Chapter 715: Meeting Too Late

The Peddler bit down on his cigarette, his face filled with resentment as he said, "The Inner Continent comes to the Pro Continent to stir up trouble every few days. Ever since Lan Qiao Yi took control of the government, the methods he uses have become increasingly vicious."

Li Li Banfeng spat out a bit of tobacco, "Just thinking about that last time we had to swallow our pride makes me angry. I blew up his altar, and my anger still hasn't subsided!"

Speaking of this, the Peddler also gritted his teeth, "They come to the Pro Continent, do their dirty work, and if they succeed, they make a huge profit. If they fail, they act as if they never did it. They've calculated that I'm busy running around and have no time to retaliate. These bastards are becoming more and more unscrupulous!"

Li Li Banfeng also gritted his teeth, "These bastards all deserve to die. We should just burn all their houses down."

The Peddler expressed deep agreement, "That's why I say, other people's houses can be burned too."

Li Li Banfeng also agreed, "Altars are houses too, and didn't I just burn one?"

"That was well done," the Peddler said, looking at the sky. "Actually, I also have a house above Gourd Village. This house of mine isn't too big, but the craftsmanship is quite good. I was thinking—"

Li Li Banfeng pulled out his lighter.

The Peddler suddenly looked at Li Li Banfeng, "I was thinking of giving this house to you. What are you doing with that lighter?"

Li Li Banfeng looked at the flame on the lighter and explained, "I was just... going to light a cigarette for you."

The Peddler confiscated the lighter and brought Li Li Banfeng up onto the clouds. This patch of cloud wasn't small; on it was a grove, a small stream, and at the end of the stream was a well. Beside the well stood a three-story wooden house.

It wasn't a wooden-framed building, but a pure wooden house. The first floor had five wooden rooms—two large and three small; the second floor had three wooden rooms—one large and two small; the third floor had two rooms—one large and one small.

Although these ten wooden rooms were connected, their architectural styles were all different. Even if Li Li Banfeng didn't understand construction techniques, he could tell they weren't the work of the same person.

"These wooden rooms were pieced together, right? Some look like hunter's cabins, some like farmhouses, some like rouge shops. It's too plain in here. Never mind the lack of furniture, there isn't even a bed or bedding. Look at these windows, how long has it been since they were wiped—"

The Peddler said angrily, "If you don't want it, forget it!"

"I want it!" Li Li Banfeng agreed very crisply, "Where are the keys? Are there title deeds?"

There was a large bunch of keys and ten title deeds. The Peddler handed these things to Li Li Banfeng, then signed an additional contract, and sprinkled blood on both the contract and the cloud.

Li Li Banfeng asked, "Is there anything special about this contract?"

"This is a land deed. Some people call this a cloud deed, but I think 'land deed' is more appropriate. The process is not much different from reclaiming wasteland and claiming land."

Li Li Banfeng had previously created a patch of cloud in the Inner Continent but hadn't signed a contract like this before. He took the land deed and examined it carefully, "Is this cloud yours or your wife's? Don't let a sister-in-law come looking for me to settle accounts later."

"What kind of talk is that! A house I can give to you is naturally my own."

"Aren't you a Land-Skin Cultivator? Can you use Cloud Sect techniques?"

The Peddler said, "I said before that I can't use Cloud Sect methods on the clouds, but the land has the land's methods. Otherwise, why would it be called a Boundless Technique!"

"Are there Cloud Sect techniques above the clouds too?"

The Peddler shook his head, "I haven't discovered any yet. Perhaps someone will be able to create them in the future. The Pro Continent has continued to this day by winning through change. As long as change remains, we aren't afraid of not being able to defeat the Inner Continent."

Li Li Banfeng stood on the edge of the cloud, looking into the distance. From such a high place, he still couldn't see the end of Gourd Village, "It seems there are quite a few variables on Lan Qiao Yi's side too."

The Peddler nodded and said, "His variables are concentrated on the New Land. You blew up his altar; I estimate that in the short term, his variables won't be able to be deployed."

"Variables concentrated on the New Land?" Li Li Banfeng didn't know about this yet.

The Peddler took out a map and handed it to Li Li Banfeng, "The dozen or so New Lands marked on this were all created in a single ritual. Lan Qiao Yi used the method of 'carrying soil to receive enfeoffment' to enfeoff thirteen Land-Head Gods at once."

"These thirteen territories are connected to each other. In the future, they will form the prototype of an empire."

Li Li Banfeng was no stranger to this set of methods; He He Jiaqing had also had similar schemes.

