Chapter 111

The phonograph finally made a sound, and Li Banfeng let out a long breath: "Wife, I thought you were seriously injured and couldn't speak."

"Seriously injured? What kind of talk is that from my husband? A good woman can handle the parlor and the kitchen; dealing with a small dish, yet you say something about being~~ injured."

As she spoke, the phonograph's voice was a bit off-key, like going over a mountain slope, the pitch fluctuating high and low, and Li Banfeng became nervous again.

"Husband, today's ingredients are special. This time, your little slave is truly full. You hand over this corpse to Honglian to deal with; she can refine some good things for you. Even if my husband can't eat them, they can sell for a good price.

My husband also knows my temperament; once my stomach is full, I want to~ sleep a little longer. If my husband has things~ to do, then go be busy, no need to pay attention to me."

The phonograph's speech kept changing pitch, and Li Banfeng looked at the scattered parts on the ground, his brows furrowing again.

Chi chi~

"Husband, no need to wor~ry about those trivial things; they weren't of much use~ anyway. Having more of them isn't much, and having fewer isn't much. Once I wake up, I'll just pick out a few useful ones and install them back."

Li Banfeng picked up a gear and found that the teeth were broken and the axle was bent.

Can this still be installed back?

"Husband, hurry up and deal with this insect's corpse~; it's disgusting for me to look at."

Li Banfeng brought over the copper lotus.

The copper lotus sensed Madam Bagworm Moth's corpse, quickly unfolded its petals, and took her inside.

Chi chi~

The phonograph gave another instruction: "Husband, your little slave is truly fa~tigued and wants to sleep~ well. Husband, move Honglian to the outer room; don't let her disturb your slave."

Afraid of her disturbing?

Is this because she has no strength left to defend against the copper lotus?

Li Banfeng moved the copper lotus away, and when he returned to the main room to look at the phonograph, the phonograph had no sound.

He collected the scattered parts, was silent for a moment, and left the Suishenju.

The copper lotus in the outer room snorted coldly: "Evil woman, you have today too. Your body is ruined, yet you don't dare to say it. You ultimately couldn't trust that madman, but I'll see how long you can hold on."

The phonograph replied in a changing pitch: "Bitch, believe it or not, I'll take your life right now."

"If you have the ability, come!"

"Honglian, don't be too rampant. Once you've entered this room, the one in the sky cannot sense you. Without that one's support, do you think I really can't kill you?"

Li Banfeng followed the footprints and found Ma Wu, bringing him back to Lanyang Village.

Having survived the disaster, Ma Wu was still fearful, and along the way, he kept asking Li Banfeng about the method to get rid of Madam Bagworm Moth, but Li Banfeng remained silent.

Returning to the wooden house, Li Banfeng asked about one thing: "Brother Ma, do you know where there is a phonograph in Lanyang Village?"

He had to find a way to replace some parts for his wife.

"A phonograph?" Ma Wu pondered for a moment, "This thing isn't easy to find. I remember the Song family should have a phonograph."

"Is it a steam phonograph?"

"A steam phonograph? Made by the Amikan Kingdom?" Ma Wu shook his head, "This thing is even rarer. I only know of one, on the Lu family's special train. I've seen it a few times; it's quite troublesome, having to add water and oil."

Ma Wu had only seen one?

Li Banfeng remembered.

Shopkeeper Feng had once said that this was a phonograph handmade by the Amikan Kingdom, and there were only two in the entire Puluo Continent.

One was in Li Banfeng's hands, and the other was on the Lu family's special train.

Go to the Lu family's special train and steal the other phonograph?

Li Banfeng couldn't even get on the train, yet he wanted to get on the Lu family's special train?

This matter was obviously not feasible.

Ma Wu said from the side: "Brother Li, if you like phonographs, don't buy such a fancy one. Buy a hand-cranked one, or buy a wind-up one; they are both quite good, and the price is affordable."

"Where can I buy one?"

Ma Wu pondered for a moment and said: "The Miaosheng Phonograph Shop in Green Water City has a very complete selection, but given your current situation, it's best not to enter the city."

Li Banfeng unfolded the map he had bought from Shopkeeper Feng: "You tell me first, where is the Miaosheng Phonograph Shop?"

Ma Wu looked at the map, shook his head slightly, and said: "This map isn't detailed enough, so it's hard to say."

The map Shopkeeper Feng gave Li Banfeng was a map of the entire Green Water Bay.

However, the actual situation of Green Water Bay was much more complex than on the map.

The central area of Green Water Bay was called Green Water City.

Outside Green Water City, there were several small towns surrounding it.

