The Two of Us

Li Banfeng arrived at Hulu Village and found his wife and A'yi. "Darling wife, how is the research on the imperial seals coming along?" A'yi giggled. "Darling husband, we're just about done with our research." Zhao Xiaowan flared up in fury. "Who's your husband? My man knows his own wife no matter where he goes!" Once her anger subsided, Zhao Xiaowan turned a gentle, pleasant gaze upon Li Banfeng. "Husband, the research on the seals is mostly finished. We plan to combine the two imperial seals into one, using Bai Wusong's technique to recast them into an iron seal, and forge some parts of the Dark Bridge Cannon into it as well." "An iron seal?" Li Banfeng's eyes brightened. "They were jade seals before, and now they're turning into an iron seal. Doesn't that mean we're getting shortchanged?" A'yi rolled her eyes at him. "Brother, that's a figure of speech! A document stamped with this iron seal can seal off a route completely. No one can open it except with that iron seal. Even if the Inner Province crafts another imperial seal, it won't do them any good!" Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, then looked at the two jade seals. "Do they have to be merged into one?" A'yi nodded. "The imperial seals can sense the Xuyuan Highway, and they can also block or open fork roads. These two seals are made of similar materials, but their craftsmanship differs slightly. If we want to create an iron seal, neither can be omitted. "Even if we merge the two, it will only let us locate the fixed entrances and exits of the Xuyuan Highway. To further expand the seal's capabilities, we must use Xiaowan's equipment. "The Dark Bridge Cannon Xiaowan built can connect routes and create temporary entrances and exits. However, once you cross the bridge, you must disembark using the correct method, or else you'll be trapped on the Xuyuan Highway. "The dark bridge merely borrows the concealment and shielding properties of the Xuyuan Highway to cross boundaries, but the distance it can cover is extremely short. "The reason Bai Wusong could force his way into the Xuyuan Highway without relying on external equipment was because of his special technique. He used feathers to make marks in the air, thereby finding an entrance to the Xuyuan Highway. "He treated this as a means to cross boundaries, and indeed, he succeeded before." Bai Wusong said to Li Banfeng, "I really did succeed. I used to be able to cross boundaries." "He just got lucky," A'yi explained as she sketched a diagram. "The physical laws of the Xuyuan Highway are different from those of Puluo Province. Bai Wusong could find an entrance from the outside, but using the same method from within the Xuyuan Highway, he could never find an exit. To find an exit, one still has to rely on the imperial seal." A'yi finished drawing the block diagram, closing the loop on how the functions interacted. Once these mechanics were clear, the process by which Hulu Village and the Little Train traversed the Xuyuan Highway became clear as well. It was just that this traversal process could not be seen from inside the Little Train or Hulu Village; it belonged to an ineffable form of travel. But Zhao Xiaowan and A'yi intended to bring this entire ineffable process into plain view. Bai Wusong listened with rapt attention, nodding repeatedly. Li Banfeng asked him, "Can you really understand all of this?" Bai Wusong whispered back, "If I don't look like this, she'll explain it all over again in a minute." Recasting the two imperial seals was something Boss Lu had to be informed of, and appropriate compensation had to be provided to him. Li Banfeng went to Moxiang Shop. Boss Lu was warming wine in his study, and seeing Li Banfeng arrive, he hastily prepared some dishes to accompany the drink. Though it was an awkward topic to broach, Li Banfeng didn't beat around the bush and laid out the truth plainly. Boss Lu smiled faintly. "That thing never should have remained in my hands in the first place. Handing it over actually puts my mind completely at ease. Yu Yaoming is quite adept in these matters. If his help is needed, I will send him to Hulu Village tomorrow." Yu Yaoming's help would certainly be welcome, but Li Banfeng insisted on providing compensation to Boss Lu. Boss Lu thought for a long while before making a request. "I want to compile the history of Puluo Province. This is a monumental undertaking, one beyond my individual strength. I need a vast amount of materials and many hands. Some records I cannot obtain, and certain people might not be willing to help me. Financially and materially, I also find myself lacking." "None of that is a problem." Li Banfeng produced two checks and handed them to Boss Lu as financial and material support. Then he penned a letter and gave it to Boss Lu. "Whenever you run into difficulties, take this letter and seek out my friends. They will definitely help you." Boss