Chapter 624

Li Li Banfeng couldn't understand the relationship between popularity and sincerity; to him, popularity depended solely on the number of people. Green Water Bay had many people, so its popularity was high.

Ye Ye Songqiao had few people, so its popularity was low.

This was the most straightforward concept, and the most basic common sense in Pulu Province.

Pan Pan Dehai waved his hand and said, "Young brother, you only know half the story. Yes, more people mean more popularity—a hundred people in one place generate a hundred units of popularity in a day; ten thousand generate ten thousand. That's an unbreakable rule, everywhere."

"But if one person acts with true sincerity, they might generate a hundred units of popularity in a single day—even more than that."

"One person generates a hundred units of popularity?" Li Li Banfeng still didn't get it.

Old Pan sighed. "You can't grasp it, young brother. I only understood this myself recently. In Hai Chi Ridge, the population isn't large, but the popularity isn't small—because when people are hungry, they want to eat; that desire counts as true sincerity!"

"The Ku Dai Kan also has plenty of popularity—after eating their fill, they want to do other things; that too is true sincerity!"

"The people in Yao Wang Gou aren't few, yet their popularity isn't high—they're idle, with no strong desires, no firm attachments, so they can't accumulate popularity. Green Water City's people are ambitious; everyone has something they want to do, and they truly want it—so Green Water City has the strongest popularity."

"These kinds of popularity have different origins and unpredictable destinations; the Land Seal can collect them all, and whoever holds the Land Seal can use them. But there's one kind of popularity the Land Seal can't collect—it has a name and an owner."

"Last year, during the New Year, tens of thousands from San Dao Ridge burned incense for Old Man Qi. Each person offered true sincerity—and that popularity became yours. The Land Seal couldn't absorb it, and no one else could touch it."

At this, Old Pan paused. Some words had slipped out.

Li Li Banfeng looked at Pan Pan Dehai. "You just said no one else could take it—does that include you? You gave me this popularity because you couldn't take it yourself?"

Pan Pan Dehai shook his head. "You speak like that, and you hurt our friendship. I can't use this popularity, yes—but if I just let it sit and waste away, wouldn't that be a betrayal?"

"Collecting popularity isn't easy. I did this for you out of conscience, virtue, and friendship. If you don't appreciate it, you'll break my heart!"

Li Li Banfeng nodded. "I appreciate it. I truly do. When it's my turn to help, Old Pan, just say the word—I won't hold back." It was a sincere statement. He needed popularity badly, and Pan Pan Dehai had truly helped. It was rare for Li Li Banfeng to speak such a heartfelt word to Pan Pan Dehai.

After a few minutes of idle chat, Li Li Banfeng asked about Qin Qin Tianjiu's condition.

Pan Pan Dehai replied diplomatically: "Qin Qin Tianjiu has extraordinary talent—he eats three oxen and six sheep every day. My experience in food cultivation means little to him."

"I wanted to recommend him to Wang Wang Youniang, the food cultivator at Tie Wan Gang, but she's eccentric. She called Qin Qin Tianjiu rigid and refused to take him as a disciple. So he's stuck with me for now."

Li Li Banfeng quickly grasped the implication. He pulled out a check and paid Pan Lao ten thousand silver dollars upfront. "This covers tuition. All of Little Fat's expenses are my responsibility."

Pan Pan Dehai refused a few times, then accepted. Ten thousand silver dollars weren't much to him—but the gesture warmed his heart.

The old cart sped faster. In less than two hours, it brought them to Cut Noodle Village.

North of the village lay Sauce Explosion Slope. Heavy snow had buried the path, yet the old cart rolled steadily, its wheels hovering above the snow without leaving a single imprint.

Near the mountain peak, Pan Pan Dehai and Li Li Banfeng got off. Pan Pan Dehai glanced at Li Li Banfeng's feet—it was time to test his skill. The cart had left no trace; now, the man must walk on snow without leaving footprints.

Li Li Banfeng had the technique of riding wind and clouds—he glided over the snow effortlessly.

Pan Pan Dehai had his own technique too, though Li Li Banfeng couldn't tell its origin.

