The Copper Lotus believed that Li Qi had advanced by one tier in both his Dwelling and Travel cultivation.
Zhao Xiaowan did not believe it. Right now, no matter what the Red Lotus said, Zhao Xiaowan would not believe a single word.
Yet if she did not believe her, whom else could she believe? Cultivation was invisible; how could anyone tell which path Li Qi had advanced in?
After a moment's thought, Zhao Xiaowan called out, "Old Master, how many rooms do we have now?"
The companion dwelling gave no answer. Something seemed to have gone wrong.
Zhao Xiaowan looked at the Copper Lotus once more, her gaze brimming with murderous intent.
The Copper Lotus waved its leaves helplessly. "Zhao Xiaowan, whether you believe it or not, I didn't harm Li Qi, and I certainly didn't harm the Little Train!"
Cradling Li Qi in her arms, Zhao Xiaowan said to A'yu, "Sister, go inspect the rooms. See how many rooms we have here!"
The companion dwelling originally had thirteen rooms. Every time Li Banfeng advanced as a Dwelling Cultivator inside the dwelling, an extra room appeared.
If there were still thirteen rooms now, it would prove his Dwelling cultivation had not advanced. Li Banfeng had consumed so much mortal vitality that if he had advanced two tiers in Travel cultivation instead, his Dwelling cultivation would suffer a catastrophic backlash.
If there were fourteen rooms, everyone would be overjoyed, as it would prove Li Banfeng had indeed advanced one tier in both Dwelling and Travel cultivation.
If there were fifteen rooms, it would prove Li Banfeng had advanced two tiers in Dwelling cultivation without advancing in Travel cultivation.
That was the most terrifying outcome, because the backlash of Travel cultivation was far fiercer than that of Dwelling cultivation. Crossing two tiers at once would inevitably leave Li Banfeng gravely injured, or even cost him his life.
A'yu dashed all the way to Room Thirteen. Before long, Zhao Xiaowan heard A'yu shout, "I see Room Fourteen!"
Hong Ying smiled and said to the Copper Lotus, "Turns out you're pretty useful after all."
The clock pendulum chuckled. "Our master has heaven on his side."
Zhao Xiaowan did not smile. She called out to A'yu, "Keep checking further down!"
No sooner had the words left her mouth than A'yu shouted again, "I see Room Fifteen!"
Zhao Xiaowan turned deathly pale. The worst-case scenario had come to pass.
All five fingers of the glove trembled in unison. "That can't be! Boss—"
The wine gourd shouted, "Give me the moderating agent! Mix it with medicinal liquor and get some into little brother right away!"
The scythe said to the glove, "Is there any mortal vitality left? How about we advance him another tier in Travel cultivation?"
The Tang dao shook its hilt. "He can't advance any further! My lord won't be able to bear it!"
Even the Judge's Brush, fast asleep until now, woke up. "Impossible!"
The entire household was dumbfounded, and even the Copper Lotus had no idea what was happening. Hong Ying raised her longsword and marched toward the Copper Lotus. "Vile wretch, I knew you were up to no good!"
Just as she was about to hack the Copper Lotus to pieces, A'yu's voice called out again: "I see Room Sixteen."
Silence instantly descended upon the main room.
Longsword in hand, Hong Ying went looking for A'yu. "Useless thing, you can't even count straight!"
A'yu shouted once more, "I see Room Seventeen!"
Hong Ying froze for a moment, then turned back to ask Zhao Xiaowan, "Has this girl lost her mind?"
A'yu called out again, "I see Room Eighteen!"
Zhao Xiaowan urged Hong Ying, "Go look, quickly!"
Hong Ying went to see for herself.
A'yu kept walking ahead, and Hong Ying kept following behind, not stopping until they reached Room Thirty-Two.
"How could thirty-two rooms have popped up?" A'yu could not fathom the reason.
Hong Ying quietly put some distance between herself and A'yu, then scurried back to Xiaowan's side.
"Xiaowan, A'yu's sister is a lunatic, and her mother is unhinged too. I'm betting she's gone mad as well."
Zhao Xiaowan knitted her brows. "How many rooms did you see?"
With a tense look, Hong Ying said, "I saw thirty-two rooms as well, so I think I've gone mad too. Her madness is contagious."
