Chapter 385: What Kind of Sect Is This Camel?

Li Banfeng arrived at Bei Wushuang's territory to deliver a message to Bei Wushuang.

"You're saying Pan Dehai was trapped by Meng Yuchun?" Bei Wushuang snorted. "As far as I know, Pan Dehai has cultivation at the third layer of Cloud Above, while Meng Yuchun only has the first layer of Cloud Above. If you said Pan Dehai showed mercy and spared Meng Yuchun's life, I'd believe that. But if you say Meng Yuchun trapped Pan Dehai, that's a bit of a joke."

Li Banfeng nodded and said: "Pan Dehai's cultivation is indeed above Meng Yuchun's, but this is Meng Yuchun's territory, and Meng Yuchun is a宅修. The methods of closing doors and sealing households — you've surely heard of them,

Beating Pan Dehai isn't easy, but trapping Pan Dehai isn't hard."

Bei Wushuang stuck out his tongue: "If that's the case, you can't win, so you want me to go over and help you fight?"

"This isn't exactly helping us either. We know a little about the grudge between Pan Dehai and you. If Pan Dehai leaves here alive, you won't sleep soundly in the future."

"What's there to be uneasy about?" Bei Wushuang shook his head. "I told you before, Pan Lao is my friend. There's no grudge between us. What you've heard is all rumor."

Li Banfeng lowered the brim of his hat and said: "So you're saying you don't want to get involved in this matter."

"It's not that I don't want to, it's that I can't. This is the grudge between Pan Lao and you. Since you know Pan Lao, go and have a proper talk with him. Pan Lao is highly respected for virtue — he might let you off with a way out."

"What if he refuses to let us go?"

"Then there's nothing to be done. You can only blame your bad luck for offending someone you shouldn't have."

"Actually, we don't necessarily have to offend Pan Dehai. What you said makes sense — we can have a proper talk with him." Li Banfeng said no more, lowered the brim of his hat, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Bei Wushuang watched Li Banfeng's retreating figure, his enormous camel eyes blinking for a long time.

Would Bei Wushuang really not make a move?

Li Banfeng believed he definitely would.

Every time Li Banfeng entered Bei Wushuang's territory, Bei Wushuang would notice at the first instant. This showed just how heavy Bei Wushuang's vigilance was, and how many informants he had planted in the surrounding territories.

If Meng Yuchun and Pan Dehai had come to blows, Bei Wushuang had plenty of ways to verify it. Once verified, he would definitely make a move.

The reasoning was simple: given Pan Dehai's strength, Meng Yuchun had no chance of winning. There were only two possible outcomes.

One: Meng Yuchun dies in battle, Pan Dehai takes Meng Yuchun's territory, and lurks beside Bei Wushuang waiting for an opening. This outcome was clearly not what Bei Wushuang wanted to see.

Two: Meng Yuchun surrenders and joins forces with Pan Dehai against Bei Wushuang. This outcome was even less what Bei Wushuang wanted to see.

A mole poked its head out from underground, came to Bei Wushuang's feet, and said deferentially: "Meng Yuchun and Pan Dehai have come to blows. Pan Dehai was—"

"I know." Bei Wushuang shook his head, and the camel bells on his neck rang twice.

As the bell tones lingered, Bei Wushuang's figure vanished.

Pan Dehai really had been trapped by Meng Yuchun. Amid layer upon layer of boundary lines, Pan Dehai, bloodstains on his body, was still trying to negotiate with Meng Yuchun: "Miss Meng, there's some misunderstanding between us. There may be things this old man failed to make clear. If my words gave offense, please bear with me a little.

At my age, bowing and scraping to admit fault to you — even if the fault truly lies with me, please bear with me a little."

Meng Yuchun stood on the mid-slope of the hill, originally looking down at Pan Dehai, when suddenly she felt Pan Dehai's figure grow vastly taller in an instant, his whole body covered with the character for virtue large and small, causing Meng Yuchun wave after wave of dizziness.

This was no illusion — it was a virtue cultivator's technique: highly respected for virtue.

While expounding his reasoning, Pan Dehai elevated his own prestige, creating a severe intimidation against Meng Yuchun.

The boundary lines on the ground flickered bright and dark, breaking and reforming. Meng Yuchun was nearly unable to hold on; Pan Dehai already had his chance to counterattack.

But Pan Dehai did not choose to take the risk. He prepared to deploy the technique highly respected for virtue once more.

At this moment, Pan Dehai's attention was entirely focused on Meng Yuchun.

Meng Yuchun was at her last gasp. If she kept struggling on, she might turn into a madwoman.

Large gaps appeared in the boundary lines.

