The Leader of the Brotherhood Alliance

Li Banfeng went up to the clouds, set a fire beside the Western-style house to summon the peddler back, and told him about the Great Totem. "The Great Totem is seventy percent repaired?" The peddler still found it hard to believe. "Isn't that thing impossible to fix?" Li Banfeng didn't know the story behind it. "Why can't the Great Totem be repaired?" "Friends from Wansheng Province told me, and those friends are very reliable." The peddler sat down in the courtyard and drew a ring on the ground. "This is the Great Totem. You've probably seen it on your local spirit seal." Li Banfeng nodded. "I have. I also seem to have seen similar things in foreign theories and equipment for studying the Boundary." Holding a branch, the peddler pointed at the ring. "This outer ring can absorb, and the inner ring can convert. The operating principle of the large ring is very simple: it can absorb energy and convert it into other forms. You understand that much, don't you?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "I certainly don't." The peddler said in surprise, "Aren't you college-educated?" Li Banfeng said, "What you're describing doesn't sound like a totem. It sounds like a machine." "Calling it a machine isn't wrong either." The peddler gave an example Li Banfeng was most familiar with. "Just think about what a local spirit seal does. It can draw in all the vitality and popular will across a territory—that's the function of the Great Totem's outer ring." Li Banfeng thought the peddler might have misunderstood. "I'm not talking about the Great Totem on the local spirit seal. I mean the huge thing in the Inner State, probably similar to the Great Smelter—" "It's the same," the peddler said, having not misunderstood. "We're talking about the exact same thing. In terms of shape, the Great Totem on a local spirit seal is identical to the Great Totem in the Inner State. Because the shapes are identical, resonance is produced between them, allowing the local spirit seal to function by drawing on the Great Totem. Only with the Great Totem can local spirit seals exist. If the Great Totem in the Inner State is gone, local spirit seals become useless." With this explanation from the peddler, Li Banfeng became even more bewildered. "Without techniques, artisan methods, or science and technology from the Outer States, resonance can be produced?" The peddler nodded. "As long as the shape matches the Great Totem, it resonates with it. That's why only the Inner State can manufacture local spirit seals." Li Banfeng was completely baffled. He felt the peddler was speaking with zero logic today. "Why can only the Inner State make local spirit seals? If we take a lump of iron and engrave a ring on it, wouldn't that become a local spirit seal?" The peddler shook his head. "You can't engrave it." "What's so hard about engraving a ring?" "It's not a true circle." The peddler pointed to the ring he had drawn. "The distance from the edge to the center isn't completely equal." Li Banfeng thought about it carefully. "You mean an ellipse? That's easy too. Can't we just find someone to calculate the eccentricity?" The peddler said, "It can't be calculated. I had many calculation cultivators try to compute it, and had artisan cultivators measure it repeatedly. The proportions, width, and depth—none of them can be calculated. The counterfeit local spirit seals produced were all useless." Having graduated from a college of science, Li Banfeng truly couldn't fathom who could have designed such an abstract ring. "Who made this thing?" "Wansheng Province and the Shang State made it together." "They actually joined hands?" The peddler sighed. "Bustling to and fro, all driven by profit. Wansheng Province is divided among rival factions; some have good relations with Puluo Province, while others formed alliances with the Shang State. They spent years of painstaking effort to create this thing, but right after it was delivered to the Shang State, it was smashed." Li Banfeng asked, "Who smashed it?" "Me!" The peddler stood up. "If that thing had remained intact, Puluo Province would have been devoured by the Shang State long ago. I investigated in Wansheng Province—the Great Totem cannot be remade, nor can it be repaired, because neither the Inner State nor Wansheng Province possesses the conditions required to recreate it. How could it possibly be seventy percent repaired? Is