Chapter 310: Love's Wounds

On the twelfth day, Li Banfeng brought the group to Meng Yuchun's territory.

It had rained heavily the night before, and Cao Zhida's tent had leaked. He seemed to have caught a chill, and in a thick nasal voice he said to Li Banfeng, "I don't think those hunters really got the better of the deal. Who'd want to be the landlord of a dump like this?"

Li Banfeng said, "I'm telling you all, once the land is reclaimed, you have to come back regularly to tend it. You're not allowed to let it go to waste — that's the rule of the Land God, and it'll be written into the contract."

Cao Zhida said with a long face, "Seventh Master, isn't that asking too much? How about we just surrender? Even if the reclamation fails."

"You can't surrender when reclaiming land here. You have to fight to the death."

The hunters all panicked. "That won't do. If we can't win, we can't win — we can't throw our lives away!"

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "Let me talk it over with the Land God. This rule is a bit unreasonable."

When they reached Li Banfeng's plot, the Big Toad was inspecting the sentries of the Mountain Wolves and Golden Eagles. Li Banfeng was very pleased and slipped the Big Toad five pills: "As long as you do your duty, you'll get one every month. This is the deposit."

The Big Toad puffed out his chest and said, "With those words from Seventh Master, not a single mosquito will fly into your territory!"

Buzz—

As he spoke, a mosquito really did fly up close.

The Big Toad stuck out his tongue and ate the mosquito on the spot.

The moment dozens of people arrived on the territory, Meng Yuchun showed up shortly after.

Unlike other Land Gods, she didn't come in the guise of ghost fire. She revealed her true form right in front of everyone.

The hunters stared in stunned silence.

Where did this beauty come from?

Is she a strange creature?

If strange creatures all looked like this, they could create the legend of Fifth Master too.

Meng Yuchun wanted to say she was the Land God, but a Land God doesn't easily reveal herself before people.

Li Banfeng, afraid of startling the hunters, introduced her on her behalf: "This Miss is an envoy sent by the Land God."

An envoy?

There's an envoy for reclaiming land here?

This is the first time we've ever seen one.

Since Seventh Master himself said she was an envoy, the hunters naturally didn't doubt it. They crowded around, each introducing themselves.

"Sister, I may not be good at anything else, but reclamation I'm a pro. In Blue Poplar Village, no one dares claim first place when I'm second."

"Don't listen to his nonsense. The number one reclaimer in Blue Poplar Village is our Fifth Master, and after Fifth Master it's me!"

"Those two have no sense of limits. Let me say something serious — I've been in the reclamation business for over a dozen years and never once failed."

Cao Zhida shouted, "What are you doing? You can't show even one part of real skill, yet you boast to twelve parts — aren't you ashamed?"

The hunters were unconvinced in their hearts, but none dared talk back to Cao Zhida.

Cao Zhida stepped forward and cupped his fist: "Miss, when it comes to reclamation, I count as an expert. Just say how big a plot you want opened, and I'll handle it."

Meng Yuchun said happily, "Would ten li work?"

Cao Zhida slapped his chest: "Leave it to me."

The hunters were stunned silly and all retreated to a distance.

Ten li of land?

Isn't that asking for death?

Even Li Banfeng was stunned silly.

"What do you mean 'leave it to you'?" Li Banfeng grabbed Cao Zhida and said to Meng Yuchun, "We can't open ten li. At most we can open a one-li plot."

"Only one li?" Meng Yuchun was very disappointed.

Cao Zhida said to Li Banfeng, "Seventh Master, the Land God has sent an envoy. We should just follow her arrangements — that's called following local customs."

Li Banfeng stared at Cao Zhida, frowning.

What's gotten into Old Cao?

Meng Yuchun is indeed quite pretty, but Cao Zhida was once a hanger-on of the Lu family and had seen plenty of beauties. He shouldn't have lost his head like this.

Li Banfeng pulled Meng Yuchun aside and said in a lowered voice, "These people are ones I brought. They have to follow my arrangements. At most they can open a one-li plot."

