Chapter 57: Blood-Soaked Pendulum

Li Banfeng chopped the pendulum into Rong Jin’an’s skull.

Rong Jin’an lay on the ground, his body convulsing violently.

Li Banfeng had known he wasn’t dead; though Rong Jin’an played it well, Li Banfeng could sense danger emanating from him.

He brought him back to the Residence to please the House Spirit.

It wasn’t quite a House Spirit—Li Banfeng didn’t even know her name.

For now, he’d still call her Madam.

Madam said the food never stayed fresh, and Li Banfeng felt ashamed.

Ssssh~

The phonograph stirred to life.

Clang clang clang~

The phonograph had waited a long time: “My lord~~ You truly cherish your humble servant, bringing back such a fresh delicacy.”

Li Banfeng nodded: “Madam, please dine.”

“Thank you, my lord~”

A wisp of steam enveloped Rong Jin’an; his body trembled even more fiercely.

Suck-suck~

Li Banfeng thought he heard the sound of slurping noodles, but he couldn’t tell what the phonograph was slurping.

Only Rong Jin’an knew.

At this moment, the phonograph was slowly devouring his soul, a sensation like someone slicing his flesh with a knife, cut after cut.

He wanted to die quickly, but he couldn’t die yet.

In the midst of unbearable agony, Rong Jin’an remembered Qin Xiaopang, who had wanted to die but couldn’t.

While Madam slurped his soul, Li Banfeng continued observing Rong Jin’an’s wound.

Why wasn’t it bleeding?

After a moment’s study, Li Banfeng understood: it was bleeding—but the blood had just emerged when the pendulum swallowed it, leaving no trace.

The pendulum drank blood.

Using a blade that drank blood, combined with Luo Yujun’s pendulum, they forged a pendulum that drank blood.

Li Banfeng glanced at the bronze lotus: “Why go through such unnecessary trouble?”

The bronze lotus remained silent.

Li Banfeng pulled the pendulum out of Rong Jin’an’s skull.

The pendulum, now saturated with blood, had turned from bright silver to copper-red. Li Banfeng touched it—felt nothing unusual.

Beneath the pendulum was a small screw, used to adjust its length. Li Banfeng noticed the screw had reached the pendulum’s end, as if about to fall off, so he twisted it twice.

Instantly, golden grease gushed from the pendulum—most splattered on the floor, some landed on the phonograph.

Madam, who had been slurping the soul, immediately stopped.

She swallowed the remaining half of the soul, then sang in slow rhythm: “My lord, do you know how hard it is to clean up this grease all over the floor?”

The lyrics were soft, yet carried a hint of killing intent.

Hearing this, Li Banfeng picked up the broom and began mopping the floor.

The phonograph sang again: “My lord, how am I to clean myself, covered in this filth?”

Hearing this, Li Banfeng wiped the phonograph’s casing with the mop.

“My lord, is it proper to clean me with a mop?”

The lyrics grew sharper with killing intent.

Li Banfeng dropped the mop, fetched a handkerchief, and carefully wiped Madam.

The phonograph continued: “My lord, that wretched Honglian forged you a weapon but never told you how to use it—she doesn’t hold you in the slightest regard. If you don’t teach her a lesson, where is the family law?”

Li Banfeng turned and glared at the bronze lotus: “What you did is wrong!”

The bronze lotus opened its petals, looking ashamed, swallowed Rong Jin’an’s corpse, then closed again.

“She knows she’s wrong!” Li Banfeng continued wiping the casing.

“My lord, you’ve worked hard—household chores are best left to your humble servant.” Madam’s anger subsided; a wisp of steam drifted over, and the grease on the floor and casing vanished, sinking into the bucket beside them.

Once cleaned, the phonograph spoke again: “My lord, bring me that weapon—I wish to hear what she has to say.”

Say?

Could the pendulum speak?

Li Banfeng placed the pendulum beside the phonograph.

The phonograph and pendulum seemed to converse, but Li Banfeng heard nothing.

Soon, a wisp of steam turned the pendulum glowing red.

The phonograph beat a steady rhythm and scolded sharply: “You wretched thing—I ask you a question, answer properly. How dare you talk back?”

The pendulum was indeed speaking to the phonograph—Li Banfeng just couldn’t hear it.

