Jiang Ling'er cut open Li Banfeng's shoulder with a pair of scissors, then reached deep into the wound, snipping away clumps of slimy flesh and blood.
Yucui Pavilion reminded her, "Girl, keep a steady hand. Don't puncture the sac. If it bursts and the marrow leaks out, he'll have suffered for nothing."
Zhao Xiaowan wiped the sweat from Jiang Ling'er's brow. Jiang Ling'er turned the scissors in a full circle inside the wound, then used forceps to extract a fleshy sphere. "Shan Chengjun's marrow is all in here."
She placed the sphere before Li Banfeng. Just as Li Banfeng let out a sigh of relief, Yucui Pavilion advised, "Son-in-law, probe the wound with your Sit Back and Relax technique, then stretch your limbs and loosen your muscles thoroughly. See if anything still feels off."
Li Banfeng moved up and down the levels of Yucui Pavilion for several circuits without detecting anything amiss. Yet Yucui Pavilion remained uneasy and urged repeatedly, "I fear traces of that old scoundrel's marrow might still linger. If anything feels wrong, use Sit Back and Relax to gather the anomaly in one spot, then hurry home and let my daughter dig it out for you."
Holding the fleshy ball, Jiang Ling'er asked, "What should we do with this?"
Li Banfeng originally intended to bring it back for the Bronze Lotus to refine into pills, but Yucui Pavilion spoke up: "Son-in-law, this is an invaluable treasure. Leaving it anywhere else would make me truly uneasy."
Tactfully phrased as it was, she simply wanted to keep it for herself.
Li Banfeng said, "Let's leave the marrow here at home, then."
Yucui Pavilion accepted it immediately. "Since it is my son-in-law's thoughtful wish, I'll keep it as a treasure to safeguard the house."
***
Upon returning to the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng rested to heal his injuries. His wife wanted to stay behind and look after him, but Li Banfeng took out two hundred silver dollars and told her to take Hong Ying and A'yu out for a walk around the streets.
Zhao Xiaowan said, "Yingying and I have nothing to see out there. When we were searching for you, we ran through the whole of Ink Fragrance Shop. Let A'yu go."
A'yu shook her head. "I have nothing to see either. When I followed my lord chasing that old thief, I ran through the whole city as well."
Hong Ying glared at A'yu. "Who are you calling 'my lord'? Has he consummated a marriage with you? You shameless hussy!"
A'yu scoffed. "'My lord' is what I call him—what can you do about it?"
Li Banfeng brought out another chest of silver dollars and said to Zhao Xiaowan, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. Shan Chengjun and I fought our way through the streets, burning down houses and smashing stalls. We have to compensate people for the damage."
Knowing Li Banfeng's character, Zhao Xiaowan knew that when he said he would pay compensation, the matter could brook no delay.
Carrying the chest of coins, she took Hong Ying and A'yu out the door.
Li Banfeng rested for a short while, then went to the Fourth Room to check on Murong Gui.
Murong Gui lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Li Banfeng made a rough estimate: Murong Gui drew breath roughly once every minute and a half.
He and the projector had escaped from the clouds and fled to the Willow Gardens to inspect his covenant deed. After confirming everything was intact, the projector phoned Li Banfeng.
The projector carried the primary telephone while Li Banfeng kept a spare. Once they learned Li Banfeng was still in Ink Fragrance Shop, Murong Gui and the projector managed to return smoothly to the companion dwelling.
Ever since entering the companion dwelling, Murong Gui had remained lying down, recuperating even longer than Li Banfeng had.
Li Banfeng said, "You aren't even injured. Come down and stretch your limbs. Seeing you lie there motionless just now, I thought you'd stopped breathing."
"Stretching my limbs... works too." The Judge's Brush floated up beside Murong Gui.
The glove cried out in surprise, "Well, look at that—you're back in the brush?"
"My body is safe now, so there's no need for me to stay inside it." The Judge's Brush paused in silence before the bookshelf, selected a spot where the draft was mild, the light dim, and the position inconspicuous, and settled down. It then channeled a technique to lift a newspaper over itself as a blanket.
The glove scuttled onto the shelf and asked, "Hey brother, you're really comfortable leaving your body lying there? Aren't you afraid the Bronze Lotus might refine and melt you down?"
"If it refines it, so be it. At least it won't benefit outsiders."
The Judge's Brush fell asleep, ignoring whatever else the glove said.
Li Banfeng went to the Fifth Room. The young lady of the Fifth Room was picking flowers, while the Bronze Lotus was refining Shan Chengjun's corpse.
