Chapter 669: Wubian City

Huh!

In the darkness, layers of darkness overlapped; two mountain ranges merged into one, and Li Li Banfeng was swallowed by the valley.

The projector said that what they had just seen weren't two mountain ranges, but two lips—Li Li Banfeng still hadn't sensed he had entered anything's mouth, but he sensed direction, sensed time, and sensed his own existence.

Bang!

The bubble burst.

Li Li Banfeng, who had been enclosed within the bubble, was plunged into water once more.

Splash—the great water receded, and Li Li Banfeng saw land.

He touched the ground beneath his feet—it was hard, extremely hard, likely rock long battered by water, pitted and uneven, yet overall relatively flat.

Luo Luo Shaojun exclaimed happily: "Wubian City is obedient—sister called out a few times, and he came to fetch us."

Luo Luo Yujun panted: "If he hadn't come, we'd have been crushed."

Luo Su Lijun coughed twice: "I shouted for hours—my throat's gone hoarse."

Luo Luo Yanjun snorted: "When you were with Ma Ma Junyang, you could shout for hours too, and never said your throat was hoarse."

Luo Su Lijun swung her stick at Luo Luo Yanjun; Luo Luo Shaojun asked curiously: "Sister, how did you shout with Ma Ma Junyang? Teach me!"

Luo Su Lijun was about to strike Luo Shaojun, but seeing Li Li Banfeng standing nearby, she dared not raise her hand.

Li Li Banfeng stared, baffled, at the five sisters—he understood not a word of what they'd just said.

It wasn't that their words were complex, but that the situation before him was incomprehensible.

Li Li Banfeng asked first: "Have we been swallowed by Wubian City?"

Luo Luo Shaojun nodded: "Yes! Sister called Wubian City over, and it saved us."

"Wubian City is a city, right?" Li Li Banfeng felt his understanding of cities might be flawed.

"It's a city—a huge one," Luo Luo Shaojun said proudly. "It was built by our Luo ancestors, and it's the largest city on our family's fief."

Li Li Banfeng asked again: "Can this city move?"

Luo Su Lijun smiled: "Isn't Qiuqiu City your lord's territory? Doesn't Qiuqiu City move?"

"His is different—" Li Li Banfeng couldn't yet answer Luo Su Lijun's question, but Qiuqiu City and Wubian City were certainly two different things.

They must be two different things—

Li Li Banfeng looked around—the darkness held faint glimpses of mottled rock; looking up, he could barely make out specks of starlight.

If starlight could be seen inside Wubian City, then what kind of place was this?

Luo Luo Yujun said: "Let's go quickly—don't linger in his mouth. If he drinks water, we'll get crushed again."

Why did she always talk about being crushed?

Li Li Banfeng asked: "Is the water pressure here very high?"

Luo Luo Yanjun understood some Earthly scientific concepts: "Lord Li, if you use your own calculations, the position we were just in had roughly the pressure of tens of thousands of meters beneath the ocean."

Luo Luo Shaojun asked Luo Luo Yanjun: "Sister, does Waizhou have seas that deep?"

Luo Luo Yanjun frowned: "Girl, are you arguing? I was using a metaphor."

How deep Waizhou's seas were wasn't the point—Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "I didn't feel any great water pressure."

Luo Luo Yanjun said: "That's because Lord Li was closest to the entrance—your body dissolved into formlessness, so you weren't harmed by the pressure."

"But undersea currents churned, and we sisters were farther from the entrance. Without our hard shell armor, we'd have been crushed by the pressure."

Li Li Banfeng took a moment to understand Luo Luo Yanjun's meaning.

They had been at the wormhole's entrance, where their physical state had changed—what Luo Luo Yanjun called dissolving into formlessness.

Once they strayed from the entrance and their bodies became tangible, resisting water pressure became nearly impossible.

Luo Luo Xiujun said: "We waited hours—I thought Wubian City wouldn't come. Honestly, I was ready to swim back."

What did "hours" mean?

Li Li Banfeng said: "We didn't wait that long, did we?"

Luo Luo Yanjun explained again: "Around the entrance, thought stagnates—hours feel like an instant."

She meant that near the wormhole, one could not perceive the passage of time.

Li Li Banfeng took out his pocket watch and checked the time.

Indeed.

According to Mengde's display, over ten hours had passed since they entered the soda kiln.

They walked along the slippery rocks; Wu Xiu could adapt to any terrain—Li Li Banfeng found it no hardship, and the five Luo sisters even less so; they were more accustomed to this environment, especially after transforming into field snails, allowing them to swiftly crawl across the slick ground.

