Chapter 35: Where Did the Corpse Go?

The fat boy looked at the bald man’s corpse—his skullcap gone, brain matter smeared everywhere—and felt nauseated: “Brother Li, how can you be so cruel? You always go for the skullcap?”

Li Banfeng explained: “I’m soft-hearted. I don’t want to strike their vital points. The skullcap’s hard, can take the punishment. If I hit anywhere else, I worry they’ll feel too much pain.”

Isn’t the skullcap a vital point?

What kind of twisted logic is this?

Qin Xiaopang felt his insight wasn’t enough to grasp Li Qi’s thinking. He turned to the two women lying in the woods—Cao Ye was crying; You Tao’s condition was unclear.

You Tao was still alive.

Cao Ye gave You Tao two pills; gradually, You Tao regained mobility.

She couldn’t believe what she was seeing was real.

The bald man and his three subordinates—four men total—were taken down by Bai Sha and this fat boy?

Just how high are these two young men’s cultivation bases?

You Tao asked Cao Ye, but Cao Ye couldn’t explain either—she was terrified and hadn’t clearly seen the fight.

Not just them—Xiaopang couldn’t figure it out either.

The entire battle lasted too short a time. Jin Si Yanjing’s group had six men total, and in the blink of an eye, they were gone. Xiaopang had no time to process what had happened.

What Dao sects were these six men from? What techniques did they use?

Aside from one Wu Xiu who wore armor, Xiaopang had no memory of the others’ methods—because Li Banfeng never gave them a chance to act.

Xiaopang had always thought Jin Si Yanjing was the most ruthless man he’d ever met.

Looking at Li Banfeng, Xiaopang wasn’t sure anymore—was Jin Si Yanjing even that ruthless?

The bald man and his three underlings had seized many people’s She Ban Ju, totaling 176 plants—including You Tao’s 38 and Cao Ye’s 61.

Having saved their lives, You Tao and Cao Ye were deeply grateful. They didn’t expect to get their flowers back, but Li Banfeng returned them anyway.

The remaining 77 plants, plus Lao Yanpao’s 91, were split evenly between Li Banfeng and Xiaopang.

Qin Xiaopang stared blankly at Lao Yanpao’s corpse.

Lao Yanpao had saved his life—if not for him, Xiaopang would’ve died in Hu Gaokzi’s hands. No matter Lao Yanpao’s original motive, the debt of life was real. Xiaopang didn’t want him left to rot in the wild.

Li Banfeng handed Xiaopang the shovel: “Hurry up. We need to head down the mountain.”

While Xiaopang dug the grave, Li Banfeng carefully searched the bodies of the bald man and his underlings.

The bald man had over a thousand cash; each underling carried three to five hundred. Altogether, they totaled 2,200 cash.

You Tao and Cao Ye had both suffered losses. Li Banfeng gave each of them 300 cash as consolation. The rest—800 cash each—he and Xiaopang split.

The bald man’s blade was a fine weapon; Li Banfeng kept it for himself. The underlings’ weapons were all ordinary. Li Banfeng let everyone else choose freely.

As for what else Jin Si Yanjing and Hu Gaokzi carried, that would be dealt with once they returned to Suishenju. These two were taken down entirely by Li Banfeng himself—he decided to keep everything they owned.

Xiaopang buried Lao Yanpao, then carried You Tao on his back. The four descended the mountain together.

On the mountain path, You Tao emitted a strong stench of blood, making Xiaopang’s nose twitch.

“You don’t seem like a Wu Xiu,” Xiaopang questioned You Tao’s sect with deep skepticism. “Wu Xiu can take hits. How did they wound you so badly?”

Cao Ye knew the truth but stayed silent—sect affiliation was a cultivator’s secret.

But unexpectedly, You Tao didn’t hide it. She smiled: “I’m a Huan Xiu. We’re strangers, so I didn’t tell you the truth at first.”

“So you’re a Huan Xiu,” Xiaopang sighed. “Looks like those bastards got off easy.”

According to Xiaopang’s guess, if You Tao fell into the bald man’s hands, it wasn’t just a beating she’d suffered.

“They didn’t get off easy,” You Tao chuckled bitterly. “They planned to hand me over to their boss. If they’d dared touch me, I’d have stood and fought—I couldn’t beat them standing. But lying down? None of them would’ve lived.”

Li Banfeng snorted: “You’re this injured, and still mouthy.”

“You think I’m bragging? My skills aren’t empty talk. Aren’t you a Huan Xiu too? Let’s test each other.” You Tao gave Li Banfeng a suggestive look.

Li Banfeng looked at Qin Xiaopang: “I’ve got a companion.”

Qin Xiaopang looked at Cao Ye: “I’m a Shi Xiu. I eat a lot.”

You Tao sighed, gazing at Li Banfeng: “We’ve been picking She Ban Ju all this way. Don’t you want to change things up? I think flat’s better than round.”

Cao Ye’s face flushed from cheeks to neck.

