Dressed in a black suit, a black shirt, and a black fedora, Li Banfeng arrived at Moxiang Shop's most renowned library, Goose Sand Studio.
The wind and snow were heavy today. As he stepped through the door, Li Banfeng took off his hat and brushed away the snowflakes.
The woman at the front desk wore a cyan robe and a deep purple scarf, her hair done in two braided pigtails. She said to Li Banfeng, "Not even wind and snow can deter your affection for this studio. Is it a thirst for knowledge, or a longing for the fragrance of ink?"
Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, then gently tapped the front desk.
A centipede crawled out from the desk and scuttled across it, right onto the woman's body.
The woman shrieked, "Are you looking for a room, or do you want to read?"
The first time Li Banfeng had visited Moxiang Shop, Lu Yuanxin had frightened this woman half to death with a centipede. Li Banfeng clearly remembered the creature's shape, yet despite his best efforts, he could only reproduce a semblance of it at barely thirty percent.
His technique, All Wishes Fulfilled, still had a long way to go before reaching mastery.
In the blink of an eye, the centipede vanished. Li Banfeng handed the invitation to the woman.
After looking at the invitation, the woman tidied her appearance, not daring to utter another word, and led Li Banfeng up to the second floor of the grand library.
The second floor was seldom open to the public; this was Li Banfeng's first time here as well.
The second floor housed three large pavilions and six small pavilions. The woman guided Li Banfeng to one of the large pavilions, named Yuntai Xuanji Pavilion.
Pushing open the pavilion doors revealed eight red sandalwood moon-gate bookshelves encircling the center of the hall. The collection of books was wrapped in silkworm cocoon paper, bearing cinnabar annotations. A cursory glance gave the impression of dense, chaotic brushstrokes, but gazing at them for a few moments revealed neat, distinct calligraphy.
The sheer care put into the book covers alone demonstrated how precious these volumes were. Regrettably, Li Banfeng did not recognize most of the titles. Had Xiao Yeci come here, she likely would not have stepped outside for days and nights on end.
At the center of the pavilion sat a long table carved from a single slab of ginkgo wood. Arranged around it were thirty-six seats, each equipped with an ice-crack glazed brush washer, a dragon-knob bronze paperweight, a coiled-cloud jade brush rest, a constellation purple-bristle brush, and wingceltis dragon-scale paper.
Li Banfeng had no idea about the quality of these items, but the Judge's Brush introduced every single piece in his ear, word by word, without missing a detail. Hearing him speak so much at once, Li Banfeng genuinely worried the brush might faint from exhaustion.
This was a paradise for scholars, yet none among those seated were true scholars.
An old man took several hearty swigs from a wine flagon, let out a belch, and slumped over the table, dozing off. This was Liu Hutian, the Wine Cultivator Patriarch.
A woman sat stitching and mending with needle and thread; she had stubbornly altered a man's long gown into a qipao. This was Feng Xuanzhen, Grandmaster of Garment Cultivators.
A woman beside her eyed the qipao and praised, "Elder Sister, your craft is truly wonderful. Did you make this to my measurements? I'd love to try it on."
This was Sui Chanxin, the Charm Cultivator Patriarch.
Feng Xuanzhen smiled. "You really want to try it? You'd dare try on clothes in front of so many people?"
Holding the qipao, Sui Chanxin glanced around at everyone. "What kind of figures are gathered here? What haven't they seen? If this humble girl changes her clothes, I'm certain none of you would peek."
As she spoke, Sui Chanxin cast a pointed glance at He Jiaqing. "Little Brother, don't you agree?"
He Jiaqing smiled faintly, not taking the bait.
Granny Ku's brow furrowed deeply, barely hiding her disgust for Sui Chanxin.
Sui Chanxin looked at Granny Ku and said, "Did Qi Wujian glue your brow shut?"
Beside her, a man with two streaks of greenish snot trailing from his nose snorted. "Who would dare stick anything to her? She holds misfortune and fortune in her grasp. How could I have the nerve to cross her?"
This snot-nosed man was Qi Wujian, the Glue Cultivator Patriarch.
