Chapter 799: Family Assets

Shu Wanjuan mobilized every book on the land, scouring everywhere for Li Qi’s trail.

Li Qi was wounded, and he had only just left; Shu Wanjuan was certain he hadn’t gone far.

He had meticulously planned every step, expended so much effort, all to seize this land—and now Li Qi had simply taken it for himself. Shu Wanjuan could not bear it.

Dan Chengjun walked over: “Old Shu, let’s go. He’s with Little Train—we won’t find him.”

Shu Wanjuan snapped: “How could Little Train possibly be with him?”

Dan Chengjun growled: “You’re asking me that? Where the hell am I supposed to know? Clean up the evidence fast—don’t leave a single trace.”

Shu Wanjuan gritted his teeth: “Why did you freeze right there? What technique did you get caught in?”

Dan Chengjun shook his head: “I truly don’t know what technique it was. I took one step forward, and my body turned to stone—I couldn’t move at all.”

Shu Wanjuan cursed: “If you’d broken free even a moment sooner, Li Qi wouldn’t have escaped.”

Dan Chengjun chuckled: “If I’d taken longer to break free, Li Qi wouldn’t have run at all—he might’ve taken your life instead.”

Shu Wanjuan snorted: “You overestimate him. I’ve grown a bit lax these years, but dealing with him? Still no challenge.”

“You weren’t the one out front fighting—so you can say whatever you want!” Dan Chengjun pointed to his battered body. “Look closely—can you even endure these wounds?”

Shu Wanjuan still wanted to argue, but Dan Chengjun waved him off: “Take it up with me back at Blood Fang Mountain. I suspect the Peddler’s coming soon—if you’re still dissatisfied, settle it with him yourself.”

“Will the Peddler really come?” Shu Wanjuan sounded tense.

“He might not,” Dan Chengjun coughed twice, his mouth full of metallic salt. “But I won’t gamble. I’m telling you—if you don’t leave now, I’m leaving. If the Peddler shows up, I’m in no shape to fight him.”

Ding dang, ding dang!

The Peddler shook his rattle drum, pushing his cart and calling out his wares, when a clock on his cart suddenly rang out.

The alarm clock leapt forward, its minute and hour hands crossing, shouting at the Peddler: “Come quick, come quick!”

A woman wanting to buy floral water happened to see the alarm clock.

She couldn’t hear the clock speaking, but it was making a tremendous racket.

Such noise meant excellent quality—she asked: “How much for this clock?”

The Peddler moved the clock aside, smiling: “This one’s not for sale.”

The woman frowned: “Just name a price—do you think I can’t afford it?”

“It’s not about price,” the Peddler said, tapping the clock. “This alarm clock is broken.” The clock, offended, rang even louder.

The Peddler smiled: “See? It won’t stop ringing—it’s definitely broken. I’ll come back in a few days—I’ll bring you a better one.”

After the woman left, the Peddler glared at the clock: “What are you yelling for?”

“Something’s happened at home.”

“What happened?”

“Someone set your house on fire!”

The Peddler’s veins bulged. He pushed his cart all the way up to the clouds.

A thick plume of smoke drifted to the cloud’s edge; from afar, the Peddler already saw the flames.

“You damn bastard—you really burned it!” The Peddler panicked, sprinting downstairs with his leather barrel, hurling it into the air. The barrel instantly expanded, becoming a waterfall that spiraled around the house.

The barrel extinguished the fire; the Peddler searched for people.

A woman pushed open the second-floor window and shouted: “He’s lying in the back courtyard—hardly moving.”

The woman was the house spirit of Tian Nü—the Peddler’s famed rogue cultivator.

The Peddler ignored her, heading straight to the back courtyard, where he saw Li Banfeng lying on the ground.

“Your cultivation has grown fast—now even I can’t find you easily.” The Peddler retrieved some medicinal powder from his cart and tended to Li Banfeng’s wounds.

Li Banfeng wiped blood from his face and smiled: “I couldn’t find you easily either.”

The Peddler glanced back at the burning house: “So you think setting my house on fire was justified?”

