Where Is the Exit?

Li Banfeng rushed beneath the Great Totem. First, he uncapped the bottle of Wuwang Cinder and splashed the liquid onto the center of the totem. The moment it touched the potion, Li Banfeng heard the Great Totem's mournful wail through his technique of Discerning Spiritual Sound. *Hum! Hum!* The Great Totem was in utter despair. The flickering dark silhouettes at its center dimmed bit by bit, and vast numbers of dead Xuyuan Silkworms tumbled continually from its core. Step two: detonate the explosives. Banfeng Yin arrived at Li Banfeng's feet, leading several shadows of the Earthly Branches branch, and handed over a thousand-plus jin of explosives to Li Banfeng. Li Banfeng rubbed the explosives, preparing to trigger them. The shadows steadily tightened their defensive perimeter, closing in around him. Banfeng Yi sighed. "Actually, that job Banfeng Zi got, I could've done it too." Banfeng Bing said, "When you get ready to detonate the explosives, do it faster so we can run faster with you." Banfeng Chou snorted. "What's the rush for you two? Aren't all of you Travel Cultivators experts at running? If us Dwelling Cultivators get left behind, we're finished." Banfeng Ding urged, "When exactly are you blowing it up? Move a bit quicker!" Banfeng Chen chimed in, "Exactly! Leaving us hanging like this is nerve-wracking!" Li Banfeng was anxious as well. Clutching the explosives, he channeled his Mad Cultivator technique for a long time, but the explosives showed no response at all. What was going on? Had the Mad Cultivator technique failed? "Heh heh!" A few Xuyuan Silkworms still lingered at the center of the Great Totem, clinging stubbornly to life, and it actually let out mocking laughter at Li Banfeng. Had the Great Totem used some technique to neutralize the explosives? Banfeng Yi offered a reminder: "It might not be his doing. Maybe you're too badly hurt to bring out the technique!" That was possible too! Fighting his way through just now, Li Banfeng had indeed suffered many wounds. Perhaps because of his injuries, his focus was disrupted, preventing him from activating the Mad Cultivator technique. Li Banfeng took out the jar of vanishing cream and smeared some over several wounds on his body. The wounds healed swiftly. Holding the explosives, Li Banfeng continued channeling his Mad Cultivator technique. After trying repeatedly, the explosives finally showed some faint resonance. Out of over a thousand jin of explosives, about an ounce or so began to go mad. Banfeng Yi said, "What good is that! What can an ounce of explosives blow up?" Li Banfeng watched the madness develop. If this ounce exploded straight away, it would count as a failure. Yet if this ounce could transmit the Mad Cultivator technique to the rest of the explosives, the situation would turn splendid—over a thousand jin of explosives could blast the Great Totem to smithereens. Li Banfeng monitored the trend of detonation. After a short while, the trend became clear. That ounce also quieted down, seeming to communicate a thought to Li Banfeng: since everyone else wasn't blowing up, they didn't really feel like blowing up either. How had they returned to reason? Banfeng Yi urged, "Are you done yet? Hurry up!" Even the usually steady Banfeng Yin grew frantic: "We can barely hold them off!" First-Class Weapons were closing in. The Totem Army charged with increasing ferocity. The dying Great Totem let out several jeers: "Haha—" Li Banfeng poured his Mad Cultivator technique desperately into the explosives. After a moment, they responded once more. One ounce, three ounces, five ounces... The explosives slowly transmitted the madness. Though it was far slower than Li Banfeng had anticipated, the overall trend was looking up. Next step: Parting Across Ten Thousand Li. Li Banfeng waved his hand, signaling all the shadows to prepare to retreat. He stepped up to a soldier of the Totem Army and unleashed a kick. It carried tremendous force, instantly kicking the soldier to death and sweeping back many surrounding enemies. Banfeng Yi shouted, "What on earth are you doing? Didn't we agree on Parting Across Ten Thousand Li? Why did you use Tread Over Ten Thousand Rivers?" Li Banfeng was puzzled too. Why had he used Tread Over Ten Thousand Rivers? Try again! *Boom!