Good Stuff!

It was only when Duan Tielu, the Grandmaster of Artisan Cultivators, was struck by the Eyes Above All Else technique that he realized what had happened. The key Li Banfeng had tossed to him was a fake, conjured through the technique of All Desires Fulfilled. The fire tongs he had retrieved were the real key, also transformed using the All Desires Fulfilled technique. Then where had the real fire tongs gone? The real fire tongs were still locked in a mortal struggle with Li Banfeng. These tongs were truly extraordinary. Even after Li Banfeng broke free of the siege of fire and water, they continued to assail him with Thought Arts, filling his ears with a droning buzz like ten thousand swarming mosquitoes and flies. Fortunately, there was only one pair of tongs; if there were more Thought Cultivator arts being flung around, it really would have been tough to handle. Li Banfeng cast a glance at the fire tongs. "Stop using that technique. I can't hear you." His words were laced with a Fool Cultivator technique. Against an actual Thought Cultivator, it certainly would have worked, but these tongs were entirely unmoved by the trick and stubbornly kept using their technique. Li Banfeng had a degree of resistance to Thought Cultivator arts and didn't strictly need to entangle himself over this particular technique. Yet right now, he was genuinely caught up in the dispute—not because of the Thought Art, but because of the tongs' peculiar nature. Li Banfeng had fought first-tier weapons before, but he had never seen one bearing so many Daoist paths, nor one with such formidable defensive strength that it could even ward off Fool Cultivation. Moreover, the weapon was fiercely loyal. Li Banfeng had tried several times to communicate with it through Enumerating Family Treasures, but the tongs refused to give any response. Li Banfeng wanted to see the weapon's limits. If Duan Tielu had truly forged something like this, then the man was indeed someone capable of reversing the entire situation between Puluo Province and the Inner Province. "Still chanting? I told you, I can't hear your technique!" Li Banfeng repeated the same words to the tongs over and over. After repeating it twelve times, Li Banfeng truly couldn't hear anything anymore. Li Banfeng was thoroughly smug—the Fool Cultivator technique still worked! Without the interference of the Thought Art, Li Banfeng's movements became as nimble as ever. After so many exchanges, he had also picked up the pattern of the tongs' attacks. Spotting a chance to close in, he got near the fire tongs and used Broadening the Bridal Chamber to banish them straight into the companion dwelling. Once inside the dwelling, the family members would surely have ways to deal with the tongs. Li Banfeng had anticipated a ferocious fight, but to his surprise, the Old Man spoke into his ear: "A'qi, the moment those tongs crossed the threshold, they stopped moving." What was the reason for that? Were the tongs not fighting autonomously? Could Duan Tielu have been controlling them remotely? But if they were being remote-controlled, why had the Fool Cultivator technique Li Banfeng used just now worked on the tongs? Wait, did the technique actually work just now? Had it taken effect on the tongs, on Li Banfeng himself, or on Duan Tielu? Duan Tielu's cultivation was still rapidly dissipating, and he had aged beyond recognition. The companion dwelling said, "A'qi, spare his life. This man knows far too many artisan methods. He's bound to be of immense use." Fifth Maiden's voice also reached Li Banfeng's ears through the dwelling: "He still has plenty of cultivation left. Don't let it all bleed away. Keep as much as you can—it'll be truly useful." Li Banfeng retrieved the key from Duan Tielu. The light glowing on Duan Tielu's body dimmed, yet he was still struggling to crawl forward. Such a formidable artisan cultivator—Li Banfeng was genuinely reluctant to send him home, but Fifth Maiden was drooling with craving: "Director Qi, Mr. Qi, Teacher Qi, just bring him back! Put your mind at ease. I'll put him in my belly, and I promise nothing will go wrong!" Li Banfeng chuckled. "With such high-grade ingredients, I can't just let you feast for free, can I?" Lai Wuju thought it over. "How about this: I'll agree to three things for you, and we'll draw up a covenant deed on the spot. These three things can't be too excessive, and they must be within my power." "Keep an eye on him first. We can discuss the price later." Li Banfeng sent Duan Tielu into