Li Banfeng stared at the house: “Your house isn’t made of flammable material—I had to exert great effort just to light it.”

The Peddler snapped: “Enough nonsense—how did you get this badly hurt?”

Li Banfeng smiled lightly: “I ran into two people on the new land. We fought. It was nothing.

I came to you because I saw how hard you work every day selling your wares, so I brought you something good.”

The Peddler blinked in surprise: “You brought me something good? Rare of you to be so thoughtful—I’ll definitely take it!”

Li Banfeng pulled out a deed and handed it to the Peddler.

The Peddler stared: “Where did this come from?”

Li Banfeng said: “Taken from Dan Chengjun and Shu Wanjuan.”

The Peddler took the deed, looked at Li Banfeng’s mangled body, and remained silent for a long while.

Li Banfeng struggled to sit up, glancing upstairs: “I’ll apologize to your wife another day—this fire was too big.

But it had to be big—I needed to find you fast. Carrying this thing on me, who knows how many are after my life?”

The Peddler handed the deed back to Li Banfeng: “This deed belongs to you. This land belongs to you.”

Li Banfeng shook his head: “I don’t want it—but many do. This land is too tempting. You need to find someone trustworthy to guard it. One misstep, and bloodshed will follow.”

The Peddler thought long and hard, then tucked the deed into his cart: “You’re right. I was careless. This thing can’t be entrusted to anyone else.

Brother, you’ve done me a great favor. Whatever reward you want—anything I can give, just say it.”

Li Banfeng stared at the Peddler’s cart, studying it for a long time.

The Peddler sniffed, realizing he’d promised too much.

“Brother, this cart—it’s not really that fun—”

Li Banfeng asked: “Do you have tobacco?”

The Peddler blinked, then asked: “Pipe? Bowl? Or paper roll?”

Li Banfeng thought: “Bowl.”

The Peddler fetched a pipe, packed it full of tobacco.

Li Banfeng lit the pipe, smoked slowly, savoring each puff.

Li Banfeng returned to Suishenju, his body covered in wounds—Zhao Xiao wan was heartbroken.

“My dear husband, don’t move—your wounds are all over vital spots!” Zhao Xiao wan carefully cleaned his wounds, her fingertips sprouting a needle, first removing dead flesh, then applying medicine, then stitching each wound with meticulous care.

Hong Ying clenched her teeth: “Brother Qi, send someone to track Dan Chengjun down. When he’s alone, we’ll tear him into pieces!”

Hearing this, Li Banfeng perked up: “Hong Ying, I think a hundred pieces is too fine. Two or three hundred pieces would be easier to chew and swallow.”

Zhao Xiao wan slapped Hong Ying: “Your husband’s still wounded, and you’re encouraging him to be reckless. Go check if Honglian’s pills are ready.”

Honglian had refined two pills using Dan Chengjun’s blood—red and blue, slightly smaller than a thumb. Zhao Xiao wan examined them for a long time but couldn’t identify them.

“What’s the name of this pill?”

Honglian said: “It’s called the Crimson-Blue Restorative Blood-Marrow Harmonizing Pill.”

Hong Ying froze: “Blood… what pill?”

Jiu’er also felt something was off: “Whose pill has such a long name?”

Honglian smiled: “It’s only because you’re uneducated. This pill is extremely rare—few have ever taken it. Without Dan Chengjun’s blood, you couldn’t even refine it.”

Zhao Xiao wan asked: “Last time you had Dan Chengjun’s intestines—why didn’t you make this pill then?”

Honglian waved her lotus leaf: “I didn’t refine it then because it wasn’t needed. The Crimson-Blue Pill doesn’t store well—it must be consumed within a day of refinement, or its power vanishes.”

Li Banfeng took the two pills: “Then don’t waste them—I’ll take them now.”

Zhao Xiao wan stopped him: “My husband, be careful!”

Honglian sighed: “Zhao General, you treat me like a thief every day. Didn’t you know Little Train absorbed Dan Chengjun’s flesh and blood? I’m the one who collected it.

But you’re right—we should be cautious. Take only one pill. If you take too many and something goes wrong, you’ll have to find Xuanqing Flower.”

