Chapter 316

Five minutes later, Li Banfeng felt refreshed and asked the jukebox: "Wife, take your time and tell me."

The jukebox sniffled: "Tell what? You shameless madman—you've had your fun, what's left for me to say?"

"Wife, just tell me," Li Banfeng patted the front cabinet door.

"Don't touch my belly—I ate too much today!"

"Wife, just tell me," Li Banfeng patted the back cabinet door.

"Don't touch the peach either—it hurts!" the jukebox sang in a slow rhythm, irritable, "Husband, since you've some ties with the Earth God, have you heard that the Nine Sheng Ten must undergo Tribulation Crossing?"

"I know that."

"Do you know that Tribulation Crossing is a chance of nine deaths and one life?"

"I know that too."

"Do you know that even if you survive Tribulation Crossing, you'll still have to suffer in Neizhou?"

"I know that as well."

"Do you want to suffer?"

"Of course not."

"Do you know there's a way to avoid Tribulation Crossing?"

"I've heard of two methods: stealing and robbing."

Chit-chit~

The wife scoffed: "Stealing and robbing—I truly look down on such things."

Li Banfeng nodded: "Wife, do you have another way?"

"Oh husband, just now I heard that old woman say she's willing to give you the Earth God's position."

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

"If she's offering it, refusing would be unkind."

"That's right—we can't make the old lady feel heartbroken," Li Banfeng tapped the back cabinet door.

"Don't tap the peach—I already told you, it hurts!" the jukebox softened her tone, "Husband, once you take the Earth God's contract, you gain the position."

"With the position, you can skip Tribulation Crossing and leap from Earth Level Nine straight to Cloud Level One; once there, you cultivate according to the Cloud Method."

"But this opportunity came too early—you may not be strong enough to bear it. I didn't tell you before because I feared you'd act recklessly."

"Not too early—it's just right," Li Banfeng patted the speaker's mouth.

"Oh husband, it truly is too early. Seizing a position carries risk. To leap from Level Nine to Cloud Level One, you must have a strong body—this you can gradually train. But you're only at Level Six now; the Earth God's position may not be yours to hold. You heard it yourself: Earth Gods kill each other to extend their lives. If another Earth God targets you, how will you respond?"

But Master, you've only just reached the sixth layer—can you truly hold onto the position of Earth Lord? You just heard it yourself: Earth Lords kill each other to extend their lives. If one targets you, what will you do?

Though Li Banfeng has witnessed two Earth God wars, he still lacks the strength to face one head-on.

Some Earth Gods' morals rival the villagers of Lan Yang Village—holding onto an Earth God position is extremely difficult.

"But such a rare chance can't be missed," Li Banfeng would never abandon this now, "The price hasn't been settled yet—I'll discuss it with Meng Yuchun. There must be a way. First, find that old thing's contract."

"Husband, once you find the contract, let me see it first—there are things inside that need handling."

Leaving the Suishenju, Li Banfeng took the key and stepped out of the cave, seeing Meng Yuchun circling the cliff wall.

"Li Qi!" She'd finally found Li Qi.

When the Bashan Master entered Li Banfeng's cave, Meng Yuchun followed right in.

But once inside, she saw neither Li Qi nor the Bashan Master.

She suspected the Bashan Master had used a wall-piercing technique to take Li Qi beyond the mountain.

Yet she'd laid layers of boundaries around the cave—by rights, the Bashan Master would die after piercing two layers. But if the Bashan Master died on the boundary, could Li Qi still live?

Should she lift the boundaries and let them out, to save Li Qi's life?

That would be madness—if Li Qi was captured by the Bashan Master, he'd die just the same.

The Bashan Master wouldn't force her way through the boundaries—she was likely hiding somewhere inside the cave.

As Meng Yuchun searched, she wrestled with doubt—then Li Banfeng simply walked out on his own.

Meng Yuchun was stunned and delighted: "Li Qi, how did you escape? Where's the Bashan Master?"

This was hard to explain—Li Banfeng simply didn't: "The Bashan Master had business and left."

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

Li Banfeng asked: "Are her monstrous followers still alive?"

"All here," Meng Yuchun said, pointing to a corner where she'd enclosed all the monsters within a boundary circle.

Li Banfeng praised: "This technique is incredibly useful—what level is this for a Zhai Xiu?"

Meng Yuchun pouted: "I can't just tell anyone. If you count this as part of the deal's price, I might tell you."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "Not now. Let's find a place to negotiate the price."

Meng Yuchun took Li Banfeng to her home; as usual, Li Banfeng stood only at the door, refusing to enter.

"My price is the Bashan Master's territory. Do you agree?"

Meng Yuchun didn't understand: "The Bashan Master's territory? Can I even decide that? Where is the Bashan Master?"

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

Meng Yuchun stared at Li Qi in shock. Even if Zhai Xiu were dull-witted, she understood the implication.

"Is the Bashan Master dead? Did you kill her?"

Li Banfeng gave a slight nod.

"Impossible…" Meng Yuchun gaped.

"You don't believe me?"

"I've seen you clear land—you're strong, but still on Earth Level. How could you kill the Bashan Master?"

Li Banfeng smiled faintly: "I was hiding my true strength."

Meng Yuchun blinked: "You hid it for three full days?"

Li Banfeng pulled his hat low: "I hid it deeply."

Meng Yuchun looked bewildered, still unable to believe.

Li Banfeng said: "Whether you believe it or not, the Bashan Master is dead. I want her territory, but I don't want anyone else to know. I want to claim it under your name as payment for this deal. Do you agree?"

Meng Yuchun took a long time to grasp Li Banfeng's meaning: "You mean… you want to put this territory under my name?"