Lu accepted the letter and checks. "Thank you, Seventh Master." Li Banfeng waved his hand. "Don't thank me, I don't deserve it. Compiling history is truly something that needs to be done. For you to take on such a daunting task alone earns my heartfelt admiration. I've stayed in Puluo Province for a long time and grown accustomed to it, yet there are so many important things I haven't gotten around to doing." Boss Lu chuckled. "There is still time. Seventh Master has done me such a huge favor that I will certainly record this in the chronicles." "Don't you dare write that down!" Li Banfeng shook his head. "It really makes me blush. Saying I did you a favor is just giving me a graceful way out. That bit of money amounts to nothing, and I don't necessarily know more friends than you do. Just take it as a token of my regard." "You are too modest, Seventh Master." Boss Lu warmed another pot of wine. "History records the soul of Puluo Province and points toward its future destiny. Yet the surviving historical records of Puluo Province are overly voluminous and convoluted, making it difficult even for me to discern truth from falsehood. One historical account once claimed that Zhou Wencheng, the Eight-Dou Ink Scholar, and Murong Gui, the Prajna Literatus, engaged in a literary duel lasting three days and three nights, which ended when Murong Gui, outmatched in talent, collapsed and died of exhaustion beside his writing desk. If Zhou Wencheng weren't me, I might have actually believed it! Murong Gui was the laziest of all my disciples. Where would he get the stamina to duel with me for three days and three nights? He wouldn't have lasted two hours before collapsing from exhaustion." Li Banfeng burst into hearty laughter upon hearing this. The two drank and chatted idly, unaware of the passage of time until night had fallen. Emerging from the study, Li Banfeng bought some good wine and food at a restaurant and headed to the Willow Garden. Beneath a willow tree, he wrote the character for "Wisdom," arriving at the Local God's dwelling. The Brush Scholar was still hunched over the desk writing characters, while Murong Gui lay wrapped in a quilt, seemingly asleep. Carrying the food and wine, Li Banfeng sat down beside Murong Gui and called out, "A'bi!" "Hmph!" Murong Gui turned his face away, keeping his eyes closed and refusing to look at Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng set the food and wine on the ground. "Have a couple of drinks with me." A'bi slowly opened his eyes, still saying nothing. Li Banfeng poured wine into a cup and brought it to Murong Gui's lips before Murong Gui finally opened his mouth and drank it down. The Brush Scholar looked at the sumptuous spread, sniffled, and went back to writing. Li Banfeng asked Murong Gui, "Can you let him rest for a bit?" Murong Gui looked at the Brush Scholar and said, "Come on over!" The Brush Scholar happily came over and sat down, and the three of them ate and drank together. Li Banfeng was already full from the study, so after two cups of wine, he began telling Murong Gui about affairs at home. Murong Gui listened with deep absorption. At key moments, he desperately wanted to chime in, but found talking simply too exhausting. Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, the Brush Scholar resumed writing, and it was time for Li Banfeng to leave. "A'bi, you'll have to keep watch over Moxiang Shop for a little longer." Murong Gui nodded. Watching Li Banfeng's departing back, he suddenly shouted, "Qi, I'll be waiting for you to take me home!" Leaving the Willow Garden, Li Banfeng passed a teahouse and heard non-stop cheers coming from within. He stepped inside and stood for a moment, discovering that a crowd of patrons was applauding a storyteller. Li Banfeng glanced around. He had no choice but to stand—there wasn't an empty seat in the house. Whenever this storyteller arrived, the teahouse was guaranteed to be packed to the gills. The man's storytelling truly was superb. He was currently narrating the episode of Wu Song beating the tiger, and the Adam's apples of everyone in the hall bobbed up and down in sync with Wu Song's staff. Some patrons held their teacups, and as they listened to Wu Song raining blows on the beast, their right hands trembled along, sending ripples sloshing across the tea. Li Banfeng thought to himself that Shu Wanjuan certainly had real skill; he easily counted as a top headliner here in Moxiang Shop. Seeing that business was booming today, Li Banfeng decided to hold off on tipping him for now. Once the tale of Wu Song beating the tiger concluded, Li Banfeng quietly stepped out of the teahouse. Suddenly, he heard Shu Wanjuan say from the stage, "Everyone, grant me a sip of water and a brief respite." With that, Shu Wanjuan hurried out of the teahouse and peered in Li Banfeng's direction. He sensed that an extraordinary person had arrived, yet