At a rock outcrop, Pan Pan Dehai coughed three times.

The rock seemed to hear him. Slowly, it rose from the ground, floating two meters into the air. Behind it lay a cave.

Inside, they walked a hundred paces—and Li Li Banfeng saw the old cart.

It was the same size and shape as the one they'd ridden—but Li Li Banfeng felt it should be very light.

Why did he feel that?

Probably because of its color.

The cart's shaft, body, and wheels were all the same hue—white with a faint yellow tinge.

Li Li Banfeng touched the shaft. "Is this cart made of paper?"

Pan Pan Dehai thought the remark disrespectful, but didn't deny it. "Yes. This cart is made of paper."

"This is the Hai Chi Old Cart?"

Pan Pan Dehai nodded. "This is the treasure of Hai Chi Ridge—capable of holding tens of thousands."

How could a paper cart hold ten thousand people?

Pulu Province had strange new things—but Li Li Banfeng still thought this cart too plain. It had no wooden frame; a gust of wind might scatter it.

Pan Pan Dehai smiled. "Brother, don't think it's light. Can you even pull it?"

Li Li Banfeng looked down. "Can the wheels turn?"

Pan Pan Dehai said: "Young brother, do you think this little strength is enough to pull away Hai Chi's old cart? That would be a joke. Add more force."

Li Li Banfeng warned: "If I break it, don't blame me."

Pan Pan Dehai laughed. "Use all your strength. If it breaks, it's my loss."

Li Li Banfeng had studied cart-driver steps. He gripped the shaft and took a step forward—the wheels stayed rooted, unmoving.

He checked the cart carefully. Even if the wheels didn't turn, such a light cart should be easy to drag.

So why wouldn't the wheels move? Was something glued to them?

Pan Pan Dehai said, "Young brother, that much strength won't move the Hai Chi Old Cart—that's a joke. Add more."

Li Li Banfeng pushed harder. If the wheels were stuck, he could snap the shaft.

The shaft didn't break. The wheels didn't move.

Pan Pan Dehai sighed. "Brother, you're a cloud-traveling cultivator. If this is all you've got, I'll laugh at you."

This time, Li Li Banfeng gave his full strength.

Li Li Banfeng added more strength to his wrist and lifted the cart right off the ground.

The wheels turned. The cart moved forward with him.

Old Pan was right—the wheels turned smoothly. But the cart had enormous inertia. Li Li Banfeng struggled to stop it; it shoved him forward ten meters.

He lifted the shaft, weighing it. High inertia meant high mass—but the shaft felt light, truly paper-light.

Even if the cart is empty, if the wheels lift off the ground, Hai Chi's old cart will get angry; if it's not empty, once the wheels leave the ground, everything inside will spill out—and you won't be able to reload it in a day or two."

Li Li Banfeng strained his wrist and lifted the entire cart.

Pan Pan Dehai said: "Young brother, do you want to practice a bit longer here, or come with me to scout the route?"

He felt the whole cart weighed only five jin. "Carrying it would be far easier than dragging."

Pan Pan Dehai gestured downward. "Young brother, remember this: the Hai Chi Old Cart's wheels must never leave the ground."

"Even if empty, if the wheels lift, the cart gets angry. If it's loaded, and the wheels lift, everything inside spills out—and you can't put it back for days."

This cart had a peculiar temperament.

Pan Pan Dehai asked: "Young brother, do you want to practice more here, or come with me to scout?"

Li Li Banfeng pulled the cart back and forth twice through the cave. The cave was deep—over two li. When he set the cart down, he was sweating.

Pan Pan Dehai said, "Once loaded, this cart will be harder to pull. Young brother, if you plan to drag it through San Tou Cha, you'll need serious effort."

"It's not about effort," Li Li Banfeng shook his head. "I don't have the ability."

The cart had to carry ten thousand people. To drag it out of San Tou Cha—how difficult would that be?

Li Li Banfeng practiced for over an hour in the cave, made no progress. He left the cart there and followed Old Pan to scout.