When Li Banfeng entered, the Bronze Lotus gave no reaction, while the Fifth Miss held her freshly picked flowers, looking slightly tense.
Li Banfeng pulled up a chair and sat by the wall. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you. As the Patriarch of Gourmet Cultivators, how have you endured going without food for so long?"
The Fifth Miss shook her head. "Living here in our home, surrounded by our family's warmth, I have never once felt hungry."
Li Banfeng glanced at the Bronze Lotus. "Listen to that. Isn't she charming with her words?"
The Bronze Lotus let out a chuckle. "Some things you've known all along; you're just probing her on purpose. Which meal in this house has ever lacked her share? You always accuse me of skimming off the top—do you have any idea how much she's eaten of yours over the years?
"She talks to people as a person and to ghosts as a ghost. She knows you're testing her, so she strings you along with sweet ambiguities. What's so remarkable about that trick? You think I couldn't do it if I wanted to?"
The Fifth Miss shook her head vigorously. With her reddened eyes and student attire, she appeared exceptionally sincere and pure. "Seventh Brother, every single word I've said to you comes straight from the heart."
Hearing those words, the red lotus shuddered.
Li Banfeng looked at the Bronze Lotus. "Convinced now?"
"Not convinced, disgusted!" The Bronze Lotus slowly lifted off the ground and flew toward the Sixth Room. "Take your time chatting. I'll refine my pills somewhere else. Listening to such sickening talk might ruin the medicine's potency."
Only Li Banfeng and the Fifth Miss remained in the room. Li Banfeng asked, "No lies are told on Blood Fang Mountain. What exactly is your relationship with the Blood Fang Monster?"
"I do know her," she replied.
"How well?"
"Well enough to talk about anything."
"Let me put it even more plainly: are the two of you the same person?"
"No!" she answered without hesitation.
Li Banfeng picked up a feather duster from the empty tabletop. The Fifth Miss had no idea where the duster had come from.
With a mild smile, Li Banfeng said, "I'm an honest, straightforward man. I don't care for word games. For instance, playing semantics like 'we used to be the same person, but we aren't anymore' is quite dull to me."
Seeing the feather duster, the Fifth Miss put her hands behind her back, her expression growing tense. "I truly didn't deceive you. She and I are not the same person. Why do you think I'm lying?"
Li Banfeng smoothed the feathers on the duster. "Because you possess similar methods. She can ingest certain things and refine pills through a particular process. That's far too similar to your Hundred Flowers Slaughter technique."
She gave a slight nod. "Some of her methods are indeed similar to mine, because we share close innate gifts."
"Now that piques my curiosity," Li Banfeng said. "Why would you share close innate gifts?"
The Fifth Miss sat on the grass, tucked her picked flowers into the soil beside her, and brushed a lock of short hair behind her ear. Then she asked, "Do you have brothers or sisters?"
Li Banfeng pondered for a moment and nodded. "You could say so."
"What are their names?"
"Why ask that?"
"Don't worry, I won't harm them. Even if I wanted to, I could uncover that information elsewhere."
Li Banfeng said, "My siblings are called Banluan, Banling, Bangang..."
She asked, "Why do all your names share the character Ban?"
Li Banfeng said, "It's a naming custom. Having the same generation share a common character is very traditional."
The Fifth Miss smiled. "My homeland has the same tradition. My sister and I share a common character too. Do you and your siblings possess similar bodily gifts?"
"No," Li Banfeng answered with certainty. "My relationship with them isn't quite like normal siblings."
Her wide eyes blinked, and she nodded. "My relationship with her isn't typical either. We are an unusual pair of sisters, much closer than ordinary sisters. In fact, you've met sisters like us before—they were born in the same place, followed the same tradition, and shared the same character in their names."
Just as Li Banfeng was pondering which pair of unusual sisters she meant, the projection on the wall suddenly darkened.
The warm hues of the sunset faded away, replaced by a dreary wilderness crossed with coarse black scratches like old celluloid film, looking bleak and desolate.
The Fifth Miss's wind-tousled hair and long gown mirrored her inner melancholy.
"Whenever I think of her, my heart aches," she murmured, crouching down and plucking up the flowers from the soil. "There are some questions I simply cannot answer, because I cannot speak her name, nor can I speak of her identity."
"You can't even mention them?"
"Mm." The Fifth Miss nodded firmly, and the scene on the wall vanished.
***
Li Banfeng rested for a full day. His wife returned with Hong Ying and A'yu. "Husband, all the compensations have been paid. Here are today's newspapers."
