Chapter 205

The next morning, Li Banfeng woke up feeling refreshed and stepped out of his personal dwelling.

He wasn't sure if it was because of the sleep that cleared his mind, or because of the dwelling's nature that freed him from the Foolish Cultivator's techniques, but his thoughts were far clearer than yesterday.

Some things, once you quiet your mind and think a little, reveal their answers.

Could you really get lost in this city?

No.

Walk straight in any direction, and you'll surely reach the city wall.

Follow the wall, and you'll surely reach a city gate.

As long as you find a gate, you can leave the city—and Li Banfeng will return to normal.

How big could this city possibly be?

At most, a hundred li across!

A hundred li meant nothing to Li Banfeng—it wouldn't take half an hour.

The only thing to watch for was that he must run in a straight line.

The road ahead wasn't quite straight, slightly off-course, so Li Banfeng leapt over a wall into a courtyard and charged forward along the true line.

He ran for over five hours and still hadn't found the city wall.

Ahead was a main street, with shops open and stalls set up.

Behind him was an alley, with idlers strolling and people chatting.

Li Banfeng felt he'd been here before—more than once.

He tried using wind direction, landmark buildings, marking his path… a hundred methods came to mind, yet none showed him how to escape the city.

An older woman ahead had a kind face—he'd ask her for directions.

Li Banfeng approached her with cash in hand and asked cautiously, "Auntie, which way is the city gate?"

The woman blinked. "You're asking for directions?"

Li Banfeng nodded.

"You silly child, why pay for directions? The gate's still far off—look how tired you are. Come in, have a drink of water."

"No thank you, Auntie, I'm in a hurry—I must leave the city. Just point me the way."

The woman frowned. "I'm only offering you a bowl of water—do you think I'd harm you? If you don't trust me, ask someone else!"

What should he do?

Go in and drink a bowl of water?

I'm a Level Four Dwelling Cultivator—even if she poisoned me, she couldn't knock me down.

Li Banfeng was about to step inside when his instinct for avoiding danger warned him not to.

"Young man, come in! Where are you going? Aren't you trying to leave the city? You're going the wrong way—come have a drink, I'll show you the way…"

Li Banfeng didn't look back—he turned and ran.

After another hour of running, Li Banfeng stared at the alley ahead, slumped against the wall in despair.

"Young man, I told you to come to me for a reading—why won't you listen?"

Li Banfeng let out a bitter laugh.

The fortune-teller had returned.

I can't find the city gate, yet he finds me instantly.

The fortune-teller sat beside Li Banfeng. "Still holding onto your grudge?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "I've let it go. All I want now is to leave the city."

"Hard," the fortune-teller sighed, shaking his head.

"Leaving the city is that hard?"

"Harder than climbing to heaven. This is the City of Fools—how easily do you think you can escape? Especially you. Your forehead is dark, your face shadowed with ill fortune. Force your way out, and you may lose your life."

Li Banfeng sighed helplessly. "I don't want your reading. I already paid you. Just leave me alone."

The fortune-teller sighed. "I believe in fate. The moment I saw you yesterday, I knew you were no ordinary soul."

To be honest, when I was alive, I was trapped in this City of Fools for twenty-eight years, seven months, and three days—I never found the gate before I died."

But I believe you can find it. I believe you won't die trapped here."

North of the city stands a three-court mansion, abandoned since the day I arrived in this city."

You have unfinished karmic ties to that house—you must stay there for one full day and night to resolve this misfortune."

Remember: exactly one day and one night—not a moment more, not a moment less. Enter at this hour today, leave at the same hour tomorrow."

When you leave, stand with your back to the main gate and walk straight ahead—don't stop for anything."

If you hit a wall, smash through it. If you hit a tree, smash through it. No matter what you encounter, don't stop—keep walking for half an hour, and you'll reach the gate."

Young man, that's all I have to say. Whether you believe me is up to you."

The fortune-teller left.

Li Banfeng sat by the wall and sneered. "Why should I believe you?"

What karmic tie could I possibly have with some mansion?

I've never even been here—how could there be any karmic link?

…

Deep in the night, Li Banfeng reached the northern part of the city and entered the abandoned mansion.

He didn't want to believe the fortune-teller—but he had no other way out.

The front courtyard was small, with a row of servant quarters facing the gate. Beyond the ornamental gate lay the main courtyard, where the main house faced south, with side chambers on either side.

Li Banfeng entered the main house: the outer room was a hall, the inner room a bedroom.

He looked up—the roof tiles were missing, exposing the sky.

The furnishings were orderly, but dust lay half a finger thick—clearly abandoned for a long time.

Li Banfeng swept away the dust with a feather duster, sat on a chair, and began planning his next move.

Should he return to his personal dwelling, or stay in this abandoned mansion?