After a few more minutes, the phonograph sang slowly: “My lord, put away this wretch—henceforth, call her Blood-Soaked.”

Blood-Soaked?

What did that name mean?

“It drinks blood?” Li Banfeng didn’t understand. “What’s the difference from that short sword before?”

Clang clang clang~ the phonograph replied: “It drinks blood, and it spits it out. Drink the blood of an Oil Cultivator, it spits oil. Drink the blood of a Smoke Cultivator, it spits smoke.”

“What if it drinks the blood of a Wine Cultivator?”

“It spits wine.”

“What if it drinks the blood of a Food Cultivator?”

“It spits blood.”

“What use is spitting blood?”

“That use is great—Food Cultivator’s blood heals wounds, House Cultivator’s blood purges toxins, Traveler Cultivator’s blood makes legs nimble, Joy Cultivator’s blood lets my lord ride wild in the bedchamber~~ huuu~”

Li Banfeng suddenly understood: the Blood-Soaked Pendulum could spit not only at others, but at himself.

A fine weapon—truly a fine weapon.

Li Banfeng quickly stowed the pendulum, wanting to ask more—but the phonograph’s flames died, falling silent.

Eat and sleep—Madam’s life followed strict rhythm.

Li Banfeng too felt weary; he lay on the bed and stretched comfortably.

That visit to the old lady’s house brought rich rewards!

The only problem: he still didn’t know what the Red Pill was for.

Ask Madam?

Madam was asleep.

He should’ve asked that Mouth Cultivator—she read a lot, surely knew something about elixirs.

What was her name again?

…

Xiao Yeci and her daughter Lu Chunying stood before the He family’s old mansion, hesitating to enter.

Such a vast estate, yet the courtyard was empty—even no gatekeeper.

The Western-style house was pitch-black; no one knew if anyone was inside. Xiao Yeci told Lu Chunying: “Baby, don’t be afraid—follow Mama.”

Lu Chunying thought a moment: “Mama, I still believe that person—this place is forbidden.”

“Where else can we go? We came to Yaowang Gully to find your sister.”

We’ve little money left—if we delay any longer, we’ll be sleeping on the streets!”

They lingered at the gate a moment, then resolved to enter.

“Baby, follow Mama—don’t be afraid. Your sister wrote to us—why should we fear?”

As they stepped through the gate, faint light flickered in the dark Western house.

The light came from the second floor—a candle.

Gaunt Lu Xiaolan stood by the second-floor window, holding a candle, waving at the mother and daughter.

“Come, come~”

Lu Xiaolan didn’t know who they were.

She didn’t recognize them; she hadn’t written them a letter; she didn’t know she had a long-lost sister; she didn’t know why this mother and daughter had come to the He family mansion.

Except for Li Banfeng, she couldn’t reach anyone.

But it didn’t matter—as long as someone came.

Someone to take her place was enough.

“Come, come~” Lu Xiaolan called anxiously.

Xiao Yeci seemed to hear Lu Xiaolan’s voice, but couldn’t be sure it came from her.

“Baby, is that your sister?”

Lu Chunying shook her head: “She doesn’t look like her.”

Xiao Yeci thought again: “Didn’t you say you’d never met your sister?”

“I never met her,” Lu Chunying looked at the gaunt Lu Xiaolan, shivered, and said, “but I feel—she’s not her.”

Xiao Yeci pressed her lips: “If she’s not her, then let’s go. It’s late—we shouldn’t disturb others.”

"Then where should we go?" Lu Chunying was also at a loss. "Are we really going to sleep on the street?"

Xiao Ye Ci thought for a long time: "Aren't we still able to find Master Qiu the steward? Let’s go ask him for a place to stay."

Lu Chunying was deeply troubled: "We don’t even know who Master Qiu is. Why would he recognize me?"

Xiao Ye Ci looked at Lu Xiaolan inside the Western-style house and swallowed hard: "You don’t know who Lu Xiaolan is either. Let’s still go find Master Qiu and see if we get lucky."

As they spoke, Lu Xiaolan pounded hard on the window, as if urging them to come in quickly.

"Let’s go," Xiao Ye Ci grabbed Lu Chunying’s hand and quickly left the He family’s old mansion.

PS: Dear readers, have a pleasant weekend!

(End of Chapter)