Chapter 499: Compensate with a Life or a Person

Xia Xia Shumin entered Xiao Ye Ci's residence and confronted Li Li Banfeng face to face.

Deputy Director Tang Tang Huanjie reminded him from the side: "Director Xia, you've said everything that needed saying. Let them handle the rest—we'll wait outside for news."

Xia Xia Shumin turned and glanced at Tang Tang Huanjie: "Deputy Director Tang, scared? If you're scared, go hide outside!"

Tang Tang Huanjie didn't argue; he turned and left the courtyard, waiting outside the mansion.

Xia Xia Shumin ordered his assistant Ding Ding Zhichuan to issue commands: all personnel to increase vigilance and prevent Li Qi from escaping.

The order was relayed; Xia Xia Shumin looked at Li Qi and said: "I know what you've done, and I know how ruthless you are. That's why I've come here openly today—"

"Li Qi, you're cornered. If you still want to live, surrender and come with me to the Border Control Office—that's your last chance."

Li Li Banfeng smiled: "How did you reach that conclusion?"

Xia Xia Shumin frowned: "This isn't a conclusion—it's common sense. In this situation, if you openly defy the Border Control Office, do you think you still have any chance of surviving in Pulu Province?"

Li Li Banfeng didn't answer. He kept watching Xia Xia Shumin, observing his position and the deployment of his men.

He didn't care about Xia Xia Shumin's threats. His only concern right now was combat power—he hadn't recovered his strength, and it was even worse than when he was at Earth Level Nine, and could only last about twenty seconds.

How to end the fight within twenty seconds was the most critical issue now.

Xia Xia Shumin had brought hundreds of men, all with cultivation, equipped with fine gear. With his current condition, Li Li Banfeng couldn't repel them in twenty seconds.

The simplest method was to kill Xia Xia Shumin directly. Once he was dead, the men would lose their commander and fall into chaos—only then would Li Li Banfeng have a chance to break out with the others.

Even if he couldn't break out, at least he could hold them off long enough for He He Yuxiu and Ma Wu to return and reinforce him.

Seeing Li Li Banfeng remained silent, Xia Xia Shumin began a new round of intimidation.

He planned to give Li Qi three minutes to consider.

The first minute was for building psychological pressure—to make Li Qi truly feel the urgency of his situation.

The second minute was the buffer phase, the most demanding in negotiation: neither allowing Li Qi to relax nor leaving him no room to breathe, to prevent him from acting rashly.

The third minute was the decisive phase—Xia Xia Shumin would use his superior negotiation skills and extensive experience to shatter Li Qi's mental defenses and force him to surrender.

Capturing Li Qi was extremely important to Xia Xia Shumin.

Perhaps Li Qi had nothing to do with the Red Lotus incident, but the Red Lotus issue demanded accountability.

Beyond the Red Lotus matter, Li Qi had long been a threat to the Border Control Office in Pulu Province, and he'd maintained a peculiar balance with Liao Liao Zihui. His existence would create serious obstacles for Xia Xia Shumin's future control of Pulu Province.

Forcing Li Qi to take responsibility for the Red Lotus incident and then publicly executing him would satisfy the higher-ups, deliver a powerful deterrent to Pulu Province, and dismantle Liao Liao Zihui's network—clearing the path for future governance.

A threefold advantage—how could Xia Xia Shumin possibly miss this opportunity? No matter how unique Pulu Province was, he believed he could firmly control it with the right strategy and methods.

"Li Qi, I give you three minutes. If you surrender within three minutes, I can guarantee your safety. If after three minutes you still resist…"

Li Qi suddenly vanished.

Xia Xia Shumin froze. He'd planned a three-minute tactic—how could he act now…?

Two guards immediately stepped in front of him.

They were blocking Li Qi's line of sight to prevent the formation of the Stepping Horse Technique.

Li Li Banfeng anticipated this—he circled around to the center of the group and stomped down with the Ten Thousand Rivers Stomp.

A thunderous crash—guards collapsed everywhere.

Several guards raised shields and quickly surrounded Xia Xia Shumin, forming a shield wall.

Before ascending to Cloud Level, Li Li Banfeng would use Broken Path to smash through the shield wall and kill Xia Xia Shumin directly.

But now he couldn't—he couldn't afford the energy cost.

Instead, he used the lesser-consuming Skill of Unimpeded Passage, slipping through the shields and entering the shield wall.