Xuanqing Flower was the herb used to treat extreme weakness and inability to absorb tonics. Li Banfeng had once fought to the death with Qiuluye for this flower.

Shui Yongquan knew where to find Xuanqing Flower—it wouldn’t be hard to get one. But was the risk worth it?

Li Banfeng asked: “Will one pill be enough?”

Honglian said: “Theoretically, yes. Even if the potency is slightly lacking, recovery will just be slower—you’ll recover fully with rest.”

Zhao Xiao wan advised taking only one, but Li Banfeng wanted to know how much slower one pill would be than two.

Honglian said: “That depends on your fortune. It might take three or five days—or three or five years.”

Li Banfeng shook the two pills: “Since two were made, I’ll take both. Leaving one behind is waste.”

“It wouldn’t be waste,” Honglian stretched her lotus leaf, touching the wall. “If you take one, leave the other for Little Train—he’s badly hurt too.”

Li Banfeng took both pills: “Give them both to Suishenju. I’ll endure it myself.”

Zhao Xiao wan urged: “One pill for your husband, one for the old master—you both need it, but don’t overdo it.”

Li Banfeng followed his wife’s advice, took the pills to the third chamber, and listened with Dòngxī Lingyin. He heard Suishenju’s slow breathing.

“Old Master, can you speak?”

“Yes.” The voice was barely audible.

Li Banfeng held out a Crimson-Blue Pill: “Can you take this?”

The pill trembled in Li Banfeng’s hand several times, then vanished. Suishenju was too weak to even grasp a pill.

After nearly half an hour, Suishenju spoke: “Good medicine. You can take it too.”

Li Banfeng swallowed his pill, then sat against the wall in the third chamber.

Both were severely wounded, speaking with difficulty—but neither rushed. They spoke slowly, one word at a time.

“Old Master, was Dan Chengjun who did this to you?”

Both were badly wounded, speaking with difficulty, but neither was in a hurry, so they spoke slowly, one phrase at a time.

“Old Master, did Shan Chengjun do this to you?”

Suishenju sighed deeply: “This is just bad luck—suddenly so many extra carriages appeared. I have no idea why. Some I recognize, others I’ve never seen before.”

Pulling so many carriages takes immense strength, but my steam pressure won’t rise. When you fought Dan Chengjun, I could barely drag the carriages anymore.”

I shut all the valves and piled on coal, trying desperately to build up steam—then in a moment of impulsiveness, I burst the boiler.”

I was injured and couldn’t recover in time. That bastard Dan Chengjun splashed blood on me and caught me off guard.”

Li Qi chuckled bitterly: “After my promotion, these carriages suddenly appeared. So it seems I’m the one who got you hurt.”

Suishenju smiled: “That’s not hurting me—I think more carriages are a good thing. I just can’t figure out where they came from, or who’s living inside them.”

Li Banfeng smiled: “If we can’t figure it out, we won’t try.”

“Ah Qi, we don’t just have thirty-three carriages anymore—we have two more, but we can’t open their doors.”

Li Banfeng wasn’t worried: “They’ll open eventually. This is our place.”

When Ma Wu learned Li Banfeng was injured, he rushed back to Xiaoyao Wu . Seeing the horrific wounds on Li Qi’s body, Ma Wu flew into a rage: “I’m going to take men and find He Jiaqing right now!”

Li Banfeng shook his head: “You don’t need to find him. Just send someone to dump two baskets of petals in front of his film company. That’ll end it.”

Ma Wu didn’t understand—what good would scattering petals do? Could it really summon the Goddess of a Hundred Flowers?

But since it was Old Qi’s order, Ma Wu immediately told his men to carry it out.

Shen Rongqing saw the petals in front of the film company and immediately contacted He Jiaqing.

He Jiaqing was currently tending to Da Tou, who lay gravely wounded on his bed.

Because He Jiaqing’s cultivation base was above Yunshang, he couldn’t serve as the Earth God of these thirteen territories, so he had Da Tou take his place.