* A swath of enemies froze in front of him. This time, he had used Confining One's Steps. *Boom!* Amidst a swirl of smoke and dust, Li Banfeng flew into the air. This time, he had used Riding the Wind and Driving Clouds, nearly getting knocked down by a flying Body Cultivator. After landing, Li Banfeng triggered Carefree and At Ease, his two legs spinning around his torso several times. Banfeng Yi raged, "What kind of game are you playing? We're on the verge of collapsing, can't you see? If you can't do it, let me!" Li Banfeng actually gave him the chance: "Go ahead." Banfeng Yi mobilized Parting Across Ten Thousand Li and delivered a heavy kick to a Totem soldier. The soldier went flying, but Banfeng Yi didn't budge. Banfeng Yi scratched his head and said, "Looks like my Parting Across Ten Thousand Li has advanced again. I can control myself to stay put." "What kind of Parting Across Ten Thousand Li is that?!" Banfeng Ding snapped. "You just kicked him! You think using a lot of force makes it Parting Across Ten Thousand Li?" The technique wouldn't activate, the shadows were close to breaking, and the "beauties" from Hidden Beauty in a Golden House were almost wiped out. The explosives given by A'yi were still synchronizing with each other; there was no telling when they would blow. Only several dozen Xuyuan Silkworms remained at the center of the Great Totem. Clinging to its final breath, it didn't forget to chuckle twice: "Heh heh, heh heh!" Why was this happening? Why couldn't he use his techniques? No, it wasn't that he couldn't use techniques, but that he was using the wrong techniques—bizarrely wrong. Could he have fallen prey to an Error Cultivator technique? Error Cultivation was a new path founded by Qin Bulou, the ward god of Huangtu Bridge. How had the Great Totem mastered it? Li Banfeng remembered something. The Inner Province had once dispatched a counterfeit rickshaw man to attack Huangtu Bridge, severely injuring Qin Bulou. Perhaps at that time they took Qin Bulou's blood, or stole his methods through some other means. Qiao Yi had laid out many plans for the Great Totem; who knew how much of his painstaking effort was hidden inside it. If they didn't destroy the Great Totem, who knew how many hidden threats it would leave for Puluo Province in the future. Banfeng Yi shouted, "What are you spacing out for? What do we do now?" Li Banfeng said, "Hold out a little longer, then prepare to break through." "Hold out a little longer? Prepare to break through?" Banfeng Yi was furious. "Look at what we have left to fight with! Look if we can even break out now!" "We can!" Li Banfeng checked the explosives first. Though the chain reaction wasn't fast, more and more explosives were entering madness. He took out the vanishing cream jar and treated all the wounds across his body. When breaking through, he had to be in top form. How could an Error Cultivator technique be countered? He couldn't think of a way for now; Li Banfeng knew too little about this path. Activating Sit Back and Relax should be able to resolve it, but the companion dwelling wasn't beside him, and he didn't know if Sit Back and Relax could even be triggered. Even if the companion dwelling were here, under the influence of an Error Cultivator technique, he might fail to execute Sit Back and Relax as well. If it truly couldn't be countered, he would just have to fight blindly to punch his way out. If he really couldn't break through, even if he died here, he had to hold out until the Great Totem was destroyed. He absolutely could not let the Great Totem devour his soul! He had quite a few wounds, and one jar of vanishing cream was scraped clean. Wait. Just as Li Banfeng was about to open the other jar of vanishing cream, he noticed writing on the bottom of the jar. Extremely small writing, barely legible even with Golden Eyes of Keen Detail. The first line read: *Formulas for medicinal powders of each path in Puluo Province.