Li Banfeng sat zoning out in the Emerald Green Pavilion. Jiang Ling'er stood off to the side, her face slightly flushed with an aggrieved look, clearly unsure what she had done wrong.
Zhao Xiaowan poured Li Banfeng a cup of tea and softly advised Jiang Ling'er, "Sister, my husband cares a great deal about saving face. We can't speak so bluntly to him."
Jiang Ling'er hung her head. "But his techniques really are terrible."
Li Banfeng picked up the clay figurine he had just sculpted. "Some of my techniques might be a bit unpolished, but they're not nearly as atrocious as you make them out to be! Take this clay figurine, for instance. It has eyes, a nose, arms, and legs. Tell me, where does it fall short? Wife, give me an honest judgment!"
Zhao Xiaowan took the clay figurine, examined it carefully for a long moment, and stammered, "This clay figurine... well, this is a person, right? This figurine, it... it's remarkably rounded..."
Jiang Ling'er let out a snort. "It's literally just a lump of mud. Of course it's rounded."
Hong Ying snapped at Jiang Ling'er, "Why are you being so tactless? Xiaowan is trying to help you! When Seventh Brother brings out the house rules in a moment, don't come crying to me."
Jiang Ling'er brought over a glove puppet. "Look at this. This is what real skill looks like."
Li Banfeng picked up the glove puppet. Its head and limbs were carved from wood, while its torso was sewn from cloth. A performer could slip a hand into the cloth pouch to manipulate the puppet's movements.
"Did you sew this?" Li Banfeng dismissed it casually. "You're a Garment Cultivator. Being able to make something like this is only natural."
Jiang Ling'er shook her head. "I didn't sew this. She did. Her craftsmanship was truly magnificent."
Li Banfeng paused. "Who is 'she'?"
"The last person who lived here. She was an old lady. I don't remember the rest, but she was extraordinarily capable..."
Jiang Ling'er possessed limited expressive abilities, offering only fragmented recollections. Hong Ying was utterly baffled, but Zhao Xiaowan, having grown up as her childhood sister, understood after brief consideration.
Jiang Ling'er had once served as a dwelling spirit, and that old lady had been the Dwelling Cultivator. Later, Jiang Ling'er was forged into a first-rate weapon, losing ninety percent of her memories in the process. She could no longer recall most things, yet she remembered the old lady's craftsmanship and techniques with absolute clarity.
Holding the glove puppet, Li Banfeng said, "Nothing special. I could make one too."
Zhao Xiaowan offered comforting words. "Yes, my husband can make one."
"He cannot!" Jiang Ling'er once again dismantled Li Banfeng's pride with uncompromising sincerity.
Li Banfeng scrambled for an excuse. "That old lady was surely an Artisan Cultivator, or maybe a Garment Cultivator like you. That's a specialization of another lineage—naturally, I can't compare."
"No, she wasn't!" Jiang Ling'er shook her head. "She wasn't a Garment Cultivator or an Artisan Cultivator. She was purely a Dwelling Cultivator."
Li Banfeng tried another angle. "My skill in Hiding a Beauty in a Golden House is indeed lacking. One shouldn't pit their own weakness against another's strength."
Jiang Ling'er whispered, "You don't have any strengths. Even your basic lineage fundamentals are terrible."
Zhao Xiaowan fell silent.
Hong Ying turned her head away, unable to watch any longer. "Ling'er, you're practically begging for a beating."
Li Banfeng was out of excuses. He turned back to Jiang Ling'er. "What do you mean by terrible fundamentals? When I walk down the street, nothing can see through me!"
Jiang Ling'er lifted her head. "Bullying those on the ground level and raw beginners—you call that skill? If a Peeping Cultivator from the fourth tier above the clouds walked past you, do you really think he wouldn't spot you?"
Li Banfeng frowned. "Do Peeping Cultivators even count? That's literally their profession!"
"Of course they count!" Jiang Ling'er refused to back down an inch. "When that old lady was at home, even if a Peeping Cultivator from the fourth tier above the clouds stepped inside, he couldn't see her at all!"
Li Banfeng's temper flared. Zhao Xiaowan hurriedly intervened, "Ling'er, let's put Hiding a Beauty in a Golden House aside for now. That technique isn't particularly useful anyway."
"How can you say it isn't useful? Back then, the old lady defeated so many masters using just glove puppets and clay dolls!"
Hong Ying chimed in at once. "Weren't we going to practice Broadening the Bridal Chamber? Let's get to the chamber right away—I'll go make the bed!"