Returning to his dwelling would be safer—but would entering it count as leaving the mansion? Would the one-day-one-night period still hold?

Stay here instead?

Huh~

A cold wind blew through.

Dust stirred on the table.

Staying here for a day and night—no one could say what might happen.

Go back.

Li Banfeng entered his personal dwelling, stayed less than a quarter-hour, then stepped back out with a paper girl in tow.

He couldn't waste time in his dwelling—he had to remain in the mansion to resolve the karmic tie.

The paper girl was painstakingly drawn by his own hand, consuming immense effort; without combat, she could last over three hours.

He sent her to patrol the mansion, alerting him at the first sign of trouble.

He placed all his magic treasures beside him and hung the calendar directly opposite.

The elegant Dream De bowed deeply to Li Banfeng. "Master, which song would you like to hear?"

"No songs. Set up the clock face."

Listening to her sing could instantly draw him into a dream—Dream De's power was substantial.

Dream De placed the clock face before Li Banfeng, and he sat waiting.

Was the fortune-teller telling the truth?

If he's lying to me, next time I see him, I'll have a long talk with him.

What should I talk about?

Use force, or reason?

Could I extract the gate's location from him?

In the City of Fools, trying to trick a Foolish Cultivator—isn't that overreaching?

Don't think. Don't think—thinking gives me a headache.

After nearly two hours of waiting, Li Banfeng grew drowsy—then a sudden chill struck him. He shivered, jolting awake.

Someone stood beside him—the fortune-teller.

"What are you doing here?"

The fortune-teller smiled. "I've come to break the curse."

"Won't staying here one day and one night be enough? Why break the curse?"

"Just staying won't do. To survive this day and night safely, you need a talisman."

"So you're here to sell talismans? Fine, name your price."

The fortune-teller shook his head. "I told you—I won't take your money. I only believe in fate. Young man, give me your hand—I'll draw you a talisman."

"With this talisman, the resentful spirits in this house won't dare touch you."

"There are resentful spirits here?" Li Banfeng's eyelid twitched—if they truly existed, he'd see them.

"The resentful spirit here has been watching you all along—but you can't see her. Your karmic tie began with her. This calamity in your fate began with her."

Survive this day and night, repay the karmic debt, and the calamity will vanish."

When I was alive, I, too, was trapped in this City of Fools for my entire life because of a karmic tie,

I've helped you all along, asking for nothing—just don't want you to walk the path I did.

The fortune-teller pulled out a brush, dipped it in ink, and looked at Li Banfeng with sincere expression.

Li Banfeng extended his hand; the fortune-teller was about to draw a talisman on it when Li Banfeng suddenly asked: "How many years have you been trapped in Fool's City?"

The fortune-teller sighed deeply: "Twenty-two years, six months, and eight days."

Li Banfeng nodded.

Bang!

He punched the old man right in the nose.

The old man clutched his nose: "Why did you hit me?"

He'd thought the punch would miss, but hadn't expected a ghost with intact flesh and blood could still feel pain.

"Old ghost! Just a moment ago you said twenty-eight years, seven months, and three days—now it's twenty-two years, six months, and eight days? You don't even blink while lying!"

The two immediately began wrestling.

The old man wasn't particularly strong; under normal circumstances, Li Banfeng could have taken him down with three punches and two kicks.

But things weren't normal now—every punch and kick Li Banfeng threw felt utterly unlike himself.

It wasn't lack of strength or speed—he'd grown clumsy. Every move he made missed the right timing and method.

If it's wrong, then fine—I'll just swing wildly. I'm barely twenty; I'll beat this old bastard.

He grabbed hair, gouged eyes, scratched faces—Li Banfeng, relying on his youth, fought the fortune-teller to a stalemate.

Zhongbai stepped forward and slashed the fortune-teller twice, but neither cut ran deep, and she accidentally sliced Li Banfeng as well.

She knew her martial skill was poor and quickly turned to urge Tang Dao: "Come help!"

Tang Dao sighed: "With my aim today, it's better not to strike—I might accidentally wound my lord."

This wasn't a joke. Zhongbai excelled at sucking and spitting blood; Tang Dao was a pure combat magic treasure. If he cut Li Banfeng, it would kill him outright.

None of the magic treasures dared act lightly—only Mengde still had some confidence. She shouted at the fortune-teller: "You're immoral!"

The fortune-teller sighed: "Such a young man beating an old man—how immoral!"

Li Banfeng felt guilt, and the fortune-teller kicked him harder in response.

Mengde had failed—who else could help Li Banfeng?

At the critical moment, only the wine gourd could turn the tide.

The wine gourd was a mind cultivator, and his battle experience surpassed Hanxue's.

"Hanxue, find his heartstring!"

This was insider jargon among mind cultivators—finding the opponent's heartstring meant manipulating their thoughts through technique.

