Li Banfeng changed into the guard's uniform and slipped into the dicine storeroom without making a sound. In the storeroom, he saw shelves stacked with all kinds of dicinal herbs.
He couldn't recognize the dicinal herbs or the prepared concoctions. There were large sacks filled with dicinal herbs, but he assud those were the cheap ones and ignored them.
He figured the ones in bottles and jars were the good stuff, so he moved everything into the Pocket Dwelling, taking trips after trips.
He spotted a wooden chest secured with a lock. Judging from that, its contents must be the most valuable of all, so he took that as well. When the gramophone saw the pile he had hauled back, it let out a puff of steam in clear disdain.
After emptying the storeroom, Li Banfeng checked the front counter and found eighty-three thousand two hundred and eighteen yuan in cash as well as one hundred twenty-six silver dollars. He tucked them all into his Pocket Dwelling.
Once Li Banfeng had gathered nearly everything, he went back to the room where the waterlon n were kept. He ate a few pieces of waterlon pulp before dragging a burlap sack out of the corner.
He shoved the fertilizer into the waterlon man's mouth. The dull-eyed creature's eyes snapped wide open, now blazing with murderous intent. However, with the scent of waterlon emanating from Li Banfeng, it recognized him as one of its own.
"Kill!" Li Banfeng ordered and the twenty over waterlon n walked out of the house and entered the courtyard in an orderly manner.
Over a dozen guards were sleeping in the side rooms of the dicinal trading house. With a thunderous crash, the doors burst open and the waterlon n stord in.
One guard rubbed his eyes. When he saw the waterlon n rushing in, he shouted, "Oh no! Quick—"
He had barely shouted three words before a waterlon man cut off his head with a single strike.
The other guards woke in a panic. The timid ones, too confused to react, were cut down at once. The braver ones snatched up their weapons and fought back, but the waterlon n felt no pain and knew no fear. The guards were no match and soon fell, slain beneath their blades.
The two sharpest guards leapt straight out the window and shouted, "Top Thug, sothing's wrong!"
In the back courtyard, Song Boming, the Top Thug[1], heard the commotion. He ordered two first-level Martial Cultivators, "Stay here in the rear yard. Don't go anywhere!"
With that, Song Boming rushed into the front courtyard. He had planned to see who the intruder was and talk things over first. But when he saw the courtyard swarming with waterlon n, his brows knit at once. How did these things get out of control?
For a waterlon man to attack, two things had to happen. It had to be fed fertilizer, and soone had to eat the special waterlon, sweat it out, and give the command. In theory, that should have been impossible, since there were people specially assigned watching over them.
However, dwelling on why it happened was pointless. Song Boming shouted to a guard, "Go get the waterlons!"
The guard had barely taken two steps before a waterlon man lunged and drove its blade through his chest.
Seeing this, Song Boming dashed toward the dicine room himself, preparing to take the waterlons.
The waterlon n cut down everyone in sight and surrounded Song Boming in the courtyard's center.
Amidst his panic, Song Boming suddenly bent forward and his arms bulged at once, tearing through his clothes.
From his shoulders down to his fingertips, his arms hardened into a shell of armor. His palms swelled again, and his five fingers lded together into two big fingers, curving into massive pincers. With a sharp snap, he clamped down and crushed a waterlon man's head like a ripe fruit.
Waterlon pulp burst out. Song Boming scooped up a handful, ready to stuff it into his mouth. Yet, the layer of armor weighed him down, and his movents were too slow.
The headless waterlon man still swung its machete and fought on. Song Boming's pincers rose and fell, chopping the waterlon n into a splattered ss of pulp and rind.
This man…looks like a crab. So this is what Physique Cultivators are? Their path seems to be about developing traits or abilities by imitating other living beings. It's like the bionics. Li Banfeng thought. Still, he didn't waste any ti. While Song Boming was trapped by the crowd of waterlon n, he climbed onto the rooftop of the rear courtyard.
Geng Zhiwei stood in the middle of the courtyard and shouted at his guards. "Who the hell let the waterlons out? I swear I'll skin him alive today!"
Two Martial Cultivators rushed forward and pleaded, "Young Master, please go back inside. The courtyard is dangerous."