"He's even worse at Broadening the Bridal Chamber! Don't think swapping a room is anything impressive. The fourth tier above the clouds isn't limited to such parlor tricks!"
The atmosphere in the pavilion froze solid.
Neither Zhao Xiaowan nor Hong Ying knew how to smooth things over.
Li Banfeng pulled the brim of his hat down extremely low, hiding his face from view.
Outside the pavilion, someone shouted, "Seventh Brother, a letter arrived from Puluo Province!"
Seizing the chance, Zhao Xiaowan said, "Husband, go take a look quickly. Something might have happened in Puluo Province."
Li Banfeng walked to the door, tipped up his hat brim, and looked at Luo Shaojun.
Seeing his face tinged an ominous bluish-purple with suppressed rage, Luo Shaojun was startled. "Uh... well, Seventh Brother, Ma Junyang sent word saying the eldest young mistress of the He Family is about to succeed in her land reclamation. She invites you to a banquet on the fifth of next month. Here's the invitation."
Li Banfeng took the invitation and looked it over. Xiu'er had carved out her territory; by all rights, he really ought to go and see.
Yet he was in the middle of training his techniques right now. If he walked away, the hard work of recent days might go down the drain.
Li Banfeng penned a reply to He Yuxiu, essentially saying that he had his hands full with pressing matters and could not get away, but he was sending a celebratory gift to express his regards, promising to gather once this busy period settled down.
"Shaojun, help me prepare a celebratory gift. Make sure it's presentable."
Just as Li Banfeng reached for his money, Shaojun stopped him. "Seventh Brother, what are you doing? Do you look down on your little sister? It's just that I feel if the eldest young mistress of the He Family wants to claim proper land, things might not go so smoothly."
Luo Shaojun's reminder was valid. Li Banfeng harbored similar concerns; what had happened with Qiu Luoye could very well happen to He Yuxiu.
Should he go take a look?
Zhao Xiaowan walked up to Li Banfeng's side. After inquiring about the details, she used secret sound transmission, inaudible to others, to tell him, "Husband, He Yuxiu is different from Qiu Luoye. She holds both covenant deeds in her own hands, so she doesn't fear the sorceries of the Inner States. Besides, she cannot rely on your protection for the rest of her life."
"Wife, this is a major matter, after all."
"Husband, there are far too many major matters around you. But with all the seeds you've planted in Puluo Province, you must eventually allow yourself to see a harvest. Just like the countless sunflowers you've planted: you buried them in dirt and watered them, but can you grow the sunflower seeds on their behalf?"
He had to master Broadening the Bridal Chamber to a higher level.
He also needed to at least achieve basic entry into May All Wishes Come True.
Both objectives had to be accomplished.
After a moment's contemplation, Li Banfeng wrote a letter each to Ma Junyang and Qin Tianjiu.
***
In the blink of an eye, the fifth arrived. Only one piece of newland remained in He Yuxiu's territory.
The reclaimer had already been arranged for this new plot, and the trials were drawing to a close. With land reclamation about to succeed, He Yuxiu threw a banquet in celebration, drawing everyone of prominence in Puluo Province.
Everyone knew Sister Xiu's temperament: loud laughter and wild revelry were welcome, and formalities were unnecessary. So long as one came with genuine goodwill and congratulations, anything went.
The mood was initially lively, but someone had to spoil the fun—and this killjoy held substantial status: Ma Chunting, the family head of the Ma Clan.
Ma Chunting belonged to the same generation as He Yuxiu, though he was more than twenty years her senior. When this elder brother spoke, He Yuxiu was willing to listen politely. Yet she never anticipated that his very first words would grate violently on her ears.
"Yuxiu, how come Li the Seventh didn't show up? He gave you this territory, and you abandoned both your reputation and generational standing just to follow him. Isn't it inappropriate for him to be absent today?"
The moment his words fell, the surrounding crowd fell dead silent.
He Yuxiu looked up. "Elder Brother, what do you mean by that? What do you mean by abandoning reputation and generational standing?"
Ma Chunting chuckled. "Is it still not clear? Is there anyone in Puluo Province who doesn't know about that little business between you and Li the Seventh?"
"What little business? Say it out loud so everyone can hear! Even I haven't heard of it!" He Yuxiu pushed up her sleeves.
Ma the Fifth tried to placate her from the side. "Sister Xiu, on a day like today, don't stoop to his level. Who knows what malicious intent he's harboring."
