Chapter 22: The Leaving Suishenju

The Peddler was about to leave, so Li Li Banfeng hurriedly asked: "When will you come next time?"

"Once every three months. The date doesn't change, the place doesn't change. Do you have anything else?"

Once every three months.

In three months, I don't even know if I'll still be in this place.

The opportunity is rare; I have to buy something.

"I'll buy two candles!"

The small room is too dark; candles are a must.

The Peddler handed the two candles to Li Li Banfeng. "Do you want matches?"

Matches are matches.

Li Li Banfeng originally had a lighter, but it was shaken off on the road.

"Give me a box."

"Two candles and a box of matches—are you paying in Da Huan currency or silver dollars?"

Li Li Banfeng gave a simple, honest smile: "Do you still want money?"

The Peddler's brows stood up: "Why wouldn't I!"

Twenty cents for a candle, five cents for a box of matches. Li Li Banfeng didn't have small change, so he gave a one-hundred-yuan note.

The Peddler actually managed to give change, giving a large handful of small change, even including fractional coins that had been lost for many years.

Money and goods were cleared, and the Peddler left.

Li Li Banfeng was in a bind.

Without a mobile phone and being unfamiliar with the place, where could he go to find He He Jiaqing?

He had experienced too many things today. Although he had fainted twice, Li Li Banfeng still felt sleepy.

And he hadn't eaten much today either.

He opened his "residence" with the brass key. Before entering the door, he threw the key into the wild grass. It was hidden enough and easy to find; within five meters, he never missed.

Entering the pitch-black room, Li Li Banfeng lit the candles he had bought, took off his backpack, and rubbed his sore shoulders.

From getting off the train until now, Li Li Banfeng had been carrying the backpack. Other things were easy to talk about, but the copper lotus was simply too heavy.

Opening the backpack, he opened a box of instant noodles and ate them dry.

He had no water on him. Fortunately, he had drunk two bowls of fruit dew earlier, so it wasn't too thirsty.

While eating and recalling the things that happened today, Li Li Banfeng felt that his mental problems had signs of recovery.

I was hit by the sky light after getting off the train

As soon as he stepped out, he couldn't move and was hunted by two Forward Caps.

He inexplicably became a cultivator of two incompatible sects and even obtained a mobile house.

If anyone dares to call me a madman in the future, is there any experience crazier than this?

If I can't find He He Jiaqing, what should I do?

Go back to the train station, buy a ticket, and head straight back to Yuezhou?

What am I thinking? I've already reached Yaowang Valley; how can I just go back like this? Find a place, charge my phone, and won't the problem be solved?

Li Li Banfeng rested his head on his backpack and lay down on the cold ground.

This room is a bit dark and a bit small, but it's actually quite nice.

From now on, let's call it "Portable Abode."

This is my house.

I have a house now.

Li Li Banfeng's brow smoothed, and a trace of a smile appeared.

Even though he didn't know what He He Jiaqing's current situation was.

Even though he didn't know exactly where he was.

Li Li Banfeng was in a great mood.

He fell into a deep sleep in the "Portable Abode." When he woke up, he didn't know what time it was. Li Li Banfeng had no watch, his phone was dead, and no daylight could be seen in the room; he seemed to have lost all sense of time.

The cold, hard ground left Li Li Banfeng's whole body aching. He rubbed his neck and stretched his limbs.

Crack! His bones were bent until they hurt.

Li Li Banfeng suddenly felt that his strength was much greater than usual.

Is there strength surging within my body?

Is this what the Peddler meant by "recognizing the house"?

Li Li Banfeng was filled with joy. He walked a few laps inside the Portable Abode and indeed felt his body was much lighter and his steps much swifter.

He changed into a shirt and trousers.

Compared to a T-shirt, the shirt was clearly less out of place.

He still had to carry the backpack, but he wouldn't put anything inside it.

Since he wasn't putting anything in it, why carry an empty bag?

Li Li Banfeng had his own plans here.

The two Forward Caps he met at the station were after him, but Li Li Banfeng racked his brains and couldn't think of any connection between himself and them.

