Shopkeeper Feng poured tea for Li Banfeng, then fell silent in thought for a long moment before saying, "As for what is truly inside that gramophone, I can't say for sure either. It was sold to me by a merchant from Lüshuiwan.
"He asked for a hundred and eighty thousand. I inspected the piece—authentic brand, fine craftsmanship, ninety percent new, and well worth the price. I didn't even haggle and just bought it. Who could have imagined that in less than three days after bringing it home, disaster struck?
"Afterward, I went looking for that merchant, only to find he had already left Yaowanggou.
"Mostly wealthy families live in Lüshuiwan, so tracking down someone isn't terribly difficult. I asked a friend in Lüshuiwan to look into his background. Later, I learned that his family was originally just moderately well-off. But after ingratiating himself with the Lu family, he pulled off several massive deals. Once he made a fortune, he traded up for a grand mansion. Yet right after moving into the new home, over a dozen people in his household died unnatural deaths.
"I suspect this matter is tied to the gramophone, but I have no evidence. Even if I had proof, it would be useless. If I had noticed something bizarre about the gramophone before the transaction, I would have told him to get the hell out right then and there. But once the deal is struck, it's too late for anything. I can only blame my own poor eye."
Li Banfeng asked, "Can you tell me this merchant's name?"
Shopkeeper Feng shook his head. "That won't do. I know his name, but I cannot share it with you. Just as I took your snake-spot pills, I would never disclose your name to the buyers. That is the rule among businessmen."
Li Banfeng did not press him. On this point, Shopkeeper Feng had done nothing wrong.
"You've already told me a great deal, so compensation is still due." Li Banfeng took out two thousand dollars and offered it to Shopkeeper Feng, but Feng pushed the money back.
"Boss Li, I was the one who dragged you into a pit. If I took your money on top of that, I'd be utterly shameless."
Since Shopkeeper Feng adamantly refused, Li Banfeng moved directly to the next matter. "I need a travel permit to the Outer States. Do you have any channels?"
"To the Outer States..." Shopkeeper Feng furrowed his brows. "That won't be easy. I'll have to ask around. You'll need to wait a few days; word won't come overnight."
As long as there was a way, Li Banfeng could wait. But the price needed to be settled clearly.
"Shopkeeper Feng, how much will the permit cost?"
Shopkeeper Feng stroked his beard. "Boss Li, I won't hide it from you. I can forgo taking a markup on this, but without at least twenty million, I'm afraid it cannot be done."
It truly required that amount. Yu Nan had spoken the truth. Still, Li Banfeng wanted to know the reason: "Why is a permit to the Outer States so expensive?"
Shopkeeper Feng smiled. "I am a merchant, so I speak only through business. If I could save up twenty million, I would certainly make a journey to the Outer States.
"The Outer States have many fine things that Puluo Province lacks, and Puluo Province has many treasures that the Outer States don't possess. A single round trip could yield an enormous haul. Making back the twenty million is guaranteed, and if you conduct business properly, multiplying it several times over is child's play."
*Right, why didn't I think of that? There's a fortune to be made here!*
*I even have the Portable Abode. I can carry all the rare treasures of Puluo Province straight to the Outer States.*
*Once I pull off a haul like that, I won't have to carry bricks ever again!*
Money. What Li Banfeng needed most right now was money!
He produced a crimson pill and handed it to Shopkeeper Feng. "Could I trouble you to appraise this?"
Shopkeeper Feng examined it closely for a long while before giving a slight nod. "This is a Xuanzhi Pill, top-tier quality. Boss Li, do you intend to part with it?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "If the price is right, naturally."
Shopkeeper Feng took out a handkerchief, laid it on the tea table, and placed the pill squarely in the center.
This was his rule: before a deal was agreed upon, the goods had to remain out in the open.
"Boss Li, this pill could fetch two hundred thousand on the open market, but I cannot buy it directly. Mine is just a grocery store; with a treasure of this caliber, I cannot guarantee a quick turnover. It can only be left here on consignment. If you trust me, leave the pill with me. If the sale goes through, I take a twenty percent cut. If it doesn't sell, I return it in full. Does that sound fair to you?"
"Fair!" Li Banfeng agreed on the spot. Right after, he took out the sole purple pill and handed it to Shopkeeper Feng.
"Take another look at this. What is its origin?"
Shopkeeper Feng looked at it for a long while before returning it to Li Banfeng. "My eyes fall short; I cannot identify this pill. When I encounter an expert, I will inquire on your behalf."
