Li Banfeng arrived at Tiemen Fort. The massive steam floodgate stood open, with merchants bustling in and out to conduct their trade.
Wu Yongchao had once purchased all goods from the traveling merchants en masse and then resold them uniformly to the Dwelling Cultivators. This was the method Li Banfeng had taught him to keep the Dwelling Cultivators from being swindled.
Yet reality was never quite that simple. Wu Yongchao could not anticipate the diverse needs of every individual Dwelling Cultivator. He bought too much fruit and melon, and they rotted on his hands; he bought too little salt and vinegar, and everyone complained.
Left with no choice, he went back to allowing merchants inside the fort, though he punished fraudulent practices far more severely.
Li Banfeng took a quiet stroll around the fort. Its overall condition was good, and the Dwelling Cultivators lived more prosperously than in the past. It was impossible to discern where any hidden peril might lie.
A new cinema had been built inside the fort, something Li Banfeng personally appreciated.
However, the cinema was already on the verge of going out of business. Though tickets were cheap, the concept went against the very nature of Dwelling Cultivators.
The Dwelling Cultivator philosophy was simple: anything you could watch at home, you definitely didn't go outside to see.
And anything you couldn't watch at home certainly wasn't worth watching.
Today, a crowd of Dwelling Cultivators had gathered in front of the cinema. Li Banfeng recognized many of them and assumed an exceptionally good film must be playing. Stepping closer, he saw a poster hanging by the entrance: *Blood Blade Detective*.
The franchise was already on its fifteenth installment, while its counterpart, *Blood Pistol Detective*, had ceased production long ago.
Ma the Fifth had an abundance of material to work with and had no reason to hang himself from a single tree. He Jiaqing, on the other hand, was truly persistent—filming this franchise all the way to the present and even distributing it all the way to Tiemen Fort.
Li Banfeng walked up beside the female Dwelling Cultivator Li Zhijuan and asked, "Is this movie any good?"
Li Zhijuan yawned, rubbing her eyes with a listless expression. "What could be good about it? I just came to join the crowd."
"Are you really someone who likes joining crowds?"
"I didn't think much of it at first, but they said watching a screening earns you two hundred Huan Country notes. I happened to have some free time today, so I came to have a look."
Watch a movie for free, and get paid two hundred Huan Country notes on top of that?
Was He Jiaqing truly this desperate for an audience?
The cinema doors opened. Staff checked tickets at the entrance, announcing that, per the production company, turning in a ticket stub after the film would yield two hundred cash.
Li Zhijuan walked inside and took a seat. A thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Back outside the cinema, who was that speaking to her just now?
It had seemed like an acquaintance.
Forget it. Not worth thinking about.
The lights dimmed, and the movie began.
Li Banfeng sat in the back row, quietly observing the group of Dwelling Cultivators before him.
Merely remaining unseen was hardly the pinnacle of a Dwelling Cultivator's talent. To be seen, to hold a conversation, to make your presence known, and yet still be completely disregarded and forgotten—that was the true talent of Dwelling Cultivation.
Looking toward Li Zhijuan, Li Banfeng's gaze paused for a fraction of a second, and a sudden chill washed over him.
Was the peril tied to her?
What was she planning to do?
The movie's plot was decent enough, but the atmosphere inside the cinema made Li Zhijuan uncomfortable.
On top of that, she felt exhausted. Less than half an hour in, she was already nodding off.
When the film ended, Li Zhijuan prepared to trade in her ticket stub; she still had plenty of tailoring work waiting for her.
The other Dwelling Cultivators also waited to collect their money, only to be informed that they needed to remain a little longer. The film crew had an important speech to deliver.
A man stepped before the projection screen and addressed the crowd. "My name is Shen Jiming. I am one of the principal creators of this film. What we have presented to you today is an artistic feast.
"Art itself is priceless; its true value lies in the insights and reflections it inspires. Could our esteemed audience share what you saw in this film?"
The audience remained dead silent.
Shen Jiming raised his voice. "Can any viewer tell me what moved you most profoundly after experiencing this piece of art? Based on your answers, we will present you with an exquisite gift."
Had this been Green Water City, plenty of people would have readily answered. Speaking a few words cost nothing, and free gifts were always welcome.
Yet this was Tiemen Fort. Not a single Dwelling Cultivator in the audience was willing to speak.
Shen Jiming did not appear embarrassed in the slightest. "It seems everyone hasn't fully articulated their takeaways just yet. Allow me to offer a brief summary.
