Husband, Let's Have a Baby

Zhao Xiaowan gave the word to lift chopsticks. Smiling Thousand Hands knew the fight was about to begin. His eyes swept over everyone in the room before settling on Li Banfeng. "Li Qi, are you truly the Fort Master of Tiemen Fort or not?" Li Banfeng did not answer. Smiling Thousand Hands had already guessed the answer. "The day you entered Li Zhijuan's room, I shouldn't have shown any flaws, right?" Li Banfeng nodded. "No flaws to speak of." "Then how could you still recognize me?" The glove perched beside Li Banfeng, wagging its index finger. "Old Ancestor, I caught that scent of yours." "I remember hiding my scent entirely back then." The glove replied, "You hid ninety-nine percent of it, but there was still a tiny bit left. At first, I couldn't tell either. I went home and thought about it all night, and finally figured it out. That was you!" Smiling Thousand Hands sighed ruefully. "Guarding against a thousand tricks can't stop a thief in the house. Lu Wujiu, I'll give you one more chance. Are you willing to come back to my side?" The glove wagged its index finger again. "Going back to your side is boring. Wouldn't it be much better if you went straight into my stomach?" "Big talk," Smiling Thousand Hands said, turning his gaze back to Li Qi. "If I had left a day earlier, none of this would have happened, would it?" "Right," Li Banfeng nodded. "So why didn't you leave?" Smiling Thousand Hands chuckled. "I'm a thief. How could a thief not be greedy? After finally getting a taste of rich pickings, you ask me to walk away—I truly couldn't bear to." Li Banfeng was reminded of what Yucui Pavilion had said: *A thief will get beaten to death sooner or later.* "Beating me to death won't be that easy," Smiling Thousand Hands said, loosening his limbs. "I've lost count of how many beatings I've taken in this life. Open your eyes wide and see how your Old Ancestor makes his escape!" Hong Ying lunged forward to seize Smiling Thousand Hands. Just as she moved to subdue him, she found only an empty garment left in her grip. A Thief Cultivator technique: Golden Cicada Casts Its Shell. Having easily tricked Hong Ying, Smiling Thousand Hands made a dash for the main door, only to see Zhao Xiaowan and Li Qi guarding the threshold. Choosing not to force his way through, he spun around, shoved open a door, and slipped into Room Two. Inside the companion dwelling, it was difficult for Hong Ying to utilize Unimpeded Passage. Moreover, Little Train was putting everything into defending against Smiling Thousand Hands, making the walls completely impassable. By the time Hong Ying chased him into Room Two, Smiling Thousand Hands had already vanished into Room Four. Hong Ying glanced at the red lotus. "You're just going to watch like that without lending a hand?" The red lotus sighed. "With so many capable people in this house, when would it ever be my turn to strike? It's already my great fortune not to be robbed blind by that old thief." Hong Ying immediately pursued him to Room Four. The instant she pushed at the door, she sensed impending danger and snatched her hand back. Smiling Thousand Hands was crouched by the doorway, waiting for Hong Ying to draw near so he could sever the tendons in her hands. Hong Ying braced herself against the peril, intending to force her way inside, but Jiu'er pulled her back from behind, signaling for her not to be reckless. A haunting song suddenly arose: *"Meng Po's broth grows cold, the stove fires die,* *Within the City of the Wronged Dead, restless travelers lie.* *Let the living drink not from the Yin-Yang springs,* *Lest soul-beguiling powder shatter all mortal things."* The mournful wail of a flute echoed, accompanied by the faint, ghostly rustle of burning joss paper. The gramophone glided into Room Two. Rubbing its needle against the door of Room Four, it continued its chilling refrain: *"Come, guest, and watch the ledger turn,* *Borrowing mortal years where blood-marks burn.* *At third watch the clatter clears old debt away,* *At fifth watch the cock crows, no soul can stay."