Li Banfeng asked, "Sister, would you like to come over to my place and sit for a while?"
"Mhm!" A'yu nodded earnestly. "Last time I visited your home, General Zhao and General Hong shared some sisterly affection with me, and my silly daughter spent half the day acting spoiled around me. Whenever I bring them up, I really miss them terribly."
Li Banfeng nodded. "They miss you quite a bit as well."
A'yu leaned in close to Li Banfeng. "Little brother, everything else is nonsense, but the affection between our own family is real. Have both my sisters-in-law been struck by a calamity? You mustn't take this lightly!"
Li Banfeng smiled. "I certainly wouldn't dare take it lightly. I'm going home right now to pull the calamity out of them."
A'yu sighed. "General Zhao knows best in her heart how brutal Hen Wuyou's methods are. If you can't see where the calamity is, how can you pull it out? So, this sister of yours has to make the trip in person!"
Li Banfeng asked, "Is it one sister, or two?"
A'yu toyed with her hair, curling the corner of her mouth upward to reveal a dimple on her cheek. "Last time, two sisters went together. It wouldn't be proper for only one to go this time, would it?"
Li Banfeng glanced at the Heavenly Maiden lying on the bed. "I'm afraid that sister might not be easy to host."
A'yu sat down beside the Heavenly Maiden, gently stroking her pale face. "Oh, little brother, if you're going to be so guarded, let's just drop the matter. After all, the calamity on you is gone, and the suffering won't fall on your shoulders. It's just a pity my two poor sisters-in-law had the misfortune to end up with a heartless man like you."
"Thank you for the reminder, Sister." Li Banfeng rose to leave.
A'yu smiled. "Little brother, don't be so stubborn. I know you know Golden Eyes, and when it comes to vision, you're indeed not bad. But go home and ask Zhao Xiaowan first whether Golden Eyes actually works against Hen Wuyou. If it really worked, why did she end up dying at Hen Wuyou's hands back then?"
"Impressive, Sister. Every single word hits the mark!" Li Banfeng descended from the cloud and found A'yi.
A'yi asked, "How was it? The Zhougu Ruins really can't be blown up, right?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "It can't be blown up. I need to get some poison."
A'yi didn't quite understand. "What do you need poison for? Can poison blow up the Zhougu Ruins?"
"We don't necessarily have to blow up the Zhougu Ruins. Killing off all the Xuyuan silkworms will be enough!"
"Why do you need to kill the Xuyuan silkworms?"
"The Zhougu Ruins has bred a lot of Xuyuan silkworms, presumably to send to the Inner States. I don't know what they can do with them once sent there, but since the Inner States wants them so badly, we certainly can't let them have them."
A'yi took Li Banfeng back to her house and brought a wooden box out from the bedroom.
Inside the box lay a stone ring, and tiny dark specks floated in its center.
Li Banfeng observed it for a moment and asked, "Is this the Great Totem you duplicated?"
A'yi shook her head. "This can't be considered a Great Totem yet. I can't replicate the shape of the Great Totem; you can only say it's somewhat close to it. Brother, do you know what these dark specks are?"
Li Banfeng stared at the slowly drifting black dots and guessed, "Are these living creatures?"
A'yi picked up one of the black dots from the center of the stone ring with a pair of tweezers and held it up for Li Banfeng to see. "Brother is right. They are living creatures—Xuyuan silkworms. In the center of the Great Totem was a cluster of shadows, and this was what was kept inside. The Peddler told me that."
Li Banfeng felt a jolt run through his head, realizing that something huge had happened.
The Great Totem had long been destroyed by the Peddler, yet according to Li Yuping's description, the Zhougu Ruins was still desperately raising insects three days ago.
What else could they be raising insects for?
"Sister, do you have a way to find the Peddler?"
A'yi thought for a moment. "I can try, but I can't guarantee I'll find him."
"Go look for him. Try every method possible. Once you find the Peddler, tell him that the Inner States is rebuilding the Great Totem!"