your information reliable?" Li Banfeng said, "Judging by the descriptions from A'yu and Yuan Youshang, the news is reliable." The peddler clenched a cigarette between his teeth, neither smoking it nor putting it out; he was tense. "Do you know where the Great Totem is?" "I don't," Li Banfeng shook his head. "You smashed the Great Totem back then—don't you know its location?" The peddler spat out some tobacco flecks. "Previously, the Great Totem was in Chaoge. After I damaged it, the Shang State moved it somewhere else for safekeeping. As to where they moved it, I don't know either. I've searched for all these years and still haven't found it. Let's investigate together, brother, and use every means available. If we can't get to the bottom of this, Puluo Province will be in grave danger!" Where should they start investigating? At present, the most critical clue still lay with Yuan Youshang. Li Banfeng went to Tiemen Fort and invited Song Qianhun to Xiaoyaowu. Song Qianhun was an eminent figure among Demon Cultivators and had the renowned physician Kang Zhenchang under his command, so he ought to be able to find a way to restore Yuan Youshang. Seeing Song Qianhun, Yuan Youshang grew extremely nervous—an instinctual fear that departed souls felt toward Demon Cultivators. Song Qianhun recognized Yuan Youshang; over a decade ago, Yuan Youshang had even paid respects to him as a junior. After examining the soul, Song Qianhun called Li Banfeng outside the room and spoke to him privately: "Yuan Youshuang's condition is tricky. His soul is extremely incomplete; he must have used the technique of Soul Dissolution and Soul Transfer." Li Banfeng hadn't heard of this technique. Song Qianhun explained, "After a Demon Cultivator reaches the clouds, they can learn the Soul Dissolution and Soul Transfer technique. It is a life-preserving skill used when forced to a dead end. When one truly has to resort to this technique, one cannot even save one's life anymore; it merely leaves a final glimmer of hope before turning to ash and smoke. The key to Soul Dissolution and Soul Transfer lies in dispersing one's own soul along with the souls of all one's ghost servants, and then reassembling them. To what extent they can recombine depends on one's cultivation, the number of ghost servants, and one's luck. Yuan Youshuang's cultivation is not low, and his luck was decent, but he had too few ghost servants—around a hundred by his side at the time. As a result, the reassembled soul is severely limited, leaving him remembering very little." Li Banfeng didn't know much about Demon Cultivators. "Is a hundred ghost servants considered few?" Song Qianhun smiled modestly. "Depends on who you compare it to. For me, it is indeed a bit few." Li Banfeng asked, "Can a remedy be made after the fact to help him reassemble his soul again?" Song Qianhun pondered. "For this matter, you'll have to ask Gui Jianchou. He's the expert; I don't know the essentials of Soul Dissolution and Soul Transfer." Li Banfeng was taken aback. "Big Brother Song, you don't know how to use this technique?" Song Qianhun said, "Techniques above the clouds are all precious, and I felt Soul Dissolution and Soul Transfer was truly of little use. The price of this technique is too great, and it can't be polished during ordinary times. When the time comes that one truly has to use it, one might as well seek a swift end. What meaning is there in living like Yuan Youshuang?" Li Banfeng went to the City of Fools and brought Gui Jianchou over. Upon seeing Yuan Youshang, Gui Jianchou shook his head repeatedly. "His condition is hard to patch up. His soul is damaged like a tattered rag; if it's shattered again, I'm afraid it won't be stitched back together. It's better to nourish it slowly." Song Qianhun felt Gui Jianchou wasn't telling the truth. "Senior Brother, is it truly impossible to remedy, or are you unwilling to put in the effort?" Gui Jianchou rolled his eyes at Song Qianhun. "This is Old Seven's business—would I hold anything back? Do you think I'm not afraid of Sun Tiecheng plucking my heart out? Soul Dissolution and Soul Transfer definitely cannot be used. Help me nurture his soul together!" Song Qianhun and Gui Jianchou used soul-nurturing arts to help patch up Yuan Youshang's soul, but Li Banfeng couldn't just keep waiting here. The Great Totem was already seventy percent repaired; waiting a few more days, and it might be fully