he couldn't clearly discern Li Banfeng's figure. Li Banfeng didn't bother hiding, revealing himself and offering a greeting. Shu Wanjuan smiled. "Seventh Master, thank you for gracing me with your presence." "Senior is too kind. I'll be on my way now, so as not to keep you from earning your keep." Li Banfeng cupped his fists to take his leave, but Shu Wanjuan hurried after him. "Seventh Master, how was that passage I told?" "Splendid!" Li Banfeng praised sincerely. "It was so captivating I couldn't tear my ears away!" Shu Wanjuan said, "I have a new book here that I'd like to tell to you." "Can we do another day?" Li Banfeng chuckled. "I truly love listening to your tales. I'll definitely come by another day!" "Being the chief isn't easy, and you are far too busy—you likely won't have time to listen to stories." Shu Wanjuan retrieved a book from his robes. "I give this book to you. Take it back and read it at your leisure." Li Banfeng accepted the book. The two exchanged salutes and went their separate ways. Given the chance, Li Banfeng truly would have loved to hear Shu Wanjuan perform his new book. He really wanted to linger in Moxiang Shop a little longer; even if he stayed for a month or two, he wouldn't grow tired of it, nor would he think—wait, who was that person up ahead? Someone was sprawled in a coal pile, smearing coal dust across his face. No, not smearing coal dust—eating it. The figure was grabbing handfuls of coal dust and stuffing them into his mouth. Was that Fatty Qin? No, his build was far larger than Fatty Qin's. At night, no one paid mind to a coal pile, but if seen in broad daylight, a frame that massive would give people quite a fright. Li Banfeng walked over and seized the person in a single motion. "You've got quite some nerve." With a mouthful of coal dust, the man looked at Li Banfeng, tears welling up and spilling over. "Y-Your Highness," Nian Shangyou sobbed indistinctly, "I only came looking for a bite to eat. I haven't harmed anyone, Your Highness—" His skin was naturally dark, and now smeared with soot and coal grit, only those tear-reddened eyes remained barely recognizable on his face. Pedestrians were approaching in the distance, and Nian Shangyou trembled all over in terror. Using his Dwelling Cultivator talent, Li Banfeng concealed Nian Shangyou's form and asked, "When did you come to Puluo Province?" Tears streaming down his face, Nian Shangyou replied, "I don't remember." Judging by his appearance, he was telling the truth; he genuinely didn't remember. "Stop crying. Come with me." Nian Shangyou wept uncontrollably. "Your Highness, Your Highness, please spare me, I beg of you—" "I'm not trying to kill you. I'm taking you somewhere." "Your Highness, I don't dare go anywhere! The moment I step onto the street, I'm a dead man." Small wonder Nian Shangyou was terrified. Patrolling characters roamed the streets everywhere, laid out by Shu Wanjuan and Zhou Wencheng. "Don't worry, you're with me." Li Banfeng took Nian Shangyou back to his own residence and got him some food. "How did you end up in Puluo Province? Didn't you die on Heroes Mountain back then?" Nian Shangyou shook his head. "I didn't die. I led a dozen or so soldiers and hid in a cave on the mountain for a few days. "Later, we ran into Lu Qianjiao, who forced us out of the cave. A few soldiers and I leaped off Heroes Mountain; the rest were all slain by Lu Qianjiao. "We made our way to Moxiang Shop and hid here for less than two days before those soldiers were discovered one after another by Zhou Wencheng and killed as well. "I scraped by alone, hiding here and there and never daring to come out. Today I was simply too famished to bear it, so I slipped out to find something to eat." As he spoke, Nian Shangyou began crying again. Li Banfeng pointed to the food and wine on the table. "Eat. It's all for you." "Your Highness, I... I don't dare. I know my wrongs..." Nian Shangyou's voice cracked. Li Banfeng shook his head. "I'm telling you to eat. What is there not to dare? And what wrong have you done in that?" "I... am still alive—" Li Banfeng smiled. "How could staying alive be a wrong? Being alive is a good thing—the greatest thing in the world!" "I... I fought against Puluo Province—" Nian Shangyou was terrified, feeling as though Li Banfeng might raise a hand and end his life at any second. "When two armies clash, each serves its own master. That isn't your fault." Li Banfeng handed him a pastry. "What are your plans for the future? Do you want to return to Chaoge?" Nian Shangyou lowered his head. "I don't dare go back. The entire army died in battle, and Lord Qiao is dead as well. If I go back, I certainly won't escape death!" Li Banfeng shook his head. "Not necessarily. If I write a letter for you to deliver to the Prince of Anshun, I can guarantee you'll live a while longer. Do you have the guts?" Nian Shangyou shuddered in fright. "How