Chapter 210

Traveling cultivator fourth-layer technique: "Unimpeded Passage."

The key to the technique is "no objects in the eyes, no obstacles in the heart," focusing intent on unimpeded movement.

The key isn't difficult; the difficulty lies in speed and decisiveness.

After executing "Small Steps," one must immediately execute the fourth-layer technique, otherwise, it won't succeed.

How fast is "immediately"?

Li Li Banfeng went to an open space outside the Xiaoyao Dock and found an abandoned shed.

The shed had three rooms, and the partition walls were very thin—just a single layer of bricks, a little over ten centimeters thick.

Li Li Banfeng tried the technique once.

After "Small Steps," no objects in the eyes, no obstacles in the heart, focusing intent...

Bang!

Li Li Banfeng crashed into the wall.

Try again.

Bang!

The wall shook a little, and Li Li Banfeng felt a bit dizzy.

The speed at which "Small Steps" activates is extremely fast, leaving Li Li Banfeng too little time to execute the fourth-layer technique.

Practice again.

Bang!

Who invented this wicked technique that requires "Small Steps" before it can be executed?

An hour later, the technique was half-successful.

What does "half-successful" mean?

Because Li Li Banfeng's lower half had passed through, while his upper half remained outside the wall.

So this is what it feels like to be stuck in a wall.

Such a strong sense of oppression; this is completely different from the feeling of the megaphone.

Tang Dao, it's up to you.

"Lord, tearing down walls isn't really suitable for me."

"I am the master, you are the subject. You keep calling me Lord, yet you won't even open a wall. Where does that leave the word 'loyalty'?"

After some struggle, Tang Dao made a choice favorable to Li Li Banfeng.

There was no help for it; when Li Li Banfeng left the Fool's City, he was too lazy to bring any magic treasures, and no one knew he had learned the Foolish Cultivators' techniques.

The ceremony ended, and Ma Wu sent off the guests, intending to find Li Qi to celebrate, when Xiao Chuanzi came to report: "Seventh Master tore down the shed. I don't know the reason."

Ma Wu hurried to check and saw Li Li Banfeng covered in dust, still standing beside the shed.

"Seventh, what happened to you?"

"This shed is an eyesore," Li Li Banfeng couldn't find a better excuse. "We are going to do big things. Aren't you planning to expand the Xiaoyao Dock? Hurry up and get to work."

Ma Wu looked at the ruins and felt a surge of surprise.

Seventh really is impatient.

But what he said was right; to do things, one must have some boldness.

But the money in the account wasn't enough now, and the businesses in Lanyang Village and Zhengjing Village also needed to be stepped up.

This technique is hard to practice; it's not only hard on the body but also hard on the walls.

Li Li Banfeng wandered around Green Water City, couldn't find a suitable place, so he went to the outskirts, bought a piece of abandoned residential land, and practiced slowly.

He He Jiaqing lay half-propped on his hospital bed, thinking about his next strategy.

He thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a strategy.

"Ma Wu's temperament has actually changed. Does he really not want to return to the Ma family?"

Ling Seeing Ling Miaoying responded: "Ma Wu's temperament might not have changed. I suspect he's been influenced by your friend. In the New Land, they have a ten-li plot; in the remote suburbs, they have Lanyang Village; and now in Green Water City, they have the Xiaoyao Dock.

If things continue this way, Green Water City will have another major player—on the surface it's called the 'Little Ma Family,' but in reality, it's the Li Family."

He He Jiaqing sighed with a smile: "Li Banfeng isn't crazy. Let's not move against him for now. Observe the changes. He's been in Green Water City for less than a year; there are always things he doesn't understand, and there will always be times when he makes a wrong decision."

After spending three days, Li Li Banfeng thoroughly mastered the technique of "Unimpeded Passage." It must be said that the technique had a certain level of difficulty, but it was still much easier than "Trampling Ten Thousand Rivers."

Returning to the Xiaoyao Dock, Li Li Banfeng found a private room to rest, when Ma Wu suddenly entered: "Seventh, I finally found you. I have good news."

"What good news?"

"The Lu family introduced a Customs Official to the Xiaoyao Dock, and we negotiated a deal. As long as we pay a monthly fee, we get the 'Middle-Three-Part' trading rights."

"What is 'Middle-Three-Part' trading rights?"

"The Middle-Three-Part of Green Water City!"