Li Banfeng said, "How about leaving it here with you on consignment as well?"
Shopkeeper Feng shook his head. "That won't do. My shop dares not accept an item of unknown value. If any mishap were to occur, I wouldn't even know how to compensate you."
Li Banfeng despised senseless, convoluted rules, but he held deep appreciation for Shopkeeper Feng's conduct.
The principles of the world were just that simple. When everything was stated plainly in a few words, misunderstandings vanished naturally.
With all urgent matters addressed, Li Banfeng prepared to buy fuel and lubricating oil for the gramophone.
Shopkeeper Feng had Chunsheng see to those miscellaneous goods, while he invited Li Banfeng to sit a while longer.
Concerning the gramophone, Shopkeeper Feng felt guilty and wished to make amends.
"Boss Li, you've asked what you needed to ask, and I've told you what I needed to tell. There is one other matter I happen to know a bit about. I wonder if you'd care to hear it?"
"Concerning whom?"
"The affair between the Geng Family Medicine Shop and the Yu Family Cloth Shop."
Why would Shopkeeper Feng bring this up of his own accord?
Li Banfeng remained impassive and gave a slight nod.
Shopkeeper Feng instructed Chunsheng to bring over an incense burner.
A red bronze burner was set upon the low table. Shopkeeper Feng struck a match and lit the incense, allowing faint, fragrant smoke to drift through the inner room.
Li Banfeng possessed a keen nose. He carefully distinguished the scent of the smoke and detected no hint of danger.
Shopkeeper Feng smiled. "Boss Li, take no offense. This is merely a precaution against eavesdroppers."
*Using incense to guard against eavesdroppers?*
Li Banfeng had broadened his horizons once again.
Shopkeeper Feng refilled the teapot and began recounting the feud between the Geng and Yu families.
"No doubt Boss Li has heard the rumors. A feud erupted between the Gengs and the Yus. Some say the root of the trouble lies with Boss Qin, but in truth, the strife between the two families began two years ago.
"Over the past two years, the Geng Family Medicine Shop managed to attach itself to the Jiangxiang Gang, and their business grew increasingly overbearing. They set their sights on Shopkeeper Yu's cloth shop and had long sought to seize her territory.
"Shopkeeper Yu is proud and stubborn, refusing to yield the shop. The Geng family frequently sent people to stir up trouble, and Shopkeeper Yu suffered considerably over these past two years.
"Last year, the Geng family's zhigua—their guard—Rong Jin'an went to make a scene at the cloth shop, beating two clerks of the Yu family to death.
"Last month, Rong Jin'an trashed the Yu Family Cloth Shop, injured several people, and harassed two of their female clerks.
"Shopkeeper Yu had held her fury in for far too long. Taking advantage of the incident with Boss Qin, she killed Rong Jin'an, which was only natural and reasonable.
"The eldest young master of the Geng family lured Boss Yu to Wangchun Tower and slaughtered over a dozen of her men, which was also within reason.
"Then came the burning of the Geng Family Medicine Shop and the disappearance of Geng Zhiwei. Now the Geng family is scouring the area like madmen looking for Shopkeeper Yu, vowing to hack her into ten thousand pieces. That is where things turn strange."
Li Banfeng asked, "The Geng family is convinced Shopkeeper Yu did it?"
Shopkeeper Feng nodded. "Convinced. By conventional logic, it truly ought to have been Shopkeeper Yu's doing. But I suspect it was someone else."
Li Banfeng took a sip of tea. "Why do you say that?"
"Because the timing and circumstances are peculiar. Boss Yu had a grudge against Rong Jin'an, so seeking vengeance on him made sense.
"However, Shopkeeper Yu had no ordinary dealings with Boss Qin. After exacting her revenge, there was no reason for her to rescue Boss Qin.
"Furthermore, burning the Geng Family Medicine Shop is not something Shopkeeper Yu could pull off. Setting aside whether she has the ability, she simply doesn't have the temperament for it.
"Shopkeeper Yu does not act with such vicious finality. She always believes in knowing when to stop. If she truly possessed such a ruthless heart, she wouldn't have suffered so many losses over the years."
Li Banfeng set down his teacup and asked, "Shopkeeper Feng, who do you think did it?"
Shopkeeper Feng looked at Li Banfeng, shook his head, and said, "That, I cannot say. But I have something here that I'd like Boss Li to look over."
With that, Shopkeeper Feng took out an envelope and handed it to Li Banfeng.
Li Banfeng opened the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper. On it were three names:
Xiang Guicheng, Martial Cultivator Tier 3, Red Stick of the Medicine King Hall's Second Sub-Branch, currently at Luyuan Inn.