"In this feast of art, we witness a new order, a new way of living—a brand-new Puluo Province endowed once more with direction and a future. I believe everyone seated here wishes to become part of this new Puluo Province.
"Puluo Province's transformation demands the collective effort of every one of us. Tiemen Fort will always remain a force that Puluo Province cannot ignore. Yet we must also confront Tiemen Fort's current reality honestly: Tiemen Fort lacks a true administrator in any meaningful sense.
"I have lived in Tiemen Fort for so many days, yet I have never once seen your Fort Master. I have asked many members of Tiemen Fort, and they cannot even recall when they last laid eyes on him.
"Can a Fort Master like this bring a new order to Tiemen Fort? Can a Fort Master like this bring hope to Tiemen Fort?
"If we wish to forge a new Puluo Province, we must have a new Tiemen Fort—and we must have a new Fort Master!"
As his words fell, Shen Jiming stood waiting for applause.
*Splat!*
An egg struck Shen Jiming squarely in the face.
It had been thrown by Li Zhijuan. Once drowsy and nodding off, she was now wide awake.
Yolk dripped down from the corner of his eye toward his cheek. Shen Jiming had just wiped it away when a slab of tofu slammed against his face.
A Dwelling Cultivator shouted, "Tiemen Fort has only one Fort Master!"
Shen Jiming scraped the tofu from his face and asked, "Do you even know who your Fort Master is?"
"The Fort Master is the Fort Master!"
The audience answered in unison. The reverberation of their voices shook the entire cinema.
Shen Jiming fell silent for a long moment, then let out a faint smile. "I hope everyone will reflect deeply on the dilemma currently facing Tiemen Fort.
"There is no need to rush an answer. I believe that once you calm your minds and consider it, you will find the answers you seek. Please, rest a moment here in the theater..."
"Are you paying us or not?!" a Dwelling Cultivator snapped, losing all patience and pressing the most crucial question.
Shen Jiming replied, "We will certainly honor our promise. Once today's discussion yields sufficient results, we will definitely—"
The Dwelling Cultivators rose en masse and walked out of the cinema.
Two hundred Huan Country notes was hardly a trivial sum to them, but they were unwilling to remain another second.
Once the cinema emptied, Li Banfeng remained seated in the last row, watching Shen Jiming silently from behind.
Shen Jiming was whispering to a crew member. "The situation here is somewhat unique. Report this to the League Master through proper channels. On the day of the premiere, this kind of reaction was entirely within expectations. Starting tomorrow, the situation will shift noticeably."
He had not noticed Li Banfeng, but Li Banfeng heard every single word.
Li Banfeng understood what kind of shift he meant.
The so-called shift was right in his eyes.
Li Banfeng felt around his right eye and plucked out a thread of blood.
A pseudo love root.
He Jiaqing's tactics hadn't changed at all.
***
Li Zhijuan returned home and hurried to cut her fabric.
She worked as a tailor and had several garments due for delivery tomorrow. She hadn't actually had time to watch a movie today; she had only gone because she coveted that two hundred cash.
Wasting over two hours at the cinema only to come away empty-handed left her full of regret.
"Those film-projecting bastards have no shame. Who do they think they are, criticizing our Fort Master?"
Yet amidst her anger, Li Zhijuan felt a twinge of guilt.
"Throwing an egg at his face was a bit much.
"That man called Shen Jiming spoke politely enough. Whether he was right or wrong, hitting someone with an egg definitely wasn't right..."
The more Li Zhijuan mulled it over, the worse she felt. She wondered whether she ought to return to the cinema to apologize.
Yet getting a Dwelling Cultivator to actively strike up a conversation with someone was no easy feat. Besides, with so much work left, going back to the cinema would guarantee she missed her deadline.
As Li Zhijuan wrestled with her thoughts, a teardrop suddenly fell from her eye.
The tear carried a streak of blood. The moment it spilled, it stung, but a soothing sensation followed closely behind.
Had her eyes caught an infection?
Li Zhijuan looked in the mirror, but found nothing abnormal.
Should she head back to the cinema later?
After another moment of hesitation, she shook her head vigorously and muttered to herself, "Why on earth would I go!
"I watched their movie, and they didn't even pay. Going back would make me a complete fool!
"I even wasted an egg on him. Eggs are so expensive; I bought that to eat myself."
As she muttered away, an elderly man's voice sounded beside her ear. "Daughter, what's gotten into you?"
It was the voice of her dwelling spirit. Li Zhijuan had always possessed a habit of talking to herself, but today it was exceptionally severe.