Li Li Banfeng really wanted to find an encyclopedia to read carefully; there were simply too many terms in Green Water City.

"What does 'Middle-Three-Part' mean?"

Ma Wu explained: "The Middle-Three-Part is the most normal territory in Green Water City, and also the territory with the most people. Green Water City, Medicine King Valley, Clear Stream Dock, Yellow Earth Bridge, Black Stone Slope... eighty-one territories, large and small, are called the Middle-Three-Part lands."

Li Li Banfeng asked: "Then what about Sea-Eating Ridge?"

Ma Wu shook his head: "Sea-Eating Ridge isn't in the Middle-Three-Part lands because that territory isn't normal. You haven't stayed in Sea-Eating Ridge, so you might not be clear on the situation. If you stay there for too long, you'll want to eat every three hours."

Of course I've been there, but you don't know; you were busy having fun with Feng Daiku at the time.

Ma Wu continued: "Sea-Eating Ridge, Pants-Belt Ridge, Pillow City, White Falcon Commandery, Sleepless Town... including Three-Head Fork, these places are called the 'Front-Three-Part,' because their territories are special.

We haven't gotten our hands on the Front-Three-Part business yet, but if we interact more with the Customs Official, I estimate we'll have a chance."

Front-Three-Part, Middle-Three-Part.

"What about the remaining four parts?"

"There's also the 'Back-Three-Part'," Ma Wu continued to explain. "Coward's Ridge, Iron Gate Fort, Ink Fragrance Shop, No-Kin Village... these places are called the Back-Three-Part."

"Are they also because their territories are special?"

Ma Wu shook his head: "These places aren't because their territories are special, but because the people are special. Their business is generally hard to do. Once you interact more in the future, you'll understand."

Front-Three-Part, Middle-Three-Part, Back-Three-Part, added together is nine parts.

What about the remaining one part?

Ma Wu said: "There's one part left, called the 'Unknown Land'."

"Unknown? Is it because it doesn't have a name?"

"It's not that it doesn't have a name, it's because it can't be explained clearly. Bitter Vegetable Village is one such type."

Li Li Banfeng thought for a moment, shook his head and said: "Bitter Vegetable Village can be explained clearly. I heard from others that it's very desolate, it's the territory of the Bitter Cultivators, and those who go there have to suffer."

Actually, he didn't hear it from others; it was Li Li Banfeng's personal experience.

Ma Wu nodded: "The matter can be explained, but the location can't be explained clearly. There are routes to Bitter Vegetable Village from all over Green Water City, but no one can say clearly where Bitter Vegetable Village actually is.

If you don't believe me, go buy a map; there isn't a single map that can mark the location of Bitter Vegetable Village. Someone stayed in Bitter Vegetable Village for a period of time just to draw a map, but in the end, they couldn't even measure the size of Bitter Vegetable Village.

There was also someone who sat in a hot air balloon and flew above Bitter Vegetable Village to observe, but the hot air balloon went and never returned."

Li Li Banfeng agreed with this point; he ran all over Bitter Vegetable Village and couldn't find the boundary of Bitter Vegetable Village.

But Yao Lao's map marked the location of Bitter Vegetable Village; although it was just a dot, it was enough to see how precious this map was.

Ma Wu continued: "We won't go to the Unknown Land; there's no business to be done there anyway."

"How can you say there's no business to be done? Can't business be done in Bitter Vegetable Village?"

Ma Wu shook his head: "What business is there to do? They occasionally buy some grain, and they don't buy anything else. Where can't you buy grain? For this little bit of business, it's not worth going to that place.

This time we got the Middle-Three-Part trading rights, so many things can be sold to other places. What I'm optimistic about this time is Black Stone Slope; it is rich in stone materials. Any strange creatures related to stone materials have a market there.

It's just that this market has been controlled by the Lu family for many years, and it's not easy to reach out into it."

Li Li Banfeng frowned: "Is doing business in Black Stone Slope considered prying into the Lu family's territory?"

"It is, but this is Monkey Qiu actively asking me to pry."

"Monkey Qiu actively asking you to pry into the Lu family's territory?" Li Li Banfeng was confused.

"The business in Black Stone Slope is all in the hands of Lu Lu Maoxian. Buying stone materials and stone tools, selling grain and rare treasures—one in and one out, the profit is very generous. Uncle Qiu wants us to reach out there to contain Lu Lu Maoxian.