The moment he saw Li Qi, Xia Xia Shumin nearly collapsed—terror so intense he screamed.

"Men! Come quickly—"

Li Qi stomped again with the Ten Thousand Rivers Stomp—the shield wall shattered.

Xia Xia Shumin's robe was unusual—it moved like a living thing, extending across his body to shield vital points.

Even so, he was badly wounded, his body covered in bloody gashes.

Several guards tried to counterattack, but Li Qi was too close to Xia Xia Shumin—they dared not strike, fearing they'd hit their commander.

Li Li Banfeng stepped forward, about to finish Xia Xia Shumin—then dizziness struck, his legs suddenly weakened.

This wasn't right—it hadn't even been twenty seconds!

Cold sweat poured out; he couldn't activate any techniques.

Seizing the opportunity, a group of guards dragged Xia Xia Shumin out of the courtyard.

Li Li Banfeng dragged his legs, forcing himself to move, trying to pursue.

Border Control combatants surged forward, surrounding Li Qi.

Killing Xia Xia Shumin was impossible now. Li Li Banfeng could only use his dwindling strength to hold on.

The tide turned. Furious, Xia Xia Shumin shouted from outside the mansion: "Kill him! Must kill him!"

Lu Lu Yuanxin saw the situation turning dire and turned to his men: "Break out from the back gate."

He quickly laid out a tactic: he and his men would fight to the death at the back gate, buying time for Lu Lu Chunying and Xiao Ye Ci to escape, then distract the enemy.

Lu Lu Chunying said: "Brother, how will you escape?"

Lu Lu Yuanxin looked at Lu Lu Chunying: "Sister, when the whole family looked down on me, only you respected me. You called me brother—that's all I ever needed. The Lu family's future rests on you!"

With that, Lu Lu Yuanxin led a swarm of insects straight toward the back gate.

Outside the back gate, Border Control forces had already set up steam-powered machine guns.

Lu Lu Yuanxin planned to use his insects to kill two gunners, have his men hold off the rest, then let Lu Lu Chunying flee.

As the battle began, one steam gun's furnace suddenly exploded.

Scalding steam erupted everywhere—the gunner died instantly, those nearby were boiled alive, over a dozen men cooked through, even Lu Lu Yuanxin's insects didn't survive.

A few of Lu Lu Yuanxin's men suffered minor injuries and retreated immediately—they didn't know what had happened, thinking Border Control had deployed a new tactic.

Another steam gunner prepared to fire—when his furnace exploded again, more people nearby were injured.

One boiler exploding was an accident. Two exploding—what was going on?

The steam had barely cleared, before they could analyze the cause, Wen Wen Hongyan arrived with hundreds of men, smashing through Border Control's encirclement.

Amid the chaos, Wen Wen Hongyan reached Lu Lu Yuanxin and asked: "Where is Seventh Master?"

Lu Lu Yuanxin pointed toward the front courtyard. Wen Wen Hongyan moved to charge forward—but Border Control's scattered ranks quickly regrouped, and fierce fighting erupted in the back courtyard.

In the front courtyard, Li Qi, under heavy assault, was utterly drained—each step made his body sway.

He had two choices: use the Ten Thousand Li Departure to escape—anywhere, as long as he left the mansion.

But he was too weak to activate any technique.

The other option: return to his Personal Dwelling. Safest—but he had no chance to hide the key.

In this dilemma, a voice called from beyond the wall: "Director Xia, let's talk this out—we don't need such violence!"

Chu Er had arrived.

Behind her came two hundred men.

How did she show up just now?

It wasn't luck—Chu Er had arrived in Ye Ye Songqiao two days ago, hiding near Xiao Ye Ci's mansion, waiting for her forces to arrive in batches.

She'd gathered over seven hundred men—but they couldn't all come at once, or Xia Xia Shumin would notice.

She had them come in small groups via Kucai Zhuang—a place with unique access: every town in Pulu Province had roads to Kucai Zhuang, but passage required Old Lady Ku's permission.

Chu Er pleaded desperately, took five hundred lashes on record, promising to return and take the beating after completing her mission.

Over two days, she slowly gathered over three hundred men. She was patient—only when she saw Xiao Ye Ci's mansion suddenly surrounded did she act.

Now outnumbered and with Li Qi trapped inside, Chu Er didn't rush—she chose to negotiate with Xia Xia Shumin.