* Li Banfeng immediately stashed the jar away. No wonder the Peddler had told him never to lose the jars under any circumstances. He scooped out the contents of the other jar of vanishing cream and looked at its bottom as well. The bottom was likewise filled with dense writing. The first line read: *Principles for Minting Silver Dollars.* *Senior Brother, you really trust me!* Li Banfeng put both vanishing cream jars away. What should he do? These two jars were the lifeblood of Puluo Province. They definitely couldn't fall into the hands of the Inner Province. If he truly died here, Li Banfeng would have to destroy them. The Peddler was still alive; he surely remembered the formulas and principles. He probably remembered them, right? What if he didn't? Besides, who knew where to look for the Peddler? Li Banfeng couldn't die here. No matter what, he had to get out. Banfeng Yi yelled, "Stop spacing out! Can those vanishing cream jars fight?!" "No!" "Look what else you have to fight with!" Li Banfeng rummaged through his belongings for a good while and found a book. This book had been given to him by Shu Wanjuan. Could this thing be used for fighting? The technique of Hidden Beauty in a Golden House definitely wouldn't work; this book wasn't written by Li Banfeng, and it contained none of his painstaking effort. Or perhaps it held Literature Cultivator methods? Yet Li Banfeng didn't know Literature Cultivator techniques. Open it and see. Li Banfeng could only hope this wasn't merely a literary masterpiece. He originally intended to turn to the first page, but there was a bookmark placed between pages sixteen and seventeen. Page sixteen was a landscape painting, nothing out of the ordinary. Page seventeen was a portrait; exactly who was depicted, Li Banfeng couldn't see, as it was covered by the bookmark. He pulled out the bookmark. Before he could even make out the figure's face, three people leaped straight out of the book. One man wore a bamboo hat, with several strings of gold coins hanging beneath the brim. One woman held a paintbrush in her left hand and a blank scroll in her right. Another woman held two Xuyuan Silkworms in her left hand and a stone in her right. All three were people Li Banfeng recognized. Mister Kongfang, Ai Yeqing, stood very upright, his posture stiff. Mu Yuejuan, the Founding Matriarch of Painting Cultivators, made two brushstrokes on the paper, yet there wasn't the slightest vitality in the ink. Hen Wuyou, the Founding Matriarch of Curse Cultivators, stood for a moment and couldn't help saying, "Shu Wanjuan isn't here!" "Really?" Mu Yuejuan looked around and kicked Ai Yeqing. "Stop playing dumb! Shu Wanjuan isn't here!" Ai Yeqing laughed aloud. "Who says I can't establish a path? This deceit of mine fooled Shu Wanjuan after all!" Hen Wuyou asked Ai Yeqing, "Is fooling Shu Wanjuan a good thing?" Ai Yeqing nodded. "Of course it is! Aren't we free right now?" Mu Yuejuan looked at the charging Totem Army and First-Class Weapons, bewildered. "You call this freedom?" For a moment, everyone was at a loss. Hen Wuyou turned back and spotted the explosives beneath the Great Totem: "What is that?" "Don't touch it!" Li Banfeng suddenly appeared, startling everyone. Hen Wuyou gasped, "Li Qi, why are you here?" Li Banfeng said, "If you don't want to die, hurry up and fight them! We don't have time to talk!" Hen Wuyou rushed down to fight. The two Xuyuan Silkworms in her hands weren't quite enough: "Li Qi, do you have any more Xuyuan Silkworms?" Li Banfeng pointed at the Great Totem: "There are plenty over there. Go take them!" Hen Wuyou raged, "Who dares reach their hand into the Great Totem? Once a hand goes in and comes out, who knows what it'll turn into!" "This is the Great Totem?" Seeing the dire situation, Ai Yeqing said to Li Banfeng, "Use Parting Across Ten Thousand Li to take us both away. We're not like them—we're both the Peddler's people, our ties are much deeper." "Cut the crap! Since when were you one of the Peddler's people?" Mu Yuejuan snapped furiously. "If he could use Parting Across Ten Thousand Li, he would've left long ago! Li Qi, you let us out because you want to cooperate, right?" Li Banfeng said, "I have every sincerity to cooperate!" Mu Yuejuan said, "You all hold them off for me while I paint a picture to