could I dare? Isn't that seeking death?" "It isn't seeking death; it's a chance to fight for a way to live, though the path carries some risk." Li Banfeng wanted Nian Shangyou to serve as an envoy between the Shang State and Puluo Province. If he possessed sufficient courage and wit, he could not only preserve his life in that position, but also reap substantial benefits. Nian Shangyou was terrified to the point of stumbling over his words: "I can't, I really can't, I'm truly not up to it—" Li Banfeng didn't press him. "Then let's take another route. Go to Xiaodu and seek out Tie Baisheng. Tell him I sent you. I will give you a token, and he will definitely take you in." Nian Shangyou thought about it, but still shook his head. "My family is still in Chaoge. If they discover I went to Xiaodu, they will never spare them... Your Highness, I know Puluo Province has no place for me. I'll find somewhere to hide. I swear I won't cause you any trouble. Just pretend you never ran into me, pretend I left my life on the battlefield. I beg of you." Li Banfeng felt quite helpless. "Staying here is definitely out of the question. How about this: I'll use the Winged City to send you back to Chaoge. You find a way to get your family out and bring them all to Xiaodu. Surely you have that much courage?" Nian Shangyou looked at Li Banfeng in astonishment. "Your Highness, do you mean it?" Li Banfeng nodded. "I mean it. But you must leave me a covenant deed. In the future, you cannot cause trouble in Xiaodu, nor can you participate in any war against Puluo Province again. And you must tell me everything about Zhen." "I'll obey Your Highness! Whatever Your Highness tells me to do, I will do!" Nian Shangyou immediately wrote out the covenant deed, gave a conscientious account of everything regarding Zhen, and even sketched several maps, omitting not a single detail. The Music Box quietly activated its recording function, capturing every word Nian Shangyou spoke. This information was immensely valuable, easily increasing Li Banfeng's odds of success by at least ten percent. Holding the maps and checking them against Nian Shangyou's explanations, Li Banfeng re-evaluated every tactical detail. Nian Shangyou watched Li Banfeng nervously, deathly afraid that Li Banfeng would butcher the donkey once the grinding was done and claim his life right there. "Gains and losses balance out, debts cleared and square!" Li Banfeng stowed the maps, immediately contacted Ba Suan and Pineapple, and had Nian Shangyou dispatched to Chaoge. Having seen Nian Shangyou off, Li Banfeng took a walk around the Soda Kiln. Under Feng Daiku's management, the place was genuinely showing signs of revival. Li Banfeng placed a phone call to Ma the Fifth to handle what he had promised Boss Lu. Ma the Fifth had also been looking for Li Banfeng. "Old Seven, I know you're busy and can't pull yourself away, and I didn't dare disturb you. But tomorrow is the celebration for Fengyang City. Could you come take a look?" Fengyang City was Ma the Fifth's newland. After the entire plot was successfully reclaimed, it settled between Black Rock Slope and Huangtu Bridge. Ma the Fifth had placed Li Banfeng's name before his own; he wanted to tell Li Banfeng that this city was part of their shared family foundation as well. But because of the war, the celebration had been postponed until now. Li Banfeng agreed. "I'll head over tomorrow." Ma the Fifth was thrilled, immediately bumping the celebration up another notch in scale, dreading that it might fall short of Li Banfeng's stature. That evening, Li Banfeng dined with everyone. Xiao Yeci asked cautiously, "Benefactor, can I still call you Benefactor from now on? You are the Chief of Puluo Province now..." Li Banfeng shook his head. "You can call me whatever you like, except Benefactor. I haven't done you any great favors. Just call me Old Seven like the others!" "How could that possibly do?" "Seventh Brother has spoken, so don't be stubborn," Lu Chunying coaxed. "Mom, let's both call him Seventh Brother from now on." "How about I call you Seventh Brother as well? Calling you Brother Baisha always makes people misunderstand!" Youtao clinked glasses with Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng asked, "Can you drink? Has your injury fully healed?" "Seventy or eighty percent healed—no need to worry about it!" Youtao poured Li Banfeng another cup. "Having gone to the battlefield once, I've seen through things. If you want to do something, just go ahead and do it freely! From now on, I need to live as unconstrained and carefree as Sister Xiu, so my time in this world won't have been in vain!" He Yuxiu waved her hand. "Don't you go learning from me. I was blind. Right at the critical moment of the war, I ran back to look for that bastard He Jiaqing... Ah, forget it, let's not bring it up. Chilling, it's just chilling! Old Seven, I disgraced myself over