Xia Xia Shumin didn't want to negotiate.

He was wounded, furious, and no longer cared about capturing Li Qi alive: "No more words with these savages. Kill them all—only then will Pulu Province know peace."

Kill them all!

That was Xia Xia Shumin's order.

Assistant Ding Ding Zhichuan gave the command to attack—over three hundred men surged forward, killing anyone they saw.

For Chu Er, negotiating with Xia Xia Shumin had already been restraint enough.

Now that negotiation failed, she lowered her head, lifted her eyes, and led her people straight toward Xia Xia Shumin.

The battle raged fiercely. Xia Xia Shumin ordered: "Deploy steam machine guns—annihilate the enemy!"

Deputy Director Tang Tang Huanjie froze: "Director Xia, what about our men?"

Steam machine guns don't distinguish friend from foe—if they fire, our own men won't survive.

Xia Xia Shumin roared: "Execute the order!"

As men scrambled to set up the guns, Xiang Xiang Fenglan pulled a carved bow from her back, nocked an arrow, and shot straight at Xia Xia Shumin.

Could she possibly hit him?

A Wu Xiu guard reached out and caught the arrow effortlessly.

Xiang Xiang Fenglan shouted: "Split!"

The arrowhead suddenly separated from the shaft and kept flying toward Xia Xia Shumin.

Several guards raised shields, tightly protecting Xia Xia Shumin.

Xiang Xiang Fenglan shouted: "Drill!"

The arrowhead obeyed—slipping through the gaps between shields.

After that, Xiang Xiang Fenglan couldn't control it anymore.

The arrowhead was inside the shield wall—she couldn't see it.

She cried out: "Shatter!"

The arrowhead exploded on the spot, shards flying and striking everyone.

Large fragments could be blocked or dodged, but the shattered arrowhead sprayed nothing but iron slag—every guard in the shield formation was wounded; Xia Xia Shumin's clothes couldn't stretch fast enough, and half his face was beaten into bloody pulp.

While others were still pondering what kind of magic treasure the arrowhead was, Xiang Xiang Fenglan drew and fired another arrow; the arrowhead pierced the shield formation again and exploded, tearing off a chunk of Xia Xia Shumin's scalp.

This arrowhead doesn't seem to be a magic treasure.

A guard in his fifties muttered: "This looks like a Shi Xiu."

No one else had heard of this path, and in the chaos of battle, there was no time to think.

Xiang Xiang Fenglan fired arrow after arrow; battered and bleeding, Xia Xia Shumin could no longer endure the pain—he stood up from the shield formation, seeking another place to hide.

Tang Tang Huanjie shouted from behind: "Chief, don't panic—she's out of arrows!"

Xiang Xiang Fenglan had indeed run out of arrows.

She picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it at the back of Xia Xia Shumin's head.

Thud!

The stone drove into his skull, and Xia Xia Shumin collapsed instantly.

The old guard was stunned, too afraid to rush to save Xia Xia Shumin.

He looked at Xiang Xiang Fenglan.

No matter what she threw, it always hit—this woman was truly a Shi Xiu.

This path had vanished for so many years; yet somehow, a living cultivator still existed.

Xia Xia Shumin was still alive.

Though he had lost all mobility, his consciousness remained.

A medical cultivator rushed forward to treat him, but Xiang Xiang Fenglan's finger twitched—the stone inside Xia Xia Shumin's skull exploded.

No treatment needed now.

Tiny pebbles flew out of Xia Xia Shumin's skull; the skull frame remained intact, but his brain had become a honeycomb.

Chu Er seized the chance, stepped forward, and slashed off Xia Xia Shumin's head; holding it aloft, he glared at the officers of the Border Defense Hall.

The battlefield fell silent.

The Border Defense Hall personnel stopped fighting.

The Chu family also stopped.

The Border Defense Chief had been killed—something that had never happened in Like Puluozhou.

The Border Defense Hall officers didn't know what to do next; the Chu family was stunned; even Yang Yang Yanzheng didn't know how to proceed.

Chu Er, holding Xia Xia Shumin's head, roared: "Still fighting? Come on! Attack!"

Xia Xia Shumin was dead—was there still any point in continuing this battle?

The Border Defense Hall held the advantage; if they pressed on, they might still win.

All eyes turned to Xia Xia Shumin's assistant, Ding Ding Zhichuan.