the companion dwelling. To tell the truth, he was also reluctant to kill Duan Tielu. He glanced toward the grand hall and called out, "Come on out." He Jiaqing stepped out from one of the dormitory rooms, asking timidly, "Banfeng, where did Duan Tielu go?" Li Banfeng grinned. "Where he went—you don't know?" "I don't know! I don't know anything! I didn't see a thing, didn't hear a thing! I just helped you grab a few items and then hid away. I truly know nothing at all—" He Jiaqing wished he could go mad or turn into an idiot on the spot; he wished with all his heart that he could forget everything that had happened here. Li Banfeng smiled. "You didn't make out half-bad on this trip, did you?" He Jiaqing shook his head frantically. "Without your say-so, I wouldn't dare take a single thing!" Li Banfeng looked around. "Some magical treasures want to follow me. You can't touch those. You can take the rest. How much you take is up to your own discretion. Once you're done, clear out immediately." He Jiaqing nodded. All told, he took six magical treasures; considering his contribution, he felt this number was fair. He didn't dare be picky or take his time choosing. Knowing only that these treasures hadn't expressed a desire to follow Li Qi, he grabbed them and hurried away. Li Banfeng walked over to the Lesser Totem, pondering what to do with it. Taking it home right now was out of the question; the family members couldn't withstand the harm caused by the Lesser Totem. Leaving it unattended was even worse. If the Lesser Totem fell into someone else's hands, there was no telling what catastrophe it might unleash. Li Banfeng produced a bottle of Wuwang, uncapped it, and flicked a few drops of the liquid onto the center of the Lesser Totem. The shadow in the center of the totem faded immediately, and after twenty-odd minutes, it vanished completely. The lethality of Wuwang Cinder against Xuyuan Silkworms was truly astonishing. A'yi had once told Li Banfeng that the shadows at the heart of the Great Totem were Xuyuan Silkworms, and those shadows determined the totem's functions. Now that the shadow was gone, could the Lesser Totem be sent home? The companion dwelling sounded confident: "A'qi, send it back first. I'll find a room to put it in, then round up a few passengers to test it out." "Old Man, we run an honest business here. If you have passengers test this, won't people misunderstand?" The Old Man gave a cold sneer. "What's there to misunderstand about putting them to work? Zhao Xiaowan counts as a passenger in our home too. You turned her into your wife, and doesn't she just have to grit her teeth and bear it?" "What do you mean, 'bear it'? We're mutually devoted!" Having dealt with the Lesser Totem, Li Banfeng wandered around Duan Tielu's residence for two full laps. This building was truly vast—counting the basement, it had eight floors in all. According to A'yu's observations, every floor had hidden chambers, and there were even more hidden rooms than visible ones. Such a magnificent dwelling felt like something Li Banfeng ought to put to good use. Not only was the residence fantastic, but Glove was rummaging through the building, finding well over a thousand magical treasures. Any random reach was a prize: "Chief, we're rich! Filthy rich! From now on, you won't need to peddle goods on the roadside like the Peddler. We've got plenty of capital right here!" Making his way all the way to the basement, Glove grew even more excited; this place held the most treasures of all. He discovered a treasure vault and was just about to open the door when the companion dwelling suddenly burst into laughter: "Hahaha!" Glove gave a shudder of fright. "What are you doing? Have you been possessed or something?" "Glove, feel around down below. The good stuff is down there." "Down below what?" Glove was a bit resistant; he was an upright individual. The Old Man was thrilled: "Under the floorboards! A whole heap of good stuff!" Glove considered the layout of the building. The basement was the lowest level; wasn't beneath the floor just the foundation? What good could possibly be down there? "Old Man, if you want to study artisan methods, go do it yourself. I don't care for that kind of thing." "It's not artisan methods, it's ready-made treasures! Go on, take a look!" Glove carefully felt across the floor and soon found the seam of a secret passage. Ducking inside, he poked his head back out before long: "And here I wondered what kind of treasure it was. Turns out it's the treasure