Seated next to Qi Wujian was a bald man whose cranium shone brightly. Li Banfeng did not recognize him, and only a select few among those present knew his identity.
Next to the bald man sat Chang Jiuhai, the Demon Cultivator Patriarch. With a dark expression, he glared at the front desk woman. "What are you doing in here?"
The woman did not dare raise her head. She said cautiously, "I brought a guest. The invitation says Li Qi."
"Li Qi?" Chang Jiuhai was taken aback. "Where is he?"
The woman glanced behind her and saw no one. In her panic, she could barely form words. "He... he just came in with me. He... he was standing right here."
After a momentary start, everyone quickly calmed down. Illustrious as they were in Puluo Province, they naturally would not lose their composure easily.
Fiddling with her hair, Sui Chanxin chuckled. "Li Qi is a Travel Cultivator, and his foundation in the lineage seems solid enough. To come and vanish just like that—he moves remarkably fast."
Chang Jiuhai narrowed his eyes. "With so many of us waiting for him, why leave after coming?"
Granny Ku's expression turned grim. "You didn't even leave him a seat. Anyone would feel slighted by that. Li Qi had every reason to leave."
Around the long table, all thirty-six seats were occupied. Indeed, there was no place for Li Qi.
Liu Hutian took a sip of wine and looked at Granny Ku with a chuckle. "Where do you think he belongs? Look around this room. Who here isn't more qualified than him to sit and speak?"
"I am not qualified," He Jiaqing said, rising to his feet. "I'll yield my seat to Li Qi."
Qi Wujian, the Glue Cultivator Patriarch, pressed his palm down in a calming gesture. "Young Master He, you'd better sit back down. Though you are young, you are the disciple of Xiao Laoqian. Even if only out of respect for your master, this seat belongs to you."
He Jiaqing frowned slightly. He truly did not want to sit. If not for Granny Ku and Huan Wuchang pressuring him, he wouldn't even have come to Moxiang Shop. He was busy with land reclamation and had no desire to wade into these muddy waters.
Granny Ku gave He Jiaqing a tug, and he sat back down. Beside them, Song Shu stood up. "Li Qi can have my seat. He is the central figure today. You invited him here and wish to discuss matters with him—on what grounds should he be made to stand?"
Chang Jiuhai let out a chuckle. "Coming here to speak with him is already giving him ample face. What seniority does he have compared to our status?"
Song Shu looked defiant. "I have no seniority either. I can just as well stand."
Chang Jiuhai wiped away his smile, his voice chilling. "You are Song Qianhun's daughter, which makes you of my sect; that gives you seniority. You are Yuan Miaoping's disciple, and Yuan Miaoping is the patriarch of a lineage; if only out of respect for her, this seat must be kept for you. We invited Li Qi, and everyone else has already arrived. He is low in status, junior in seniority, and arrived later than us. Standing is exactly what he deserves. That is the rule!"
Whoosh!
Before Chang Jiuhai finished speaking, he felt a sudden chill on his face. A streak of fresh blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth to his jaw.
Qi Wujian gasped in alarm, "Who? Who struck behind our backs?"
Sui Chanxin stood up. "Li Qi is back?"
The others rose from their seats one after another, scanning every corner of the pavilion.
No one at the doorway, no one on the ceiling, and no one around the eight bookshelves.
After searching in vain for any trace of him, they turned around, only to see someone sitting squarely in Chang Jiuhai's seat.
The man was dressed in a suit and a fedora, watching Chang Jiuhai from the chair. He asked, "Looking for me?"
Chang Jiuhai raised a brow. "You are Li Qi?"
Li Banfeng gave a slight nod.
Chang Jiuhai scrutinized Li Qi, then pointed at his chair. "That is my seat."
Li Banfeng replied with utmost politeness, "Thank you."
Chang Jiuhai fixed his glare on him. "I never intended to give it up to you."
Li Banfeng stared back at Chang Jiuhai. "Your mouth is bleeding."
Chang Jiuhai's cheek twitched violently, and a swarm of ghost servants surged forth behind him. "If you sit there, where do I sit?"