Ding Ding Zhichuan wanted to retreat.

Logically, he should at least capture Chu Er—otherwise, how could he account for Xia Xia Shumin's death?

But Ding Ding Zhichuan didn't consider this.

Like Xia Xia Shumin, he didn't understand Like Puluozhou well.

Now, staring at Xia Xia Shumin's head, Ding Ding Zhichuan felt even more alienated from Like Puluozhou.

Chu Er, face covered in blood, stared upward at Ding Ding Zhichuan.

Ding Ding Zhichuan didn't even give an order—he ran away himself.

Everyone stood frozen in place; Deputy Chief Tang Tang Huanjie took command and shouted: "Miss Chu, please leave the Chief's head behind."

Chu Er gritted her teeth and placed Xia Xia Shumin's head on the ground.

Tang Tang Huanjie ordered the retrieval of Xia Xia Shumin's body, then announced ceasefire: "Li Qi, Chu Chu Huaiyuan—this battle ends here. We withdraw."

Chu Er stood outside the gate; Li Qi stood in the courtyard; neither moved.

Tang Tang Huanjie gave the retreat order; the Border Defense Hall personnel swiftly evacuated the estate.

Once the Border Defense Hall had gone far enough, Li Qi could no longer stand—he collapsed with a thud into the courtyard.

Chu Er rushed forward, embraced Li Qi, and said to everyone: "Let's retreat too—to Kucai Village!"

Li Qi shook his head: "I can't leave—I must stay in Ye Ye Songqiao."

Chu Er frowned: "Why?"

Li Qi smiled weakly: "I truly can't leave Ye Ye Songqiao—if I leave this place, I'll die."

You go now, hide yourself—the Border Defense Hall will retaliate. When I recover, we'll fight them together again!"

Chu Er couldn't abandon Li Qi; she ordered her subordinates to retreat first, then stayed by his side to guard him.

Xiao Yeci and Lu Lu Chunying returned; He He Yuxiu and Ma Wu and others returned as well.

Chu Er recounted the battle: "I killed Xia Xia Shumin, cut off his head—he's dead for good."

Ma Wu had just lit a cigarette; it fell to the ground.

Lu Lu Chunying said nothing; Xiao Yeci controlled her trembling.

He He Yuxiu remained calm and asked: "Xia Xia Shumin—isn't he now, like Liao Liao Zihui, the Border Defense Chief?"

Everyone fell silent.

All present had clashed with the Border Defense Hall before, but publicly killing the Border Defense Chief was something entirely different.

This exceeded Like Puluozhou's understanding.

It meant declaring war on the Outer Provinces.

To Like Puluozhou, the Outer Provinces were Da Huan State—whose power they couldn't fathom.

So what was Like Puluozhou?

Like Puluozhou was a scattered heap of warlords, gangs, and common folk—a complete mob.

What could such a Like Puluozhou possibly use to resist the Outer Provinces?

Chu Er hugged Li Qi: "Don't worry—I'll take full responsibility. So what if I have to pay with my life? It's nothing!"

He He Yuxiu said: "Sister, don't talk like that—we face this together."

Lu Lu Chunying said: "Let's return to Lüshuicheng first, gather all our people, and prepare for war with the Outer Provinces."

Ma Wu nodded: "Not just people—weapons, food, and funds must be prepared too!"

Li Li Banfeng said: "You all return to Lüshuicheng and prepare. I'll stay in Ye Ye Songqiao."

He He Yuxiu exclaimed: "What are you staying for?"

Li Li Banfeng said: "So the Border Defense Hall can find me."

Lu Lu Chunying exclaimed: "Brother Qi, what do you mean?"

Li Li Banfeng looked at everyone: "From now on, remember this: Xia Xia Shumin died by my hand—no one else is involved!"

Xiao Yeci exclaimed: "Master, you can't do that! When trouble comes, we find solutions together!"

Chu Er looked at Li Qi and smiled: "What? You're worried about me? Trying to take the blame for me?"

Li Qi smiled too: "Who's worried about you? This was always my affair."

Chu Er snorted: "It's not yours—I killed him."

"I said it—I killed him. Don't anyone else try to claim it," Li Li Banfeng sat up, looking at them all,

"Leave Ye Ye Songqiao right now. Remember—no matter what threats the Border Defense Hall makes, this was my doing.

