Chapter 453: What Kind of Person Is He?

He He Jiaqing's grandfather, He He Caiyuan, suddenly appeared and ordered He He Jiaqing and Lüshui Gai to leave the area immediately.

He demonstrated a technique worth a thousand gold per character—honestly, He He Jiaqing had never seen such a formidable Wen Xiu technique; he was afraid, but he didn't leave.

Lühuazi wouldn't leave either; at this point, no amount of words could persuade him away.

He He Caiyuan sighed: "People aren't afraid of having no real ability—they're afraid of having a little ability and overestimating themselves."

As soon as he spoke, the four characters " Zibuliangli " appeared in the night sky; the characters " Zi " and " Bu " flew toward Lühuazi, while " Liang " flew toward He He Jiaqing.

Cui Ti quickly adjusted his position, keeping as much distance as possible from Lüshui Gai—he'd heard Li Li Banfeng mention that Lühuazi had a habit of using people as weapons.

Sure enough, Lühuazi reached back to grab Cui Ti, but his hand closed on empty air; he had no other weapons, and even his clothes had been burned off by himself.

He broke off a branch from a tree and shattered the " Bu " character, but the " Zi " character's structure was tighter; Lühuazi struck twice but failed to break it.

The " Liang " character facing He He Jiaqing was even harder to deal with—its structure was complex, and its attack methods were intricate; it could elongate the " Shu " stroke into a weapon and split the " Heng " stroke into hidden projectiles.

The remaining " Li " character was still being toyed with by He He Caiyuan, who casually flicked it into the depths of the forest.

"There's another one who doesn't know his limits!"

Li Li Banfeng saw the " Li " character flying toward him and swiftly raised Tang Dao to block it.

Bang!

The " Li " character carried tremendous force—it knocked Tang Dao flying straight back toward Li Li Banfeng.

Li Li Banfeng dodged with Kuibu, spun around, and countered with Tapowanchuan; shattered rocks struck the " Li " character, kicking up clouds of dust; the character was slightly damaged but still chased after Li Li Banfeng.

Having fought Murong Gui twice, Li Li Banfeng now had experience battling written characters; fighting a single character sounded absurd, but Li Li Banfeng dared not slacken for a moment.

He first used Duanjing to clear a path, placing a stone on the ground to block the " Li " character's advance.

Bang!

The stone shattered under the impact of the " Li " character; Li Li Banfeng adjusted his angle and used Tapowanchuan again, finally breaking apart the " Li " character.

Outside the forest, Lüshui Gai shattered the " Zi " character with a branch.

He He Jiaqing stealthily stole strokes from the " Liang " character, dismantling it.

He He Caiyuan laughed: "Still want to fight? A mayfly trying to shake a tree—pitiful and ridiculous."

" Pifuhanshu " was still four characters, divided as before.

The characters " Pifu " clung to Lühuazi, " Han " clung to He He Jiaqing, and " Shu " flew deep into the forest to find Li Li Banfeng.

These four characters had many strokes and could split apart to attack; especially the " Shu " character, which could split into three separate characters.

They did have ways to deal with these written characters, but continuing this way wasn't viable.

Disassembling a single character required immense effort, but for He He Caiyuan, such characters required no writing at all—just speaking them aloud was enough.

If they kept fighting, all three of them would be worn down to death; after a brief struggle with the " Shu " character, Li Li Banfeng unleashed a trick he'd prepared earlier.

He sprinkled a seed along with medicinal water; Yingfanghui understood and immediately used light and shadow to obscure the seed's location.

The " Shu " character split into " Mu," " You," and " Cun "; they surrounded Li Li Banfeng, but the seed quickly sprouted through the soil, growing into a cabbage, from which a toad crawled out, croaking twice.

At the sound of that croak, Chu Shaoyang and He He Caiyuan both froze in shock.

He He Caiyuan immediately entered the forest, leaving Chu Shaoyang to fight Lüshui Gai and He He Jiaqing.

