Chapter 455: Where Is the Demon Land?

The sky was icy and the earth frozen, yet the peddler wore only a blue cloth vest, hacked a hole in the ice, and plunged in.

More than two minutes later, the peddler emerged from the ice hole, wiped his face with a towel, and said to the "Land God": "The entrance at the lake bottom is blocked; all other entrances are blocked too—only Liu Xiaohui's entrance remains open."

Liu Xiaohui—Liu Xia, write the character "Hui."

Li Li Banfeng was greatly surprised: "Who came up with such an inventive entrance?"

The peddler said: "Murong Gui thought of it. After becoming Land God, he left this entrance, saying the method to open it couldn't be too complicated—he feared forgetting it—but also couldn't be too simple, lest others guess it. So he replaced one character in 'Liu Xiaohui'—easy for him to remember, hard for others to guess."

Li Li Banfeng stared at the Spirit Pen and praised: "Gui, you're so talented!"

The Spirit Pen was asleep and gave no reply.

The peddler sneered: "Talent? He was just too lazy to think."

I asked him: 'This is your own door—why tell me the method?'

He said it was to guard against evil intruders—if he met with misfortune, I'd still have a way to help.

I actually believed him and memorized the method. But later I realized: didn't that make me his caretaker?

That kid was too lazy—he wanted me to watch his house. I should've guessed then—he'd entered the Lazy Cultivation path."

The peddler handed two large ink blocks to the "Land God."

The Land God sniffed the rich ink scent, hugged it close for a long while, regained much of his vigor, his previously blank face brightened, and his writing speed quickened considerably.

Two blocks of ink were enough—calmed him, revived him, filled him with determination—this pen was too easy to appease.

Li Li Banfeng asked the peddler: "You only give ink, no paper—what if the paper runs out?"

The peddler picked up a completed scroll and asked: "You mean this?"

Li Li Banfeng nodded.

The peddler explained: "This scroll isn't something I can give—it grows from the Ink Fragrance Shop itself."

As he unfurled the scroll, it was densely covered with the Ink Fragrance Shop's three ordinances—but Li Li Banfeng suddenly noticed the characters at the beginning were fading one by one.

"What's going on?" Li Li Banfeng looked at the peddler.

The peddler sighed: "Too many people don't want to read—newly written ordinances are quickly worn away."

Li Li Banfeng understood the principle: "Persuading people to study is very hard."

"That's why the Land God of the Ink Fragrance Shop is so hard to be." The peddler kept watching the scroll until every character vanished, leaving only blank paper, then handed it to the "Land God."

The "Land God" took the scroll, dipped his tip in ink, and resumed writing the rules.

"What a diligent, fine pen!" the peddler exclaimed, then turned to Li Li Banfeng: "Your cultivation base is nearly at Cloud Level, right?"

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "I've only entered the Dao for a few days—I'm far from Cloud Level."

"If you're still far from Cloud Level, why are you Land God?"

"I'm not!" Li Li Banfeng denied outright.

The peddler snorted: "I saw it all—Murong Gui was dragging you through the air, and you dealt with the pioneers on the new land."

Li Li Banfeng still shook his head: "I have a mental illness—I just wanted to fly. You don't understand my thoughts."

The peddler frowned: "No need to hide it. Wanting to be Land God but refusing to go to Neizhou? That's a bold move—only someone with guts could do it."

"But your new land has only half the contract—the other half is still in Neizhou. You risk being manipulated by them."

"The Ink Fragrance Shop is different—its contract is complete. For you, this is a golden opportunity."

Li Li Banfeng glanced at the "Land God" furiously writing, then shook his head: "I don't think this place suits me—I'm not a Literary Cultivator."

"Not being a Literary Cultivator doesn't matter! What matters isn't the Dao path—it's your heart. As long as you have a heart that seeks learning, no obstacle is insurmountable!" The peddler straightened his back, suddenly appearing towering and grand.