His wife had bought newspapers from several different presses. Li Banfeng picked up one. The front-page headline reported a fierce battle between two top experts in Ink Fragrance Shop—cause unknown, outcome unknown, identities unknown.
This article was entirely within Li Banfeng's expectations. His clash with Shan Chengjun had ranged across the entire Ink Fragrance Shop; making the papers was inevitable.
The reason the report was so vague was simply that from the spectators' perspective, that was all the information anyone could glean from the brutal fight.
But the second paper took Li Banfeng by surprise.
It was called the *Ink News Express*, and its headline read: "Senior Martial Cultivator Meets Tragic End in Ink Fragrance Shop: What Lies Behind the Feud?"
At first glance, this headline seemed to be describing a completely different incident from the previous paper.
The article didn't mention Shan Chengjun by name, but it repeatedly stressed that the deceased held an extraordinary status and rank among Martial Cultivators, offering analyses and speculations regarding the motive behind his arrival in Ink Fragrance Shop.
Zhao Xiaowan said, "Husband, your humble servant thought something felt unusual upon seeing this paper as well."
"Not bad; the speculation doesn't dig too deep," Li Banfeng said after reading the headline piece thoroughly. "He only surmised that a martial expert came to Ink Fragrance Shop to fight over interests, while emphasizing Ink Fragrance Shop's vital position within Puluo Province.
"This article won't stir up too huge a storm yet. What I don't understand is, how did the author know the deceased was a high-ranking Martial Cultivator? Did he know Shan Chengjun?"
The other papers were largely identical, their headlines revealing nothing of real value. Then Zhao Xiaowan produced another paper, the *Ink Fragrance Weekly*, whose headline carried deeper implications.
Instead of covering the battle, the front page of the *Ink Fragrance Weekly* focused on Ink Fragrance Shop's delicate predicament. It subtly noted that Ink Fragrance Shop currently lacked a local deity, making it an inevitable target for various factions to fight over sooner or later.
Among these factions, the article highlighted the local luminary Li Qi and Shan Chengjun, who was aligned with the Inner Province. Without mentioning the recent brawl once, it laid out the causes and consequences with absolute clarity.
Li Banfeng set the *Ink News Express* and the *Ink Fragrance Weekly* side by side. They came from different presses and had different bylines.
Zhao Xiaowan said, "Husband, the publishing industry in Ink Fragrance Shop is by no means inferior to Black Rock Slope's. Although these two presses bear different names, they might well be linked behind the scenes."
Li Banfeng stepped out of the companion dwelling and telephoned Ma the Fifth, asking him to investigate the background of the two publications.
Ma the Fifth responded promptly: "Old Seven, I've had my eye on those two papers as well. On the surface, they're two separate shingles, but in reality, they answer to one boss.
"His name is Shao Yingzhen, in his thirties. He's an up-and-comer who gained momentum this year, with deep roots in both Ink Fragrance Shop and Black Rock Slope."
Shao Yingzhen.
Li Banfeng had never heard of him.
Ma the Fifth provided a detailed rundown: Shao Yingzhen made his fortune in Black Rock Slope through papermaking and stationery, only branching out into publishing over the past few months.
Returning to the companion dwelling, Li Banfeng stared at the two newspapers for a long time.
Upon learning the details, Hong Ying erupted in fury: "What kind of nobody is this Shao Yingzhen? Meddling in whatever he pleases! Find out where he is and let's put him down today!"
Li Banfeng shook his head slightly. "Puluo Province sees new tycoons rise every few years. When Ma the Fifth and I first started out, we also invested heavily in newspapers.
"Even if we gag Shao Yingzhen now, it won't change anything. I'm afraid Ink Fragrance Shop is about to get lively."
Zhao Xiaowan said, "Husband, your humble servant will walk the streets of Ink Fragrance Shop over the next couple of days to see if I run into any familiar faces. Rest and recuperate for now, and keep out of sight for the time being."
Li Banfeng recuperated in the companion dwelling for three days. Over those three days, Zhao Xiaowan spotted many acquaintances: "Chang Jiuhai, Patriarch of Demonic Cultivators; Sui Chanxin, Patriarch of Charm Cultivators; Qi Wujian, Patriarch of Glue Cultivators; Feng Xuanzhen, Grandmaster of Garment Cultivators; Liu Hutian, Patriarch of Liquor Cultivators... figures of this caliber have all arrived."
Looking at the list Zhao Xiaowan had drawn up, Li Banfeng was astonished. "So many of those old monsters are still alive? And they've all been in Puluo Province?"