This was Li Li Banfeng's first time stepping foot in Puluo Continent; the only possible connection was the Copper Lotus.

The Copper Lotus was He He Jiaqing's treasure. He He Jiaqing was from Puluo Continent, so someone in Puluo Continent must know of the Copper Lotus's existence.

Someone wanted to snatch this treasure, so they set their sights on me.

If I get targeted by this group again, the best way to escape is to give them the backpack as bait and then take the opportunity to run away.

The backpack was torn when it got stuck under the sleeper berth. When Li Li Banfeng pulled hard, many places came unstitched.

Being torn didn't matter; it wouldn't hinder serious business.

After leaving the Portable Abode, Li Li Banfeng didn't forget the Peddler's instructions; the first thing to do was to retrieve the key.

He was about to lower his head to pick up the key, but discovered he was no longer in yesterday's wilderness.

Before his eyes, it was still pitch black; he could see neither night nor daylight.

Could it be that I didn't walk out of the Portable Abode?

Li Li Banfeng was startled, thinking he was trapped in the house, but he soon calmed down.

This wasn't the Portable Abode. Although he couldn't see anything here either, the scent was different from the house.

The Portable Abode hadn't been lived in for too long; it only had a smell of dust.

The air here seemed fresher, with the scent of nature, especially that fresh, fishy, musky odor.

Moreover, it wasn't completely devoid of light here; the light was just very faint.

Having slept for a night in a completely dark house, Li Li Banfeng's vision was very sensitive. Borrowing the faint light, he saw some outlines.

Stones.

Rock walls.

This seems to be a mountain cave.

Could it be the lair of some wild beast...

Li Li Banfeng guessed right; beside him, two ghostly green eyes slowly opened.

The moment he saw those eyes, Li Li Banfeng took to his heels.

Roar!

A muffled roar came from behind him, and Li Li Banfeng immediately heard heavy breathing and footsteps.

What kind of animal is this?

Judging by the footsteps, it should be quite large.

Where am I running to?

Am I running toward the cave entrance?

What if I run into a dead end?

Why did I come into this cave?

Did this beast ambush me here on purpose?

Have I been plotted against again?

A series of questions rolled through his mind. As he ran, the answers were revealed one after another.

First, Li Li Banfeng hadn't run in the wrong direction; he saw the light ahead. He was indeed running toward the cave entrance.

As for why he could choose the right direction, Li Li Banfeng had no time to think.

That glimmer of light was very small, proving the cave entrance was very far away.

In the slippery mountain cave, Li Li Banfeng didn't think he could outrun a wild beast.

But facts proved he could outrun it!

The cave was indeed slippery, but Li Li Banfeng's steps were steady and fast. Until he rushed out of the cave entrance, the beast never managed to catch up to him.

After reaching the outside of the cave and running for another few dozen meters, the beast finally stumbled out of the cave.

Li Li Banfeng looked back; it was a bear, a giant black bear on all fours, its height comparable to Li Li Banfeng's shoulders.

Li Li Banfeng had seen many bears in zoos, but he had never seen such an exaggerated size. Li Li Banfeng ran for his life, just wanting to shake off this black bear as much as possible.

But this didn't seem so difficult.

On the rugged mountain road, Li Li Banfeng ran fast. The black bear chased for a moment and gradually slowed its pace.

It stopped chasing because it couldn't catch up.

The black bear, having lost its prey, was very unwilling, but it wasn't stubborn. It roared twice at Li Li Banfeng's back and turned back into the cave.

It stopped chasing!

I succeeded!

Surviving a disaster, Li Li Banfeng was overjoyed!

I succeeded!

Did I really succeed?

If I saved this life, then it really counts as a success.

But what about the key?

Li Li Banfeng turned his head and looked at the black bear's back.

Although the distance was far, Li Li Banfeng's vision was much better than before.

He saw a faint golden light flickering on the black bear's back.

The key was stuck to the black bear's back.

PS: There will be another chapter at 5 PM.

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(End of Chapter)