Li Li Banfeng seemed to see a thick character "Bing" on the peddler's face.

"Thank you for your kindness, but I truly don't suit this place."

The peddler looked at Li Li Banfeng sincerely: "I didn't bring you here to rescue my pen—I'm genuinely looking out for you!"

Li Li Banfeng nodded: "I believe you mean well, but I'm a Traveling Cultivator—writing here every day doesn't suit me."

The peddler's face darkened: "Fine, don't come then. Ungrateful fool! What kind of place is the Ink Fragrance Shop? Many want to come—they can't even get the door!"

Li Li Banfeng was just about to ask: "Is the Ink Fragrance Shop a very important place?"

The peddler froze: "You didn't know? Then why are you fighting so hard here?"

Li Li Banfeng replied: "Why should Pulu Province hand this over to Neizhou?"

The peddler laughed: "That's true! Any other reason?"

Li Li Banfeng added: "I smelled ink fragrance here—in Pulu Province, this scent is extremely rare."

The peddler smiled: "You mean the smell of ink?"

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "Not ink. It's the land, the people, the books, the customs, every word and deed, every stroke of the brush, the teahouse poetry circles, the inns and restaurants…"

He spoke as thoughts came to him, telling the peddler everything he'd seen these past days.

The peddler listened word by word, then asked: "What do you think of the people in the Ink Fragrance Shop?"

Li Li Banfeng recalled the people he'd met: "Pretentious, arrogant, stubborn, outdated—annoying, yet strangely likable."

The peddler grinned: "See? They're likable, aren't they?"

"You're right—the Ink Fragrance Shop has this ink fragrance, and it's truly precious."

"Almost everyone in Waizhou can read; everyone in Neizhou can read."

"Pulu Province is far behind—Heishipō barely has half literate; Lüshuicheng has less than thirty percent; anywhere else, you'd struggle to find one literate person among a hundred."

Why does Heishipō have so many literate people?

More than Lüshuicheng?

Li Li Banfeng didn't interrupt; he listened as the peddler continued: "Only in the Ink Fragrance Shop does everyone know how to read. Learn one more character, and you see one more li farther."

"Know a hundred characters, and you see clearly what's around you. Know a thousand, and you see what's beyond. Know ten thousand, and you connect past and present, inside and outside."

"Those who stay in the Ink Fragrance Shop know how to look, know how to think—whether their thoughts are right or wrong, they think."

"Those who leave the Ink Fragrance Shop, no matter how pretentious or stubborn, still find a way to tell others what they've thought."

Li Li Banfeng asked: "But can others understand?"

The peddler shook his head: "Nine out of ten can't understand—but at least one in ten joins them in thinking."

"If this place is lost, no one in Pulu Province will want to think anymore. They'll just wait to be devoured by Waizhou and Neizhou."

Li Li Banfeng nodded: "So this place must not be lost, no matter what."

The peddler nodded firmly: "So we need a man of responsibility, courage, and spirit to become the Ink Fragrance Shop's Land God!"

He looked at Li Li Banfeng with sincerity.

Li Li Banfeng politely replied: "Hmph."

…

As they left the Land God's dwelling, Li Li Banfeng asked: "According to past schedules, you should've been at Haichiling and Feng Kudai Kan. I sent people to look—why couldn't they find you?"

At this, the peddler's face darkened: "I was about to ask you—does your madness spread?"

Li Li Banfeng puffed out his chest: "I'm not mad—I've been examined by doctors."

The peddler snapped: "Then why did your men use the radio to find me?"

Luo Zhengnan used the radio to find the peddler?

Li Li Banfeng truly didn't know.

"You were listening to the radio then?"

The peddler shook his head: "I wasn't. One of my lovers heard it and found me."

Li Li Banfeng asked cautiously: "Where did they find you?"

The peddler glowered: "At another lover's house."

One lover went to another lover's house—what had the peddler gone through?