Don't fall for their tricks, don't let them pick you off one by one—when one of us is in trouble, we all stand together."

Ma Wu sat beside Li Qi and handed him a cigarette: "I don't care what others do—I won't leave you."

Li Qi took the cigarette and smoked: "Go back first—I can handle this."

"How? We've fought side by side this long—if the sky falls, we hold it up together."

"The sky hasn't fallen—it's just a dead bastard!" Li Li Banfeng looked at Ma Wu. "Didn't we agree? When big things happen, you always follow me!"

Ma Wu had no reply.

He He Yuxiu said: "Brother Qi, we face this together—"

"Xiu'er, forgot the family law?" Li Li Banfeng glared at He He Yuxiu; she fell silent.

Chu Er lowered her head: "No matter what you say, I won't leave."

Li Li Banfeng said: "If you truly care for me, go find Second Aunt—get her to help us. That's the real solution."

Chu Er thought it over—Li Li Banfeng's logic made sense.

Li Li Banfeng continued looking at Ma Wu: "Wu, take them away. Your family is here, your roots are here—if this can't be borne,

I'm alone—this happened to me, and only I can bear it."

Everyone remained silent, yet none moved.

If no one would leave, they needed a way to make them go.

"I'm a Lv Xiu—you know that, right?"

Lu Lu Chunying said: "I'm a Lv Xiu too."

"Your level's too low—set that aside," Li Li Banfeng continued. "Lv Xiu are hard to catch—I'm fast, I can pass through walls—I have plenty of ways to escape. If you stay here, you're just a burden.

You return to Lüshuicheng, I stay here to stall them. When the heat dies down, I'll come back to Lüshuicheng to find you—problem solved?"

He looked at Yang Yang Yanzheng: "Brother Yang, you're a Lv Xiu too—you understand this, right?"

He needed a witness.

Chu Er killed the Chief of the Border Defense, and Yang Yang Yanzheng's mind was in chaos; hearing Li Qi bring it up, he lowered his head and said to Chu Chu Huaiyuan, "Li Qi has a point."

With firm words and irrefutable evidence, Li Li Banfeng finally persuaded the group to leave.

After resting briefly in the courtyard, Li Li Banfeng leaned on Tang Dao and stepped out, walking onto the main street.

Who would've thought such a major upheaval would occur right after ascending to Yunshang?

Ye Ye Songqiao is so large—where should he go?

Not only must he stay in Ye Ye Songqiao, he must also appear regularly to keep the Border Defense Office's attention fixed on Ye Ye Songqiao.

If we're going to fight, we fight to the end!

Li Li Banfeng only hoped that before the decisive battle, he could ascend to the first level of Yunshang.

…

In Lüshuicheng, Ma Wu, He He Yuxiu, and Lu Lu Chunying gathered all their forces, waiting to clash with the Border Defense Office.

Chu Er remained in Kucai Village, following the strategy agreed upon with Li Qi: first, seek help from Old Ku.

Li Qi said that only to drive Chu Er away—he knew well that Old Ku owed him nothing; she had no reason to intervene.

After hearing Chu Er's account, Old Ku picked up her staff: "Go, lie down on the bench—five hundred strikes, then we'll talk!"

Chu Er pleaded desperately: "Auntie, postpone the punishment for two more days. When Li Qi is safe, I'll take the staff myself—I'll take five hundred, even a thousand, whatever you say!"

Old Ku jabbed a finger at Chu Er: "Look at the pitiful state you're in—you're supposed to lure your man back, yet you've let someone else lure you away!"

Chu Er wept: "Auntie, the disaster is my fault—please help us just this once!"

Old Ku snorted coldly: "Why should I help him? Is he my disciple? If he wants to hide from disaster, he can come to Kucai Village—why is he staying in Ye Ye Songqiao?"

…

"Old Seven really is ridiculous—what's he doing holed up in that dump of a place like Ye Ye Songqiao? Come back to our own home. If those bastards from Waizhou show their faces, I'll chop one down for each one."

In Qiuqiucheng, Qiu Qiu Luoye's body had mostly recovered and he was helping the Three Heads gather weapons.

Juanzi said: "Master Qiu, if all else fails, let's march straight to Ye Ye Songqiao—we can't let Seventh Master fall into Waizhou's hands."

Qiu Qiu Luoye clenched his teeth, genuinely tempted to launch an attack.

