Chapter 670: Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill

Li Li Banfeng grabbed the record player's tonearm again and lifted the needle off the record, but the needle instantly elongated, maintaining contact with the disc.

The eerie singing never ceased; the Luo sisters and Hu Hu Chihong had been severely wounded, and the worm brought by the wind-up player was barely alive.

Li Li Banfeng tried to summon his shadow to dismantle the player, but under the piercing music, he could not activate the Technique of Solitary Shadow.

Break it—must break it!

Li Li Banfeng's eyes turned bloodshot as he stared fixedly at the wind-up player.

Luo Luo Shaojun shouted from afar, "Seventh Brother, flee quickly—this is a Second-Class Weapon."

Luo Su Lijun cried, "Young Master Li, go! Don't let us drag you down with us!"

Luo Luo Xiujun said, "Why don't we sisters charge in and help Li Qi fight it? Maybe we can pin it down!"

Luo Luo Yujun replied, "Stop talking nonsense—how can you pin down a Second-Class Weapon? Whoever touches it dies. Let's run—just escaping one of us is luck."

Crash!

Clatter-clatter!

Parts scattered across the floor—the wind-up player had been dismantled.

The sisters were stunned; Li Li Banfeng stared blankly at the scattered pieces.

The player's material was tough, its construction intricate—just moments ago, Li Li Banfeng had struggled to pull the needle away from the disc while holding the tray.

He still couldn't summon his shadow then.

So the question arose: how had this player been destroyed?

A gear lay on the ground, slowly wobbling—then its axle suddenly stood upright and spun rapidly across the floor.

Luo Shaojun shouted, "No good—it's repairing itself!"

Can this machine repair itself?

Li Li Banfeng crushed the gear with Tread Through Ten Thousand Rivers, intending to gather the other parts, when his glove whispered, "Master, leave the rest for now—I'll take them back and give them to the Mistress. They might be useful."

"Are the other parts alive or dead? Can you control them?"

"I think the rest are dead, but there might be something special among them. Let's collect them first and test—then come to you if we can't handle them."

The glove truly could contain things—it swallowed every single part. The Luo sisters didn't know how Li Li Banfeng did it, but when the dust cleared, all the parts had vanished.

The worm that had carried the player lay on the ground, using one leg to pull out a vial of oil from its body.

He knew he was certain to die—he wanted to return the oil to Li Li Banfeng.

Luo Luo Yujun stepped forward and barked at the worm, "Who sent you?"

The worm could not speak; it emitted a hissing sound, steam spurting from its body.

Luo Luo Yanjun examined the worm: "He can't speak—his throat was removed."

Luo Su Lijun gritted her teeth: "So he's a Self-Sacrificing Servant. Who sent him?"

Li Li Banfeng asked, "What does 'Self-Sacrificing Servant' mean?"

Luo Luo Shaojun replied, "A Self-Sacrificing Servant is a loyal slave with no attachments, sent by his master to carry out a mission that guarantees death."

Luo Luo Yanjun recalled her first encounter with this servant and analyzed the whole situation: "He must have been sent by Bao Luo Yingjun—he ordered him to ambush us on the road."

Luo Luo Yujun asked, "Could he recognize us? We wiped off our rouge."

Luo Luo Yanjun shook her head: "Rouge doesn't work. This servant can't smell—he had his antennae removed too. He can't detect any scent."

Luo Luo Xiujun said, "Without antennae, how can he survive? Won't he become useless?"

Luo Luo Yujun glared at Luo Luo Xiujun: "That's why you're so dense. He's a Self-Sacrificing Servant—he's going to die anyway. What's there to talk about for the future?"

Luo Luo Yanjun continued: "Even if he didn't recognize us, he'd have placed this tune along our path. We couldn't withstand it, and there's no detour—we'd likely be killed by this Second-Class Weapon."

"Even if we escaped, we'd be severely wounded. If he sends another Self-Sacrificing Servant, we still won't survive."

Luo Luo Shaojun asked, "If he plays this tune by the roadside, how many people will die?"

Luo Su Lijun sneered: "Do you think Bao Luo Yingjun is a good man? The coal yards are full of commoners—he doesn't care about their lives."

Li Li Banfeng looked up: "Besides commoners, I saw many laboring servants too."

Luo Su Lijun said nothing—in her mind, servants weren't even human.

Hu Hu Chihong explained for her: "In Wubian City, losing a servant or two is never a big deal. Losing a few commoners can be brushed off.

Servants' deaths are trivial—but if a noble is killed, it becomes serious."

Luo Su Lijun sensed hidden meaning in Hu Hu Chihong's words: "Say it plainly."