that, and now I'm trying to win back some face. If you're attending the Fengyang City celebration, will you come to Lixiu City's celebration? I listened to you and changed the 'Li' in the name! If you don't show up, that would really hurt our friendship!" "I'll come, definitely." Li Banfeng clinked cups with everyone one by one. Chu the Second sat down beside him. "Seventh Brother, is something weighing on your mind?" "Nothing's weighing on my mind," Li Banfeng said with a smile. "The war is over. What else could there be?" After dinner, Ma the Fifth had a makeshift stage set up, and Jiang Mengting performed in person. Though the venue was crude, everyone had a wonderful time. Ma the Fifth said to Li Banfeng, "Old Seven, Chuanzi wants to build up some property in Santoucha. I agreed and gifted him two factories." Li Banfeng nodded. "That's a good thing." Ma the Fifth took a sip of wine. "Chuanzi is quite good at business. I'm actually a little worried that down the road his enterprise might grow bigger than ours." Li Banfeng chuckled. "That's a good thing too! What about Genzi? Where does he want to do business?" Ma the Fifth shook his head. "Genzi doesn't want to do business. He went off with Zhang Wanlong to farm. He said they have a village, and his wife is there." "He really does have a wife!" Li Banfeng vouched. "I've been to that village!" Ma the Fifth was quite intrigued. "Take me to see that village sometime." Li Banfeng said, "That place is in the newland, quite a distance away." "What's there to fear about the newland?" At the mention of newland, Ma the Fifth perked right up. "Our very first sum of money was earned in the newland!" Li Banfeng nodded. "Right, you went out selling peaches!" "You're the one who sold peaches! We sold thorn swallow pearls! Did you forget that already?" "I remember, how could I forget!" Reminiscing about the past, Ma the Fifth was thrilled beyond measure. "Old Seven, let's go venture into the newland again, just the two of us! We'll start from scratch and carve out another domain!" At the thought of starting from scratch, Li Banfeng felt a stir of excitement as well, but now was not the time. "Times are different from back then. You're a Local God now; you have to guard your territory properly." Ma the Fifth was actually troubled by that very matter. "Even though our Fengyang City is a new city, its population isn't small either. Why hasn't this Local God seal accumulated even a shred of human presence?" Li Banfeng asked, "What about the sunflowers I told you to plant earlier?" Ma the Fifth nodded. "We have those. The sunflowers produced plenty of seeds, and there's human presence in them, but the Local God seal just won't work." Li Banfeng pondered for a moment. "It should start working in a few days." In the early hours of the morning, once everyone had fallen fast asleep, Li Banfeng walked alone through Fengyang City, considering who else he ought to contact. He picked up the phone. The moment it connected, Luo Zhengnan's voice came through: "Seventh Master, whom would you like to speak with?" No matter the day or hour, whenever the phone was dialed, Luo Zhengnan always said this exact phrase. "Old Luo, you've been working hard. You can't keep doing this job all by yourself in the future; we need to find some people to help you." Luo Zhengnan replied, "Seventh Master, speaking like that treats me like an outsider. Without you, where would I be today? Serving you is only natural and right; if it were anyone else, I wouldn't feel at ease. Besides, people of my lineage are hard to come by. This job has to be done by me!" "I'll find you an apprentice one of these days." "What kind of apprentice?" "A young girl. She likes tinkering with televisions and is very bright." "Does she have the makings for it?" "I think she has plenty of talent." Li Banfeng chatted with Luo Zhengnan for a long while before returning to the companion dwelling. First, he went to find the Heavenly Maiden. "I've been looking for a chance to learn Close the Doors and Bar the Gates from you. Could you teach me a few tricks?" The Heavenly Maiden tilted her head, looking at Li Banfeng. "You only want to learn Close the Doors and Bar the Gates? Have you looked down on my other techniques?