Chapter 388: Station

Li Banfeng put down the oil jug and sat on the edge of the bed, carefully pondering the question his wife had raised.

This question was important—how should they handle Beiwushuang's covenant?

Return it to Beiwushuang's residence?

Not only was Beiwushuang's residence hard to enter, but even if they succeeded and placed the covenant safely, it would ultimately benefit Pan Dehai.

What consequences would follow if Pan Dehai took the covenant?

If he wanted this land and chose to stay as its land god, that would be acceptable.

But Pan Dehai already had his own territory—he was the rightful land god of Zhengdi; why would he care about such a remote new land?

Once he obtained the covenant, he would most likely send it to Neizhou to exchange for lifespan.

If Neizhou obtained this covenant, some previously overlooked issues might now draw attention.

"Wife, why don't I just keep the covenant on me for now? We can decide what to do with it later—what do you think?"

"That might suit you fine, but trouble may arise on Beiwushuang's land—demons might spawn there."

"What's a demon?"

"A monster with extremely high cultivation and combat power, yet utterly devoid of humanity.

New land generates cultivation energy day and night, but unevenly.

Some areas may produce no cultivation for ten or twenty years; others may generate enough in months—or even days—to let a monster leap several realms.

If such cultivation is seized by a monster, it should normally die instantly, for its body cannot withstand such sudden advancement.

But if a monster possesses an exceptionally robust physique and survives this trial, its cultivation surges while its humanity does not—and it becomes a demon."

"Are demons similar to wandering monsters?"

"Far more ferocious. Wandering monsters retain some humanity; demons have almost none, and they obey no rules—even daring to commit atrocities in Zhengdi."

A monster that dares commit atrocities in Zhengdi?

Li Banfeng had spent a year and a half in Puluozhou and had never heard of such a thing.

"Wife, do all unowned lands without land gods inevitably spawn demons?"

"Husband, 'unowned land' means no land god—but no land god and no covenant are two different things.

Some land gods die, yet their covenants remain within the territory, gathering the new land's cultivation energy and storing it within the Land God Seal.

The Land God Seal has immense capacity—it can hold decades of cultivation energy. When another land god takes over, they can evenly distribute the stored energy to the monsters on the land, preventing sudden surges.

If you take Beiwushuang's Land God Seal away, the cultivation energy here loses its restraint and may spawn demons.

Moreover, many monsters will flock here to survive, since cultivation here is unregulated, governed solely by the law of the strong."

This won't do.

The chance of a demon forming is low—set that aside for now.

But if too many monsters gather here, word of the covenant's disappearance will spread. When Neizhou takes notice, some secrets may unravel.

Wait until Pan Dehai stops paying attention to Beiwushuang, then find a chance to rebury the covenant.

As Li Banfeng spoke with his wife, he suddenly heard a soft sobbing beside his ear.

It was Qiansi's earring.

"Why are you crying?" Li Banfeng asked several times, but Qiansi only continued sobbing without answering.

Changji sensed something was wrong and told Li Banfeng to remove the earring and place it on a tray, observing it closely for a moment.

No matter who called out, Qiansi's earring gave no response.

Changji sighed: "This girl was injured by a Sound Cultivation technique—she's gone deaf. The technique is called Blood Splatter Deafening Noise. Qiansi is a Spy Cultivator; this method is her greatest weakness."

At the mention of Sound Cultivation, Li Banfeng recalled something: "When I fought Beiwushuang, I suddenly heard a deafening roar, my vision blurred, my ears went numb—only your voice pulled me back. Did you save me, Wife?"

Huh!

His wife laughed: "I heard that roar too, and realized someone had used a Sound Cultivation technique.

I feared you were hurt, so our home, knowing your location, sent my singing to you via steam whistle."

Li Banfeng embraced his wife, pressing his face against the front cabinet: "Thank you, Wife, for saving me."

"You don't thank your own wife—that makes me feel distant.

Husband, let Qiansi rest here for a while. How well she recovers depends on my abilities and her fortune.

