Chapter 675: Brother, you've come?

He He Haiqin swapped contracts on the bookshelf at high speed. Every time he swapped a contract, his cheek couldn't help but twitch.

Every time it twitched, he had to curse in his heart:

Damn! Shameless!

Stealing my things!

What kind of hero steals things? If you want good things, why don't you get them yourself? Coming to my place to steal, truly shameless!

Banfengyi ran away sticking to the ground, and He He Haiqin didn't dare to make a sound.

He didn't know what the background of this shadow was, but he certainly couldn't perish here with this shadow.

Fortunately, the shadow only stole ten contracts, and He He Haiqin took away the remaining nineteen.

There was still one left that He He Haiqin hadn't found; it was Rong Rong Sijiao's.

Rong Rong Sijiao's contract wasn't in Wenyuan Pavilion; who had taken it?

Having ten contracts stolen, He He Haiqin felt a pain in his flesh, and now that he hadn't gotten Rong Rong Sijiao's contract, He He Haiqin felt even more unhappy.

He He Haiqin always did things steadily. He still had a fake contract in his bosom, blank and without any characters carved on it; it was originally intended to be left as a backup.

He scanned the shelf to see if there were any suitable contracts he could take away. Two names caught his eye.

The first name gave him a start: Chu Yao-han.

Hadn't Chu Yao-Xiu Jie Xian's contract already been taken? It was in one of the bags, and then it was stolen by that shadow.

How did another one pop up—

Looking closely, this wasn't Chu Yao-Xiu Jie Xian's contract; there was a one-character difference between Chu Yao-han and Chu Yao-Xiu Jie Xian.

Who was Chu Yao-han? He He Haiqin hadn't heard of this Local Deity.

Take it; it might be of some use.

He He Haiqin collected Chu Yao-han's contract and put the fake contract he had prepared for Rong Rong Sijiao back in its original place.

There was another contract, Li Li Furong's.

Seeing this name, He He Haiqin thought of a place: the barbecue restaurant in front of Yuezhou University.

At that barbecue restaurant, He He Haiqin had eaten and drunk with Li Li Banfeng for the last time. Li Li Banfeng had once mentioned something: why did Old Lady Wu at the orphanage call him Li Zisha.

"Because she always made me buy cigarettes for her. During that time, she liked smoking Bai Sha, so she called me Li Bai Sha."

"Before that, she called me Li Li Hongmei, and before that, she called me Li Li Yingchun. There was a period when life was good and the cigarettes were good, so she called me Li Li Furong."

This was what Li Li Banfeng said himself. Could this contract be his?

Li Li Banfeng's cultivation had long reached the clouds; he certainly needed territory to support him. He had become a Local Deity in the New Land.

It was reasonable and logical.

Of course, there was another person who had some connection with Li Li Furong: the head of Li Furong Studio, Li Li Haoyun.

Could this contract be Li Li Haoyun's?

If this contract was Li Li Banfeng's, it would be of great use if he took it back.

Even if it wasn't Li Li Banfeng's, Li Li Haoyun was also a force in Green Water City; taking it wouldn't be a loss.

He He Haiqin took out the blank fake contract from his bosom and quickly carved the name Li Li Furong on it with his ring.

The characters were carved a bit roughly, but it wasn't a problem; the three-headed people guarding the contracts couldn't possibly check them one by one carefully.

Both bags were full. He He Haiqin collected the contracts into his bosom and left the contract library silently, locking the unnameable place from the outside.

Leaving Wenyuan Pavilion, He He Haiqin still felt angry. In his resentment, he discovered some red ink marks on the ground.

He He Haiqin smiled.

The ink marks were very few, only a few drops, but for He He Haiqin, they were enough.

This Shadow Cultivator wasn't reliable; he didn't know how to change bags.

He He Haiqin had left a mark on the bag. Once the bag left his hand, the mark would be triggered. These red ink marks were exactly what the mark had left behind.