Da Tou wasn’t just responsible for this one territory. Now that his contract had been torn out, he’d lost most of his status—but other territories still supported him, and with He Jiaqing’s use of stolen cultivation techniques, Da Tou’s life was barely preserved.

Upon receiving Shen Rongqing’s message, He Jiaqing’s anger flared.

He’d already paid for the territories—what more did this Goddess of a Hundred Flowers want? Did she want the Hundred Flowers Sect back?

Da Tou was even angrier: “Jiaqing, you don’t need to act. When I’m stronger, I’ll go settle the score with Ma Wu myself!”

He Jiaqing shook his head: “Finding Ma Wu won’t help. This isn’t that simple. Rest first.”

After settling Da Tou, He Jiaqing went to Kucai Zhuang and found Old Ku to demand an explanation.

After hearing He Jiaqing’s account, Old Ku felt something was wrong: “The Goddess of a Hundred Flowers isn’t Ai Yeqing. Are you certain Ai Yeqing did this?”

He Jiaqing wasn’t sure—but he had to pin this on Ai Yeqing.

He pulled out several copper coins: “These are the coins he struck me with. I had them specially examined—they’re Ai Yeqing’s most common weapon.”

Most people couldn’t tell, but the Peddler would recognize them. I need to confront him—why did Ai Yeqing dare touch my territories?”

Old Ku looked at He Jiaqing: “You want to confront the Peddler?”

“Yes!” He Jiaqing nodded. “I fought for these thirteen territories in Neizhou. The Peddler promised they’d be mine. Now someone’s stolen them—he owes me—”

“Are you ashamed?” Old Ku roared, cutting him off.

He Jiaqing stared at her in shock.

He’d come to Kucai Zhuang hoping she’d join him in confronting the Peddler.

With her status, if she spoke up, the Peddler would surely give an answer.

But He Jiaqing hadn’t expected her reaction.

“Auntie, this isn’t my fault!”

“Then whose fault is it?” Old Ku set down her bitter greens. “When we went to great lengths to get the Red Lotus from Anxing Bureau and handed it to you—what was the purpose?”

Because the Peddler had done wrong, and Pulu Province needed change, we invested our efforts in you!”

Now you’ve lost your territories, and you want the Peddler to give you justice? What do you expect me to expect from you?”

He Jiaqing said nothing.

Old Ku said: “Ai Yeqing stole your territories. Figure out how he did it—and take them back yourself.”

He Jiaqing said: “Ma Junyang is involved. And possibly Li Qi too.”

Old Ku asked: “Are you afraid? Didn’t you bring Li Qi to Pulu Province yourself?”

He Jiaqing took the vegetable basin and helped Old Ku pick greens, saying nothing more.

The next day, He Jiaqing contacted Duan Shuqun: “Return the Hundred Flowers Sect to Zhang Xiuling. Make a big show of it.”

Duan Shuqun didn’t understand: “Jiaqing, you want to make a big show of this?”

This wasn’t something to be proud of.

He Jiaqing said: “It must be made public. Bring Ma Junyang. Have him witness it.”

Zhang Xiuling was reinstated as Sect Master of the Hundred Flowers Sect. Li Qi, Ma Wu, and Qin XiaoPang came to congratulate her.

After the celebration, the three brothers ate together at Xiaoyao Wu . Ma Wu poured Li Qi a cup of wine: “Old Qi, I’m truly impressed—you got the Hundred Flowers Sect back with two baskets of petals?”

Li Qi smiled but said nothing. Qin Tianjiu thought long and hard, still couldn’t grasp the logic.

But Ma Wu had guessed part of it: “That night, when I fought He Jiaqing, I encountered strange things. Later I thought about it—Old Qi, did you secretly help me?”

Li Banfeng nodded.

Ma Wu slapped his thigh: “Did you already break He Jiaqing in secret, so he’s so obedient now?”

Li Banfeng shook his head: “He’s not obeying me—he’s obeying the Goddess of a Hundred Flowers.”

Qin Tianjiu said: “Brother Qi, no one else here—tell me the truth. Are you pretending to be the Goddess of a Hundred Flowers?”

Li Banfeng shook his head again: “The one pretending to be the Goddess isn’t me—and it’s not just one person.”