Zhong Desong, Ascetic Cultivator Tier 2, Sage of the Medicine King Hall's Second Sub-Branch, currently at Qingtang Teahouse.
Du Hongxi, Nightmare Cultivator Tier 2, Wind Patrol of the Medicine King Hall's Second Sub-Branch, currently at Xianle Dance Hall.
As Li Banfeng read the paper, Shopkeeper Feng continued, "Three top experts from the Jiangxiang Gang's Medicine King Hall have stepped forward specifically to handle the matter of the Geng Family Medicine Shop. All three are presently lying in wait near the Yu Family Cloth Shop, just waiting for Shopkeeper Yu to show herself.
"Sub-Branch Leader Shi Boyu and his confidant Nan Hongsong remain stationed at the sub-branch altar, ready to offer support at any moment."
"What is a sub-branch altar?" With so many unfamiliar terms coming at once, Li Banfeng found it hard to keep track.
Knowing Li Banfeng hailed from the Outer States, Shopkeeper Feng explained patiently, "The Jiangxiang Gang has twenty-two halls throughout Puluo Province, and Medicine King Hall is one of them. Under Medicine King Hall are eight sub-branches: the First and Second Sub-Branches are in Ligou, while the remaining six reside in Waigou.
"A sub-branch altar is the gathering place where a sub-branch holds its council. A sub-branch consists of one leader, one confidant, one Red Stick, one Sage, and one Wind Patrol—these are the branch chiefs.
"Each chief commands over twenty disciples, bringing a single sub-branch to around a hundred and twenty men."
High cultivation and massive numbers. He had never imagined the Jiangxiang Gang would deploy such a formidable lineup.
Li Banfeng asked, "What cultivation levels do the leader and that confidant possess?"
"That is still unclear for the moment."
Li Banfeng glanced at the descriptions of Sage Zhong Desong and Wind Patrol Du Hongxi, then asked, "What pathways are the Ascetic Cultivator and Nightmare Cultivator?"
"Nightmare Cultivators command ghosts and specters. Du Hongxi has over a dozen spirits at his beck and call at all times.
"The Ascetic Cultivator pathway is peculiar. He can endure suffering—hardship that no ordinary man could ever bear."
Li Banfeng scratched his head. An Ascetic Cultivator sounded rather baffling.
*Since when does being able to take a beating count as a formidable skill?*
Shopkeeper Feng topped off Li Banfeng's tea. "Boss Li, I know this affair has little to do with you, but I also heard that the Jiangxiang Gang has recently been searching everywhere for people from the Outer States, though no one knows why.
"I merely wished to offer a word of caution: Yaowanggou has not been peaceful of late. Please take extra care."
Li Banfeng understood Shopkeeper Feng's implication. Yu Nan had rescued Qin Xiaopang, but Qin Xiaopang had no prior relationship with Yu Nan, whereas he was intimately connected to Li Banfeng.
Coupled with the Jiangxiang Gang's hunt for outsiders, Shopkeeper Feng suspected that Li Banfeng was tied to the incident.
Yet these were actually two entirely separate matters.
The arson at the Geng Family Medicine Shop had been laid at Yu Nan's feet, prompting the Jiangxiang Gang to mobilize an entire sub-branch.
The search for outsiders, on the other hand, was an order handed down to the entire Jiangxiang Gang by Xiao Zhenggong for the sake of the bronze lotus.
The Jiangxiang Gang likely had not imagined that both deeds were executed by the very same person.
Still, not thinking of it did not mean they wouldn't uncover it.
If Shopkeeper Feng could spot clues through Qin Xiaopang, the Jiangxiang Gang were no fools; they would inevitably trace the lead through Qin Xiaopang as well. Discovering his true identity was only a matter of time.
Reflecting further on private detective Daboyins, who had tracked him down earlier, the Jiangxiang Gang might already be perilously close to the truth.
Fortunately, he hadn't lingered in hiding at the Yu Family Stronghold; fortunately, he had made this trip back to Ligou.
If the Jiangxiang Gang discovered that the one who burned the Geng shop and the one who stole the bronze lotus were both him, they would spare no cost to besiege the Yu Family Stronghold. By then, not even wings would allow him to escape.
Two choices now lay before Li Banfeng:
The first option: buy ample food, stock up on enough drinking water, withdraw into the Portable Abode like a turtle in its shell, and simply refuse to come out.
This option seemed sound and secure, but would it truly work?
Chapter 75