the Old Man's after!" "Bring it up, bring it up, quick!" the companion dwelling urged impatiently. "Leave it sitting any longer and it'll get cold!" "It wasn't warm to begin with!" Glove dragged a rail out from beneath the floor—a genuine I-beam rail. The rail was only a bit over a meter long, polished bright without a speck of rust. Its cross-section was remarkably smooth; it truly was an intact rail. Yet this rail was far too short. Of course, "length" was only relative to Li Banfeng's perception; the rails found previously had all been shorter than this one. When he saw the rail, Li Banfeng could clearly feel the companion dwelling trembling: "Good stuff..." Glove warned, "Old Man, can you handle it? There are more down there! If I haul out another, don't you go fainting on us!" "Nonsense! My old bones are plenty sturdy. Pull out as many as you want; I'll be fine!" "You said it!" Before long, Glove hauled up another. "Good, splendid!" The companion dwelling was deeply excited. With these two rails, his total count had reached ten. After a while, Glove dragged up another. The companion dwelling said nothing. In his prime, he had possessed twelve rails in total; now he had eleven. Li Banfeng sensed something was amiss and cautioned Glove: "Brother, slow down a bit." The warning came too late. Glove had already hauled up the twelfth rail. Li Banfeng felt the companion dwelling shudder behind him, then fall completely silent. "Old Man!" Glove panicked too. "Didn't you say you could take it? What happened to you? Answer me!" Li Banfeng and Glove called out for a long time before the companion dwelling finally responded. *Whoooosh—* First came a vent of steam. *Woo-oo-ooh!* followed by a long whistle. Catching his breath, the companion dwelling let out sobs: "Twelve rails... twelve rails! Finally, all the rails have been gathered!" Duan Tielu had four rails in total in his possession. No wonder this house had been able to travel all the way from the Inner Province to the Curse-Gu Ruins. Not only did this house contain over a thousand magical treasures, but even leaving those aside, the house itself was a treasure. "A'qi, the piping is laid out with such ingenuity, and the boiler design is so exquisite. In all my years, I've never seen such masterly artisan work. Whatever happens, we have to keep this house." "How do we keep it?" Li Banfeng narrowed his eyes. He liked the house too, but it didn't have a shred of spiritual nature. A house without spiritual nature could hardly recognize a master. To cultivate its spiritual nature, Li Banfeng would have to stay in it for some time. Yet Li Banfeng had no time to nurture its spiritual nature right now, nor did he want to appoint someone specifically to guard it. Setting aside whether they could even protect it, if someone tried to cause trouble with this house, a slight bit of meddling could trigger a massive disaster! What should be done with it? Destroy the house? The companion dwelling spoke up: "I'll tow it along." Li Banfeng was stunned. "It's so big—you can tow it?" Glove chuckled. "As long as it's something our Old Man fancies, even if it were a mountain, he could drag it along." The Old Man was in good spirits and didn't feel like bickering with Glove today: "A'qi, leave this house to me. Head home first. If you have anything to ask Duan Tielu, go ask him right away. If you wait too long, I'm afraid there won't be anything left of him to eat." When Li Banfeng returned to the companion dwelling, Fifth Maiden had already eaten several pieces of Duan Tielu. Li Banfeng snapped angrily, "The business hasn't even been negotiated, and you've already picked up your chopsticks? Where are your manners?!" Wiping her mouth, Fifth Maiden replied, "Marry a man, dress and dine—what's with all the rules?" Was that the sort of thing an innocent schoolgirl should say? If Madam were home, she'd certainly take a paddle to her! Though come to think of it, Madam seemed to have said something like that before. Yuan Miaoping chimed in with displeasure: "What 'marry a man'? Did you marry him? Would our guild master even look twice at you?" Hong Ying flared up: "If he won't look twice at her, he won't look twice at a little tramp like you either! Qilang, you can't fool around with these sluts at home. When Xiaowan gets back, let's see how you explain yourself to her!" Duan Tielu had lost a vast amount of cultivation along with huge chunks of flesh and blood, and was on the verge of dying. Li Banfeng took out the Peddler's vanishing