But Lu Lu Maoxian isn't a pushover either. I plan to take Old Zuo and A-Qin to Black Stone Slope first to explore the market. If Lu Lu Maoxian strikes hard, we really wouldn't dare to act rashly."

"A-Qin? Can she leave the New Land?"

"She can't," Ma Wu was also troubled by this. "I plan to discuss it with Qiu Guogua Qiu Daxiang to see if A-Qin's contract can be relaxed a bit."

Li Li Banfeng waved his hand: "Is Qiu Guogua Qiu Daxiang that easy to talk to? Someone who gets hot-headed over a small matter—why are you provoking him?

Besides, there's a boundary between the New Land and the Proper Land. A-Qin is a strange creature; even if Qiu Guogua Qiu Daxiang agrees, A-Qin can't just enter the Proper Land."

Ma Wu said: "I found a book that records it; it seems there's a way..."

"Stop messing around. Even if there's a way, it's not a way we can use."

The lady said that strange creatures can't just come to the Proper Land, otherwise, they will anger the Local Deity.

The Local Deities of the Proper Land are not to be trifled with. Bringing A-Qin to Lanyang Village will only attract the Green Flower.

"Besides, if you leave, what about the Xiaoyao Dock?"

Ma Wu smacked his lips: "This matter has to rely on you, Seventh. You help me manage it first..."

"How would I know how to manage this?"

"Actually, it's not difficult; there are tricks to it..."

"Even if there are tricks, it won't work!" The key problem isn't the Xiaoyao Dock; it's that Li Li Banfeng doesn't want to continue staying in Green Water City.

The previous incident in the Fool's City taught him a lesson. His reputation in Green Water City is already quite big. Whether it's the New Land, the Old Land, or the Proper Land, there are people who know him. It's time to change places.

"I'll go to Black Stone Slope. I don't need to bring any support; just one person is enough."

Ma Wu shook his head repeatedly: "This is pure nonsense. You going to Black Stone Slope alone—isn't this playing with your life?"

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "Old Wu, you haven't thought this through. We are going to scout the path, not to fight a war.

If it were a war, we would need to bring more people. If it's scouting, one person is just right—quietly scouting out the information."

Ma Wu thought for a long time and shook his head: "No, you going alone definitely won't work."

Li Li Banfeng lit a cigarette: "Just listen to me. This matter is settled. Can you get a travel permit for Black Stone Slope?"

"That's easy to handle. Now that we are different from before, a travel permit is just a matter of a single sentence."

"Can you get a travel permit for the Outer State?"

Ma Wu was stunned, looking at Li Li Banfeng: "Seventh, are you still thinking about returning to the Outer State?"

"It's nothing, just asking," Li Li Banfeng said, holding the cigarette. "It's not the time yet. We'll talk about it if there's a chance in the future."

"Ma Wu got a travel permit and is going to Black Stone Slope?" He He Jiaqing received the news from Ling Seeing Ling Miaoying and thought for a moment before asking, "How many people did he bring?"

"According to the news I currently have, he only bought one train ticket."

"One train ticket? Ma Wu is going to Black Stone Slope alone? Is he courting death?" He He Jiaqing shook his head. "The person going probably isn't him, but my friend. He likes to act alone. What time is the train?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Are you confident you can capture him alive on the train?"

"If he gets on a real train, I'm not confident. If he gets on my train, I'm eighty percent confident. The remaining twenty percent depends on your friend's cultivation."

He He Jiaqing calculated carefully: "Although he has that item, he entered the gate too late. I estimate his cultivation won't exceed the third layer."

"Then it's easy to handle. As long as he doesn't know fourth-layer techniques, I have a hundred percent confidence in capturing him alive."

He He Jiaqing was somewhat worried: "Can we wait until he reaches Black Stone Slope before acting? The situation in Green Water City is too complex; I'm afraid of accidents."

"I'm not familiar with Black Stone Slope, and making various preparations will be difficult. If the layout isn't thorough, things might go wrong."

"Then let's do it at the Green Water City station!"

"What if Ma Wu goes to see him off?"

"Kill him! Ma Wu doesn't need to be captured alive."

PS: Lu Lu Dongjun was killed by Ling Seeing Ling Miaoying at the train station. Using a fake train to lure the enemy into a trap is one of Ling Seeing Ling Miaoying's most skilled methods.

(Chapter end)