"My dear, have one more bite!"
Li Banfeng struggled to open his mouth.
The Gramophone stylus pierced into a piece of beef and placed it into Li Banfeng's mouth.
After lying in the Pocket Dwelling for two days, Li Banfeng could finally struggle to his feet and walk.
This was the advantage of a Hobound Cultivator. Once he returned to his own residence, his recovery far surpassed that of the other Daoist paths.
It was even better for the Gramophone. After just two days, she had almost completely recovered.
"My dear husband, don't move. I'll give your body a wipe.
"My dear husband, bear with the pain. I'll clean your wounds.
"My dear husband, don't be anxious. In a mont. I'll clean my little husband as well. I'll serve you warmly and rub you clean."
"My dear husband, take one more bite, just one. I'll sing for you."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "I don't want to hear a song. I want to oil you."
"My dear husband, your body hasn't recovered yet. What will you use to oil ?"
"An oil brush."
"What's the point in using an oil brush? When you've recovered, you can use whatever you want. I'll follow your wishes. Co, have another bite."
Li Banfeng glanced at the Crimson Lotus on the ground and frowned slightly. "I want to move her to the fifth room."
"Why send her to the fifth room?"
"I just don't feel good looking at her."
Clang, clang, clang~
As the Gramophone beat the gongs and drums, she giggled. "My dear, why bother with her? I think it's fine to let her stay here. Let that wretch watch. My dear~ have another bite."
The Arcane Crimson Lotus very much wanted to spit at them.
However, thinking of the Gramophone's condition, she swallowed her anger.
The Gramophone was in excellent condition. Ever since entering the Pocket Dwelling, she had been in better shape than ever before!
After resting for another half day, Li Banfeng prepared to go out.
The Gramophone wasn't happy about that. "My dear, you haven't recovered from your injuries. What are you going out for?"
"I want to go out and get so fresh air."
The Gramophone pouted coquettishly. "Honestly, my dear, a proper Hobound Cultivator can stay indoors for half a year or even a year. You've only been in here for two days, and you can't stand it anymore?"
Li Banfeng scratched all over the Gramophone's casing. "I'm not a proper Hobound Cultivator. I'm always with my wife all day; how could I possibly stay proper?!"
The Gramophone trembled with laughter, and Li Banfeng took the chance to slip out the door.
Watching Li Banfeng's retreating figure, the Arcane Crimson Lotus spat in annoyance.
Huff~
A burst of steam surged over and scorched the Arcane Crimson Lotus until it glowed red.
The Arcane Crimson Lotus glared at the Gramophone and snapped, "Wicked woman, you shouldn't repay kindness with vengeance!"
The Gramophone laughed. "Wretch, the grudges between us have only grown. Now that my dear husband has left, the two of us can have a proper talk."
Out in the wilderness, Li Banfeng drew in a deep breath.
***
He was a Wanderlust Cultivator. The cultivation ti he had accumulated was sufficient, but a Wanderlust Cultivator's nature could not be changed.
Of course, there was sothing even more important than that.
He had left two enchanted artifacts in the gorge: the Judge's Brush and the illustrated calendar.
The chances of retrieving them were slim, but he still had to go and take a look. Both artifacts had played a crucial role in his battle against Qiu Luoye. As long as no one else had picked them up yet, there was still hope of finding them with the Threaded Earring.
Before that, he had to head to the plots. This was even more important than the artifacts.
Ma Wu was still searching for Li Banfeng, and he was nearly losing his mind.
From the gorge to the plots, there was only one stretch of road, and Ma Wu searched it nurous tis a day. Shui Yongquan had told Ma Wu many tis that Li Banfeng was not there, but Ma Wu refused to believe it.
That night, Shui Yongquan went to Ma Wu's residence to discuss the matter of the five-kiloter land.
"Back then, Li Qi and I signed a contract. If we won the battle, I would grant you land with a five-kiloter diater. Now that Li Qi's whereabouts are unknown, you should accept the land on his behalf first."
Ma Wu shook his head. "There's no rush. We'll talk about it when Old Qi cos back."
"You may not be in a hurry, but I am. What's written in the contract is the most important matter to . Choose a plot quickly."
"I can't make that decision. We have to wait until Old Qi returns."
"Brother Ma Wu, let
remind you. When Li Qi and I signed the contract, we had a clear agreent. If he didn't choose a plot within two days, I would choose it for him. I ca to ask you first. That's already giving you plenty of face."