Hu Hu Chihong said: "After Bao Luo Yingjun joined the Bao family, he changed his surname but kept his name—this is rare. He publicly claims he has never forgotten the Luo family's upbringing. After taking control of Wubian City,

he also claims he will treat the Luo family's descendants well.

From this, we can infer: even if he intends to strike at his master, he won't act under his own name. He'll find a scapegoat—who could that be?"

Luo Su Lijun thought for a moment and agreed: "He wants to be a whore and still wear a virtue plaque. Bao Luo Yingjun is exactly like that. Does he still have any old Wubian City retainers around?"

Hu Hu Chihong nodded: "Two physicians: Bai Bai Chenliang and Lu Lu Mosheng."

"Lu Lu Mosheng—" Luo Su Lijun's brow twitched, "That man is weak and incompetent—he's perfect for a scapegoat."

Realizing this, Luo Su Lijun asked the worm: "Did Lu Lu Mosheng send you?"

The worm remained silent for a long while, then gave a slight nod.

Luo Luo Shaojun said, "Sister, Old Donkey has served our family for years. Maybe we can negotiate—he might still do something for us."

Luo Su Lijun shook her head: "No use. Old Donkey has been cowardly his whole life—he dares do nothing."

"If Old Donkey's useless, this man doesn't need to live." Luo Luo Xiujun pulled a sharp spike from her shell, ready to kill the worm.

Li Li Banfeng stopped her: "Let him live—he gave us a chance to live."

If this worm had attacked Li Li Banfeng unawares, and had already assembled the player beforehand,

Li Li Banfeng would have been severely wounded.

He assembled the player right before Li Li Banfeng's eyes, giving him time to prepare.

Now, this worm still wanted to return the oil to Li Li Banfeng—he felt he had no right to keep it.

Li Li Banfeng pushed the oil back to him.

Luo Luo Yujun warned: "He failed his mission—his master won't spare him. Dying for his master is precious loyalty—let him die with dignity."

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "It's not precious at all. His master won't shed a single tear for him. Such loyalty is worthless."

Luo Luo Yujun disagreed: "If his master doesn't cry, you say loyalty is worthless? That's absurd!"

"Not absurd at all," Li Li Banfeng said, shaking his head. "If you don't believe me, let's make him cry.

You'll see what's truly precious to him."

Luo Su Lijun gasped: "Who are you making cry?"

"His master." Li Li Banfeng pulled out his wine gourd and healed the worm.

Luo Luo Yujun exclaimed: "You're going after his master?"

Li Li Banfeng said: "He sent someone to kill me—why shouldn't I go after him?"

Luo Luo Xiujun said: "We're fugitives. We've caused such a commotion in Wubian City—Bao Luo Yingjun won't let us go."

Li Li Banfeng laughed: "You think if we hadn't caused a commotion, Bao Luo Yingjun would let you go?"

Luo Luo Yanjun nodded: "Young Master Li is right. Quietly killing us all suits Bao Luo Yingjun perfectly."

Li Li Banfeng said to Hu Hu Chihong: "Miss Hu, do you have another place to stay? This place is no longer safe.

Let's move somewhere else to talk."

Hou Jue Mansion, Mingxi Hall.

This was originally the Luo family's residence; Mingxi Hall was where the Luo patriarch handled affairs.

A leopard crouched on the floor, meditating. Moments later, it paced back and forth between the pillars.

One pillar suddenly grew taller; the ceiling cracked with a groaning, grinding sound.

A donkey lay beside the leopard, whispering: "My Lord, calm yourself."

This was the nature of Mingxi Hall—it transmitted messages from Wubian City and sensed human emotions.

The leopard was Bao Luo Yingjun.

The donkey was Lu Lu Mosheng.

Bao Luo Yingjun shook his head: "Mingxi Hall's greatest flaw is this—it lays my thoughts bare before you, yet you still fail to understand them."

Lu Lu Mosheng pressed his face to the ground: "Your servant serves you with all his heart, never slackening."

"Then tell me," Bao Luo Yingjun tapped Lu Lu Mosheng's head with his claw, "why was I just angry?"

Lu Lu Mosheng pondered long, then shook his head: "Your servant is dull—I couldn't guess."

"Foolish donkey!" Bao Luo Yingjun slapped Lu Lu Mosheng, leaving a bloody mark on his left cheek. "Can't guess anything, yet you dare claim you're diligent?"

Those standing in the hall dared not speak out—Bao Luo Yingjun's behavior was nothing like a noble's.

Lu Lu Mosheng bowed his head: "I serve you with all my effort, but my talent is limited—I simply cannot fathom your thoughts."