The lineage patriarch clearly couldn't save face.
Liu Hutian tried to mediate. "Old Chang, calm down. Don't be rash."
He looked toward the few juniors, expecting someone to offer up their seat.
Song Shu sat back down in her seat without a sound.
He Jiaqing also resumed his seat, unable to hold back a chuckle.
None of the others spoke, quietly returning to their places.
The woman from the front desk was still there, terrified and huddled on the floor, unable to stand. Li Banfeng asked, "Are you trembling like this because the chill wind stole your warmth, or because fear stole your courage?"
The woman wept, "I want to go to the latrine."
Li Banfeng smiled faintly. "Once you've gone to the latrine, remember to bring this gentleman a chair."
"Right away!" The woman scurried out of the pavilion in a frantic run.
With a flick of his sleeve, Chang Jiuhai recalled his ghost servants and uttered, "Farewell!"
With that, he also stalked out of the pavilion.
Li Banfeng asked, "Anyone else want to leave?"
No one at the table answered.
Li Banfeng nodded. "You looked for me, and I've come. Let's talk business, then."
Liu Hutian took a sip of wine and looked at Li Banfeng. "Among those present, I am the oldest. Back when a few of us achieved cultivation, there was no such thing as lineages. Whoever had more techniques could stand tall in Puluo Province.
"The peddler thought well of us, recognized our lineages, and made us patriarchs. We are grateful to him from the bottom of our hearts.
"Now we are old, and the younger generation replaces the old. There are matters we originally had no wish to meddle in, but when things go too far out of line, we cannot simply sit by."
Li Banfeng asked, "What has gone out of line?"
Qi Wujian said, "What happened in Moxiang Shop has gone out of line! This is the cultural lifeline of Puluo Province! Do you know what consequences follow if something happens to this cultural lifeline?"
Li Banfeng glanced at Qi Wujian. "Moxiang Shop had incidents several times in the past. Did you know about them?"
Qi Wujian shook his head. "I did not."
Li Banfeng looked at the crowd. "Earlier, the Inner State sent a toad here to seize Moxiang Shop's territory. Did you know about that?"
He Jiaqing kept quiet, while the others indicated they had no idea.
Li Banfeng asked again, "This time, Shu Wanjuan and Shan Chengjun came together to seize Moxiang Shop. Did you know about that?"
Everyone maintained that they did not know.
Li Banfeng laughed. "You knew nothing before, but now that Shan Chengjun is dead, how did you suddenly find out?"
Sui Chanxin said, "Brother Li Qi, this affair blew up. Both you and Shan Chengjun made the papers, so of course we found out."
Li Banfeng looked at the assembled masters again. "In other words, you came here on Shan Chengjun's account?"
The crowd fell silent. None of them wanted to be associated with Shan Chengjun.
Liu Hutian raised his flagon and took another gulp. "We didn't come for anything else; our sole concern is Moxiang Shop.
"Moxiang Shop is no ordinary place. Back when Shu Wanjuan founded it, us old brothers agreed that Puluo Province's future hopes lay right here. It wouldn't matter if other places were neglected, but Moxiang Shop could brook no trifling.
"The first local deity of Moxiang Shop was the Scholar Cultivator Ancestor, Shu Wanjuan. The second was his disciple, Zhou Wencheng. The third was Zhou Wencheng's disciple, Murong Gui.
"These three reached the pinnacle of Scholar Cultivation. With Moxiang Shop in their hands, our minds were at ease. I also understand being the local deity here is no easy task; if Murong Gui truly no longer wished to do it, we would have agreed to replace him with a suitable successor.
"But how did the peddler handle this? Did he replace him? Right now, there isn't a single soul here! For such a vital territory to lack a local deity—does that not count as utterly out of line?"
As he spoke, Liu Hutian coughed twice and thumped his chest, as if gripped by deep, agonizing sorrow.
Granny Ku looked toward Li Qi, wanting to see his reaction, for in everyone's eyes, what the peddler did was indeed indefensible.