"I'll go find these thirteen Land-Head Gods and have a chat." Li Li Banfeng put away the map and was about to set off when the Peddler stopped him.

"You can't do this. This is dirty work. Once something goes wrong, your situation will become very difficult."

"Are you planning to let Cui Cui Tike do it?"

"Cui Cui Tike isn't suitable either. I've handed this matter to He He Jiaqing."

Li Li Banfeng was a bit worried, "He He Jiaqing wants to be an emperor. Aren't you worried?"

"I am worried, but the Pro Continent needs change. We must give those who want change a chance. As for how to restrict him, we have to think of ways. I told you this just so you would be more on guard."

The two went down from the cloud. The Peddler took a box and handed it to Ayi, "This is your reward. Look carefully, it's a double portion."

Ayi opened the box and took a look, revealing a satisfied smile.

Li Li Banfeng also wanted to know what was in the box, but Ayi closed the lid and wouldn't let him see.

The Peddler said, "L6"

"There's no need for the red tape of the Inner Continent. As long as you can produce soil, it counts as a success. The faster this work is done, the better."

The Peddler left, and Li Li Banfeng also prepared to leave Gourd Village. Ayi said, "Little Yu, don't be in such a hurry to leave. Big Sister's hand was a bit heavy last time. Let me teach you a technique as compensation."

Hearing this, Li Li Banfeng was happy, "What technique?"

Ayi opened a box of medicinal powder, "First, stretch out your hand."

Li Li Banfeng stretched out his right hand, and Ayi grabbed a handful of medicinal powder and smeared it on Li Li Banfeng's face.

Li Li Banfeng's cheeks trembled from the pain, "Why did you ask me to stretch out my hand?"

Ayi asked seriously, "Do you think your right hand is crazy?"

Li Li Banfeng looked at his right hand, "I'll ask it."

After asking, Li Li Banfeng said, "My right hand said it's not crazy."

Ayi brought over a wooden box, "Crazy people all think they aren't crazy. This thing isn't something you ask about; it's something you test. Grab something from this box and try it."

Li Li Banfeng carefully observed the wooden box; it was square and upright, and from the outside, he couldn't see anything special.

There was an opening on the top of the box. Li Li Banfeng reached his hand into the opening and grabbed a sachet.

This sachet was slightly larger than a quail egg, with a satin surface embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, and the craftsmanship was very exquisite.

Li Li Banfeng smelled the fragrance; it was very rich. Before he could figure out what was special about the sachet, it suddenly caught fire in his hand.

Li Li Banfeng quickly withdrew his hand and threw the sachet away. The fire on the sachet suddenly grew larger, nearly burning Li Li Banfeng's clothes.

Ayi opened the box, which contained more than twenty sachets, "Among these sachets, only one is crazy. You happened to grab that crazy one."

Li Li Banfeng looked at Ayi, expressing doubt about her statement.

He was a Level 3 Traveling Cultivator above the clouds, and his skill in seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster had been guided by experts; it was impossible for him to actively lean toward danger. Ayi smiled, "If you don't believe me, I'll make another sachet crazy for you to try."

Li Li Banfeng suspected that all the sachets were crazy. He checked every single sachet; he was also a Nightmare Cultivator, and if there were truly any abnormalities on the sachets, he would definitely have sensed them.

There were no abnormalities on the sachets. Li Li Banfeng stared closely at Ayi, watching how she deployed her technique.

Ayi put the sachet back into the box and, in front of Li Li Banfeng, used the technique of "Crazy and Overbearing," "Another sachet is crazy now. As long as you can avoid it, it counts as your ability."

Li Li Banfeng reached out to touch the sachets. As his fingertips touched them, he could already sense the aura of madness.

This aura of madness was very hidden. It was very difficult for Li Li Banfeng to pick out the crazy sachet in a short time,

but it was much easier to avoid the crazy sachet.

He quickly picked out a sachet, and just as he spread his palm, the sachet caught fire.

This didn't make sense logically. Li Li Banfeng had sensed the aura of madness and had even used "Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Disaster," yet he had chosen the most dangerous one out of more than twenty sachets.

He shook the burning sachet from his palm, but unexpectedly, his movement was a bit too large, and he bumped into a bamboo basket by the window.

A green snake jumped out of the bamboo basket and bit toward Li Li Banfeng's arm.

Li Li Banfeng quickly withdrew his hand, but in the process, he triggered a mechanism, and a feathered arrow descended from the sky, nearly piercing Li Li Banfeng's skull.