"A bunch of film projectionists came to the fort today. Word was they were handing out two hundred cash, so I went to watch. Didn't I tell you about that earlier?" Holding a measuring tape and chalk, Li Zhijuan marked the fabric.
The old man chuckled. "Heh-heh, yes, you told me. But why did watching a movie make you so furious?"
"He was spouting nonsense, gossiping behind people's backs. Made me so mad I chucked an egg at his face."
"Sigh, what a waste of an egg."
"Isn't that the truth! That lousy movie wasn't worth watching at all. I would've been better off working at home. And when it was over, they didn't even pay the two hundred!" Li Zhijuan picked up her shears, cross-referenced the customer's measurement sheet, and found an error in one of the dimensions.
"Daughter, you were cheated. Those people are truly rotten. Don't let yourself get worked up over them. Especially when working, you must never lose your temper."
"How could I not be mad? Why should I waste my time on them..." Li Zhijuan set down the chalk and accidentally nudged her shears. The tip pointed straight downward, plunging toward the top of her foot.
Li Banfeng flicked out a silver dollar, striking the shears. The collision redirected the blade, sending it clattering safely onto the floor.
Li Zhijuan looked down. "Those shears nearly impaled my foot. Just now, I thought I heard the clink of a silver dollar. Did I drop some money?"
The old man laughed. "Daughter, you're going mad thinking about money!"
"I really heard it. A few days ago, I even spotted a silver dollar beneath the stove. I still have no idea when it fell."
Li Zhijuan searched beneath the table for quite a while, finding nothing.
The silver dollar was not on the floor; it was in Li Banfeng's hand. Li Banfeng stood right behind her, yet she remained completely oblivious to his presence.
Staring at Li Zhijuan for a long time, Li Banfeng sensed no lingering peril. Had his earlier assessment been mistaken?
Perhaps Li Zhijuan's peril originated from the cinema itself, or perhaps someone close to her would bring danger—
*Knock, knock, knock.*
Someone was knocking at the door.
Li Zhijuan opened it to find a middle-aged woman standing outside, smiling warmly. "Juanzi, are those two qipaos finished?"
"Sixth Sister, almost. I'll definitely have them done by tomorrow."
Sixth Sister's smile vanished. "Juanzi, when I lined up this work for you, I praised you to the skies. The customer commissioning these qipaos is a regular patron, and she needs them urgently."
"Sister, please put in a good word for me. I'll have them done tomorrow without fail."
Sixth Sister huffed. "Fine. I'll return tomorrow at this exact time. If they aren't finished, I won't be this pleasant."
Li Zhijuan apologized repeatedly. Once Sixth Sister turned to leave, Li Banfeng followed her out the door.
Walking down the street, both looked toward the cinema.
Sixth Sister didn't know Li Banfeng was tailing her, but near the cinema entrance, she seemed to spot an acquaintance.
Li Banfeng saw no acquaintances, but he knew Li Zhijuan wasn't the only one infected with a pseudo love root. In all likelihood, the entire fort was compromised.
As he walked down the street, the Boundary beneath his feet rippled gently outward, sweeping across every single house on either side.
During his time in Boundless City, Li Banfeng hadn't merely practiced Broadening the Bridal Chamber; his other arts had advanced as well.
According to Jiang Ling'er, his earlier mastery of Close the Doors and Bar the Gates only amounted to twenty percent, whereas he had now honed it to sixty percent. His Boundary could silently expand across the entirety of Tiemen Fort, capable of inflicting heavy blows even on enemies of comparable cultivation.
His greatest limitation, however, was that he could only produce a single layer of Boundary, a flaw Jiang Ling'er held in open disdain.
Perhaps he should find time to learn from Meng Yuchun. Just two days ago, Li Banfeng had received word that Meng Yuchun had reached the second tier above the clouds, largely thanks to the human vitality garnered by her three-headed people.
Though her cultivation fell short of Li Banfeng's, he vividly remembered her effortless ability to manifest multi-layered Boundaries. It was with that very technique that Meng Yuchun had severely wounded the Mountain Uplifting Master.
Li Banfeng had not yet grasped the subtleties of multi-layered Boundaries, but he had no need for them at the moment. So long as all of Tiemen Fort was enveloped within his Boundary, half the task was already done.
For the remaining half, it was time to employ Sit Back and Relax.
All within my Boundary is my domain; within my domain, I am sovereign.
