Chapter 420: Home

"Who are the sinners in the Sinners' City, and what crimes did they commit?" Li Banfeng was unfamiliar with these terms.

Qiu Luoye shook his head. "It's hard to explain, but these people are dangerous—they're rumored to have ties with the Outer Provinces."

"What ties with the Outer Provinces? Are they sent by them?" Li Banfeng immediately grew wary; if they were dispatched by the Outer Provinces, he wouldn't let them set foot on the land.

Qiu Luoye said, "The Outer Provinces' border wardens spread word that anyone who escapes from the Sinners' City must not be sheltered—if you take them in, you're defying the wardens."

"Defy them? I don't fear the wardens, but these monsters are hard to handle—I must act first."

"For now, tell the land-clearers to be extra cautious. Those three-headed monsters are all on the eastern border—keep our people away from there."

Qiu Luoye turned to leave, but Li Banfeng said, "Brother Qiu, let's switch: you stay here and oversee the land-clearing, I'll go check on those people."

"We're in a critical time—unless they're sent by the Outer or Inner Provinces to cause trouble, we should avoid violence if we can."

Qiu Luoye waved his hand. "I say they're here to cause trouble! Kill them all here—that's the safest way!"

It was useless to reason with Qiu Luoye by ordinary means, so Li Banfeng changed tactics.

"Brother Qiu, hundreds come to clear land every day—how can I possibly watch them all? Can I collect offerings? Can I send people to inspect them?"

In truth, Li Banfeng could do all these things—but Qiu Luoye didn't know.

"Brother, I'm not trying to burden you…"

Li Banfeng said, "I can't handle matters of the Land God. I'll go talk to outsiders first, see what's going on—I can handle this."

Qiu Luoye was uneasy. "Those monsters from the Sinners' City can fight—what if you get hurt? Have them send someone here to talk."

"No," Li Banfeng was equally uneasy. "If one comes in, fine—but if a whole group enters, what then? I'll go alone. If trouble arises, I have ways to escape."

"Old Seven, why not try a diplomatic approach?" Qiu Luoye planned to write a letter for Li Banfeng to carry, to intimidate them.

But remembering the contract Qiu Luoye had written to the strange beings—its florid prose—Li Banfeng decided against the letter.

Li Banfeng went straight to the eastern border and spotted Juanzi waiting by the road.

She looked quite respectable.

Having lived in Puzhou for a year and a half, Li Banfeng had seen too much to find three-headed people hard to accept.

One of Qiu Luoye's tigers was negotiating with Juanzi: "I'm telling you, don't be foolish—Master Qiu ordered you to leave at once. If you don't, I won't hold back."

Juanzi spoke politely: "If you won't take us in, that's fine—could you at least give us something to eat?"

"Where would I get so much food for you? Get out now, or I'll use force!"

Mengzi grew angry: "Use force? I'm not afraid of you!"

As both sides prepared to fight, Li Banfeng arrived—the tiger quickly stepped aside.

Li Qi glanced at Juanzi, then at Mengzi, then at Xiao Shan, and asked: "Who's in charge here?"

Juanzi said, "I am."

Juanzi stood over two meters tall; Li Banfeng found it tiring to look up, so he pointed to a stone by the road: "Can we sit and talk?"

Juanzi nodded, sat down—and immediately jolted upright.

The stone spoke in an old man's voice: "Young Master Seven, I'm here at Master Qiu's order to speak, and I haven't even opened my mouth yet—this girl sat right on my face!"

"Back when I was young, I wouldn't mind—but now I'm old, and this girl's heavy. I can't hold up under it."

Li Banfeng nodded, sat down face-to-face with Juanzi, and asked directly: "What do you want here?"

Juanzi said, "We seek a place to settle. We ask whether the Land God will take us in."

"If you want to settle on new land, just clear it—what's there to ask?"

The three heads exchanged glances—this man seemed to know little about them.

Juanzi had heard the stone call Li Banfeng "Young Master Seven," so she followed suit: "Young Master Seven, we can't clear land—the Land God won't allow us."

"Why not?"

"We are sinners—from the Sinners' City. As we spoke, Juanzi was calm and honest; they couldn't hide it—their marks were too obvious."

