The Master!

"Beggar, we're brothers who knocked our heads against the ground together! If anything good comes my way in the future, I'll definitely keep you in mind!" Glove handed a can of food to Lüshui Beggar. Lüshui Beggar actually accepted the can. "Swearing brotherhood with you really isn't a bad deal," Lüshui Beggar remarked, glancing over at Li Banfeng, who was driving the carriage. "If a day comes when I get into deep trouble, having a brother like you might just save my life." "Me, save your life?" Glove chuckled. "You flatter me, don't you? Do I have that kind of ability?" Lühuazi was not joking; he was completely in earnest. "I haven't seen the extent of your abilities yet, but I've seen Li Qi's. Your relationship with him is extraordinary, so you will definitely have a way to keep me alive." Upon reaching the boundary line, Lühuazi climbed down from the carriage. Clutching the can—which was almost as large as he was—he called out to Li Banfeng, "Until we meet again!" With that, Lühuazi scurried back into the Soil Market. There were still many people who had not yet died of the plague. Before their final breaths slipped away, Lühuazi intended to turn them all into daolao ghosts. From now on, every daolao ghost here would be his subordinate. The Heavenly Maiden opened an exit along the boundary line, and Li Banfeng drove the carriage out of the Soil Market. Hongying looked back at the daolao ghosts flitting in and out of sight across the market, then turned to ask Li Banfeng, "Brother Seven, did we really just hand over the Soil Market to Lühuazi?" Li Banfeng remained silent. Beside him, Zhao Xiaowan let out a soft sigh. "What else could we do? The Soil Market has already ended up like this. If outsiders were to enter, wouldn't they just be providing Lüshui Beggar with more troops? Besides, my husband made an agreement with Lühuazi that this disassembled Daogui Ridge cannot be removed at will. Now that Lühuazi has a water source, he can sustain as many daolao ghosts as he wants." Hongying considered this and felt relieved. "We won such a massive battle. Losing just one Soil Market is nothing at all!" Jiu'er felt Hongying had phrased it incorrectly. "It can't even be called a loss. This is a conferment of reward! Lüshui Beggar belongs to Puluo Province!" Yuan Miaoping nodded. "Exactly right. This is a reward. The Peddler gave Lüshuiwan to Lühuazi, and did anyone complain? Our leader only gave away a Soil Market. What sort of big deal is that?" A'yu looked at Li Banfeng with a trace of worry in her heart. "The Peddler was the Peddler, and Old Seven is Old Seven. Old Seven might not be able to hold down those old fogies." Hongying was thoroughly dissatisfied. "Why wouldn't he be able to? In what way is our Brother Seven inferior to the Peddler?" Hearing this, the Heavenly Maiden smiled and said, "Your man is still far from matching mine." Hongying turned pale with rage. Tang Dao stepped forward, whispered a few words into her ear, and Hongying smiled. She leaned in close to the Heavenly Maiden and whispered, "My man is right here. Where is yours?" The Heavenly Maiden seized Hongying by the hair, and Hongying reached out to scratch her face. Dan Buda shouted, "Stop fighting! The carriage is tipping! Don't brawl in the carriage!" A'yu pulled the Heavenly Maiden back. "Stop making a scene! People will laugh at us in a moment!" The Heavenly Maiden gritted her teeth. "Who dares laugh at me? Why aren't you fighting alongside me? Isn't the Peddler your man, too?" A'yu was stunned for a long time. "Since when did the Peddler become my man?" The Heavenly Maiden said furiously, "You are my dwelling spirit! My man is your man!" Hongying let out a scoff. "Nonsense! A'yu is Brother Seven's dwelling spirit. By that reckoning, Brother Seven is her man!" The Heavenly Maiden's eyes turned red. "A'yu, make it clear right now! Who on earth is your man?" After a moment of bewilderment, A'yu flared into a rage. "What are you talking about? Do you think I don't have a man of my own? My man is the Castellan of the City of Fools! I'm not a dowry maid for either of you!" The squabble grew fiercer and fiercer, and the lead carriage looked ready to overturn. Chu Shaoqiang calmly held the reins, saying to the Fifth Lady, "Let's just focus on the road and stay out of their nonsense. Miss, could you stop