take us out. How does that sound?" Li Banfeng nodded. "Sounds good!" "Shall we set up a covenant deed?" "No time for deeds. Just paint!" "Aren't you afraid I'll renege?" "Not afraid!" Mu Yuejuan said, "Well, I'm afraid you will!" Li Banfeng grew anxious: "I spared your life back then, and you promised to do something for me, which you haven't done yet! Now follow my instructions and paint immediately!" "Fine, Seventh Master, I'll listen to you. Painting starts now!" Mu Yuejuan hurried to raise her brush and began painting, but made an error after just a few strokes. "What's going on? Did I forget how to paint—" Mu Yuejuan panicked a bit. Li Banfeng said, "The Great Totem can use Error Cultivator techniques. See if you can modify it." Mu Yuejuan added a few strokes to the original painting to cover it up with great difficulty, only to make another mistake. Hen Wuyou raged, "Can you do it or not, you slutty hag? Are you useless even at painting?" Mu Yuejuan fired back, "If you're so pure, you paint one and let me see!" Ai Yeqing grew frantic, copper coins flying everywhere: "Can you two stop bickering and get down to business!" Mu Yuejuan repelled a Totem soldier with cinnabar: "Block them for me, will you? I have to concentrate on painting!" Li Banfeng leaped down from the Great Totem and began fighting the enemy forces, handing the book from Shu Wanjuan to Mu Yuejuan: "There's an existing landscape painting here. Make a couple adjustments directly on this." Mu Yuejuan looked at the landscape painting in the book, her face troubled: "This is Shu Wanjuan's painting. It's not easy to alter..." Hen Wuyou snapped, "You useless piece of trash, why don't you smash your head into a wall and die! A Founding Matriarch of Painting Cultivators who can't even alter a painting—what good are you for anything in this life?" Ai Yeqing was running out of copper coins: "Hurry up and paint! I can't hold them off much longer!" Li Banfeng rallied all his shadows and "beauties" to his side: "Hurry, it's about to blow!" Mu Yuejuan shouted, "I painted it! Follow me, let's see if we can get out!" Ai Yeqing asked, "'See if we can get out'? You're not certain?" Mu Yuejuan said, "Twenty percent certain!" Hen Wuyou raged, "Twenty percent? You call that certain? You're trying to get us killed!" "If you don't want to go, then don't! I don't owe you anything!" Mu Yuejuan looked at Li Qi; she only owed Li Qi. "Seventh Master, once you enter the painting scroll, you must keep an exit in mind, or you won't be able to break free." Li Banfeng was puzzled: "Why do I need to think of an exit? Isn't the exit your painting?" Mu Yuejuan shook her head: "This was adapted from Shu Wanjuan's scroll. You can't exit through my painting; you have to think of an exit yourself." "What kind of exit?" Mu Yuejuan explained, "An exit with an anchor—somewhere you've bled, sweated, left behind something vital, or made a mark. Any of those count!" All four of them had weathered storms of blood; there were plenty of places where they had shed blood. Ai Yeqing asked, "Any place where I've bled works?" Mu Yuejuan said, "You have to think more specifically. The more times you've bled there, the deeper the anchor. The more detailed your thought, the greater the chance of getting out. Ideally, think of an object you've left your blood or sweat on, as long as you know where that object is!" That was hard to pin down. The place where they had shed the most blood was on enemy weapons, but where those weapons were right now was impossible to figure out on short notice. Li Banfeng asked, "Would a land covenant deed work? There's blood on all of them." Mu Yuejuan shook her head: "That won't do. Blood was only shed on the deed once; the anchor is too shallow to get you out!" Shedding blood once wasn't enough! That made it even harder to think of. Hen Wuyou cursed furiously, "You slutty hag! Look at the mess you've made of this! You're purely here to torment me!" Ai Yeqing shouted, "I've got mine!" He was the first to enter the painting scroll. "I've got mine too! Seventh Master, I've left the painting here for you, I'm off!" Mu Yuejuan slipped into the pages of the book as well. Hen Wuyou stared wide-eyed at Li Banfeng; she couldn't think of anything. Li Banfeng stood like a clay statue; he couldn't think of anything either. Hen Wuyou's voice trembled: "Where could it be? It doesn't have to be blood, something else works too—" Seeing the Totem Army and First-Class Weapons already swarming forward, Hen Wuyou roared, "I've got—" *Boom!