Chapter 419: She Misses You (Bonus Chapter for Silver Alliance)

Juanzi controlled the body to wipe the wounds of Mengzi and Xiaoshan.

There was only one body; apart from the facial wounds, all other injuries belonged to all three of them, and wiping them all hurt the same.

Mengzi felt miserable: "We're just disunited. We got beaten down like this by Liang Zhenjiao, and still, people stood by watching, too scared to lift a hand."

Juanzi sighed: "The Land God showed mercy—if he hadn't, we wouldn't know how many of us would've died."

Mengzi stayed silent.

A three-headed person sat down beside Juanzi: in the center was an old woman, to her left a middle-aged woman, to her right a young girl.

"Juanzi, that Land God didn't show mercy—he went all out just now." The old woman's name was Ma Huifang; everyone around called her Fangyi.

All three of her heads were female, which was rare among three-headed people. When Juanzi gathered such people in Wuqinxiang to settle them there, this old woman refused to go—her understanding of certain matters was clearly more experienced than Juanzi's.

Juanzi disagreed with Ma Huifang: "Fangyi, just now the Land God had the upper hand, yet he suddenly held back—that's him letting us off."

Ma Huifang shook her head: "Just now, fifty of us fought him alone, and he still held the upper hand. What if another fifty came? Or a hundred? Do you think he could withstand that?"

Juanzi still disagreed: "Fangyi, I've been outside before. Land Gods aren't alone—they have followers too!"

"I know they have followers, but what kind? Ground-level one or two, at most three or five. Those higher than that mostly became wandering monsters. How many would actually follow a Land God?"

"Even if you called out every single one under his command, could they hold us off?"

Juanzi paused, stunned: "Fangyi, are you saying…?"

"We've come this far anyway—it's time to fight. You saw it yourself: when Liang Zhenjiao pushed us too far, we dared to strike. We didn't win, but we scared Liang Zhenjiao half to death."

"Fifty people scared the Land God. Three thousand of us charging together? We could kill him."

Juanzi frowned tightly: "We can't do that."

Fangyi frowned: "Then what should we do? We've walked this whole way obediently, been fooled, tricked, bullied—how far have they pushed us?"

"We cared about others, followed rules—but now we're starving. Does anyone care about us?"

Juanzi shook her head: "I promised my benefactor that after we escaped, we'd follow the map straight ahead—someone will take us in."

"But we have to survive long enough to get there. Yesterday, several more couldn't walk anymore—they sat by the roadside, saying they'd rest a bit, but that's just waiting to starve!"

Juanzi fell silent.

The middle-aged woman on the left spoke up: "Juanzi, if you ask me, we should keep following the map to find a suitable place, and along the way, just find something to eat—no harm in both."

Juanzi understood what "find something to eat" meant—it meant stealing: "But how is that 'no harm in both'? I don't get it."

The young woman said: "First, we go to the next place and ask if they'll take us in."

"If they agree, we say nothing—then we've met our benefactor, and we'll settle down and live with them properly."

"If they refuse, then fine—we ask for something. At least give us food. Even Pan Dehai, a big shot, gave us food. Our demand isn't unreasonable."

"If they won't even give us food, and humiliate us like that bird in Wuqinxiang, or trick us like that bird Liang Zhenjiao—then we won't be polite anymore. If we need to fight, we fight. If we need to steal, we steal!"

"Juanzi, you've been outside too—you know how hard it is to find a way to survive! If we keep being good people, we're done for!"

Juanzi lowered her head, silent.

Mengzi spoke beside her: "Sister, I think Fangyi's right—we need to get tough."

Juanzi shook her head: "We're being chased by the Border Guard. If we fight the Land God too, we'll be caught between two fires—our three thousand people will be finished."

The elderly Fangyi shook her head repeatedly: "Girl, if that were true, it'd be better—at least we'd die quickly! We're already finished. Dying by blade is better than starving to death!"

The middle-aged Fangyi said: "Juanzi, since we've left the Criminal City, if we want to keep living, we must change our nature."

…

"Chu Er's nature has changed—I can barely recognize her anymore." As they walked toward Zhengjing Village, Ma Wu chatted with Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng snorted: "How much could she change?"

"You'll see when you see her—she's truly different now."

"I don't want to see her," Li Banfeng waved his hand, then called back to Zuo Wugang, "Tell the people behind to keep close—it's muddy ground, hard to walk."

Over seven thousand plots had been cleared in Qiuluoye's territory. Ma Wu had experienced land reclamation, but turning a hundred-li stretch into a single estate? He'd never seen anything like it.

Not just him—even his father, Ma Chunting, wouldn't have dared dream of it.

"Old Seven, I still can't believe it's real. You're truly insane—you pulled this off. Back then, the Lu and Chu families teamed up and couldn't even clear ten li."

Li Banfeng said: "That's why I don't understand it ourselves—we succeeded partly through our own efforts, but seven-tenths was thanks to Qiuluoye's support."

"But given the Lu and Chu families' strength back then, why couldn't the Land Gods let them clear this land?"

"If they'd cleared it, both families could've thrived—it would've benefited the Land Gods completely. So why did they refuse? Why did they kill Chu Shaoqiang?"

Ma Wu lowered his voice: "I just heard this from my fourth brother recently—it seems there's more to it. Chu Shaoqiang's death wasn't just about the land reclamation test. The Border Guard seems to have interfered."