Sauce Explosion Slope lay on the border between Hai Chi Ridge and San Tou Cha—but the path was bad, and too close to Cut Noodle Village. Entering or exiting San Tou Cha here was clearly unwise.

Following Sauce Explosion Slope east thirty li, they reached Clear Broth Gully. This was Pan Pan Dehai's chosen spot. It was a mountain ravine, named for its lack of soil—nothing could grow here.

Pan Pan Dehai explained: "Winter snow piles deep, spring and summer rains are heavy—but no soil. Only rock. Water can't be held—it all drains down the slope, clear as broth. Hence, Clear Broth Gully. Few come here year-round, and the boundary here is narrow."

When you're done using the cart, you must return it to the cave—this cart is the foundation of Hai Chi Ridge." Pan Pan Dehai left; Li Li Banfeng stared at the boundary for a long time.

"Yes. Boundaries vary in width. Elsewhere, they're subtle. In San Tou Cha, the difference is stark."

They walked into the ravine. After five or six li, ahead lay a stretch of ground with no snow—only dust. The boundary had arrived.

Li Li Banfeng looked up. The snowless zone stretched at least a hundred meters. "Could all this be the boundary?"

Pan Pan Dehai sighed. "This is the boundary. The border between Hai Chi Ridge and San Tou Cha is wide. Clear Broth Gully is one of the narrowest spots."

"This is narrow?" Li Li Banfeng's confidence wavered. He didn't know if his Dark Bridge Cannon could span such a width.

Pan Pan Dehai said, "I picked other spots—but their boundaries are wider, and less hidden."

Li Li Banfeng followed Pan Pan Dehai to several more locations. Old Pan was right—Clear Broth Gully was the best.

Pan Pan Dehai's task was done. "I'll leave the Hai Chi Old Cart in the cave. The big rock at the entrance recognizes you. When you approach, cough three times—it will open."

"When you're done with the cart, return it to the cave. It's the foundation of Hai Chi Ridge."

Pan Pan Dehai left. Li Li Banfeng stared at the boundary for a long time.

He pulled out his boundary switch and tested it.

He pulled the wooden lever and sent a paper doll toward the boundary.

Li Li Banfeng returned to his quarters and pulled out Zhao Zhao Xiaowan's puppet.

The moment the doll touched the boundary, it turned to ash.

His switch didn't work on San Tou Cha's boundary.

He returned to his Personal Dwelling, brought his wife, and brought out the Dark Bridge Cannon.

His wife studied the boundary's width. She wasn't surprised—she knew San Tou Cha's boundary was unique.

"Our Dark Bridge can cross—but we'll need care."

She adjusted the angle and fired. The shadow cast by the cannon had a diameter of about five meters—nowhere near covering the boundary.

It was entirely thanks to the wife's deep familiarity with the hidden bridge that she could stabilize it.

She changed the angle and fired again. This time, the shadow reached over thirty meters.

Still far from the hundred-meter span.

If the peddler needs to cross the hidden bridge to enter Three Forks, who will control the bridge then?

She manipulated over a dozen dials, fine-tuning the angle. The next shot produced a shadow only three meters wide.

Li Li Banfeng told the peddler about Hai Chi's old cart; the peddler laughed: "Don't worry—you don't have to pull it. I have other helpers. What we need to do is rescue that group of Three-Headed Ones."

His wife complained: "This needle's no good—it slips on the dials. I can't get it right."

Li Li Banfeng returned to his Personal Dwelling and brought out Zhao Xiao's puppet.

【101】 Inside the puppet, his wife moved her fingers. The precision was now sufficient—but speed suffered. The puppet's arms lacked the strength of the phonograph's internal bones.

【102】 "Switch back?"

【103】 "No need. It's just slower. No big deal."

【104】 She tried over thirty times. Finally, one shot succeeded. The shadow stretched, fully covering the entire boundary.

【105】 "I'll test it!" Li Li Banfeng stepped toward the wormhole.

【106】 His wife stopped him.

【107】 "Husband, don't test it. This long a Dark Bridge—its stability is uncertain. Let me adjust the parameters."

【108】 She kept changing the Dark Bridge's parameters. It barely held for a minute—then vanished.

