Chapter 219: A Good Subordinate

Wu Yongchao brought Li Banfeng to Fort Master Zhou's residence.

Fort Master Zhou's residence was in the depths of the valley and was much larger than other Residential Cultivators' homes: a five-story vermilion building, plus two three-story side buildings, forming a large courtyard, with many small courtyards and foreign-style houses nested around the courtyard.

Wu Yongchao said: "Every year we have to pay money and provide people to build the Fort Master's house. Ma Dingfu and the others always say, the larger the Fort Master's house, the higher the cultivation, and the better the days in Tiemenbao will be."

Li Banfeng laughed: "Ma Dingfu is truly a good subordinate."

Lights turned on in the main building. Wu Yongchao lowered his voice: "This should be the Fort Master's family."

Li Banfeng looked at the number of lights and asked: "Isn't your Fort Master a Residential Cultivator? His family is quite numerous. Can the House Spirit tolerate so many outsiders?"

Wu Yongchao said: "The Fort Master also once warned us, saying Residential Cultivators shouldn't start families, otherwise it would delay cultivation. He set a rule that Residential Cultivators in Tiemenbao cannot start families.

But he himself married over thirty wives. Many people can't figure this out.

But Ma Dingfu and the others said, don't apply the Fort Master's rules to the Fort Master. The Fort Master is different from us.

The Fort Master setting rules is for our own good; we don't need to worry about the Fort Master's affairs."

Li Banfeng sighed again: "This Ma Dingfu is truly a..."

Wait...

Li Banfeng heard Ma Dingfu's shouting through the Silk Earring.

There were at least five other people shouting with him; the sound sounded like they were on a battlefield, at the moment of a decisive battle.

One against five.

How to achieve this technically?

Li Banfeng looked at Wu Yongchao and asked: "How many wives did you just say the Fort Master had?"

"Thirty-two or thirty-five, I don't remember. Some say thirty-eight; I can't remember clearly."

Fort Master Zhou just died, and Ma Dingfu used five at once?

This subordinate Ma Dingfu doesn't seem that loyal either.

Li Banfeng had Wu Yongchao keep watch nearby, and he snuck into the main building.

He wasn't familiar with the layout of the main building, but bringing Wu Yongchao was useless; Wu Yongchao wasn't familiar with it either. Except for his own house, he wasn't familiar with anywhere else.

According to Li Banfeng's speculation, most secrets are hidden on the top floor, because fewer people go to the top floor than the first floor.

One thing Li Banfeng is most worried about now is that Fort Master Zhou isn't dead, or isn't dead thoroughly.

He still hasn't figured out why Luo Dagui was still talking to Zhou Anju before he died. Even if Luo Dagui could change his voice, the two voices didn't come from the same source.

Luo Dagui's voice came from the large horn he carried.

Zhou Anju's voice came from the depths of the valley.

After searching three rooms on the top floor, Li Banfeng found the answer.

In the third room was a huge bellows phonograph.

Beside the phonograph was a stack of records.

The horn of this phonograph had a diameter of over one meter. It was usually hidden behind curtains, and with some decorative camouflage, the situation inside couldn't be seen from outside the window at all.

Li Banfeng took the stack of records back to the Personal Residence and had the wife play them one by one.

"Gunnery Chief Luo, coming to my Tiemenbao, what business do you have?"

"We are all poor people; you demand ten thousand *yang* in one breath, we can't take it out!"

"Gunnery Chief Luo, you're ruthless enough. I, Zhou, am afraid of you..."

Li Banfeng understood, understood everything.

No wonder that last sentence didn't match the situation at the time; Luo Dagui clearly hadn't done anything, yet Fort Master Zhou said he was afraid of him.

Fort Master Zhou used this phonograph to record his voice in advance, then used the means of voice-changing techniques to impersonate Gunnery Chief Luo outside the valley, completing a dialogue where he played both parts.

Why didn't he put the phonograph outside the valley and stay in the fort to play both parts himself?

One reason is that the phonograph is larger than the large horn and not convenient to move.

Another reason is that the situation outside the valley is complex; if he didn't go himself, it would be hard to deal with emergencies.

Swindler's tricks, all swindler's tricks.

It doesn't sound very clever, but it cheated a group of Residential Cultivators with not-low levels for decades.

Who did he learn voice-changing techniques from?

Fort Master Zhou's and Gunnery Chief Luo's voices had no similarity at all.