Zhao Xiaowan nodded. "Those who defected to the Inner Province were a minority after all, as were those who loyally followed the peddler. The vast majority kept the peddler at arm's length.
"These lineage patriarchs and grandmasters usually stayed aloof from worldly affairs, living in reclusion across Puluo Province and whiling away their days. I thought they had genuinely retired from the world, yet who would have thought this incident would draw every last one of them out?"
Hong Ying marvelled, "Xiaowan, you know all of these figures?"
Zhao Xiaowan shook her head. "Not all of them. But Shang Yuwei, the Grandmaster of Sound Cultivators, has also arrived, and I managed to gather a good deal of information from her. Aside from those figures, there's also Bitter Crone, Huan Wuchang, He Jiaqing, Wanton Trotter... Husband, every single one of them came for Ink Fragrance Shop."
Li Banfeng's brow twitched with a glint of chill. "At their status, they still want to snatch territory?"
Zhao Xiaowan gently rubbed Li Banfeng's brow. "I learned from Shang Yuwei that word reached them that Ink Fragrance Shop has no local deity at all. Since Ink Fragrance Shop holds the cultural lifeline of Puluo Province, they 'could not put their minds at ease' and all came to see for themselves."
Li Banfeng said, "'Could not put their minds at ease'? What does that mean, Wife? I don't quite follow."
"To put it bluntly, they want to claim it for themselves."
Li Banfeng glanced toward the Second Room, his brow furrowing.
Zhao Xiaowan stroked his cheek gently. "Darling husband, don't worry. They won't dare make a move just yet."
Hong Ying was already geared up for battle. "With so many patriarchs and grandmasters showing up, they still won't make a move? Did they come here to celebrate New Year's Eve dinner together?"
Zhao Xiaowan shook her head. "Precisely because so many showed up, none dare act rashly. There is only one Ink Fragrance Shop; no one wants to be the first to stick their neck out and let someone else reap the spoils.
"Besides, word also reached them that Shan Chengjun was just killed right here in Ink Fragrance Shop. Mention Shan Chengjun's name, and who among them wouldn't shudder in fear? As long as my husband remains in Ink Fragrance Shop, they won't dare stir up too big a tempest."
Hong Ying remained concerned. "My worry is that over time, they might unite into a single cord. If that happens, even if our whole household charges together, we might not be their match."
Zhao Xiaowan smiled. "I don't think that cord can ever be braided. People in Puluo Province don't have the nature to unite."
Just as they were speaking, the Bronze Lotus called out from the Sixth Room: "The pill is done!"
Li Banfeng retrieved the lotus seed, from which popped a black-and-white patterned pill.
"What pill is this? A snake-spot pill?"
The Bronze Lotus scoffed. "What kind of titan was Shan Chengjun? How could he yield a measly snake-spot pill? This is called a Yin-Yang Realm-Breaking Two-Turn Pill.
"It is fiercely toxic. If a living person takes it, it will devastate their physique, with a ninety percent chance of death. But if a departed soul consumes it, it can reverse Yin and Yang, with a ninety percent chance of returning them to life."
Holding the pill, Zhao Xiaowan commented, "Ninety percent leaves something to be desired. If it fails to revive someone, would you say it fell short by that missing ten percent, or that the pill itself was deficient?"
The Bronze Lotus sighed. "Where in this world can you find perfection in all things?"
Zhao Xiaowan pinched a lotus petal. "Why didn't you refine something simpler that helps my husband advance his cultivation? Wouldn't that be better than anything else?"
The Bronze Lotus pulled its petal back and stroked Li Banfeng's face. "Look at what level he's already at. What difference would a cultivation-advancing pill make compared to this Yin-Yang pill?"
"How could there be no difference?" Hong Ying recalled what the Bronze Lotus had just said. "Didn't you say the living can't eat this Yin-Yang pill?"
"They're all the same," the Bronze Lotus sighed. "All the pills in this world are fundamentally the same, differing only in grade."
Hong Ying did not grasp its meaning. She suggested giving the pill to A'yu: "A'yu's great vengeance has been exacted. If she takes this pill to come back to life and returns to the City of Fools to be a pampered young mistress again, wouldn't that make everything complete?"
A'yu shook her head. "I'm in no rush. It's better for Yingying to take it."
Hong Ying waved her hand. "It's useless to me. My body has nearly fully regenerated; there's virtually no difference between me and the living. Besides, if I come back to life, who's going to serve as Seventh Brother's house spirit?"
"Me!" Blushing, A'yu looked at Li Banfeng. "I'm willing to stay in this house and watch over my lord for a lifetime."