Li Banfeng opened his mouth to speak, but Xiaopang hurried to explain to Cao Ye: “I’m a Shi Xiu, really—I eat a lot. I’ll treat you all to a meal, then eat right in front of you.”

The four walked to the foot of the mountain. You Tao checked her pocket watch—it was eight o’clock.

They’d traveled over twenty li up and down the mountain. Li Banfeng had sensed it long ago—his base cultivation was already sufficient, and then some.

Kufu Mountain was dangerous. Based on Li Banfeng’s perception, walking one li here equaled three or five li in Ligou Town. Not only was his base cultivation sufficient—he’d likely gained two extra days of time.

In Li Banfeng’s memory, dangerous places seemed to hold some special meaning for him.

What meaning was it again?

The poison mist had made him dizzy—he couldn’t recall.

He’d slept well in the mansion last night—his Zhai Xiu practice was complete.

If he couldn’t remember, he wouldn’t try. Right now, he needed to sell the She Ban Ju for cash and buy train tickets back to Yuezhou.

As for exactly how to sell them, he was still thinking.

He definitely wouldn’t sell the flowers directly—he wanted to sell elixirs.

That depended on Tong Lianhua’s strength.

Crossing Wu Hui Bridge, they stepped beyond the poison mist and gasped for fresh air.

You Tao vomited twice. Qin Xiaopang sat by the bridge, panting, sweat pouring down his pale face.

Cao Ye distributed all her Qingliang San pills. After resting over half an hour, You Tao stood up—she could walk, barely.

Cultivators’ bodies were indeed strong. Fast healing of external wounds didn’t mean internal poison mist cleared so quickly.

The group trudged forward, struggling with every step—even Li Banfeng, who’d only just left the mansion, felt weak in the legs.

Cao Ye warned them: “Brothers and sisters, when you get home, rest well for days. This poison mist harms the body—don’t take it lightly.”

Li Banfeng sighed: “Was it worth it—for a few thousand cash?”

You Tao snorted: “If you were rich, you wouldn’t be risking your life with us. We’re all lowly lives—stop pretending otherwise.”

Qin Xiaopang looked at You Tao: “We risked our lives because we had no money. With your looks and figure, why risk it? Plenty of men would support you for life.”

“I don’t need anyone to support me!” You Tao sneered. “I can support myself—and I can earn money to support my companion too.”

Li Banfeng frowned: “Your companion? You support him?”

“I want to. I can do it!” You Tao shot Li Banfeng a look. “If you could support your companion, would you let him come out here and risk his life with you?”

Xiaopang broke into a sweat: “I’m a Shi Xiu—how do I explain this to you…”

“We know you’re a Shi Xiu. It’s not shameful,” You Tao smiled. “My companion isn’t a Huan Xiu—he’s a Zhai Xiu.”

Cao Ye suddenly understood: “No wonder you asked me about Zhai Xiu. That must’ve been hard for you—Zhai Xiu can’t easily leave home to earn money.”

“Earning money isn’t the main issue,” You Tao shook her head. “She’s a girl. I don’t want her showing her face in public.”

Li Banfeng suddenly understood: “So your companion is a girl.”

Everyone nodded: “So she’s a girl.”

After a few more steps, Li Banfeng turned to You Tao: “Your companion is a girl!”

“So what?” You Tao frowned slightly. “What’s wrong with a girl? You think round’s better than flat—I think flat’s better than long. What’s wrong with that?”

Li Banfeng nodded: “No harm in that.”

You Tao turned and pinched Cao Ye’s cheek: “Tell me, sis—am I right?”

“Sis, uh… yeah…” Cao Ye pulled away from You Tao.

Qin Xiaopang looked dazed: “I’m… I’m a Shi Xiu.”

More pedestrians appeared. Li Banfeng grew alert—he feared someone might try to steal the flowers.

He suspected this place had no legal constraints.

You Tao looked relaxed: “Don’t worry. Once we’re down the mountain, everyone follows the rules—at least not openly. Otherwise, you’ll never survive in Yaowang Gou.”

Amid thick mist, colorful banners fluttered.

The major herbal shops lay ahead. Time to make money.

Qin Xiaopang and You Tao’s eyes gleamed. Even shy Cao Ye couldn’t hide her excitement.

Each shopkeeper had set up stalls to buy flowers. But as they approached, Li Banfeng heard heated arguments.

“Twenty-five cash? Do you think we’re buying cabbage?”

What was twenty-five cash?

Cao Ye looked into her bag of She Ban Ju—she couldn’t believe it.

Qin Xiaopang went to ask. Soon, he returned, teeth clenched.

“Let’s go. We’re not selling!”

Others nearby shouted too: “Not selling! We’d rather let them rot!”

“Too damn oppressive! We won’t sell!”

The shopkeeper of Liu’s Herbal Shop grinned, yellow teeth exposed: “Fine, don’t sell. If you think I’m offering too little, go check elsewhere.”

Other shops were the same. The owner of Chu’s Herbal Shop, powdering her face, said: “Twenty-five cash per plant. That’s this year’s price. Sell now, or I’m closing up.”