“Not one person?” Ma Wu thought carefully. “Who stole my hamstring—He Jiaqing or the Goddess?”

Li Banfeng said: “I think it was the Goddess.”

Ma Wu understood: “He made me suffer first, then turned around to punish He Jiaqing. He’s stirring trouble from both sides!”

Qin Tianjiu asked: “That hoodlum who keeps showing up at Xiaoyao Wu —is he one of the Goddess’s men?”

“Hard to say,” Li Banfeng swirled his wine cup. “He’s probably not under the Goddess’s command.”

Qin Tianjiu blinked: “How do you know that, Brother Qi?”

Li Banfeng said: “On the train, stealing your hamstring was a single move to ignite the conflict—and whether it succeeded or failed, he had an escape plan. That’s how a provocateur acts.”

But the one causing trouble at Xiaoyao Wu —he’s done it several times, never escalated much, never prepared an escape. If you’d brought more men that day, you might’ve captured him.”

If he’d been captured, everything would’ve been exposed. The Goddess of a Hundred Flowers wouldn’t risk so much for so little gain.”

Qin Tianjiu suddenly understood: “You’re right! That guy’s a skilled fighter—if he wanted to provoke, he wouldn’t use hoodlum tactics. He’d just go straight for Brother Wu.”

Li Banfeng said: “His behavior doesn’t make sense. There must be something hidden.”

The old grudges were temporarily settled. Ma Wu was clearer now: “Old Qi’s right—we need to find this man.”

Qin Tianjiu raised his cup: “Brothers, leave this to me.”

Li Banfeng stayed at Xiaoyao Wu for two days. When he judged the time right, he went to Ye Songqiao.

He’d ordered a batch of furniture from Xiao Ye Ci, and Xiao Ye Ci had finished: “Master, shouldn’t these pieces be delivered to the train station?”

Li Banfeng had ordered train furniture; Xiao Ye Ci assumed they were for a private train.

“No. Send them all to my home.”

Before delivery, Li Banfeng gave all his household workers a month’s leave.

The steward was confused: “Young Master, you just gave them a month off.”

Li Banfeng said: “I think a month’s too short. Add another month. Go to the accounting office for your travel expenses and wages.”

At Li Banfeng’s estate, workers on leave received wages, travel money, and extra cash to buy gifts for their families.

Once the workers were gone, Li Banfeng collected the furniture and began moving it in.

Twenty carriages’ worth of furniture looked like a lot—but the estate had many capable hands. In under an hour, everything was moved into Suishenju.

Li Banfeng carefully arranged everything—moved tables, shifted chairs, placed screens. Each carriage’s layout was unique.

Zhao Xiao and Jiu’er went out and bought pots, pans, brushes, ink, paper, chopsticks, forks, spoons, pillows, curtains—a mountain of household goods.

After arranging all the furniture and belongings, Li Banfeng walked through Suishenju, room by room, growing happier with each step.

He walked back and forth over a hundred times. Each pass brought him joy—and a faint sense of incompleteness.

Room six lacked a wine jug. Room eight lacked a brush holder. Room sixteen lacked a stool. Room twenty-eight lacked a vase. Wherever something was missing,

Li Banfeng immediately went out to buy it. He ran back and forth endlessly, never tiring.

He kept running until late at night, when all the shops closed. Still, he lay in bed unable to sleep.

Zhao Xiao said: “My dear husband, something’s troubling you?”

Li Banfeng nodded: “I saw a tea set—celadon porcelain. It would look perfect in our main hall.”

Zhao Xiao yawned: “My dear, stop fussing. It’s this late—just sleep.”

“Wife, I truly think it’s beautiful!”

“Whatever you like must be beautiful. We’ll buy it first thing tomorrow.”

The next morning, Li Banfeng woke before five. He was going to buy the tea set.

Normally, he didn’t think about such things—but once he started, he couldn’t let go. He’d thought of that tea set all night.

Zhao Xiao rubbed her eyes: “Husband, what time is it? No porcelain shop will be open yet. Can’t you sleep a little longer?”