* The Great Totem exploded. Over a thousand jin of A'yi's custom explosives went off entirely. Not a scrap remained of the Great Totem. The entire mountain shuddered violently. Nian Shangyou crashed heavily onto the hillside. He struggled to open his eyes, looking down at the ruins below, desperately searching for Li Banfeng. The explosive blast was too immense; shrouded in smoke and dust, he could see nothing. Commandery Prince Anshun scrambled up from the ground, strode forward, and seized Nian Shangyou: "Grand Academician Nian, what audacity!" Nian Shangyou froze: "Your Highness, this humble official is innocent!" Commandery Prince Anshun said nothing more to him, directly instructing his subordinates: "Escort Nian Shangyou to Chaoge for trial!" "I have committed no crime! No crime!" Nian Shangyou cried out all the way as he was locked into a cage. The Great Totem was destroyed. If Nian Shangyou wasn't at fault, who was to blame? Commandery Prince Anshun was already in a precarious position; after a catastrophe of this magnitude, someone had to take the fall! The crucial question, however: could Nian Shangyou bear the weight of it? Nian Shangyou was escorted back to Chaoge and thrown into the great prison. In the Inner Province, black and white were never distinguished. Saddled with capital charges, no one dared interact with Nian Shangyou—not even the jailers dared speak to him. He soon lost all concept of time, not knowing how long he had been locked away. One day, when he woke up, a palm-sized spider was sprawled across his face. Nian Shangyou remained remarkably calm, plucking the spider off his face and intending to improve his diet. Just as it was about to go into his mouth, the spider spoke: "Lord Nian, hold on a moment. I've brought you something good." The spider's voice was very soft, but Nian Shangyou heard it clearly: "You're Daboynes?" Nian Shangyou had had contact with the White Falcon League; he recognized Spider Bin. The spider gently twitched its thread, flicking over a key: "This is a Lock Cultivator artifact. Unlock your fetters, and I'll lead you out." "The prison is heavily guarded. How could it be that easy to escape?" "The guards along the way have all been taken down. Come with us without worry." "What about my family?" "Your family has already been settled. In a moment, they'll head to Xiaodu with you." "Xiaodu?" Nian Shangyou was stunned. "Who rescued me? Was it the White Falcon League, or..." Spider Bin said: "The White Falcon League rescued you, but your ties with us are limited. We only agreed to save you because someone entrusted us to do so." "Entrusted by whom?" "Who do you think? Wing-Added City is waiting for you by the shore!" Being alive was a good thing. The best thing in this world! Nian Shangyou followed the spider out of the cell, and under the cover of other White Falcon League members, boarded Wing-Added City. His wife and children were waiting for him aboard Wing-Added City. The moment he saw his wife, Nian Shangyou's face darkened: "Our bond as husband and wife has ended. In a moment, I will write a letter of divorce. It is better we never see each other again." "Husband, I was wrong!" His wife knelt and begged, but Nian Shangyou paid her no heed. Now he worried about one thing: the token Li Banfeng had given him had already been destroyed. If he hadn't destroyed it, he would have been charged with colluding with the enemy. Now, going directly to Xiaodu without a token, would Xiaodu even accept him? Pineapple told him not to worry: "The two of us will escort you to Xiaodu personally. Tie Baisheng knows me; he definitely won't make things difficult for you." Nian Shangyou thanked them repeatedly, but quickly looked worried again: "The Prince is determined to pin the blame for the Great Totem on me. Even in Xiaodu, he won't let me off." Ba