Besides using techniques, there should be spiritual objects or magic treasures for voice-changing on Zhou Anju.

Spiritual objects or magic treasures...

Spiritual objects that change voices.

I don't know if Li Banfeng is overthinking, but every time he encounters spiritual objects that change sound and shadow, he always thinks of the Ling family.

Thinking of the Ling family makes him think of the hook.

Am I being too cautious?

Li Banfeng pushed the wind-up phonograph out of the Personal Residence, pressed the volume to the lowest, and played a song, "Fake Serious."

*Ding-ling~*

With a crisp sound, the hook broke.

There really was a hook on Zhou Anju's phonograph!

This was a very delicate hook, completely different from the crude hook of Lu Xiaolan. If Lu Xiaolan's hook had broken, the sound would have been louder than a gunshot.

This matter wouldn't really have anything to do with the Ling family, would it?

Having cut the hook, Li Banfeng felt much more at ease.

He found quite a few empty records in Zhou Anju's room and brought them back to the Personal Residence: "Wife, can you record a few more for me according to his voice?"

"Oh, husband, that's easy to say; little slave has two trays!"

Li Banfeng placed two records on the two trays respectively. The wife compared Zhou Anju's voice and, according to Li Banfeng's instructions, engraved a few more records.

Ma Dingfu finished his business and called Fort Master Zhou's butler over.

"Old He, tell the other wives not to worry; I definitely won't treat them unfairly."

The butler nodded repeatedly.

"Also, I plan to pick two and send them to you. This isn't what I picked over; I see two wives whose temperaments are truly a match for yours."

The butler bowed quickly: "Thank you, Fort Master, for your favor."

"The stronghold still has to send people over in two days. Don't say what shouldn't be said, don't ask what shouldn't be asked. You are the Fort Master's butler; the stronghold's affairs have nothing to do with you."

"I understand all this. Fort Master Zhou used to explain it all, that..." The butler accidentally mentioned Fort Master Zhou, afraid the newly appointed Fort Master Ma would be unhappy, and hurriedly closed his mouth.

Seeing this, Ma Dingfu laughed: "Old He, you're overthinking. I'm not that petty. At tomorrow's banquet, I have to toast Fort Master Zhou specially.

Don't look at Fort Master Zhou having no cultivation; his inner cultivation is truly too high. For so many years, I was brought out by him bit by bit!

Let me tell you, inner cultivation is really better than outer cultivation. Old He, don't look at you having fifth-layer cultivation; in front of Fort Master Zhou, do you dare to have half a temper?

Let alone the fifth layer, even if an eighth-layer cultivator came, in front of our Fort Master Zhou, they would have to bow and listen to orders, have to lower their heads and act small!

My admiration for Fort Master Zhou comes from the bottom of my heart!"

Butler He nodded repeatedly: "Fort Master Ma doesn't forget old feelings. Having a Fort Master like you is the blessing of our Tiemenbao!"

Ma Dingfu laughed: "Can't say it like that. The matter isn't finished yet; the name isn't legitimate, the words aren't smooth.

For the banquet in three days, prepare the roster. Who came, who didn't, who brought how much sincerity—record it all clearly.

I'm not someone who likes to haggle, but some things must be kept in mind..."

Li Banfeng crouched on the roof, wearing the Silk Earring, listening clearly to every word.

This Butler He is a fifth-layer cultivator.

But I don't know what path he is on.

No wonder Fort Master Zhou didn't allow anyone above the fourth layer in the fort.

Butler He is his strongest combat power.

A fifth-layer cultivator acting as a butler for a white bastard?

Li Banfeng admired the means of Deception Cultivator more and more...

Wait, there are variables here.

According to Wu Yongchao, Fort Master Zhou set the rule over ten years ago that there could be no Residential Cultivators above the fourth layer in Tiemenbao.

Over ten years ago, Butler He was already fifth layer.

What about now?

Could it be more than the fifth layer?

This is hard to say.

Strange, this Butler He has such strong strength; why didn't Zhou Anju take him out to do things?

At the valley entrance, if Old He had been by Zhou Anju's side, I might not have been able to kill him.

There's a reason for this.

Three days later, Tiemenbao held a banquet. Butler Old He held the account book at the gate to collect gifts. Those with over one silver dollar were recorded in one book, and those under one silver dollar were recorded in another.