cream and smeared some over him. Truth be told, this medicine was truly miraculous. Before long, the flesh Duan Tielu had lost grew back. Hong Ying remarked in surprise, "This stuff is amazing!" Fifth Maiden licked her lips, looking full of expectation: "Teacher Qi, next time I'll eat a couple fewer bites. Then you rub a bit of vanishing cream on him so his flesh grows back, and we can keep eating forever!" Li Banfeng looked toward Duan Tielu. Tears streamed down Duan Tielu's cheeks. "I am the Grandmaster of an entire lineage. Just give me a quick death." Li Banfeng glared at Fifth Maiden. "You're going way too far!" Scolded by Teacher Qi, Fifth Maiden hung her head, not daring to utter a word. Li Banfeng consoled Duan Tielu: "Luzi, she won't do that again. I have a few questions for you, and you must tell me the truth." "Ask away." "What did you come to the Curse-Gu Ruins for, really?" His hopes thoroughly dashed, Duan Tielu concealed nothing and stated the facts plainly: "I came here to properly study the Great Totem. Stone suitable for the Great Totem is hard to come by, but the stone on this mountain is remarkably similar to that of the Great Totem. The Curse-Gu Ruins also have Xuyuan Silkworms; once the Great Totem was built, they would serve as the perfect supplement." Li Banfeng nodded slightly. Duan Tielu's craftsmanship was truly beyond reproach. "You refused to carve an imperial seal for the Commandery Prince of Anshun just so you could flee here and concentrate on building a Great Totem?" Duan Tielu did not deny it. "Carving an imperial seal takes tremendous time and effort. Besides, even if I finished it, what then? Did I really expect the Inner Province to make me a prince? Shu Wanjuan's example is right there before our eyes. If you don't carry the royal bloodline of the Inner Province, no amount of merit matters. Forget ruling as a king—you might not even keep your own life. "Things having come to this, I won't hide anything from you. As long as I could construct a Great Totem, I would never have to live at the mercy of others again. I'm a craftsman. All I ever wanted was to master my craft, make a living by my own skill, and carve out a place in the world through my own abilities. "Who could have guessed that being too skilled would turn into a hanging noose around my neck that I could never shake off? When I worked for Puluo Province, the Inner Province wanted me dead; when I worked for the Inner Province, Puluo Province wanted me dead. "In all these years, only the Peddler was magnanimous enough to spare my life. But even though he didn't kill me, I truly became a disaster—I repaired the Great Totem and crafted a new imperial seal, bringing calamity upon Puluo Province. "Yet can that really be blamed on me? What's wrong with a craftsman taking money to do a job? Li Qi, put your hand on your heart and tell me: where did I go wrong? Put your hand on your heart and tell me: what's wrong with having good craftsmanship?!" Li Banfeng shook his head. "I never said you were wrong before." Tears flowing down his aged face, Duan Tielu asked, "Then why do you want to kill me?" Li Banfeng explained, "Meeting you on the battlefield, I show no mercy. You know the rules." "I never step onto a battlefield." "Even if you don't step onto the battlefield, you're still waging war. In war, you don't just kill the enemy's fierce generals; you also have to kill the enemy's masterminds. That logic holds true, doesn't it?" Duan Tielu thought about it, but still refused to concede. "I'm no longer in the Inner Province. Why did you still come to kill me?" Li Banfeng sat down beside Duan Tielu and said placidly, "It was precisely because you were no longer in the Inner Province that I came to talk business with you. Who could have imagined you'd turn around and try to harm me?" Duan Tielu hung his head in silence, now somewhat lost. He didn't think he was in the wrong; he still believed that striking first was definitely the best choice. Yet if he had chosen differently, would the outcome have been any different? Li Banfeng pointed at the fire tongs on the ground. "This thing probably isn't a first-tier weapon, is it?" Duan Tielu looked at the fire tongs, then at the Lesser Totem that had lost its shadow. "The two of them are actually a single item." "What do you mean by that?" Duan Tielu said, "When I was repairing the Great Totem, I noticed something. The Great Totem would occasionally display bizarre behavior. I can judge spiritual nature through behavior, and I realized