I've prepared a few pills—I'll give them to friends outside. Anyone affected by Blood Splatter Deafening Noise can use them to neutralize the effect."

Li Banfeng nodded and left the Body Residence.

At Zhang Wanlong and Genzi's territory, Li Banfeng first thanked them for their help, then asked about payment.

Li Banfeng never let anyone work for free—Zhang Wanlong had just rendered great aid; proper compensation was due.

Zhang Wanlong held a cucumber, eating as he spoke: "Seventh Master, you're too polite. I merely tested new seeds to see what they'd grow—I truly didn't know what was going on."

What a clever man.

He wasn't unaware—he simply didn't want to get entangled in unnecessary conflict.

Li Banfeng looked at the one-li plot: crops of every kind grew thickly, so dense he could barely step between them.

"Your harvests are exceptional. Tomorrow, I'll discuss with Miss Meng and let you open three more li of land."

Zhang Wanlong smiled: "I told you before—we dare not open more land, for lack of human energy. We fear burdening the land god."

"That's no concern. It's up to the land god's will. If he agrees, you must hurry and clear the land these days."

Zhang Wanlong thanked him repeatedly. Li Banfeng called Genzi over and gave him ten Xuan Chi Pills—not just for the golden excrement matter, but because Genzi had been negotiating with Zhang Wanlong; Li Banfeng owed him proper security.

Genzi still suffered from tinnitus; Li Banfeng gave him one of the pills to neutralize Blood Splatter Deafening Noise: "Take this, your hearing will return. Brother Zhang, take one too."

"Seventh Master, I don't need this." Zhang Wanlong had heard the noise too, but was barely affected.

He picked another cucumber, washed it in clear water, and handed it to Li Banfeng: "Seventh Master, taste it—crisp and sweet."

Li Banfeng took the cucumber but did not eat it.

The fake Beiwushuang was made of cucumber. Pan Dehai had once said no single Dao sect could create a new species.

Now Li Banfeng doubted that claim—could Zhang Wanlong's harvests be considered new species?

At He Yuxiu's territory, Li Banfeng handed out twenty Xuan Chi Pills.

He Yuxiu waved them off: "Seventh Brother, you're insulting me. Helping you is my duty—why count the cost?"

Li Banfeng shook his head: "Even blood siblings must keep clear accounts. Take them."

He Yuxiu examined the pills' quality: "Seventh Brother, these are precious—but I can't use them."

Xuan Chi Pills were indeed valuable; He Yuxiu had consumed many in the past.

At her level and age, she no longer took them—the toxic residue was too great and too hard to purge; too many would overwhelm her.

"If you won't take them, give them to those around you."

He Yuxiu glanced at the peach—she crouched beside the wooden hut, pale, still recovering from the Blood Splatter Deafening Noise.

Li Banfeng took two more pills and gave them to He Yuxiu: "These neutralize Sound Cultivation techniques."

He Yuxiu waved them off: "It was just one loud noise—I don't need pills. Give them all to that girl.

Seventh Brother, when will we return to Lüshuicheng? I want to take this girl somewhere, broaden her horizons—stop her from obsessing over polishing mirrors."

Li Banfeng smiled: "Soon."

"Seventh Brother, that camel is a land god, isn't it?"

"Yes." Li Banfeng did not hide it.

"Do you know where its covenant is?"

"Probably still at its residence. Why do you care?"

He Yuxiu said: "Handing a land god's covenant to Neizhou exchanges it for a hundred years of lifespan.

When I was young, my father spent nearly our entire family fortune buying a land god's covenant—only to discover, upon delivery to Neizhou, that it was fake.

He was furious. He risked every remaining asset and exhausted all our family connections just to reclaim our estate.

Back then, I couldn't understand how my father had been deceived—but now I realize: a hundred years of lifespan. Who could resist that?"

Li Banfeng had long known covenants could be exchanged for a hundred years of lifespan in Neizhou.

But without a covenant, new land spawns demons—so why did Neizhou pay such high prices for covenants? Was it deliberately creating conditions favorable for demon birth?

Li Banfeng asked He Yuxiu: "How did your father get to Neizhou?"

