Chapter 164: The Greatness of Virtue

Li Banfeng called out, "Old Pan."

Niu Fuzhi didn't know who he was calling.

He looked at his wife in the kitchen.

His wife was still grieving over the pork being pickled.

"Um, Righteous One, what exactly did you just say…?"

Before Li Banfeng could answer, Niu Fuzhi clamped his own mouth shut.

He felt it was wrong to ask; asking this dishonored Li Qi.

Li Qi was his benefactor, the benefactor of their entire village; the man just wanted a quiet place to speak, yet he was prying into everything—was that proper?

Not only did Niu Fuzhi feel guilty, his wife felt guilty too.

When the Righteous One wanted rice, she hesitated to cook it; when he wanted vegetables, she hesitated to cut meat—she wished she could crawl into a crack in the floor.

This room was unbearable to stay in; the couple retreated together to the doorway, then out of the courtyard.

This was the method and power of Virtue Cultivation.

Li Banfeng sat silently in the room, watching an old man wearing a round hat, round spectacles, a long robe, and leaning on a cane—dressed like a relic of the former dynasty—sitting across from him.

Li Banfeng guessed correctly: this man was Pan Dehai, the local deity of Haichiling!

"Young man, you actually saw me," Pan Dehai smiled at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng didn't smile; his expression remained calm. "What's so remarkable about seeing you?"

In truth, this was quite remarkable.

Pan Dehai wasn't alive—he was a spirit. Few could see spirits; even some high-level Dao cultivators couldn't perceive them without spiritual artifacts.

Pan Dehai also had special techniques to conceal his form.

When he ambushed Feng Daiku, Feng Daiku never noticed him.

Today, a mere youth spotted his flaw—this surprised Pan Dehai.

But he didn't know that Jin Jing Qiuhao was a special technique given to Li Banfeng by the phonograph.

"Young man, what magic treasure did you use?" Pan Dehai probed further.

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I didn't use any magic treasure. This is my technique."

Pan Dehai's gaze darkened, his tone turning cold. "Don't lie to me."

Li Banfeng sneered. "If you can't tell a lie from the truth, what good is your cultivation?"

Pan Dehai grew even more astonished.

Virtue Cultivators were experts at detecting lies.

Li Banfeng was telling the truth—he was using a technique.

But how could this youth wield such a powerful technique?

What puzzled Pan Dehai even more was Li Banfeng's attitude.

Why did this youth show him not the slightest respect?

Normally, Li Banfeng respected his elders—like Master Yao and the coachman.

But today, Pan Dehai's actions angered Li Banfeng.

Pan Dehai had exploited Niu Fuzhi's family, manipulated their sincerity and simplicity, made Li Banfeng feel guilty, and forced him to hand over the prescription—this behavior filled Li Banfeng with revulsion.

Pan Dehai scrutinized Li Banfeng, asking slowly, in an interrogative tone: "Did Old Yao send you?"

Li Banfeng picked up his wine bowl and took a sip. "You sought out Master Yao for medicine—I brought it to you."

Pan Dehai's tone grew even sharper. "A youth to be feared. If Old Yao favors you, you're no ordinary cultivator. What sect are you from? What level is your cultivation?"

Li Banfeng replied without expression: "Why should I tell you?"

Pan Dehai was stunned for a long while—Li Banfeng remained composed, unmoved by his intimidation.

He changed his tone, offering a faint smile. "I'm a few years older than you, and have cultivated longer. Asking you a few trivial questions isn't an insult, is it?"

"When you first arrived at Laobing Village, did you see me?"

He was testing Li Banfeng.

"No," Li Banfeng answered truthfully.

At that time, he truly hadn't seen Pan Dehai—because Pan Dehai hadn't been in Laobing Village yet.

When had he entered Laobing Village?

When Li Banfeng said: "I'm here to deliver medicine."

"Deliver medicine"—those three words were a mark, a brand Pan Dehai had etched into Haichiling.

He knew Old Yao would send medicine, so he carved those three words into everyone's hearts; whenever anyone in Haichiling heard them, Pan Dehai would sense it, so he immediately rushed to Laobing Village and influenced every villager's behavior.

Pan Dehai continued: "When did you realize I was in Laobing Village?"

Li Banfeng said: "I sensed you were here the moment I entered the village."

Pan Dehai frowned—Li Banfeng's answer was still true.

This youth sensed me the moment he entered the village?

I had just arrived myself—could he see every move I made?

What level is he?

What kind of person did Old Yao find?

In truth, Li Banfeng hadn't sensed Pan Dehai's presence at all. Though Travel Cultivators had techniques to avoid misfortune, Pan Dehai's status clearly lay beyond Li Banfeng's perception range.

But Li Banfeng's statement was still true—he'd felt something was off from the moment he entered the village.