* Squatting inside Room Four, Smiling Thousand Hands began to tremble uncontrollably. It was not just him; even Hong Ying and Jiu'er were shivering. The gramophone snapped in annoyance, "What are you two trembling for?" Hong Ying said, "Your singing is too terrifying." Jiu'er nodded repeatedly. "It feels like we're walking down the Yellow Springs Road." "Quit your nonsense and get in there to take him down." The gramophone was fully in control; her song was directed specifically at Smiling Thousand Hands and would not harm Hong Ying or Jiu'er. Hong Ying tried to push the door open, but it would not budge. The door to Room Four had been locked. This was a Thief Cultivator technique: Bolting the Door from Within. When a burglar broke into a residence, he would sometimes bolt the door behind him. Passersby would suspect nothing, peers in the trade would not interfere with the job, and if the master of the house returned, the thief could buy time to flee while the owner struggled with the lock. The lock was only a temporary barrier. After all, this was Li Qi's domain. Merely hearing Zhao Xiaowan's song had frightened half the soul out of Smiling Thousand Hands. Once Hong Ying and Yu Buzhuo charged in, Old Pincer Xiao would never be able to hold them off. *These rooms connect one after another... could this place be Little Train?* Smiling Thousand Hands felt along the wall and located the door leading to Room Five. Little Train locked the door tightly, unwilling to let him through. Smiling Thousand Hands slid a ring into the door crack. With a flick and a nudge, jiggling it a few times, the door clicked open. His tools were exquisite, and his cultivation was high enough that Little Train could not keep him out. Smiling Thousand Hands threw open the door, expecting to see Room Five. Instead, he stepped right back into Room Two, where Zhao Xiaowan, Hong Ying, and Jiu'er were waiting for him. *Strange... how did I end up back in this room?* With just a moment's thought, he understood: Li Qi had used Broadening the Bridal Chamber again. The three lunged toward Smiling Thousand Hands together. Smiling Thousand Hands glared at them with a ferocious expression, looking poised to fight to the bitter end. Seeing him appear so dead serious, Hong Ying sneered. "Are you really unafraid of dying? Who are you putting on this act for?" In that single heartbeat, both Hong Ying and Jiu'er lost their urge to strike. Zhao Xiaowan tried to attack, but found her fighting spirit drained, and her movements grew sluggish. A Smile Cultivator technique: Laughing It Off. This technique caused opponents to unwittingly look down on their enemy. Seizing the opening, Smiling Thousand Hands retreated behind the door, bolted it again, clutched his chest, and coughed heavily. He had used too many techniques in succession, and his body had not fully recovered; the drain was taking its toll. Once he caught his breath and gathered some strength, Smiling Thousand Hands sensed a gap. Using the Thief Cultivator technique *Dark Willows and Blooming Flowers*, he could only detect a single exit through the main door. But by employing the Garment Cultivator technique *Jamming a Needle into Every Crack*, he detected another fissure on Little Train. The crack was minuscule. His physical body could not pass through it, but his soul ought to manage. So long as he could establish a connection with his avatar outside, he could make a clean getaway. Smiling Thousand Hands took two steps toward the crack, only to watch his surroundings shift once more. The room's furnishings grew relatively simple: a single desk, a chair, a stack of blank paper, an abacus, a calculator, and a laptop. This was Ba Suan's quarters. Li Banfeng had equipped Ba Suan with the calculator and laptop. Although Ba Suan was not entirely accustomed to using them, the continuous upgrades to the computer's specs had boosted his efficiency considerably, sparing him further beatings from Hong Ying. Since Ba Suan was currently in Tianyi City, the room stood empty. Li Banfeng had shifted Smiling Thousand Hands here primarily because the old thief was too fast, and he feared the man might slip into the main room. *"Ah-Qi, whatever you do, don't let him reach the main room! That fellow's lock-picking skills are far too good!"