Li Banfeng immediately left Hulu Village and dashed off to Green Water City. Arriving at Yuanzhu Ward, he took out the local spirit seal of Green Water City.
Before going to the City of Fools last time, Li Banfeng had drained all the human vitality stored within the local spirit seal. At that time, the Peddler had just blown up the Great Totem, and under normal circumstances, once the local spirit seal lost its resonance with the Great Totem, no new human vitality would accumulate inside.
Now, Li Banfeng placed the local spirit seal atop his head again. It was completely empty; indeed, there was no human vitality inside.
The anxiety hanging in his heart eased for the moment. This proved that the Great Totem had not yet been successfully rebuilt.
He immediately hurried up to the Peddler's cloud, stood below the building, and shouted, "Sister-in-law, I won't burn your house down! Find a way to call my brother back!"
The woman pushed open the window, looked down at Li Banfeng, and said, "I'm not your sister-in-law! Your brother can't come back right now—he went to the White Falcon Alliance to pay off a debt!"
Sure enough, getting the White Falcon Alliance to help raid the Grand Altar hadn't come without a price.
Li Banfeng left a message for the Thief Cultivator Grandmaster and then ran to Qishuiyao, preparing to head to the Inner States to bring Critic back.
Back at Haichiling, Critic had completely exterminated the Wipeout Mosquitoes. With his abilities, wiping out the Xuyuan silkworms would be nothing difficult.
Yet the crucial issue was whether he would be willing to help.
To employ pathogens with formidable lethal power and rapid transmission speeds, Critic had to be present in person, but Critic was currently unwilling to return to Puluo Province.
If he refused to return, he would tie him up and drag him back.
Thinking that way was easy enough, but whether it could actually be pulled off required careful consideration.
Once Critic was pushed too hard, there was no telling what he might do. To persuade him, the proper measure had to be struck.
While Li Banfeng was still pondering the right balance, Qin Tianjiu called. "Seventh Brother, you'd better return to Moxiang Shop. A big figure has arrived here."
How could Li Banfeng spare attention for Moxiang Shop right now? "How big of a figure? If you can't hold them off, go find Boss Lu."
"Seventh Brother, Boss Lu and I have had our friction. Even though things were cleared up, I still don't trust him. Besides, with the figure who came this time, Boss Lu might not be able to hold them off either."
"Who is it, exactly?"
"The Poison Cultivator Patriarch, Yang Xiangjun! This person's reputation is massive. I heard Old Pan say that over ten years ago, he showed his face in Kudaikan. He poisoned quite a few people to death back then, and Feng Daiku couldn't do a thing to him. Seventh Brother, if this person spreads poison in Moxiang Shop, Boss Lu really won't be able to hold him off. Even if Yang Xiangjun can't poison Boss Lu to death, this whole area of Moxiang Shop will be done for."
Fatty had grown sensible; he hadn't charged in rashly, knowing the gravity of the matter.
A Poison Cultivator Patriarch!
Had this person defected to the Inner States, or had he come for something else?
***
Yang Xiangjun was a man who looked to be in his early thirties. His hair was parted on the side and smoothed with glossy pomade. His eyebrows were plucked slender and long, and above his almond-shaped eyes was painted purplish-red eye shadow.
The bridge of his nose was tall, his mouth somewhat wide, but he had taken care in applying lipstick so that from afar, it appeared to be a delicate cherry-red mouth.
On the outside he wore a white fox fur greatcloak, and underneath was a black leather garment. The leather jacket was pulled tightly at the waist, its contours accentuating his exquisite physique.
Yang Xiangjun held a tea tray in his left hand, lifted the teacup's lid with his thumb and middle finger, scraped away the tea froth inside, and blew on the liquid. "Are the things ready?"
Shao Yingzhen quickly stood up, hunched his back, and stepped forward. "Old Patriarch, according to your instructions, the mechanisms, traps, and all varieties of medicinal herbs have been prepared."
