Chapter 23

How could the key be on the bear's back?

If you think about this question a little, you can think of the answer.

Before Li Li Banfeng entered the door, he threw the key into the tall grass.

This bear went into the tall grass to scratch an itch, happened to rub the key away, and carried the key all the way back to its cave.

The Portable Abode follows the key, so Li Li Banfeng and the Portable Abode followed the black bear to the cave.

The key question now is, how to get the key off the bear's back?

Seeing the black bear about to return to the cave, Li Li Banfeng hurried to catch up, picked up a stone, and threw it at the bear's back.

He couldn't let the black bear enter the cave. If the key fell into the pitch-black cave, the difficulty of finding it again would be too great.

Li Li Banfeng wanted to use this stone to knock the key off.

Unfortunately, this wasn't within five meters; he was dozens of meters away from the black bear, so just hitting the black bear was already quite an achievement.

The stone didn't hit the key but struck the back of the black bear's head.

The black bear took a heavy blow, roared, turned around, and chased Li Li Banfeng.

Li Li Banfeng also ran. The black bear chased for a while, found it still couldn't catch up, stood up on its hind legs, hung its front legs in front of its chest, and roared angrily at Li Li Banfeng.

This was a stern warning from a bear-family animal; approach it one more time, and it will surely make you pay with your life.

After the warning, the black bear lowered its front limbs, lay on the ground again, and just as it turned to walk toward the cave, the back of its head was hit by another stone.

Li Li Banfeng wanted to hit the key, but he couldn't control the force in his hand, always hitting the back of the black bear's head.

The furious black bear gathered its strength, knocked down a tree next to the cave, and showed off its power to Li Li Banfeng.

Taking advantage of the black bear turning around, Li Li Banfeng threw another stone at it, hitting the back of its head again.

The black bear shook its head, somewhat bewildered.

Li Li Banfeng looked at the key on the bear's back, feeling somewhat anxious.

The black bear rushed over, Li Li Banfeng immediately ran away; whenever the black bear turned around, Li Li Banfeng threw a stone.

After throwing sixteen stones in succession, the black bear stopped chasing and didn't return to the cave; it lay on the ground and stopped moving.

Li Li Banfeng walked up close and found the black bear wasn't dead, nor was it unconscious; it had its eyes open, was still breathing, and the back of its head was blood-red.

Has it given up on itself?

Li Li Banfeng picked up a stone.

The black bear roared and immediately climbed up.

Li Li Banfeng put the stone down.

The black bear lay back on the ground, motionless.

According to Li Li Banfeng's understanding, this meant: don't throw stones, we can discuss things.

Li Li Banfeng plucked up his courage, came behind the black bear, grabbed the key, and turned to run.

Not until Li Li Banfeng's figure completely disappeared did the black bear climb up from the ground and slowly crawl back into the cave.

Li Li Banfeng pocketed the key, covered in dust and mud, walked out of the jungle, and walked down the mountainside.

At the foot of the mountain, Li Li Banfeng picked up two stones, put them into his backpack, and weighed them; they were about the same as the Copper Lotus.

The bait must be made to look real. Although it was very heavy, a traveling cultivator's physical condition was good, so he could still bear it.

Arriving in such a strange place, logically speaking, Li Li Banfeng had no way to distinguish direction.

But Li Li Banfeng could not only accurately distinguish direction but also found a main road based on the position of the sun and the footprints on the ground.

This is the talent of a traveler.

Li Li Banfeng could run faster than a black bear in complex and harsh terrain; this is also the talent of a traveler.

Throwing stones accurately and ruthlessly; is this the talent of a traveler or the talent of a residential cultivator?

These need to be verified later; the urgent matter at hand is to find He He Jiaqing as soon as possible.

This so-called main road was just a fairly flat and wide dirt road. Judging by the width, two ox carts could pass side by side.

Why use an ox cart to measure the width of the road?

Because there really was an ox cart on the road.

Li Li Banfeng met an old man driving an ox cart and stepped forward to ask where there was a place to charge his phone.

"Electricity? That's not easy to find! Even the village chief doesn't have it! Go to Ligou and take a look!"

According to the old man's introduction, Li Li Banfeng gained a certain understanding of Yaowang Valley.

Yaowang Valley is a town, a very large town, divided into Ligou and Waigou.

Waigou is very large, including all the villages under Yaowang Valley.

Ligou is the central area of the town. Li Li Banfeng gave the old man thirty yuan, and the old man drove the ox cart and brought Li Li Banfeng to Ligou.

The ox cart traveled from morning until dusk. Arriving at Ligou, night was falling. Standing on the gravel-paved Paifang Street, Li Li Banfeng thought about where to go next.

Although He He Jiaqing sent the address, Li Li Banfeng only remembered up to Paifang Street. To know the specific location, he had to find a place to charge his phone.

There was a small shop by the street with "Feng's Grocery Store" written on the sign. The lights were on here, so there should be electricity.

Li Li Banfeng entered the grocery store and saw two candles lit on the counter, only then realizing that what he saw just now wasn't an electric light, but candlelight.

The grocery store owner, wearing a long gown with a diagonal lapel, stood behind the counter and greeted him with a smile: "What would you like?"

Behind the counter was a shelf, densely packed with various groceries.

Li Li Banfeng asked: "Is there a place to charge?"