* If Smiling Thousand Hands reached the main room, he might manage to open the front doors. Even if he did, Li Banfeng could shift him to another room, but by then it would come down to who had faster reflexes. Facing an opponent like Smiling Thousand Hands, one must never gamble. It was best to keep him confined to the middle cars. Smiling Thousand Hands did not linger in Room Eight. Feeling along the door, he entered Room Nine. Lingering in any single room for even a second could cost him his life; to escape Little Train, he had to stir up more chaos. Zhao Xiaowan sent a voice transmission to Li Qi. She would guard Room Ten, Hong Ying would hold Room Eight, Li Qi would watch the main room, and Jiu'er would be sent to handle Smiling Thousand Hands alone. Smiling Thousand Hands was not hard to defeat; he was hard to catch. Crowding the room was useless; cutting off his escape paths was the only practical strategy. Using Broadening the Bridal Chamber, Li Banfeng set the arrangement in place. Jiu'er cut off Smiling Thousand Hands inside Room Nine. "Old Pincer, stop running. Where else can you go?" Jiu'er waved her hand, and a row of wooden stakes flew from her sleeve, each a little over a foot long and as thick as a finger. These stakes had been custom-made for Jiu'er by the gramophone. The moment Jiu'er tossed them down, they stood upright on the floor, aiding her in setting up formations. Room Nine was the space Jiu'er knew best; every inch was under her complete control. She intended to deploy the Bewildering Blossoms Array. To Li Banfeng, the array was merely useful for concealing objects, but in Jiu'er's hands, its applications were vast. Planting just two stakes was enough to make Smiling Thousand Hands lose his way. Having planted the first stake, Jiu'er moved to position the second, only to find the first stake had vanished. As a Travel Cultivator beyond the clouds, Jiu'er shouldn't have been slower than Smiling Thousand Hands, yet she had failed to notice how he stole the stake. She planted another stake; the preceding one vanished once more. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen stakes were thrust down, yet only one remained standing on the floor. "You thieving bastard!" Enraged, Jiu'er brought her foot down with Treading Ten Thousand Rivers. This proved far more effective than a formation, forcing Smiling Thousand Hands to raise a guard. The stolen stakes clattered to the floor in a scattered heap. None of them could be reused; they had all been shattered by Treading Ten Thousand Rivers. Smiling Thousand Hands had used *Stealing the Beams and Replacing the Pillars*, sacrificing the stolen stakes to absorb the blow for him. Just as Jiu'er moved to follow up with another strike, Smiling Thousand Hands let out a cold laugh. *Whoosh!* A gust of wind sliced through the air. The moment she heard the laugh, a wound over five inches long opened across Jiu'er's arm. Smiling Thousand Hands laughed continuously, and Jiu'er quickly covered her ears. A Smile Cultivator technique: Dagger Hidden Behind a Smile. So long as the victim heard the laughter or saw the smiling face, the blade would strike true. While Jiu'er was busy defending herself, Smiling Thousand Hands slipped through the gap in the door and fled into Room Ten. The companion dwelling hurriedly warned Li Banfeng, *"Ah-Qi, shift him! There's a breach in Room Ten!"* Room Ten had a fissure left behind from the clash with Old Train. Smiling Thousand Hands could use it to contact his backup outside. All along, his wild sprint had been aimed at Room Ten. Smiling Thousand Hands found the fissure—right on the wall to the left of the doorway. It could not be seen with the naked eye, but the tip of a needle could test for it. Just as Smiling Thousand Hands probed a thread into the gap, Li Banfeng invoked Broadening the Bridal Chamber once more, shifting him into Room Eight. "Son of a bitch!" Smiling Thousand Hands cursed, only to find Hong Ying waiting for him in Room Eight. Before he could react, the tip of Hong Ying's spear was leveled straight at his nose. "Old thief, try moving again and see what happens." In terms of pure speed, Hong Ying was confident she could outpace him. Smiling Thousand Hands suddenly burst into uproarious laughter. Hong Ying sneered alongside