Just as Pan Dehai was about to break through the boundary lines, Bei Wushuang, hidden in the shadows, prepared to make his move.

Meng Yuchun did not see Bei Wushuang; even Pan Dehai, who was skilled in concealment arts, failed to notice Bei Wushuang.

But Li Banfeng noticed. Pushing the technique Jin Jing Jinjing Qiuhao to its limit, Li Banfeng saw Bei Wushuang's blurred figure.

This was a technique personally taught by his wife. To this day, Li Banfeng still did not know what tier Jin Jing Jinjing Qiuhao belonged to, but this technique had repeatedly pulled him through danger.

Now he had seen Bei Wushuang — what should he do?

Rush up and fight?

He definitely couldn't beat Bei Wushuang.

Shout at Pan Dehai and Meng Yuchun?

Shouting once might work, but what if Bei Wushuang changed position? Should Li Banfeng provide live commentary from the side?

If he really fought like that, he'd just wait to be toyed to death by Bei Wushuang.

Li Banfeng swung his iron ladle and splashed a ladle of golden juice toward Bei Wushuang's figure.

Bei Wushuang froze. He had failed to notice Li Banfeng — a seventh-layer宅修 was too easy to overlook.

The golden juice clung to Bei Wushuang's body, then vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving not the slightest trace.

But though no trace was left, the smell was.

On the breeze, Meng Yuchun and Pan Dehai simultaneously pinched their noses and discovered Bei Wushuang's location.

Meng Yuchun immediately changed the direction of her boundary lines, trapping Bei Wushuang within them.

After splashing that ladle of golden juice, Li Banfeng immediately distanced himself from the battlefield. His task was complete; from here on, he had to make sure he wasn't caught in the fallout.

In the mountain cave, Li Banfeng wrote two characters on Meng Yuchun's two peach halves — one character was "苦" (bitter), the other was "計" (stratagem).

He had wanted to write "苦肉計" (the self-injury stratagem), but the middle character, written in the crevice between, was a bit troublesome.

In any case, there was plenty of flesh on the peaches; Meng Yuchun should be able to understand.

She really did understand.

Not only did she understand, she played her part very convincingly. She had also sensed that someone seemed to be watching them near the mountain cave. All this time fighting Pan Dehai to the death had been precisely for this performance of the self-injury stratagem.

Why not discuss this with Pan Dehai beforehand?

Because Li Banfeng suspected there were spies on Meng Yuchun's territory — more than one. If the matter were spelled out plainly, the act wouldn't work.

If it wasn't spelled out, wasn't Li Banfeng afraid Pan Dehai would strike to kill?

On this point, Li Banfeng trusted Pan Dehai's intelligence.

Pan Dehai was despicable and ruthless in his methods, but it couldn't be denied that he was very clever.

He must have suspected that the cave wasn't safe, and he must have noticed that someone nearby might be eavesdropping.

Seeing Meng Yuchun turn hostile, Pan Dehai also grew irritated, feeling that this young local deity was too ignorant of the rules.

After two exchanges of blows, Pan Dehai immediately saw the catch—Meng Yuchun wasn't going for the kill against him.

Meng Yuchun was clearly at a disadvantage in strength and was holding back in the fight. This unusual move let Pan Dehai understand the intent, and he too controlled the measure of his own strikes.

The two really did fight, but fought with restraint. Both sides did take injuries, but none were serious.

Before Bei Wushuang could strike, he was drenched in golden juice, and immediately realized he'd walked into a trap.

He was first trapped by Meng Yuchun's boundary line, then heard Pan Dehai roar: "To strike at one in peril—that is the mark of no virtue!"

Virtue cultivates skill; only thick virtue can bear all things.

Bei Wushuang stumbled, his form revealed in midair.

This camel could bear the weight—one layer of "thick virtue bears all things" couldn't pin him down. He braced himself upright, slammed into the boundary line, and tried to flee.

This strike would certainly injure him, but Bei Wushuang believed he could endure it. If he stopped and tangled with the two of them, he'd have almost no chance of surviving.

Pan Dehai shouted again: "To flee the field of battle—that is the mark of no virtue!"

Another heavy burden pressed down on him. Bei Wushuang had just charged to the edge of the boundary line when his steps were forced to slow. Most of his fur was burned away, and his whole body was drenched in fresh blood.

Bei Wushuang's strength was clearly greater than Ba Shan Zhu's; this level of injury he could still bear.

He didn't want to fight, only to run.

Pan Dehai shouted again: "To be disheveled in dress—that is the mark of no virtue!"

The angle was picked well—his fur was burned clean off, so his dress was certainly disheveled.

Bei Wushuang's front hooves buckled, about to collapse. At the same moment, Meng Yuchun had already laid down the second layer of boundary line.