Shui Shui Yongquan arrived in Qiuqiucheng and stopped him: "Wu Wu told me everything—you absolutely must not act rashly. You must trust Old Seven—he's got a plan."

Qiu Qiu Luoye said: "But I can't just sit here waiting—I can't let Old Seven face Waizhou alone."

Shui Shui Yongquan said: "I'm not asking you to sit idle—you must find a way to hold Qiuqiucheng. I'll find a way to hold Zhengjing Village—we must leave Old Seven an escape route!"

…

"This is Seventh Master's escape route!" Qin Bulou instructed his daughter Xiao Qin. "Have the old brothers at Beiqiao keep watch on the Border Defense Office—if Seventh Master returns, we must take him in. If the Border Defense Office cuts off his escape, we fight them to the death!"

Xiao Qin said: "Father, we've always gotten along well with the Border Defense Office—we can always negotiate."

Qin Bulou shook his head: "Daughter, as long as we don't fight, everything can be negotiated. But when the fighting starts, it's kill or be killed—no more talking."

Seventh Master protected our territory—we must protect his life."

…

"This territory is lost," Sun Sun Tiecheng tossed the newspaper onto the table. "You damn kid—just ascended to Yunshang and stirred up this mess. He's the only disciple left—if all else fails, I'll bring you back to Ji Yuren City."

Ding dong, ding dong!

The sound of a rattle drum echoed through the streets of Ji Yuren City. An old woman took a bar of soap from the peddler's cart and turned to leave.

The peddler panicked: "Sister, that's not right! I won't count the price, but you've got to pay something!"

The old woman snorted and handed over two Mi Jiao.

The peddler took the money and asked: "Is your city lord at home?"

"No!" The old woman bolted away.

The peddler sneered: "You ran off so fast—I knew he was home."

Sun Sun Tiecheng sat in his courtyard, sneering to himself: "So he's home? You think you can take back the Crimson Lotus? Don't be so naive!"

…

At the Border Defense Office, Tang Yuan returned to his office in his work uniform; Deng Pao rushed forward in surprise: "You're actually coming to work?"

Tang Yuan frowned: "When do I not work? Haven't I been following Li Qi's case? What's the situation now?"

Deng Pao blinked: "What situation?"

"Didn't he have an incident?" Tang Yuan lowered his voice. "What's the Office's stance?"

Deng Pao blinked again: "Why are you asking?"

Tang Yuan whispered even lower: "I've been investigating Li Qi. If something major's happened, I need to prepare—don't want to get hurt by my own side."

Deng Pao nodded: "You're right—we need to get the facts straight. But I don't have much information myself."

Tang Yuan thought for a moment: "You're close to Tang Vice-Chief's secretary, aren't you? She always says you're handsome."

Tang Vice-Chief is in charge now—can you get some info from his secretary?"

Deng Pao shook his head: "Even Tang Vice-Chief doesn't know much. I heard Liao Liao Zihui's back."

Tang Yuan was startled: "Wasn't Liao Liao Zihui sick?"

…

"You're recovered?" Li Li Banfeng put down his book and lifted the teapot from the stove.

"Not fully—I was dragged back to work." Liao Liao Zihui entered Lu's Bookhouse, sat across from Li Li Banfeng, and poured himself a cup of tea.

Li Li Banfeng smiled: "Looks like the Border Defense Office truly can't do without you."

"Don't mock me. They originally planned to remove me from the Office to make room for Xia Xia Shumin."

Now Xia Xia Shumin lit a fire—and burned himself in it. The flames got out of control, so they're forcing me back to put it out."

Li Li Banfeng asked directly: "You came here about Xia Xia Shumin?"

Liao Liao Zihui sipped his tea: "This needs to be addressed."

"How? You want me to give my life?" Li Li Banfeng laughed. "This life? Absolutely not yours!"

Liao Liao Zihui shook his head: "Not your life—your person."

"What person?" Li Li Banfeng assumed he meant Chu Er.

Liao Liao Zihui set down his teacup and spoke slowly: "Xia Xia Shumin is dead—I can explain that. But Pulu Province is out of control—I can't explain that. Waizhou wants Pulu Province restored to balance—so they demand a balancing person. Li, brother, I've said enough—you understand now, don't you?"

PS: Will Li Banfeng have the talent of a Shi Xiu?

(End of Chapter)

(End of chapter)