On the outskirts of the small towns were some proper villages, where villagers relied on farming for a living, providing crops for Green Water City.

On the outskirts of the proper villages were improper villages, and Lanyang Village was one of them.

Almost no one farmed in these improper villages, but they could also provide special resources for Green Water City.

"Looking at it this way, it's quite far."

Ma Wu gestured on the map: "It's about one hundred and twenty miles. Brother Li, if you insist on entering the city, let's choose a suitable day, and I'll find someone to scout the situation first..."

"No choosing days, it's today."

"Entering the city today?" Ma Wu was stunned, "Just to buy a phonograph?"

"Yes, just to buy a phonograph," Li Banfeng nodded, "I want to listen to music; if I don't listen for a day, my whole body feels uncomfortable."

"Brother Li has this hobby?" Ma Wu wanted to laugh, but Li Banfeng wasn't joking.

Seeing this, Ma Wu hurriedly packed his things, "I'll bring some food, and we'll go together."

"You don't need to go, just tell me the place." Li Banfeng didn't intend to bring Ma Wu; he walked too slowly.

Ma Wu didn't know what to say: "Brother Li, what exactly are you going to Green Water City to do?"

"Didn't I say it, I'm going to buy a phonograph, I can't wait even a moment."

Lu family mansion, Lu Dongliang called over a fifth-layer literary cultivator to test Lu Chunying's knowledge.

In Puluo Continent, literary cultivation and martial cultivation are generally considered orthodox, and the Four Great Families are no exception.

It's just that the Lu family isn't as conservative as the Ma family and doesn't resist other sects, but as a young lady of a great family, literary cultivation is obviously a more reasonable choice.

The fifth-layer literary cultivator asked over a dozen questions, and Lu Chunying answered fluently. This was thanks to Xiao Yeci's usual guidance; don't look at her as only being at the first layer, the foundation she left for Lu Chunying was very solid.

Lu Dongliang nodded and praised Lu Chunying twice.

"Not bad, quite not bad."

Hearing these two praises as somewhat reluctant, Lu Chunying carefully weighed Lu Dongliang's thoughts.

Actually, she wasn't weighing them at this moment; from the moment she entered the Lu family mansion, she had been weighing them.

Lu Dongliang is a high-level traveling cultivator, and his specific cultivation is unknown.

But none of his children chose traveling cultivation.

Is it that Lu Dongliang doesn't want them to?

Of course not.

The characteristic of traveling cultivation is having no fixed abode. Lu Dongliang has been running around for many years, managing the family business. For him, cultivation has never been a burden.

But his children don't need to live so hard.

Xiao Yeci once told Lu Chunying a story about a rich young lady and her beloved lover who eloped three times.

All three elopements failed, and the reason was that this rich young lady couldn't endure the hardships of the journey.

When one is on a journey, the hardship of sleeping in the open is not easy to endure.

Xiao Yeci warned Lu Chunying that if a rich young master says he is tired of restraints, wants freedom, and wants to travel far, don't take it seriously; he just wants to go out and play, not really wanting to go out and suffer with you.

Traveling cultivation and tourism are two completely different things.

Lu Chunying looked at Lu Dongliang's expression and asked carefully: "Dad, I want to see my mom."

She hadn't seen Xiao Yeci for a long time.

"Talk about it later." Lu Dongliang's face sank, and he casually brushed it off.

Lu Chunying asked in a low voice: "Dad, do you think she isn't my mom at all?"

Lu Dongliang frowned and asked back: "Do you think she is your mom?"

According to Lu Dongliang's speculation, Lu Chunying would say she recognized this mother, would detail their past of relying on each other, and would cry and beg Lu Dongliang to take Xiao Yeci in.

He detested these valueless old sentiments the most.

But Lu Chunying just replied plainly: "I think she isn't."

Lu Dongliang narrowed his eyes and asked: "How did you see that?"

"She's about the same age as my sister, how could she be my mom? This is an obvious truth."

Lu Dongliang laughed: "Then why do you still want to see her?"

"Just want to make it clear to her, I've already returned home, I've already recognized my family, and things in the past should be in the past.

She isn't my mom, nor is she my family. As for what her background is, that's not important. Some thoughts need to be cut off for her,

but I can't let her go out and talk nonsense, letting outsiders call me heartless. Just give her a sum of money and send her away."

Lu Dongliang was very satisfied with this answer.

This was basically consistent with Lu Dongliang's thoughts, the only difference being that Lu Dongliang didn't want to send Xiao Yeci away; he wanted Xiao Yeci to disappear completely.

But these two results were not contradictory.