He Yuxiu might have a fiery temper, but she could see through things when needed. If Ma Chunting was deliberately stirring up trouble, letting it slide without taking the bait would be the end of it.
Who would have guessed Ma Chunting wouldn't stop there? "Number Five, fathering a useless, unfilial son like you already shames our ancestors. And yet, taking advantage of Li the Seventh's absence, you come running over here to exchange flirtatious glances with Yuxiu. Have you no sense of shame? Could that single quilt of hers even fit the two of you?"
Such vile words left everyone present unable to sit still. Ma the Fifth was about to argue with Ma Chunting when Qin the Fatty spoke up from nearby. "Master Ma, how do you know what goes on under someone else's quilt? Did you crawl under her bed to listen?"
Ma Chunting's brow furrowed. "What did you say?"
Qin the Fatty grinned. "Don't get angry just yet. If you were twenty years younger, you might have managed to crawl under that bed. But with those old arms and brittle legs of yours now, forcing yourself under the bedboards... aren't you afraid of snapping a bone?"
Ma Chunting was incandescent with rage. "Fatty Qin, what kind of thing do you think you are? You're nothing more than a dog kept by Li the Seventh! Whomever he tells you to bite, you bite!"
An elderly silver badge sitting nearby stood up. Roughly the same age as Ma Chunting, he barked at the clan head, "You old fossil, who sent you here today? Who are you trying to bite? A mangy old mutt who's lost all its fur dares to bare its teeth here?"
The members of the Ma Clan jumped to their feet, pointing at Qin Tianjiu and hurling curses.
The Three Heroes Sect was hardly faint of heart either, shouting back insults in kind.
Amidst the chaos in the banquet hall, Qin Tianjiu slipped over to Ma Junyang and lowered his voice. "Fifth Brother, something's about to go down. Find a place to lie low for a while and steer clear of this feast."
Ma the Fifth shook his head. "I can't leave. Old Seventh sent a letter telling me to protect Sister Xiu."
Qin the Fatty nodded. "The letter was addressed to both of us. We need to handle this together. Now that Master Ma has started picking fights, you can't get involved in the banquet anymore, or you'll suffer terribly! Go elsewhere for now and wait for my signal."
"But this—" Ma the Fifth remained uneasy.
He Yuxiu chimed in beside him, "Ninth Brother is right. You must not get involved in this. Your sister has come to her senses. Don't worry, I won't fall into your father's trap."
Persuaded, Ma the Fifth stepped away.
Qin Tianjiu picked out a few individuals with loud voices to continue trading insults with the Ma Clan; such trivial squabbles weren't worth expending real energy on.
He headed into the woods, summoned several silver badges, and ordered them to take their men and patrol He Yuxiu's territory.
"Brothers, whenever you come across anyone suspicious, don't bother tailing them. Strike immediately. If you can take them, bring them down on the spot; if you can't, call for my backup."
For the Three Heroes Sect, such operations were second nature. Before long, several silver badges rounded up more than a dozen individuals across the territory.
These people hadn't come to hunt, nor had they come to reclaim land—He Yuxiu had no remaining unassigned plots anyway.
When questioned about their presence, they all gave the exact same excuse: "We just came to watch the commotion."
A newland was fraught with peril. Just how immense did someone's curiosity have to be to venture in simply to watch a spectacle?
Qin Tianjiu dragged these people before Ma Chunting and asked bluntly, "Master Ma, do these people belong to your clan?"
Ma Chunting let out a cold huff and said nothing.
Ma Junjiang rose to his feet. "Qin Tianjiu, don't slander people with false accusations! We don't know these people!"
"Truly don't know them?" Qin Tianjiu chuckled, grabbing one man by the hair. "The fourth young master of the Ma Clan says he doesn't know you, so I won't be keeping you around."
The man's face turned deathly pale as he looked toward Ma Junjiang. Fearing the man would blab, Ma Junjiang shouted at Qin Tianjiu, "You're not the one in charge here today! On someone's auspicious celebration, you dare spill blood?"
Qin Tianjiu spat on the ground. "You bloody well know it's an auspicious celebration? When your old man was running wild a moment ago, why didn't you ask who was in charge?"
Just as both sides were about to clash again, Ma Chunting noticed something: He Yuxiu was gone.
Where had she gone?
If she wasn't here, Ma Chunting wondered whether he ought to leave as well.
***
He Yuxiu had gone to find Ye Jianhuang. Today's events were abnormal, but as long as Ye Jianhuang remained, no major disaster should occur.