He He Caiyuan knew the exact location of the willow tree; he sprinted there and saw a toad crouched deep in the woods.

The toad was smaller than expected, but it looked exactly like Ge Ge Junma; under emergency conditions, there was no time to verify—he dared not take chances; Wang Wang Fuqi, the Kuixiu, was dead, and communication inside and out had been severed; he didn't know Ge Ge Junma's condition.

He He Caiyuan cautiously called out: "Ge my lord?"

The toad didn't answer.

Li Li Banfeng sprinted around the willow tree; the Judge's Pen leapt out, piercing the " Mu " character, then the " You " character.

Both characters immediately lost their will, slowly drifting downward until they vanished.

The remaining " Cun " character was lured by Li Li Banfeng to the toad's side, colliding directly with its body.

"Gugua!"

The toad's body shattered into pieces; He He Caiyuan immediately recalled the " Cun " character.

In truth, a careful look would reveal that although both were green, it was the cabbage that shattered—not the toad.

But He He Caiyuan was in extreme tension and still paused for a moment.

"You servant!" Li Li Banfeng swung his teapot; tea splashed to the ground, forming two barriers around He He Caiyuan.

The tea surged upward; He He Caiyuan remained calm and said: "Open!"

The barrier, once the pride of the old teapot, shattered instantly; the tea receded.

Li Li Banfeng's figure flashed, then he bolted away—he intended to use Zoumaguanhua.

He He Caiyuan shouted: "Chase!"

A single character " Zhui " chased after Li Li Banfeng, replacing He He Caiyuan's eyes and locking his vision onto Li Li Banfeng.

This was the power of a Yunshang cultivator—Li Li Banfeng could not escape He He Caiyuan's gaze.

"Kill!" He He Caiyuan spoke again; the " Sha " character followed the " Zhui " character, striking Li Li Banfeng's left shoulder with its weapon, " Shu."

The rest of the battle was simple for He He Caiyuan—just a few more characters, and he could trap Li Li Banfeng completely.

At the critical moment, Cui Ti stepped before He He Caiyuan and shouted: "Old sir, I love you!"

He unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his chest—there was a tattoo, but not characters; instead, a series of lines spiraling inward from the outside.

He He Caiyuan rubbed his forehead, stumbling slightly on his feet.

Cui Ti's tattoo wasn't just an expression of affection—these lines induced vertigo in He He Caiyuan.

He He Caiyuan shouted: "Heal!"

The character " Yu " appeared on He He Caiyuan's forehead; the vertigo vanished instantly.

Li Li Banfeng used Tapowanchuan repeatedly to shatter the " Zhui " character; the Judge's Pen spun twice and pierced the " Sha " character.

The " Sha " character fell; Li Li Banfeng's figure vanished from He He Caiyuan's sight.

Bang!

He He Caiyuan's chest trembled, his body swaying.

Cui Ti burst his pustules and flung a spray of fluid onto He He Caiyuan.

Rashes erupted on He He Caiyuan's skin; Cui Ti rejoiced—this meant he had seized the initiative in battle.

Li Li Banfeng appeared behind He He Caiyuan; He He Caiyuan shouted: "Blade!"

Dozens of long blades stabbed toward Li Li Banfeng's face; the Judge's Pen fought desperately to block them; Li Li Banfeng couldn't dodge in time—his face bore a new cut, and several more wounds appeared on his body.

Bang!

Li Li Banfeng, enduring the blades, unleashed Tapowanchuan; He He Caiyuan spurted blood from nose and mouth and collapsed to the ground.

Did we win?

Li Li Banfeng and Cui Ti rejoiced—then suddenly, He He Caiyuan's corpse exploded, transforming into a single character " Fen," which vanished.

Cui Ti froze, confused by the situation.

Li Li Banfeng understood the situation—but he too froze.

The one they had fought with all their strength was merely He He Caiyuan's split body.

Outside the forest, Lüshui Gai and He He Jiaqing pressed forward relentlessly; Chu Shaoyang was in dire straits; He He Caiyuan's true body appeared and activated Shumo Xunxing.