"If you can't think of anything, what good are you?" Bao Luo Yingjun slapped Lu Lu Mosheng's right cheek—both sides of his face were now swollen and bloody.

A white horse nearby snickered silently—this donkey was truly stupid. He held his position only because of seniority and luck.

The white horse was Bai Bai Chenliang, an old retainer of the Luo family.

The leopard approached Bai Bai Chenliang and asked: "Guess why I'm angry."

Bai Bai Chenliang replied: "My Lord just activated Wubian City's eyes and saw no trace of the intruders—this proves Wubian City is disloyal. All disloyal servants must die."

Lu Lu Mosheng gasped: "You can't kill Wubian City—it's our foundation!"

Bai Bai Chenliang shook his head: "Foundation isn't about size—it's about stability. If Wubian City still harbors loyalty to outsiders, it cannot serve as your foundation.

A city that favors outsiders, no matter how prosperous, is a curse. If its people are foolish, they shouldn't be kept."

Bao Luo Yingjun burst into laughter: "Such insight! All my efforts to cultivate you were not wasted!"

Bai Bai Chenliang lowered his head: "My lord overstates my worth."

As he spoke, Bai Bai Chenliang glanced at Lü Lu Mosheng and silently cursed in his mind: "Stupid donkey."

Bao Luo Yingjun suddenly raised his claw and slapped Bai Bai Chenliang across the face: "If you can guess everything, what kind of power do you even have?"

Bai Bai Liangchen was left with a bloody face and kicked by Bao Luo Yingjun.

Bao Luo Yingjun roared at the crowd: "Listen to me, all of you—thieves have infiltrated Wubian City, and we must capture them today."

"Eat the lord's grain, serve the lord's cause—that is the duty of a subject, your very obligation. Do you all understand?"

The words were hard to grasp—he named no thief, gave no location—but none dared ask further, only nodding frantically in assent.

Bao Luo Yingjun turned to Lü Lu Mosheng: "I ordered you to send the Sheshen slaves to catch the thief—did you send them?"

Lü Lu Mosheng nodded quickly.

"How many did you send?"

"One."

Bao Luo Yingjun stepped closer to Lü Lu Mosheng: "I told you to send Sheshen slaves to catch the thief—and you sent only one? Are you mocking me? Or just slacking off?"

Lü Lu Mosheng bowed his head: "I gave that Sheshen slave a second-class weapon—enough to get the job done."

Lü Lu Mosheng had thought this through carefully—he was not deliberately slacking off Bao Luo Yingjun.

Bao Luo Yingjun ordered him to send Sheshen slaves to kill the Luo sisters, yet publicly claimed the Luo sisters were his own blood kin—if word got out, Lü Lu Mosheng would be the one to take the blame.

He'd also received word that the Luo sisters were with Li Qi—Li Qi was a guest invited by Lan Qiao Yi. Harm Li Qi, and you insult Lan Qiao Yi. So this matter must not stir up trouble.

Moreover, Lü Lu Mosheng had handled this correctly: he sent a man, armed him, and the deed was done—success or failure remained to be seen.

Bao Luo Yingjun asked Lü Lu Mosheng: "Any news yet?"

"Not yet," Lü Lu Mosheng shook his head slightly.

"Then send more men," Bao Luo Yingjun patted Lü Lu Mosheng's head again. "Slaves are trivial matters—no need to fear. Send a few more, it's no harm!"

Besides the main residence on Left Ninth Street, Hu Hu Chihong also owned an outer mansion on Right Thirteenth Street.

Luo Luo Yanjun sighed in admiration: "Hu Chihong, your outer mansion is built quite well—pavilions, terraces, towers arranged gracefully. It's just a bit small."

Hu Hu Chihong hurried to explain: "This is where I practice transformation. It's not really a mansion—after transformation, my body shrinks, so I don't need much space."

Luo Luo Yanjun laughed: "I praised your mansion, not accused you of overstepping. Why are you so afraid?"

Hu Hu Chihong's heart still trembled. Though the Luo sisters had fallen from favor, overstepping was a grave crime in Da Shang—this had to be explained clearly.

A voice came from inside the room: "Seventh Brother, your shape's wrong. You don't look like a worm—you look like a box."

Li Li Banfeng said: "That's exactly what I'm supposed to be."

This was a complex process—Li Li Banfeng had to impersonate a wooden box.

The process had two steps: first, visual modification, which the projector could handle.

The second issue was olfactory modification—this was trickier. He needed Blood Bell to help make rouge, and Luo Luo Shaojun's cooperation.