"Charge?" The owner seemed to have heard a very rare term. "We don't have electricity here. Why don't you go to Old Xu's house on Yuanzheng Street and ask?"

Yuanzheng Street?

What kind of place is that?

Li Li Banfeng really didn't want to walk anymore.

"Do you know a person named He He Jiaqing living on Paifang Street?" Knowing there wasn't much hope, Li Li Banfeng still asked.

The owner thought for a moment, shook his head, and said: "I don't know He He Jiaqing, but I do know the He family's old mansion.

You walk east along the main street, turn south at the second intersection, walk to Xianchuanzi Alley, and there is a house with a private entrance and courtyard; that is the He family's old mansion."

The He family's old mansion?

Could it be He He Jiaqing's home?

Very likely!

This owner is a nice person. To express his gratitude, Li Li Banfeng decided to buy something from their house.

What would be appropriate to buy?

Li Li Banfeng looked for a moment and took a fancy to a feather duster.

This feather duster had a very straight handle, and the feathers were numerous and colorful, looking very impressive.

Visiting for the first time, he couldn't go empty-handed; this feather duster was very suitable as a gift for He He Jiaqing.

Li Li Banfeng also chose a top hat.

The material of the top hat in the grocery store wasn't very good, but the style was acceptable. Li Li Banfeng picked a black top hat and put it on immediately.

His mountaineering hat was a bit similar to the one worn by the rickshaw puller. After putting on the top hat, his temperament immediately rose to a higher level.

"Boss, how much for these two items?"

The owner looked at Li Li Banfeng's attire and asked with a smile: "Are you using Da Huan currency or silver dollars? If you have banknotes from other countries, I can exchange them too."

In this place, one always had to confirm the type of currency before doing business.

Li Li Banfeng had no silver dollars, nor did he have banknotes from other countries, so he naturally chose Da Huan currency.

The top hat was 31.6, and the feather duster was 7.8.

Li Li Banfeng lowered the brim of his hat, carrying the feather duster, like a mysterious gentleman shuttling through the night, walking from the main street into the small alley.

The He family's old mansion was easy to find. In this narrow alley, houses stood one after another, with almost no gaps between the walls of the two houses, while there was only one house with a private entrance and courtyard.

Four blue stone walls enclosed a courtyard with a flower garden. Behind the flower garden was a two-story Western-style house, with blue bricks and red tiles, vines hanging on the walls, revealing luxury and elegance everywhere.

In this small town, such a mansion was truly eye-catching.

Is this really He He Jiaqing's home?

He Jiaqing's family background is quite good!

Then why did he move stones in the first place?

It's just that this house had a faint fishy smell, making Li Li Banfeng slightly uncomfortable.

He didn't like fish. Even if he didn't touch meat for a month at the orphanage, he wouldn't eat fish.

There was no one selling fish nearby; where did the fishy smell come from?

Li Li Banfeng came to the iron fence gate, not knowing how to knock on such a door.

Such a large mansion should at least have a gatekeeper, right?

After watching for a moment, Li Li Banfeng didn't see a gatekeeper. He pushed the iron gate, and with a creak, the door hinge made a harsh friction sound, and the door opened just like that.

Is it appropriate to go in just like this?

He Jiaqing definitely won't hold it against me. If it's not He Jiaqing's home, I'll just assume I went to the wrong place; I guess no one will hold it against me either.

Li Li Banfeng crossed the courtyard and came directly to the door of the Western-style house.

By the floor-to-ceiling window on the first floor, a figure suddenly appeared and then disappeared.

The other party only flashed by the window. If it were the Li Li Banfeng of the past, he wouldn't have noticed this figure flashing by at all.

But today's Li Li Banfeng saw it very clearly; his vision was very different from before.

There was someone in this house. Judging by the speed of movement, that was definitely not an ordinary person.

Li Li Banfeng gripped the feather duster in his right hand and gently knocked on the door with his left hand.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The knocking sound was soft and slow, very graceful.

Meow!

A black cat suddenly jumped from the second floor to the door, took a look at Li Li Banfeng, wagged its tail, and took two steps back.

Li Li Banfeng was startled, and suddenly heard a familiar voice from inside the door: "Is that Li Banfeng?"

It was He He Jiaqing's voice!

Li Li Banfeng let out a long breath and said loudly: "It's me, open the door."

After waiting for nearly half a minute, the door opened.

Li Li Banfeng frowned and said: "Why did it take so long?"

He He Jiaqing stood at the door, staring at Li Li Banfeng for a long time: "Brother, you finally came."

"I'm here," Li Li Banfeng took off his backpack and gave a wry smile, "The journey here wasn't easy."

He He Jiaqing took the backpack casually: "Why are you carrying such a broken bag?"

Li Li Banfeng was stunned: "Is this bag broken?"

He He Jiaqing laughed: "How is it not broken? It's unstitched. Where did you buy this broken bag?"

"Where did I buy it?" Li Li Banfeng's brow smoothed, the corners of his mouth turned up, and he laughed: "I forgot too, it seems like it was a gift for topping up my phone bill."

He He Jiaqing weighed the bag and asked: "Is the stuff in the bag?"

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "Not in the bag, I left it at the train station."

PS: Thank you, dear readers, thank you to every reader for your messages and replies. Every word, every sentence, makes Yumian Shala incredibly happy.

(End of Chapter)