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "How could I look down on them? All your techniques are formidable, and there is so much I need to learn. It's just that Close the Doors and Bar the Gates happens to be the technique I urgently need right now." The Heavenly Maiden pondered carefully. "The key to Close the Doors and Bar the Gates lies in distinguishing between the door and the portal." Hong Ying sighed from the side. "Don't bother racking your brains over that. Our Brother Seven can't tell the difference anyway. He just ends up wherever he ends up. Actually, it's pretty nice that way." The Heavenly Maiden looked at Hong Ying. "What's so nice about that?" "There are surprises! Close your eyes, and you never know what he's going to—" Li Banfeng clapped a hand over Hong Ying's mouth and looked seriously at the Heavenly Maiden. "Let's stick to business first. When you say doors and portals, what do you mean?" "The door is the mansion's front door; the portal is the scope to which the household can expand!" With a wave of her hand, the Heavenly Maiden manifested a schematic diagram using the technique of All Desires Fulfilled. "The first boundary is naturally erected at the front door. Defending the family doorway is the root of the art. "The second boundary depends on how far you can extend your portal. If you can extend it to an entire city, you can form a boundary across a city. If you can extend it across all of Puluo Province, you can create boundaries spanning Puluo Province just as I did. "The third boundary lies between door and portal. Once you master the essentials, you can add as many boundaries as you wish. But remember, when establishing a boundary, you must choose the right position—you must locate the earth vein." Li Banfeng didn't quite understand. "What is an earth vein?" The Heavenly Maiden explained, "Simply put, an earth vein is a natural dividing line. Why was the boundary between Lüshuiwan and Yaowanggou so formidable? Because an earth vein originally ran between those two territories. Erecting a boundary atop an earth vein makes it exceedingly firm. "There are no earth veins in the Santoucha Underground City. If I were to erect a boundary to enclose the Soil Market, it wouldn't be impossible, but it would be exceptionally difficult. To make a lasting boundary, one would need additional methods to simulate earth veins." Li Banfeng thought for a moment. "In other words, Yaowanggou and Lüshuiwan were originally two separate places?" The Heavenly Maiden nodded. "That is my view. Wherever an earth vein passes should be two distinct places, so I established boundaries wherever there were earth veins." Li Banfeng reflected on the process by which newlands transformed into proper lands. "What if a newland wedges itself in? The portals will inevitably shift, the surrounding territories will change, and the boundaries will surely have to change with them." The Heavenly Maiden demonstrated on her hand-drawn schematic: "It isn't that a newland wedges itself in; rather, a newland that has become proper land is taken in by Puluo Province. The land possesses spiritual nature, and Puluo Province possesses spiritual nature as well. "Puluo Province only recognizes proper lands. A newland that turns into proper land senses this, and its spiritual nature drives it toward the proper lands, while other proper lands will actively take it into their fold. That is why, in my view, only proper lands truly count as the territory of Puluo Province." Li Banfeng already knew that land possessed spiritual nature, and that the entirety of Puluo Province possessed spiritual nature was also within his expectations. However, what he wanted to know most was how the boundaries were controlled. "Every time a newland becomes proper land, it means the boundaries of Puluo Province undergo an alteration. How are the boundaries you created handled then? Do you rebuild them according to the shifts in territory? But when Qiqiu City was born, you were still trapped in the Dark Star Bureau. What means could you have had to create boundaries?" "I really didn't want to tell you this..." The Heavenly Maiden blinked at Li Banfeng. This was her supreme art. She knew Li Banfeng was about to undertake something monumental. If she didn't tell him now, there might never be another chance. After a moment's hesitation, she spoke: "The boundaries Puluo Province has laid over its earth veins shift on their own alongside the changes in Puluo Province's terrain. "These shifts do not require my personal manipulation, because I left most of the techniques of Close the Doors and Bar the Gates directly imprinted upon the territories. "As long as Puluo Province's territory moves, the boundaries shift along with the earth veins. You should still remember that when Qiqiu City first became proper land, the moment one stepped within the bounds of that proper land, a new boundary formed immediately." Li Banfeng was astonished. "You can leave your techniques imprinted upon the territories? Across the entirety of Puluo Province?" The Heavenly Maiden nodded. "I'm not the only one who can do it; the Peddler can as well. He left certain Covenant Cultivator techniques imprinted across the territory of Puluo Province. "If I recover my full body and restore my power to its peak, I can leave not only Close the Doors and Bar the Gates, but several other techniques imprinted on the lands as well." Li Banfeng sighed with emotion. "If only time were plentiful, I would truly love to polish my techniques with you. Right now, I still