"Seventh Brother, get on my back," Luo Luo Shaojun smeared rouge on her face, then used her tentacles to pull Li Li Banfeng onto her shell. Li Li Banfeng looked up again and saw the star-filled sky.

"If we're inside Wubian City's body, why are there stars in the sky?"

Luo Luo Shaojun said: "Seventh Brother, those aren't stars—they're Wubian City's eyes."

"Eyes growing inside the body?"

Luo Luo Shaojun said: "Wubian City was forged by our Luo ancestors—it should resemble their bodies."

"So the Luo ancestors' eyes grew inside their bodies?"

Luo Luo Shaojun nodded: "All Luo people have eyes inside their bodies. Yesterday a worm disturbed Sister Luo Yujun's belly—she used her internal eyes to find it, then pulled it out with her internal hands."

Li Li Banfeng stared at Luo Shaojun for a long time: "You have hands inside your bellies?"

Luo Luo Shaojun laughed: "Seventh Brother, we're different from the people of Like Puluozhou—we have five organs inside our bellies; you people of Like Puluozhou don't."

Luo Luo Yanjun also smeared rouge, coughed, and said: "Little sister, you've got everything inside your belly—don't forget the ears. You keep saying 'Like Puluozhou'—someone might hear you."

Luo Su Lijun had just applied rouge and waved her tentacles, sensing the surroundings for a moment.

Luo Luo Yujun put away the rouge box: "So what if someone hears? Wubian City is still our Luo family's territory."

Luo Luo Yanjun said: "Not necessarily. Since the day we were thrown into prison, Wubian City may no longer belong to anyone."

Luo Luo Xiujun added more powder to her face: "We were imprisoned, yes—but we went in with our titles intact. As long as our titles weren't stripped, who could seize our city so quickly?"

Luo Luo Yanjun gave an example: "Hunting tigers isn't because they bite or look scary—it's because someone wants their bones, meat, and hide. Don't you understand the logic here?"

Luo Luo Yujun thought long and hard—this girl was stubborn, and still didn't get it: "Tiger people are fine. Why hunt them?"

Luo Luo Yanjun ignored her and said to Luo Su Lijun: "Sister, let's hurry and find Hu Hu Chihong. She might still live in Wubian City."

Luo Luo Xiujun said: "She's your lady's appointed scholar—where else would she live?"

Luo Luo Yanjun didn't know how to explain: "You two are thick-headed. Hu Hu Chihong is now a favorite of Lan Qiao Yi. Now that our Luo family has fallen, even if she moves to Lan Qiao Yi's fief, it's not impossible."

While the sisters argued, Li Li Banfeng was busy observing the scenery.

At first, everything was pitch-black—only the rocks and silt beneath their feet visible. After walking about ten miles, Li Li Banfeng gradually saw lights.

The lights came from a low building: white walls, a rounded roof, like a giant white bun placed on the ground.

From afar, the building didn't seem large, but up close, it was clear the flat structure covered dozens of mu of land; people constantly entered and exited its entrance.

From the perspective of Neizhou, these were indeed people: octopuses walking on land, flying clams, sparrows swimming up from ponds—all gathered in groups and entered the building.

Li Li Banfeng asked: "What's this building for? Not a kiln for crafting people, is it?"

Luo Luo Shaojun said: "Seventh Brother, what do you think we are? It's a restaurant—you Like Puluozhou people call it a coal yard."

This was a closed coal yard—Li Li Banfeng glanced inside and faintly saw piles of coal.

"Do you all eat here?"

Luo Luo Xiujun said: "We don't eat here. This is where commoners eat."

Li Li Banfeng said: "Don't you all eat coal? Can you even rank it?"

Luo Luo Yujun said: "We rarely eat coal—we mostly consume grease. Here, grease is hard to store, so it's very precious."

Luo Luo Xiujun said: "Even if we ate coal, we wouldn't eat this kind—this coal's full of impurities, smoky, foul-tasting. One bite makes you nauseous for days. Only commoners come here to fill their bellies; scholars never set foot in such places."

Luo Luo Yanjun coughed: "Enough."

She noticed Li Li Banfeng had been silent.

Li Li Banfeng kept staring into the coal yard—a worm, carrying a stack of cargo boxes, passed by and also peered inside.

The worm was so absorbed he accidentally bumped into Luo Su Lijun.

Luo Su Lijun, thrilled yet tense upon returning home, flew into a rage at being bumped.