【109】 Only her deep familiarity with the Dark Bridge had kept it stable.

【110】 "I need more practice. When the Dark Bridge is stretched to its limit, every scenario changes. At a critical moment, I can't guarantee I'll handle it."

【111】 Li Li Banfeng realized a crucial question.

【112】 If the peddler needed to cross the Dark Bridge into San Tou Cha—who would operate it?

【113】 The next day, the peddler arrived at Clear Broth Gully.

【114】 Li Li Banfeng explained the Hai Chi Old Cart's situation. The peddler laughed. "Don't worry. You don't need to pull it. I have other helpers. Our job is to rescue those San Tou people."

【115】 The peddler unfolded a map of San Tou Cha. "Twenty li north is Elbow Mountain. Ten thousand people live there. The Waizhou Society wants to take them to Criminal City. They refused, fought several battles on the mountain."

【116】 "Now Waizhou has decided to exterminate them. Our mission is to rescue them. The main difficulty: over three thousand San Tou people remain on the mountain. They're hard to deal with."

Li Li Banfeng was confused: "We're going to rescue three-headed people, so why do we have to fight three-headed people?"

"The three-headed people we're fighting have surrendered to Waizhou. They call themselves the Guizui Army. Their weapons are excellent, and their cultivation levels aren't low." Levels?

"Brother, you've got it wrong. How could three-headed people have cultivation levels? Even the three-headed people in Neizhou have no levels, let alone those in Santou Cha."

I'm not talking about cultivator levels; three-headed people have never had suitable introductory herbal powders—neither in Neizhou nor in Santou Cha—so none of them can enter the Dao.

"But the guidance agent from Waizhou works on them. Waizhou calls them Dark Energy Users. You should know this."

The guidance agent works on three-headed people!

This was something Li Li Banfeng had never imagined.

He had the formula for the guidance agent!

The peddler said: "This is why Waizhou has never let go of the three-headed people. They are Waizhou's most vital force along the border."

"Use your most vital force to guard against Like Puluozhou?"

The peddler shook his head. "Not just Like Puluozhou."

"Santou Cha is the border between Like Puluozhou and Waizhou. If you don't guard against Like Puluozhou, who else would you guard against?"

"Santou Cha is the border between Waizhou, Neizhou, and Like Puluozhou."

Li Li Banfeng froze. His understanding had taken another serious wrong turn.

He had always believed the world was a concentric circle: Waizhou on the outermost layer, Like Puluozhou in the middle, Neizhou at the core.

Now he saw this belief was utterly wrong!

Combining this with his earlier deductions, Neizhou and Waizhou weren't facing the same star. Their star was likely the Dark Star the Anjing Bureau had been studying. And the boundary between them was something Li Li Banfeng couldn't comprehend.

Now wasn't the time to dwell on this. The priority was understanding the peddler's tactics. Li Li Banfeng looked at the map: "Zhouzi Mountain isn't inside Sinren City?"

The peddler shook his head. "Far from Sinren City."

"If it's not in Sinren City, why not enter through Xindi? The map shows Xindi surrounds Santou Cha—it's far safer than crossing via the Dark Bridge."

The peddler shook his head. "Every Xindi entrance in Santou Cha has a boundary. I can cross, but Hai Chi Laoche can't. To rescue these three-headed people, we must cross the boundary."

"We need to bring down over ten thousand three-headed people from the southern slope of Zhouzi Mountain—but we can't fight the Guizui Army too hard. Fight too hard, and you're declaring war on Waizhou. Then Neizhou will join in, and Like Puluozhou's days will be over."

"So the best plan is this: I lure away the Guizui Army. You escort the cart toward the border. The ones I draw off, I'll try to keep alive. The ones blocking you—don't hold back."

"When we reach the border, I'll meet you. Remember: whether I come or not, you must cross immediately. Don't wait for me."

"I can only tell you this. When the reinforcements arrive, I won't say it in front of her—you must believe me. I have many ways to escape Santou Cha. Even if I can't get out, you can't save me. Understood?"