I want to see who this Shadow Cultivator is, and I want to see where he can run to!

Banfengyi ran wildly carrying the bag. When he reached the vicinity of the Fifth Gate, there were too many guards, and the risk of rushing through was too great.

This city wall was very thick, and Banfengyi's "Unimpeded Travel" technique wasn't practiced well; he didn't know if he could pass through.

He tried once, and Banfengyi almost dissipated on the spot. The city wall was not only thick but also had mechanisms inside.

He looked at the city gate again, not knowing when these guards would change shifts.

If Banfengzi were here, it would be great. He had the talent of a Residential Cultivator, and by using the "Shape and Shadow Follow" technique to attach himself to Banfengzi to form Banfengyi-zi, Banfengzi was easily ignored, and Banfengyi's speed was fast enough, so the chance of rushing through would be much greater.

While pondering, Banfengyi suddenly felt danger approaching. Relying on his instinct, he immediately hid in an alley to avoid it. He He Haiqin followed the ink marks and chased to the city gate in the blink of an eye.

The ink marks on the ground were still there. He He Haiqin didn't stop for a step and went straight into the alley.

Banfengyi passed through the alley, fleeing frantically, while He He Haiqin chased closely behind.

How did he chase him?

Banfengyi realized the bag might have a problem, but there was no way to change the bag now; He He Haiqin was chasing too closely.

He had to find someone to help; otherwise, this bag of contracts would be snatched back by him.

Where did Banfengzi go?

Banfengzi was wandering in front of the Sixth Gate.

He had already remembered most of the government offices in the Fifth Gate. He wanted to see what the scene inside the Sixth Gate was like, but the guards at the Sixth Gate were twice as many as those at the Fifth Gate. Even if one guard discovered a shadow on the ground, Banfengzi would find it very difficult to escape.

He couldn't mix in directly; he had to find someone to provide cover.

A three-headed person walked slowly toward the city gate. Banfengzi saw his figure was quite tall, and his shadow on the ground was quite long. Taking advantage of the person's inattention, Banfengzi directly crawled into his shadow and walked forward sticking to his shadow.

It had to be said that this three-headed person was a perfect match for Banfengzi. His footsteps were steady, and he didn't have many fragmented movements. Banfengzi shrank in the shadow, and as long as there were no flaws in speed, there were basically no flaws.

Following this three-headed person, he mixed into the Sixth Gate. Banfengzi still didn't dare to act rashly.

A large number of palaces appeared inside the Sixth Gate, and guards patrolled the streets. Looking up, pavilions and towers were densely packed, and the vermilion lacquer and glazed tiles were brightly lit.

Was this the Imperial Palace?

Chaoge Nine Gates; they had only just arrived at the Sixth Gate, and they were already at the Imperial Palace?

This three-headed person could enter the Imperial Palace; what was his background?

Just watching him walk slowly on the street, he didn't know where he was going. Between his calm and indifference, it was as if the entire Chaoge was under his control.

Could he be the Saint?

When did the Saint grow three heads?

This was hard to say. The Saint might have learned that a new monarch had appeared in the Three-Headed Fork, and to solve his own bloodline problem, he forced himself to grow two more heads.

This person passed through several main streets in succession, meeting pedestrians on the road and occasionally greeting them.

After walking for a long time, the pedestrians on the road gradually decreased, and the lights dimmed. Patrolling soldiers could no longer be seen, and Banfengzi was also preparing to break away.

He didn't want to follow the three-headed person and wander around. He wanted to explore the Sixth Gate clearly as soon as possible and find an opportunity to break into the Seventh Gate.

The three-headed person stood silently on a street for a while.

This street was different from other places. There wasn't a single person on the street, and the lights were very sparse.

There were also buildings on both sides of the street. No one lived in the buildings. Although the red bricks and green tiles were there, there was always a layer of gray, hazy thick fog covering them, appearing dead and silent.