Zhao Xiaowan gave Hong Ying a shove. "If you know it's contagious, why are you standing so close? What if you pass it to my husband?"
Deep down, she knew full well that neither A'yu nor Hong Ying was crazy.
Only the companion dwelling itself likely knew why thirty-two rooms had suddenly appeared.
Yet the companion dwelling was currently in terrible shape. With so many rooms suddenly added, how could it not run into trouble?
Viewed from inside the companion dwelling, more rooms had appeared; but what sort of change had occurred when seen from the outside?
Could the companion dwelling have manifested physically?
Zhao Xiaowan searched Li Banfeng all over, but could not find the key.
Using the technique Broadening the Bridal Chamber, Li Banfeng could go outside even if he brought the key into the companion dwelling, yet he was still in the habit of hiding the key outside.
Even if he had brought the key inside, it wouldn't have helped. Unless Li Qi was conscious, the companion dwelling would not allow anyone else to step outside.
Zhao Xiaowan carried Li Banfeng to the bed, tucked him under the quilt, and once she was sure he was sleeping soundly, she went to Room Five.
The girl in Room Five was picking flowers. Seeing Zhao Xiaowan enter, she hurriedly put down the fresh blossoms in her hands and stood obediently.
Keeping her head bowed, she stole cautious glances at Zhao Xiaowan.
Zhao Xiaowan asked, "Can you see what's happening outside?"
The girl in Room Five shook her head repeatedly. "The Old Master sealed my eyes, but—"
"Out with it."
The Fifth Miss said, "If you let me go to Room Ten, I might be able to see something."
In Room Ten of the companion dwelling, there was a crack—a scar left when the Old Train had crashed into it. Back then, Smiling Thousand Hands had nearly escaped the companion dwelling through that very fissure.
Hearing the girl in Room Five bring up Room Ten today, Zhao Xiaowan smiled. "All right, that's negotiable. As long as you behave yourself, I'll take you over there another day."
She could never be allowed into Room Ten.
Before her husband and the Old Master woke up, Lai Wuju could not be permitted to take a single step out of Room Five.
Just as Zhao Xiaowan was pondering how to keep watch over Lai Wuju, she heard A'yu call out, "There's another doorway in Room Thirty-Two, but this door won't push open!"
***
Ma the Fifth took the train to Tiewangang, where Xiao Chuanzi had already prepared the manpower and materials.
Throughout Puluo Province, regions with railways were opening to traffic one after another, yet many places still lacked tracks.
The Suihuang Plain was one such place. As a vital town on the borderland, it had no railway, and Li Banfeng had specifically instructed Ma the Fifth that trains must reach the Suihuang Plain.
The supplies for building the railway were ready, but how were they supposed to cross the Boundary now?
Where tracks existed, trains crossed the Boundary; where there were no tracks, people used to rely on the Border Defense Bureau.
Now that the Border Defense Bureau was gone and Li Qi could not be reached, Ma the Fifth could not think of a good solution.
Right as he was fretting, word arrived from Xiaoyaowu: a ruffian had repeatedly come to cause trouble. Steward Zhang was proud and refused to beg for help; he had clashed with the rogue several times and suffered grave injuries.
Ma the Fifth had received reports about this earlier, but hadn't paid it much mind at first. He had not expected the ruffian to push his luck, and with the railway project stalling, an ugly fury flared inside Ma the Fifth.
He immediately phoned Qin Tianjiu. Hearing the news, Qin Tianjiu chuckled. "Fifth Brother, is something this minor worth getting angry over? Tomorrow I'll stake out Xiaoyaowu myself. Whoever that rogue is, if he dares show up, he won't be walking out alive!"
Fatty kept his word and went to Xiaoyaowu the very next day.
Bundled up tightly in a heavy fur coat, a large fur hat, and a scarf wrapped all around him, he sat in front of the bar and ordered a bottle of foreign liquor.
Looking at his getup, the bartender felt his heart pounding like a drum. With trouble brewing constantly these days, this fellow didn't look like good news either.
Once the liquor was poured, the bartender still wondered how someone dressed like that could even drink.
Qin Tianjiu glanced at the bartender. "What are you staring at me for? Go mind your business!"
The bartender left. Taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, Qin Tianjiu pulled down his scarf and sipped from the glass.
