearly died by my hands, and the deal fell through." Li Banfeng asked, "What business was he doing that enraged you so much?" "He wanted to help Shang rebuild the Bandit-Subduing Battalion." "What is the history behind the Bandit-Subduing Battalion?" "The Bandit-Subduing Battalion was once the royal host of Shang, their mightiest fighting force. They nearly shattered our grand army back in the day. For the details, you can ask the confidante by your side; she knows more about them than I do." The confidante Ai Yeqing referred to was Zhao Xiaowan. He had crossed blades with Zhao Xiaowan before and knew her relationship with Li Qi was extraordinary. And that royal host he spoke of was an army of three-headed people. If Du Wenming's business had succeeded, Shang's combat capability would have surged dramatically—the Sinless Army at Santoucha was living proof. Though the deal hadn't gone through back then, there was no telling whether it had succeeded now. Given Qiao Yi's character, he would very likely set his sights on the guide formula. Tufang had lost the war, yet concluded peace negotiations in such short order. What leverage did they have to bargain with Qiao Yi? Most likely, Qiao Yi had already gotten his hands on the formula. Ai Yeqing drew a deduction similar to Li Banfeng's. "You can look into things over in Shang. If the Bandit-Subduing Battalion has been rebuilt, it means they've very likely acquired the guide formula. When that happens, Puluo Province will face a brutal war." Seeing Li Banfeng sink into thought, Ai Yeqing brought up their old grudges. "Li Qi, you're an able man. You snatched the Underground City, and I accept defeat fair and square. Consider the past settled. Right now, I only want to live a quiet life with Yuejuan and care nothing for other affairs. We also have enemies to avoid and won't be showing our faces in Puluo Province anytime soon." "If you don't mind me asking," Li Banfeng said, "which enemy are you hiding from?" Ai Yeqing replied, "The castellan of the City of Fools, Sun Tiecheng." "Were you two involved in what happened at the City of Fools back then?" Mu Yuejuan was candid. "We were." Ai Yeqing nodded. "I was involved as well, but I didn't enter the city. Not out of a sudden attack of conscience, but because I wanted to break free of Shan Chengjun." Mu Yuejuan added, "Neither he nor Zhou Wencheng went willingly; they were forced into it by Shan Chengjun and Shu Wanjuan. In truth, none of us went willingly. The peddler was away fighting the Inner States at the time, and who dared disobey Shan Chengjun?" Li Banfeng was deeply skeptical. "Don't tell me neither of you wanted to learn Fool cultivation techniques?" Ai Yeqing shook his head. "I had no desire to learn them. What good would learning them do? Sun Tiecheng would never accept me into his lineage. I could never become a Fool cultivator; in the end, I'd still just be a martial cultivator." Mu Yuejuan shook her head. "I didn't want to learn them either. Painting cultivators deceive through scrolls, and Joy cultivators deceive between the bedsheets. I already have plenty of ways to fool people. What would I need Fool cultivation for?" Ai Yeqing understood that explaining all this to Li Qi changed nothing. "No matter our reasons back then, Sun Tiecheng won't let us off easily. Every peaceful day we manage to live is a day gained." Li Banfeng had no way to verify whether their story was true or false for the moment. Although unacknowledged by the peddler, Ai Yeqing could be considered the progenitor of Deception cultivators. Li Banfeng said, "There is one more matter I'd like to discuss with Senior Mu. A brother of mine is on the verge of ascending above the clouds and needs half a year of quiet rest, but he can't resist the urge to cultivate. Does Senior have any method to help him through this hurdle?" Mu Yuejuan smiled. "Don't call me Senior; it makes me sound old. That brother you speak of must be Ma Junyang, isn't he?" Li Banfeng nodded. Mu Yuejuan drew a painted scroll from her sleeve and handed it to Li Banfeng. "Enter this scroll and you'll find me. If Ma Junyang's cultivation reaches the ninth tier, he'll naturally know how to use it, and I will guide him in ascending above the clouds." Li Banfeng accepted the scroll and looked at her. Mu Yuejuan smiled. "What, afraid I'll eat your brother up? Resting quietly for half a year is how mediocre people do it. Ma Junyang is exceptionally gifted—he's no mediocre man. I can lead him down an alternative path. But if Ma Junyang doesn't trust me, or lacks the guts, then let the matter drop. I don't want to waste time on a coward. You can just have him find a place to rest." There was nothing wrong with her reasoning. Li Banfeng took the scroll, gave his thanks, and stood up to take his leave. Before leaving, Li Banfeng cautioned Ai Yeqing, "Puluo Province is facing crisis after crisis right now. We'd best settle old scores down the road. Don't go stabbing me in the back at a time like this." Ai Yeqing sighed. "I told you just now: the past is wiped clean. Neither now nor