Banfengzi saw that this place was just right for breaking away. He carefully crawled out of the shadow, sticking to the ground and just about to leave, when a cold wind suddenly blew, pushing him to walk slowly toward the depths of the street.

What kind of wind was this, and why was it so powerful?

Banfengzi grabbed the ground with all his might, but his body still slid forward, leaving a few claw marks on the ground.

Although his Traveling Cultivator talent wasn't good, Banfengzi also had the technique of "Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Calamity." This street couldn't see the end, but Banfengzi could feel that there was extreme danger approaching.

He couldn't keep walking forward!

Banfengzi struggled with all his might, but to no avail.

Low chanting came from his ears; it seemed countless people were crying and shouting.

Virtual shadows floated before his eyes; it seemed there were also many people struggling, and they were all being swept away by the strong wind.

Banfengzi was about to lose his strength, his body was about to leave the ground, and he was about to be swept away by the strong wind along with a group of virtual shadows.

The three-headed person stepped forward and pulled, pulling Banfengzi back.

"This is the Path of the Dead. If you keep walking, you'll enter the furnace." The three-headed person brought Banfengzi to the side of the street.

Avoiding the strong wind, Banfengzi stood firm. Having survived a disaster, his whole body rose and fell, as if he were breathing violently.

The three-headed person, with six eyes, stared at Banfengzi together.

The head on the left said in surprise: "Why are you breathing so violently?"

Banfengzi answered: "I was scared to death."

The head in the middle said: "Can you really breathe?"

Banfengzi nodded: "I can."

The head on the right said: "Then are you still my shadow?"

Banfengzi didn't know how to answer.

His identity had already been exposed; why did the other party still ask such a question?

Was this an interrogation or an insult?

Regardless of the other party's intention, one thing was certain: this three-headed person's strength was extremely strong. Banfengzi couldn't confront him, nor did he have a chance to escape.

The three-headed person opened his mouth together: "I asked you a question just now, but you haven't answered yet. Are you still my shadow?"

Banfengzi gave a vague answer: "I am indeed a shadow."

The three-headed person asked together again: "I have three heads. Since you are my shadow, why do you only have one head?"

Banfengzi thought of another vague answer: "Because I am not a three-headed person."

The head on the left said in surprise: "Our shadow is actually not a three-headed person?"

The head on the right was stunned: "Are we still three-headed people?"

The head in the middle exclaimed: "It seems not!"

After speaking, the three heads burst into loud laughter: "Hahahaha!"

After laughing, the three heads merged into one head.

That person's hair turned white, and his beard also turned white.

His eyes became larger, and his cheeks became rounder.

A memory surfaced before his eyes. Banfengzi was stunned for a long time, then suddenly shouted: "Brother!"

Train Grandpa smiled, just as he had when they first parted: "Brother, how did you come here?"

Banfengzi was Li Li Banfeng; he had all of Li Li Banfeng's memories.

He had many things to say to Train Grandpa, but he couldn't think of what to say.

Staring at Train Grandpa, Banfengzi opened his mouth after a long time: "Brother, Little Brother promised to come and save you."

Train Grandpa laughed: "Silly boy, you really came. It's been such a long time; cultivation must have been very bitter, right?"

Banfengzi nodded: "It was a bit bitter."

Train Grandpa sighed: "I could tell you were bitter just by looking at you. You've been tanned so black."

Banfengzi pondered for a moment: "I am indeed a bit black, but it's not from the sun; I'm a shadow."

Train Grandpa thought: "Are you really a shadow?"

"I really am."

"Then take an oath!"

Banfengzi took the oath on the spot.

Train Grandpa still couldn't figure it out: "Since you're a shadow, why don't you follow my brother, and how can you run out on your own?"

Banfengzi wanted to talk about the "Shape and Shadow Follow" technique, but he remembered another problem: Train Grandpa hated Residential Cultivators very much.

"Actually, this is because I also cultivated Shadow Cultivation." Banfengzi found a suitable excuse. Even if Train Grandpa investigated later, Banfengyi also knew Shadow Cultivation, so this was indeed the truth.