Li Li Banfeng nodded slightly. He wanted to know who the peddler had brought as backup. By afternoon, the helper arrived: Lu Lu Qianjiao, a Wu Xiu powerhouse from Jiaoxi Xiao Chuan. She was the peddler's lover—a fierce woman.

No wonder he'd only told Li Li Banfeng. She'd never abandon the peddler in Santou Cha. "Brother, you're really invested—you even brought your wife!"

At Li Li Banfeng's "wife," Lu Lu Qianjiao blushed, slightly embarrassed, but smiled sweetly. Li Li Banfeng added: "Wife, you're so scatterbrained—won't you mess things up in Santou Cha?" Lu Lu Qianjiao pulled an arrow from behind her back and grinned at Li Li Banfeng: "Who are you calling scatterbrained?"

Li Li Banfeng studied Lu Lu Qianjiao's build: "You know what? Wife, your frame's solid. You're perfect for pulling carts." Lu Lu Qianjiao drew another arrow and looked at the peddler: "You want me to pull the cart?"

The peddler hurried to explain: "Don't listen to this brat. Pulling carts? Never you." Li Li Banfeng said: "You won't pull, I won't pull—so who's left?"

The peddler snapped: "I have other helpers!"

Li Li Banfeng shook his head. "Who else could be better than your wife? That cart? No one else can pull it, let alone drag it twenty li." The peddler took a clock from the cart, checked the time: "He should be here soon."

Half an hour later, the driver braved the snowstorm, pulling a rickshaw into Qingshui Gou. Snow lay deep, but his steps remained steady.

The north wind howled, yet the driver stood perfectly upright. Everyone else bent low—only he stood straight.

Seeing the peddler, Li Qi, and Lu Lu Qianjiao, the driver showed no surprise—he knew all three. Without greeting, he asked directly: "Where's the cart?"

The peddler praised: "Look at him—that's how you get things done!"

Li Li Banfeng led everyone to Zhajiang Mountain. At the cave entrance, he coughed three times. The rock floated upward. They entered.

Hai Chi Laoche sat inside. The driver gripped the shaft, tested it, nodded: "Good cart. Hard to pull." He gripped the shaft, took one step forward—the cart moved.

It moved at once!

Ten steps further, the cart began running.

He extended one foot and stopped—the cart stopped instantly!

Li Li Banfeng stared. "Brother, your cart-pulling skills are incredible. Start and stop on command. Let me try."

The driver waved him off. "Brother, don't try. You can't pull this cart. I taught you some basic footwork, but this isn't something basic techniques can handle." Lu Lu Qianjiao snorted: "Sounds mystical. Like some grand secret."

The driver smiled. "This secret really is grand. Even if you had decades, you couldn't learn it."

"Decades?" Lu Lu Qianjiao snapped. "Give me the cart—I'll pull it for you right now!"

The driver blocked her. "Don't touch it. This isn't an ordinary cart. It has many rules. The wheels must never leave the ground. You're too clumsy—you'll break it."

Lu Lu Qianjiao snapped: "Who are you calling clumsy?"

Li Li Banfeng stared. "Brother, how do you know the wheels can't leave the ground?" The driver touched the shaft, then the carriage. "The cart told me."

"The cart talks?" Li Li Banfeng listened with Dongxi Lingyin Insight—heard nothing.

The driver stroked the carriage, wiped away tears. "This cart wept the moment it saw me. Our fates were destined to meet—but we met too late." Lu Lu Qianjiao felt a pang of sadness. She linked arms with the peddler and whispered softly: "If it's fate, don't let it slip. We're not too late."

The peddler smiled. "We're not late—we're right on time. Driver, stop hugging that cart and crying. Let me explain the plan. You need to know what we're doing tonight."

The peddler laid out the plan in detail. The driver wasn't interested—he only cared about one thing: "This job—just pulling the cart, no fighting, right?" Lu Lu Qianjiao said: "What kind of question is that? If things get desperate, you're just going to stand there?"

The peddler clamped his hand over Lu Lu Qianjiao's mouth. One more word, and the driver might walk out. "Brother—just pull the cart. No fighting!" The peddler gave a clear answer.

