Chapter 210: Pulu

Level-four Wu Xiu technique: unimpeded passage.

The key is to see nothing in the eyes, feel no obstruction in the heart, and concentrate intent on smooth movement.

The principle is not hard; the difficulty lies in speed and decisiveness.

After taking a small step, one must immediately activate the fourth-level technique, or it will fail.

How fast is "immediately"?

Li Banfeng went to an open area outside Xiaoyao Wu and found an abandoned workshop.

The workshop had three rooms; the partition walls were thin—just a single layer of brick, slightly over ten centimeters thick.

Li Banfeng tried the technique once.

After the small step, he saw nothing in his eyes, felt no obstruction in his heart, concentrated his intent…

Thud!

Li Banfeng crashed into the wall.

Try again.

Thud!

The wall shook slightly; Li Banfeng felt dizzy.

The small step was too fast, leaving Li Banfeng insufficient time to activate the fourth-level technique.

Practice again.

Thud!

Who invented this cruel technique, requiring a small step before activation?

…

An hour later, the technique was half-successful.

What does "half-successful" mean?

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

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

Such intense pressure—it's nothing like the sensation of the megaphone.

Tang Dao, your turn.

"Master, tearing down walls isn't really my kind of task."

"I am the master, you are the servant. You call me Master yet refuse to break a wall—where then is your loyalty?"

After much deliberation, Tang Dao made the choice favorable to Li Banfeng.

There was no choice: when Li Banfeng left Fool's City, he hadn't bothered to bring a single magic treasure; no one knew he had learned the Fool Cultivator's techniques.

…

After the ceremony ended, Ma Wu saw off the guests and was about to find Li Qi to celebrate when Xiao Chuan reported: "Seventh Master tore down the workshop—no one knows why."

Ma Wu hurried over and found Li Banfeng standing beside the ruins, covered in dust.

"Old Seven, what happened?"

"That workshop is an eyesore," Li Banfeng could think of no better excuse, "we're here to do great things. Aren't you planning to expand Xiaoyao Wu? Get started."

Ma Wu stared at the rubble, astonished.

Old Seven really is impatient.

But he's right—doing things requires boldness.

Still, the treasury is low, and business in Lanyang Village and Zhengjing Village must be accelerated.

…

This technique is hard to master—not only does it wear out the body, it wears out walls too.

Li Banfeng wandered through Lüshui City but found no suitable place; he went to the outskirts and bought a cluster of abandoned homes to practice slowly.

…

He Jiaqing sat half-upright on his bed, pondering his next move.

He thought long and hard but found no solution.

"Has Ma Wu really changed? Does he truly not want to return to the Ma family?"

Ling Miaoying replied: "Ma Wu's nature may not have changed—I suspect he's been influenced by your friend. In the New Lands, they hold ten li of land; in the remote outskirts, they control Lanyang Village; now in Lüshui City, they've taken Xiaoyao Wu.

If this continues, Pulu Province will gain another household—officially called Little Ma Family, but in truth, it's the Li family."

He Jiaqing sighed with a smile: "Banfeng isn't mad yet. Don't act against him yet. Observe. He's been in Pulu Province less than a year—there are things he doesn't understand, mistakes he'll make."

…

After three days, Li Banfeng fully mastered the Unimpeded Passage technique. To be fair, it had some difficulty, but it was far easier than Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers.

Back at Xiaoyao Wu, Li Banfeng found a private room to rest when Ma Wu burst in: "Old Seven, there you are—I've got good news."

"What good news?"

"The Lu family introduced a Border Guard Officer to Xiaoyao Wu. He negotiated a deal: if we pay a monthly fee, we get Middle Third trade rights."

"What are Middle Third trade rights?"

"The Middle Third of Pulu Province!"

Li Banfeng really wanted a comprehensive encyclopedia—Pulu Province had too many terms.

"What does 'Middle Third' mean?"

Ma Wu explained: "The Middle Third is the most ordinary territory in Pulu Province, the most populous—Lüshui City, Yaowang Gou, Qingliu Wu, Huangtu Bridge, Heishipō… eighty-one territories large and small—that's the Middle Third."

Li Banfeng asked: "What about Haichiling?"

Ma Wu shook his head: "Haichiling isn't in the Middle Third—it's abnormal. You haven't been there, so you don't know: stay too long, and you'll want to eat within three hours."

I've been there, of course—you just didn't know you were having fun with Feng Daiku at the time.

Ma Wu continued: "Haichiling, Kudai Kan, Zhen Tou Cheng, Baishun Jun, Wumian Zhen… including Santou Cha—all these are the Front Third, because their territories are unusual."

"We haven't secured Front Third trade yet, but if we build ties with the Border Guard Officer, we might get a chance."

Front Third, Middle Third.

"What about the remaining fourth?"

"There's the Back Third," Ma Wu continued. "Jianren Gang, Tiemenbao, Moxiang Dian, Wuqin Xiang… these are the Back Third."

"Are they unusual because of their territory?"

Ma Wu shook his head: "They're not unusual because of territory—they're unusual because of the people. Their businesses are generally hard to run. You'll understand once you get more exposure."

Front Third, Middle Third, Back Third—add up to nine parts.

What about the remaining one?

Ma Wu said: "The last one is called the Unknown Territory."

"Unknown? Because it has no name?"

"Not because it has no name—because it can't be explained. Kucai Zhuang is one such place."