him. "Old thief, this trick won't work anymore. No matter how you laugh today, I'm taking your life." With a spear pressed to his throat and Hong Ying's formidable combat strength, Smiling Thousand Hands could never escape with Universal Celebration alone. Yet Hong Ying had not anticipated that this was not Universal Celebration. She continued smiling, but no sound escaped her lips. Her expression merely twisted into an increasingly grotesque grin. The corners of her mouth pulled upward until they nearly reached her ears. The corners of her eyes drooped downward until they nearly touched the tip of her nose. Hong Ying clutched her searingly painful cheeks, struggling with all her might before finally breaking free of the technique. A Smile Cultivator technique: Beaming with Smiles. This technique could only be used one-on-one. While its area of effect was not as wide as Universal Celebration, its lethality was far greater. Anyone caught in the technique who kept smiling would have their face torn completely apart. Hong Ying's face had grown back inch by inch, bit by bit; how could she bear to have it ruined like this? Pulling back to create distance, she finally shook off the technique, only for a clump of foul mud to slam square into her face. Where had this old pincer gotten mud? The sludge burrowed straight into her flesh! A Mud Cultivator technique: Enveloping Head and Smearing Face. The dead old bastard still had techniques in reserve! No wonder he had kept hoping for Seventh Brother to show himself during their clash; the old thief had stockpiled a heap of techniques and had been unwilling to reveal them! Naturally, Smiling Thousand Hands had held back. What use was *Beaming with Smiles* against a shadow? Could a shadow's face tear open from smiling? What use was *Enveloping Head and Smearing Face*? Did a shadow fear sludge? Hong Ying flew into a rage; Old Pincer Xiao had been relentlessly ruining her face. After exchanging two passes, Hong Ying abruptly vanished from before Smiling Thousand Hands. In Hong Ying's plan, Smiling Thousand Hands would surely try to track her movements, at which point she would trap the old thief and pummel him to mush. Yet to her surprise, Smiling Thousand Hands braved the backlash of Viewing Flowers from Horseback and immediately tore open the door to flee Room Eight. *Bang!* Viewing Flowers from Horseback triggered, leaving Smiling Thousand Hands's chest a mangled mess of blood and shredded flesh. It was a vicious blow. Yet Smiling Thousand Hands knew full well that engaging Hong Ying permitted not a moment's hesitation. Trading blood for his life was well worth the price. He now had two objectives: first, to force open Little Train's front entrance and escape body and soul; second, if his flesh could not get out, to send his soul out instead. So long as he reached that fissure from before, he could link up with his backup outside. The front door was in the main room, and the fissure was in Room Ten. Reaching either of those two rooms was the key to his escape. Smiling Thousand Hands crossed through Room Seven into Room Six. Meeting no resistance there, he pressed on into Room Five. As he made his way through Room Five, the wall suddenly illuminated. Let it glow; he had no time to waste here. Just as he reached for the door, the image of a woman materialized on the wall. Holding a bouquet of fresh flowers, she stood in an open meadow and smiled at Smiling Thousand Hands. A halo of light shimmered within the woman's mouth. The moment the light engulfed Smiling Thousand Hands, he felt his body being sucked toward the wall. This was no illusion. Smiling Thousand Hands lost his footing; he was truly about to be pulled inside! Drawing a dagger from his sleeve, he chopped off his left hand and flung it to the floor. He invoked *Stealing the Beams and Replacing the Pillars* again, substituting his severed hand for his body. The left hand vanished into the halo of light, devoured whole by the girl of Room Five. The moment he recognized the technique, Smiling Thousand Hands was stunned. "This is Hundred Flowers Slay! You're Lai Wuju—" Before he could finish, the light enveloped him once more. This time, Smiling Thousand Hands could not steady himself. He tried to slice off another piece of his flesh to block the strike, but his hand was shaking so badly he could not even hold the blade. Regret flooded his mind. He had let his guard down simply because the previous two rooms had been clear; had he remained vigilant in the slightest, he would not have ended up in such a miserable state. Just as he was about to be pulled in completely, Zhao Xiaowan's singing rang out from beyond the doorway: *"Offer human skin to pay for your room,* *Leave a broken spirit to hear the night's doom.