Chapter 704: Capital

"You recovered so quickly?" Li Li Banfeng looked at the Peddler beside him in shock.

"Just about." The Peddler wasn't pushing his cart, but his steps were brisk; it looked like he had recovered quite a bit.

Li Li Banfeng turned back to look at the raging fire on the territory: "Did you see what happened just now?"

"I saw it," the Peddler's tone carried some regret, "Old Xu is really something, burning everything clean with one fire. Although that village and farmland were fake, wouldn't it have been good to leave them on the ground as a cover?"

Li Li Banfeng looked at the Peddler in confusion: "That's not what I'm talking about. I'm saying Zhang Wanlong cracked the Lock Cultivation medicinal powder.

Aren't you worried about this?"

The Peddler nodded: "I'm quite worried for him. He can't be considered to have fully cracked it yet. That place is locked by seventy percent, and thirty percent is leaking out. If Old Xu comes back again, he will definitely be able to see the flaws. When that time comes, Zhang Wanlong will be doomed."

Li Li Banfeng felt even more confused: "So what do you intend to do?"

The Peddler said: "I helped him lock the remaining thirty percent so that Old Xu won't be able to see it for the time being."

Li Li Banfeng knew that the things the Peddler said were all very critical, but his phrasing made Li Li Banfeng somewhat unable to understand.

The Peddler beckoned, and his cart came before him.

He took two seat cushions, one on each side, and beckoned Li Li Banfeng to get on the cart.

The two sat on the cart, and the cart creaked forward. Li Li Banfeng asked the Peddler: "Someone is cracking the introductory medicinal powder of the Dao Sect; aren't you worried?"

The Peddler nodded: "I'm worried. It's hard to say where he will use the medicinal powder. If he comes up with a bunch of Gambling Cultivators, Poison Cultivators, Disease Cultivators, Fire Cultivators, and Insect Cultivators, things will be troublesome."

"Then why don't you stop him?"

The Peddler gave a bottle of soda to Li Li Banfeng: "Because you can't just stop him from doing anything because of worry. Such geniuses are rare."

He also opened a bottle of soda himself, took a sip, and exclaimed: "The soda from the Soda Kiln is truly good to drink. The person who first researched this kind of soda was a Kitchen Cultivator. He didn't ponder ingredients but specifically pondered flavorings. His Master hated him to death at the time and didn't allow others to mention this disciple.

Later, the soda from the Soda Kiln sold so explosively that I conferred the title of Kitchen Cultivation Leader on this disciple. His Master started hating me from then on and didn't allow others to mention the Peddler in front of him.

Old Xu also has this problem. He is also a genius; all the large and small techniques of the Metal Cultivation Sect were created by him. But in the area of Plow Cultivation, he has always stuck to the rules of his ancestors.

It's not to say that what his ancestors did was wrong, nor can it be said that he shouldn't inherit these Dao Sect methods, but Plow Cultivation hasn't changed for so many years, which has also led to this Dao Sect slowly declining."

Li Li Banfeng took a sip of soda and rubbed his nose; the carbonation was very strong, and the taste was indeed good: "Are you trying to let Zhang Wanlong bring some changes to Plow Cultivation?"

The Peddler nodded: "You must give a chance to those who want to change."

"But he is researching methods of medicinal powder configuration; this is shaking the foundation of Puluo Prefecture."

The Peddler drank the bottle of soda in one gulp and put the bottle back into the cargo cabinet: "It's not to say that my things must not be changed, because it's impossible for everything I make to be correct. Even if it's correct now, it might not be correct in the future.

I went to Zhang Zhang Fanglong's bamboo forest. Zhang Zhang Fanglong doesn't have ten-tendon iron-tendon bamboo; he uses eight, nine, and thirteen-tendon ones. The medicinal powder made this way is somewhat neither fish nor fowl, but it is precisely this neither-fish-nor-fowl medicinal powder that can bring about change.

If medicinal powder cannot change, the Dao Sect of Puluo Prefecture cannot change. The Inner Prefecture and Outer Prefecture are both changing. If Puluo Prefecture doesn't change, what will it rely on to survive? Don't you think that's the logic?"

Li Li Banfeng gave the Peddler a cigarette: "Suppose he really makes medicinal powder that causes boundless harm, how should it be handled?"

"It must be me who handles it. If I can afford to do it, I must be able to afford the compensation. Where is there a business that only makes a profit without a loss?" The Peddler lit the cigarette and handed the match to Li Li Banfeng, "The Dao-Labor Ghost might cause boundless harm, but I still kept Cui Cui Tike. Isn't that the logic?

