Chapter 364

In his residence, Li Banfeng quietly watched the man pulling the magic lantern show.

The lantern-puller was covered in snot and saliva, his body blistered all over; his wife had somehow calmed him down.

"What's your name?"

The lantern-puller replied: "Mei Laokan."

"Is that your real name or a nickname?"

"That's my name."

"What's your position in the Heishipo branch?"

"I have no position."

Li Banfeng drew his sickle; the lantern-puller trembled: "I'm not from Heishipo—I was originally a patrol scout for the Yuema Jian branch, sent here by our branch master's orders."

"Why were you sent to Heishipo?"

"Our branch master said it was the boss's command—the boss wants to build up Heishipo's branch and needs a few skilled hands."

"Are you one of those skilled hands?"

"I've pulled this lantern show for over thirty years—I've never failed."

Li Banfeng fell silent for a moment, then asked: "How many children have you kidnapped?"

"Too many to count."

"Have any children died because of you?"

"I'm in business—I don't usually kill. But occasionally, when a kid won't behave, I've killed one or two. It was unavoidable."

"Do you know these children are their parents' heart and soul?"

"But I have to live too. Business must go on. They can just have another child…"

Thud!

Li Banfeng kicked the lantern-puller in the face, shattering his nasal bone and knocking out his teeth; the man screamed on the ground for a long time, his cries sounding less than human.

Changji urged: "Master, don't stoop to his level. First get the important information out of him—I'll deal with him slowly afterward."

Li Banfeng asked: "Is this branch master of Heishipo truly from Guanfang Hall?"

The lantern-puller wept and shook his head: "I don't know for sure—I only know a new branch master arrived at Heishipo, and the old one was transferred elsewhere."

"This new master knew I was an expert, so he had me do a few runs here first. I refused—I'm afraid. Heishipo people are dangerous; if caught, I'd be dead."

"He said all profits go to me, plus extra rewards—he just wants me to gather enough numbers and deliver quickly."

"Deliver to whom?"

"To the Sage of Shengxian Peak."

"Do you have connections there?"

"After doing this so long, I've got connections. I've never met the Sage himself, but I've met everyone else on Shengxian Peak."

At this, the lantern-puller's tone rose slightly.

What did that mean?

Showing off to me?

Li Banfeng wanted to beat him again but held back—he feared killing him by accident.

"How many children have you kidnapped in Heishipo?"

"Including today's, eighteen."

"Why hoard so many? Why not sell them faster?"

"Travel permits cost money. Transporting one or two kids doesn't cover costs."

"And sending just one or two to Shengxian Peak won't get you near anyone important."

"Three or five kids might get you to a lower-level disciple."

"Ten or more might get you to an upper-level disciple."

"With twenty or more, you can meet the Sage's trusted aides—and even deliver a message to the Sage himself."

This master gave orders—he's coming with me to deliver. We must meet someone important—at least we need to meet the sage's trusted aide.

This new branch master doesn't want to profit from kidnapping children—he wants to establish contact with the Sage.

What's his purpose?

Asking the lantern-puller was pointless—he wasn't at a level to know. After this job, once the master connects with the Sage, the lantern-puller will likely be silenced.

Li Banfeng pointed to several mutilated corpses: "Do you know these ruthless men around the branch master?"

The lantern-puller shook his head: "I don't know any of them. They weren't from the gang—they came with the master."

Could these men be from Waizhou?

"Do you always send kidnapped children to Jianren Gang?"

"Not always. Early on, I didn't even know about Shengxian Peak—there were no travel permits. I could only operate locally; each child had to be sold the same day, to someone in the gang with connections to smuggle them out."

"After a few years in the gang, the branch masters respected us experts and issued us travel permits so we could smuggle children out. Back then, we sold to wealthy families—the branch took the majority, we got scraps."

"A few years later, rules changed: all children had to go to Shengxian Peak. The rules became more complex, but the Sage paid far more."

"Who's the highest person you've met on Shengxian Peak?"

"I met Zhong Shengshi."

"You mean Zhong Huaien?"

"I don't know his name—I only know he always wore white robes."

"Besides money, did he give you anything else?"

"He gave me elixirs—good ones, not available on the market. The more children I delivered, the more elixirs I received."

"You entered Jianren Gang—and you came out alive?"

"Yes. The path isn't hard to navigate."

Li Banfeng couldn't leave Jianren Gang. Many others there couldn't leave either.

It was now certain: the Sage had methods there.

With Shengxian Peak questions exhausted, Li Banfeng turned to Jiangxiang Gang: "How did you know I was watching you?"

The lantern-puller shook his head: "I don't know. A fortune-teller in the gang warned me—said my nest was being watched."

"I told the master—he said he'd handle the rest."

Not bad—the master was clever, and his arrangements were precise.

Li Banfeng asked: "When are you planning to deliver?"

"Tonight. The master said to get a few more kids from other brothers—reach twenty total—and send them all to the big warehouse south of the train station, Warehouse Six, Storehouse Five. We leave tonight—no delays."

"How will you deliver them?"

"I'll take the children back first, hide them somewhere, then go to the branch. Someone from the branch will escort me onto the train—the master will come with me."