Ma Wu snapped, "It's pointless to ask . Old Qi's land has to be decided by Old Qi himself. Chuanzi, see the guest out!"
Shui Yongquan smiled, then he vanished.
Ma Wu sat inside the cabin, drinking wine in silence.
He did not care about the land. He only wanted to get Li Qi back.
After Ma Wu finished a cup of wine, Li Banfeng poured him another.
Ma Wu took a sip, set the cup down, and stared at Li Banfeng for a long ti.
Li Banfeng was dressed in the sa black suit and fedora as before. The brim of the fedora was not pulled low, as his face was wrapped in bandages.
Tears stread down Ma Wu's face. "Where the hell did you go? I searched everywhere for you!"
Li Banfeng pointed at the bandages covering him. "I went to recover from my injuries."
"Didn't I bring you back to recuperate? Why did you run off?"
Li Banfeng smiled. "I didn't. A dical specialist rescued
midway. If not for his superb skills, I wouldn't have recovered this quickly."
"Who was it?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "He does not like revealing his na to others, so it would not be right for
to reveal it as I wish."
Hearing that, Ma Wu did not press further. This was how they worked; if Li Banfeng didn't want to reveal sothing, Ma Wu wouldn't ask about it.
Instead, Ma Wu drank another cup of wine and cald down a little.
Li Banfeng said, "I left two enchanted artifacts in the gorge. Get a few brothers to go search with ."
"No need," Ma Wu replied as he took out the Judge's Brush and the illustrated calendar. "Shui Yongquan retrieved them for you. He even moved the Waterfall Gate over. I'll have soone send it to your land later."
Li Banfeng nodded in approval. "Shui Yongquan may be devious, but he does keep his word."
Ma Wu agreed. "He ca to see
just now to discuss the five-kiloter land. I told him to wait until you ca back."
That was when Li Banfeng finally recalled the matter. "We can't delay that! Why didn't you just pick one?!"
Ma Wu raised an eyebrow. "It's your land. It wouldn't be appropriate for
to choose."
"Who cares about that?! This is going to make a ss of things. I agreed with him that I'd choose within two days. If I don't, he'll choose for ."
Li Banfeng quickly told Chuanzi to prepare the offering table. Once incense, candles, and offerings were set out, Shui Yongquan appeared again.
"Brother Li Qi, you're back."
Li Banfeng nodded. "I'm back. I ca specifically to choose the land."
Shui Yongquan's lips spread into a slow smile. "No need. I've already chosen it for you."
Li Banfeng shot Ma Wu a glare, drew in a deep breath, and forced a laugh. "You didn't pick a swamp for , did you?"
Shui Yongquan frowned. "Do you take
for that kind of person? I chose an excellent plot for you. Co with ."
Li Banfeng turned to Ma Wu. "Half of the land is yours. Co with ."
Ma Wu shook his head several tis. "That's not appropriate."
"Cut the nonsense. Let's go."
Li Banfeng and Ma Wu followed Shui Yongquan all the way to the gorge.
Li Banfeng said, "You didn't just give
this five-kiloter gorge, did you? This doesn't count as having a five-kiloter diater."
"Don't worry. We're not there yet," Shui Yongquan replied.
After passing through the gorge, Li Banfeng spoke again. "We're entering Qiu Luoye's territory."
Shui Yongquan chuckled. "It used to be Qiu Luoye's territory, but it's mine now."
After leaving the gorge and walking another ten kiloters, Shui Yongquan stopped. He turned to Li Banfeng and declared, "From where we stand, five kiloters to the east and five kiloters to the south—all of the land within that area will be your land from now on."
Li Banfeng took a little walk through the land. It was indeed excellent.
There were flat plains, woods, a modest hill, and a lake with a diater of a kiloter and a half.
"The lake water isn't drinkable. It's poisonous. But the fish and shrimp inside are all edible," Shui Yongquan said as he looked at Li Banfeng. "Brother Li Qi, I chose a good place for you, didn't I?"
Li Banfeng nodded. "It is indeed good, but is all this truly yours?"
Shui Yongquan's mouth twitched in irritation. "Of course, it's mine. Would I lie to you about that? Look at the fish in this lake. Cast a net once, and you can haul up more than five kilograms. You can eat as much as you like."