Those who didn't come were checked one by one from the roster of Tiemenbao. Once the Fort Master's status was confirmed, Ma Dingfu would clean them up one by one.

He thought Wu Yongchao wouldn't come, but it turned out he really did.

He sent a gift of two silver dollars, and the butler specifically told Ma Dingfu about this.

Ma Dingfu sneered: "Know fear now? Too late. Are two silver dollars enough to buy his life?"

"You mean to do it today."

Ma Dingfu shook his head: "On such a good day, can't ruin the mood. Wait two more days."

Old He nodded repeatedly: "All listen to the Fort Master."

Look how obedient this butler is.

Zhou Anju is really something; such an obedient person, yet he couldn't trust him.

He doesn't take him out when going out, doesn't use him when killing, only lets him guard the house. I really don't know what he was thinking.

The banquet began, and Ma Dingfu raised his glass to toast.

The first toast was to the deceased Fort Master Zhou.

"Fort Master Zhou worked hard for our Tiemenbao for a lifetime, suffered for a lifetime. For us, he gave his life.

Without Fort Master Zhou, there would be no Tiemenbao. But our Fort Master Zhou hasn't even had his corpse fully recovered. Thinking of this, I feel uncomfortable in my heart..."

Speaking of this, Ma Dingfu choked up, tears streaming down, unable to speak for a long time: "I, I think of this, I, I..."

"You occupied my house, slept with my wife, and even slept with five at once!" Fort Master Zhou's voice suddenly sounded, echoing throughout the building, echoing throughout Tiemenbao.

Ma Dingfu's hand trembled, and the wine glass fell to the ground.

Everyone's gaze was focused on Ma Dingfu.

He slept with Fort Master Zhou's wife?

He occupied Fort Master Zhou's house?

The young Residential Cultivators found it unbelievable; Fort Master Zhou's bones weren't even cold yet!

The older Residential Cultivators were indifferent, feeling that the new Fort Master taking over the old Fort Master's property was reasonable.

The key is, wasn't Fort Master Zhou dead? Why did he suddenly speak again?

Is this a manifestation of a ghost?

"Who, who is impersonating Fort Master Zhou? You, you are framing me..." Ma Dingfu regained his senses and hurriedly defended himself.

Fort Master Zhou's voice sounded again: "Little Ma, I let you go up the mountain to move reinforcements; why didn't you go?

We worked to the death for Flying Eagle Mountain for a lifetime. Now that I've had an accident, you come to grab the position. Don't you care about the rules on the mountain anymore?"

"Who! Who entered our fort? Who is trying to frame me? Old He, go up and take a look!"

Butler He went upstairs.

Ma Dingfu was terrified; no matter how he defended himself, everyone's gaze was always focused on him.

Whether old or young, all Residential Cultivators were no longer indifferent.

Ma Dingfu slept with the former Fort Master's wife—this could be ignored.

But they colluded with Flying Eagle Mountain and conspired to calculate against Tiemenbao—this couldn't be ignored.

Ma Dingfu held a banquet and gathered us together; was it to collude with Flying Eagle Mountain and kill us?

This must be fought to the death!

Li Banfeng was on the top floor of the building, operating the phonograph.

Zhou Anju was a person from Flying Eagle Mountain; Li Banfeng was very sure of this.

Ma Dingfu was also a person from Flying Eagle Mountain; this was inferred by Li Banfeng.

Ma Dingfu was going to collude with Flying Eagle Mountain tonight to kill—this was fabricated by Li Banfeng.

But this fabrication was reasonable.

Separated by a big iron gate, Zhou Anju used a group of bandits from Flying Eagle Mountain to deter Tiemenbao for decades.

The bandits of Flying Eagle Mountain are so easy to use; you, Zhou Anju, can use them, so why can't I!

"Zhou Anju" was still speaking: "Little Ma, the stronghold master and the others have already come, and you have gathered this group of Residential Cultivators. It's time for us to act.

Now is your chance to make up for your crimes. If this matter is done, I won't hold you accountable for your previous actions!"

Ma Dingfu looked at the group of Residential Cultivators and shook his head repeatedly: "This is someone spreading rumors; can't you hear it?"

The Residential Cultivators didn't know if this was a rumor.

They heard Fort Master Zhou's voice.

They were very afraid.

They were very conflicted.

They were very angry.

PS: Butler He went upstairs; this person is not easy to deal with. Residential Cultivator civil war, Banfeng is very hard to fight.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 220 =====