If he forced his way through once more, Bei Wushuang would inevitably be gravely wounded.

But if he didn't charge, and gave Pan Dehai time, Bei Wushuang might lose his chance to escape.

Weighing it back and forth, Bei Wushuang still stopped his steps, swung his neck with all his might, and the camel bells rang out loud. Along with the bell-sound, Bei Wushuang let out a long wuuu-wuuuu roar.

The bell-sound and the roar mingled together, and Meng Yuchun's breath suddenly clogged; the boundary line dimmed a little.

This camel is a sound cultivator?

Meng Yuchun had always assumed he was a body cultivator.

Not only Meng Yuchun—even Li Banfeng had assumed Bei Wushuang was a body cultivator.

He had always shown himself in the form of a camel, which was practically hanging a body cultivator's signboard right on his face.

But Bei Wushuang hadn't expected that Pan Dehai was unaffected.

Pan Dehai knew Bei Wushuang was a sound cultivator; he had prepared for it, and relying on his own level, he canceled out the technique.

"Bei Wushuang, you struck with a hidden blade, and this old man did not quibble with you over it. Now this old man meets you in open and honorable combat—where else can you run?"

The technique of one highly respected for virtue.

Pan Dehai's form kept growing larger, countless "virtue" characters drifting back and forth across his body, making Bei Wushuang dizzy and unable to withstand the heavy burden any longer. He dropped flat to the ground.

Pan Dehai stepped forward, took the camel bell from Bei Wushuang's neck, and laughed: "This is a fine thing—it really does suit your sect,

First tell me clearly—who told you and Huang Xiliang to spread pests across Hai Chi Ridge?"

Bei Wushuang gave no answer. Though they hadn't met much, he knew Pan Dehai's temperament: once Pan Dehai got what he wanted to ask, he'd send him on his way.

He sucked in a sudden breath, seeming about to roar. Pan Dehai bellowed: "A man without virtue may not open his mouth!"

Virtue cultivates skill; let virtue's voice not be defied!

Pan Dehai now forbade Bei Wushuang from speaking, and Bei Wushuang's mouth truly did not open.

The technique "Let Virtue's Voice Not Be Defied" wasn't all that powerful—Bei Wushuang still had the strength to break free.

But Bei Wushuang didn't break free, because he hadn't originally intended to speak either.

The hump on his back suddenly swelled up, then suddenly burst apart.

Boom!

After that tremendous blast, Pan Dehai didn't move, standing like a clay statue.

Meng Yuchun was a little farther away; the enormous explosion forced her to break off her technique, and she briefly lost consciousness.

Li Banfeng was even farther away, but he didn't escape this blast either. His vision went pure white, his ears rang sharply, and his chest throbbed with waves of pain.

Sound cultivator technique: Blood-Splattering Thunderous Sound.

Bei Wushuang struggled to haul himself up. He had wagered nearly his entire life just to buy this one chance.

Even He Yuxiu, dozens of miles away, heard that tremendous blast, her heart aching from the shock.

The oil peach cultivator beside her was of insufficient cultivation; for a long while he couldn't catch his breath.

Xiao Genzi's bucket nearly slipped from his hands. Zhang Wanlong steadied him, gazed for a moment in the direction of the blast, and reminded Genzi: "Your Seventh Master may be in danger."

Inside Ba Shan Zhu's cave dwelling, the gramophone was helping Leaving Leaving Suishenju build the platform. Though the station wasn't finished yet, Leaving Leaving Suishenju's door had already opened, and the gramophone also heard that tremendous blast.

"It's a sound cultivator technique!" The wife was startled, and said to Leaving Leaving Suishenju, "Quickly go save my husband!"

Leaving Leaving Suishenju replied: "I can't go now."

It wasn't that he didn't want to go—Leaving Leaving Suishenju said he couldn't because his condition didn't allow it.

The gramophone grew anxious, wanting to go out on her own to rescue Li Banfeng.

Leaving Leaving Suishenju considered for a moment, then said: "Use my steam whistle, sing him a couple of lines. You can only sing them for him to hear; you mustn't use it to kill the enemy."

"He's been hit by Blood-Splattering Thunderous Sound—I'm afraid he can't hear at all."

"He can hear," Leaving Leaving Suishenju said with great confidence. "This steam whistle is meant to signal him to board; only he can hear it."

PS: Bei Wushuang has gotten back up, but Pan Dehai is standing in place without moving—why is that?

Recommending a book—Old Days Puppet's "How Shall the World Purge the Wicked and Depraved." How shall the world purge the wicked and depraved? Only by killing! Interested friends can go take a look.



(End of chapter)