Train Grandpa stared at Banfengzi for a moment, then suddenly asked: "Why did you cultivate Shadow Cultivation?"

From Train Grandpa's eyes, Banfengzi saw a hint of coldness.

Could it be that he also hated Shadow Cultivation?

"I was thinking at the time—" Banfengzi was still pondering how to answer.

Train Grandpa's voice suddenly became muffled, and his joyful smile vanished in an instant: "I'm a great man of Traveling Cultivation; why would I cultivate Shadow Cultivation? I treat you like a brother, how could you do this to me?"

Banfengzi didn't expect the problem to be so serious: "Brother, please listen to my explanation, the Saint said—"

"The Saint?" Train Grandpa stared at Banfengzi. "The one I hate most is the Saint. You mentioning him to me—"

"What do you mean?"

Banfengzi didn't know what meaning he should express at this moment; he only knew that the coldness in Train Grandpa's eyes was gone, replaced by killing intent.

"I'm annoyed by you," Train Grandpa said word by word. "I'm going to kill you!"

Banfengzi was at a loss.

"Aren't you afraid? If you're afraid, run quickly," Train Grandpa gave a piece of advice. "If you don't run, I'll really kill you."

Banfengzi ran for his life.

Train Grandpa chased closely behind: "Run faster; I'm about to catch up to you. Once I catch up to you, I'll definitely kill you."

Banfengzi accelerated with all his might, arriving at an intersection ahead.

Train Grandpa shouted: "Can't go forward; it's still the Path of the Dead ahead. Turn left to avoid it."

How could it still be the Path of the Dead ahead?

Wasn't the Path of the Dead behind him?

Train Grandpa shouted: "Chaoge's territory is changing; you've turned!"

Banfengzi hurriedly turned left.

After running for half a street, Train Grandpa grabbed Banfengzi and said: "Why are you running?"

Banfengzi answered: "I'm afraid you'll kill me."

"Why would I kill you?"

"Because I cultivated Shadow Cultivation."

Train Grandpa laughed: "What's wrong with that? I also cultivated Craft Cultivation; cultivating more isn't a crime."

If that was the case...

Banfengzi said with a trembling voice: "Brother, you can't scare me like this. I'm just a shadow; I was almost shattered by you just now."

Train Grandpa said seriously: "I have quite a fate with you; I'm also a shadow!"

Banfengzi looked up: "Is that true?"

"I won't lie to you! I'll take an oath for you too; I really am a shadow!" Train Grandpa didn't know where he got a handful of sand and lime, rubbed them in his hands, and made them into several glass lenses.

Banfengzi asked: "Brother, where is your true body?"

"The true body can't come out. If it could, I would have run away long ago." Train Grandpa brought a few bamboo sticks, tidied them up simply, installed the lenses, and made a single-tube telescope.

"Brother, follow me." Train Grandpa brought Banfengzi to the roof of an attic, opened the telescope, and took a look.

"Brother, do you recognize who that is?"

Banfengzi took a look; he really recognized this person.

The Saint!

The Saint was leading a team of people walking toward this street from afar.

The team was a bit messy, with cavalry, infantry, and among the soldiers were three-headed people, birds and beasts, machines, and normal one-headed people.

Train Grandpa said: "These people were gathered on the spot. This old thing is truly being forced into a corner!"

Banfengzi was very nervous: "Brother, are they coming for you?"

Train Grandpa shook his head: "Not for me, but for you."

"I'm just a shadow—"

"Not a shadow, but the true body," Train Grandpa said. "Hurry back and send a message to the true body."

Banfengzi said: "I'm afraid it's too late."

Train Grandpa was also very anxious: "Walking there will certainly be too late. You should take a train."

"Where is the train?"

"Choo-choo! Whoo! Whoo!" Train Grandpa whistled twice, carried Banfengzi on his back, and rushed out of the city wall. Having transformed into a train, Train Grandpa's voice even changed, from an old man to an intellectual woman: "The train is arriving at the Fifth Gate Station. Passengers, please pack your belongings and prepare to get off."