* *At the Yellow Springs Inn, there is neither dawn nor twilight,* *A hundred lifetimes of life and death, gone in one night!"* The gramophone glided into Room Five, engulfing Smiling Thousand Hands in a cloud of scalding steam. Fortunately, the gramophone had arrived in time; otherwise, Smiling Thousand Hands would have been swallowed whole by Room Five. The gramophone snapped, "You wretched wench, is this how you entertain our guests?" Seeing the gramophone arrive, the girl of Room Five hastily retreated into the depths of the meadow, her face full of grievance. Still shaken, Smiling Thousand Hands gasped for breath. Beneath the cloud of steam, Zhao Xiaowan offered comforting words: "Senior, do not be afraid. That wretched wench wanted to eat you, but I stopped her." "Did you truly stop her?" Smiling Thousand Hands grinned, activating a Smile Cultivator technique. The gramophone burst into laughter. "Could I ever deceive you? With an ingredient as fine as you, naturally I'm saving it for myself! How could I let anyone else have it!" Smiling Thousand Hands moved to open the door and flee, only to find Li Qi standing outside. Li Qi chuckled along with the gramophone. Amid their shared laughter, Zhao Xiaowan's rendition of *The Yellow Springs Inn* turned all the more hauntingly beautiful: *"The moon sinks, crows cry, frost fills the sky,* *The Yellow Springs path winds where Ghost Gates lie.* *A lone lantern shines on a broken plaque grand,* *Where blood-written banners in cold winds stand."* Mingled with the singing came faint chatter and laughter, sounding like the inn's clerks soliciting customers at the entrance: *"Honored guest, please step inside!"* Overwhelmed by sheer terror, Smiling Thousand Hands felt his soul destabilize, as if on the verge of being ripped from his body. Li Banfeng's laughter never paused as he casually unleashed Dismemberment by Five Horses. Smiling Thousand Hands struck first, attempting to steal Li Banfeng's bones and internal organs, but snatched nothing at all. *Boundless Walker?!* Smiling Thousand Hands had believed his ambush was a success, yet it produced no effect whatsoever. He could see that Li Banfeng had utilized an exceptionally formidable technique. In his understanding, a technique like Boundless Walker could never be performed through an artifact. Could Li Qi have used the technique *Sprawling Compound* to borrow it from Hong Ying? Yet as Smiling Thousand Hands remembered, Hong Ying possessed cultivation beyond the clouds and held three techniques at that level—none of which were Boundless Walker. *Crack!* Dismemberment by Five Horses took effect, and Smiling Thousand Hands's body split apart. Grievously wounded, Smiling Thousand Hands could no longer anchor his soul. With a sharp whoosh, the gramophone sucked his soul right into its brass horn. "Brothers and sisters, hurry to the table and eat!" The gramophone's water tank churned violently; this meal seemed to have stuffed it to the brim. Jiu'er cautioned everyone, "Be careful while eating. That old thief has plenty of hands." The glove chimed in, "She's right. Keep your guard up around those hands. Some have lost their will, but others are still alive." This was an extraordinary feast, and no one in the household dared take it lightly. Though Li Qi had slain the patriarch of the Blade Cultivators and brought back the head of the Strength Cultivators before, neither could compare to Smiling Thousand Hands in caliber. Be it in cultivation or attainments within his pathway, Smiling Thousand Hands stood at the very pinnacle. Every single member of the household would gain a tremendous boost from partaking even a single bite of him. Even the usually taciturn Room Two spoke up: "Brother Banfeng, we could spar and exchange techniques more often." Banfeng Two chuckled. "Old One, do you catch his drift?" Li Banfeng nodded. "He wants a piece of the meat. Give it to him." "Don't be so hasty! Make him explain himself first—what does he mean by 'exchange'?" In the past, Banfeng Two had always wheedled and pleaded whenever he wanted to learn Shadow Cultivator techniques. Today, he wanted to turn the tables. Li Banfeng looked over at the gramophone, sensing something was amiss with his wife. *Gurgle, gurgle...