Li Banfeng had reached eighty percent mastery of Sit Back and Relax. This was not solely due to Jiang Ling'er's guidance; Li Banfeng's foundation in the art had been formidable to begin with. By Jiang Ling'er's assessment, among all Dwelling Cultivator arts, aside from Recounting Family Treasures, Li Banfeng possessed the finest foundation in Sit Back and Relax.
One by one, the pseudo love roots embedded in the Dwelling Cultivators were plucked out by Li Banfeng.
Was this the source of the peril?
Hardly.
This had been resolved far too easily.
Passing the cinema once more, Li Banfeng overheard an argument between Wu Yongchao and Shen Jiming.
"When are you leaving?" Wu Yongchao demanded sternly.
Shen Jiming replied, "Isn't that rather unfair? I am a legitimate Dwelling Cultivator. I came to Tiemen Fort, purchased a residence, and settled down. All of this was done with your explicit permission."
"I never gave you permission to insult our Fort Master!"
"I did not insult him; I merely stated objective facts. Which rule in Tiemen Fort forbids stating facts? And which rule forbids offering an evaluation of the Fort Master?"
Wu Yongchao was clumsy with words and could not out-argue Shen Jiming. "In any case... you aren't permitted to show movies anymore starting tomorrow!"
"What a joke," Shen Jiming said, stroking his mustache. "If I don't show movies, how do I eat? Every Dwelling Cultivator in Tiemen Fort has a trade. Why shouldn't I be allowed to earn a living?"
The more Wu Yongchao thought about it, the angrier he grew. Just as he prepared to strike Shen Jiming, a melody drifted into his ear:
*"The drifting clouds disperse, the bright moon shines upon us; reunion and fulfillment, sweetest on this day—"*
The strains of "Blooming Flowers and Full Moon" calmed Wu Yongchao's heart. The music was projected by Li Banfeng using the Sprawling Compound technique.
Suppressing his fury, Wu Yongchao turned and left the cinema, returning to his dwelling to devise a plan.
Shen Jiming hadn't heard the song and inwardly mocked Wu Yongchao's retreat.
The Sound Cultivator arts Li Banfeng borrowed could be targeted directly. Under Jiang Ling'er's instruction, his Sprawling Compound had reached thirty percent mastery.
Was this cinema the true origin of the danger?
Li Banfeng resolved to return tonight for a thorough inspection.
***
Li Zhijuan sat beside her sewing machine. She nudged the balance wheel, pressed the foot treadle, and watched quietly as the needle bar rose and fell rhythmically over the shuttle race.
She required very little intervention. This sewing machine was her dwelling spirit; it could automatically stitch garments according to the paper patterns Li Zhijuan cut.
Seeing Li Zhijuan nodding off, the dwelling spirit seemed to take pity on her. "Daughter, go back to bed and rest. Leave the rest of the work to me."
"I really am struggling to stay awake..." Li Zhijuan stood up and stretched. Just as she was about to head to the bedroom, she noticed that several colors of silk thread on the spool pins were running low.
"Did the thread run out this fast?"
The sewing machine sighed. "Yes, we've taken on too much work lately."
Li Zhijuan swapped in new spools. "I wonder if the thread vendor is coming tomorrow. I need to buy more thread."
***
The following afternoon, Li Zhijuan was awakened by a knock at the door. Dazed, she asked, "Who is it?"
A voice called from outside, "Sister, it's me, your Sixth Sister. You promised to deliver the garments today."
Li Zhijuan sat bolt upright. Looking up at the clock, she saw it was already half past three in the afternoon.
She had actually slept until now! Stumbling out of the bedroom, wondering how she would explain herself to Sixth Sister, she stopped in her tracks. On the table lay two qipaos, folded with immaculate precision.
"Dad, you finished all the work?"
"You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't have the heart to wake you. It was barely any effort, so I finished it for you. Hurry up and hand them over."
Li Zhijuan handed the qipaos to Sixth Sister, who examined them thoroughly. "Juan'er, your craftsmanship has improved tremendously."
It truly had. Even Li Zhijuan was astonished. The two qipaos were crafted exquisitely; the stitching was virtually flawless.
"I wouldn't dare boast about my skill; my hands are just too slow," Li Zhijuan demurred politely.
"Slow doesn't matter. Slow work yields fine results! With craftsmanship like this, I can proudly present them to the customer!"
Having inspected the goods and handed over the payment, Sixth Sister turned to leave, then glanced back at Li Zhijuan. "Juan'er, your spirit looks rather poor. Have you been overworking yourself?"