restored. Besides the lead from Yuan Youshang, whom else could Li Banfeng turn to? Returning home, Li Banfeng approached the Bronze Lotus. "You must have seen the Great Totem. Do you know where it is?" The Bronze Lotus swayed its lotus leaves. "I only saw it once in Chaoge, but by then the Great Totem was already damaged." Li Banfeng asked, "You never investigated the Great Totem after that?" "I did, but Puluo Province is isolated from news; I didn't turn up any results." Li Banfeng said resentfully, "Isn't Puluo Province being isolated from news all your doing?" The Bronze Lotus shuddered its leaves and huffed, "That's utterly unreasonable. The customs of Puluo Province are just like this—what does that have to do with me, a mere medicine refiner?" Zhao Xiaowan reminded him from the side, "Since the Heavenly Maiden investigated the Great Totem, A'yu must surely have been involved, right?" The Bronze Lotus feigned surprise. "Is that so? Bring A'yu here, and I'll ask her." Li Banfeng awoke as if from a dream! The last time he went to see A'yu, she was playing mahjong and drew the One of Bamboos, saying she had discovered a female disciple who had revived twice. How could it be such a coincidence? Just when Li Banfeng went to visit her, she made such an important discovery. A'yu wanted to secretly hint to Li Banfeng that there was more behind this matter. His wife was right. In the realm of reconnaissance and investigation, A'yu was first-rate. The Heavenly Maiden couldn't possibly leave such an expert unused; A'yu definitely knew about the Great Totem. That woman was too calculating, never willing to speak plainly about anything. Li Banfeng set out to find A'yu. He wasn't in a rush to head straight to Hulu Village; instead, he first went to Xiao Yeci's furniture shop and bought some furniture. These pieces weren't for the companion dwelling, so there was no need for custom orders—he bought ready-made goods directly. His wife and Jiu'er bought another batch of household supplies, and only then did Li Banfeng use the technique of Broadening the Bridal Chamber to travel to the mansion in Hulu Village. Arriving at the mansion, Li Banfeng summoned a cluster of shadows to first furnish each of the rooms with household goods. The old lady on the third floor loved antiques, so Li Banfeng placed a rosewood four-seasons flower-and-bird folding screen in her room. The woman next door liked fashion, so Li Banfeng gave her a black walnut and colored glaze dressing table. The little girl downstairs was the family's little princess, so Li Banfeng bought her a Western dollhouse, along with a set of premium dolls made in the Ingrid Kingdom. The middle-aged man living in the first-floor iron room guarded the entrance conscientiously, being simple and upright, so Li Banfeng presented him with five hundred silver dollars. With all ten rooms properly arranged, Li Banfeng entered A'yu's room and asked straightforwardly, "Elder Sister, do you know where the Great Totem is?" Just as A'yu was about to speak, creaking sounds echoed together from upstairs and downstairs, partitions and beams. Pairs of eyes stared at A'yu, seeming to pierce through her flesh and gaze straight into her internal organs. All the rooms were warning A'yu not to lie to the head of the household. "Little Brother, if I say I don't know, will they skin me alive and swallow me whole?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "Elder Sister, I won't make things difficult for you. Just tell the truth." A'yu looked around, turned to stare at Li Banfeng, and said with a serious expression, "If I say I might know, would you believe me or not?" No sooner had she spoken than rebukes sounded all around: "What do you mean 'might know'? It's clearly a pack of lies!" "The master is so good to us—how can she be so ungrateful!" "This time she really should be taught a lesson!" Cold sweat poured down A'yu's back. A few words on normal days were harmless, but today the houses were ready to play for keeps. "Little Brother, if they really make a move on me, I'll truly suffer. A house has far too many ways to discipline a dwelling spirit. But if I tell you that what I just said was the truth, do you believe me?" Li Banfeng nodded. "I believe you." A'yu nodded. "All right, then I'll lay out the honest truth for you. Back then, the Heavenly Maiden ordered me to investigate the Great Totem. I investigated it, and even to this day, I have never