Why had the price dropped to twenty-five cash?

Wasn’t it eighty-five cash?

Here’s how it happened.

Several major herbal shops sent people up the mountain. They found a cliffside covered in She Ban Ju.

They harvested all of it, each shop taking over a thousand plants.

With over a thousand plants in hand, each shop felt secure—and together, they agreed to slash the price.

But this pressure is too harsh.

Twenty-five cash per plant, four plants make one Snake-Spot Pill, cost a hundred cash, sell for ten thousand—a hundredfold profit.

You Tao sat on the ground, silent for a long while.

Cao Ye lowered her head, tears falling uncontrollably.

Qin Xiaopang stamped his foot in rage: “I won’t sell! I won’t sell at all! I don’t believe I can’t find another buyer!”

“Don’t talk like that!” You Tao gritted his teeth. “If not them, who else can you sell to? Every major pharmacy in Medicine King Gully is right here!”

Qin Xiaopang glared: “Then we won’t sell in Medicine King Gully—we’ll go farther away!”

You Tao sneered: “What nonsense. Where else can you go? Have you ever left Medicine King Gully?”

Qin Xiaopang sat down on the ground: “Then I’ll wait for the peddlers.”

“Wait for peddlers?” You Tao gave a bitter laugh. “The guy with glasses said Snake-Spot Chrysanthemums rot within a day. If we don’t sell today, they’ll be worthless tomorrow.”

Qin Xiaopang snorted: “That guy with glasses isn’t any good either.”

Cao Ye sniffled: “He’s telling the truth. These flowers will rot tomorrow—completely useless.”

You Tao sighed: “Fine, sell them. Better to earn something than nothing. I’ve got thirty-eight plants—that’s nearly a thousand cash. Better than nothing. We’re just lowly folk!”

“I’m not selling, period!” Qin Xiaopang threw his sack on the ground, growing angrier by the second.

After a moment’s thought, he suddenly looked toward Li Banfeng.

He stepped close to Li Banfeng and whispered: “Brother Li, do you still have that pill?”

Li Banfeng nodded and handed Qin Xiaopang a Snake-Spot Pill.

Qin Xiaopang glanced around, led everyone to a secluded spot, and gave the pill to Cao Ye: “Sister, check if this is real.”

Cao Ye was a Wu Xiu; she couldn’t refine Snake-Spot Pills, but she could tell real from fake.

After a moment, her eyes widened: “Big Brother, this is truly a Snake-Spot Pill! Where did you get this?”

Qin Xiaopang glanced at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng said: “I saw an old woman on the mountain. She said she’d trade pills for chrysanthemums—one pill for ten plants.”

“Ten plants?” Cao Ye didn’t believe it. You Tao didn’t believe it either.

Ten plants only make two pills. Was this old woman making only a double profit?

The pharmacies here make a hundredfold!

“This pill must be fake…” Cao Ye began to doubt her own eyes.

Qin Xiaopang snapped: “Didn’t you just say it was real?”

“I was afraid I misjudged. Where in the world would anyone pay such a price? I think I’d better…” Cao Ye looked toward the pharmacy’s flag.

“I believe you!” You Tao handed his sack to Li Banfeng. “You saved my life. You gave me these flowers. Whether real or fake, I believe you. Even if I lose everything, I accept it!”

Qin Xiaopang also handed his sack to Li Banfeng.

After a moment’s hesitation, Cao Ye handed her sack to Li Banfeng too.

Qin Xiaopang glanced back at Kuwu Mountain: “I wonder if that old woman’s still on the mountain, Brother Li—could you help us…”

Qin Xiaopang felt guilty asking Li Banfeng to return to Kuwu Mountain: “Brother Li, I’ll go with you.”

Li Banfeng raised an eyebrow: “I’ll go see if I can get lucky. Don’t come along and make trouble.”

Li Banfeng retraced his steps and, deep within the thick mist, opened his Personal Dwelling.

He knew this carried risk—it might draw unwanted suspicion.

But if he kept holding onto the Snake-Spot Chrysanthemums without selling, he’d draw suspicion too.

When he eventually sold the Snake-Spot Pills, he’d have no connections, no allies—and likely invite even more trouble.

Looking at the faces of those pharmacy men, who knew what they might do? Li Banfeng truly didn’t want to sell the Snake-Spot Pills to them.

Help Qin Xiaopang and the others, and see if they know another way.

After this deal, I’m heading back to Yuezhou. I’ll never come here again. I’ll never meet these people again.

Inside his Personal Dwelling, Li Banfeng held the Snake-Spot Chrysanthemums, ready to examine how the bronze lotus opened—only to find it already open.

On the seven-petaled lotus heart sat three lotus seeds.

Where did these three lotus seeds come from?

Li Banfeng froze.

He held up the candle and scanned the room, realizing something was missing.

What was missing?

Where were the gold-rimmed glasses and Hu Laokzi’s corpse?

PS: Two chapters today, nine thousand characters. Shala doesn’t want to split this further—it ruins the reading experience.

(End of Chapter)