Qi Wujian looked at Li Qi. "I know you and the peddler are of one mind. We remember the good deeds he's done, but we're also well aware of the absurd things he's pulled. This isn't the first time!"
Li Banfeng asked, "What other time?"
Qi Wujian said, "You're so close to him—could you truly not know? Back when the realm was conquered, how did us old brothers break apart? We followed him through thick and thin, risking life and limb—what did we get out of it?
"Even if he refused to be emperor, he could at least have looked after the realm! Yet the moment the land was secured, why did he run off to Wansheng Province? After he left, what a mess the Heavenly Maiden made of Puluo Province! Wasn't that utterly absurd?"
Granny Ku looked at Li Banfeng once more. What Qi Wujian spoke of could be called a sin the peddler could never wash away in his lifetime.
At the founding of Puluo Province, the peddler ran off to Wansheng Province. After the Heavenly Maiden took control of Puluo Province, she used the Boundaries to sever the province into pieces.
That division remained unhealed to this day, and only after Li Qi took control of the railway and abolished the travel permits did the Boundaries' impact begin to ease.
Once this topic was raised, everyone chimed in!
"It wasn't just the Heavenly Maiden! There's also Eighteen Wheels. That madman relied on his ties with the peddler to run roughshod over Puluo Province, seizing territories left and right!"
"A place as vital as Yaowang Ravine was actually handed over to Yao Xin to guard! Yao Xin was an imperial official—how could he trust someone like that?"
"And Sun Tiecheng's daughter, Yi Hulu Hua Piao—she's a lunatic! Dragging Hulu Village around to run amok, stirring up how much chaos across Puluo Province? Did the peddler ever rein her in?"
"And Lühuazi—what kind of lineage did he create? How many lives did he claim? Yet the peddler let him run wild!"
"After Lühuazi died, a foreigner came along, and that foreigner is even worse! He unleashed the daolao ghosts—what a colossal catastrophe that was! Did the peddler do anything about it?"
"Qianliangfang was a piece of proper land! I heard that foreigner went in and slaughtered everyone, and supposedly the peddler ordered him to do it! Where is the justice in that?"
"He's done far too many absurd things! If we stood here counting them, we wouldn't finish by tomorrow morning! Look at what Puluo Province has been reduced to!"
The more they spoke, the more agitated they became, their voices swelling louder and louder.
Granny Ku kept her eyes fixed on Li Qi, who remained silent.
Teacher Song felt an ache of sympathy for Li Banfeng; after all, none of this was his fault.
Yet she also hoped he would listen to what these people had to say. In her view, these were indeed deep-rooted problems in Puluo Province.
Suddenly, Li Banfeng tugged the brim of his hat low. A crushing presence surged outward from him.
Half of this intimidating aura stemmed from Li Banfeng himself, while the other half was borrowed from Hong Ying using the Sprawling Compound technique.
Hong Ying's presence was already nearly impossible to withstand; combined with Li Banfeng's, it brought an instant hush to the room.
Li Banfeng lifted his brim slightly. With brow and eyes cast low, he looked at the gathered masters. "Don't stray from the subject. Didn't you come here for Moxiang Shop?"
Liu Hutian nodded. "That's right. It's for Moxiang Shop. As long as there is an explanation regarding Moxiang Shop, we will leave immediately."
"Who are you asking for an explanation?" Li Banfeng looked at Liu Hutian.
Liu Hutian took a sip of wine, lowered his head, and remained silent.
Tension mounted in the pavilion once again.
Qi Wujian rubbed his palms, a sheen of glue oozing from them.
Huan Wuchang produced a folding fan from thin air, waving it lightly before his chest.
Sui Chanxin looked around and suddenly let out a soft giggle. "Oh my, what is all this? We came to discuss matters, not to put anyone on trial. It would be dreadful if we spoiled our cordial relations."
Following her words, the atmosphere in the pavilion softened noticeably. This was not because her words were particularly pleasing, but because she had employed the Charm Cultivator technique, Beauty Halts Warfare.
This technique could temporarily quell everyone's fighting spirit. Sui Chanxin turned to Li Qi. "Brother Li Qi, would you allow me a word?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "Senior, please speak."