Sipping away glass by glass, more than two hours slipped by. Qin Tianjiu finished two bottles and was just starting to feel warm when a man entered the main dance hall and took a seat.
Because of the frequent incidents lately, Xiaoyaowu had few patrons to begin with. As soon as this man walked through the door, the band immediately stopped playing and ducked backstage along with the songstress.
Several bouncers entered the dance hall and escorted the remaining guests out.
Qin Tianjiu did not leave. He looked toward the man who had just arrived.
The man was dressed somewhat similarly to him, also wearing a large hat—padded cotton rather than fur—with no scarf, but plastered all over his face with medicinal plasters.
Needless to ask, this was the rogue who repeatedly stirred up trouble.
"What are you all looking at? What kind of place is this? Isn't this a dance hall?" The plaster-faced man spoke. "Where's the booze? Where's the music? Where are the dancers? If you've got none of that, what kind of business are you running?"
The bouncers knew they were no match for him, but duty came with the trade; faced with such a situation, they had to risk their lives.
Qin Tianjiu stepped ahead of them and sat down across from the man. "I've got wine right here, and I can sing a tune or two. I'm no good at dancing, but if you don't mind settling, how about you just listen to me sing?"
The plaster-faced man looked at Qin Tianjiu. "Do you sing well?"
Qin Tianjiu said modestly, "So-so. Folks say I'm slightly better than Jiang Mengting."
The plaster-faced man picked up a liquor bottle from the neighboring table and pointed it at Qin Tianjiu. "Who's Jiang Mengting? Your wife? Call her out to have a drink with me."
Qin Tianjiu stared at the man for a moment. "You really are just a thug, aren't you? Of all the places to scrounge for food, you had to come here looking for death?"
The plaster-faced man replied, "Does my coming here have anything to do with you?"
Qin Tianjiu chuckled. "Do you plan to die right now, or drink a cup before you hit the road?"
The plaster-faced man abruptly yanked off Qin Tianjiu's scarf. The sight of what lay underneath gave him quite a fright.
From hair to eyebrows down to his beard, Qin Tianjiu's entire face was covered in thick hair, with only the areas around his eyes relatively clear. Ever since he had eaten Nian Shangyou's beard, Qin Tianjiu had looked like this. His wife shaved him clean every night, but by the next morning, a full face of hair was guaranteed to have grown back.
He had ripped off Qin Tianjiu's scarf, so Qin Tianjiu showed no courtesy either, ripping off one of the man's plasters.
This rip pulled away a huge chunk of skin and flesh along with it, exposing the bone on the plaster-faced man's face.
Qin Tianjiu frowned. "What kind of creature are you?"
The plaster-faced man offered no reply, smashing a liquor bottle over Qin Tianjiu's head.
Qin Tianjiu shook off the shattered glass from his head. "A street thug's moves indeed. Let's see if you've got any real skill."
The words had barely left his lips when Qin Tianjiu spat a pellet at the plaster-faced man.
The pellet landed squarely on the open wound, and tiny bugs burrowed out in an instant, crawling all over the plaster-faced man's face.
By all rights, being hit by this pellet meant more than half the battle was lost; the speed at which these bugs drank blood and ate flesh was astounding.
Yet the bugs only kept crawling, without taking a single bite.
Fatty was taken aback. "You're an Insect Cultivator?"
The plaster-faced man flipped a table and smashed it to pieces against Qin Tianjiu.
Qin Tianjiu remained seated, striking a match and holding it near his lips as if he were about to smoke.
He didn't pull out a cigarette. Instead, he spat a mist of liquor toward the plaster-faced man. Passing through the burning match, the mist transformed into a fiery serpent, coiling around the plaster-faced man until his entire body burst into flames.
With the plaster-faced man's cultivation, an ordinary flame would never pose a challenge; he had plenty of ways to put it out.
Yet this fire was not easily extinguished. Qin Tianjiu's match was special, imbued with a Fire Cultivator technique. The harder the plaster-faced man tried to put it out, the more fiercely the flames burned.
"Burns too much, does it? Let me take the edge off for you." Qin Tianjiu opened his mouth and inhaled, sucking in more than half of the flames.
This move appeared to be helping put out the fire, but in truth, it was sapping the plaster-faced man's stamina. If the man failed to respond, by the time the fire was fully drained, he would have no strength left to fight Qin Tianjiu.