But speaking of the Dao-Labor Ghost, you can't escape this matter either. I heard from Cui Cui Tike that the Dao-Labor Ghost becoming what it is today is the result of your joint research."

Li Li Banfeng said angrily: "He said that? This shameless foreign devil!"

The Peddler signaled for Li Li Banfeng to be calmer: "Since you've invested capital, you have to be able to bear both losses and gains. Now there might be variables on the Dao-Labor Ghost's side. You should have already thought of the reason."

Yes, Li Li Banfeng had thought of it. This reason originated from Zhang Wanlong.

Li Li Banfeng shook his head repeatedly: "This is Cui Cui Tike's business alone!"

"Look, you're getting anxious again!" The Peddler laughed, "This business isn't a loss; this change is currently acceptable."

Li Li Banfeng said: "Then is the change in Lock Cultivation acceptable? You mentioned in the Wasteland that one can only lock a territory after Lock Cultivation is completed.

If it really was Zhang Wanlong who cracked the Lock Cultivation medicinal powder, how did he cultivate to completion in such a short time?"

The Peddler nodded repeatedly: "Brother, I've thought about this for a long time. Currently, I can think of two possibilities. One is easier to understand: Zhang Wanlong's medicinal powder is impure, leading to an incorrect cultivation sequence, allowing him to learn incomplete high-level techniques at a lower level."

This is indeed easy to understand, but Zhang Wanlong's luck is also too good. He made the medicinal powder wrong, and as a result, he learned high-level techniques. How could there be such a cheap thing?

"What about the other one that's hard to understand?"

The Peddler didn't know how to describe this situation: "You saw Yao Xin in the Wasteland, right?"

Li Li Banfeng nodded: "I saw him. That place is so critical; I definitely had to wait for him to arrive before I could leave."

The Peddler asked again: "Did Yao Xin mention the Iron-Bone Han to you?"

"He mentioned it. Five hundred Iron-Bone Han, invincible."

The Peddler nodded: "One person resisting a thousand armies, and a thousand armies resisting one person—both are remarkable means. What do you think?"

Li Li Banfeng thought for a long time: "What's so remarkable about a thousand armies resisting one person?"

The Peddler suddenly looked at the sky: "I have something at home."

Li Li Banfeng also looked at the sky: "What thing?"

The Peddler lowered his head: "Brother, let's discuss this. Get off the cart in a moment, go back to your own house, and come out after ten minutes."

Li Li Banfeng was startled: "Why do you want to do this? What happened?"

The Peddler said mysteriously: "Brother, I don't want you to know where my house is."

Li Li Banfeng said angrily: "Are you defending against me like this? Isn't our brotherhood sincere?"

The Peddler waved his hand: "Brotherhood is sincere, but this house of mine is made of wood. If it gets burned, it might not be saved."

Li Li Banfeng looked up at the sky again: "There are still wooden houses; how many houses do you have?"

The Peddler advised: "There are indeed quite a few houses, but they can't withstand burning. Stop looking up for now. Remember what I told you just now: change is necessary, but you must figure out in which direction to change. You must know that some capital is too large, and you might not be able to bear it."

Li Li Banfeng got off the cart, returned to the Leaving Suishenju, and came out after ten minutes. The Peddler had long since disappeared.

Change is necessary, but one must figure out the direction.

Li Li Banfeng looked toward the direction of Jianren Gang.

Jianren Gang, Jingde Village. A black bear without eyeballs walked slowly out of a residential house.

Pus was flowing from its eye sockets, but this didn't mean it couldn't see; it was just that the images presented in its eyes were different.

It felt something approaching, but for the time being, it couldn't distinguish where the person was.

The black bear stood up on its hind legs and turned half a circle in place. A Dao-Labor Ghost jumped up suddenly and chopped off the black bear's head.

The headless black bear grabbed the Dao-Labor Ghost and tore the Dao-Labor Ghost into two halves with a split of its arms.

The two halves of the Dao-Labor Ghost then tore at the black bear, and short, thick arms embedded into the black bear's skin and flesh.

Li Li Banfeng watched from the side. He hadn't expected the Dao-Labor Ghost's body to have become this tough.

Both sides were still fighting. A patch of Dao-Labor Ghosts crawled out of the farmland and joined the battle.

They tore at each other, and shattered limbs flew everywhere.