Li Banfeng couldn’t sleep. Instead, he called out Hong Ying to practice techniques.

Hong Ying didn’t care about the furnishings—anything functional was fine.

But when he mentioned practicing techniques, she was wide awake.

The two faced each other in the courtyard. Li Banfeng lifted one foot.

Hong Ying saw the stance and smiled: “Practicing Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers? Fine—I like that one too.”

Zhao Xiao worried: “Why practice this? It’s too dangerous!”

Hong Ying laughed: “Xiaowan, don’t worry. Even though Brother Qi’s cultivation is high, he can’t hurt me with just his Traveler techniques.”

Zhao Xiao angrily said, “So what if you get hurt? I’m afraid you’ll hurt my husband!”

Hong Ying prepared herself: “Qi Lang, go ahead—I’ll let you strike first. If you can hurt me, you’ve got real skill!”

Li Banfeng, with his Househeart Benevolence, stepped forward and crushed ten thousand rivers beneath his foot.

His step missed its mark, landing far from Hong Ying.

Hong Ying shook her head. “Qi Lang, you’re truly underestimating me. If we train like this, it’s pointless. I won’t hold back on you.”

Li Banfeng stepped back. “You go first.”

“Fine!” Hong Ying sneered, took one step forward, then stood still.

Zhao Xiao blinked, walked up, and tapped Hong Ying’s cheek.

Thud! Thud!

The smile remained, but Hong Ying’s face was crisp, hard as stone.

Jiu Er said, “Xiaowan, did you just hit her spear tip?”

Before she finished speaking, Hong Ying’s body shuddered, drew a deep breath, and coughed several times.

She could move again. She stared at Li Banfeng in shock. “Qi Lang, what technique did you just use?”

It was a new technique—Li Banfeng had used it to freeze Dan Chengjun.

When Crush Ten Thousand Rivers and Househeart Benevolence are used together, they immobilize the opponent.

The opponent doesn’t freeze immediately—they freeze after taking one step.

The immobilization lasts only a short time; Li Banfeng estimated it to be about ten seconds.

Hong Ying’s body had just become extremely solid. A direct strike would likely have no effect.

But in those ten seconds, she couldn’t move at all—and that gave plenty of opportunities.

Hong Ying was envious. She grabbed Li Banfeng’s hand. “Qi Lang, tell me—how do you use Crush Ten Thousand Rivers?”

Li Banfeng smiled deeply. “This isn’t Crush Ten Thousand Rivers. It’s a Cultivation Technique: Fixed Step, Self-Imprisonment.”

The name was made up by Li Banfeng. The Judgement Pen snorted: “Fixed Step, Self-Imprisonment doesn’t mean that.”

Hong Ying couldn’t understand the technique, nor could she grasp what “Cultivation” even meant.

They trained all morning. Li Banfeng mastered the technique; Hong Ying still couldn’t figure it out.

Back in the Portable Dwelling, Li Banfeng poured tea from a celadon teapot, sipped it, and explained to Hong Ying: “To learn Fixed Step, Self-Imprisonment, you must first master House Cultivation Techniques. You’re far too late to begin House Cultivation.”

Hong Ying protested: “What House Cultivation Technique? That was Crush Ten Thousand Rivers! Just teach it to me! I’ve taught you everything I know!”

Li Banfeng didn’t know how to explain it to her. “Drink some tea first. Let me tell you slowly.”

He set down his teacup, reached for the teapot to pour Hong Ying some tea—and found the teapot gone.

“Where’s the teapot?”

Zhao Xiao blinked. “What teapot?”

Li Banfeng pointed at the table. “The celadon teapot. It was right here on the table.”

Zhao Xiao remembered. “We haven’t bought that tea set yet. I’ll go to the market with Jiu Er later.”

“Not bought? Then my teacup just now—” Li Banfeng looked at the table. His teacup was gone too.

Li Banfeng licked his lips. The tea still clung to them.

He turned to Hong Ying. “I drank tea just now. Did you see it?”

Hong Ying paused a long while. “I think you did.”

Li Banfeng stared blankly. “If there was no teacup, how did I drink the tea?”

PS: And where did the tea even come from?