Li Zhijuan nodded faintly. "These past two days, I've just been unusually drowsy."
"I have a few more orders on hand. Can you take them?"
"Yes, Sixth Sister. Just leave them to me."
"With your word, I'll hand over the deposit and the fabric." Pulling out the coin pouch, Sixth Sister glanced around and lowered her voice. "A lot of outsiders have entered the fort. You must be extra careful."
Li Zhijuan said, "A bunch of film projectionists arrived. I heard they're Dwelling Cultivators too. They're quite annoying."
Sixth Sister shook her head. "It isn't just film projectionists. Among them are people who appear to belong to the Ghost Hand Sect."
"What is the Ghost Hand Sect?" Li Zhijuan asked.
"A guild of pincer-hands."
"What are pincer-hands?" Li Zhijuan still didn't understand.
"Pickpockets! Thieves! Do you get it now?" Sixth Sister checked once more to ensure no one was listening, then whispered, "Your sister here once roamed Green Water City back in the day. Among that crew is a man named Lü Keyong, who works as a lookout for the Ghost Hand Sect. I recognize him.
"Juan'er, lock your main gate tight at night, and don't sleep too deeply. Be exceedingly careful. That's all your sister has to say."
Sixth Sister departed. Li Zhijuan looked toward the cinema, the afternoon sun making her head spin with dizzy spells.
Back inside, drowsiness washed over her again. But having accepted the deposit, she had to get straight to work.
The sewing machine sighed. "Juan'er, taking on more work like this—are you trying to kill yourself?"
Li Zhijuan said nothing. Grasping the tape to begin work, she lost her balance and nearly tumbled beneath the table.
The sewing machine spoke: "Juan'er, sleep a bit longer. I'll handle it for you."
"Dad, can you manage?" Li Zhijuan was uneasy. Although her dwelling spirit was a Garment Cultivator, all his training had been poured into combat; the clothes he produced were functional, but hardly pleasing to the eye.
The sewing machine replied, "I simply couldn't be bothered with ornate flourishes before. If I truly put my mind to it, what I make won't be one bit inferior to yours."
Li Zhijuan intended to cut a paper pattern for the machine, but the overwhelming fatigue proved irresistible. She returned to bed and drifted off.
Just before she fell asleep, the sewing machine asked, "How long has it been since the Fort Master returned?"
"A long time. I can't remember either."
"What was our Fort Master's name again? I'm getting on in years and can't recall."
In a heavy daze, Li Zhijuan mumbled, "The Fort Master's name is just Fort Master."
She went the entire day without eating, sleeping straight through into the dead of night. In the living room, the sewing machine clicked and clacked tirelessly.
At three o'clock in the morning, the sewing machine slowly ground to a halt.
*Snip!*
The thread cutter snipped the end, and a single white thread extended from the spool.
*Whir, whir...*
The spool spun continuously. The white thread slithered forward, trailing from the living room onto the staircase, winding upward, and slipping through the crack beneath the bedroom door.
Li Zhijuan lay on the bed, deep in slumber, a faint trace of color returning to her cheeks.
The thread brushed past Li Zhijuan's cheek, slipped beneath her clothing, and pierced straight into her spine.
*Clack-clack-clack—*
The sewing machine whirred into motion again, the spool reversing direction to reel the thread back in.
The white thread lodged in Li Zhijuan's spine knotted itself within her flesh, slowly hauling a fine, blood-red thread out of her body.
Following the white line, the blood-red thread was dragged toward the sewing machine, about to be wound onto the spool.
*Slash!*
A Tang dao descended from thin air, severing the white thread. The crimson filament snapped back instantly, retracting into Li Zhijuan's body.
The sewing machine's treadle rocked violently. A silk cord whipped from the take-up lever to bind the Tang dao, while a row of steel needles flew up, hurtling toward the space behind the blade.
The Tang dao sheared through the silk, deflected the steel needles, and lunged toward the belt wheel. With a swift flick, it severed the drive belt.
*Clatter, clatter...*
The sewing machine spun briefly on residual momentum before grinding to a complete halt.
"Li Qi, come out. At a time like this, there's no need to hide. Hehehe." The sewing machine's voice shifted entirely.
"You can even steal lives," Li Qi's voice echoed from the living room. "Old Pincer Xiao, how long has it been since we last met?"
"Did you miss me? Did you bring Little Hand back to me?"
"When you've turned into something like this, do you still have any use for hands?"
*Clang!—*
A halo of radiance swept across the room, severing the sewing machine's flywheel clean off.
Chapter 756