Li Li Banfeng couldn't know how he appeared to Luo Luo Shaojun—he could only adjust the rouge's ingredients based on Luo Luo Shaojun's descriptions.

After dozens of trials, Luo Luo Shaojun nodded: "This time it's right—it looks exactly like a box, just like the one he carried before."

Li Li Banfeng climbed onto the worm's back and told it to return and report.

This was a dangerous act—the worm shouldn't have returned at all, and Li Li Banfeng himself had no courage to go back.

Li Li Banfeng fed the worm two jars of grease and made it drink a jar of alcohol. Whether from the alcohol or the grease, the wounded worm gained courage and carried Li Li Banfeng back to report.

The five Luo sisters all felt it was wrong. Luo Su Lijun said: "He's a Sheshen slave—he's meant to die. If you send him back, suspicion will follow."

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "Not necessarily. Say he was afraid to die, didn't want to die, and went back to beg his master for mercy."

Luo Su Lijun said: "What nonsense! The master is the slave's heaven. How could a slave dare say he's afraid to die?"

Li Li Banfeng chuckled: "Heaven isn't that small, and masters aren't that mighty. All living things are the same—who's truly better than whom?"

Luo Su Lijun said: "Mr. Li, slaves' affairs are trivial, but noble matters are grave. Think carefully before acting!"

"Slaves' affairs are trivial, noble matters are grave," Li Li Banfeng nodded slightly. "Then let's first shrink the grave matters, then inflate the trivial ones."

Luo Luo Shaojun said: "Seventh Brother, I'm coming with you!"

"Wait here for my signal," Li Li Banfeng mounted the worm, poured more liquor from his flask into its mouth, and the worm carried him toward Right Sixth Street.

The Luo sisters tried to follow, but Li Li Banfeng sent them back.

Li Li Banfeng lay on the worm's back, unfolded a map, and studied it.

Both Left and Right Sixth Streets housed many nobles enfeoffed by the Luo family. The worm stopped before one house—it was the residence of the noble Lü Lu Mosheng.

As the worm moved toward the gate, a flea leapt out and shouted: "Xi, why are you back? What did the master tell you?"

Xi was the worm's name—a common name among slaves.

The flea was a minor overseer of slaves, slightly higher in rank, barely qualifying as a commoner.

Xi had his throat removed—he couldn't respond.

The flea knew Xi was a Sheshen slave, carrying a vital mission. He dared not raise alarm, only pointed: "Come inside and speak!"

As Xi followed the flea into the courtyard, the flea whipped him: "You dare use the gate? Crawl through the hole!"

Beside the main gate was a hole. The flea pulled a rope, opening a gate just large enough for a slave to squeeze through.

Xi had been a slave—he had walked this path before, and he was used to it.

But today, he didn't want to.

Xi crawled straight toward the gate.

The flea snatched his whip and struck: "Don't you want to live?"

The question was absurd—Xi was already a Sheshen slave. He'd long stopped wanting to live!

Xi took the whip without flinching, shoved past the flea, and entered the front courtyard.

The flea rose, glanced around, terrified someone else might see.

In this mansion, though the flea always mingled with slaves, he felt his status far above theirs.

Once, his master had given him two mouthfuls of leftover grease—he'd even felt he was half a scholar.

With his current rank, he could not be disrespected by a slave, let alone assaulted. This must be punished severely!

But Xi was somewhat unusual.

His parents were dead, he'd never married, and now he was a Sheshen slave—he didn't even want to live. What could frighten him?

Seeing Xi enter the compound, the flea had no time to think. To repay his master's favor, he must stop this mad slave!

The flea leapt forward, blocking Xi: "Stop! Take one more step, and I'll crush you to dust!"

Crash!

Li Li Banfeng kicked through Wan Xiao Chuan, crushing the flea to pulp. So fast, no one else saw him—not even Xi.

Not seeing him didn't matter—the alcohol was strong. Xi marched straight into the main courtyard.

A lion dog entered the courtyard—he was the mansion's chief steward, a man of high status. Ordinary slaves never saw him.

The steward, experienced and worldly, shouted at the slave: "Talk to me in the side courtyard. Don't cause a scene here!"

If Xi followed him to the side courtyard, guards would seize him, beat him nearly to death, pierce his body with iron rings and chains, and lock him in the dungeon—waiting for the master's order to torture him to death, or perhaps never receiving it at all.

In the past, even knowing this fate, Xi would have followed the steward—because to him,

the steward's order was the master's order. The master's command was absolute.

Now, Xi hesitated.

Should he follow the steward? Should he still fear the steward? Should he still fear the master?