Ayi watched Li Li Banfeng parry and dodge with a smile. After dealing with a series of mechanisms, Li Li Banfeng realized one thing: if he were to fight Ayi in this room, he would have almost no chance of winning.

"Are you a Residential Cultivator?" Li Li Banfeng asked Ayi very seriously.

Ayi shook her head, "I am not a Residential Cultivator. The reason you were in such a sorry state just now is because your right hand was hit by a Nightmare Cultivator technique—Meeting Too Late."

"Every crazy person is another crazy person's soulmate. When a crazy person meets a crazy person, they feel especially compatible. There are 118 objects in this room that are crazy. If I hadn't retracted the technique, your right hand would have visited all 118 of these objects."

Li Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, thinking of that first-class weapon, the Stone Monster.

"That Stone Monster lives so happily in Gourd Village, not because it truly likes singing and dancing, but because it was hit by the 'Meeting Too Late' technique, so it fell in love with the people in the village?"

Ayi looked out the window. The Stone Monster was holding long corn whiskers, dancing while farming in the cornfield.

"It's a bit special. It was indeed hit by the 'Meeting Too Late' technique, but it also truly likes dancing."

"In the altar, it was just a rock. It stayed in the altar for a hundred years, wind-blown and rain-beaten. Unless it encountered a chance to strike, it couldn't even move."

"It likes dancing so much, perhaps it wants to make up for everything it missed all these years."

Li Li Banfeng was still pondering the usage of "Meeting Too Late." Ayi looked at Li Li Banfeng affectionately and said softly, "Little Yu, there are so many villagers in Gourd Village. Each person can learn at most one technique from me. You are the only one so far who has learned two techniques."

"We sisters missed out on so much before. Big Sister also wants to give you some compensation. Let the grudges of the past be in the past. Don't hold grudges against Big Sister for some things anymore."

Li Li Banfeng sobbed twice, his grievances nearly falling out with his tears, "Some things, I will never forget in this lifetime. Two techniques aren't enough to compensate. It would be about right if you said three or five."

Ayi poked Li Li Banfeng with a finger, "You greedy girl, you haven't even learned 'Meeting Too Late' yet, and you already want other techniques?"

Li Li Banfeng was very confident, "I think I've almost learned it."

"Even if you've learned the essentials, do you know how to use it when fighting? I always use it together with Industrial Cultivator techniques."

Ayi was right. The application just now was all concentrated on the mechanisms in this room. "The importance of Industrial Cultivators lies in deployment. People say Industrial Cultivators have a hundred blades; this refers to a fully prepared Industrial Cultivator."

"When truly caught off guard, it's considered lucky if an Industrial Cultivator can pull out ten weapons. Whether these ten weapons can make the opponent fall for it is another matter."

"Back then, there was an Industrial Cultivator senior who was particularly good at setting traps. He dug a pit in the ground, and even I might not be able to tell the real from the fake. But no matter how good the trap is, if people don't step on it, you're helpless. That senior encountered a Traveling Cultivator named Che Che Wushang. That person had no other skills, but he had practiced 'Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Disaster' to the extreme. He dodged all the traps and severely injured that Industrial Cultivator senior."

"That senior was a dignified leader of the Industrial Cultivators, yet he lost to someone like Che Che Wushang. After that battle,"

"this senior became a laughingstock among Industrial Cultivators and died in depression not long after."

"From that time on, I thought about creating a technique that would make the enemy walk into the trap themselves. This is the origin of the 'Meeting Too Late' technique."

"Little Yu, you don't understand Industrial Cultivators. You still have to ponder for yourself how to use this technique."

Li Li Banfeng wasn't worried at all.

He truly didn't know Industrial Cultivator techniques, but that didn't mean he couldn't bury traps. All things have spirituality, and anything with spirituality could become a friend.

"Little sister, stay with Big Sister for a few more days. Learn the techniques well, and let's catch up on old times."

"Okay!" Li Li Banfeng agreed readily, "Big Sister, can you give me more explosives?"

Ayi's face darkened, "Do you want to blow up my house again?"

"That's not it. I'll keep them for emergencies."

Ayi thought about it and agreed, but she still made Li Li Banfeng sign a contract, guaranteeing not to blow up her house and village.

Li Li Banfeng looked out the window, "Brother Qiu has been working hard these days, and you don't have that many clothes,"

"don't always make him wash them."

Ayi's face turned even darker, "This is my wife; why are you always thinking about her? I could tell at a glance that you, you little hussy, have bad intentions!"

