Chapter 337: Cultivator of the Dead

Cultivator of the Dead?

I've never heard of this path.

Li Banfeng wanted to study the man's face more closely, but Qiu Zhiheng immediately slammed the window shutter shut: "Brother, see less, avoid more misfortune."

"What kind of sect is this, so sinister? I've never heard of it."

"It's normal you haven't heard—it's been over forty years since I settled in Puluozhou, and including this time, I've only seen three Cultivators of the Dead."

"They don't wander around; they have fixed dwellings."

"Only when they can no longer survive or cultivate in their original home do they move elsewhere."

Li Banfeng didn't fully understand: "What do you mean by 'can't survive'?"

"It means the people around them, driven beyond endurance, fight them to the death—and then they have no way to live."

"And what do you mean by 'can't find a path of cultivation'?"

"When they've driven all their neighbors mad, driven them away, even driven them to death—they must move on to keep harming others."

As the two spoke, Cao Ye wept uncontrollably beside them; the sister-in-law comforted her: "Don't cry, don't cry—that old thing's wailing just for himself; ignore him!"

The sister-in-law knew this comfort had little real effect.

Qiu Zhiheng told Li Banfeng: "This girl has been struck by the Cultivator of the Dead's Long-Lasting Death Bell technique. Every word the old man speaks cuts like a knife into the deepest pain in her heart, sapping her willpower—she won't recover for weeks."

After crying for a while, Cao Ye stared at Li Banfeng: "You… you're Bai Sha big brother?"

She had always found Li Banfeng familiar, but after more than a year apart, she had never dared to recognize him.

The sister-in-law gasped: "You two know each other?"

Li Banfeng gave a slight nod and smiled.

He thought seeing a familiar face might cheer Cao Ye up—but after a moment of eye contact, she wept even harder.

"I'm just a useless waste, utterly worthless. Bai Sha big brother, you shouldn't have saved me back then—let me die, at least I'd be free."

Before Li Banfeng could speak, the Cultivator of the Dead, somehow having circled around to the courtyard wall, overheard Cao Ye's words and added:

"You say dying would be relief? I agree. What's the point of living? To accomplish something."

"What can you accomplish? Carrying medicine from Sanpu Village to the Inner Gully, then driving an empty cart back?"

"Does that even need a person? Train your two donkeys better—they'd do it better than you! What's the point of you being alive?"

The sister-in-law could no longer hold back: "You shameless old dog, shut your filthy mouth!"

Qiu Zhiheng pulled the sister-in-law back, signaling her not to act rashly.

But the insult was already out—too late now.

"Tsk-tsk-tsk~" A loud lip-smacking echoed from outside.

Those three lip-smacks signaled the Cultivator of the Dead activating his technique.

The old man spoke: "Listen, listen, all neighbors, all passersby—listen! This medicine shop opens for business, yet they insult people. Did you hear how vile her words were?"

The sister-in-law shouted: "Why don't you talk about how vile your own words are?"

"What did I say? What did I say?" The old man's tone and expression were perfectly innocent. "I said nothing. I only agreed with the girl—she spoke sense—and this woman started cursing! You all heard it—I came to buy medicine, they shut the door on me, and before I even spoke, this woman opened her mouth to curse!"

"What did I say? What did I say?" The old man's tone and expression were utterly innocent. "I didn't say a thing—I only said this girl spoke sense, and this woman started cursing!"

"You all heard it! I came to the pharmacy to buy medicine, and they shut their door the moment they saw me. I hadn't even opened my mouth, and their woman started yelling at me!"

Of course not.

First, ordinary people can't win against them.

Qiu Zhiheng understood the Cultivators of the Dead: "This is one of their techniques—Death Gate, Death Face. To master it, every Cultivator of the Dead undergoes special training—they can always justify themselves in any argument, and the more they argue, the more they gain the upper hand."

If a street shrew were here, maybe she could out-yell the old bastard.

Monkey Qiu continued: "Besides, arguing with a Cultivator of the Dead brings no advantage—whether you win or lose, you still lose."

He's just passing through, shouting right outside your door—your reputation and business suffer, but he loses nothing."

"And the longer you argue, the greater your losses—not just your reputation, but your feng shui too. Under the onlookers' scorn, the Cultivator of the Dead has already ruined your shop's feng shui."

The sister-in-law sighed: "Zhiheng, this is your fault. If you'd just listened to Feng the shopkeeper, you could've avoided this disaster."

Cao Ye, tears streaming, said: "Big Brother Qiu, Sister-in-law, the old man's targeting me—I'll leave. I won't drag you down with me."

"Foolish girl, where would you go? Once a Cultivator of the Dead clings to you, people die." The sister-in-law pulled Cao Ye into the house.

The Cultivator of the Dead still shouted outside the wall.

Honestly, Li Banfeng still didn't understand what made the Cultivator of the Dead so dangerous.

Qiu Zhiheng was usually serious—otherwise Li Banfeng would've thought he was joking.

If you don't understand, ask: Li Banfeng said, "Big Brother Qiu, are Cultivators of the Dead strong fighters?"

What's the point of keeping this shameless old bastard alive?

Li Banfeng was about to step outside when Qiu Zhiheng stepped forward to block him: "Brother, no!"

If it were possible, Qiu Zhiheng would've acted already.

Li Banfeng said: "Are there allies behind them? Are you afraid of retaliation? Don't worry—I'll make it clean."

Qiu Zhiheng shook his head: "If it were about allies, I wouldn't fear them—I've walked this path for many years."