Sui Chanxin met Li Banfeng's eyes, her face showing an equal mix of anticipation and concern, her tone half admiration and half sincerity. "Brother Li Qi, you defeated Shan Chengjun and protected Moxiang Shop. Both your heart and your skill command my deepest admiration. Had I met a man like you in my youth, I would have thrown in a dowry just to marry you.
"Our coming here today isn't to make trouble for you, brother. We are simply worried about Moxiang Shop's future. If Moxiang Shop truly lacks a local deity, we can help select one. Leaving such a crucial territory unattended leaves us genuinely uneasy."
Li Banfeng said, "Who says Moxiang Shop has no local deity? If there truly were none, how could Moxiang Shop's veneration of literary arts have endured?"
Qi Wujian said, "Is that the truth? If there really is a local deity, summon him here for us to see."
Li Banfeng looked at Qi Wujian. "Do you know where the local deity resides? If you know, go look for yourself. If you don't, go ask around.
"If you can't find out, stop thinking about it. This is the local deity's domain. How much face do you think you have that he should take the initiative to visit you?"
Qi Wujian rubbed the glue between his hands. "Li Qi, is that so? If we don't see the local deity, what then?"
Li Banfeng said, "And if you do see him, what then?"
Qi Wujian replied, "If we see him, we'll turn around and leave immediately!"
Li Banfeng pulled down the brim of his hat. "And if he refuses to let you leave, I fear you will be staying in Moxiang Shop for good."
Hearing this, Qi Wujian gritted his teeth in fury.
He looked left and right, but seeing no movement from the others, he ground his teeth for a moment and swallowed his rage.
Sui Chanxin rose and said, "Since Brother Li Qi has put it like that, I have nothing more to say. This humble girl will take her leave. Farewell."
The others stood one after another and left the pavilion in succession.
Once outside Goose Sand Studio, He Jiaqing said to Granny Ku, "I plan to return to the newland."
Granny Ku frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Beside them, Huan Wuchang said, "Jiaqing, you might not have understood those old seniors. When they said farewell, they didn't mean they were truly leaving.
"If Li Qi doesn't give them an explanation, this matter will never be put to rest. This is our prime opportunity to take Moxiang Shop."
He Jiaqing said nothing.
Huan Wuchang continued, "Surely you know the value of Moxiang Shop?"
"Senior, I know Moxiang Shop is important, but what use is staying here?" He Jiaqing pointed back at Goose Sand Studio. "Those people in there—what can you honestly expect them to accomplish? Do you really think Li Qi will bow his head to them?
"From the start, they prattled about seniority, status, and old scores from decades ago. Where would I find the time to waste listening to their idle chatter? After all that talk, did Li Qi give them a second glance?
"Senior, I have serious work to attend to. I truly have no desire to meddle in Moxiang Shop's affairs any longer."
The pavilion had emptied out, leaving only Li Qi and the bald man.
Rubbing his smooth scalp, the bald man chuckled. "Hearing about someone falls short of seeing him in the flesh. Master Qi, seeing you today, I finally understand what it means for the younger generation to inspire awe. Watching that scene just now was truly satisfying. Those old codgers rely on their age to act high and mighty; someone should have put them in their place long ago."
Li Banfeng asked, "How should I address you?"
The bald man packed some tobacco into his pipe and took a puff. "My surname is Wu. Those familiar with me call me Old Wu; those who aren't call me the General. You can call me whatever you like."
"General"?
Such a title was rarely heard in Puluo Province.
Li Banfeng asked, "Where are you a general from?"
General Wu laughed. "I'm not from the Inner State, nor the Outer States, nor Puluo Province. I'm from Wansheng Province."
Li Banfeng looked General Wu up and down. Aside from having no hair, there was nothing extraordinary about the man's appearance. "What brings you to Puluo Province?"
"I heard Shan Chengjun died, so I came specially to see if the news was true."
Li Banfeng said, "The news is true."
"Shan Chengjun and I had a fair amount of business together. Now that he's gone, I wanted to ask—does that business still stand?"