in the future will I ever bring these things up again." Li Banfeng departed from the cloud, and Mu Yuejuan went back inside to pack her things. Ai Yeqing asked, "Where are you going?" "Moving! Don't just stand there idly, help me pack." "Why move?" Mu Yuejuan was taken aback. "Li Qi's already got his eye on you. Do you really plan to stay here?" "So what if his eye is on me? Didn't you just give Li Qi a painting? Aren't you afraid of him looking for you inside the scroll?" Mu Yuejuan wasn't worried about that. "Inside a painting, I don't fear him." "Then I fear him even less." Standing by the window, Ai Yeqing gazed leisurely at the scenery outside. "I said it before: what's past is past. I don't want to meddle in Puluo Province's affairs anymore. All I want is to live in peace. What can he possibly do to me?" Mu Yuejuan stared at him in surprise. Ai Yeqing took off his bamboo hat and sat down on a reclining chair. "If you're frightened, go hide somewhere else. I'm not going anywhere, no matter who comes looking for me." Inside the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng asked about the Bandit-Subduing Battalion. The gramophone buzzed and hummed, pondering for nearly half a day before finally excavating the relevant memories. "The Bandit-Subduing Battalion was the Royal Battalion! Back at Santoucha, when you mentioned the Sinless Army, I had a vague impression of it, but I just couldn't recall. Now that the name has been spoken today, it comes back to me. Those people were formidable fighters. Back then, it was the Bandit-Subduing Battalion that forced the peddler off the front lines." Li Banfeng thought about it for a moment and found the logic flawed. "During the First Puluo War, Shang couldn't possibly have had a guide. The Royal Battalion was made up of ordinary three-headed people—how could they have been so formidable?" "They were not ordinary!" The lady slipped into Zhao Xiaowan's puppet. "I remember they possessed cultivation. But where did that cultivation come from?" While the lady was trying to piece her memories together, Jiu'er suddenly chimed in, "Someone stole the peddler's powder!" "Right!" The lady nodded repeatedly. "Someone did steal the powder! The peddler's ranks were thrown into chaos back then. Who was it that stole it?" Jiu'er froze; she couldn't recall either. Having died once, her memories were also fragmentary. Hong Ying twirled her hair. She had no recollection of the name 'Bandit-Subduing Battalion,' but the stolen powder was what she remembered first: "It was Smiling Thousand Hands! He stole the powder from the peddler." Li Banfeng asked, "Whose side was Smiling Thousand Hands on? Did he join the imperial court too?" Hong Ying shook her head. "Neither side! He stole from both camps, and once he had stolen something, he sold it to the highest bidder!" Zhao Xiaowan remembered as well. "That was him! Playing both sides, he made a fortune. Both camps hated him, yet neither could manage to kill him. And precisely because of that stolen powder, the peddler beat him every single time he laid eyes on him." As the three women fell into discussion about the old rogue, Li Banfeng hastily cut in, "Never mind that old thief for now. The peddler's powder can't be used on Inner States folk, nor could it even be used on Puluo Province's three-headed people. What good was it to them?" After thinking back for a long while, Zhao Xiaowan said, "They modified the powder." "And it worked after being modified?" "It worked at the time, but failed after a while. Exactly how long, I've forgotten. I only remember that all the royals who ingested the powder back then died, and after that, no Inner States folk ever dared take it again. But back then, the Bandit-Subduing Battalion was truly terrifying in battle." "Yes, terrifying," Jiu'er murmured in a low voice. "They beat them until they threw down their spears and armor, fleeing in utter disarray. We should have just watched them get attacked from both sides and wiped out completely!" As she spoke, Jiu'er's cheeks twitched violently. She sprang up and bolted off to Room Nine. Hong Ying went after her. "What's gotten into this girl now?" Zhao Xiaowan sighed softly, then turned to Li Banfeng. "Husband, if the Inner States has acquired the guide and rebuilds the Bandit-Subduing Battalion, we must not take them lightly. If handled improperly, this band will become a catastrophe." Li Banfeng rubbed his forehead. If the Bandit-Subduing Battalion really was being rebuilt, where would they invade from? One must never underestimate the wisdom of the Shang people. If they persistently focused their strikes on a single place, there was bound to be a reason. Taking the painted scroll and the guide recently formulated by his lady, Li Banfeng headed for the newland. Qiao Yi traced the document with his fingers, each character projecting itself into his mind from his fingertips. Although Peeping cultivator techniques could compensate for issues with eyesight, Qiao Yi had only just stepped through the threshold, so his reading speed was considerably slower