The tactic was sound. The plaster-faced man's stamina was severely depleted, his movements growing increasingly sluggish. Just as Qin Tianjiu thought victory was within his grasp, a sudden chill washed through his head.
Not good—there was poison in the fire!
What lineage was this guy? His poison was vicious!
Qin Tianjiu tried to cough up the toxic vapors, but found he couldn't open his mouth. His tongue and the roof of his mouth were somehow glued together.
A Glue Cultivator technique as well?
If a Gluttony Cultivator couldn't open his mouth, he was at a massive disadvantage.
Fortunately, Qin Tianjiu had more than one mouth.
Tearing open his coat, he revealed a hairy chest. Beneath his chest hair lay another mouth. It clamped down on the plaster-faced man's wrist with one bite, then ripped and tore until the entire arm was torn off, swallowed, and eaten.
Having eaten the arm, Qin Tianjiu tasted something peculiar.
The physical vessel had decayed—decayed for a long time—yet there was spirituality in the flesh and blood, proving that a soul resided within. The figure before him was a living corpse.
Qin Tianjiu had seen plenty of living corpses, but with this one, the spiritual aura in the flesh was chaotic, as though it didn't belong to a single soul.
Multiple souls sharing one vessel? That was something Qin Tianjiu had never encountered.
He fished a bell from his robes and gave it a noisy shake.
This was a top-grade magical treasure of the Three Clumps Sect, useless against the living, but capable of dealing devastating blows to departed souls.
He had only rung it twice when the plaster-faced man reached out to snatch it. Having only one arm left, he shouldn't have been Qin Tianjiu's match, yet his strike was extraordinarily swift and deft. In just two exchanges, he swatted the bell away.
Qin Tianjiu was shocked. In those two brief exchanges, he could tell the opponent had a foundation in both Beggar Cultivation and Martial Cultivation.
He had also used poison and Glue Cultivator techniques earlier. With so many methods combined, Qin Tianjiu momentarily had no idea how to counter him.
Unable to devise a clever countermeasure, he resorted to the simplest approach: Qin Tianjiu closed in, intending to seize the plaster-faced man and tear his physical vessel to pieces.
The plaster-faced man dodged with difficulty, spitting toxic mist at Qin Tianjiu from time to time.
Several bouncers in the dance hall tried to step forward and help, but inhaling a single breath of the poison gas sent them collapsing to the floor, unconscious.
This was not a fight they could meddle in. After dozens of fierce exchanges, the plaster-faced man's injuries grew increasingly severe, while Qin Tianjiu sank deeper and deeper into poisoning.
Taking advantage of his remaining strength, the plaster-faced man used the technique of Unimpeded Passage to flee Xiaoyaowu.
Given Qin Tianjiu's temperament, even if the plaster-faced man fled Hengshui Bay, he would have chased him down.
Yet today he couldn't run. The moment he reached Xiaoyaowu's entrance, Qin Tianjiu collapsed straight to the ground.
The Three Clumps Sect disciples waiting outside to support him rushed over. "Ninth Master, what happened to you?"
His eyes bloodshot, Qin Tianjiu exerted all his strength, using both hands to rip his glued lips apart, leaving his mouth a bloody mess.
The surrounding men tried to help Qin Tianjiu up, but he waved them off. "Don't touch me yet. I'm poisoned."
The Silver Badge Yue Shucai said from beside him, "Ninth Brother, I'll call a Medical Cultivator over to detoxify you immediately."
Qin Tianjiu waved his hand. "No need. Get me some water."
Someone handed over a canteen. Qin Tianjiu gulped down a jug of water, swallowing most of the toxins into his stomach pouch to forcefully dissolve them.
Yet the remaining virulent poison was still ferocious. Qin Tianjiu felt waves of dizziness; even standing up proved difficult.
He instructed Yue Shucai, "Find a few Poison Cultivators—high-tier ones—and have them neutralize the poison in Xiaoyaowu's dance hall. Tell their manager they can't do business tonight."
***
Ma Junyang received Qin Tianjiu's phone call. He genuinely had not expected Fatty to lose to that thug.
With ability like that, how could he possibly be a mere street thug?
This person had background; something major was brewing here.
Ma the Fifth immediately arranged for a special train and hurried overnight toward Hengshui City.