Li Banfeng thought a moment, then shook his head: "Kucai Zhuang can be explained. I've heard others say it's extremely desolate—the domain of Kuxiu. Everyone who goes there suffers."

Actually, he hadn't heard it from others—he'd experienced it himself.

Ma Wu nodded: "The event can be explained, but the place cannot. Routes to Kucai Zhuang exist across Pulu Province, yet no one can say exactly where it is."

"Try buying a map—none show Kucai Zhuang's location. Someone lived there for a while just to map it, but couldn't even measure its size."

"Another rode a hot-air balloon over Kucai Zhuang to observe—never returned."

Li Banfeng agreed—he'd run all over Kucai Zhuang and never found its boundary.

But Yao Lao's map marked Kucai Zhuang's location—a single dot, yet enough to show how precious the map was.

Ma Wu continued: "We won't go to the Unknown Territory—there's no business there."

"How can you say there's no business? Can't we trade at Kucai Zhuang?"

Ma Wu shook his head: "What trade? They only occasionally buy grain. Where else can't you get grain? Not worth the risk for such a small profit."

"Now that we've secured Middle Third trade rights, we can sell many things elsewhere. I'm eyeing Heishipō—it produces abundant stone. Any stone-related oddities sell well there."

"But that market has long been controlled by the Lu family. Getting in won't be easy."

Li Banfeng frowned: "Doing business in Heishipō—isn't that prying into the Lu family's territory?"

"Yes—but Monkey Qiu actively told me to do it."

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

"All Heishipō business is held by Lu Maoxian—buying stone and stone tools, selling grain and rare treasures. The profit margin is enormous. Uncle Qiu wants us to reach in and distract Lu Maoxian."

"But Lu Maoxian isn't harmless. I plan to take Old Zuo and A Qin to Heishipō first to scout. If Lu Maoxian moves to crush us, we dare not act rashly."

"A Qin? Can she leave the New Lands?"

"She can't," Ma Wu sighed. "I'm going to ask Qiu Daxiang to loosen A Qin's contract terms."

Li Banfeng waved his hand: "Is Qiu Daxiang easy to persuade? He's the type who flies off the handle over minor things—why provoke him?"

"Besides, there's a boundary between the New Lands and the Proper Lands. A Qin is an oddity—even if Qiu Daxiang agrees, she can't freely enter the Proper Lands."

Ma Wu said: "I found a book—it mentions a possible method…"

"Don't be ridiculous. Even if there's a method, it's not one we can use."

Madam said: oddities must not enter the Proper Lands lightly, or they'll anger the local gods.

The local gods of the Proper Lands are not to be trifled with. Bringing A Qin to Lanyang Village might draw the Green Flowers.

"Besides, if you leave, who runs Xiaoyao Wu?"

Ma Wu licked his lips: "That's up to you, Old Seven—you'll have to manage it for me…"

"How would I know how to run this?"

"Actually, it's not hard—there's a trick to it…"

"Even if there's a trick, it won't work!" The real issue isn't Xiaoyao Wu —it's that Li Banfeng doesn't want to stay in Lüshui City.

The incident at Yuren City taught him a lesson; his name is already well-known in Lüshui City, recognized by people from the New Lands, the Old Soil, and the Proper Lands alike—it's time to move on.

"I'm going to Heishipo alone. No need to bring a team—I'll go by myself."

Ma Wu shook his head repeatedly: "This is pure nonsense. You going to Heishipo alone? That's asking for death!"

Li Banfeng shook his head: "Wu, you're not seeing this right. We're not going to fight—we're going to scout."

"If we were fighting, we'd need more men. But if we're scouting, one person is perfect—quiet, unseen, gathering the information we need."

Ma Wu thought for a long while, then shook his head: "No, you absolutely cannot go alone."

Li Banfeng lit a cigarette: "Just trust me. It's settled. Can you get me a travel permit to Heishipo?"

"That's easy. We're not what we used to be—getting one permit is just a word."

"Can you get me a permit to leave the Outer Province?"

Ma Wu froze, staring at Li Banfeng: "Old Seven, you're still thinking of going back to the Outer Province?"

"No big deal, just asking," Li Banfeng said, holding the cigarette between his fingers. "It's not the right time yet. We'll talk about it later if the chance comes."

…

"Ma Wu got a travel permit to go to Heishipo?" He Jiaqing received Ling Miaoying's message, paused, then asked, "How many people is he taking?"

"According to what I've got so far, he bought only one train ticket."

"One ticket? Ma Wu is going to Heishipo alone? Is he trying to get himself killed?" He Jiaqing shook his head. "The one going isn't him—it's my friend. He always works alone. What time's the train?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Can you capture him alive on the train?"

"If he boards the real train, I can't guarantee it. But if he boards my train, I've got an 80% chance. The remaining 20% depends on your friend's cultivation level."

He Jiaqing calculated carefully: "Even though he has that item, he started too late—I estimate his level won't exceed the third tier."

"Then it's simple. As long as he doesn't know fourth-tier techniques, I've got a 100% chance of capturing him alive."

He Jiaqing frowned: "Can't we wait until he reaches Heishipo? Lüshui City is too complicated—I'm afraid of accidents."

"I'm not familiar with Heishipo. Preparing everything properly would be difficult. If I miss anything, the plan could fail."

"Then do it at the Lüshui City train station!"

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

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

PS: Lu Dongliang was killed by Ling Miaoying at the train station using a fake train as bait—this is one of Ling Miaoying's most favored tactics.

(End of Chapter)