"Blind fool! Watch where you're going!" Luo Su Lijun pulled a stick from her shell and struck the worm several times. The worm didn't dodge, just lay flat and took the blows; its cargo boxes fell, spilling a few items.

Luo Su Lijun raised her stick to strike again, but Luo Luo Yanjun stopped her.

Li Li Banfeng glared coldly at Luo Su Lijun; she immediately stopped.

The worm trembled violently—he wanted to pick up the scattered boxes but dared not move.

Li Li Banfeng jumped off Luo Luo Shaojun's shell, picked up the fallen boxes, and neatly restacked them on the worm's back.

"How much to let him eat a meal here?" Li Li Banfeng looked at the others.

No one dared answer—only Luo Luo Shaojun spoke: "He can't eat here—he's a slave."

Li Li Banfeng remained silent for a long time.

This was a commoner's restaurant—Luo family members never ate here.

But this slave had no right to eat here at all.

Li Li Banfeng studied the worm closely—it resembled the worms he'd seen in Baifeng County; its body was riddled with holes, but none held weapons—only ropes and shackles.

Luo Luo Shaojun pulled a jar of grease from her shell and handed it to Li Li Banfeng: "Seventh Brother, this is delicious."

Li Li Banfeng handed the grease to the worm; the worm refused to take it—Li Li Banfeng forced it into his hands.

Back on Luo Luo Shaojun's shell, Li Li Banfeng continued onward.

The worm still stared silently.

He hid the grease in one of his holes, raised half his body, and kept watching Li Li Banfeng's back.

Luo Su Lijun explained, "Young Master Li, I was out of line just now. Every place has its own customs—in the Shang realm, punishing slaves is common."

Li Li Banfeng said nothing.

Luo Su Lijun added, "From now on, I'll restrain myself where needed. I know our customs differ."

Li Li Banfeng looked at Luo Su Lijun and said, "I used to carry heavy loads. Do you know what carrying heavy loads means?"

Luo Luo Yanjun said, "I know Prozhou has many who earn their living by brute strength, but it's different—nothing like slaves…!"

Li Li Banfeng nodded. "I know it's different. Prozhou really is different."

Luo Luo Yanjun tried to change the subject: "Hu Hu Chihong lives on Left Ninth Street. Let's go see if we can find her."

The territorial divisions of Wu Bian City were extremely simple. The term "Left Ninth Street" was straightforward and direct.

Li Li Banfeng and the others had been swallowed in through the city's head. Facing the head, the ninth street to the left was Left Ninth Street.

On the way to Left Ninth Street, Li Li Banfeng saw teahouses, inns, theaters, and opera houses.

Wu Bian City had everything Prozhou had. Luo Luo Xiujun understood the scene well: "Young Master Li, if you like, I'll take you to the opera house another day."

"A famous performer came here recently—a sewing machine—who sang the huadan role. Her vocal technique and skill were beyond reproach."

Li Li Banfeng didn't understand: how could a sewing machine sing opera? He could at least grasp the idea of a sewing machine beating drums and gongs.

And what puzzled him more was: what kind of being was a sewing machine?

"Do people from Neizhou even have such pure machines?"

Luo Su Lijun didn't want to answer—some words might trigger Li Li Banfeng's nerves.

Luo Luo Shaojun whispered, "They're slaves too—slaves from Prozhou. Their bodies are gone; only their souls remain. What shell they wear depends on their master's arrangement."

Li Li Banfeng's expression grew heavier. Luo Luo Shaojun dared not say more. They entered Left Ninth Street and headed toward Hu Hu Chihong's residence.

The number of passersby increased. Li Li Banfeng wondered: why didn't anyone notice the five Luo sisters walking openly in the street?

"Aren't we being too conspicuous?"

Luo Luo Shaojun understood Li Li Banfeng's meaning: "Seventh Brother, don't worry. What they see isn't what you see."

Li Li Banfeng didn't understand: "What do you mean?"

"We've had no sunlight for years. Eyes alone can't see clearly, so we don't just use our eyes."

"We use our noses to see. We use our ears to see."

"We rubbed on rouge earlier—our scent changed, so how they see us changed too. Right now, when I look at Jade Sister, she looks like a rabbit. Luo Yanjun looks like an otter. Su Lijun looks like—"

Luo Shaojun's voice grew quieter; she dared not continue.

Su Lijun snorted. "Say it. You've already said everything you shouldn't."