Li Li Banfeng didn't know what they were fighting for; it shouldn't be for food. Flesh and blood covered the ground, and not a single Dao-Labor Ghost stopped to eat.

After fighting for more than an hour, the battle finally ended. A group of Dao-Labor Ghosts won. They picked up some shattered remains from the ground and walked to the mountain.

Li Li Banfeng followed the remains all the way, encountered many Dao-Labor Ghosts, and also encountered many battles. Finally, in a mountain cave, he found Cui Cui Tike.

"My friend, I knew you would think of me; I knew you would provide help for me!" Cui Cui Tike received Li Li Banfeng warmly.

Li Li Banfeng asked Cui Cui Tike: "What happened here?"

Cui Cui Tike explained: "You know I have two territories. One is Desongya. Although that place is already barren, it still needs to maintain a certain degree of human Qi.

Besides that, there is Rongku Mountain, which is the land I cherish most because it is a symbol of our friendship.

I have been working diligently there, which led to some negligence in my management of Dao-Dao Guiling, thus causing some unexpected variables. It was precisely because of these variables that a certain degree of chaos was triggered."

【75】

Li Li Banfeng sat opposite Cui Cui Tike and said very seriously: "When you use a complex way to describe a simple situation, this exposes a problem: the content you just said is not critical."

Cui Cui Tike lowered his head: "I am a foreigner; I am not too familiar with your language."

"Then say something you are familiar with. Why did the Dao-Labor Ghosts start fighting?"

Cui Cui Tike said: "Because a portion of the Dao-Labor Ghosts followed my Senior Brother."

"Fang Fang Puxian?" Li Li Banfeng thought for a while, "I remember you told me, didn't Wan Fang Puxian become a god?"

Cui Cui Tike nodded: "He seems to have had new insights on the road to becoming a god, thereby evolving new abilities!"

Li Li Banfeng looked at Cui Cui Tike.

Cui Cui Tike tried his best to look straight at Li Li Banfeng.

"Old Cui, tell me the truth. Did Wan Wan Jinxian evolve himself, or is there some other reason?"

Cui Cui Tike replied calmly: "I have never deceived you. My Senior Brother has very strong divinity..."

"Goodbye." Li Li Banfeng stood up to leave.

Cui Cui Tike stepped forward to stop him: "It's like this. I obtained some medicinal powder through an accidental channel. I want to use this medicinal powder to enhance the combat power of the Dao-Labor Ghosts."

"Which Dao Sect's medicinal powder?"

"Wu Xiu's."

Li Li Banfeng nodded: "This looks a bit more like the truth."

Cui Cui Tike grabbed Li Li Banfeng: "The friendship between us has always been very pure. I won't hide anything from you."

"Where did you get the medicinal powder?"

Cui Cui Tike said: "I bought some stock from the hands of wealthy families and nobles—"

"Take care." Li Li Banfeng stood up to leave again.

Cui Cui Tike stopped Li Li Banfeng: "It was bought from Zhang Wanlong. He told me it was Wu Xiu medicinal powder, and I didn't doubt it at all."

"How much did you buy?"

Cui Cui Tike thought about it: "Simply from the dosage, it can be understood as a super-large batch purchase. The specific unit should be calculated in sacks."

Li Li Banfeng was stunned for a long time: "You bought medicinal powder by the sack? What did you use to buy it?"

Cui Cui Tike was silent for a long time: "With money."

"Continue to take care."

"Friend!" Cui Cui Tike grabbed Li Li Banfeng tightly, "I really can't say any more about this matter. I promised Zhang Wanlong I wouldn't tell the details."

Actually, he didn't need to say it. Li Li Banfeng had already grasped the remaining details: Cui Cui Tike had exchanged plant viruses for the medicinal powder.

The key question now is, why did Zhang Wanlong's medicinal powder make Dao-Dao Guiling become like this?

Cui Cui Tike poured a cup of tea for Li Li Banfeng: "Forgive me for only being able to use such inferior tea leaves to entertain you. You have also seen my current situation.

To tell the truth, I am very annoyed. I suspect Zhang Wanlong deceived me. What he gave me was not Wu Xiu medicinal powder at all.

I rubbed this medicinal powder on the Dao-Labor Ghosts, and their combat power did indeed become stronger to a certain extent.

But I didn't expect that this medicinal powder was not completely absorbed. A portion of the Dao-Labor Ghosts collected the medicinal powder and, while offering sacrifices to the gods, rubbed the medicinal powder on Wan Wan Jinxian.