stopped investigating. But first I was trapped in the Dark Star Bureau, and then trapped in Hulu Village. I can't even step out the front door, so there are things I can't investigate myself. That means I had to get others to investigate on my behalf." Li Banfeng naturally anticipated this. "You're talking about the people of the Brotherhood Alliance." A'yu nodded. "If they found out, then I might know." "Why 'might'? If they found out, could they possibly keep it from you?" A'yu looked quietly at Li Banfeng as the berating voices around them continued non-stop: "Still concealing and dodging!" "The master is questioning you—why aren't you speaking!" A'yu lowered her voice: "Little Brother, do you really have to force your sister to speak so bluntly? The Alliance Leader of the Brotherhood Alliance is the Heavenly Maiden—that's true. But this leader hasn't shown her face for many years." The Heavenly Maiden's control over the Brotherhood Alliance was not as absolute as Li Banfeng had imagined. If Li Banfeng wanted to learn definite information about the Great Totem, he still had to investigate from within the Brotherhood Alliance. Li Banfeng knew quite a few people in the Brotherhood Alliance. Whom would be suitable to investigate through? "Elder Sister, who in the Brotherhood Alliance do you think is reliable?" "Reliable?" A'yu chuckled. "If you want reliable people, you shouldn't look in the Brotherhood Alliance. See if there's anyone in the Brotherhood Alliance you trust. If you can find even one who won't swindle you, consider yourself lucky." Li Banfeng was pondering the same question. In the Brotherhood Alliance, who could guarantee not to screw him over? Leaving Hulu Village, Li Banfeng called Teacher Song. A mobile phone from the Outer States couldn't place calls in Puluo Province, with Teacher Song's number being the sole exception. "I have an urgent matter and need to see you." Li Banfeng spoke only this single sentence, set a time and location, and immediately hung up. Teacher Song was somewhat nervous about meeting Li Banfeng. She speculated that Li Banfeng might have had a change of heart and wanted to join the Brotherhood Alliance, but on second thought, that speculation seemed overly optimistic. According to the information she knew, Li Banfeng had taken over the railway, abolished Puluo Province's travel pass system, and there were even reports that he had infiltrated the Shang State and dealt it heavy blows. In Song Shu's eyes, Li Banfeng's achievements in Puluo Province had already surpassed the entire Brotherhood Alliance; there was no reason for him to seek refuge with them. Was he trying to persuade her to leave the Brotherhood Alliance? Song Shu was flustered, at a loss as to what choice to make. The two arranged to meet at Black Rock Slope. Only after meeting did Song Shu realize she had overthought things. Li Banfeng only wanted to know the whereabouts of the Great Totem. Song Shu hesitated slightly. Within the scope of her knowledge, the Great Totem was the Brotherhood Alliance's most vital secret. Yet after hesitating for less than a minute, Song Shu told the truth. "The Brotherhood Alliance indeed has intelligence on the Great Totem, but the information held by most people is fragmented. What I know is that the Great Totem modified certain people and dispatched them to Puluo Province to carry out special missions. Their combat prowess is very high, and they are unrestricted by passages and the Boundary. After being transformed by the Great Totem, their appearances undergo massive changes, making it very difficult to investigate their true identities." Li Banfeng was well aware of this; Lu Xiaolan was an example. Yet this wasn't what Li Banfeng cared about most. "Teacher Song, do you know the location of the Great Totem?" Song Shu shook her head. "I don't know who is responsible for investigating the Great Totem's location, but I know one person who possesses comprehensive information about the Great Totem. I once reported investigation progress to this person." "Who is this person?" "I don't know his exact identity, but I know he has a residence in Kucaizhuang. Every time I reported on work, I went to Kucaizhuang to find him." Li Banfeng stood up and said, "I'll go ask Granny Kucai." Song Shu stopped Li Banfeng. "You can't go to Lucky Star. If she finds out you're looking for that person, she won't allow you into Kucaizhuang. This involves many secrets