Aboard the train, Ma the Fifth could not sleep peacefully, so he woke Huo Ling and cultivated with her for a few hours.
After cultivating, Ma the Fifth calmed down somewhat. Suddenly, Huo Ling felt something amiss. "Wulang, did you snuff out my sparks just now?"
Ma the Fifth was startled. "Maybe I exerted myself too hard just now and accidentally—"
Huo Ling grew flustered. "Six of my sparks went out."
Ma the Fifth grew solemn. Huo Ling usually carried nine fire sparks; having six snuffed out all at once was definitely no accident!
Shielding Huo Ling behind him, his eyes darted swiftly across the carriage, but he saw no trace of anyone.
He picked up a candle from the bedside and burned the palm of his hand with it for a moment. The candle flame flew off the wick and drifted back and forth through the carriage.
Joy Cultivator technique: Lonely Seeking a Mate.
Affected by the technique, the candlelight sought out other flames, coming to a halt before the carriage wardrobe door.
This flame had found its mate—none other than half of Huo Ling's fire sparks.
Ma the Fifth did not approach the wardrobe. Channeling his intention, he sensed someone inside and directly unleashed Joyful Fire Body Incineration!
Flames erupted inside the wardrobe. A figure broke through the door and charged straight at Ma the Fifth.
Undaunted, Ma the Fifth was about to employ Flirting and Scolding, but the figure's movements were astonishingly fast. Sweeping past Ma the Fifth draped in roaring flames, the intruder shattered the carriage window and escaped outside.
Ma the Fifth was about to give chase, only to find he could not stand up.
After trying several times, Ma the Fifth tumbled from the bed.
Alarmed, Huo Ling leaped off the bed and helped Ma the Fifth up. "Wulang, what's wrong with you?"
Ma the Fifth's legs trembled, completely devoid of strength.
***
In Kudaikan, Feng Daiku was strolling along the street. The cinema had put on two new films, reportedly both directed by Ma the Fifth himself.
Feng Daiku knew full well that Ma the Fifth was so busy he couldn't possibly have time to direct films; it was merely a promotional gimmick. Yet ever since they had parted, he had remained constantly on her mind, and she wanted to visit the cinema to see for herself.
Movie tickets were definitely out of the question. In Kudaikan, restaurant tables, inn rooms, and houses for rent or sale were all exceedingly hard to find; even hiring a rickshaw required waiting in line.
Feng Daiku didn't need a ticket anyway. She slipped quietly into the cinema. As she waited for the show to begin, her heart suddenly gave a violent jolt.
Emotion Cultivator technique: Consonant Heart-Thread.
Something had happened to Ma the Fifth!
***
At the Hengshui City station, several men carried Ma the Fifth to Xiaoyaowu. Still nursing his severe wounds, Steward Zhang learned that Ma the Fifth could not walk; paying no heed to his own injuries, he searched everywhere for doctors.
Several Medical Cultivators examined him one after another, reaching the identical conclusion: the tendons in Ma the Fifth's legs were severed.
There was no external wound on Ma the Fifth's legs, nor did he feel any pain; feeling around, his leg tendons still seemed to be there. The situation was truly bizarre.
The renowned physician Luo Tieshi was experienced and knowledgeable. He delivered his diagnosis: "Fifth Master, your tendons aren't completely severed. Someone pulled several strands of sinew out from your tendons, leaving you numb to pain yet unable to exert any force. In my experience, this was done by an expert Thief Cultivator."
At the mention of a Thief Cultivator, Ma the Fifth instantly thought of one person: He Jiaqing!
In his fury, Ma the Fifth was preparing to rally his men and hunt down He Jiaqing when Feng Daiku arrived at Xiaoyaowu and immediately stopped him.
"Wulang, tell me everything that happened, in detail."
The two sides had exchanged only two moves in total, and Ma the Fifth remembered every detail clearly.
Listening to Ma the Fifth finish, Feng Daiku shook her head repeatedly. "Wulang, I don't think this was He Jiaqing's doing. He Jiaqing's cultivation is extremely high; even I might not be his match. You've only just reached the Above-the-Clouds realm, Wulang. If He Jiaqing had successfully infiltrated your carriage, I'm afraid you wouldn't just have lost some sinew strands—you would have lost your life."