Suan shook his head: "You're overthinking it. We gathered intel in Chaoge. Commandery Prince Anshun did want you to take the blame, but the other royals didn't buy it. Right now, Commandery Prince Anshun's position is precarious; he won't have time to worry about you in the near future." Pineapple chuckled beside them: "If things go smoothly, he might never have the chance to worry about you again." Nian Shangyou didn't understand Pineapple's meaning, and Pineapple offered no explanation. *** Commandery Prince Anshun held his brow as he listened to the Ministry of Justice's report that Nian Shangyou had escaped. He hadn't even considered pursuing him. What would bringing him back accomplish? Nian Shangyou refused to plead guilty, and even if he did, the court wouldn't accept it. It was better to let him flee out of fear of punishment, which allowed them to throw more mud on him. These days, Commandery Prince Anshun was mentally and physically exhausted. He had known Qiao Yi's seat was not easy to occupy, but he had never expected his situation to be this dire. Looking at the Great Totem blueprints Qiao Yi had left behind, Commandery Prince Anshun felt slightly reassured. He summoned his confidant, Yue Yangsong, and asked, "Still no news on Duan Tielu today?" Yue Yangsong cautiously replied, "No further clues have been found as of yet. This subordinate shall do his utmost." Even the slightest progress would be reported by Yue Yangsong immediately. Even so, Commandery Prince Anshun still asked once every day. "Withdraw." Commandery Prince Anshun waved his hand. He only hoped for a good night's sleep tonight, setting aside all troubles for the moment. Strangely enough, he really did sleep well tonight. He drifted into dreamland early and even dreamed of the enviable sunlight of Puluo Province. Sunlight spilled across an open plain. A child stood among the tall grass, holding a bowl of noodle soup, waving toward the Prince. The Prince frowned, drew his sword, and pointed it at the child: "Who are you? Who sent you to assassinate this prince?" The child looked aggrieved and hung his head. The Prince snapped: "Refusing to speak means I've hit the mark! You truly are an assassin!" He raised his sword to strike, but Crittick suddenly appeared, scooped up Little De, and dodged the Prince's blade. "Your Highness, you really are unreasonable. He was only bringing you a bowl of food. Why would you harm him?" "And who are you?" Raising his sword, the Prince couldn't clearly see the other man's face in the dream. When he finally saw clearly, the Prince shuddered, and the long sword slipped from his hand, clattering to the ground. "Im... Imperial Commissioner..." This was a person Commandery Prince Anshun never wanted to see, even in a dream. Crittick nodded: "I appreciate your attitude. You're right—the Emperor never issued an edict stripping me of my post. To this day, I remain the Imperial Commissioner of the Shang State. The various errors you have committed in governance are still within my authority to correct and punish." Commandery Prince Anshun shook his head almost instinctively: "The destruction of the Great Totem was not my fault!" "Yet you are still rebuilding the Great Totem. Such a mistake is unforgivable." Commandery Prince Anshun quickly explained: "I did it for Great Shang! There was not an ounce of selfish motive in it!" "For Great Shang? What an absurd excuse! So absurd that even you don't believe it yourself!" Crittick smiled and shook his head. "Countless deceased souls of Shang were sent to the Great Totem. Hearing this excuse of yours, they would tear you limb from limb. But I am not so cruel. At least within my power, I will let you die, perhaps without so much suffering. "My arrangement is to first have you break out in pustules across your entire body, spending the first day in excruciating itchiness. On the second day, the blisters will burst, and you will feel tearing agony. "The third day is the truly critical moment. The pain will ease, and your languid spirit will become exceptionally active. You will go meet different people and do different things, passing the punishment I have bestowed upon you to