"What crimes did you commit?"

Mengzi asked: "You don't know the Sinners' City?"

Juanzi glared at Mengzi: "Don't interrupt!"

Li Banfeng said to Juanzi: "Even if you're in charge, others should speak too—in my presence, everyone gets to speak."

Juanzi didn't quite understand: "What does 'everyone gets to speak' mean?"

And his attitude was strange.

He knew nothing of the Sinners' City, yet he didn't look at the three-headed ones as monsters.

Juanzi saw hope in Li Qi: "Young Master Seven, everyone who leaves the Sinners' City is guilty. If the Land God will give us food, we'll serve as beasts of burden—we dare not even dream of clearing land."

"What crimes did you commit?"

"In the Sinners' City, people are divided into two kinds: one kind comes from outside, enters the Three-Headed Fork, fails to attain the Dao, fails to become a Body Cultivator, and turns into a three-headed monster—such people are guilty and are sent to the Sinners' City."

"The other kind is born in the Sinners' City. By Sinners' City law, three-headed monsters cannot marry or bear children—but some still give birth."

"These children are born with one head, but they are born guilty—they must remain in the Sinners' City, and slowly grow into three-headed monsters…"

"Stop calling them monsters," Li Banfeng frowned slightly. "That word is offensive."

Juanzi looked at Li Banfeng for a moment. Though she hadn't eaten in days, her voice grew a little stronger: "The Sinners' City has constant heavenly light. This year, it's been especially harsh—sometimes three times every three days, sometimes two or three times a day."

"When the light touches a person, within hours they explode. You may never have seen it—I don't even know how to describe it."

Li Banfeng nodded. "I understand. I almost saw it myself."

Juanzi continued: "Countless have died in the city. We don't know how long we'll live. There's a boundary beyond the city—we can't leave. Then an benefactor came and showed us a path."

Juanzi continued, "The city didn't know how many had died, and we didn't know how long we'd live. Beyond the Prisoner City there was a boundary—we couldn't get out. Then an benefactor came and showed us a path to survival."

"He forbade us to reveal his identity. He gave us a map and told us to follow it—we'd surely find someone willing to take us in."

"Young Master Seven, we've come this far—every step left blood in our footprints. Please tell Master Qiu: if he'll take us in, we're eternally grateful. If not, we ask only for food—even one meal."

Li Banfeng fell silent, then asked: "I don't understand—you say 'take us in.' Do you mean daily food and drink, to keep you fed?"

Juanzi shook her head quickly: "We only want a place to live. We'll provide for ourselves. If there's any work we can do, we'll do anything."

Li Banfeng looked at Mengzi: "What do you say?"

Mengzi lowered his head: "Whatever my sister says, I say."

Li Banfeng looked at Xiao Shan: "And you?"

Xiao Shan spoke softly: "I follow my sister."

Their orderly responses felt familiar to Li Banfeng.

"Words alone won't do—you must do something."

Mengzi tensed—he'd been tricked before.

"What do you want us to do?"

Li Banfeng pointed to a distant forest: "Go cut trees and build houses."

Mengzi sneered: "Same old trick."

Li Banfeng frowned: "What trick?"

Juanzi bit her lip, raised her head, and said: "We agree."

Why agree after being tricked?

Because they had no choice.

They hadn't eaten in days—even as laborers, they'd take a meal.

"Houses aren't enough—you must farm. Can you do agricultural work?"

Mengzi laughed—this deception was always the same.

Juanzi nodded: "We can do farm work."

"From now on, you're people of this land. When trouble comes, you must stand up."

"Whatever Young Master orders, we'll do."

"Agreed. I'll draft a contract—you all must sign it with your fingerprints."

Li Banfeng left.

Mengzi gritted his teeth: "Why bother with a contract? He's just talking fancy nonsense."

Juanzi urged: "As long as we get food, don't argue."

"We should've listened to Aunt Fang—we should've just taken it by force."

"Don't shout! Our benefactor said we mustn't do such things!"

"We should've listened to Aunt Fang—we should've gone and taken it."

Li Banfeng returned to his personal dwelling, took out a large sheet of paper, and wrote a contract.