staring at me like that? There's no flavor left in these old bones of mine." The Fifth Lady laughed merrily. "Old bones are the tastiest to gnaw on!" Chu Shaoqiang wiped his sweat. "Then let's hurry to the Human Market. There's plenty of old bones over there—every single one older than me." *** When they arrived at the Human Market, Old Train had just returned from battle. They had won a resounding victory, nearly annihilating the Inland State navy. Old Train praised them generously. "This victory was all thanks to the brothers of Baishun County and the White Crane Gang. You scattered soil and planted seeds, never giving them a chance to strike back." Ling Baitao and Bai Wusong demurred. "Senior praises us too highly. The one who truly has extraordinary methods is Senior Xu. His seeds are truly formidable—the moment they took root in the earth, they bored straight through the enemy warships!" Xu Han shook his head repeatedly. "If you ask me, none of us should show off. The Shang State navy can certainly fight on the water, but they were busy scrambling for vessels to pick up the Bandit-Subduing Army. They didn't want to fight us at all. Masses of warships were jammed in the port, which was practically handing them to us on a silver platter. The Bandit-Subduing Army was pinned down in the Soil Market by Old Seven. When all is said and done, this victory still depended on him. With Qiao Yi pinned by Old Seven in the Soil Market, he must have been anxious out of his mind. Old Seven didn't have an easy fight either!" Li Banfeng nodded. "It truly wasn't an easy fight. Qiao Yi was quite anxious at first, but not for the navy. Now, I reckon Qiao Yi isn't in a hurry anymore." Xu Han froze for a moment, not understanding. Old Train stood dumbfounded for a long time before asking, "Could it be... you won over on your side as well?" Li Banfeng offered no further explanation. He was exhausted. Yuan Miaoping arranged images from various angles while the projector continually spliced film strips. A colossal image materialized on the ceiling of the Underground City. Working in coordination, Yuan Miaoping and the projector displayed the general course of the battle for all to see. Not only Eighteen Wheels and the crowd of founding masters and grandmasters, but the entire Human Market of the Underground City could see it with utter clarity. They saw the Totem Army fallen on the battlefield; they saw the Bandit-Subduing Army trapped in the Soil Market, unable to break out; and they saw Qiao Yi lying beside the well, dying in grief and despair. Everyone who laid eyes on these images was struck dumb. Even Granny Ku, severely wounded, climbed out of her sickbed. The crowd gathered in the streets of the Human Market, craning their necks and staring at the ceiling, gazing upon a savage battle beyond their wildest imaginations. Some parts of the footage were incomplete and disconnected. Granny Ku could not fathom how Li Banfeng had won, but she knew that win he did. Zhen Luoming's jaw dropped so low it nearly hit the floor. "This... is this the Puluo... Puluo—" Halfway through the phrase, he swallowed the words back down, not daring to shout them aloud. "This is the Lord of Puluo!" Song Shu shouted. As a member of the Brotherhood Alliance, she shouldn't have cried this out, but she couldn't hold it back. Watching the tragic, brutal slaughter on the battlefield, tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks. She was not the only one weeping; the entire Human Market was in tears. No one had believed this battle could be won. Everyone had thought the Soil Market was finished, the Underground City was finished, Santoucha was finished, and perhaps even all of Puluo Province was finished. Many had already prepared to move out of the Underground City. Yet some could not leave. Chen Yongnian had just returned from Suihuang Plain. His wife could go nowhere and could only remain in the Human Market; Chen Yongnian had already prepared to die alongside her. Throughout the shops large and small in the Human Market, so many had arranged their own funeral affairs. Yet who could have imagined that this desperate, brutal war had truly ended in victory! Ma the Fifth looked at the images on the ceiling and smiled. "Old Seven is the kingpin of Puluo Province, and I am the brother of the Lord of Puluo." Little Fatty