On the New Land, Land-Head God Xin Rushu was patrolling her territory.

Recently, some strange monsters had settled in her territory without signing a contract or stating their origins, which made Xin Rushu uneasy.

Actually, these kinds of strange monsters who don't understand the rules exist in every territory. If you encounter a short-tempered Land-Head God,

you can drive them away or even kill them. If you encounter a gentle Land-Head God, you might turn a blind eye and let them stay, but you won't share cultivation base with them.

Ahead, a hedgehog and a snake were sleeping huddled together. From their size, one could tell that both of their cultivation bases were around Level 5 of the Land-Skin realm, which was already rare among strange monsters.

Upon encountering such strange monsters, a Land-Head God should take the initiative to discuss and persuade them to sign a contract. In the future, whether it's reclaiming wasteland, taking examinations, or competing for territory with other Land-Head Gods, they would be two fierce warriors.

But for Xin Rushu, the matter of managing the territory didn't need her consideration.

She was one of the thirteen Land-Head Gods who had "carried soil to receive enfeoffment." Many things in the territory had to be handed over to Liu Liu Bufei to arrange together.

What she needed to do now was to kill these two strange monsters of unknown origin, freeze them directly into ice, then smash them into meat paste and bury them, leaving no trace.

She was a Cold Cultivator. Before deploying a technique, she was accustomed to pointing her right index finger at the target; this helped her concentrate and ensured the technique hit accurately.

She raised her right hand, wanting to point at the hedgehog and the snake, but for some reason, her index finger wouldn't extend.

That finger felt as if the tendons had been pulled out, and she couldn't exert any strength.

Xin Rushu knew she had encountered a ruthless person. Her body quickly froze, and she wrapped herself from head to toe in a layer of ice armor.

Wearing the ice armor didn't affect her movements. She turned around quickly, trying to find the position of the attacker.

On the wilderness, there was nowhere to hide, but after searching for a long time, Xin Rushu didn't find the attacker, but felt a burst of scorching heat in her right leg.

Was this burned by fire?

No, Xin Rushu was very familiar with this feeling. The damage of freezing would bring a scorching pain like fire; her right leg had been frostbitten.

She was a Cold Cultivator; how could she be hurt by ice?

She quickly realized the reason: someone had repeatedly superimposed the same technique on her technique until it hurt her right leg.

Who had such powerful means to repeatedly apply the same technique to one leg?

Xin Rushu had seen many Cold Cultivators, and even experts like Cloud Two might not necessarily be able to do this.

Thinking more was useless; her right leg was nearly crippled. She had to break the technique quickly.

Worried that her technique was being manipulated, Xin Rushu immediately lifted the ice armor technique and tried her best to thaw her right leg.

He He Jiaqing, hiding under the mud, was quietly observing Xin Rushu.

Stealing her hand tendons was to prevent her from counterattacking and to take the opportunity to steal her Cold Cultivator technique.

Freezing her right leg was to restrict her movements and force her to lift the ice armor herself.

Next, He He Jiaqing was going to steal her heart and liver. Xin Rushu had neither the ability to counterattack nor the chance to escape.

He He Jiaqing was just about to strike when he suddenly saw a huge character "RETREAT" appear in front of him.

"You have such guts!" Shu Wanjuan's voice echoed over the wasteland. Seeing Datou, hiding in the distance, prepared to come out to support, but He He Jiaqing told him not to approach.

The fear of encountering Shu Wanjuan last time was still vivid in his mind. He He Jiaqing shrank under the mud, not daring to move at all.

"For the sake of Old Mother Ku, I'll spare your life. Get lost!"

The huge "RETREAT" character moved quickly toward He He Jiaqing. He He Jiaqing crawled out from the mud and took Seeing Datou to flee quickly from Xin Rushu's territory.

Xin Rushu wanted to pursue, but Shu Wanjuan suddenly appeared and blocked her path.

Xin Rushu recognized Shu Wanjuan and quickly knelt to salute, "Marquis!"

Shu Wanjuan asked, "Where is Liu Liu Bufei?"

Xin Rushu lowered her head and said, "Reporting to the Marquis, he should be in his own territory."

"Are the thirteen Land-Head Gods who carried soil to receive enfeoffment all in their respective territories?"

Xin Rushu shook her head, "This subordinate does not know."

"Do you not meet each other usually?"

"General Fenwu has instructions. Without his orders, we do not meet each other usually, so as not to invite suspicion."

Shu Wanjuan frowned slightly, "Take me to see him."