"What's there to be afraid of? Bring
a waterlon. With a single shout, they will all stop. I spent a fortune on these things. If one or two get ruined, I will let it slide. But if all of them are destroyed, just wait and see how I deal with you!"
One of the guards ran to the front courtyard's dicine room and fetched a waterlon.
The pretty third concubine stepped out of the house in a blue silk jacket. She clung to Geng Zhiwei's arm and said in a sweet voice, "Darling, please co back inside. I'm scared."
She truly was afraid. Her body shook all over, and even her ample bosom and curvy butt quivered with her trembling.
Geng Zhiwei shoved her aside and shouted at the guards, "Where's the waterlon? How long are you going to drag this out?!"
That was the waterlon n's weak point. Once soone ate the special waterlon and began to sweat, they could command the waterlon n.
At this rate, Geng Zhiwei would eat the special waterlon and command the waterlon n soon. However, Li Banfeng's goal wasn't just to steal pills or money, or to let the waterlon n stir up trouble.
He had co to do sothing far bigger! It was sothing he could handle on his own, but if he wanted to finish it quickly and thoroughly, he needed a helper.
If he wanted sothing done, he had to pay the price! If he wanted sothing great, the price had to be great!
Li Banfeng lay flat on the roof beam, struck a match, and set fire to the joss paper in his hand. A gust of alcohol-scented air swept past, and Old Mister Yao's voice reached his ears.
"What do you want from ? Don't tell
you want
to kill soone. That isn't suitable for soone like ."
This didn't surprise Li Banfeng. Old Mister Yao had always said he would never do anything unbefitting his status.
"I wouldn't dare trouble you with killing."
"Then what is it? Treating an illness or buying dicine? If it's anything else, forget it."
"I want to buy dicine. The best dicinal liquor you have," Li Banfeng said.
"dicinal liquor?" The old man chuckled. "Do you want it strong or mild?"
"Strong. The stronger, the better."
"Is it just for you to drink?"
Li Banfeng made a quick estimate. "Enough for more than a hundred people."
"That much? I sell dicinal liquor, not poison. You better think this through!"
"I've thought it through," Li Banfeng answered firmly. "The liquor to treat Chubby Qin's illness is the most suitable."
"Where do you plan to drink this liquor?"
"Right here in the dicinal trading house."
The old man asked again, "I have bottled liquor, or the kind sold in bulk, rough and unrefined. It's stronger, but ssier to serve. Which do you want?"
"The bulk stuff. The rougher and stronger, the better. Best if you spit it out yourself, Elder."
The old man chuckled. "On top of the deposit, the liquor costs another five hundred thousand. No haggling. You can drink it here in the trading house, but you can't take it outside."
Li Banfeng nodded. "Deal!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the joss paper flared and crumbled into ash.
Whoosh! A fierce gust of wind tore through the air. A rich aroma of liquor instantly filled the entire dicinal trading house.
Old Mister Yao's voice echoed by his ear. "Rember this well. My dicine is the finest in dicine King Gully, and it can only be used for healing."
Li Banfeng replied earnestly, "Rest assured. This really is to treat their illness."
"Heheheh!" Old Mister Yao let out a bout of laughter, then his voice slowly faded away.
Li Banfeng took out the Blood-Drinking Pendulum, twisted its screw, and released the last of its oil in a fine spray. He struck a match and flicked it into the trail of misting fuel.
A fiery serpent shot across the night sky, and in the blink of an eye, flas swallowed the entire Geng Family dicinal Trading House.
Li Banfeng opened his Pocket Dwelling and flung the key beyond the courtyard walls of the trading house.
Back in the main room, he sat deep in thought, mulling over Old Mister Yao's words. Old Mister Yao had said that if Li Banfeng were smart, he would naturally figure out his identity once the deal was done.
Did Li Banfeng figure it out? He did. Old Mister Yao had claid his dicine was the best in dicine King Gully. And whose dicine could that be, if not the dicine King's?
Beyond the borders of dicine King Gully, the dicine King could not exert any strength. However, if it was within its bounds, he could help. The dicine King of the dicine King Gully was an Inebriate Cultivator.