Yang Xiangjun glanced at Shao Yingzhen, the corner of his mouth curving faintly upward. "Don't call me Patriarch. You're not from my Daoist order. Just call me by my name."
Shao Yingzhen waved his hands. "How could that be proper? At the very least, I must address you as Senior."
Yang Xiangjun smiled. "Listen to how you speak—as if addressing me as Senior gives me some massive advantage. Have you prepared the money?"
Shao Yingzhen nodded repeatedly. "Everything is ready. The real gold and silver have been crated; you may inspect them at any time. Furthermore, I have a letter here written personally by Lord Qiao of the Cabinet. Once this matter succeeds, the Imperial Court is willing to confer a peerage upon you."
Just as he was about to present the letter, Yang Xiangjun shook his head. "I won't read the letter. Keep it for yourself. What use is Qiao Yi giving me a peerage? Even if he made me a prince, what of it? Even if he declared me his own grandfather tomorrow, we don't share the same blood. When the time comes to sell me out, he won't even blink an eye."
Shao Yingzhen offered a dry smile. "Senior, words like that... what can I even say..."
"Let's talk about serious business!" Yang Xiangjun set down his teacup. "Where do you plan to make the move?"
Shao Yingzhen produced an opera ticket. "Right at Xinguang Grand Theater. Tomorrow night features Chen Suliang's grand performance, and Zhou Wencheng has already bought a ticket. You can make your move there."
Yang Xiangjun glanced at the time on the ticket. "Let's make things clear first. As long as I draw Zhou Wencheng out and make him strike at me, the job is considered done, right?"
Shao Yingzhen considered for a moment. "According to Lord Qiao's instructions, it would be best if you could claim several lives. Otherwise, I worry Zhou Wencheng might not take the bait."
Yang Xiangjun's face darkened. "Don't give me that nonsense! Whether Zhou Wencheng takes the bait isn't for you to worry about. Right now, we're talking about price. If it's just drawing Zhou Wencheng out, this price is enough. If you want me to take lives as well, you must add more money, calculated clearly per head!"
Shao Yingzhen truly could not comprehend why an order's founding patriarch would talk of money with every breath; it seemed severely unfitting for his stature and status. "Old Senior, we'll follow your lead completely. We will set things up at the theater beforehand, and when the time comes, it will all depend on your methods. As long as Zhou Wencheng engages you in battle, win or lose, we will pay the compensation in full. If you can lure Li Qi out along with him, our reward will be doubled."
"Off you go." Yang Xiangjun waved his hand, and Shao Yingzhen promptly hurried away.
Only Yang Xiangjun remained in the residence.
This was Yang Xiangjun's rule: whoever hired him to do a job had to provide lodging, but servants were not required.
He paced back and forth before the hall's doorway, calculating in his mind how to make his move at Xinguang Grand Theater.
He was very familiar with this theater. Chen Suliang was a wildly popular xusheng in Puluo Province, and tomorrow night, the theater would surely be packed to capacity.
If Yang Xiangjun used a lethal poison and killed everyone in the theater, turning it into a massive incident, Zhou Wencheng would certainly reveal himself.
Yet doing so carried far too high a price.
Over all these years, the reason Yang Xiangjun had never vanished from Puluo Province was that he had never severely violated the Peddler's rules. In doing business in any territory, Yang Xiangjun tried his utmost not to kill.
Back in Kudaikan, he had killed quite a few, but Yang Xiangjun had been able to explain every single one clearly—who was killed, and for what reason. Yang Xiangjun kept an account book, and all of it had concrete evidence, so in the end, even the Peddler could find no fault with him.
This time, Yang Xiangjun didn't wish to break the rules either. He planned to use a mild poison first, making the audience suffer a bit. With such a scare, Zhou Wencheng would likely reveal himself.
If Zhou Wencheng kept his composure and didn't show, Yang Xiangjun would claim a few lives in the theater—in a venue so large, there were bound to be some people who deserved to die—and see how Zhou Wencheng reacted then.