"Fine, I'll say it: Su Lijun looks like a water snake. Luo Xiujun looks like a fish. I look like a clam—with a little clam on my back!"

Li Li Banfeng snorted. "The little clam is me?"

Luo Xiujun glanced at Luo Shaojun. "Foolish girl, do you know what it means when a clam carries another clam on its back?"

Luo Luo Shaojun blushed. She seemed clueless, but her words were crucial—they revealed not only their disguise method but also a weakness of Neizhou people: their sense of smell interferes with their vision.

At the gate of a courtyard, Luo Luo Yujun stepped forward and knocked. After a long wait, the two massive doors slowly opened.

All buildings here were enormous—absurdly so. In the darkness, under dim lights, these colossal structures pressed down with overwhelming force.

"What would it look like if these buildings weren't so huge?"

Luo Luo Shaojun said, "Our bodies are naturally large. If the buildings weren't this big, we wouldn't even fit inside!"

"Yes." Li Li Banfeng smiled. That remark wasn't meant for Luo Shaojun—it was meant for the projector.

The projector was searching for a filming angle. He noticed this place resembled the underground city.

Luo Luo Yanjun was negotiating with the gatekeeper. Hu Hu Chihong was a scholar—low in noble rank, but not someone just anyone could meet.

Luo Luo Yanjun claimed to be Hu Hu Chihong's fellow townsman, spoke at length with the guard, and gave him a good amount of silver coins. Only then did the guard agree to announce them.

Li Li Banfeng said, "So your currency is silver too."

Luo Luo Xiujun replied, "What do you mean 'too'? We need to be clear—silver was ours first. Your place learned it from us!"

After another wait, the gatekeeper let them in. Hu Hu Chihong had used transformation magic to appear as a woman in red robes, seated in the reception hall.

She studied them carefully: "Who are you all—?"

She didn't recognize the Luo sisters!

Luo Su Lijun ordered a basin of water, washed her face, and released her true scent.

Hu Hu Chihong hurried forward and bowed. "Lord! You've returned!"

Luo Luo Xiujun said, "Washing your face before others means removing all disguises and showing true sincerity. That's a high form of respect."

Everyone washed their faces. Li Li Banfeng leapt off Luo Luo Shaojun's back, stepping out of the scent's influence.

Hu Hu Chihong bowed to each in turn. Before Li Li Banfeng, she bowed deeply and called him, "Your Highness."

"Your Highness, did your banquet with Elder Lan Qiao Yi proceed smoothly?"

"Don't call me Crown Prince. Call me something else," Li Li Banfeng said. "I haven't met Elder Lan Qiao Yi yet."

"You haven't met him?" Hu Hu Chihong was astonished. "I heard Elder Lan Qiao had already prepared his procession and waited for Prince Li Qi in Chaoge."

"Then why are you here in Wu Bian City?"

Li Li Banfeng frowned. "You were the one arranging this. Don't you know whether I went to Chaoge?"

He suspected Hu Hu Chihong was pretending ignorance.

Hu Hu Chihong shook her head. "Ever since Prince Li Qi agreed to the meeting, Elder Lan Qiao forbade me from contacting him again."

"Why?"

Hu Hu Chihong couldn't say outright. Luo Luo Shaojun answered for her: "It's the royal family's usual tactic—they never let one person play too big a role in any matter."

"Especially Hu Hu Chihong. You were once the Luo family's advisor, and this matter involves the Luo family deeply. Elder Lan Qiao naturally keeps you under guard—use you halfway, then replace you."

Li Li Banfeng recalled his time in Anxing Bureau: "I know this trick. Lan Qiao Yi prepared a procession to welcome me—but why didn't he notify me in advance?"

Hu Hu Chihong said, "No need to notify. This—"

She stopped mid-sentence, afraid to go on.

Everyone was so evasive. If they were all like Luo Shaojun, how much trouble would be saved.

Luo Shaojun explained: "We sisters understand etiquette. Technically, we should have taken Seventh Brother straight to Chaoge."

"But our sister doesn't trust Elder Lan Qiao, so she wanted to return to our own territory first."

"This matter—" Hu Hu Chihong glanced at Luo Su Lijun.

Luo Su Lijun nodded slightly, understanding Hu Hu Chihong's meaning: "Wu Bian City is no longer the Luo family's territory. Who owns it now?"

Hu Hu Chihong explained: "Strictly speaking, it's not an outsider. Chaoge just issued a decree, granting Wu Bian City to the Bao family."

"The one who was granted this land was originally a Luo nobleman."