Meng Yuchun thought for a moment and said, "Fine then, one li per person…"

"Not one li per person — one li total!"

"Over fifty people opening just one li in total!" Meng Yuchun refused. "Li Qi, are you playing me?"

Li Banfeng wasn't playing Meng Yuchun. These hunters were recruited and didn't know each other well. He wasn't sure of their cultivation levels, so he wanted to open a one-li plot first to test their mettle.

Meng Yuchun asked, "With your way of opening land, who becomes the landlord?"

Li Banfeng said, "That depends on who has the most skill, who can bear the weight of this plot. The others won't come for nothing either — I won't short them on the payment for opening the land,

and if anyone truly has the ability to open their own plot on their own, we'll arrange that separately."

Meng Yuchun reluctantly agreed, but Cao Zhida wouldn't agree. He insisted on opening his own plot alone.

Meng Yuchun was willing, Cao Zhida was willing, and Li Banfeng couldn't say any more.

Just as before, all the formalities were kept simple. Meng Yuchun drew the boundary and began the test on the spot.

After three days of fighting, both plots were successfully opened.

These fifty-plus hunters all basically had reclamation experience, so opening a one-li plot wasn't hard.

Cao Zhida really had it tough — fighting solo for three days and taking quite a few injuries.

Meng Yuchun was quite impressed with Cao Zhida and exclaimed, "Among this group, your skill is the greatest."

That remark caused trouble.

Cao Zhida slapped his chest and said, "Miss, give me three more li and I'll show you my real skill!"

Li Banfeng grabbed Cao Zhida and said, "Have you lost your mind?"

Cao Zhida looked at Li Banfeng calmly: "Seventh Master, I usually listen to you in everything. Just this once, let me have my way and save face in front of Miss Meng!"

Li Banfeng said: "Save face at the cost of your life?"

"Don't need it," Cao Zhida shook his head. "As long as I can stay by Miss Meng's side from now on, I'm willing to throw this life away right here!"

Cao Zhida was about to open land, and no one could talk him out of it.

The big toad hopped up close and said to Li Banfeng: "Seventh Master, this fellow must have eaten sweet snot."

Li Banfeng said angrily: "Nonsense! Snot is clearly salty!"

"I don't mean that kind of snot. I mean a type of wandering fiend. By the name in the books, it's called the Love-Lorn Slug."

"A wandering fiend? One that doesn't submit to the local earth god's jurisdiction?"

Croak!

The toad puffed out its cheeks: "Seventh Master is right. Wandering fiends aren't bound by the local earth god, and their ranks are never low.

The Love-Lorn Slug is formed from several love-cultivator souls stuck together. These souls have been in the new land so long they've lost their ghostly appearance but gained bodies like slugs. They specifically burrow into the nostrils of those who are in love.

Brother Cao does have feelings for Miss Meng. He's been hit by the sweet snot, and now it's beyond saving."

Li Banfeng looked toward Meng Yuchun: "Doesn't she know about this kind of wandering fiend?"

"Croak. From what I know, when she was alive she rarely came to the new land, and she's only been a local earth god for less than a year now. Sweet snot is rarely seen in normal times, so she really might not recognize it.

Besides, being afflicted by sweet snot has no symptoms other than being too deeply in love, so it's hard for ordinary people to tell. I only suspected he'd been struck when I heard Brother Cao's voice going nasal."

"Is this thing deadly?"

"Depends on the person. Brother Cao has feelings, Miss Meng doesn't. Even if you stop him from opening land now, he'll die of lovesickness in the future anyway."

Cao Zhida's gaze never left Meng Yuchun. Li Banfeng asked the toad: "Can he still be saved?"

"Since Seventh Master has asked, I'm willing to give it a try. Whether it works depends on his own fortune. Can Seventh Master think of a way to put him to sleep first?"

Getting old Cao to sleep was no easy task. He'd fought in the new land for three days without closing his eyes, yet the whole man was still terrifyingly alert.

Li Banfeng sent everyone away and took out Seeing Ling Miaoying's music box.