Li Banfeng smiled. "You can rest assured on that: it definitely does not."
General Wu rubbed his head and sighed. "True enough. A man dies and his debts die with him; the business has fallen through, and there's nowhere for me to collect what he owes me.
"Let's leave Shan Chengjun aside. Master Qi, I can tell you're no ordinary man. There are some business matters I'd like to discuss with you, if you'd do me the honor."
"That depends on what business it is." Li Banfeng had little interest in dealing with this man.
Hearing the coldness in Li Qi's tone, General Wu explained, "Master Qi, business is business, and character is character. I did business with Shan Chengjun, but he and I were never cut from the same cloth.
"Doing business with Wansheng Province isn't necessarily a bad thing. You and the peddler are of the same kind, and the peddler did business with Wansheng Province too."
Li Banfeng's interest was piqued. "What business did the peddler do with Wansheng Province? Could the General share a word or two?"
General Wu said, "Back then, it was with the Heavenly Maiden's help that the peddler conquered Puluo Province. But have you ever wondered why she would help Puluo Province? Just because the peddler was handsome?"
Li Banfeng was surprised. "Could there have been a business deal involved?"
The General tapped his pipe. "Of course! In Puluo Province, you always speak of deep affection between the peddler and the Heavenly Maiden. But can affection be relied upon?
"The Heavenly Maiden is from our Wansheng Province. Since she helped Puluo Province, the peddler naturally had to help Wansheng Province in return. She helped him conquer his realm, so he naturally had to go to Wansheng Province to pay his debt. Do you have any idea how much territory in Wansheng Province was conquered by the peddler?"
Li Banfeng remained silent for a long time. Was that why the peddler had gone to Wansheng Province?
"Was that his agreement with the Heavenly Maiden?"
General Wu nodded. "The peddler is a Contract Cultivator. He borrows and repays; how could he break his word?
"Puluo Province values contracts above all else—where do you think that ethos came from? A promise worth a thousand in gold is no laughing matter!
"Besides, Wansheng Province is no pushover. If he defaulted on that debt, Wansheng Province would never have let Puluo Province off."
Li Banfeng kept his head down and remained quiet for a long while before asking, "Did the peddler never speak of this to anyone?"
"Whether he told anyone, I wouldn't know. But who do you think he could have told? Who would have understood? Even if they understood, they could pretend ignorance! Even if they knew how hard it was for him, no one ever showed him any pity."
General Wu tore off a piece of paper, wrote down an address, and handed it to Li Banfeng. "We can talk business later. As long as Master Qi is willing to grace me with his presence, you can find me at this address."
Leaving Goose Sand Studio, Li Banfeng saw Teacher Song by the entrance.
He withdrew his Dwelling Cultivator talent and walked forward to greet her.
Seeing Li Banfeng, Song Shu was overjoyed. "Banfeng, I kept calling you, but I couldn't get through. I wanted to tell you that you shouldn't have come today."
Li Banfeng smiled. "Since I'm already here, meeting these seniors wasn't a bad thing."
Song Shu shook her head. "They won't leave Moxiang Shop anytime soon. Those people aren't easy to deal with; you must be extra careful."
Li Banfeng didn't see it that way. "I thought those seniors were quite decent. I won't be leaving anytime soon either, so it's a good opportunity to spend some time getting along with them."
"Silly boy, you're just acting tough," Song Shu blew warm breath into her hands, rubbed them together, and brushed the snowflakes from Li Banfeng's hat brim and shoulders. "Banfeng, some of what they said holds truth. The peddler did make many mistakes, and we need to make some changes. If he hadn't irresponsibly abandoned Puluo Province back then—"
"Teacher, do you really believe that was the peddler's fault?" Li Banfeng cut her off. "You once said that in scholarship, one must never draw conclusions based on surface appearances. To this day, I still find those words profoundly true."
Song Shu was stunned into silence. By the time she thought to speak again, she saw Li Banfeng pull down the brim of his hat and turn away.
The snow fell heavily. Song Shu strained her eyes into the distance, but could no longer make out Li Banfeng's departing back.
Chapter 814