of Kucaizhuang. You must find a way to draw her away from Kucaizhuang before entering, or else it will be impossible for you to see him." Song Shu drew a map for Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng put away the map and sought out Chu Er. "You want me to get Granny Kucai out of Kucaizhuang?" Chu Er had a bitter look on her face. "Seventh Brother, you think way too highly of me." Li Banfeng thought about it and realized she was right; this was purely putting Chu Er on the spot. He would just barge straight into Kucaizhuang. If reason worked, he'd talk; if not, he'd fight Granny Kucai. Just as Li Banfeng was about to set out, Chu Er stopped him. "Seventh Brother, do you really have an urgent matter in Kucaizhuang?" "A matter of the utmost urgency, a matter of life and death!" "I believe you!" Chu Er looked up and said, "Go into Kucaizhuang tonight at ten o'clock, and you must come out before dawn. Can you do that?" Li Banfeng asked in surprise, "You really have a way?" Chu Er nodded. "Only for tonight." "What way?" "Granny Kucai has a secret art she wants to pass on to me. I was afraid of hardship and refused to learn it all along. Tonight I'll contact her and say I'm willing to learn; she'll definitely come to see me." Hearing this, Li Banfeng felt somewhat uneasy. "What secret art are you going to learn?" Chu Er shook her head. "You can't ask; this is a secret of my lineage. Rest assured, Granny Kucai will never suspect me." Li Banfeng instructed, "If she suspects you, tell her the truth straight out. If she won't spare you, contact me immediately, and I'll talk reason with her." That evening, Li Banfeng went to wait by the entrance of Kucaizhuang. At eight o'clock, Chu Er sat in the bedroom of the Chu family mansion and took out two boxes of Golden Origin Pills. Quite a few of these pills had been given to her by Li Qi, many had been given by Chu Shaoqiang, and others had been gathered by Chu Er herself. She counted out sixty pills and laid them on the table, then brought over a stem of bitter herb and placed it beside the pills. Hesitating for a moment, Chu Er took a deep breath, divided the sixty Golden Origin Pills into five portions, and washed them down with a pot of tea. By the time she swallowed the fifth portion of pills, Chu Er, holding the bitter herb in her mouth, collapsed to the floor. After waiting for over an hour, Granny Kucai rushed into Chu Er's room. Seeing the pills still held in Chu Er's mouth that hadn't been swallowed, and looking at the pill boxes on the table, she frowned. "You fool, how many did you take?" Chu Er was on the verge of death, unable to speak. Granny Kucai said with a frosty expression, "If you're seeking your own death, why did you call for me?" Li Banfeng entered Kucaizhuang holding the map. Little had changed here. Past ten o'clock, not a single light could be seen. Back then, Li Banfeng had turned Kucaizhuang into Joyous Village, but coming to this place now, he couldn't perceive even a shred of vitality. Following the map deeper into the village, there was only boundless wilderness in the distance and dry yellow soil underfoot, the air permeated with a stifling, oppressive bitterness. Li Banfeng truly didn't want to linger here. With his speed, after walking for nearly an hour, the scenery began to change. A mountain appeared ahead, with a scattering of trees growing along its slopes. When he had visited Kucaizhuang before, Li Banfeng felt he had traversed the entire village, yet he had never been to this mountain. Kucaizhuang was larger than he had imagined. Crossing this mountain and walking for another half hour across the wilderness, an unexpected sight appeared before his eyes. Automobiles, asphalt roads, utility poles... Had he arrived in the Outer States? Li Banfeng walked up to a car, touched the thick layer of dust on the hood, and glanced at the cobwebs inside. This vehicle hadn't been touched in a very long time. Not far ahead of the car was a chest freezer, completely empty inside without even a droplet of condensation. Two wheels sat beneath the freezer; it was likely used as a cart to sell cold drinks. Further ahead was a small convenience stall, its shelves bare. Beside the stall stood a telephone booth—something rare even in the Outer States nowadays. Walking further, Li Banfeng spotted a restaurant. The interior was empty, but a person sat by the doorway. The person wore a black jacket, a pair of