If it were someone else sitting here, they might feel Lu Chunying was too heartless.

But Lu Dongliang didn't feel that way; he felt this was how his daughter should be.

He nodded slightly and said: "Fine, in two days, go see her.

Now let's talk about your initiation. That literary cultivator just now, I intend to let him be your master, what do you think?"

Lu Chunying blinked her sparkling eyes and said: "Dad, do you want to hear the truth?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Lu Dongliang glared, "Can you still lie to me?"

"Dad, if I tell the truth, I don't want to be a literary cultivator."

"Why?" Lu Dongliang was startled.

"Xiao Yeci is just a literary cultivator. I've been with her for so many years, and I always feel she's someone without prospects."

Lu Dongliang laughed: "Then what kind of person do you think has prospects?"

"Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Only by traveling across the country can one truly have knowledge. Dad, I want to learn traveling cultivation from you."

"You want to cultivate traveling cultivation?" Lu Dongliang was both surprised and happy, but he was worried this girl couldn't endure the hardship, "You'd better think it through, traveling cultivation is bitter, you can't be idle for a day."

"Dad, I'm still so young, and all day long I just want to hide and be idle, but until when do I have to hide?"

Lu Dongliang became happier the more he heard: "Yingying, since you've made up your mind, when do you intend to initiate?"

Lu Chunying pondered for a moment and said: "Today."

Lu Dongliang was astonished: "Today? Why are you in such a hurry?"

"If I weren't worried that Dad wouldn't agree, I would have wanted to initiate days ago. I've long been unable to wait."

Lu Dongliang laughed.

Why is this child's temperament so much like his?

Even this impatience is very much like him.

This can't be called impatience; what should be hurried is hurried, what should be slowed is slowed, this is called doing things with a sense of proportion.

"Yingying, then it's settled. I'll call the physician over in a moment to make some preparations for you. Initiation is a bit painful, let him prepare some anesthesia for you first."

Lu Chunying shook her head: "No need for anesthesia, isn't it just that one moment of pain? Dad, did you use anesthesia when you initiated back then?"

Lu Dongliang shook his head: "Your grandfather wouldn't let me learn traveling cultivation back then, so I found a peddler to initiate me. Where would there be any anesthesia? I just slapped the initiation powder on my belly and gritted my teeth to get through it."

"If Dad didn't need it, I don't need it either!"

Lu Dongliang shook his head: "That won't do. I had no choice but to suffer that, how can I let you eat this bitterness."

That night, Lu Chunying successfully initiated into traveling cultivation, and Lu Dongliang arranged for Xiao Yeci to see Lu Chunying once.

Seeing Lu Chunying, Xiao Yeci was very excited and asked with concern: "My baby has suffered. Initiation is very painful, does it still hurt now? Have you eaten anything..."

Lu Chunying looked at Xiao Yeci with a cold expression and said impatiently: "I called you here to tell you that our fate has reached its end. From now on, we'll live our own lives. Thank you for taking care of me all these years, hurry up and leave."

Xiao Yeci looked at Lu Chunying in surprise, unable to speak for a long time.

Lu Chunying took out a box containing one hundred silver dollars and handed it to Xiao Yeci: "This is a token of my heart. My dad will give you another sum of money later. From now on, let's not meet again."

Xiao Yeci's eyes reddened, and she called out: "My baby..."

"Hurry up and take the money, you have to have travel money at least." Lu Chunying turned her face away, not wanting to see her again.

Xiao Yeci took the box and left Lu Chunying's bedroom.

She didn't know how she walked back.

When she returned to her room, she stared at the box of silver dollars for a long time.

She really wanted to throw this box of silver dollars away and then secretly leave this mansion.

Eating while watching faces, going out while watching faces, even going to the toilet, she had to watch faces.

She could endure all of this, but Xiao Yeci couldn't endure Lu Chunying's attitude.

She felt she had completely lost her dignity.

She was a first-layer literary cultivator; finding any job to do later would be more decent than living like this.

But in the end, she still opened the box.

Because she truly didn't even have travel money left on her.

The box contained one hundred silver dollars; this wasn't a small amount, enough for Xiao Yeci to spend for a while.

There seemed to be something under the silver dollars.

It was a piece of paper.

Xiao Yeci unfolded it and saw it written: "Mom, I've initiated. Rest for a day, tomorrow night find an opportunity, let's escape!"

In the bedroom, Lu Chunying gripped the bedsheet tightly.

Choosing traveling cultivation was just to run fast.

Mom, you must open the box and look.

PS: Undercurrents are surging, big things are about to happen. Dear readers, vote for Sala.

(End of chapter)