Meng Yu spent a long time understanding Li Banfeng's meaning: "You mean you want to put this territory under my name?"

Meng Yuchun shook her head repeatedly: "That's impossible. A common Earth God can't hold two territories. What will other Earth Gods think?"

"Other Earth Gods have always wanted to crush you because you're easy to bully."

"As for what they'll think now—you don't need to care. They won't bother you again, because they fear you."

"Will they believe I killed the Bashan Master?"

"The Bashan Master came to kill you first. In a life-or-death struggle, you killing her is only natural. If they don't believe it, they can challenge you to a duel—but I'm certain they won't dare."

Li Banfeng wasn't lying to Meng Yuchun—this was the best way to handle other Earth Gods.

The Bashan Master came. The Bashan Master died.

If anyone else dares come, they'll meet the same fate!

Meng Yuchun pondered long, then sighed: "Honestly, I still don't understand, and I'm afraid to do it."

"But I owe you. If not for you today, I'd be dead in the Bashan Master's hands."

"Either way, it's just this one life—I accept."

"Good! Let's go find the Bashan Master's contract."

Meng Yuchun led Li Banfeng to a group of Youguai, where Xi Zhao Fu lay in the center, seemingly dead.

Li Banfeng studied her for a moment, then said to Meng Yuchun: "She's dead. Burn her—destroy the body."

Xi Zhao Fu immediately opened her eyes, tears streaming: "Please spare me! I didn't mean to provoke you—I was tricked by Feng Quweng! He forced me!"

Li Banfeng had Meng Yuchun open an exit in the boundary and let Xi Zhao Fu out.

Xi Zhao Fu hugged herself, trembling violently, yet perfectly embodying the helplessness of a frail woman.

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

Xi Zhao Fu wept: "I met him while wandering the wilds. I unknowingly accepted his offering. He wanted my body—I couldn't resist, and I couldn't refuse, so I became his temporary wife and bore him a child."

Li Banfeng exclaimed: "You bore him a child?"

Meng Yuchun explained: "Monster unions producing offspring are common."

Xi Zhao Fu sobbed: "Please spare me—not just for my life, but for my poor child!"

Even Meng Yuchun felt a pang of pity.

Xi Zhao Fu wept bitterly; the surrounding monsters wept with her.

Li Banfeng wiped his eyes, then kicked Xi Zhao Fu over: "Child? You're a man—how could you give birth?"

"A man?" Meng Yuchun stared at Li Banfeng in shock. "This Xi Zhao Fu is a man?"

"Not that Xi Zhao Fu is a man—every Xi Zhao Fu is a man. Xi Zhao Fu is a special type of Yougui—they're not just Xi Xiu, but also practice Huan Xiu."

"Under the influence of the New Land, all Xi Zhao Fu must disguise themselves as women. Their common trait: they deceive women by posing as women."

"First, they gain a woman's trust, then lure her into bed. As Huan Xiu, they have countless methods—women, even if they realize they've been deceived, rarely resist."

Li Banfeng revealed his erudition—few in the New Land knew the true nature of Xi Zhao Fu.

All the monsters present, including the two Youguai, had never heard the name Xi Zhao Fu, let alone its habits—they all mistook Xi Zhao Fu for a high-level Xi Xiu.

Li Banfeng revealed his erudition, for even in this new land, few knew the origins of the Play-Bride.

The aberrations present, including the two Wandering Aberrations, had never heard the name Play-Bride, let alone understood her habits—they all took her for a high-ranking Play Cultivator.

Even the impostor was astonished that this man knew him so thoroughly.

In fact, these details were just taught to him by his wife.

Meng Yu stepped forward and kicked the impostor twice, barking: "Where's Xiao Die?"

The impostor no longer dared to play the victim; he rose and answered honestly: "Xiao Die went to a mountain southwest of here to spin a cocoon and transform."

She told me everything about the personalities and habits of those around her, but refused to reveal your residence—so I impersonated her, followed Hong Die and Huang Die to deliver wine, and used the chance to scout the path."

Meng Yu wanted to question Xiao Die directly, but Li Ban reminded her this wasn't urgent—there was something more pressing now.

Li Ban asked the impostor: "Do you know where the Mountain Master lives?"

The impostor nodded: "I'll take you there."

Li Ban and Meng Yu followed the impostor into the Mountain Master's territory, arriving beside a cliff. The impostor said: "Heroes, the Mountain Master lives inside the cliff."

"Where's the entrance?"

The impostor shook his head: "This cliff face is the entrance—the Mountain Master's ghost fire can pass in and out of the stone."

Li Ban asked: "Has anyone ever entered the Mountain Master's dwelling?"

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

"Then how did he get in?"

"He passed through the wall with the Mountain Master—I don't know what technique he used."

Li Ban stared at the cliff, pondering how to enter.

There were only two methods: one was to cut a path—safest, but most conspicuous.

But the technique to cut through rock was noisy; with Li Ban's current cultivation base, carving an entrance into such hard rock would take a long time.

If he did that, his search for the contract would be exposed, and hiding it afterward would no longer be easy.

The other method was to pass through unimpeded—the wall-piercing technique.

Wall-piercing was highly discreet, but the problem was not knowing how thick the wall was. Li Ban had reached the sixth layer of cultivation and had been instructed by Eunuch Huoche; a wall ten or so meters thick posed no issue.

But this was a mountain—if the thickness reached three or five li, Li Ban might become trapped inside the rock.

If the wall-piercing technique failed, the consequences would be dire.

Is there no other way?

Yes.

PS: But we must discuss it carefully.

(End of Chapter)