Qin clenched his fists. "Seventh Brother is the Grand Chief of Puluo Province! Let's see who dares object!" Wu Yongchao threw out his chest. "The Lord of Puluo is our fort master! Our fort master is named Fort Master!" After shouting twice, he broke into a cough. He had been wounded while fighting for the port alongside Old Train earlier, as had many other Dwelling Cultivators. Yet no matter how grave their wounds, the Dwelling Cultivators stood with backs ramrod straight. Bai Qiusheng and Yuwen Qi were drafting an article as they watched the projection. They had moved their newspaper office to Santoucha and were preparing to release a special edition tonight! Yet after writing several drafts, they were dissatisfied with every single one, feeling their literary talent fell short. Bai Qiusheng went to Zhang Xiuling. "An article of this magnitude must be penned by Puluo Province's foremost woman of talent!" "Me, pen it?" Zhang Xiuling held the brush, trembling slightly with emotion, yet she could not even write the very first sentence. She felt that all words in this moment rang hollow; she could find no language adequate to describe such a war. Xiao Yeci offered her suggestion. "Sister Xiuling, just write it straightforwardly! Simply recount the battle in plain, honest prose!" Jiang Mengting agreed wholeheartedly. "Plain and direct is best. I can compose the melody right away, and once Sister Xiuling finishes the text, I'll borrow her words to fill in the lyrics." Zhang Xiuling still did not dare put brush to paper. "Plain and direct is certainly good, but I feel the images aren't continuous. There are many things I cannot write down." Yuan Miaoping quietly asked Li Qi, "Should the footage of the daolao ghosts be displayed?" Li Banfeng nodded. "Show it." Yuan Miaoping warned, "Once they see the daolao ghosts, their attitude won't be like this anymore." Li Banfeng was already prepared. "Can it really be hidden? Show it all." When the daolao ghosts appeared across the ceiling, the residents of the Human Market could no longer remain calm, and the attitudes of the various founding masters and grandmasters shifted. "So that's how it was won?" "Isn't this driving out a tiger only to let in a wolf?" "Can the Soil Market even be kept?" "It's completely overrun with pestilence. How could anyone keep it?" "Even without the pestilence, with so many daolao ghosts, isn't that a death sentence?" Zhen Luoming roared furiously, "Old Seven, what kind of trick is this? Isn't the Soil Market still ruined?" Bing Suling sneered with disdain. "More than just the Soil Market—the Human Market is practically finished as well! Daolao ghosts combined with Lühuazi's plague—can this place still support human life? The entire Underground City is done for!" Song Shu tried to defend Li Banfeng from the side. "A boundary was set between the Soil Market and the Human Market. The daolao ghosts cannot cross, and the disease cannot pass through either. There shouldn't be any need to worry—" The Heavenly Maiden was candid. "The boundary is about to give out." A temporary boundary erected on short notice took a tremendous toll on her. Now, she was reaching her absolute limit. Li Banfeng said to the Heavenly Maiden, "Dissolve the boundary." The faces of everyone around them drained of color! The Heavenly Maiden didn't care. She had an agreement with Li Qi beforehand: if they won the battle, she would listen to him. Since Li Qi said to dissolve it, she dismantled the boundary on the spot. Yet with the boundary gone, the plague and the daolao ghosts would soon cross over. Several founding masters stood up, preparing to leave. Zhen Luoming stared at Li Banfeng. "When the daolao ghosts invade in a moment, what will happen to all these common folk? What about all the heroes who came here to fight? Li Qi, have you considered the consequences?" Li Banfeng replied, "I considered the consequences long ago. I have an alliance pact with Lühuazi. The daolao ghosts are forbidden from leaving the Soil Market, or else I will take his life." "An alliance pact with Lühuazi! Haha!" Zhen Luoming burst into wild laughter. "Everyone, did you hear that? This is the new master of Puluo Province! He made an alliance pact with Lühuazi—isn't that just a pipe dream? What kind of man is Lühuazi? Could someone like him ever honor a pact? What sort of character he possesses—Li Qi, are you truly ignorant of it?" Taking their cue from Zhen Luoming, the crowd surrounded Li Qi, reproaching him with growing volume. Li Banfeng recalled what the Peddler had once told him: *"If anyone blames you, push it all onto me."