If Zhou Wencheng still didn't show, Yang Xiangjun would withdraw immediately and abandon the job. He couldn't ruin his livelihood in Puluo Province over a sum of money.
As the night deepened, Yang Xiangjun touched up his makeup, wrapped a scarf around his neck, and prepared to scout the terrain.
He had visited Moxiang Shop more than once and had been to the Grand Theater quite a few times, but to earn this money, one had to put in the effort. Yang Xiangjun was never careless in his work.
The snow fell heavily on the road. Holding up a paper fan, Yang Xiangjun arrived at Xinguang Grand Theater.
There was quite a crowd tonight as well, featuring a major performance by the renowned dan, Luo Xiaolou. Yang Xiangjun bought a ticket in the back row and watched for about ten minutes, by which time he had planned out every detail of how to enter and exit the venue tomorrow.
Yang Xiangjun left the theater, walked two streets away, and stepped into an empty alley. Unable to help himself, he mimicked Luo Xiaolou's posture.
Flicking an orchid-finger gesture, sinking his waist, and casting a subtle glance, Yang Xiangjun drew out a melodic cry: "Aiya~ Zhou Badou, take a look—aren't the timing and poise just right?"
Boss Lu slowly emerged from the darkness. "Brother Yang, after not seeing each other for so many years, you are still as cautious as ever. I only followed you for a few paces before you discovered me."
Yang Xiangjun shook his head and sighed. "In the end, it was my own carelessness. In the past, wherever I went, I would never let the master of the territory find out. Yet now, I've barely arrived at Moxiang Shop and you've already latched onto me. If word got out, I'd feel downright humiliated."
"Brother Yang, this can't be blamed on you. It's all because Shao Yingzhen wrote nonsense in the newspapers, leaking your whereabouts."
Yang Xiangjun sighed. "That's true. I couldn't figure out what he was plotting either. But since he's the employer, we have to do the work once we've taken the coin. How about this: let's pretend we never met tonight. Tomorrow at the theater, I'll make a bit of noise, you reveal yourself, exchange a couple of blows with me, and then we both go our separate ways. You avoid a deadly danger, I complete a piece of business, and we accommodate each other. We settle the matter just like that—how does that sound?"
Boss Lu held his pipe and struck a match. "I don't think that works. If I show myself at the theater tomorrow, ninety-nine times out of a hundred I'll fall into an ambush. Trying to pull myself out then won't be nearly as simple as Brother Yang makes it sound."
Yang Xiangjun thought about it. "What you say makes sense. Since you know there's an ambush, don't go to Xinguang Theater tomorrow, and let them come up empty."
With an apologetic look, Boss Lu gazed at Yang Xiangjun. "It's fine if they come up empty, but if Brother Yang comes up empty as well, won't your business have been done for nothing?"
Yang Xiangjun pulled a round scented fan from his sleeve, fanned it twice, and smiled. "What does that bit of business count for? How could it compare to the friendship between us?"
Boss Lu exhaled a mouthful of smoke, the scent of tobacco dispersing the fan's fragrance.
There was poison in that fragrance.
Boss Lu said, "Brother Yang, you strike without leaving a trace. Truly, you leave me no way out."
Yang Xiangjun covered his mouth with the round fan and chuckled. "Brother Zhou, you followed me all the way here just now. If I hadn't laid things out plainly, I doubt you would have shown any mercy when striking from the dark either."
Boss Lu said, "Shouldn't our matter tonight come to an end?"
"Tsk!" Yang Xiangjun clicked his tongue. "You really are stubborn. If we just act as if we never met tonight, and I leave tomorrow after watching the opera, doesn't that count as an end?"
"Moxiang Shop is only this big, and I, Zhou, have only this one life. If everyone were like Brother Yang—coming to take my life whenever they pleased and walking away whenever they failed—how could I go on living? How about this: let's contest three moves. After three moves, if you remain safe and sound, you may leave."