Vast numbers of characters, chaotic and irregular, attacked He He Jiaqing and Lüshui Gai; He He Caiyuan, carrying Chu Shaoyang, passed through safe zones between the characters, standing silently to watch.

Chu Shaoyang asked anxiously: "How is Ge my lord?"

He He Caiyuan shook his head: "I didn't see Ge my lord. There's a madman in the forest who tricked me with illusions."

As he spoke, He He Caiyuan waved his hand; another wave of characters flew into the forest, surrounding Li Li Banfeng and Cui Ti.

He He Caiyuan warned Chu Shaoyang: "Prepare your tools to open the gate—don't waste time on these ants."

Lüshui Gai and He He Jiaqing shattered the waves of characters; both were heavily drained.

Li Li Banfeng and Cui Ti also dispersed the characters; both were covered in wounds.

He He Caiyuan fanned himself, sneering: "Still fighting?"

He He Jiaqing realized they couldn't fight anymore; his strength paled in comparison to his grandfather's—so far, He He Caiyuan might have used less than half his power.

Lüshui Gai was unwilling to retreat; if this were his territory, if his combat power could recover quickly, he still had confidence to continue fighting He He Caiyuan.

But all these assumptions were false.

Lüshui Gai shouted into the forest: "Retreat!"

Cui Ti was also unwilling; for him, his Ancestor's condition was still too good—he couldn't leave yet.

Lüshui Gai urged: "Hurry!"

Cui Ti replied: "Going, going now—this is just business; only by surviving can we finish the deal!"

He was reminding Li Li Banfeng: you can't catch fish in muddy water—this business is over.

Lüshui Gai's figure vanished; he entered the Unnameable Place.

He He Jiaqing glanced into the forest, then his figure vanished too.

Cui Ti waited a moment, hoping to leave with Li Li Banfeng.

Li Li Banfeng returned to the willow tree.

Cui Ti didn't understand.

"This was just business."

Li Li Banfeng said nothing; he tore off several strips of Mi Jiao Bu sent by Ling Ling Miaoying and quickly wrapped his wounds.

After waiting a moment, Cui Ti sighed, turned, and walked away.

One day, I will wipe out every person on this earth with a plague.

But if one person must live, I hope it's you.

Li Qi, live well.

……

The Green Water Beggars had all left; only Li Li Banfeng remained in the woods.

Li Li Banfeng would face Chu Duan Shaohong and He He Caiyuan alone.

This sounded like a joke.

Li Li Banfeng touched Tang Dao.

"Lord, we can't defeat them."

Li Li Banfeng patted his gloves.

"Boss, these bastards fight with writing—I can't use my strength!"

Confirming all magic treasures were in place, Li Li Banfeng lowered his hat brim and stood silently beneath the tree.

He faintly smelled a fragrance—the scent of ink.

The smell didn't come from any one place; Ink Fragrance Shop had always carried this scent. When he first arrived, Li Li Banfeng wasn't used to it, but now he found it truly pleasant.

The Judge's Brush said: "Qi, go. I'll fight."

Li Li Banfeng shook his head.

Ink Fragrance Shop is vital. I won't let it fall into their hands, no matter what.

The Judge's Brush tried to carry Li Li Banfeng out of the garden.

Li Li Banfeng spun the Judge's Brush in his hand: "I'm not leaving. I'll fight them."

……

"See them out!" Outside the woods, He He Caiyuan sent another wave of written characters.

Li Li Banfeng swung Tang Dao and activated the Technique of Benevolent Heart.

The Judge's Brush blocked before Li Li Banfeng, fighting fiercely.

The wine gourd spat fire, the old teapot splashed tea, the sickle circled above his head, the pendulum guarded his chest, the glove held a Ban Yue axe, protecting his back.

……

Inside the Portable Dwelling, Hong Ying anxiously asked about the battle.

A stench of blood filled the room; Hong Ying's voice trembled: "Master, let me out. I beg you."