the Great Totem possessed the will to fight, but lacked the means to do so. "At the time, an idea came to me: could I forge a weapon that the Great Totem could wield, allowing it to fight? "It was merely an idea, yet to be realized, but Qiao Yi was already impatient to deploy his troops. "My situation back then was exceedingly perilous. With both the Great Totem and the imperial seal completed, Qiao Yi could silence me by death at any moment. For me, the best possible outcome was likely having my memories wiped by the Great Totem. "While Qiao Yi was out campaigning, I took the initiative, found a path on my own, and fled the Inner Province. "Once I arrived at the Curse-Gu Ruins, I created the Lesser Totem, and through it, I developed these fire tongs. They are the weapon of the Lesser Totem. "The tongs can execute so many techniques not because they possess that many Daoist paths; the one that truly understands those techniques is the Lesser Totem. If the tongs stray too far from the Lesser Totem, they truly become nothing more than an ordinary pair of tongs." Li Banfeng picked up the fire tongs and examined them for quite a while. "You crafted so many fine things—was it really just to save your life?" Duan Tielu's gaze drifted, as if longing for something: "To say I never dreamed... who hasn't? With the Great Totem, and with the Peddler gone, couldn't I also become a chief in Puluo Province? I dreamed that dream often. Being an artisan cultivator is bitter work. If I didn't have a good dream to keep my hopes alive, how could I have endured? But I knew I wasn't cut out for that. I was just daydreaming..." Li Banfeng set the fire tongs aside and casually brought out the balance plate chart. "Where is Zhen'e?" "There are two routes to Zhen'e. One is very easy to find: it's at Sage Peak. Qiao Yi led his army from Zhen'e directly to Sage Peak." Li Banfeng had considered that route. It was indeed easy to find, but it was treacherous to travel. There were plenty of clever minds in the Inner Province. After Qiao Yi's defeat, that route was bound to be heavily guarded. Before Li Banfeng could even reach Zhen'e, he would probably lose his life. "What about the other route?" "The other route was blazed by me. It's not easy to find; I'll draw it out for you." Duan Tielu drew the route on the balance plate chart. This route was real; Duan Tielu played no tricks. "Master Seven, everything I know, I've told you. Please spare my life. I'm afraid of dying. I truly am. As long as you spare my life, I'll do anything you want." Li Banfeng looked at the route on the chart in silence. The companion dwelling whispered in his ear, "A'qi, the decision is entirely yours, but I'll say just this: Duan Tielu knows many crafts. If he dies, those crafts die with him!" "Find a place to lock him up for now." Li Banfeng spared Duan Tielu for the time being. The companion dwelling was delighted, tidying up a room and locking Duan Tielu inside. Fifth Maiden even urged, "Get him some food! Don't let him starve to death—when he's brought out tomorrow, he can still serve as a meal!" "Show some restraint!" Li Banfeng reprimanded Fifth Maiden. "Look at you—do you even look like a student anymore?" Fifth Maiden lowered her head. "Teacher Qi, are you going to punish me? Could you not hit too hard? I'm afraid of pain..." "Don't change the subject!" Li Banfeng produced a sheet of covenant paper. "We haven't discussed our business yet. First, do this task for me: craft a physical body for everyone in this house who doesn't have one." Fifth Maiden looked up. "That's easy! Just say when you want delivery!" "Sooner or later doesn't matter much, but there are two conditions. First, you cannot tamper with the bodies." "Rest assured on that. We're all family; I wouldn't pull such underhanded tricks." "Second, the bodies must nourish souls. The body you made for Madam before was excellent; I expect the ones made for the others to be just as good." Fifth Maiden stuck out her tongue, then pouted: "Teacher Qi, that's really tough. General Zhao's soul was nurtured so well not just because of the body, but because of her own methods of devouring souls. The others don't have that kind of ability." The Heavenly Maiden gave a snort. "Whether they have the ability or not, do you really not know? The rule the Peddler laid down back then forbade you from eating other people's souls, which was where the saying 'the Red Lotus eats no raw flesh' came from. How many souls have you eaten in secret by now—did you think I was