Li Li Banfeng took a deep breath.

Thank heaven—it was a miracle.

Lucky the Leaving Suishenju stayed calm and didn't track him—if they'd followed him into bed, this would've been disastrous.

"Brother Lang, I was reckless!" Li Li Banfeng quickly apologized.

At the forest's edge, the peddler handed Ge Ge Junma and He He Caiyuan to Li Li Banfeng.

"These two are still alive—just immobilized. Take them back and eat them."

Li Li Banfeng smiled and replied gently: "Brother Lang, you're joking. The toad's fine, but that old man's a person—I couldn't eat him."

The peddler laughed: "You can't eat him? Doesn't matter—someone in your household can."

Li Li Banfeng glanced at the peddler—he seemed to know everything.

The peddler tidied up his cart, preparing to leave.

Li Li Banfeng hurriedly asked: "Brother Lang, do you know this person—Face Not Big?"

The peddler dropped his cart, whirled around, and stared at Li Li Banfeng with an eerily dark expression: "When did you meet him?"

"A while back—I dreamed I was rowing a boat on the sea. My house misunderstood and sent me to Face Not Big's oil lake."

The peddler asked: "Your house sent you? Did you get the railway?"

Li Li Banfeng nodded.

The peddler asked: "What did Face Not Big say to you?"

"He said he suffered greatly there, and he wants you to rescue him."

"Oil lake," the peddler frowned. "I know the place you mean—it's his face. But even if I went there, I couldn't rescue him."

Li Li Banfeng said nothing—this level of matter was beyond his grasp.

The peddler fell silent for a long while, then said: "I've always wanted to save him, but I've never found a way. When I do, I'll tell you—this might still need your help."

Li Li Banfeng blinked in surprise. You want me to help?

He knew his own limits; with his current cultivation base, helping the peddler was far too difficult.

He probably wanted to ask the Mobile Dwelling for help.

But if the Mobile Dwelling is so useful, why did he give it to me?

This matter had long been on Li Li Banfeng's mind, and today seemed a fitting moment: "Brother Lang, why did you give me that house? There must be many who would want it."

The peddler paused. "Didn't I already say? Because you got hurt when you entered the Dao path, I had to compensate you."

"Just because I got bumped? With your abilities, you could've easily made me avoid your cart."

The peddler's expression turned serious. "Not necessarily. Accidents happen. There are always things you can't guard against."

It seemed the peddler didn't want to say more.

Li Li Banfeng never asked about things others didn't wish to reveal.

The peddler pushed his cart and said to Li Li Banfeng: "Any other questions? If not, I'm leaving."

"I'm in a good mood today, so I told you all this. Next time we meet, who knows?"

Li Li Banfeng had many questions, but he could tell the peddler's patience was limited.

After careful thought, he asked the one thing he most wanted to know: "Brother Lang, where is Mo Tu?"

The peddler fell silent.

This question seemed inappropriate—but it was crucial to Li Li Banfeng.

His wife and Xiang Hongying had both fought against Mo Tu, and both had fought against the peddler.

So what was the relationship between the peddler and Mo Tu?

According to Li Li Banfeng's understanding, Mo Tu should be Neizhou—they were the invaders.

But which side did the peddler and the Train Eunuch belong to?

From their attitude toward Neizhou, neither could possibly be allied with Neizhou. Li Li Banfeng's understanding of Mo Tu might be flawed.

Would the peddler be willing to speak of this?

The peddler leaned back against his cart, thinking for a long while, as if recalling something: "You mention Mo Tu, and you've actually stumped me. How many years ago was that?"

"That place doesn't even go by Mo Tu anymore."

Li Li Banfeng froze. "Then what's it called?"

"It's called Puluo Zhou."

Clang! Clang!

The peddler pushed his cart, shaking the drum bell, vanishing into the night.

PS: Is Mo Tu really Puluo Zhou? Is Yumian Shala mentally unwell?

(End of Chapter)