Ma Wu thought about it for a mont. "I rember you once said Qiu Luoye would compensate you with land that has a fifteen-kiloter diater. This is the land you ant, right?"
"Yes, this is it." Shui Yongquan pointed at the lake. "There aren't just fish here; there are shrimp too. The shrimp are truly fresh. I've eaten them a few tis. Thinking about the taste now, all I can say is that it's delicious."
Ma Wu then asked, "Where is the boundary between you and Qiu Luoye?"
"Over there," Shui Yongquan said, gesturing vaguely. "And let
tell you, it's not just the shrimp that's delicious. There are crabs too. This is a saltwater lake. The lake crabs taste even better than crabs from the sea!"
Li Banfeng said, "Boss Shui, you didn't place our land right on the boundary between your territory and Qiu Luoye's, did you?"
There was no avoiding the topic.
They had walked ten kiloters out of the gorge to arrive at Li Banfeng's new five-kiloter land.
Another five kiloters would make fifteen. That would put them right at the boundary between Shui Yongquan's and Qiu Luoye's territories.
Shui Yongquan had no choice but to speak plainly. "It is indeed by the boundary, but all of this is my territory. I haven't violated our contract by giving this land to you."
Li Banfeng said, "If the land is by the boundary, doesn't that an we've beco your gatekeepers? If you were to fight Qiu Luoye again, wouldn't we be the first to engage in the battle?"
Shui Yongquan lowered his hand in a calming gesture. "Brother Li Qi, stay calm. Don't get angry. Elephant Qiu and I have already co to an agreent. We won't fight anymore."
"If you're not fighting anymore, why have us guard the gate?"
Shui Yongquan shifted his gaze to the calm surface of the lake. "The land is mine, and it is good land. I haven't violated our contract, nor have I wronged our friendship. Brother Li Qi, you shouldn't be so picky about this."
It was true there was no fault in what he said.
Li Banfeng walked along the lakeshore for a while, then he realized the crux of the matter. "You're afraid soone else will co to open up land by the boundary, aren't you?"
Shui Yongquan did not respond.
Ma Wu understood what Li Qi ant. "Boss Shui, you and Boss Qiu have reached an agreent not to clash with each other anymore. But you know Boss Qiu's temper. You're afraid that if soone stirs up trouble along the boundary, he'll cause another incident. That's why you deliberately placed Old Qi's land by the border."
Li Banfeng let out a cold laugh. "In the end, you still want us to guard your gates."
Shui Yongquan did not bother defending himself. He looked at Li Banfeng and said, "So, it seems you don't want this land then?"
Don't want it? Would Shui Yongquan offer a different plot? Of course not.
If Li Banfeng were to say he didn't want it, that would an giving up the land altogether.
"I'll take the land, reluctantly. But if we're guarding your gates, shouldn't there be so compensation?"
Shui Yongquan rubbed his chin. He had known Li Banfeng would not be easy to deal with. "Go on then. What compensation do you want?"
"Can one plot of land have two masters?"
Shui Yongquan glanced at Ma Wu and understood what Li Qi ant.
Adding another master to a plot of land was not just a matter of title. It ant that regardless of whether it was Li Banfeng or Ma Wu who shed blood, the Shui Yongquan would have to appear and grant them protection.
Li Banfeng said, "You're not losing out. We guard your gates for you, and you help us settle trouble that arises. That's only fair."
"Only fair?" Shui Yongquan snorted coldly. "If this land suddenly had a hundred masters, would I have to answer every call from all one hundred of them? What do you take
for?"
"There won't be a hundred. Just the two of us."
"Fine. Draw up the contract. Shed your blood!"
With Shui Yongquan, nothing counted without a written contract, no matter what the deal was.
The three of them signed the contract. Li Banfeng and Ma Wu shed their blood, and the land matter was settled.
Ma Wu felt he had taken advantage of Li Banfeng and was deeply uneasy about it. However, Li Banfeng did not think that at all. Without Ma Wu's reinforcent, Li Banfeng would not have lasted to the end of the battle in the gorge. Moreover, this land would never realize its potential without Ma Wu managing it in the future.
It was truly excellent land. The dense woods guaranteed timber. The broad plains offered space. A saltwater lake provided food.
It was an ideal foundation. Ma Wu could recruit hunters to work nearby, collect the goods into storage, and then ship them out in bulk. Certain kinds of rare ga could even be raised on this land. If they hired Agrarian Cultivators, they could plant many valuable crops here as well.