* The water tank of the gramophone kept bubbling vigorously. *Whoosh—puff!* Steam vented erratically from the horn, sometimes in bursts, sometimes in sluggish puffs. "Wife, what's wrong?" Li Banfeng stepped forward to inspect her condition. *Creak, rattle, rattle...* The gramophone's body suddenly expanded to twice its original size, forcing Li Banfeng to crane his neck upward. A moment later, it shrank back down, returning to roughly Li Banfeng's height. "Darling wife, what is it? Everyone, stop eating and come take a look!" The whole family turned toward the gramophone. Panting twice, the gramophone said, "Husband, your humble servant feels so hot all over." "Do you have a fever?" Li Banfeng hurriedly searched for a water bucket to cool her down. "Wife, let me wipe you down first. Gourd, take a look and see what's happening to her! Jiu'er, don't you know some medicine too? Just tell me the ailment, and I'll use Sit Back and Relax—" *Gulp!* The gramophone extended its wide horn and swallowed Li Banfeng's head whole. Li Banfeng's muffled voice came from inside: "Wife, it really is hot in here! Wife, let me out first. Tell your husband where it hurts!" Seeing this, the others assumed the couple was merely being affectionate and paid it no mind, continuing with their meal. The glove panicked. "The master told you all to stop eating! Didn't you hear him?! Get the master out of there first!" Everyone crowded forward, grabbing hold of Li Banfeng and pulling with all their might. After a great deal of tugging, they finally popped his head free. Li Banfeng's hair had been permed into thick waves by the heat. That was of little consequence, but his wife's temperature remained alarmingly high. Opening the casing, Li Banfeng found that many of the internal pipes were glowing red. "Wife, what is going on here?" "Husband, your humble servant seems to have grown plump!" "Growing plump is good. The plumper the wife, the more prosperous the household." Li Banfeng soaked a towel in cold water and gingerly wiped her down to lower her temperature. "Husband, your humble servant wants to bear you a big, chubby baby." "Having a baby is wonderful. It will surely take after you." A gear had slipped out of alignment; Li Banfeng carefully set it back in place. "Husband, do you truly think it's good if the baby takes after me?" "Of course! You are so beautiful, wife. If we have a daughter, she'll surely be a peerless beauty." "Husband, I knew you cherished me." *Clang!* The rear door of the casing snapped shut, trapping Li Banfeng's head inside once more. Leading the group, the glove pried the door open, allowing Li Banfeng to break free. The gramophone grew petulant, billowing steam until the entire room was thick with it. "Madam, your conduct today is a bit too artistic." The projector's candlelight flickered, utilizing its Withering technique to absorb the steam from the room. The gramophone nestled against Li Banfeng, whining coquettishly, "I just want my husband!" The companion dwelling understood what was happening. *"Ah-Qi, take Xiaowan to Room Thirteen. It's quieter there. She might be undergoing rebirth!"* *Rebirth?* Li Banfeng had no clear concept of what that meant; in his mind, his wife had always been alive and well. *"Ah-Qi, hurry!"* Li Banfeng carried his wife to Room Thirteen. After a moment of tender intimacy, she calmed down somewhat. The companion dwelling said, *"Ah-Qi, I'll lock the door. Make time to check on her every day."* The gramophone was reluctant to let him go. "Husband, stay and keep me company." Li Banfeng truly could not bear to leave her, but the companion dwelling urged him on: *"Ah-Qi, listen to me. Let the girl stay on her own."