blind?" "Teacher! I really haven't..." Fifth Maiden hid behind Li Banfeng, looking utterly terrified. Hong Ying ground her teeth. "The number of wretched vixens that deserve to be slaughtered is growing by the day!" Li Banfeng slapped the covenant deed against Fifth Maiden's face. "Make the bodies properly and teach everyone how to nourish their souls. As for the other two matters, we'll talk about them later." Leaving the companion dwelling, Glove said to Li Banfeng, "Chief, I don't need a body. Having a body feels like a burden to me." "If you don't want to use it, just set it aside. Take it out when you feel like it. Having one is better than having none." Li Banfeng patted Glove, walked down the mountain, and headed toward the village. Yang Xiangjun was still waiting expectantly in the village. Seeing Li Qi return, he wept tears of joy. "Master Seven, you scared me half to death! I thought you wouldn't be able to—" Yang Xiangjun didn't dare finish the sentence, feeling it was bad luck. Li Banfeng chuckled. "What was there to fear? If I didn't come back, you wouldn't have to guard this place anymore." "Master Seven, what kind of talk is that!" Yang Xiangjun snapped angrily. "If you didn't come back, I'd wait for you right here for the rest of my life!" Li Banfeng shook his head repeatedly. "A lifetime is too long. Don't throw around such words lightly." Yang Xiangjun flashed a playful smile. "Then how long do you want me to wait?" How long? It really was a hard question. Li Banfeng couldn't keep Yang Xiangjun guarding the Curse-Gu Ruins for his entire life, yet the ruins contained Xuyuan Silkworms and materials for creating Great Totems; someone had to watch over this place. Yang Xiangjun could also read the situation. He had genuinely worried for Li Banfeng, but right now he was also genuinely bargaining. Li Banfeng understood this well. With Yang Xiangjun, truth and falsehood could never be viewed in black and white. "Hold the fort here for one year, and I'll pay you for it." Yang Xiangjun curved his lips. "Tell me what the reward is first! I'm certainly not short on money!" Aside from money, Li Banfeng didn't know what else to offer him. "Then name your price." Yang Xiangjun said, "My price isn't high. I only want you to do one thing for me. "I've roamed the martial world all my life—others pay, and I do the work. Although I live carefree, I always feel something is missing. "This war between the Inner Province and Puluo Province is the third one in my memory. I couldn't go to the battlefield, yet I feel in my heart that I fought this war too. So I was thinking..." Li Banfeng said, "No need to just 'feel' it! You did fight this war. The Curse-Gu Ruins was your battlefield, and you fought a glorious victory!" The tip of Yang Xiangjun's nose quivered slightly, his eyes reddening around the rims. "You're the Grand Master of Puluo Province. If you say so, then you acknowledge this battle?" "I acknowledge it!" Li Banfeng nodded firmly. "Not only do I acknowledge it, all of Puluo Province will acknowledge it. I'll have scholars write histories and chronicles of this war, and there will definitely be a dedicated chapter just for you!" "Good!" Yang Xiangjun beamed. "That's enough for me. I'll guard this place for another year!" Li Banfeng said, "A year from now, I'll return to the Curse-Gu Ruins to find someone to relieve you. If I can't make it, someone will come in my stead. Let's draw up a covenant deed right now!" Yang Xiangjun was taken aback. "Why wouldn't you be able to make it?" Li Banfeng smiled. "I'm the Grand Master of Puluo Province. I'm busy. I have plenty of matters to attend to. Give me some more Wuwang. I know you need it here too, but give me as much as you can spare." "That stuff isn't worth much anyway. Take as much as you want!" Yang Xiangjun drew dozens of bottles from his sleeves and handed them to Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng examined the quantity carefully, as if calculating something. Yang Xiangjun said, "Still not enough? I can brew more. Just come and collect it whenever—just don't frighten me like that!" "Why would I frighten you?" Li Banfeng calculated again and gave a slight nod. "This should be enough. I'm not taking these for free; I'll pay." Li Banfeng left behind a good sum of silver dollars, and Yang Xiangjun saw him off out of the village. Watching Li Banfeng's departing back, Yang Xiangjun couldn't tear his eyes away for even an instant, possessed by a lingering dread that he might never see him again.