Deep in the woods, Ye Jianhuang had a standalone wooden cabin. Right now, he sat inside, pipe stem between his lips, lost in thought.
He didn't care about the squabble at the banquet. What concerned him was whether his promise to Sun Tiecheng would be fulfilled once the land reclamation concluded.
Once the promise was kept, would the events of the past be considered settled?
And if they weren't, how should they be dealt with?
He Yuxiu stepped inside. "Brother Ye, trouble is brewing on our land."
Ye Jianhuang tapped his pipe bowl against the table to empty the ashes, packed it with fresh tobacco leaf, lit it, and took a long drag. The smoke drifted out through the window into the distance.
He had known for a while that intruders had entered the territory.
He knew where they were and what techniques they were using.
One of them was an old acquaintance. In Ye Jianhuang's eyes, this old acquaintance was the only person present capable of posing any threat to him; the rest of the underlings weren't worth a second glance.
"Wait for me here. I'll go talk some sense into this old friend. Once he leaves, this matter will blow over."
He Yuxiu remained uneasy. "Brother Ye, let me go with you. I'm afraid your friend might not listen to reason."
Ye Jianhuang puffed on his pipe. "If he listens, I'll talk him away. If he doesn't, I'll send him away. Either way, he's leaving!"
Just as they reached the doorway, a young man stepped forward and offered a salute. "Senior, I am a silver badge of the Three Heroes Sect. My name is Yue Shucai."
Yue Shucai had previously served as a bronze seal under Qin Tianjiu. After Qin Tianjiu assumed the post of Great Golden Seal, he had promoted Yue Shucai to silver badge.
Ye Jianhuang looked Yue Shucai up and down. "A silver badge at your age? Looks like you're quite the young talent."
Yue Shucai produced his silver badge to verify his identity. "I dare not claim to be a talent; it's all thanks to our Great Golden Seal's cultivation. Senior, our Golden Seal wishes to discuss something with you. He asks that you stay inside the cabin and go nowhere. The eldest young mistress of the He Family must not step out of this door either."
"What's the meaning of this?" Ye Jianhuang's expression darkened. "Do I need to report to the Three Heroes Sect wherever I choose to go?"
"We wouldn't dare!" Yue Shucai replied. "The underlings in the territory have already been dealt with by our men. As for the one who hasn't been brought down, we have him contained. None of them need trouble you for now."
Ye Jianhuang gave a slight nod. "Not bad. The Three Heroes Sect has grown capable. But do you know who that unhandled person is? Do you really believe you can keep him contained?"
Yue Shucai bowed once more. "That person is also a senior. We don't know his name yet, but looking at his lineage, he is a Mind Cultivator, certainly above the clouds. If he truly goes all out, even if all of us charged together, we might not be his match. However, we believe someone of his caliber is no rival for you, nor does he warrant your personal intervention. We'll keep him contained for now. If we truly can't hold him, we will ask for your assistance, and we'll gladly take whatever scolding you see fit to give us."
Ye Jianhuang smiled. "Why bother containing him? If I just finish him off, wouldn't that save you the trouble?"
Yue Shucai explained, "Senior, we simply feel someone like that isn't worthy of your stature. You haven't been here with Sister Xiu for just a day or two; all our colleagues on the line know an expert like you oversees this land. Today, Ma Chunting openly provoked Sister Xiu, which was essentially a challenge to you. If he had only brought this Mind Cultivator along, he never would have possessed such audacity."
These words made Ye Jianhuang view the Three Heroes Sect in a new light. "Your eye is sharp. That man is indeed no match for me."
Yue Shucai continued, "Dealing with him would be effortless for you, of course. But what if you were tangled up by this Mind Cultivator, and another ruthless master struck at Sister Xiu? We would have fallen straight into their trap. That is why it's best for the two of you to wait here. As long as Senior Ye remains vigilant with Sister Xiu assisting at your side, even if a formidable foe arrives, could they possibly touch you?"
Ye Jianhuang nodded repeatedly. "Talent emerges in every generation; our thoughts align completely. Just now, I was worried about falling for a scheme to lure the tiger from the mountain. Now that the Three Heroes Sect can pin down my old friend, I can devote all my focus to ensuring Lady He's safety here. Please tell Golden Seal Qin that we'll proceed as he suggests. Once this land turns into proper land, tell Golden Seal Qin to come over and share a few bowls of pipe smoke with me."
"I will certainly convey your words. On behalf of our Golden Seal, I thank Senior for your regard."
Yue Shucai took his leave.