Train Grandpa placed Banfengzi beside Banfengyi.

Banfengyi had been dealing with He He Haiqin for a long time and was exhausted. Seeing Banfengzi, he was overjoyed.

"Quick, let's go find Old Jia; I have good things for him."

Banfengzi nodded: "I'm looking for him too; I have urgent matters to tell him!"

Train Grandpa handed a stick to Banfengyi: "This Shadow Cultivation technique of yours should have been learned from the Second Room, right?"

Banfengyi nodded.

Wait.

Who was this old man?

How did he know about the Second Room?

There were some memories that Banfengyi hadn't found yet.

"That person in the Second Room is a bit pretentious, but his kung fu is indeed good. You go learn two more moves from him. If he refuses to teach you,"

"you use this stick to whip him. Whip him once and he'll be honest."

"Chaoge's territory changes at any time, but the location of the city gates generally doesn't change. You all be careful." After speaking, Train Grandpa vanished.

Banfengyi was still stunned: "Just now, that person was—"

Banfengzi said: "Find Old Jia first and explain the situation clearly; the situation is extremely urgent."

Banfengyi used the "Shape and Shadow Follow" technique, attached himself to Banfengzi, and with the combined talents of Residential and Traveling Cultivation, Banfengyi-zi rushed out of the Fifth Gate and ran toward the Third Gate.

He He Haiqin was just about to chase after them when he heard someone shouting from behind: "What are you doing here?"

Hearing this voice, He He Haiqin shivered and hurriedly turned back to bow: "Senior, I've finally found you."

Train Grandpa didn't reveal his figure; only his voice could be heard: "You came here to find me?"

He He Haiqin nodded: "I came here to save you, Senior."

"You came to save me, why are you still carrying two bags of contracts?"

Train Grandpa had already seen that they were contracts. It would be futile to argue now. He He Haiqin said: "I passed by Wenyuan Pavilion and just happened to—"

Train Grandpa sighed: "As expected of Xiao Xiao Qianshou's disciple. You almost lost your life at Wenyuan Pavilion, yet you still dare to come and steal things. You truly don't learn from your mistakes!"

He He Haiqin said: "Senior, I really wanted to come and save you—"

Train Grandpa smiled: "Even with stolen goods in hand, you still refuse to admit it. You're not like Xiao Xiao Qianshou in this regard. Run away quickly; something big is going to happen in Chaoge. At this juncture, don't make things difficult for my brother."

"You have a brother here?" He He Haiqin suspected he had misheard.

Train Grandpa said: "You just run your way; don't ask about other things."

After speaking, Train Grandpa's voice vanished.

He He Haiqin rushed all the way to the First Gate, only to see the city gate tightly closed, with various machines deployed on the city wall.

He had been to Chaoge and knew that these machines were very unusual. To escape, he had to wait for the right moment.

The timing wasn't right now. He He Haiqin hid near the city wall, waiting quietly for an opportunity.

The shadow that stole the contracts looked a bit familiar; it seemed to be Li Li Banfeng.

When did he cultivate Shadow Cultivation?

Why was the First Gate locked? Who was this meant to deal with? What exactly happened?

Inside the Third Gate, in a teahouse, Banfengwu lay on the ground still listening to storytelling. The storyteller slapped the gavel and smiled at the crowd: "That's all for today's story. Thanks to everyone for your support!"

The listeners wouldn't leave. A three-headed person shouted: "Don't be in such a hurry. I just started to get a taste of it, and you're leaving?"

The people below followed suit, and the storyteller clasped his hands: "Guests, I'm old and truly can't handle it. I've been talking for so long that my throat is dry; please let me rest for a while."

"Throat is dry" meant his voice was hoarse.

A three-headed person said: "Nonsense, your throat is fine. If you can't tell a long story, tell a short one!"