Niu Fuzhi had decent cultivation and was posted at the village entrance; he mistook Li Banfeng for a threat and they fought.

When Li Banfeng said he was there to deliver medicine, Niu Fuzhi let him in.

He just agreed.

Was such a simple-minded man suited to stand guard?

At first, Li Banfeng tried to understand Niu Fuzhi's thinking.

Was Laobing Village so short on medicine that Niu Fuzhi lowered his guard at the mere mention of medicine?

After eating a meal, Li Banfeng realized something was wrong: according to Niu Fuzhi's account, Laobing Village wasn't short on medicine—the peddler had brought plenty, and many medicines had already lost their efficacy there.

After meeting the Farming Cultivator Niu Jingchuan and hearing Niu Fuzhi recount past events, Li Banfeng realized things were even stranger.

Laobing Village had just suffered a raid by Cultivator Bandits and sustained heavy losses—under such circumstances, they would never so easily welcome outsiders.

Yet these villagers showed Li Banfeng no suspicion whatsoever.

If all villagers in Laobing were this reckless, they couldn't have survived this long.

From that moment, Li Banfeng suspected these simple villagers were under some kind of influence.

And the first person he thought of as the source of that influence was Pan Dehai.

Li Banfeng naturally wouldn't reveal these thoughts—but his silence severely affected Pan Dehai's judgment of him.

Unable to determine Li Banfeng's cultivation level, Pan Dehai became more courteous:

"You call yourself Li Qi—I'll call you Old Qi. Since you've come on Old Yao's behalf, shouldn't you hand over the prescription now?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "The prescription is no problem. But you've interrogated me at length—after all, reciprocity is propriety. May I ask you a few questions too?"

Pan Dehai nodded. "Ask."

Li Banfeng said: "Are you trying to lure the insect plague to Yaowang Gully?"

Pan Dehai fell silent for a long while—then didn't deny it. "Yes."

Li Banfeng paused, then asked: "Did you also fight Feng Daiku of Kudai over the insect plague?"

"Yes!" Pan Dehai still didn't deny it. "I intended to lure the mosquitoes to Kudai, but Feng Daiku caught me. That wicked woman insisted on fighting me."

He admitted it.

He admitted it so openly.

He even called Feng Daiku a wicked woman.

How shameless this man was!

Li Banfeng forced a smile. "Can you tell me why you're doing this?"

Pan Dehai's expression remained calm. "I'm doing it for Haichiling."

Li Banfeng didn't understand. "If you move the insects elsewhere, won't Haichiling still be rid of them?"

Pan Dehai shook his head. "My purpose is to unite collective wisdom and effort."

Collective wisdom and effort?

Li Banfeng still didn't understand.

Pan Dehai sighed. "You've seen the disaster in Haichiling—people eating their own flesh, corpses littering the land.

On my territory, countless tragedies unfold daily. I watch with my own eyes, and my heart aches, as if sliced by knives."

As he spoke, Pan Dehai coughed twice.

His heart truly ached.

Feng Daiku had torn a piece of flesh from his soul—he hadn't healed yet.

After coughing, Pan Dehai wiped his tears and continued: "Haichiling is no great place—few talented people, little wealth.

If you want talent, Yaowang Gully has plenty—dozens of skilled Medicine Cultivators.

If you want wealth, Lüshui Bay has it—mountains of gold and silver.

But have they ever helped Haichiling?

Sending a little grain, a few prescriptions—can that save Haichiling? Can it save the suffering people?"

They don't know pain, so the old man must make them know pain—only when they understand the horror of the insect plague will they spare no effort to find a solution, and only then can Haichiling be saved!

The old man's heartfelt intentions have drawn countless curses—whose heart knows this pain?

As he spoke, Pan Dehai clutched his chest again.

Li Banfeng had intended to sip his wine slowly and listen, but the sip never reached his throat—the wine bowl nearly slipped from his hand and shattered on the ground.

"You mean dragging everyone into the same mess will save Haichiling?"

Pan Dehai shook his head. "This isn't dragging them down—it's uniting all of Puzhou in shared outrage. This is great virtue."

That's the biggest damn lack of virtue imaginable.

Li Banfeng had truly gained new insight!

"I'd like to ask one more thing—you just said Green Water Bay has the greatest wealth. Why not lure the insects there?"

Pan Dehai looked up to the sky and sighed deeply, his eyes filled with helplessness. "Because Green Water Bay is fierce and bold—I cannot defeat him."

Because he couldn't beat him, he dared not.

He admitted it.

He admitted it right there.

His face didn't even flush!

How did a man like this become a De Xiu?

PS: Dear readers, isn't Shala quite impressive?

The New Year has come—may all readers enjoy good health and smooth fortune.

(End of Chapter)