jeans, a leather shoe on his left foot, and a sneaker on his right. He had curly gray hair that seemed originally black, now caked in dust. A gust of chilly wind blew past. The man looked up and glanced at Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng sized him up with Keen Gaze and confirmed he was still alive. "What place is this?" "Kucaizhuang." "Where did you come from?" "Chunshen City." "What did you come here to do?" "To suffer." The man lowered his head, unwilling to speak with Li Banfeng any further. Song Qianhun had once said that the Outer States also had a Kucaizhuang. Li Banfeng hadn't expected to actually encounter it today. Following the map, Li Banfeng walked up to a residential apartment building. This was the end of the map, proving he had reached his destination. But which floor and which apartment did the person he was looking for live in? Fortunately, the building wasn't tall—only six stories, with just three households per floor. Li Banfeng climbed the stairs floor by floor, all the way to the sixth. Standing at the landing for a moment, he turned right and halted before the door of Room 603. He knocked on the door. In this entire building, every other home was empty; only this apartment was the exception. Waiting a moment without an answer, Li Banfeng had Glove unlock the door. "Master, be extra careful." Glove felt this place gave him the creeps. Li Banfeng pushed the door open and stepped into the living room. The distinct smell of aged furniture immediately met his nose. The living room wasn't large: to the left were a bathroom and a bedroom, and to the right were another bedroom and the kitchen. Li Banfeng pulled a feather duster from his sleeve, dusted off the sofa, and sat down. Directly across from the sofa was an old-fashioned television set with a bulky casing and a convex CRT screen. Hanging above the television was a picture frame pasted with many photographs, mostly black-and-white with a few in color. Li Banfeng didn't recognize a single man or woman in the photos. These pictures bore the typical style of the 1980s. They all wore nearly identical smiles, looked in the same direction, and their eyes gleamed with the exact same light. Li Banfeng was no stranger to this; Granny Wu at the orphanage also possessed a similar frame filled with such photos. He sat on the sofa for a moment, then spoke abruptly: "I've traveled such a long way. Shouldn't you come out and meet me?" The photos in the frame blurred for a moment. The people inside turned their eyes together, looking down upon Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng glanced up at the frame, and the people in the photos averted their gaze. Li Banfeng looked at them a couple more times, and the people gradually faded away, leaving only the backdrop cloth from when the portraits were taken. A cup appeared on the coffee table, filled with steaming hot tea. Li Banfeng didn't touch the cup; he looked toward the recliner beside the sofa. Creak, creak... The recliner swayed, and a man slowly materialized upon it. The man looked to be in his fifties, with a lean face and upright features. He wore a white jacket with Chinese frog closures over black trousers. He looked at Li Banfeng and pointed toward the coffee table. "Have a cup of tea." Li Banfeng didn't look at the coffee table. Looking at the man, he asked, "Where is the tea?" The man smiled, and the teacup on the coffee table vanished. To be precise, there had never been a teacup on the coffee table; the previous cup and tea had been illusions. A cup of tea appeared in the man's hand. He handed it to Li Banfeng, who took the cup and took a small sip. The man asked, "How does it taste?" Li Banfeng savored it carefully. "Good tea." The man asked, "Why have you come looking for me? Have we met before?" Li Banfeng said, "You've seen me, but I haven't seen you. Still, I recognize your voice." The man feigned surprise. "Is that so?" Li Banfeng cleared his throat, changed his voice, and said, "President Wang, have another drink, won't you? Just one more!" The man laughed. "No wonder Granny Kucai always brings you up. You, youngster, are truly out of the ordinary." Li Banfeng set down his teacup and cupped his hands in greeting. "Senior Huan Wuchang, I was favored by your guidance twice before; this junior expresses his deepest gratitude." PS: Huan Wuchang has appeared twice before: once in Chapter 535 and once in Chapter 647.