Meaning if he couldn't tell a long story, tell a short one.

The more the storyteller declined, the more the people below followed suit. Quite a few people threw rewards onto the stage, just not letting the storyteller leave.

Unable to refuse, the storyteller returned behind the table and said to the crowd: "Since you guests are so supportive, I'll tell another segment today. Guests, listen carefully!"

Snap!

The gavel sounded again, and the teahouse was silent.

Those who were cheering opened their mouths but couldn't make a sound.

Those who were clapping stretched out their hands but couldn't make a sound.

Those who were eating melon seeds had the shells in their mouths but couldn't spit them out.

Those who were pouring tea had the water overflowing from the cup, flowing down the table, but the teapot was still held up, motionless.

All the guests were frozen, including Banfengwu on the ground; none of them could move.

The storyteller walked off the stage, squatted on the ground beside Banfengwu, and said: "This technique isn't common anymore. Is it Shadow Cultivation or Residential Cultivation?"

The old gentleman waved his hand, and Banfengwu could move. He wanted to escape, but discovered that only his head could move; from his body down, he was exactly the same as a stone.

"Did you hear what I asked you just now? I asked if you were a Residential Cultivator or a Shadow Cultivator?"

Banfengwu didn't speak.

The storyteller asked again: "Are you Li Qi?"

Banfengwu still didn't speak. Despite his usual lazy demeanor, his temperament was quite unyielding.

"I listened to the story for so long without giving a reward, and you won't answer when I ask you a question. I have to leave something on you so you can help me deliver a big gift."

The storyteller stretched out his right hand, intending to write on Banfengwu's face, when he suddenly heard someone laugh: "Sour scholar, what kind of big gift do you have that you want to send to me?"

Hearing this voice, the storyteller withdrew his hand and stood up: "Old Train, whose side are you on?" 【675-

The voice of Uncle Train came from the teahouse once again: "I'm not on either side; I just want to watch you fight. If you can fight until both sides are badly hurt, I might just find a chance to escape."

The storyteller sighed: "You won't be able to escape. No matter which side wins, they won't let you go."

Uncle Train laughed: "It doesn't matter if I don't leave; this place isn't bad either. I just want you to do me a small favor and let my little brother go."

The storyteller felt it wasn't quite appropriate: "You just sent a shadow over to find me; does this count as giving me face?"

Uncle Train's tone was very helpless: "My true self can't get over there, otherwise I would definitely have to catch up with you."

The storyteller hesitated for a moment, then waved at Li Banfeng Wu: "Go."

Li Banfeng Wu's body could move again, and he ran toward Hanmo Garden at top speed.

This run was not easy; the teahouse was not far from Hanmo Garden, but Li Banfeng Wu took a wrong turn and circled around several times before running back.

By the time he reached Li Li Banfeng's side, Li Banfeng Yi and Li Banfeng Zi had already run back a step ahead of him.

In the plum forest, Lan Qiao Yi arranged a banquet first, then arranged singing and dancing, interspersed from time to time with matters regarding peace talks.

"The Santoucha area has been occupied by the Outer Provinces for many years, and the common people have suffered greatly. I have heard some things about the heroic deeds of His Highness Li Qi in eliminating violence and bringing peace to Santoucha.

The day before yesterday, I selected a batch of high-quality machinery, intending to send it to Santoucha. This move is to seek blessings for the people and also to contribute a meager effort to His Highness's foundation. I wonder what you think of this?"

Li Li Banfeng was silent for a moment, then raised his head and said: "The pleasantries are all finished; it's time to talk about something serious."

Lan Qiao Yi was stunned: "Why would Your Highness say that? The two sides are holding peace talks; isn't that a serious matter?"

Li Li Banfeng said: "You brought me here and said so much nonsense, isn't it just to lure the Saint over? With so many ambushes inside and outside the garden, how many are left for him, and how many are left for me?"

PS: In Chapter 668, Lan Qiao Yi said: "This thief should be killed!" Who exactly was he talking about?