Ye Jianhuang waited in the cabin for half an hour. A wisp of smoke drifted in through the window, catching his nose.
"Smells of grit and wind!" Ye Jianhuang murmured. "That kid Qin Tianjiu calculated accurately. It truly was a ploy to lure the tiger from the mountain. The real powerhouse has arrived."
He Yuxiu offered, "Brother Ye, let me go outside and check first."
"Don't go out. Stay right here!"
Ye Jianhuang opened a cloth bundle, took out several dozen cured tobacco leaves, chopped them finely, mixed them with aged liquor, and packed them into a large cloth sack that he slung over his back.
Next, he crushed the leftover tobacco stems, loaded them into his pipe bowl, and puffed a preliminary bowl.
Tobacco stems were harsh and pungent. Even He Yuxiu, who regularly smoked, could barely stomach the acrid smell.
Knowing Ye Jianhuang was preparing for battle, she hurried to pull out two packs of foreign cigarettes from her pocket and offered them to him. "Brother Ye, use these for now. I'll have someone bring more over shortly."
"Those are useless. Stay inside and don't move." Ye Jianhuang tossed the foreign cigarettes aside. Carrying his pipe, he circled the cabin once. Dense smoke soon engulfed the entire structure.
Concealed within the smoke, Ye Jianhuang quietly sensed the movements outside.
*Whoosh—*
What a fierce wind!
The wooden cabin groaned and shuddered violently, and more than half the smoke cloaking the building was blown away.
This wind had arrived far too abruptly, and an ordinary gale could never scatter Ye Jianhuang's smoke.
Could it be a Wind Cultivator?
Wind Cultivators were among the rarest lineages in Puluo Province—so rare that He Yuxiu had only heard tales of them, never having seen one in person.
*Whoosh!* The ferocious gale surged once more, striking with even greater ferocity.
*Crack!*
The cabin's roof was torn away entirely. Inside and out, all lingering traces of smoke were swept away.
Wind Cultivators held an obvious counter against Smoke Cultivators. Startled, He Yuxiu glanced out the window and saw a blurred figure frantically trying to reassemble its form.
Wasn't that Ye Jianhuang?!
Having lost the initiative to the Wind Cultivator, Ye Jianhuang appeared to have been battered into a miserable state.
A woman in her thirties, dressed in a silver qipao with permed curls, hovered above where the roof had been, looking down coldly at He Yuxiu.
"Shall I kill you, or will you end yourself?" The woman smiled at He Yuxiu. "You're quite pretty; you'd better do it yourself. Those who die by my hands end up looking hideous."
He Yuxiu attempted to rush out of the cabin, but fierce winds whipped in from all directions, freezing her in her tracks.
If she couldn't move, she would fight. He Yuxiu grabbed a teapot off the table and hurled it at the woman. The teapot fluttered back and forth midair like a scrap of paper, unable to get anywhere near her.
He Yuxiu reached for another weapon, but the howling gale trapped her body. Her skin twisted left while her flesh twisted right; under the violent wrenching of the wind, the skin and flesh were on the verge of being ripped apart.
The gulf in cultivation between them was simply too vast. He Yuxiu had no opportunity to retaliate.
She looked toward Ye Jianhuang. His afterimage was still struggling to piece its body together; amidst the violent gale, recovery seemed impossible.
The raging wind blew downward with escalating fury. The woman increased the wind speed, poised to finish He Yuxiu off, when the blown-away roof suddenly flew back, riding the momentum of the wind to clamp down right over the woman's head from above.
Unable to dodge, the woman was struck squarely by the roof. She tried to reverse the wind direction to blast it off, but suddenly caught the smell of smoke.
Ye Jianhuang had been hiding inside the roof!
Then what about the blurred figure from earlier?
The woman darted a glance: the afterimage was still in the same spot, flailing in apparent haste to reconstruct itself.
That was a decoy Ye Jianhuang had left behind using smoke!
Ye Jianhuang's struggle to control the cabin in the midst of the wind had been solely to wait for this single opportunity. The best way to deal with a Wind Cultivator was to decipher the rhythm of their air currents.
Had her opponent been Ye Jianhuang, this woman would never have been so careless, nor would she have exposed the direction of her winds so readily.
Yet against He Yuxiu, she hadn't taken the matter seriously at all. Her wind direction had been far too obvious, allowing Ye Jianhuang to trap her by exploiting her own currents.
Ye Jianhuang asked, "What is your name? Who is your master?"