than before. Tracing the document back and forth several times, Qiao Yi's brows smoothed slightly. "The Ministry of Works' progress is acceptable. Allocate more silver to them, order them to recruit more hands, and shorten the construction time further." Nian Shangyou jotted down the directive and presented another document. After feeling his way through it, Qiao Yi nodded slightly. "The Ministry of War has done well. Draft an edict ordering the Bandit-Subduing Battalion to drill vigorously and prepare to march out soon." "Where does my lord intend to deploy troops?" Nian Shangyou had assumed they would be striking Tufang. "Deploy to Puluo Province." Qiao Yi felt across the map and circled an area. Nian Shangyou felt uneasy. "My lord, that location has been attacked too many times. Puluo Province may well be prepared." "So what if they are prepared? Puluo Province is nothing more than a heap of loose sand. Even if the peddler were to collapse right before their eyes one day, they wouldn't necessarily give him a second glance. Not many people are left in that place. This time, we shall annihilate them in one fell swoop. The only ones who could go to reinforce them are the peddler and Li Qi. The beauty of that place is that the mountains are high and the roads are long—even the two of them cannot simply go whenever they please." Nian Shangyou remained uneasy. "Still, what if they do go? Neither man is easy to deal with, and in its first deployment, the Bandit-Subduing Battalion cannot afford excessive losses." Tracing the map carefully, Qiao Yi said, "No need to worry. I will find someone specifically to deal with them. Furthermore, tell Shu Wanjuan to send more hands to assist He Jiaqing with land reclamation." "He Jiaqing?" Nian Shangyou started, wondering if his ears had deceived him. "You heard correctly, He Jiaqing. We have been helping him reclaim land all along." Qiao Yi was utterly calm, still indifferent. "Such a vast territory—does it make any difference whose hands it rests in? Don't mention He Jiaqing to Shu Wanjuan. Keep telling him it's the thirteen local deities, and pretend we know nothing." Zhang Wanlong held three iron-sinew bamboos: one with two sinews, one with three sinews, and one with five sinews. Adding up the three bamboos yielded ten sinews in total. Zhang Wanlong placed the bamboo into an iron wok, added oil, and stir-fried it over high heat. His two wives stood beside him holding various medicinal herbs, tossing them into the wok ingredient by ingredient. After stir-frying for more than two hours, the bamboo stubbornly refused to break down into powder. Growing anxious, Zhang Wanlong shouted at his two wives, "Check again! Did you miss an herb?" The first wife had kept tally for every herb added, and the ledger was in order. She glared at the second wife. "Did you short the weight when weighing the herbs?" The second wife shook her head repeatedly. She had weighed the herbs twice; the weight was definitely correct. Zhang Wanlong grew irritated, blaming his wives for being careless. Without giving her a chance to explain, the first wife grabbed a stick to discipline the second wife. Dodging left and right, the second wife ducked behind Genzi. Genzi picked up a bucket and a ladle. "Eldest Brother, stop blaming Sister-in-law. I don't think any herb was missed. What's missing is the seasoning." At the mention of 'seasoning,' the second wife shrank behind the first, who said with a forced smile, "Genzi, don't rush. Put the bucket down, and we can talk this through calmly." "We can't take it slow! The bamboo is about to scorch!" Genzi dipped the ladle into the bucket. Zhang Wanlong hesitated. "Does this seasoning really have to be dumped in?" "Without the seasoning dumped in, it won't yield powder! We've tested it so many times! Besides, this powder isn't for you to take, so what are you afraid of?" Gritting his teeth, Zhang Wanlong said, "Dump it!" A ladle of night soil splashed into the wok. With a sharp sizzle, thick smoke billowed up. Clutching their noses, the two wives came bolting out of the house. Choking on tears, the second wife wept while the first wife swore furiously, "This is my kitchen! You muck about with that seasoning in my house every single day—who's going to eat the food cooked in there from now on?!" Holding the ladle, Genzi puffed out his chest. "I'll eat it! I don't mind!" The powder was finished, gleaming a bright gold. Rubbing his chin, Zhang Wanlong mused, "I wonder which lineage's powder this belongs to." Examining it closely for a moment, Genzi said, "Looking at the color, it resembles our lineage." Zhang Wanlong shook his head. "Don't jump to conclusions. Dwelling cultivator powders are golden as well." Li Banfeng said, "How about this: I'll go find someone outside to test it for you guys." Zhang Wanlong chuckled. "That's how we always used to test it! Master Seventh, you've arrived—please, have a seat!" Li Qi was elusive and unpredictable, and Zhang Wanlong had long grown used to it. The two wives set out several stools in the courtyard, and Li Banfeng