* Back then, he had only felt the Peddler had it rough; only now did he understand the crushing weight behind those words. Li Banfeng did not intend to offer any explanation. Just then, a low murmur echoed across the Human Market as Zhao Xiaowan spoke. "What is all this fuss?" Zhao Xiaowan swept her gaze across the crowd. "What is improper about making a pact with Lühuazi? When the Peddler forged a pact with him back then, didn't Lühuazi abide by it all along? You all made pacts with the Peddler as well—did you break the rules any less?" These words left the crowd utterly speechless. Liu Hutian, the Wine Cultivator Founding Master, remarked, "General Zhao, those words are out of line. Whatever grievances existed between us, at heart we were thinking of Puluo Province. You shouldn't compare us to the likes of Lühuazi. As for you, you were originally of the imperial court, with the blood of Puluo Province on your hands. There are times we simply don't care to pay you any heed, so you had best hold your tongue." "What's wrong with being from the court?" spoke Bai Qiaoniang, Old Train's female disciple. "Years ago on Suihuang Plain, General Zhao assumed the alias Huang Yuxian and led the Ironbone Seeds to repel the Tufang army! Have you all forgotten that?" Lady Wangyou, the local deity of Tiewangang, also spoke up. "When the Tufang army pressed upon our borders, how many of you were merely standing by to watch the show? Zhen Luoming, back then I offered a heavy sum begging you to scout enemy movements, and you refused! Have you forgotten that as well?" Zhen Luoming waved his hand dismissively. "Don't bring up the past. And don't compare me to an actress. I can't afford that humiliation." "What is wrong with being an actress?" Zhao Xiaowan's brow furrowed slightly. "I am an actress born of Puluo Province, carrying the blood of Puluo Province in my veins. Do I not even have the right to speak?" Seeing another quarrel brewing, Sui Chanxin stood up and cast a charming smile at the crowd, immediately easing the tension. Back at Heroes Mountain, Sui Chanxin had expressed a willingness to follow Li Qi. Though it had seemed a casual remark, Li Qi genuinely wanted to see what her stance was today. Sui Chanxin indeed spoke a word of justice: "General Zhao has nothing to be faulted for; she bled for Puluo Province, and she is one of our own. Throughout these battles, General Hong fought with her life on the line as well. Let us not dredge up old accounts from years past. Dragging them out now only looks revolting." At this, Sui Chanxin glanced at Zhen Luoming and Liu Hutian. Zhen Luoming flushed slightly and did not retort. Liu Hutian held his wine flagon, continuing to pour and drink alone. Sui Chanxin continued, "Handing the Soil Market to Lühuazi might not be a bad thing. He is a capable man. He turned Huaziwan into Lüshuiwan, transforming the poorest corner of Puluo Province into its wealthiest. I trust his capability! As for the daolao ghosts, we should indeed remain vigilant. But there are many things we must guard against! Every one of us who has survived in Puluo Province to this day—which of us didn't fight our way through mountains of blades and seas of fire? If those daolao ghosts could be held back at Daogui Ridge, why can't they be held back now that they've reached the Soil Market?" This speech left Zhen Luoming, Bing Suling, and Liu Hutian without a rebuttal. Many of the founding masters and grandmasters also abandoned their thoughts of leaving. Seeing the favorable turn of events, Eighteen Wheels struck while the iron was hot. "Old Seven fought this battle brilliantly! I don't care what anyone else says—in my book, he has firmly taken his seat as the Grand Chief of Puluo Province!" Xu Han nodded. "Firmly in mine as well!" Sun Tiecheng declared, "The City of Fools trusts Old Seven!" Ling Baitao said, "Baishun County trusts Li Qi!" Chen Yongnian added, "The Ironbone Seeds trust Seventh Master!" Pan Dehai rose and bowed. "Virtuous people and virtuous lands alike are willing to follow Seventh Master's command!" Song Qianhun