The alcohol surged—he realized he was already a man without a life—

The steward, unaware of the slave's name, adopted a paternal tone: "Child,

we cannot keep making mistakes. Without our master, we are nothing.

We failed our master's task—we already had no right to live. Now you come here to disrupt his home—will even being crushed to dust, reduced to ash, wash away your sin?"

Crash!

Li Li Banfeng kicked, snapping the lion dog's leg.

The lion dog howled: "Beast, you're rebelling—"

Before he finished, Li Li Banfeng broke his other leg.

"You deserve to die—"

Crash!

The steward's arm snapped—he fell silent.

In the mansion, a swarm of grasshoppers surrounded them, wielding iron hooks and ropes, trying to seize the slave.

These grasshoppers were the mansion's guards. Their iron hooks were third-class weapons in Da Shang.

Third-class weapons weren't ordinary—thrown, they could find their target, embed in flesh, and drag ropes through muscle. Catching a few slaves was easy—but catching Li Li Banfeng? Far harder.

One grasshopper leapt, hurling his hook at the worm's head.

Mid-air, the hook veered sharply and caught the steward's arm.

The steward had only one good arm left. The hook pierced his skin, sank into flesh, dragging a rope deep into his muscle.

This was real pain. The steward had hooked many slaves—but never himself. The agony was unbearable; he could barely scream.

The grasshoppers rushed to remove the hook. Other guards still attacked the worm. Another hook missed, catching the steward's cheek.

Before they could remove the cheek hook, another hooked his belly.

The grasshopper trying to save him got hooked in the back and fell to the ground.

The steward cried: "You—all of you—are rebelling?"

The guards froze.

They didn't know why, whenever they struck, their hooks always missed—and always hit the steward instead.

One guard whispered low: "I think I saw the box on his back move."

"Could it be the weapon on his back?"

Many knew Xi had become a She Shen Li, and many more knew Xi carried a great weapon.

But what exactly the great weapon was—even the chief steward didn't know.

As the crowd murmured, Xi walked toward the back courtyard, carrying Li Li Banfeng on his back.

The guards asked the steward: "Should we chase after him inside?"

"Chase him!" The steward couldn't move, but he still worried for his master's family.

The guards asked again: "Should we fight if we go in?"

"Fight what? If you hurt the Young Master or the Ladies, who will bear the blame?" The steward tried to rise, but couldn't stand.

The guards didn't know what to do: "We can't fight—then why chase him in?"

"Keep him under watch first—send for the Master!"

At the Hou Jue's mansion, in the Bright Hall, Liao Lu Mosheng and Bai Bai Liangchen still waited for news from the Luo sisters, when a scholar entered to deliver word to Liao Lu Mosheng: "My lord, something has happened at home."

Bao Luo Yingjun, whose ears were sharp, stepped forward and asked: "What happened?"

The scholar dared not hide it: "Xi has returned—he's causing trouble inside."

Liao Lu Mosheng froze: "Who is Xi?"

"The She Shen Li you sent out."

The Gray Donkey was stunned.

He wasn't afraid of the Li—they terrified him because of the second-rank weapons they carried.

Bao Luo Yingjun burst into laughter: "Look at the man you chose! Look at your skill in handling people—you can't even control a Li! Old Donkey, I'm ashamed for you."

The Gray Donkey turned deathly pale, silent.

Bao Luo Yingjun waved his hand: "Go back and deal with your Li. Li matters are not major issues—someone like you can't handle any major issues. I don't need so many Qing officials and Daifu in my service—I'll see which of you can actually get real work done!"

Liao Lu Mosheng had three second-rank weapons brought, and returned to his mansion.

He didn't want to use these weapons inside his own home—any misstep could kill his entire family.

There were many ways to subdue a Li; if done properly, a few words would suffice.

Liao Lu Mosheng ordered his men to wait in the front courtyard, then entered the back courtyard alone. He saw a group of guards lying dead on the ground, and the household servants terrified beyond words. He spoke to the Li, Xi: "Don't forget who raised you. Don't forget who gave you food and clothes. If you repay kindness with betrayal, you'll never know peace in this life—and your next life will be cursed!"

Slap!

Li Li Banfeng struck Liao Lu Mosheng across the face: "Who are you talking to?"

Liao Lu Mosheng stared at Li Li Banfeng: "Who are you?"

Slap!

Li Li Banfeng struck him again: "You don't even know who I am? What are you talking about this life and the next?"

Liao Lu Mosheng reeled: "This is my home—"

Slap!

Li Li Banfeng struck him once more: "You dare take lives in your own home?"

Liao Lu Mosheng stared at the corpses littering the ground, unable to respond.