Ma the Fifth had considered this as well. "If he didn't kill me, he might have had other motives. Perhaps he intends to use those tendon strands to extort me."
Feng Daiku pondered for a long time. "Your reasoning makes sense, Wulang, but if the opponent truly were He Jiaqing, he fought far too wretchedly."
Ma the Fifth didn't see it that way. "He first stole Huo Ling's sparks, then stole my tendon strands, toying with me without breaking a sweat! How is that wretched?"
Feng Daiku shook her head. "A thief wouldn't risk his life just to show off fancy tricks. He moved against Huo Ling first not to toy with you, Wulang, but to divert your attention. That person clearly didn't dare go head-to-head with you; he was terrified of your techniques. Only after he was caught in your Joyful Fire did he risk his life in desperation and steal your tendon strands. Even when he escaped the carriage, the Joyful Fire on him had not gone out. You know the power of Joyful Fire, Wulang—that strike wounded him gravely."
Ma the Fifth furrowed his brow tightly. "Could it really not be He Jiaqing?"
Feng Daiku gently massaged Ma the Fifth's legs. "Regardless of who the real culprit is, the pressing matter is healing your legs. If we can recover the tendon strands, that's ideal, but if not, we must make other plans."
Ma the Fifth understood what Feng Daiku meant. "Go to Santoucha and regrow the tendons?"
Feng Daiku nodded.
Ma the Fifth felt uncertain inside. "Isn't that just gambling on blind luck?"
Feng Daiku sat beside Ma the Fifth, gently consoling him. "Let's put our heads together and come up with a method. If we have better than a fifty percent chance, it won't be gambling on blind luck."
Fifty percent. Even with a ninety percent chance, Ma the Fifth wouldn't feel at ease.
That night, vexed and restless, Ma the Fifth went to sleep alone, while Feng Daiku slept in the adjoining room.
Around two in the morning, the sound of footsteps came from inside the room. Ma the Fifth snapped his eyes open and reached out, touching the emotion thread by his bedside.
With the slightest tug, Feng Daiku would rush over from next door.
A woman appeared, waving her hands repeatedly at Ma the Fifth to signal him not to make a sound.
Ma the Fifth looked closely. The woman stood beneath the wall, where a landscape painting hung.
This landscape painting had been given to Ma the Fifth by Li Banfeng, an authentic work by Mu Yuejuan. It was thanks to this painting that Ma the Fifth had received Mu Yuejuan's guidance and smoothly advanced Above the Clouds.
At this moment, Mu Yuejuan was standing right beneath that painting.
"Wulang, you've suffered." Mu Yuejuan's voice trembled, tears streaming down her face.
Sitting on the bed, Ma the Fifth asked, "How did you know something happened to me?"
Mu Yuejuan did not explain. She placed a brocade box on the table. "Wulang, give this brocade box to Feng Daiku. She will know what to do."
Ma the Fifth looked at the box. "What is this?"
Mu Yuejuan shook her head repeatedly. "Wulang, please don't ask. I have my difficulties. I must go."
Tears in her eyes, she vanished back into the scroll.
Ma the Fifth tugged the emotion thread. Feng Daiku walked over from the adjoining room. After hearing Ma the Fifth recount Mu Yuejuan's appearance, Feng Daiku opened the brocade box on the table.
Looking inside, Feng Daiku exclaimed with joy, "These are your tendon strands, Wulang! I can use my emotion threads to graft these strands back in!"
Ma the Fifth was overjoyed too, but once the joy faded, a thought struck him. "Old Seven told me that Mu Yuejuan went over first to Snowflake Pu, and later to the Brotherhood Alliance. She is one of He Jiaqing's people."
Feng Daiku nodded slightly. She had heard whispers of this as well.
Ma the Fifth asked, "Do you still think this wasn't He Jiaqing's doing?"
For the moment, even Feng Daiku could not untangle the threads of the mystery.
Ma the Fifth ground his teeth, his expression turning ferocious. "Old Nine was severely poisoned and hasn't recovered yet. My tendon strands were ripped out, nearly crippling both my legs. And now Old Seven can't even be reached! If He Jiaqing has harmed Old Seven, I, Ma Junyang, will wager my entire fortune and my very life to tear He Jiaqing into ten thousand pieces!"
PS: Did He Jiaqing really do this?
Chapter 790