Luo Luo Shaojun gasped. "You mean Luo Yingjun?"

Hu Hu Chihong nodded slightly, unsure whether to be glad or not.

Luo Luo Yujun and Luo Luo Xiujun stayed silent—they didn't know Luo Luo Yingjun well.

Luo Luo Yanjun roughly understood the situation but didn't speak up. Luo Luo Shaojun continued explaining Luo Luo Yingjun's background to Li Li Banfeng: "Seventh Brother, I told you before—I had a brother who, at fifteen, transformed into a leopard—"

Li Li Banfeng remembered him. He couldn't transform into a snail, so he was forced to leave the Luo family. But the Bao family was a regional lord—he retained his noble title.

How could he take control of Wu Bian City?

Luo Su Lijun spoke plainly: "Does he think that if he hadn't transformed into a leopard at fifteen, Wu Bian City and the family's title would've gone to him?"

Hu Hu Chihong said nothing. She wasn't supposed to comment.

Luo Su Lijun laughed. "We three sisters just recovered from illness. None of us dared tell anyone—we painted rashes on our skin to hide it. But who could've guessed that within days, word reached Chaoge?"

"I wondered who told Chaoge. Now I know—there's a traitor in the family. Looks like many still have ties to Luo Yingjun."

Luo Luo Shaojun asked, "Sister, what do we do? Do we stay in Wu Bian City?"

"Of course we stay! Why wouldn't we?" Luo Su Lijun sneered. "I told Wu Bian City to meet us at the gate—and it came. In the end, Wu Bian City still answers to me. Bao Luo Yingjun has no power to control it."

Luo Luo Yanjun warned, "Sister, when Luo Yingjun was twelve, he once controlled Wu Bian City to fetch Father from Chaoge. He can control Wu Bian City—and better than—"

Luo Luo Yanjun stopped mid-sentence. Luo Luo Shaojun finished for her: "Sister, Luo Yingjun isn't worse than you!"

Luo Su Lijun was about to rage—when Li Li Banfeng suddenly sensed imminent danger.

He turned toward the hanging gate and saw a worm standing there, carrying several cargo boxes, peering inside.

The hanging gate connected the front courtyard to the main courtyard. How did this worm get here? Where were the guards?

Li Li Banfeng recognized the worm.

The worm stared at Li Li Banfeng—as if recognizing him too.

Luo Luo Shaojun blocked Li Li Banfeng. "Seventh Brother, don't go. You don't know the Shang realm. You'll get hurt."

The worm shook its body. The cargo boxes tumbled to the ground.

Parts spilled out—and instantly reassembled.

Li Li Banfeng recognized the parts: a needle, a turntable, a spring, gears, and a record.

Luo Yanjun, Luo Yujun, and Luo Xiujun rushed forward to stop the assembly—but were struck by gears and springs, beaten back, covered in wounds.

Luckily, their shells were hard. Without their snail shells, all three would've died.

The parts assembled into a phonograph. The worm wound the spring and played a tune.

"Ji ji~*!"

After the drums and gongs, the Hu Qin began. The sound was excruciating.

Luo Yanjun, Luo Yujun, and Luo Xiujun charged again. CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—their shells cracked under the music.

Snail shells that withstood twenty-thousand-meter water pressure—shattered like this!

Luo Shaojun's shell was about to crack too. Li Li Banfeng lunged forward, swift as lightning, grabbed the phonograph's needle, and tried to lift the record off the turntable.

The record seemed to come alive, clinging tightly to the tray; Li Li Banfeng could not pull it free.

Tang Dao immediately drew his blade and slashed down at the record.

Sparks flew; Tang Dao said, "Didn't cut it—"

The record bore a slight scratch but continued spinning rapidly on the tray.

The needle extended spikes all over its body, forcing Li Li Banfeng to let go.

The moment Li Li Banfeng released the needle, a singing melody entered his ears.

"Ma Da Jianghai draws his blade, cuts off the enemy's head and hangs it high. Seeing the yellow robe, tears roll down his face. The battle of Taiping—boom, boom, boom—three cannon blasts,

a bloody head rolls to the roadside. Zhu Hong Lian Zhai—boom, boom, boom—the drums cease; Cai Yang's head lands before the horse."

Amid the singing, Li Li Banfeng's body began to tremble.

The Luo family's five sisters, along with Hu Hu Chihong, all their bodies shook violently, as if their shells might shatter.

Is this a weapon from Huineizhou?

PS: If that worm had ambushed us by the roadside, the consequences would have been unthinkable.