The woman didn't answer. She tried to activate a technique, but a Wind Cultivator's windup was too slow.
Ye Jianhuang blew a mouthful of smoke directly at her. The woman held her breath instantly, but after trading blows for a brief moment, the smoke inevitably surged into her mouth and nose.
Taking in that single breath of smoke, the woman began coughing violently.
Ye Jianhuang's expression turned chillingly cold. "What a pity. Such good potential for a Wind Cultivator, gone just like that!"
A thick cloud of smoke billowed out from the woman's mouth and nose. Her eyes bloodshot, she clasped her hands in desperate plea for mercy.
Ye Jianhuang picked up his pipe and took a gentle puff.
The woman's eyes gradually blurred, turning into flowing smoke within their sockets.
Ye Jianhuang blew out the smoke in his mouth, and the smoke from the woman's eye sockets poured outward as well.
Plumes of smoke erupted from every part of her body. Her mouth opened wide in a desperate attempt to call for help, yet not a single sound emerged.
***
In the woods, the Mind Cultivator Fan Bicong sensed the activation of Wind Cultivation techniques. He prepared to strike alongside the Wind Cultivator to eliminate He Yuxiu.
Before doing so, to avoid any complications, he needed to take care of the few Three Heroes Sect disciples surrounding the perimeter.
As a Mind Cultivator above the clouds, this presented no difficulty for him. If he didn't want to waste time, he could kill them with his own hands; if he didn't want to cause a ruckus, he could make them kill themselves.
Fan Bicong chose the latter. With Ye Jianhuang around, keeping things quiet was the safer path.
To ensure no one slipped through the net, he first confirmed the number of encirclers.
There had been seven earlier.
Another had arrived just now, making it eight.
Fan Bicong meticulously searched each person's consciousness. Locating the primary thought within an enemy's mind was the key to victory for a Mind Cultivator.
He quickly took hold of two people's thoughts. Their minds were filled entirely with frozen, snow-swept lands.
This wasn't from the cold, but from sheer terror. Both were Three Heroes Sect disciples who possessed enough experience to know an expert above the clouds lurked nearby, capable of claiming their lives in an instant, demanding total vigilance.
Their guess had been correct. Through mental manipulation, Fan Bicong cut off their breathing first.
The sudden suffocation brought immense agony, but they couldn't cry out, couldn't move, and couldn't even manage the slightest struggle.
Next came the third person. His primary thought was found as well.
This person's thoughts were buried quite deep, requiring careful searching.
His thought was hidden inside a mountain—a bizarre mountain that was neither green nor gray, but pale white.
There was no soil, no rock, and no vegetation upon it, but there were countless people.
Men and women were together, moving in rhythmic unison.
Every individual moved with intense concentration, yet looking across the expanse, their movements were remarkably uniform.
Fan Bicong's vision sharpened, then blurred again. He had witnessed many bizarre and grotesque spectacles within the minds of others, but the scene before his eyes still caused tremendous upheaval in his own mental state.
What kind of origin did this person have? Why were his thoughts so absurd?
Was this his form of resistance?
No need to pay it any heed; it was merely an illusion within the mind.
Fan Bicong's consciousness crested the mountain peak and descended into the ravine, on the verge of capturing the target's primary thought.
There sat a man, accompanied by numerous women, with unidentifiable creatures lingering in the surroundings, some of which Fan Bicong couldn't even name.
These creatures were likely figments of his imagination; there was no need to waste time on them. The crucial objective was to seize control of the man in the ravine.
Fan Bicong walked straight toward the man, only for a plume of scorching smoke to severely impair his vision.
Fire!
Why would there be fire in his thoughts?
Was this fire truly coming from his mind?
Fan Bicong jolted awake, only to discover that the one on fire was himself.
Ma the Fifth hopped down from a nearby camphor tree, smiling at Fan Bicong.
A Joy Cultivation technique: Joy Fire Consuming the Body.
Fan Bicong pulled an awl from his waist and hurled it at Ma the Fifth. As long as this awl pierced him, Fan Bicong could instantly seize control of Ma the Fifth's mind and force him to extinguish the Joy Fire.
While the awl was mid-flight, Qin Tianjiu caught it in his mouth, chewed it up, and swallowed it.
Ma the Fifth rubbed his fingers together, and the flames on Fan Bicong flared with growing ferocity.
Qin Tianjiu let out a satisfied belch and smiled at Fan Bicong. "The banquet isn't over yet. Why don't you come have a couple of drinks with me?"
Chapter 752