The Master sighed: "Old Train Fire once said this place—Ink Fragrance Shop—is vital. I still don't understand why. Perhaps Qi understands?"

Hong Ying cried: "Why talk about this now? Let me go fight them!"

The Master fell silent for a long while, then slowly said: "Hong Ying, prepare for battle."

The Portable Dwelling broke its own rules!

Li Li Banfeng's condition was dire.

The Phonograph cried: "Master, let me go!"

The Portable Dwelling said: "You prepare first. Let Hong Ying take the front."

Hong Ying asked no questions. She swiftly donned the armor Tang Tu Yinghong had sent, tied her hair tightly into her iron helmet, and stood at the door of the Portable Dwelling.

The Phonograph said: "I made a new spear. Take it."

Hong Ying shook her head: "I am the spear. Why carry another?"

The Phonograph roared: "Do you dare disobey orders? Are you going to charge with your head? Take the spear!"

……

Li Li Banfeng repelled a wave of characters, staggered, nearly fell—then felt his phone vibrate.

He wanted to answer, but there was no time.

Outside the woods, He He Caiyuan shouted: "Rogue! Won't you leave? What do you intend? What do you think you are?"

"Dog-born servant," Li Li Banfeng wiped blood from his face and smiled, "and what are you?"

"Li Qi?" Chu Duan Shaohong recognized Li Li Banfeng's voice.

He He Caiyuan laughed: "So you're Li Qi. You deserve death. The affair at Qiuluoye is tied to you. Tell me the truth—I'll spare your life."

"Truth?" Li Li Banfeng laughed again. "Send your master. A servant like you—do you even deserve to hear it?"

Servant.

Those two words were sharp.

He He Caiyuan's face darkened: "On the day you die, you'll never realize how ignorant you are. You don't know why you were born, who you should serve."

You'll never know what trash you are, how utterly insignificant!"

"You deserve to die!"

He He Caiyuan wrote the four characters "Deserve to Die" with his fan—written, not spoken, not summoned.

As he wrote, his wrist trembled slightly; the four characters carried fury, infused with He He Caiyuan's masterful technique.

The four characters entered the woods; where they passed, rows of trees instantly turned to ash.

Chu Duan Shaohong struck immediately; two magic treasures followed the four characters into the woods.

One was a shackle—if Li Qi lived, it would bind him.

The other was a wooden casket—if Li Qi died, it would contain his corpse.

Li Li Banfeng sensed the danger and prepared to use his Traveler Technique to resist.

This assault was clearly different from before—if he couldn't block it, he'd retreat into the Portable Dwelling, then reemerge to fight them again.

The phone still vibrated. Li Li Banfeng had no time to answer.

Only Luo Zhengnan could get through. The outcome didn't matter. Before he ran out of strength, Li Li Banfeng would stall at all costs—he would never hand Ink Fragrance Shop over to them.

Inside the Portable Dwelling, the door cracked open. The Portable Dwelling said: "Hong Ying, go!"

Hong Ying pushed the door open—just as she stepped out, it slammed shut with a clang.

Confused, Hong Ying shouted: "Old bastard! You crushed my hand! What are you doing?"

The Portable Dwelling said: "I changed my mind."

"You old bastard!" Hong Ying cursed. "You go back on your word—what happens to Qi Lang?"

The Portable Dwelling said: "Someone's coming."

The Phonograph asked anxiously: "Who?"

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Four beats of a rattle drum.

The four characters "Deserve to Die" shattered into fragments.

The two magic treasures vanished instantly, gone without trace.

Chu Duan Shaohong tried to flee—but his feet wouldn't move.

He He Caiyuan shuddered, then heard a voice beside his ear:

"He's my brother. What trash are you calling him?"

He He Caiyuan tried to speak—but couldn't open his mouth.

He tried to write—but couldn't move his hand.

The peddler's voice came again: "Who do you live for? Who do you serve? Is it this?"

BOOM!

A massive toad corpse fell into the garden, landing before He He Caiyuan.

(End of Chapter)