The wine gourd whispered to Hanxue: "Our Daoist techniques focus on disrupting the mind; they should resemble Fool Cultivation methods. Even if they don't suppress it, the techniques themselves might resist Fool Cultivation."

Hanxue immediately prepared her technique.

The wine gourd seized the opening and smashed the fortune-teller's head with its gourd.

Hanxue looked at the wine gourd: "You just explained so many techniques..."

The fortune-teller reeled from dizziness; Li Banfeng seized the chance and kicked him again.

After taking the kick, the fortune-teller decided not to fight anymore—he tried to flee, but the Paper Girl hugged him from behind.

The fortune-teller gasped: "Young lady, why are you hugging me? Don't you know shame..."

Li Banfeng spat: "You take advantage and still curse? Come with me!"

The old man broke free from the girl's embrace and noticed paper shreds falling from her body.

"You're a Home Cultivator?" the old man stared at Li Banfeng in surprise.

Li Banfeng said nothing.

The old man's experience was truly vast—he'd recognized Li Banfeng's fourth-layer technique.

"Impossible. You move so fast—aren't you a Traveler Cultivator? Did you cultivate two Dao paths? But Home and Traveler Cultivation can't be practiced together..."

Li Banfeng no longer wasted words with the fortune-teller. His mind was filled with rage—rage at being toyed with.

"Wife, it's time to eat!" Li Banfeng dragged the fortune-teller into the Sui Shen Ju.

"Husband, have you left Fool's City?" the wife exclaimed joyfully.

"Not yet," Li Banfeng threw the fortune-teller before the jukebox. "Just eat first."

The fortune-teller stared at the jukebox, sizing it up, then asked: "Are you his Home Spirit?"

The jukebox sneered: "Your eyesight is sharp."

The fortune-teller shook his head repeatedly: "Impossible. His home couldn't possibly be in Fool's City..."

Hssss~

A burst of steam scalded the fortune-teller, who cried out. The jukebox roared: "Impudent! Who gave you permission to speak? First tell me—are you a Fool Cultivator?"

The fortune-teller nodded: "In life, I was indeed a Fool Cultivator."

"What level is your cultivation?"

"Second level!"

"Second level?" Li Banfeng didn't believe it—he couldn't have struggled so hard against a second-level cultivator. "Wife, don't believe him. This old fraud's cultivation is far beyond second level."

The wife thought the old man wasn't lying: "Husband, I once heard elders say second-level Fool Cultivators have killed third-level cultivators—and even held their own against fourth-level ones."

A second-level cultivator holding his own against a fourth-level?

How powerful must this Dao path be?

Li Banfeng asked: "You're second level—what level is the medicine peddler?"

The fortune-teller replied: "He's third level."

He's third level?

Higher than the fortune-teller?

Are you kidding me?

"What level is the innkeeper of Youlai Inn?"

"He's fourth level."

The innkeeper who'd raised his knife to chop Li Banfeng.

The innkeeper who'd chased Li Banfeng across the city with his entire inn's staff—was fourth level?

Aren't Fool Cultivators supposed to be extremely cunning?

"Liar!" Li Banfeng shook his head. "Wife, this man's a fraud."

The jukebox couldn't tell either, so asked: "Do you know how to leave Fool's City?"

The fortune-teller nodded: "I do. Only I know. I can guide him out—if you trust me."

Guide him out?

That was out of the question.

Li Banfeng would never let this fortune-teller leave.

Sssshhh~

The wife also disagreed: "Old thing, letting you out will doom my husband. Tell me the way out. If it works, I'll free you. If it's fake, I'll slice you into a thousand pieces."

The fortune-teller nodded: "What I told your husband before was true. He has karmic ties to that abandoned house—he must stay there for one full day and night to sever the karmic bond before he can leave."

Was he telling the truth?

What if he lied to my husband?

Should I let my husband try it first?

But if I don't believe him, what other option do I have?

Torture him, slowly extract the truth.

What if I force the truth into a lie?

Huff~

Huff~

The jukebox spun faster and faster.

The fortune-teller's expression grew calmer.

Li Banfeng's thoughts turned faster than the jukebox.

None of the other magic treasures could devise a solution.

Even Honglian felt torn.

Inside the Sui Shen Ju, an unusual silence fell, the tension thick—until a yawn broke it.

"Are you hungry?"

The Judge's Brush spoke.

He'd rarely said four words.

He seemed to be speaking to the jukebox.

The jukebox was startled: "You're asking me if I'm hungry?"

The Judge's Brush refused to repeat himself: "If hungry, eat."

PS: How pure is the Judge's Brush's way of life!

Gratitude to You Tian Guang, elder brother of Zuo Yehui, the Lazy Cultivation Patriarch.

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(End of chapter)