Chapter 316: Husband, You Don't Want to Face a Tribulation Crossing, Do You?

Five minutes later, Li Banfeng, refreshed and clear-headed, asked the gramophone: "Wife, take your time and tell me."

The gramophone sobbed once and said: "Tell you my ass, you shameless madman, you've had your pleasure, what is there left for me to say?"

"Wife, just tell me about it." Li Banfeng stroked the cabinet door at the front.

"Don't rub my belly, I ate too much today!"

"Wife, just tell me, won't you?" Li Banfeng stroked the cabinet door at the back.

"Don't rub the peach either, it's still sore!" The gramophone, keeping a slow tempo, sang peevishly: "Since Husband has some dealings with the local earth god, you should know that going from nine to ten means a Tribulation Crossing."

"That much I do know."

"Does Husband know that the Tribulation Crossing is a chance of survival that is nine deaths out of ten?"

"That I also know."

"Does Husband know that even if the Tribulation Crossing succeeds, one must still go to the Inner Province to suffer hardship?"

"That I know as well."

"Does Husband want to suffer hardship?"

"Naturally, I don't."

"Does Husband know that there is a way to avoid the Tribulation Crossing?"

"I've heard of two ways: one is to steal, the other is to rob."

Hehe~

The gramophone gave a snort of laughter: "Stealing and robbing — this little servant truly looks down on such things."

Li Banfeng nodded and said: "Does Wife have another way?"

"Oh Husband, just now I heard that old crone say she is willing to give the seat of the local earth god to you."

Li Banfeng nodded firmly: "I heard that too."

"Since she's already giving it away, if we don't take it, it'd be a bit heartless."

"Yes, we can't let the old lady down." Li Banfeng patted the back cabinet door.

"Don't pat the peach, didn't I tell you, it's still sore!" The gramophone softened her tone and said: "Husband, once you take the local earth god's contract, it's the same as gaining the local earth god's seat,

and with that seat, Husband can skip the Tribulation Crossing and leap straight from the ninth layer of the earth-skin up to the first layer of the clouds. Once you've leapt up, you can cultivate according to the methods of the cloud realm.

It's just that this opportunity has come a little early, and Husband may not be able to bear it. I didn't dare tell Husband these things before, for fear Husband would act rashly."

"It's not early, it's just the right time." Li Banfeng stroked the speaker opening.

"Oh Husband, it really is too early. Forcibly seizing a rank carries risk. To leap from the ninth layer up to the first layer of the clouds, Husband must have a strong physique — that, at least, can be tempered slowly.

But Husband is only at the sixth layer, and the local earth god's seat may not be easy to hold. Husband heard it yourself just now: local earth gods will slaughter each other to extend their lives. If some local earth god sets his sights on Husband, how would Husband respond?"

What Wife said was indeed the truth of the matter.

Although Li Banfeng had been through two local earth god wars, he still did not have the strength to face a local earth god head-on.

The character of some local earth gods could rival the customs of the folk in Blue Poplar Village — holding onto a patch of earth was an extremely difficult thing.

"But such a fine opportunity can't be missed in the end." At this point, getting Li Banfeng to give up was basically impossible. "The price for this deal hasn't been negotiated yet. I'll discuss it with Meng Yuchun — there should still be a way. First, let's find that old thing's contract."

"Husband, once you find the contract, let this little servant have a look first. There are some things inside that need to be dealt with."

Leaving Sui Shen Ju, Li Banfeng put away the key, walked out of the cave, and saw Meng Yuchun circling on the rock face.

"Li Qi!" She had finally found Li Qi.

Ba Shan Zhu had entered Li Banfeng's cave, and Meng Yuchun had immediately chased in after her.

But once she got inside, she saw neither Li Qi nor Ba Shan Zhu.

She suspected Ba Shan Zhu had used a wall-piercing art to take Li Qi through the wall and out beyond Dashan.

But she had laid layer upon layer of boundary lines around the cave. By rights, Ba Shan Zhu would have died after piercing through two more layers of boundary. Yet if Ba Shan Zhu had died on the boundary, could Li Qi still be alive?

Should she first remove the boundary lines, let them out, and save Li Qi's life?

That would be nonsense — if Li Qi had been seized by Ba Shan Zhu, he wouldn't survive either.

Ba Shan Zhu probably wouldn't force her way through the boundary; she was most likely hiding somewhere in the cave.