said, "Tiemen Fort has only one Fort Master! High and low, we all answer to our Fort Master!" Ye Jianhuang and Qiao Wuzui cupped their hands toward the crowd. "Tobacco and alcohol are never parted! The two of us, along with the gangs under our command, will follow Seventh Master from this day forward." Song Shu looked toward Granny Ku, waiting for her stance. Yuan Miaoping coughed softly. "I said you were dense, girl, and you truly are. Who is the head of the Brotherhood Alliance? Is it old Granny Ku? Even your Grand Chief has aligned with our leader. What do you have left to hesitate about?" Song Shu rubbed her forehead, realizing she had overlooked a critical fact. Yuan Miaoping was right: the Heavenly Maiden was the true Grand Chief of the Brotherhood Alliance. The members of the Brotherhood Alliance waited on the Heavenly Maiden's attitude. The Heavenly Maiden glared at Yuan Miaoping. "I have a man. Who said I'm following Li Qi?" Yuan Miaoping chuckled. "Then what do you propose?" The Heavenly Maiden remained silent for a moment, then said, "Li Qi and I made an agreement beforehand. If we won the battle, I would listen to him. In today's matters, he has the final say." The members of the Brotherhood Alliance wore complex expressions. When joining the alliance, each had held their own aims, and most had never laid eyes on the Heavenly Maiden before. Yet now that she had spoken, none dared voice an objection. The situation with the Brotherhood Alliance was finally settled. With every major power and faction taking a stand, Zhen Luoming saw that the tide had turned. Now, his only option was to find an opportunity to slip away cleanly. "Whoever becomes master has little to do with me. This great battle was not fought easily. Some gave their lives, some shed their blood, some contributed strength, and some provided money—though some merely watched the spectacle. After fighting tooth and nail through so many battles, we must be given an accounting! We cannot be sent back empty-handed!" Everyone turned their gaze back to Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng nodded. "All who contributed effort for Puluo Province shall receive remuneration from me. I will never let anyone suffer a loss." Zhen Luoming asked, "What will you use for remuneration?" Li Banfeng replied, "Money. Real gold and silver, paid on the spot." Zhen Luoming sneered. "I know you possess considerable wealth, but you don't know how high our worth is. Let me tell you straight: even if you bankrupt yourself, you might not cover half of this remuneration." Ma the Fifth spoke up. "If Old Seven can't cover it, I'm here! I'll throw in my entire fortune!" Chu the Second chimed in, "Our Chu family will also throw in everything!" Lu Chunying said, "Count our Lu family in as well." Xiao Yeci said, "Our Xiao family can contribute too." Zhen Luoming swept his gaze over these young figures. "Talking tough, aren't you? Fine, let's settle the accounts right now! I want to see how long you can keep up that spine!" Li Banfeng looked at Zhen Luoming. "Calculate it, then. You first." "I won't go first!" Zhen Luoming shook his head. "I don't lack those few coins, nor do I need to fight for first place. That lady over there is Boss Yu, right? Ask her: how much did she spend just making battle surcoats for us? The silk shop in Lüshui City was almost bankrupted!" Yu Nan replied, "Senior, if you have something to say, say it. There's no need to drag me into it. I brought our Yu Family Gang here to fight. We don't have great skills, but we know how to make a couple of battle garments. To fulfill this small duty brings joy to our hearts. Senior need not trouble himself over our affairs." "I speak up on your behalf, and you repay me with ingratitude!" Zhen Luoming shot Yu Nan a dirty look, then turned to Qin Tianjiu. "So many died from your Three Heroes Sect! You and Li Qi are as close as brothers, so it's natural for you to risk your life for him. But to whom should those fallen brothers turn for justice? Will no one attend to their posthumous affairs?" Qin Tianjiu answered, "I will handle that matter—it is my duty and mine alone. But this has nothing to do with Seventh Brother." Zhen Luoming frowned. "How does it have nothing to do with him? Isn't he the Grand Chief of Puluo Province?" Qin Tianjiu addressed the crowd: "Everyone, this