* In the main room, the others were still eating. They had no idea why Li Banfeng had taken the gramophone into Room Thirteen, and they could not hear the companion dwelling's voice. Having eaten her fill, Jiu'er wiped her lips. "Zhao Xiaowan said she wants to give Ah-Qi a baby. With her anatomy, how is she supposed to give birth?" Hong Ying scoffed. "Shallow! What's wrong with her anatomy? Does it stop Seventh Brother from getting things done?" Jiu'er glanced at Hong Ying's face. "Yingying, you've grown a brain." Hong Ying bristled. "Who are you insulting?" "I'm not insulting you—your forehead has grown out!" Jiu'er was astonished, as was everyone else in the house. "Out of my way, all of you!" Hong Ying shoved through the crowd, rushed to the vanity, and stared into the mirror for a long time. It was not just her forehead; from the temples down to the cheekbones, almost everything had fully formed. At the very least, the bones and flesh were complete, even if the skin was still slightly uneven. Tears welled in Hong Ying's eyes. Jiu'er stepped behind her and began combing her hair. "Jiu'er, tell me honestly, does it look good?" Hong Ying dabbed some rouge onto her face, concealing the uneven skin tone. "It looks good. Yingying is the prettiest," Jiu'er said, gently wiping away Hong Ying's tears. "Don't cry, you'll ruin your rouge." "Tell me, is there anything to pick at in my face or figure?" "Nothing at all. Who would dare find fault with our Yingying?" Hong Ying huffed. "You don't mean that. Anyone looking to nitpick could surely find something." Jiu'er sighed helplessly. "Let me take a closer look... Yingying, your features are wonderful in every way, but the original spearhead is still there, resting slightly higher than your forehead. So you have a little horn on top of your head." Hong Ying touched the top of her head. Sure enough, the spearhead was still present. "This little thing won't be an issue, right?" A knot of worry formed in her chest. "Not at all. I'll style a proper bun for you and make sure it's completely covered." The Tang dao piped up from the side: "General Hong, if this subordinate may be so bold as to ask—since the spearhead is still there, is your head hollow or solid?" Jiu'er's nose twitched. She tried to hold it in, but finally failed and burst out laughing. Furious, Hong Ying kicked the Tang dao flying, spun around, and pinned Jiu'er down. "You ate plenty of meat too! Let me see what you've grown!" Jiu'er struggled frantically. "I haven't grown anything! You vixen, don't tear my clothes!" *** Li Banfeng stepped out of the companion dwelling and onto the main street of Tiemen Fort. The old man's voice echoed in his ear: *"Ah-Qi, you need to deal with that old thief's backup."* "I felt his soul was quite complete, and my wife swallowed it clean. Even if he left a backup behind, it's probably just a single hand." The glove said, "Master, we should listen to the old master on this. It's best not to leave any loose ends." Li Banfeng walked toward the cinema and asked the glove, "Do you sense anything here?" Smiling Thousand Hands had arrived alongside the Ghost Hand Sect. The Ghost Hand Sect worked for He Jiaqing, and the cinema operators also worked for He Jiaqing. If there was a backup to be found, the cinema was the obvious place to start. While still a hundred meters away from the cinema, Li Banfeng heard a fierce argument. "You dare plant pseudo love roots in my eyes?! Who sent you to cause trouble!" That was Wu Yongchao's voice. "Provide proof before you speak! I will not tolerate such groundless accusations!" That was Shen Jiming, representing the film crew. "You still dare make excuses?! My dwelling spirit saw right through it! I'm taking you down today!" Wu Yongchao's shouts grew louder, and lights began flickering on across the households of Tiemen Fort. Dwelling Cultivators emerged from their homes, encircling the cinema. A smile appeared on Li Banfeng's face. The glove remarked from beside him, "Master, with them stirring up such a ruckus, our task won't be easy to handle." Li Banfeng smiled. "Now that they know how to kick up a fuss, things will be much easier from here on out."