The sister-in-law said: "Little Brother Li Qi, you don't know this old saying: Better to drink a bowl of Jin Xiu's broth than suffer a single wound from a Cultivator of the Dead."

Qiu Zhiheng shook his head. "If it's about the Gate's affairs, I'm not afraid of him—I've been through the Dao for many years."

Li Banfeng blinked in shock: "Sister-in-law, when you say Jin Xiu's broth… you mean…?"

"Exactly—that stuff in the bucket! Drink it, and you'll feel awful for at most two days."

Li Banfeng waved his hand: "Two days? It'll last much longer."

The sister-in-law said: "If you wound a Cultivator of the Dead, you'll suffer for life—they'll haunt you forever."

Li Banfeng waved his hand. "Two days isn't enough—it'll make you suffer for many more."

"Kill him, and his soul will still haunt you."

"Then capture his soul."

"Capture his soul, and other Cultivators of the Dead will sense it—they'll come to haunt you next."

"Then kill them all—wipe out the entire sect!" Listening to the shouts outside, Li Banfeng grew angrier.

Qiu Zhiheng shook his head: "Cultivators of the Dead ruin fortune. If you fight them your whole life, how can you live? I'll think of a way."

Li Banfeng stared at the wall outside, gritting his teeth: "If my General's Root were here, I'd feed him a few spoonfuls—see how bold he'd be then."

Qiu Zhiheng shook his head. "A Corpse Cultivator brings bad luck. If you truly had to fight one your whole life, how could you go on? I'll think of a way to handle this."

Ma Wu stepped off the train at Kudaiqian, and two young women, dressed in bright, ornate attire, rushed forward.

"Sir, have you found lodging? Our inn is the most affordable."

"Single room: one hundred fifty. Dormitory: fifty."

"You've got no eye for quality—look at this gentleman's clothes—he's not staying in a dorm. We have suites: three hundred per night. My sister and I will warm your bed together."

Ma Wu politely declined. If he didn't, he'd never get his business done—some had wandered near Kudaiqian Station for a month and still couldn't leave.

After leaving the station, Ma Wu hailed a rickshaw. The driver asked: "Sir, do you want to rest first, then go once? Or go once first, then rest?"

Ma Wu smiled: "Is there a place where you can go once and rest at the same time?"

After leaving the station, Ma Wu hailed a rickshaw. The driver asked, "Sir, would you like to find a place to rest first, then come back again, or find a place to come once, then rest?"

Ma Wu loved the atmosphere of Kudaiqian—he could come here a hundred times and still want more.

"First, take me to the cinema."

The driver paused—passengers who went straight to the movies after arriving by train were rare.

"Which cinema?"

"You recommend one."

"Do you want to lie down or sit?"

This was Kudaiqian's unique custom: lying down meant reclining on a large bed in a private booth, with company beside you.

Ma Wu was here for business—he wouldn't lie down. He had the driver circle the town first, then chose a cinema where patrons sat.

Soon, Ma Wu arrived, bought a ticket for Blood Blade Detective, and took his seat.

Ma Wu was here on official business—he couldn't just lie around. He first had the driver circle the town, then picked a cinema to sit and watch.

That's what "sitting" meant at the movies here.

In Kudaiqian, Blood Blade Detective had mediocre attendance—fewer than ten people in the theater, perfect for the girl's work.

Blood Spear Detective, however, sold out—afternoon and evening shows were gone; tickets for midnight screenings were the only option left.

Halfway through the film, Ma Wu kept watching the girl's eyes—no emotional root appeared.

This differed from Heishipo's situation.

In Heishipo, everyone who entered the cinema left with an emotional root in their eyes.

But after leaving for three or four hours, the root faded slowly.

In other words, Blood Blade Detective only collected money from one wave of viewers—those affected by the emotional root kept watching, show after show.

But once they left, they found it dull—like A Qin and Huo Ling, who never returned the next day.

In other words, the film "Blood Blade Detective" only made money from one wave of viewers—those affected by emotional roots, watching screening after screening in the theater.

Just to earn a few more ticket sales?

Calculated carefully, it was indeed profitable—in Heishipo, according to Ma Wu's sources, Blood Blade Detective sold three times more tickets than its predecessor.

Based on Ma Wu's deduction, Blood Blade Detective VI was likely their first film to include an emotional root.

Carefully calculated, it was indeed quite profitable; in Heishipo, according to Ma Wu's information, Blood Blade Detective sold three times as many tickets as the previous one.

According to Ma Wu's inference, Blood Blade Detective VI was likely the first time they added a love bond in their shadow play.

Who are they?

How great a risk is this?

If anyone finds out they've tampered with the shadow play, can this business still continue?

Is there a way to break it?

As Ma Wu was pondering, the girl on his lap wiped her lips and suddenly rose to leave.

Her leaving was fine; Ma Wu had grown a bit bored anyway, so he turned his attention fully to the shadow play.

After a moment, another woman sat on Ma Wu's lap and smiled sweetly: "Fifth Brother, you come to my territory for fun but don't even tell me?"

Ma Wu chuckled: "I circled the town just to let you know."

He handed the bloodstained handkerchief to Feng Daiku and lowered his voice: "Take a look—do you recognize this?"

Feng Daiku smiled, assuming the blood came from the bed: "Which girl did you ruin this time?"

After smelling the blood, Feng Daiku's smile vanished instantly.

"Fifth Brother, this is False Root of Affection—where did you get this?"

PS: Shala is sick, so this chapter is shorter—please forgive me, my lords.

(End of Chapter)