Meng Yuchun searched and agonized at the same time, never expecting Li Banfeng to simply walk out on his own like that.

Meng Yuchun was both shocked and overjoyed: "Li Qi, how did you escape? Where's Ba Shan Zhu?"

This was very hard to explain, so Li Banfeng simply didn't bother: "Ba Shan Zhu had something to do, so she left first."

"Left?" Meng Yuchun didn't quite follow.

Li Banfeng asked: "Those strange creatures under her command are still alive, right?"

"They're all here." In a corner of the cave, Meng Yuchun had used boundary lines to fence in a circle, trapping all the strange creatures inside.

Li Banfeng praised: "What a handy technique — what layer of Yu Zhaixiu technique is that?"

Meng Yuchun said reproachfully: "How could I just tell anyone that? If you say this counts toward the price of the deal, I might just tell you."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "Let's not talk about that for now. Let's find a place to discuss the price."

Meng Yuchun took Li Banfeng to her residence. As before, Li Banfeng only stood at the doorway and did not go in.

"The price I'm offering is Ba Shan Zhu's territory. Do you agree?"

Meng Yuchun didn't understand: "Ba Shan Zhu's territory? Is that something I can decide? Where is Ba Shan Zhu?"

"Don't worry about where she is — she's already agreed to this."

Meng Yuchun stared at Li Qi in astonishment. Even if a Yu Zhaixiu was a bit wooden, she understood the meaning behind those words.

"Ba Shan Zhu is dead? Killed by your own hand?"

Li Banfeng gave a slight nod.

"How could that be…" Meng Yuchun was utterly dumbfounded.

"You don't believe it?"

"I've seen you clear wasteland. Your cultivation isn't low, but you're still on the surface layer. How could you possibly have killed Ba Shan Zhu?"

Li Banfeng smiled faintly: "I was hiding my abilities at the time."

Meng Yuchun blinked and said: "You hid them for three whole days?"

Li Banfeng pulled his hat brim lower: "I hid them very deep."

Meng Yuchun's expression was blank; she still couldn't bring herself to believe it.

Li Banfeng said: "Believe it or not, Ba Shan Zhu is already dead. I want her territory, but I don't want anyone else to know. I want to borrow your name to take over her territory, and count it as the price for this job. Do you agree?"

Meng Yuchun took a very long time to understand Li Banfeng's meaning: "You mean you want to register this piece of territory under my name?"

Li Banfeng nodded.

Meng Yuchun shook her head repeatedly: "How could that work? An ordinary local earth god — how could she hold two territories? What would the other local earth gods think?"

"The other local earth gods have always wanted to deal with you before, because you were so easy to bully,

As for what they'll think from now on, you don't need to care. They won't trouble you again, because they're afraid of you."

"Will they believe I killed Ba Shan Zhu?"

"Ba Shan Zhu tried to kill you first. It was a fight to the death, and you killing her was only right and proper.

If they don't believe it, they're welcome to gamble with you, but I'm certain they won't dare."

Li Banfeng wasn't deceiving Meng Yuchun — this was the best way to deal with the other local earth gods.

Ba Shan Zhu came, Ba Shan Zhu died.

If anyone else dares to come, the same fate awaits them!

Meng Yuchun deliberated for a long time, then sighed and said: "To tell the truth, I still can't quite figure this out, and I don't quite dare to do it.

But I owe you. If you hadn't been here today, I would surely have died at Ba Shan Zhu's hands.

Either way, this life is on the line. I'll agree to this matter."

"Good! Let's go find Ba Shan Zhu's deed first."

Meng Yuchun brought Li Banfeng before a group of wandering monsters. Xi Xi Zhao Fu lay among them, seemingly already dead.

Li Banfeng looked for a moment, then said to Meng Yuchun: "This one's already dead. Burn him and destroy the body."

Xi Xi Zhao Fu immediately opened his eyes, his face full of tears, and pleaded: "Spare my life, the two of you. I didn't mean to provoke you. I was tricked by Feng Quweng — he forced me to come!"

Li Banfeng had Meng Yuchun open an exit on the boundary line and released Xi Xi Zhao Fu.

Xi Xi Zhao Fu clutched his shoulders tightly, trembling all over, yet displayed the helplessness of a frail woman to the fullest.

Li Banfeng asked very seriously: "How exactly did Feng Quweng trick you?"