The driver looked at his rickshaw. "I never leave this cart. I sleep in it, eat in it, relieve myself beside it, bathe with it by the river. But I can't pull two carts. Where do I put this one?"

The peddler said: "Put it inside Hai Chi Laoche. Bring it along."

The driver shook his head. "No. Once the three-headed people are loaded, I'm afraid they'll mess with my cart."

The peddler thought, then turned to Li Li Banfeng: "Leave his rickshaw in this cave. No one else can open the entrance." The driver still wasn't satisfied: "What if Pan De opens it and damages my cart? He can open this cave!"

The peddler frowned. "Then what do you suggest? I find someone to guard it?"

After long consideration, the driver agreed to leave the cart in the cave. He hugged it tightly before leaving, kissing it repeatedly. Lu Lu Qianjiao looked at the peddler: "I give up. He loves that rickshaw more than you love your cart!"

The peddler pulled Li Li Banfeng aside. "Everything's ready. Tonight we move. Business is about mutual consent—I never force anyone."

"Ten thousand lives are yours to save—but I won't force you. Saving them might harm them. But that's not your fault." Li Li Banfeng froze. "What do you mean?"

The peddler smiled. "Meaning: if we succeed today, I have a great gift for you. But if you want to back out now—you still can."

He hadn't sounded like this before.

Li Li Banfeng felt uneasy. "Brother, I need a helper too. Let me consult mine." "Is your helper reliable?"

"More reliable than your wife!"

The peddler nodded. "Go. Come back quickly." Li Li Banfeng returned to Leaving Suishenju and told his wife.

His wife hesitated. The peddler was their old enemy.

Li Li Banfeng didn't want to burden her. "My love, tell me how to operate the Dark Bridge Cannon. When I fire it and bring them across, you retrieve it and wait at the border to meet me."

The singing machine shook her head. "Husband, you can't do that. If I control the cannon while you're inside, even a slight electromagnetic deviation—you might never return."

That meant someone had to control the Dark Bridge Cannon the entire time Li Li Banfeng and the others crossed the boundary. "My love, if you use your puppet body to go out, can you control the cannon?"

The singing machine looked at the needle. "Husband, I can't. Too many delicate tasks require fingers." That meant she'd have to operate the cannon as Zhao Xiao's form.

That meant she'd meet the peddler, Lu Lu Qianjiao, and the driver. Li Li Banfeng asked carefully: "My love, have our old grudges been resolved?"

Before the singing machine could speak, Xiang Xiang Hongying interrupted: "Resolved? It was life or death! If I see that peddler now, I'll kill him on the spot! Xiao Wan, you must not go!"

They had been mortal enemies on the battlefield. This grudge was hard to dissolve.

But without his wife controlling the cannon, the mission failed. The family pondered in silence. It was already six o'clock—nightfall approached.

The singing machine made her decision: "After that battle, I've lived through much. I can't say I've erased old hatred—but I've added no new grudges."

"Since the peddler proposed this business, he won't ruin his reputation. By his nature, he won't use this chance to seek revenge. Husband, I'll go."

Xiang Xiang Hongying said: "You can go—but not without strength. Old Master, give Xiao Wan some combat power! If that peddler turns, Qi Lang can't handle him alone!" Leaving Suishenju fell silent for a long time, then spoke: "Zhao Xiaowan—take all your combat power with you."

Leaving Suishenju broke its rule!

It allowed his wife to take her full combat power. Why?

Xiang Xiang Hongying had been the peddler's mortal enemy—she distrusted him. But why did Leaving Suishenju distrust him too?

The wife hurried to thank him. As she stepped out with her puppet body, Leaving Suishenju grew uneasy: "This body won't do..." Xiang Xiang Hongying was frantic: "That puppet walks with difficulty—how could it possibly work?"

After long hesitation, Leaving Suishenju spoke again: "Xiang Xiang Hongying—take all your combat power. Go with Zhao Xiaowan!" PS: Leaving Suishenju's reaction was unusual.

Why should Li Li Banfeng be the one to save these ten thousand?

Dear readers, the battle looms—cast your vote for Yumian Shala!