If the lantern-puller didn't go to the branch, Jiangxiang Gang's men wouldn't emerge—Li Banfeng would have to storm the branch.

But if he took the lantern-puller to the branch, and the boy gave away the secret, Li Banfeng would be in even worse trouble.

What should he do?

Use the projector to create an illusion?

The image would be convincing, but the branch was heavily guarded—hard to set up in advance.

Was there a better way?

After careful thought, Li Banfeng thought of a technique: "Who among you is skilled at skinning?"

Hearing "skinning," the lantern-puller panicked, leapt up to flee, shouting: "I've only taken a few kids—if they behave, I don't kill them! I've found them good homes—I've never done anything against conscience! Why kill me? Let's talk this out properly!"

Xiang Hongying stepped forward and pinned the lantern-puller to the ground.

"Seventh Lord, I can skin—but the skin won't come out pretty."

"What do you mean 'not pretty'?"

Before Xiang Hongying could answer, Changji sneered: "Wenchang, you want to flay him alive, don't you?"

Xiang Hongying, her foot pressing down on the lantern-puller, replied calmly: "Shouldn't he be flayed? Traffickers deserve this fate!"

"Stop messing around. Master needs the skin—it'll be useless if you cut it to shreds."

Zhong Biao said: "I can try."

Changji said: "Sister, be careful—don't make the wounds too deep. Try to keep the skin as intact as possible."

Biao began his work; the lantern-puller screamed without end.

Li Banfeng, claiming the noise was unbearable, took the projector to Room Five and replayed the entire battle.

Because he'd been ambushed, Li Banfeng fought with full force, making no detailed plan—only reacting on the spot. Many combat details were flawed.

Of course, these combat details were best not seen by his wife—he'd used many Lvxiu techniques.

Some things, once unspoken, shouldn't be brought up.

Perhaps because his mind had calmed, Li Banfeng studied the replay carefully and felt the four high-level cultivators looked familiar.

Especially the Lougu martial cultivator killed by Tang Dao—he seemed familiar.

"Hey Master, I've seen this man before!"

Li Banfeng jumped, immediately turned off the projector, returned to the main room, and smiled: "My dear wife, where did you see him?"

His wife pointed to the relatively intact corpse: "This man—I've definitely seen him before."

It was the very Lougu killed by Tang Dao.

Wasn't he from Waizhou?

Isn't he from outside the state?

Could it be that my wife has also been to Waizhou?

"When did my wife ever see this person?"

The phonograph extended its needle and leafed through newspapers on the shelf.

Soon, a newspaper was lifted onto the tray by the needle; amid flickering flames, a photograph appeared on the wall.

"My husband is rarely at home, so I often read newspapers to pass the time. I've indeed seen this person—he must be from the Chu family."

The newspaper my wife pulled out was from fifteen years ago, purchased at great cost by Li Banfeng from the Lu family's bookshop.

At that time, Chu Shaohong, head of the Chu family, and Lu Dongliang, head of the Lu family, partnered to conduct a major business in Kudai Kan, called Flower Branch Street.

That street still exists today—it's still a Lu family enterprise, lined entirely with flower shops where anyone, male or female, may buy flowers of every color.

Flower Branch Street is certainly worth visiting later, but right now that's not the focus—the focus is the photograph taken when both sides signed the contract.

On this photograph, Li Banfeng saw the mole cricket.

Though its appearance then differed greatly from now, Li Banfeng recognized its form; though the man's name did not appear in the news report, his position suggested he was a branch member of the Chu family.

He's from Puluozhou!

Then why did he become a bodyguard for people from Waizhou?

There may be more to this story.

As he pondered, the pendulum finished skinning the man.

The picture-show man was still alive—his skin was gone, yet his body still moved.

My wife found the man repulsive and asked the others: "Does anyone here want to eat a soul?"

No one answered. My wife first asked Xiang Hongying: "Aren't you hungry for it? This would do you no harm."

Xiang Hongying shook her spearhead: "I don't want to fight you for this bite—better leave it for you to eat."

The phonograph turned to the Judge's Pen: "Lazybones, do you want some?"

"Hmph!" The Judge's Pen ignored my wife.

"Thief's Gloves, do you want some?"

The gloves shook a finger: "Madam, don't speak so carelessly. To catch a thief, you need proof. Without evidence, how can you call me a thief?"

The phonograph snorted and turned to Tang Dao: "Looks like it'll have to go to you then."

My wife asked no one else besides these few.

There's something strange here.

These few magic treasures are unlike other magic treasures.

Li Banfeng didn't know the reason, but there was one thing he had to verify.

He pulled out the scythe and asked: "Can you eat souls?"

The phonograph gasped: "Hey, husband, are you talking to it?"

The scythe, seeing this, no longer hid—it stepped forward calmly before the phonograph and spoke in a clear voice: "Why can't I speak to you? I've served Master Li longer than you have!"

"You shameless wretch!" The phonograph was startled. "What's your name?"

"I'm called Scythe!"

The phonograph asked again: "Did you know me before?"

"Of course I did! We came from the same place!"

The phonograph was stunned: "You're a Self-Born Spirit?"

PS: The phonograph and the scythe were both sold to Li Banfeng by Manager Feng—they're old acquaintances.

(End of Chapter)