Li Banfeng's cheek twitched: "The Border Guard already meddles too much in the Proper Land—now they're even meddling in the New Land? These bastards have no place their hands can't reach."

"Forget the Border Guard for now, Old Seven. Last night, I lay awake thinking about this land—what would you run here if it became Proper Land?"

Li Banfeng smiled: "We're the first landlords—we can run whatever we want."

Ma Wu said: "I asked specifically—first landlords aren't ordinary. The blood-sacrifice protection rule still stands. With that protection, no one will dare hassle you in business."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "They'll hassle us—business is ours."

"Old Seven, this land was won by you—I wouldn't dare…"

"Without your backing in business, what capital would I have to fight with? Let's think about what this land can become."

Ma Wu's voice trembled: "I don't know what virtue I earned in past lives to meet you in this one."

"Old Seven, I think… in our lifetime, we can make this place into a Medicine King Gully."

"No, it must be more prosperous than Medicine King Gully."

"If we push hard, maybe we can become Heishipō."

"Heishipō still falls short."

"So you want to turn it into Lüshuicheng?"

"It depends on our brotherhood's ability!"

Ma Wu was excited, but as they went deeper into the New Land, the practical problems became clearer.

Qiuluoye's territory wasn't shallow land—it didn't border any Proper Land.

In the midst of New Land, a patch of Proper Land had appeared—what kind of situation was this?

Ma Wu couldn't comprehend it. No such situation existed in Puluozhou.

Would anyone really trek across mountains and rivers to live in a city deep in the New Land?

Let's save the gloomy talk for later—land reclamation isn't finished, and ten thousand people still haven't been settled.

When they reached Qiuluoye's territory, Chu Er came forward. The one-li and three-li plots had been cleared; Chu Er was preparing to clear a five-li plot. Clearing five li of wasteland required extensive preparation—Chu Er was covered in dust, filthy. Li Qi almost didn't recognize her, but Ma Wu thought she looked quite appealing.

"Second Miss, you've suffered."

"Fifth Young Master, you flatter me," Chu Er smiled, then turned to Li Banfeng: "Seventh Brother, long time no see."

"Yeah!" Li Banfeng replied, ready to leave immediately.

Chu Er called from behind: "I have two things I want to say to you alone."

Li Banfeng nodded: "Take your time."

Ma Wu blocked Li Banfeng: "Old Seven, Second Miss wants to speak with you."

Li Banfeng reluctantly followed Chu Er to a quiet spot and asked: "What do you want?"

Chu Er lowered her head, blushed shyly, then slowly raised her eyes, gazing up at Li Banfeng: "You just left, abandoning me all alone in Kushengzhuang?"

Li Banfeng stared in shock: "You went to Kushengzhuang to cultivate. I'm not a cultivator—why would I stay there?"

"Because of you, I've been beaten countless times by Old Ku. How do you account for that?"

"Go settle it with Old Ku! Why tell me?"

"You heartless bastard!" Chu Er lunged and started wrestling with Li Banfeng.

Ma Wu heard the commotion and walked over. Chu Er quickly stopped, smiling shyly: "Seventh Brother, you're too eager."

Too eager?

What had they done?

Li Banfeng straightened his clothes and looked at Ma Wu: "You said she changed? Where exactly?"

Ma Wu didn't understand Li Banfeng's meaning—Chu Er had changed so much, yet Li Banfeng couldn't see it.

Li Banfeng didn't want to look at Chu Er again—he turned and walked away.

Chu Er followed behind, speaking softly: "Seventh Brother, your second aunt asked me to pass on a message—she says you haven't visited her in a long time."

"Again with this nonsense—I don't even have a second aunt…" Li Banfeng suddenly stopped, his tone softening: "Well, uh… Second Miss, please tell my second aunt I'll visit after I finish this stretch…"

Chu Er shook her head: "If you have something to say, you'd better say it to her yourself. Second aunt often tells me: debts must be repaid."

Li Banfeng laughed heartily: "The old lady speaks too formally. I'm her own nephew—what's a little debt?"

Chu Er added: "Second aunt also often says: you're a man who needs hammering—better not wait for her to come out and catch you."

Li Banfeng felt a chill run down his spine. Just as he was thinking how to ask Chu Er to pass a message to Old Ku, he saw Qiuluoye approaching.

He glanced at Chu Er and asked Li Banfeng: "Your sweetheart?"

"So embarrassing!" Chu Er blushed and turned away.

Li Banfeng wondered how she managed to act like that.

Qiuluoye said to Li Banfeng: "Brother, something's happened. Have you heard of the Criminal City?"

Li Banfeng shook his head—he'd never heard of it.

Qiuluoye said: "The Criminal City is under the Land God San Tou Cha. It's inhabited by monsters. A group of monsters escaped from the Criminal City."

"They've come to our territory's edge, looking to cause trouble. I'll handle it—talk if you can, fight if you can't. Focus on the land reclamation—I won't be available these two days."

Qiuluoye turned to leave, but Li Banfeng stopped him: "Brother Qiu, don't rush off—you going there might make things worse."

PS: Thank you to Dujiaolong's Silver Alliance—this is the second Silver Alliance. I don't know how to repay this kindness. An extra chapter, just to show my gratitude.

(End of chapter)