Xi Xi Zhao Fu tearfully recounted: "I was wandering in the wasteland when I met him. I accidentally accepted his offering. He wanted my body, and I couldn't fight him off, couldn't refuse, so I became his casual wife and even bore him a child."

Li Banfeng said in surprise: "You even bore him a child."

Meng Yuchun explained from the side: "Strange monsters marrying and bearing children is also a common occurrence."

Xi Xi Zhao Fu wept: "I beg the two of you to show mercy and spare my life — not just for my own sake, but for my poor child."

Even Meng Yuchun's heart softened a little at these words.

Xi Xi Zhao Fu cried so piteously that the surrounding strange monsters all shed tears along with her.

Li Banfeng wiped his tears, then kicked Xi Xi Zhao Fu over: "A child? You're a man — how could you give birth to one!"

"A man?" Meng Yuchun looked at Li Banfeng in surprise. "This Xi-what-fu is a man?"

"It's not that this Xi Xi Zhao Fu is a man — all Xi Xi Zhao Fu are men. Xi Xi Zhao Fu are a special type of wandering monster. They're not just drama cultivators, they also practice pleasure cultivation.

Affected by the new land, all Xi Xi Zhao Fu can only pretend to be women. They all share a common habit — deceiving women by posing as women.

First they gain a woman's trust, then they slip into her bed. Because they practice pleasure cultivation, they have all kinds of tricks under the covers. Even if a woman knows she's been deceived, she usually won't resist."

Li Banfeng displayed his erudite side. Even on the new land, very few people know the true nature of Xi Xi Zhao Fu.

The strange monsters present, including the two wandering monsters, had never even heard the name Xi Xi Zhao Fu, let alone knew their habits. They had all taken Xi Xi Zhao Fu for a high-level drama cultivator.

Even Xi Xi Zhao Fu himself was very surprised that the man before him knew him inside and out.

Actually, his wife had just taught him all this.

Meng Yuchun stepped forward and kicked Xi Xi Zhao Fu twice, demanding: "Where's Xiao Die?"

Xi Xi Zhao Fu didn't dare play pitiful anymore. He scrambled up and answered obediently: "Xiao Die went to a mountain southwest of here to spin a cocoon and pupate.

She told me the dispositions and habits of the people around her, but she just wouldn't tell me where you live. That's why I disguised myself as her and followed Hong Die and Huang Die to deliver wine, to scout the way."

Meng Yuchun wanted to find Xiao Die to get a clear answer, but Li Banfeng reminded her there was no rush — there were more pressing matters at hand.

Li Banfeng asked Xi Xi Zhao Fu: "Do you know where Ba Shan Zhu's residence is?"

Xi Xi Zhao Fu nodded: "I'll take you there."

Li Banfeng and Meng Yuchun followed Xi Xi Zhao Fu to Ba Shan Zhu's territory, arriving beside a cliff. Xi Xi Zhao Fu said: "Two heroes, Ba Shan Zhu lives right inside this cliff."

"Where's the entrance?"

Xi Xi Zhao Fu shook his head: "This cliff face is the entrance. Ba Shan Zhu's ghost fire can pass in and out through the stone."

Li Banfeng asked: "Has no one ever gone into Ba Shan Zhu's dwelling?"

"I've seen people go in, but I've never seen anyone come out."

"Then how did they get in?"

"They followed Ba Shan Zhu through the cliff wall. I don't know what technique they used."

Li Banfeng stared at the cliff, thinking about a way to get in.

There were essentially two methods. One was to cut a path open — this method was the safest.

But the Tianhe Zhi Ji technique for cutting a path open makes a lot of noise, and with Li Banfeng's current cultivation, carving an entrance through such hard rock would take a very long time.

If he really did that, the matter of him digging for the deed would be exposed, and covering it up later wouldn't be so easy.

The other method was unobstructed passage — in other words, wall-piercing arts.

Unimpeded Passage is very stealthy, but the key issue is not knowing how thick this wall is. Li Banfeng has six layers of cultivation and has received guidance from Train Eunuch; a wall over ten meters thick would pose no problem for him to pass through.

But this is Dashan—if the thickness reaches three to five *li*, Li Banfeng could very well be trapped inside the rock.

Once the Tianhe Zhi Ji fails, the consequences will be extremely severe.

Is there no other way?

There is.

PS: But we'll have to discuss it properly.

(End of chapter)