Walking on the New Land, Shu Wanjuan saw some clues.

On these thirteen territories, more than one Land-Head God had already died.

He He Jiaqing, who had fled to the distance, looked back at Xin Rushu's territory.

Seeing Datou was panting, and it took him a long time to catch his breath, "Who was that person just now? Is he a Literary Cultivator?"

He He Jiaqing nodded, "He is a Literary Cultivator, the ancestor of Literary Cultivators."

Seeing Datou was a bit surprised, "It's truly not easy to save one's life from the hands of such a person."

"It's not easy," He He Jiaqing also felt strange, "but why were we able to save our lives?"

Seeing Datou said, "He said it was for the sake of Old Mother Ku."

"Impossible, Old Mother Ku doesn't have such great face." He He Jiaqing concluded that there must be another reason.

Li Li Banfeng packed his things, said goodbye to Qiu Qiu Luoye, and left Gourd Village.

Ayi saw him off to the village entrance, reluctant to part, "Little sister, Big Sister isn't by your side, so you must take good care of yourself. Although you've become someone's concubine, we can't be bullied too much. If they bully you too hard, come find Big Sister, and Big Sister will stand up for you."

"Big Sister is truly good to me," Li Li Banfeng looked at Ayi and asked seriously, "Actually, you know I'm not your little sister, right?"

Ayi touched Li Li Banfeng's face and suddenly smiled, "The essentials of our Dao Sect are: don't put on airs for things you don't want to do, and don't wait for things you want to do."

"You don't have as big a temper as Little Yu, and I don't owe you as much as I owe Little Yu. Isn't it much better to have you as my little sister than Little Yu?"

Li Li Banfeng felt it made a lot of sense.

Walking out of the village entrance, Li Li Banfeng heard Ayi's singing again:

"Brother Lang~ The horse-tassel flowers on the mountain are blooming~ Brother Lang, walk slower~ Pick a flower for your little sister~"

,

Not long after leaving Gourd Village, Li Li Banfeng received a call from Luo Zhengnan: "Seventh Brother, something big has happened this time. Juanzi and the others don't know where they ran off to. Lan Qiao Yi is coming, and Qiu Qiu Zhiheng is going crazy—. —"

Li Li Banfeng rushed to Santoucha. When he arrived at the New Sovereign's residence, Qiu Qiu Zhiheng lowered his head and said, "Seventh Brother, I've let you down. Punish me however you want; I won't say a word."

Zhong Er brought Juanzi, Mengzi, and Xiaoshan to Li Li Banfeng. Hong Lian Daba's face was flushed red as he stood to the side. There was no need to say more; the matter was already clear.

Li Li Banfeng looked at Juanzi and the other three and nodded slightly, "This is also quite good."

Hong Lian Daba smiled.

Qiu Qiu Zhiheng was shocked.

"Seventh Brother, Lan Qiao Yi is coming. How will we explain it then?"

"What kind of thing is he? What do I have to explain to him?" Li Li Banfeng didn't care at all, "Find another three-headed person to replace the New Sovereign."

Zhong Er also smiled; his idea was correct, "Seventh Brother, the New Sovereign has already been found."

He called over Asong, Axiu, and Afu.

Qiu Qiu Zhiheng lowered his head even deeper, "Those three, it's truly hard to look at."

Li Li Banfeng was very satisfied, "Aren't they also three heads? What's hard to look at? Call the Luo sisters over." Qiu Qiu Zhiheng had some concerns, "Is it appropriate to tell the Luo sisters about this now?"

2

Li Li Banfeng smiled indifferently, "What's inappropriate about it?"

At first, Li Li Banfeng had also thought about training Juanzi and the others to be the New Sovereign, and he was also worried that they would reveal flaws.

But after experiencing so many things, Li Li Banfeng discovered that this was fundamentally not the point.

Leaving the New Sovereign's residence, Li Li Banfeng said to Qiu Qiu Zhiheng, "This matter isn't your fault; no need to blame yourself. The Luo family's hope for a comeback depends entirely on this New Sovereign, and Lan Qiao Yi's desire for power also depends on this New Sovereign. As for whether this New Sovereign is of royal blood, does anyone really care?"

Qiu Qiu Zhiheng was still worried, "Axiu and the others are purely poor people; how do they look like emperors?"

Li Li Banfeng laughed, "If a rough man can be someone else's little sister, why can't a poor person be an emperor?"

PS: When Ayi was fighting with Dan Chengjun, she used "Meeting Too Late." ===== CHAPTER 716 =====