I still can't understand their purpose in doing this. Perhaps they respected Wan Wan Jinxian too much and wanted to offer the most precious things to him.

But this result was catastrophic. Wan Wan Jinxian underwent a mutation. I don't know what method he used to break through the lesions I gave him. He can move and fight. He is leading a group of Dao-Labor Ghosts to fight against me, and he even occupies the upper hand to a certain extent."

Li Li Banfeng looked at Cui Cui Tike sideways: "Didn't tell the truth again, right? With your current cultivation, how could Wan Fang Puxian occupy the upper hand here?"

"I thought so too, but the reality is not like that. He is a true Dao-Labor Ghost. His thinking mode is exactly the same as a Dao-Labor Ghost. Compared to me, an imitator, his advantage is much greater. This has caused the number of people following him to exceed mine.

This is not just the status quo, but a trend. The number of people following him will become more and more. Friend, you should understand the concept of more and more."

Li Li Banfeng realized the seriousness of the problem.

Cui Cui Tike used Zhang Wanlong's neither-fish-nor-fowl "Wu Xiu" medicinal powder, which led to Wan Fang Puxian's unexpected mutation and also led to the current chaos in Dao-Dao Guiling.

But these are not the key points. The most critical point is that if Wan Wan Jinxian wins this war, the Dao-Labor Ghosts will be out of control.

Li Li Banfeng thought for a moment: "The best solution to the problem now is to kill Wan Fang Puxian."

Cui Cui Tike looked at Li Li Banfeng with full expectation: "This is not what I am good at."

【118】

Li Li Banfeng looked back at Cui Cui Tike: "What are you looking at me for? Why should I help you do this kind of thing?"

"This is not my business alone; this is the predicament of the entire Puluo Prefecture. You know the consequences of the Dao-Labor Ghosts being out of control."

Li Li Banfeng smiled indifferently: "Go tell this to the Peddler."

Cui Cui Tike became anxious: "Do you really want the Peddler to solve this matter? Is this your true thought? To let the efforts and hard work we put in together go to waste?"

Li Li Banfeng walked to the entrance of the cave, looked back at Cui Cui Tike, and said: "Change the phrasing."

Cui Cui Tike said seriously: "Help me once, and I will repay you."

This phrasing made Li Li Banfeng somewhat satisfied.

Li Li Banfeng took out a deed: "I will help you deal with Wan Fang Puxian. In the future, you must help me do one thing. What exactly it is, I will notify you when the time comes, but you have no right to refuse."

"This is too absurd," Cui Cui Tike shook his head, "If you truly want to complete a transaction, you must make the most basic restrictions on the transaction conditions. This is the most basic sincerity!"

Li Li Banfeng shook his head: "I have no sincerity. Do you accept such conditions?"

"This is too much," Cui Cui Tike sighed, "I accept."

Li Li Banfeng took out the deed paper and wrote the deed.

Cui Cui Tike drew a map and formulated a battle plan.

"Wan Wan Jinxian lives in the temple on Sage Peak most of the time. Around him, there are more than three hundred Dao-Labor Ghosts responsible for protecting his safety.

I can mix in among the Dao-Labor Ghosts and use lesions to take down these three hundred guards, creating a chance for you to kill him with one strike."

Li Li Banfeng looked at the map and then at Cui Cui Tike: "If you have a way to take down these guards, why don't you take down Wan Wan Jinxian directly? In a situation where the opponent loses the numerical advantage, you have no reason to fear him."

Cui Cui Tike said: "This is exactly what I want to say. Many changes have occurred in Wan Fang Puxian's body. Because he himself is an excellent Disease Cultivator, it is very difficult for me to defeat him in the short term using Disease Cultivation methods. If I change to some simple and crude means, it is also difficult. For example, I cut off his head, but he won't die immediately. This is partly because he possesses the tough physique of a Dao-Labor Ghost, and his fallen head will turn into some kind of liquid mixture and then be reabsorbed into his body."

Li Li Banfeng understood this time: "The liquid mixture you mentioned is pus, right?"

Cui Cui Tike thought for a while: "Not very accurate. There are other complex components inside, including a large amount of his brain tissue."

Li Li Banfeng wasn't too concerned about these complex components; he was concerned about the opponent's identity: "Is this Wan Wan Jinxian or Green Flower?"

Cui Cui Tike replied very sincerely: "This is Wan Fang Puxian. I have protected the Ancestor very well; he has not fallen into his hands for the time being.

But the problem is that the Ancestor also practiced Wu Xiu, which led to incredible changes in his body. So I suspect there is some connection between Wu Xiu and Disease Cultivation.