"A reunion after so long should have been a joyful occasion, yet you insist on souring the harmony!" Yang Xiangjun twirled the handle of his fan. "Fine, Brother Zhou, I'll listen to you. Three moves it is. You are an upright gentleman, so I'm not afraid of you going back on your word. But let's make things clear: you are not Moxiang Shop's local spirit. If any mishap occurs within three moves, it won't count as me violating the Peddler's rules!"
These words made it plain: do not think Yang Xiangjun would only stand there and take a beating; within three moves, who would win and who would lose was still hard to say.
Boss Lu put away his pipe, flicked back the hem of his robe, and shouted, "First move: Open and Aboveboard!"
As the words fell, the four large characters for "Open and Aboveboard" hung suspended in midair, bursting forth with blinding golden light that illuminated the deep alley as bright as day.
Wherever the golden light passed, red, yellow, blue, and green vapors swirled around Yang Xiangjun.
All of these vapors were poisonous. Ordinary people could not see them, but under Boss Lu's Open and Aboveboard, the types, concentrations, and paths of the toxic vapors were completely laid bare before Boss Lu's eyes.
Having lost the chance for a sneak attack, the Poison Cultivator's combat strength plummeted sharply. Boss Lu circled around the toxic vapors, moving in to take Yang Xiangjun's life.
Yang Xiangjun abruptly sucked all the surrounding toxic vapors back into his body and exhaled them toward the four characters of "Open and Aboveboard."
The thick poison mist obscured the glow of the four characters. Uncertain whether Yang Xiangjun had other poisons around him, Boss Lu didn't dare strike rashly.
Yang Xiangjun smiled. "One move!"
Zhou Wencheng nodded. "Second move: Embracing Sincerity and Truth!"
He pulled a book from his chest, and two scholars leapt out from the pages, rushing toward Yang Xiangjun from left and right.
These two scholars were clearly made of ink. According to the correct counter-strategy, Yang Xiangjun shouldn't engage them directly; he should maneuver in place and wait for the technique to fade.
Yet after maneuvering for a moment, Yang Xiangjun discovered that the two scholars showed no signs of vanishing anytime soon, and their martial movements were extraordinarily fierce.
Yang Xiangjun quietly threw the round fan from his hand. The fan sliced between the two scholars and flew straight toward Boss Lu. As a veteran of the battlefield, he knew when to counterattack.
This round fan was a top-tier weapon. If it hit, Boss Lu would not only be wounded but also poisoned. A single successful strike would instantly reverse the battle.
Yet unexpectedly, though Yang Xiangjun had struck abruptly, the motion of his swing was overly exaggerated, and Boss Lu dodged it with ease.
Yang Xiangjun recalled the round fan and launched another surprise strike. This time the motion was even larger than before. Not only did Boss Lu escape injury, but he also caught and seized the round fan in his hand.
Surprise attacks were a Poison Cultivator's most relied-upon combat tactic. Having failed twice, with the fault clearly lying in his own movements, Yang Xiangjun realized something was wrong.
The problem wasn't with himself; it came from those two scholars.
This move was called Embracing Sincerity and Truth, and its name seemed linked to the technique itself.
While trading blows with these two scholars, Yang Xiangjun found his strikes becoming honest and straightforward. All his past deceptive feints and tricks could not be executed at all.
If the fight continued and Zhou Wencheng joined the fray in person, Yang Xiangjun was bound to suffer a loss.
He released some poison mist toward one of the scholars. The mist was originally colorless and odorless, but illuminated under the four characters of "Open and Aboveboard," it shimmered with brilliant red light.
The scholar was an ink figure created by Boss Lu and naturally had no concept of dodging poison mist. One of them charged straight into it, and from head to limbs, his body rapidly dissolved, turning into a puddle of ink on the ground in the blink of an eye.
Yang Xiangjun's poison mist was effective against ink constructs!
What kind of poison was this?
Boss Lu was startled and quickly ordered the remaining scholar to retreat into the distance. "Truly worthy of being an order's founding patriarch! Brother Yang, your poison can even be applied to brush and ink?"