"With a travel permit—you get it from the Border Control Officer. Wealthy families all have permits to enter Neizhou, but they're hard to obtain—much harder than permits for Waizhou."

The route to Neizhou was also controlled by the Border Control Officer?

…

When Li Banfeng arrived at Meng Yuchun's residence, she was still dazed and far from fully recovered. If she had fought Beiwushuang alone today, victory would have been impossible no matter the method.

Meng Yuchun asked: "Where's Beiwushuang?"

"His whereabouts are unknown—Pan Dehai is chasing him." Li Banfeng didn't want to lie, but revealing the truth might harm her.

Meng Yuchun sighed: "I hope Pan Dehai finishes off that bastard—otherwise our land will never know peace.

And Pan Dehai must never come back—that old man is disgusting…"

At the mention of Pan Dehai, Meng Yuchun vomited.

Li Banfeng blinked. Pan Dehai couldn't possibly be that revolting.

"Take this pill—it neutralizes Sound Cultivation techniques. De Cultivation methods are beyond me for now; you'll have to resolve them slowly yourself."

Meng Yuchun pushed the pill aside, her face flushed with anger: "Who wants your pills? First, explain why you wrote on my peaches!"

"The situation was unusual—I feared word might leak."

"Couldn't you find another place?"

"No other place was safe—Pan Dehai was watching them."

Meng Yu blushed and said, "Knowing someone's watching, you still dare to lay hands on me—your nerve is growing bigger by the day!"

Li Banfeng smiled: "I'll need your help to keep an eye on things in my territory."

Meng Yu nodded: "This matter isn't serious."

"Also, have the cooks probe further for news about Bei Wushuang. If anything comes up, we'll discuss it together."

……

Five days later, the cook obtained word: Bei Wushuang had vanished; no one knew where he'd buried the contract. Pan Dehai searched for three full days without success, then left with Gao Shuxia and Bai Muyu.

Li Banfeng asked: "Is this information reliable?"

The cook was confident: "This friend served under Bei Wushuang for years—he saw all this with his own eyes."

Pan Dehai indeed found no trace of Bei Wushuang; he saw blood and flesh scattered everywhere, but could not verify whether it was the complete remains of Bei Wushuang.

Meng Yu was puzzled: "Why did Pan Dehai take Gao Shuxia and Bai Muyu with him?"

Li Banfeng said: "Those two girls are beautiful—Dezhi Da might be taking them as concubines."

Three days later, it was confirmed Pan Dehai had not returned. Li Banfeng buried Bei Wushuang's contract on Bei Wushuang's territory, then, following the method his wife taught him, transferred the cultivation base marked on the land seal to his own land seal.

Cultivation base is hard currency; for strange beings, this is the most valuable thing.

Two more days passed, and the station was completed.

Li Banfeng stepped out of his personal dwelling and could clearly see the platform and canopy, but could not see the tracks or the train.

The station was small, with a very archaic design, yet exquisitely crafted—the packed earth was perfectly smooth; unless you looked closely, it was indistinguishable from stone.

About twenty meters from the station door, the platform vanished; if you walked back to the station door and waited a moment, the station reappeared.

His personal dwelling called this process "ticket inspection."

"Riding without a ticket will be severely punished!" His personal dwelling emphasized again.

Over the phone, Luo Zhengnan delivered news: the Border Warden intended to acquire the Bailingmen, and the Chu family had agreed; they were now awaiting the Lu family's response.

The Chu family agreed?

Did Chu the Elder agree, or Chu the Second?

Li Banfeng didn't care about the Chu family's stance, but Bailingmen was half-owned by the Lu family—this move by the Border Warden was a warning to the Lu family.

Luo Zhengnan also said: "The Border Warden has taken some interest in the book and newspaper business at Heishipo."

This was a warning to Li Qi and Ma Wu.

Li Banfeng put on his familiar black suit, donned a black top hat, tucked away his keys, lowered his hat brim, and left his hundred-li territory, walking toward Lüshuicheng.

PS: Let's see who cracks first under pressure.

(End of Chapter)