"Why should it be your turn? How long did I wait before finally getting today?" Hong Ying sat pouting before the vanity, feeling that A'yu had grown far too close to Li Qi these past few days.
A'yu stepped forward to comb Hong Ying's hair. "Why are you taking it out on me? I offered the pill because I genuinely want what's best for you. You're always walking around with a spear tip stuck on your head—how does that look?"
Hong Ying found it puzzling as well. "My body has fully regrown, so why can't I get rid of this spear tip? If I had known, I should have eaten Shan Chengjun's flesh and blood!"
A'yu shook her head repeatedly. "Don't even think of eating that. When my lord was infected by just a bit of his marrow, look how badly it tormented him! Only the Bronze Lotus could stomach that old scoundrel's flesh. If you ask me, you'd better just take the Yin-Yang pill."
Zhao Xiaowan looked toward Li Qi. How to dispose of such a precious pill was naturally up to her husband.
Li Banfeng's mind wasn't on the pill. He read over the list his wife had written down again and again, contemplating how to handle these old monsters.
Zhao Xiaowan maintained her advice that Li Banfeng shouldn't show his face: "Husband, leave them out in the cold for a few more days, and they'll throw themselves into chaos."
Li Banfeng waited another two days. He owned several residences in Ink Fragrance Shop, and his wife received an invitation at one of them.
Liu Hutian, Patriarch of Liquor Cultivators, along with more than thirty other figures who had arrived in Ink Fragrance Shop, jointly invited Li Banfeng to Goose Sand Studio for a talk.
"Husband, are you going?"
Li Banfeng examined the invitation. The gathering was set for three days later.
Sending an invitation three days in advance fulfilled every courtesy while granting Li Banfeng ample time to prepare. If he refused to attend now, it would be seen as backing down.
And once Li Banfeng backed down, they would make their move to seize Ink Fragrance Shop.
"Let's go have a look!" Li Banfeng checked his injuries. Though far from fully healed, he retained sixty to seventy percent of his combat power.
The companion dwelling was in worse shape, possessing less than half its full strength.
Hong Ying took out a whetstone, preparing to hone her weapons. "Seventh Brother, just go ahead. When it's time to fight, give me the word."
That was precisely what Zhao Xiaowan feared: "Husband, listen to me. Going is fine, but whatever you do, do not start a fight."
***
In Chaoge, at the Qiao Manor.
Nian Shangyou presented a letter to Qiao Yi: "Master, Li Qi has accepted the invitation."
After reading the letter, Qiao Yi sighed softly. "Given Li Qi's nature, I fear he won't be able to swallow this bitter gall."
Nian Shangyou said, "Rumor has it he killed Shan Chengjun. If he truly possesses such ability, the titans assembled in Ink Fragrance Shop might not be able to push him around."
Qiao Yi smiled. "Victory or defeat matters little here. It's enough to gauge Li Qi's true caliber."
Nian Shangyou dared not ask aloud, but in his heart, he could not fathom why Qiao Yi had invested so much effort orchestrating schemes in Ink Fragrance Shop.
Whenever asked, Qiao Yi said it didn't matter. He genuinely seemed indifferent to Ink Fragrance Shop.
Could it be just like before, solely aimed at throwing Puluo Province into turmoil?
Nian Shangyou presented another ledger: "Master, this is the tally of losses reported from Bozhou. Since the day the Imperial Commissioner arrived, over two hundred thousand people throughout Bozhou have perished."
"I see," Qiao Yi said, setting the ledger aside without another glance.
He didn't care about Ink Fragrance Shop, nor did he care about the city of Bozhou. What in the world did he care about?
Nian Shangyou presented another document: "Master, your humble subordinate has tracked down the whereabouts of the Patriarch of Artisan Cultivators. He pledged to me that he can certainly repair the Great Smelting Furnace within three months."
Qiao Yi skimmed the document, which listed the labor, materials, and specific methods required to repair the Great Smelting Furnace.
It was clear that the Patriarch of Artisan Cultivators had put great effort into this, yet Qiao Yi simply set the document aside as well.
"Since he defected to the Tufang State, he cannot be employed lightly. Let us observe him a while longer."
Nian Shangyou bowed out of the study, pondering Qiao Yi's thoughts all the way.
He doesn't even care about the Great Smelting Furnace now. What does he actually care about?
Inside the study, Qiao Yi picked up the ledger from Bozhou again. Gazing at the death toll from the epidemic, he nodded repeatedly.
"Two hundred thousand. That is sufficient."
Chapter 813