Ma Wu left markers in various spots on the land, ready to make a grand effort into managing it.
He said, "Old Qi, from now on, we split the inco thirty-seventy. You take seventy percent, I take thirty percent."
Li Banfeng shook his head. "Half and half! Stop the nonsense!"
For a thirty percent profit, a person would put in thirty percent effort. For a fifty percent profit, they would put in one hundred percent effort. This wasn't just about brotherhood but human nature as well.
Once that was finalised, Ma Wu got into action, moving swiftly. The very next day, he had Chuanzi recruit the workers, and within three days, the first batch of cabins was completed.
The largest cabin was set aside as a eting hall. It could host guests or serve as a place for discussing important matters.
Knowing that Li Banfeng loved music, Ma Wu specially bought a new gramophone from Ling Miaosheng's shop.
It was a windmill-powered gramophone, almost identical to the one in Blue Poplar Village.
Li Banfeng put on a record to test the sound. The quality was beyond reproach, yet to his ears, it was still far inferior to his wife's.
Ma Wu brought up the Waterfall Gate. "That spirit-bound item is still at my plot. Should we move it here or back to your original plot?"
"Keep it. I'm gifting it to you."
Ma Wu waved his hands repeatedly. "No. I can't keep taking advantage of your generosity!"
"I told you, stop fussing over it. Just keep it."
The Waterfall Gate was a fine treasure. However, to Li Banfeng, it was far too bulky and cumberso; he could not bring it into the Pocket Dwelling. Moreover, it didn't suit him anyway; it wasn't compatible with him as a Hobound Cultivator or a Wanderlust Cultivator.
For Ma Wu, on the other hand, it was ideal. He had three Madam Bagworm Moths, excellent helpers who could guard the gate for him.
While Li Banfeng and Ma Wu were listening to music and chatting idly, Chuanzi entered the eting hall. "Soone is activating land."
Li Banfeng set down his wine cup. "On our territory?"
"Not ours, but very close."
Ma Wu frowned. "So soone really is looking for trouble? Old Qi, you rest. I'll go take a look."
Both Li Banfeng and Ma Wu excelled at reconnaissance, but their thods were different.
Li Banfeng was accustod to relying on a Hobound Cultivator's innate abilities to approach and observe the target from the shadows without getting noticed.
Ma Wu, on the other hand, preferred to speak to the target. Drawing on his knowledge and experience, he would sound out the target openly.
After walking along the lakeshore and out of the woods, Ma Wu saw two people setting up an offering table. They were not placing it on the boundary line. The table stood within Qiu Luoye's territory. That reduced a great deal of potential conflict.
Ma Wu relaxed slightly and walked straight over to the table. There was only a single bottle of wine on the table. They intended to activate half a kiloter of land.
From the aroma of aged wine and the placent of the table, this arrangent was clearly designed to catch Qiu Luoye's attention.
Ma Wu said in admiration, "You're veterans, hey?"
One of them looked up and smiled. "It's our first ti here. We sought a bit of advice from so veterans beforehand. We're not sure if this thod will work."
The other person's head hung low, not saying a word.
Ma Wu glanced at the person. The person wore a gray short jacket and a felt hat pulled low, obscuring the face. Yet, that person's build seed strangely familiar.
He sniffed again, taking in the person's scent. There was a distinctive fragrance lingering on that person—the scent of costics.
The person had clearly washed up many tis, but a trace of the costics still lingered, and Ma Wu caught the scent. That fragrance held a particular allure for a Hedonism Cultivator.
After exchanging so small talk, Ma Wu returned to the cabin.
Li Banfeng asked, "Did you find out who they are?"
Ma Wu shook his head. "No. They're activating land within Qiu Luoye's territory, but it's indeed very close to ours."
"Close is fine, as long as it's not on the boundary line."
Ma Wu gave a slight shake of his head. "But I think I saw an old acquaintance."
"Which one?"
"This old acquaintance is soone you know as well."
Li Banfeng grew curious. Who was this old acquaintance that both he and Ma Wu knew?
He took a sip of wine and waited for Ma Wu to speak the na.
Ma Wu raised his gaze to et Li Banfeng's. "That person looked like Lu Xiaolan!"
Gulp.
Li Banfeng choked on the wine and coughed several tis.
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