"Brother, you overpraise me. There are thousands of poisons in this world—some work on flesh, some on bones, some enter the heart, some attack the brain, and some rampage through the internal organs. Horizontal and vertical strokes form the skeleton; iron strokes and silver hooks make the flesh and blood; vigorous flourishes provide the spirit. Words in books possess all of these, so why shouldn't they be susceptible to poison? If I hadn't picked up a few literary arts, how would I dare do business in Moxiang Shop?"
Yang Xiangjun wiped away his sweat. He hadn't wanted to use this poison mist lightly, but the situation just now had been critical, so he had deployed it nonetheless.
Boss Lu waved his hand, presenting his third move: "Friendship Between Gentlemen!"
Yang Xiangjun chuckled. "Brother Zhou, aren't you flattering me? How could I ever be considered a gentleman?"
Though he bantered aloud, Yang Xiangjun prepared himself for a fight to the death.
Do not be fooled by how he had successfully neutralized the first two moves; Boss Lu had kept a lingering advantage with each one.
After the first move, the four characters of "Open and Aboveboard" remained suspended in the air, which was equivalent to giving Boss Lu an extra pair of eyes.
After the second move, one of the two scholars remained, which was equivalent to giving Boss Lu an extra arm.
On the third move, Yang Xiangjun had to guard against the new technique while staying alert to the existing ones. If he truly couldn't hold it off, he would have no choice but to launch a desperate counteroffensive.
Boss Lu stepped forward, and Yang Xiangjun focused his concentration.
The ink scholar darted along the wall, seemingly preparing for an ambush. Yang Xiangjun had already readied poison mist along the wall, unconcerned whether the scholar saw it, only waiting to see if he dared come.
Boss Lu drew a book from his chest. Judging by the name of the technique, Friendship Between Gentlemen ought to refer to conjuring a gentleman from ink, and Boss Lu would cooperate with this gentleman in battle, using a two-on-one advantage to secure a swift victory.
Right now, Yang Xiangjun didn't know what combat strength or methods this gentleman possessed. He made the safest preparation: his left sleeve held poison mist ready to deal with the gentleman from the book, while his right sleeve held two venomous serpents ready to battle Zhou Wencheng directly. Balanced between offense and defense, he would block this move and leave Zhou Wencheng thoroughly defeated!
The moment the two sides engaged, Li Banfeng appeared behind Yang Xiangjun, holding a burlap sack, and shoved it right over him.
The gentleman had arrived!
This burlap sack was the treasure of Boss Lu's shop. Yang Xiangjun struggled with all his might inside, unable to break free.
Li Banfeng tied the mouth of the sack shut, stepped forward, and unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks, pounding Yang Xiangjun mercilessly.
Boss Lu frowned. "Seventh Master, you must not do this. It offends literary refinement."
Li Banfeng stopped his fists. Boss Lu pulled two iron rods from his book and handed one to Li Banfeng. "He has poison on him. It will be troublesome if it touches your hands. Use this to hit him!"
Li Banfeng looked at the iron rod. "Is this refined?"
*Thwack!*
Boss Lu brought the rod down with a strike. "This carries the fragrance of ink!"
The two of them raised their iron rods and beat the sack in the deep alley for a long time.
From inside the sack came Yang Xiangjun's voice: "You two, stop hitting! Everything can be discussed!"
Li Banfeng lowered his voice and asked, "There's a poison called Wuwang Ashes. Do you recognize it?"
Yang Xiangjun replied, "That poison has been lost!"
Li Banfeng nodded. "Others said it was lost too."
Boss Lu asked Li Banfeng, "In that case, shouldn't we stop troubling Brother Yang?"
Li Banfeng looked toward the sack. "We are all refined men. Since Brother Yang is in pain, let's keep hitting!"
Boss Lu raised his iron rod once more. After quite a while longer, a voice came from inside the sack again: "You two, wait a moment! I think I remembered the prescription!"
Chapter 819