drank a cup of tea. Genzi took the powder out to test it and came back saying, "Brother Zhang, it's neither Metal nor Dwelling. I can't tell what lineage it is." Frowning, Zhang Wanlong said, "Never mind the lineage for now. Tell me first: is it useful?" "I found a bean person and rubbed the powder on him, and he turned into a cucumber person. I have no idea if that's useful or not..." Analyzing the process, Zhang Wanlong said, "This should count as a Physical cultivator powder, but Physical cultivators don't use powders..." The two brothers conducted research like this every day, feeling their way through theory entirely by practice, and whatever they ended up creating was entirely down to luck. Li Banfeng explained the purpose of his visit: "I've come today because I want to buy seeds—a large quantity of them. The crops grown from them need to help me fight a war." Zhang Wanlong was so familiar with Li Qi that this didn't seem like a big deal. "A big battle or a small skirmish?" "A big battle, holding off thousands of troops and horses." Zhang Wanlong looked at Li Banfeng. "Master Seventh, you're putting me in a tight spot. If so many people show their faces, my master is bound to find out, and he won't let me off easily when that happens." "If Old Xu finds out, pin the blame on me. If my face isn't big enough, I'll find someone else to shoulder the burden for you." Zhang Wanlong didn't understand. "Master Seventh, where on earth are you fighting, and why do you need so many hands?" Li Banfeng produced a map and made a mark. "Right here." Glancing at the map, Zhang Wanlong asked, "You're going to fight the Inner States?" Li Banfeng gave a slight nod. Sitting on the stool, Zhang Wanlong thought it over for quite a while before shaking his head. "Master Seventh, I can't help you. The water and soil there are peculiar; my seeds won't sprout anything in that place." "Then select more hands for me, and I'll take them over." Zhang Wanlong sighed. "Selecting hands won't help either. The soil there can't sustain my crops. If you take them there, they might starve to death within two days." "Then I'll haul the soil from here along with me." Zhang Wanlong laughed. "Master Seventh, you're joking. How much can you possibly carry?" "As much as I can carry. If one trip isn't enough, I'll haul it across multiple trips." "All right!" Zhang Wanlong nodded. "Since Master Seventh has put it that way, stay the night here. I'll pick out a hundred or so hands for you. If you can keep them alive, I'll continue supplying you." Li Banfeng agreed. Leaving Zhang Wanlong's village, he returned to the companion dwelling for the night. Zhang Wanlong walked the village for the entire night. Upon waking, Li Banfeng cleared out six rooms one after another, filling them to the brim with soil from the newland. Seeing Li Qi toiling so hard, Hong Ying cursed Zhang Wanlong: "That scoundrel farms on my man's land, and Seventh Brother looks after him in matters great and small! Now that Seventh Brother asks him for help, he doesn't even bother to think up a better solution. Hauling dirt back and forth like this—when will it ever end?" Lady Nine sighed. "Puluo Province has always been a place where everyone only sweeps the snow before their own door. Even if Zhang Wanlong had other methods, he wouldn't reveal them lightly. His willingness to round up a hundred or so hands for us is already showing plenty of regard for past ties." Once preparations were complete, Li Banfeng headed to Zhang Wanlong's village. Whether cucumber people or orange people, so long as they could fight, Li Banfeng would take them. Yet when he arrived at the village, Li Banfeng saw no hands prepared by Zhang Wanlong. "Brother Zhang, what is the meaning of this?" Sitting on the threshold, Zhang Wanlong looked up at Li Banfeng. "I searched the whole night and couldn't find suitable candidates. If I just sent over a hundred people at random, they probably wouldn't be of any use." Li Banfeng frowned. "So in other words, you don't want to help me." "Not that," Zhang Wanlong shook his head. "A hundred people are hard to pick, but two can certainly be found." "Two?" Zhang Wanlong turned his head and shouted toward the house, "Genzi, are you packed yet?" Shouldering a travel pack, Genzi emerged. "Eldest Brother, all set." Zhang Wanlong got to his feet. "Master Seventh, the two of us brothers will go with you." Li Banfeng fell stunned and silent for a long time. Zhang Wanlong had hidden in this territory purely for secrecy; to him, secrecy was more important than anything else. And now, he was saying he would go to White Falcon County. Li Banfeng cautioned, "If certain crafts are seen by others, certain secrets will be exposed. Aren't you afraid?" "I am!" Zhang Wanlong made no attempt to conceal it. His two wives couldn't bear to let him go. "If you know to be afraid, why are you still going?" Zhang Wanlong looked at his wives, then looked down the village path at his village for a long time. He shouldered his pack. "For Puluo Province, and for the brave men of White Falcon County!"