junior oversteps his bounds today to speak a few extra words. How many gangs large and small exist in Puluo Province? I cannot count them all. For this war, everyone who ought to come came, and I believe it was right for them to do so. In the territory of the Three Heroes Sect, whether it is a dance hall, a theater, a restaurant, a teahouse, or even a roadside noodle vendor—so long as they sell a single bowl, my Three Heroes Sect receives a share of the profit. That money was earned by their sweat and blood. We took it, and we fed on it. When the time comes for us to bleed and lay down our lives, there should not be the slightest hesitation!" "Don't make it sound so noble!" Zhen Luoming's face darkened. "While we were fighting, Lüshui City was still hosting singing concerts! Did anyone care whether we lived or died?" Liao Zihui spoke up. "I love listening to tunes, and I love singing them. Whether singing songs or selling noodles, the sweat people shed every day is their contribution to Puluo Province. Now that it's our turn to contribute, where does all your resentment come from? I am an outsider and shouldn't speak too much, but for our Customs Defense Office, expending effort and money is only natural. We have nothing to calculate with Seventh Master." Zhen Luoming waved his hand. "Commissioner Liao, we don't have family wealth as deep as yours. If you won't calculate, I will!" Zhang Xiuling nodded. "Fine, Senior. Calculate your account clearly, and from now on, none of us will owe you a thing!" Zhen Luoming fell silent. After talking for so long, not a single person had backed him up. Even Bing Suling and Liu Hutian, who had consistently supported him, kept their mouths shut. All these people had established businesses in Puluo Province. If they truly tore off all face, life in the future would become exceedingly difficult. They no longer wished to calculate, but Li Banfeng still intended to. He entrusted this task to Ma the Fifth and Little Fatty. Those who had contributed much could not be shortchanged; compensation had to be paid. Those who had given nothing could not reap benefits for free; whether mighty powers or minor gangs, they would be made to make amends. Anyone who had colluded with the enemy would be severely punished without mercy. With all matters arranged, Ling Baitao rose and said, "The Inland State may not let things rest here. Please open the boundary; I must lead our people back to Baishun County." Li Banfeng had just been about to address this. "From this day forward, there will no longer be a boundary between Baishun County and the Underground City." Ling Baitao looked startled. "But without a boundary, we..." Li Banfeng said, "From now on, the people of Baishun County are free to come and go as they please. Those who wish to stay, I will reward handsomely. Those who do not wish to stay, I will help establish livelihoods elsewhere." Xu Han smiled, and Zhang Wanlong smiled as well. They knew how bitter a life the brave men of Baishun County had endured. Ling Baitao's eyes filled with tears, at a loss for how to express his gratitude. It was fortunate he didn't voice his thanks, for Li Banfeng felt he was unworthy of receiving them. Zhen Luoming stared with wide eyes. "What is the meaning of this? If the Inland State invades through Baishun County, won't all of Santoucha be left wide open?" Li Banfeng tilted up the brim of his hat and looked at Zhen Luoming. "When Baishun County was fighting for its life, you looked on coldly as well, didn't you? You were enjoying comfort elsewhere, weren't you? From this day forth, neither Baishun County nor Suihuang Plain will have boundaries! From this day forth, the heroes of Puluo Province shall never fight alone! Every faction across Puluo Province must recruit personnel to garrison the borders!" Zhen Luoming looked around. No one else spoke; Granny Ku, instead, nodded slightly. The Heavenly Maiden obeyed Li Banfeng and dissolved those two boundaries immediately. Li Banfeng instructed Old Train to reorganize the defenses of Santoucha and Suihuang Plain, while he himself had two urgent matters left to attend to. "There are two hidden perils that must be severed." Zhao Xiaowan guessed Li Banfeng's thoughts. "One is the Great Totem, and the other is the Imperial Jade Seal. Neither of these perils will be easy to deal with."