Zhang Wanlong's Wu Xiu medicinal powder has big problems, but this connection is real."

Li Li Banfeng looked at Cui Cui Tike in shock.

He now understood why the Dao-Labor Ghost's physique had become so tough, and also understood why the range of the Dao-Labor Ghosts was constantly expanding.

"You are not only researching Dao-Labor Ghosts, and not only researching Disease Cultivation, you are also researching the changes after combining different Dao Sects?" Li Li Banfeng asked Cui Cui Tike seriously, "Is the goal of eliminating all of humanity getting closer and closer to you?"

Cui Cui Tike brewed his words: "Actually, I think this has always been our joint effort—"

"Don't say such things again," Li Li Banfeng interrupted Cui Cui Tike, "Change always has a price. This is the capital, right?"

Cui Cui Tike didn't understand this time: "Your language is somewhat complex. Is there some metaphor here?"

"No metaphor; it's all literal meaning," Li Li Banfeng deeply felt the difficulty of the choice, "This capital is a bit too large."

Cui Cui Tike understood Li Li Banfeng's meaning somewhat: "You can restrict me. There is a deed between us, and it's not just you who can restrict me; there is also the Peddler, isn't there?

Friend, we should think toward the good side. I am a rational person; I know when to do what. But Wan Wan Jinxian is not that kind of person. Choosing me is always much better than choosing him."

Li Li Banfeng recalled his past with Wan Fang Puxian: "I'm not very familiar with him either. Can you tell me what kind of person he is?"

"He is my best strategist. When he is around, no matter what I do, I feel very steady in my heart.

If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have been able to get this territory." He He Jiaqing dug out a piece of deed in a stretch of Gobi.

Seeing Datou asked: "Is this the deed Lu Lu Dongliang left for himself?"

He He Jiaqing nodded: "Lu Lu Dongliang didn't want to go to the Inner Prefecture. Although he had close dealings with the Inner Prefecture people, the path he wanted to take was to forcibly seize the status and directly promote to Cloud-Ascending.

This is also why he was in a hurry to get the Did Honglian. He wanted top-tier elixirs to help him complete the promotion. When he focused all his attention on the Did Honglian, Wan Wan Jinxian grasped the opportunity and instigated Lu Lu Dongjun to take his life."

He He Jiaqing held the deed and looked into the distance: "Actually, Lu Lu Dongliang was quite good to Lu Lu Dongjun. Over that mountain,

there is still a piece of new land. This was prepared by Lu Lu Dongliang for Lu Lu Dongjun. If we are lucky today, we should be able to find another deed."

Seeing Datou thought about the old newspaper he had seen before: "The newspaper said that the Lu family and the Chu family paid a painful price to jointly open up a new land of ten miles in radius, but I didn't expect Lu Lu Dongliang to have a whole piece of new land in his hands, and more than one piece."

He He Jiaqing laughed: "The newspaper said that Chu Shaoqiang died in that land reclamation. I went to investigate later and thought Chu Shaoqiang died at the hands of the Government Office.

But when Chu Shaoqiang really appeared in front of me, I wasn't surprised at all. Truth is too luxurious for this world!"

He handed the deed to Seeing Datou: "Lu Lu Dongliang and Lu Lu Dongjun's territories, plus the missing Bei Bei Wushuang, three territories connected together, is also not a small piece of land. There are no very good resources here; after all, this is just a backup plan, much worse than the territory selected before.

But this place is hidden enough, which can be considered a rare advantage. There are several Earth Deities around, either old and decrepit or lacking combat power. With a little planning, we can all take the deeds into our pockets. Subsequent matters are nothing more than finding suitable land reclaimers."

Seeing Datou didn't want to spoil He He Jiaqing's interest, but there were some things he had to tell the truth about: "These deeds are only half."

He He Jiaqing laughed calmly: "I'll go get the other half. I know Chaoge has made full preparations this time, but I still have to take the deed back. Rest assured, I'll let you be the Earth Deity; I will never let you be manipulated by the Inner Prefecture."

Seeing Datou nodded, cut his palm, sprinkled blood, and took over Lu Lu Dongliang's new land.

He He Jiaqing looked around and said with a smile: "Perhaps there are some twists and turns, but as long as we don't give up, we will continue to move forward."

PS: There is a connection between Wu Xiu and Disease Cultivation. What changes can there be between Residential Cultivation and Traveling Cultivation? ===== CHAPTER 705 =====