Was this surprising? Li Banfeng had no ti to be surprised. He still had other matters to attend to.
***
When the fire spread out of control, Young Master Geng Zhiwei finally lost his composure. He rushed into the courtyard, shouting at the top of his lungs, "What are you waiting for? Put out the fire! Get moving! I told you long ago to store more water. What were you doing all that ti?
"You two, follow
inside! Get everything out! Cash first, then silver dollars, then the calligraphy and paintings!"
Geng Zhiwei stumbled out with two chests of cash, while the two Martial Cultivators followed behind, each dragging two chests of silver dollars.
He shouted for others to fetch the calligraphy and paintings, but by then the fire had already swept into the house.
Terrified to step back inside, the guards bolted toward the back courtyard gate, desperate to escape with their lives.
"You useless bastards! Get the pills first!" Geng Zhiwei roared. He started forward, ready to dash to the front courtyard, but froze as the waterlon n ca marching into the rear courtyard in perfect formation.
How did the waterlon n break into the back courtyard? And where in the world is Song Boming? Geng Zhiwei thought.
Song Boming had already fled. It was not a matter of loyalty. He was only human, and humans feared fire, while the waterlon n did not.
The blaze grew fiercer, and more waterlon n poured into the courtyard. The two Martial Cultivators hurriedly urged, "Young Master, we must go! If we don't leave now, it will be really bad!"
Gritting his teeth, Geng Zhiwei clutched the money chest and rushed toward the gate at the back of the courtyard.
The two Martial Cultivators followed close behind, while the third concubine was too slow. She staggered after them, struggling to keep up.
By the ti they reached the rear gate, the smoke grew so thick that Geng Zhiwei could barely keep his eyes open. He stumbled over so items on the ground and almost fell.
One guard rushed up to support him. "Young Master, follow !"
Geng Zhiwei quickly followed him, leaving the two Martial Cultivators behind seething with anger.
Who the hell is that guy? Shaless bastard! We are almost out the door, and now he shows up to steal the credit? Where was he when we were risking our lives to protect the young master?
Both of them imdiately chased after Geng Zhiwei. However, the mont they passed through the rear gate, they suddenly saw that Geng Zhiwei vanished right in front of them
Oh no! This must be a sche! That person might not even be a guard! The two martial cultivators shouted in alarm, "Young Master!"
They sprinted in the direction where Geng Zhiwei had vanished, but after only a few steps, their vision was swallowed by sudden darkness.
Clink-clang!
Li Banfeng tossed out his key.
Bang!
The door slamd shut.
The guard who had led Geng Zhiwei's escape had been Li Banfeng all along.
Li Banfeng had been wearing the guard's uniform. Being a Hobound Cultivator, he was easily overlooked. With Geng Zhiwei panicking and half-blinded by smoke, he never noticed that the guard was a stranger. And so, Li Banfeng led him all the way into his Pocket Dwelling.
Feeling his way through the dark, Geng Zhiwei cried, "Where are we? What is this place?"
The two guards sensed Li Banfeng's presence but were unsure of his exact location. They spat curses. "Where did this rat co from? What kind of trick are you using to fool our eyes? Co out now! Show yourself and we will leave you a corpse!"
Li Banfeng let out a long sigh. "I only ant to feed my little wifey one. I was afraid she'd get too plump. Who would've thought three would co in?"
He had only intended to lure in Geng Zhiwei, but he had not expected the two martial cultivators to be so loyal that they followed him into the house as well.
Hearing Li Banfeng's voice, the two martial cultivators pinpointed his location and charged at him, ready to fight to the death.
However, could they really defeat Li Banfeng? The combat power of a first-level Hobound Cultivator in their house was on par with that of a second-level cultivator. And besides, the gramophone was still waiting for her al.
Clang, clang, clang! The beat of drums and gongs rang out.
Li Banfeng easily fended off the two martial cultivators. He even took a mont to remind the gramophone, "My little wifey, the feast is served. Eat slowly."
Pop! Crackle! Pop!
"My husband, oh! I cannot hold back this hunger. Mock
not, for I am starving indeed~"
1. 大支挂 is a gang slang. The author added (captain of the guards) next to the words. ??
Reviews
All reviews (0)