After winding it up, Li Banfeng turned the little figure on the rotating platform so its face pointed at Cao Zhida.

This was the method the Niangzi Sect had taught Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng flipped the switch. The little figure paused facing Cao Zhida for a moment, locked onto its target, and began slowly rotating on the platform.

A soothing piano melody drifted toward Cao Zhida. After a short while, Cao Zhida fell asleep.

Li Banfeng put away the music box. The toad hopped over to Cao Zhida's side and stuck out its tongue toward his nose.

A long tongue wriggled across old Cao's nose. The tip gradually forked, standing up like a pair of antennae.

The antennae rubbed around the nostril opening for a moment, and another pair of antennae poked out from inside the nose.

It's a slug!

It really is that wandering fiend.

The slug crept out bit by bit. Throughout the whole process, the big toad made not a sound.

Once the slug had wriggled most of its body out, the big toad's tongue curled, wrapped around the slug, and dragged it out of Cao Zhida's nose.

Does that mean it's done?

No.

Old Cao was saved, but now the big toad was in danger.

The Love-Lorn Slug was extremely skilled at parasitism. In the blink of an eye it could burrow into the big toad's nose.

The big toad was already prepared. It flicked its tongue and flung the slug onto the ground.

Had he not heard the big toad describe this slug's characteristics, Li Banfeng might well have stepped through Wanchuan and stomped it to death.

But if he really had stomped it like that, the slug might not have died. Being an aggregate of love-cultivator souls, it would likely scatter into several smaller slugs and go torment other living creatures.

Li Banfeng had made special preparations for this.

The moment the slug hit the ground, it sensed a woman standing before it.

The woman's eyes rippled with autumn waves, her face full of tender affection, gazing at the slug on the ground.

Without hesitation, the slug lunged at the woman, leaping up and entering her nostril.

Li Banfeng gave the big toad a pill as thanks and signaled it to leave quickly.

The toad immediately hopped far away. Li Banfeng took the projector and returned to Sui Shen Ju.

That woman was an image projected by the projector.

The projector shut off its lens, the image vanished, and the slug dropped to the ground with a splat.

The Niangzi used a stylus to pin the slug down, bound it with steam, and sang joyfully: "A Love-Lorn Slug — this is a fine thing!"

Two styluses swung up and down, quickly dismembering the Love-Lorn Slug. Six love-cultivator souls, male and female, with cries of varying pitch, one after another entered the speaker mouth.

When the steam cleared, a glob of slime remained on the ground. Li Banfeng brought over Honglian: "Eat up."

Honglian really didn't mind, cleaning up the slime thoroughly.

Li Banfeng sighed: "You really aren't picky at all."

Hiss~

The Niangzi sang: "Of course she's not picky — this stuff is truly rare. Husband can't let her eat it all. I just now left some spirituality inside; we need to have her refine a spirit artifact from it!"

A spirit artifact.

What would be suitable to refine?

Li Banfeng took stock of his weapons.

The scythe couldn't be casually refined — it fit his hand extremely well.

The shovel also fit his hand very well, so he'd set aside the thought of refining it for now.

Which other weapon would be suitable?

Li Banfeng scanned the room, and the gloves hugged the Tang Dao, trembling.

For a little snot like this, Li Banfeng wasn't about to reforge his treasure.

There was a pair of blades that Li Banfeng had never found comfortable to use.

The Mandarin Duck Axes — this pair of blades was too complicated. Li Banfeng set them before the Copper Lotus, and after feeling wronged for a long while, the Copper Lotus finally took the Mandarin Duck Axes in.

When the lotus heart bloomed, Li Banfeng discovered that Ling Miaoying's lotus seed was already fully ripe.

He peeled the seed off, waited a moment, and six Jin Yuandan popped out.

The earlier exchange had still been effective — at least this time what came out really was Jin Yuandan.

"Ah-Lian, with just this number, isn't it a bit few?"

PS: Li Banfeng has always had the measure of things in his heart.

(End of chapter)