don't even know how to identify earth veins." The Heavenly Maiden asked, "Is your time not plentiful? Your art of Close the Doors and Bar the Gates truly needs polishing. So far, you can only set up a single boundary before your door, which is related to the nature of the companion dwelling. Yet even when you visit other residences, you cannot form a second boundary. Your technique really is quite crude." Li Banfeng felt helpless. "Whether time is plentiful or not isn't up to me." The Heavenly Maiden thought for a moment and understood what he meant. "Regarding this matter, you had best discuss it thoroughly with Zhao Xiaowan. She is an expert in warfare." Li Banfeng went to Hulu Village and arrived at his wife's quarters. His wife was asleep, slumped over the edge of the table. Using Link Bridal Chambers, he swapped her into the companion dwelling. Finding a blanket, he was just about to drape it over her when she suddenly opened her eyes. "Husband, when did you return? Why didn't you inform your humble servant?" Li Banfeng smiled sheepishly. "Just got back. I was out entertaining a few friends, and I bought you some cosmetics." Holding a powder puff, he gently powdered his wife's face, then set about drawing her eyebrows. His hand trembled as he drew, accidentally joining her two eyebrows into a single continuous line. Annoyed, his wife scuffled playfully with him for a moment. After their banter subsided, she asked him, "Madman, why are you being so considerate today?" Li Banfeng straightened his expression. "Am I not considerate on ordinary days?" Zhao Xiaowan still felt something was off. "Are you hiding something from me?" Li Banfeng said, "There truly is good news: our family has added a new house." He led Zhao Xiaowan forward and pushed open a door. Behind it lay not Room Two, but Duan Tielu's house. Li Banfeng took Zhao Xiaowan's hand, wrapped an arm around her waist, and danced a waltz with her all the way from the first floor to the seventh. While dancing, Zhao Xiaowan examined Duan Tielu's house. "Darling husband, this is quite a magnificent place. The craftsmanship of this house is nothing short of miraculous." Li Banfeng said, "That's what our Old Master said too. The place your husband leaves for you is bound to be the finest." "What do you mean by 'leaves for me'?" Zhao Xiaowan fixed her eyes on him. Li Banfeng explained, "I don't care for this place, and I don't understand craftsmanship. Who else would I be saving it for if not you?" Zhao Xiaowan fell silent for a moment, then glared. "You madman! Usually I defer to you in front of others, but you've lost all sense of propriety, daring to keep secrets from me! Just who do you take me for?" Li Banfeng shook his head. "Wife, you misunderstand. You are my beloved darling, I was just—" The weeping strains of an erhu sounded as the companion dwelling suddenly began playing that song, *Beloved Darling*—heaven only knew what equipment the Old Master was using to play it. "My beloved darling, appearing before my eyes, My breath turns shallow and quick, Stirred with love for you, hoping you will see, And give me in return a string of longing!" From the voice, it was the record his wife had cut long ago. Li Banfeng loved this song deeply, and as he listened, a lump rose in his throat. "I was... I was just..." Zhao Xiaowan poked Li Banfeng with a finger. "Madman, you're going to take down the Great Totem, aren't you?" "How did you know?" "How could I not know?" Zhao Xiaowan caressed Li Banfeng's cheek. "Qiao Yi attacked Heroes Mountain, and he could turn around and strike Santoucha at any moment. The Great Totem produces soldiers too quickly. If it isn't dealt with in time, no matter how many roads we block, the Inner Province will invade Puluo Province again." The companion dwelling sighed. "No matter how urgent it is, the family must work out a plan together. Ah Qi, surely you aren't thinking of going all alone?" Li Banfeng said, "The family couldn't even withstand a Lesser Totem. If we face the Great Totem, wouldn't that just be throwing our lives away?" The companion dwelling had no words to counter him. Zhao Xiaowan said, "I don't care about anyone else, but the two of us as husband and wife must stay together. I am a living person; I'm not afraid of the Great Totem." Li Banfeng fell into deep thought for a moment. He pushed open the hallway door and used Extending the Wide Bridal Chamber to bring Zhao Xiaowan back into the companion dwelling. Upon entering Room Nineteen, Li Banfeng lifted the cloth drape, revealing the Lesser Totem. There was no Xuyuan Silkworm inside the Lesser Totem, leaving it temporarily in an extinguished state. His wife took just a single glance at the Lesser Totem and froze in place, unable to move. Li Banfeng let out a long sigh. He draped the cloth back over the Lesser Totem and pulled his wife into his arms. "Darling wife, wait for me to come home."