Changji beside him said: "Dear husband, why write a contract on such a huge sheet?"

"Dear wife, if I used small paper, I'd need to write three thousand."

"Three thousand?" Hong Ying gasped. "Husband, what kind of contract needs three thousand copies?"

A puff of steam scalded Hong Ying, making her flinch. Li Banfeng gave no explanation, finished the contract, and left the dwelling.

Changji read the contract's contents: "Husband has found three thousand permanent residents—is he really turning this new land into proper land?"

Hong Ying sighed: "My husband is truly capable!"

Changji raised her wooden paddle: "If I don't tear your mouth apart today, my household rules are lax!"

Hong Ying covered her peach: "Tear my mouth if you must—why keep hitting my peach?"

"Do you even have a mouth, you wretch!"

Hongying covered the peach and said, "Fine, tear my mouth—if you're going to hit something, why hit the peach?"

"Do you even have a mouth, you wretch!"

……

Li Banfeng laid the contract before Juanzi and watched as she pressed her fingerprint onto it: "Have your people all press their fingerprints too."

Juanzi said: "They all listen to me…"

"That won't do. Everyone must press their fingerprint. Not one can be missing. All three heads must agree—if even one refuses, none of you may enter this territory."

Li Banfeng sat there and watched over three thousand people one by one pressing their fingerprints onto the large sheet, until it was densely covered.

Three thousand three-headed beings stood before him; the tigers sent by Qiu Luoye trembled.

"Seventh Master really isn't an ordinary man—how can he not be afraid?"

Li Banfeng truly wasn't afraid.

So what if they have three heads? They chat, share ideas, play cards together—it's fine, isn't it?

Fang Yi sighed as she looked at the contract: "Juanzi, why don't you ever learn?"

Juanzi lowered her head: "Aunt Fang, say less. First, give everyone something to eat."

Li Banfeng had already prepared food: two thousand oranges bought from the orange grove. "These are good things. Two people share one, and it'll fill you up. I'm covering your meals for these days—you'll pay me back later!"

Fang Yi sneered: "You trick us into being laborers and then charge us for food? Even worse than two needles!"

Still, after days of hunger, the crowd quickly devoured all two thousand oranges.

"Eat up and get to work!"

Li Banfeng marked out a territory and ordered the three-headed beings to build houses and till the land there.

Qiu Luoye was tense: "Brother, you brought them all in—can you really do that?"

"Don't worry, Brother Qiu. Now our land has people—doesn't that bring vitality?"

A branch supervisor whispered: "Are these monsters even human?"

Zuo Wugang glared at the supervisor: "Don't ever call them monsters again. Seventh Master hates hearing that!"

……

Li Banfeng returned to his territory via the station and found Zhang Wanlong, bought several bags of fast-growing seeds, and handed them to Juanzi.

"Sow these seeds—they'll yield in three days—but only once. If you plant again, the soil will be damaged. Get through this year first. Next spring, you must plant proper seeds."

Li Banfeng left. A few three-headed beings laughed: "What's this talk of next year? Once we harvest this crop, they'll kick us out."

Juanzi said nothing. She led the others to sow the seeds, water and fertilize them. Three days later, the harvest came. She gathered the grain, packed it into sacks, and found Li Banfeng: "Seventh Master, how much can we take with us?"

All the three-headed beings had prepared to be driven away.

Li Banfeng looked at the grain: "This is all yours. Take it home and eat."

"Take it home…" Juanzi didn't understand.

Li Banfeng pointed to the wooden hut: "That's your home. Go eat."

Home…

The word was too unfamiliar.

A group of three-headed beings stared blankly at Li Banfeng.

Mengzi looked at Fang Yi, who remained silent for a long while.

Juanzi couldn't believe it was real. She asked: "Seventh Master, do you have more work for us?"

Li Banfeng pointed to the group clearing land: "Ask them—if anyone needs laborers, earn more money. Don't forget to pay me back for the seeds and oranges."

With that, Li Banfeng pulled down his hat and walked away.

The three-headed beings watched his back until he disappeared into the distance.

This new land was different—its light was abundant, bright, and stretched far.

PS: Salads like to talk with other salads—it's such a lively thing.

(End of Chapter)