others." Cold sweat drenched Commandery Prince Anshun. In terror and rage, he swung his sword at Crittick. Holding Little De, Crittick bowed to Commandery Prince Anshun: "Your Highness, farewell." As Commandery Prince Anshun slashed down, his entire field of vision shattered. He jolted awake from the nightmare. There was no open plain, no Crittick. It had all been just a dream. Commandery Prince Anshun let out a long breath and reached for a cloth towel to wipe the sweat from his face— What was this? On the white cloth, there was green fluid. Commandery Prince Anshun touched his cheek. He felt a blister—an excruciatingly itchy blister. *** Meng Qian looked at Crittick: "You should leave. I think the timing is quite right now. I found an excellent Glue Cultivator, and I had him bond a physical body for you. You can return to Puluo Province at any time." Crittick sighed softly: "Although I love Puluo Province deeply, going back now might not be the right time. The daolao ghosts are currently in the hands of my path's Patriarch. If I return now, I would come into severe conflict with him, potentially bringing immense disaster upon Puluo Province. Yet if I simply abandon the daolao ghosts, I am truly unwilling." Meng Qian nodded: "I know. The daolao ghosts are your greatest research achievement." "Inaccurate!" Crittick shook his head. "First, the daolao ghosts are not the achievement of one person alone. Second, the daolao ghosts are merely one of my greatest achievements. Anchoring pathogens in dreams is also one of my greatest achievements. I doubt either my Patriarch or my mentor ever accomplished that." Meng Qian lowered her head and sighed. Pathogens anchored in dreams—this filled her with unprecedented dread. Crittick urged her to be optimistic: "Our dreams are actually quite similar. You wish to promote Mengqian Tower to the entire world; I have always felt that our dreams lead to the same destination by different paths." Meng Qian shuddered and looked up: "How long do you intend to stay in Mengqian Tower?" Crittick thought for a moment: "How long did Eighteen Wheels stay here?" Meng Qian looked surprised: "Why do you want to stay that long?" Crittick said sincerely: "Out of love. My love for Mengqian Tower makes me loath to leave! This is no hollow pleasantry. I can lay this love plainly and truly before your eyes!" With that, he pulled open his lapel. Tattooed across his chest were five characters: *I love Mengqian Tower!* Meng Qian fell silent for a moment. "A few people want to join Mengqian Tower, and I need to make arrangements. In addition, I have a piece of advice for you to consider carefully: before I lose my patience, I advise you to leave as soon as possible." Crittick bowed deeply. Meng Qian continued: "I also have advice for you. You must make careful choices about who should leave and who should stay. For example, Shen Jingye—I suggest letting him continue to stay here, because he does not yet have the ability to revive. If you insist on driving him out, you will have to bear the consequences. "And the Oil Cultivator Patriarch—I hear you want them to join Mengqian Tower. That matter requires even more careful deliberation. Like Shen Jingye, he has deep connections with Li Qi. If you choose poorly and offend Li Qi, the consequences will be dire." Meng Qian frowned: "I haven't forced Lian Buda to join Mengqian Tower. It is his own desire." Crittick shook his head: "I do not know his true thoughts, and I doubt even he has figured them out. Before he understands them completely, you had better not take action." Meng Qian smiled: "I haven't seen Li Qi in a long time. I don't even know if he's still in this world." "You don't need to explain anything to me. I love Mengqian Tower, and I will not interfere with any decision you make. But you had better have a suitable explanation for Li Qi. After all, he is not a particularly accommodating man." Crittick bowed once more to Meng Qian, and carrying Little De, walked toward the depths of the dream. Meng Qian looked into the distance. Amidst her languid expression, a touch more gravity appeared. Lian Buda's true thoughts might indeed require observation for some time yet.