Chapter 815

Jiang Linger used scissors to cut open Li Li Banfeng's shoulder, then reached the scissors into the wound to snip away quite a bit of sticky flesh.

The Yucuilou reminded: "Girl, keep your hand steady; don't break the sac. Once it breaks, the bone marrow will flow out, and the suffering will have been for nothing."

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan wiped the sweat from Jiang Linger's brow. Jiang Linger held the scissors, turned them inside the wound to snip, and used tweezers to pull out a ball of flesh: "Shan Chengjun's bone marrow is all here."

Jiang Linger placed the ball of flesh in front of Li Li Banfeng. Just as Li Li Banfeng breathed a sigh of relief, the Yucuilou reminded: "Son-in-law, use the 'High Pillow Worry-Free' technique to probe the wound, then carefully move your muscles and bones to see if there are any other uncomfortable spots on your body."

Li Li Banfeng moved up and down inside the Yucuilou several times and didn't feel anything abnormal. The Yucuilou still couldn't rest easy and repeatedly urged: "I'm afraid that old thief's bone marrow might have remnants. Whenever you feel something wrong with your body, use the 'High Pillow Worry-Free' technique to concentrate the abnormal matter in one place, then hurry home and let my daughter pick it out for you."

Jiang Linger held the ball of flesh and asked: "How should this be disposed of?"

Li Li Banfeng originally wanted to take it back for the Copper Lotus to refine into pills, but he heard the Yucuilou speak: "Son-in-law, this thing is a priceless treasure; leaving it elsewhere, I really can't rest easy."

This was said tactfully; she actually just wanted to keep the item.

Li Li Banfeng said: "Just leave this bone marrow at home then."

The Yucuilou accepted it immediately: "Since it's my son-in-law's kind intention, I will keep it as a treasure to guard the house."

Returning to the Leaving Suishenju, Li Li Banfeng stayed home to recover from his injuries. His wife wanted to stay and take care of him, but Li Li Banfeng took two hundred silver dollars and told his wife to take Xiang Xiang Hongying and Hua Jiuer out for a stroll on the street.

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan said: "Xue Yingying and I don't have anything to shop for; back when we were looking for you, we ran all over the Moxiang Shop. Let Hua Jiuer go."

Hua Jiuer shook her head: "I don't have anything to shop for either; back when I was following the Young Master to chase that old thief, I ran all over the city too."

Xiang Xiang Hongying glared at Hua Jiuer: "What 'Young Master'? Have you consummated the marriage with him? You shameless thing!"

Hua Jiuer hummed: "I'll call him Young Master, what can you do about it?"

Li Li Banfeng took out another box of silver dollars and said to Zhao Zhao Xiaowan: "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. I fought Shan Chengjun all the way, burned quite a few houses, and smashed quite a few stalls; this money must be paid to them."

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan knew Li Li Banfeng's temperament; since he said he wanted to pay, this matter really couldn't be delayed.

She took the money box and, taking Xiang Xiang Hongying and Hua Jiuer, went out the door.

Li Li Banfeng rested for a moment, then went to the Fourth Room to visit Murong Gui.

Murong Gui lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling with lifeless eyes. Li Li Banfeng roughly estimated that he probably breathed once every minute and a half.

He and the Projector had escaped from the clouds and run to the Willow Garden to check his contract. After confirming it was correct, the Projector called Li Li Banfeng.

The Projector had a regular phone on him, and Li Li Banfeng had a spare one. Upon learning that Li Li Banfeng was still at the Moxiang Shop, Murong Gui and the Projector successfully returned to the Leaving Suishenju.

After entering the Leaving Suishenju, Murong Gui had just been lying there, recuperating for even longer than Li Li Banfeng.

Li Li Banfeng said: "You weren't injured either; get down and move around. Seeing you lying there without moving just now, I thought you had stopped breathing." "Moving around, that's fine too." The Judge's Pen flew up beside Murong Gui.

The Glove exclaimed: "Good fellow, you've returned?"

"The body is safe now, so I don't need to be inside." The Judge's Pen fell silent in front of the bookshelf for a moment, chose a spot where the wind wasn't too strong, the light wasn't too bright, and it wasn't too conspicuous, lay down, and then used a technique to move a newspaper to cover itself.

The Glove ran to the shelf and asked: "I say brother, you're really at ease leaving your body here; aren't you afraid the Copper Lotus will refine you?"

"If she refines it, then so be it; at least it won't benefit anyone else."

The Judge's Pen fell asleep, and no matter how much the Glove talked, it ignored him.

Li Li Banfeng went to the Fifth Room, where the Fifth Room girl was picking flowers and the Copper Lotus was refining Shan Chengjun's corpse.

Seeing Li Li Banfeng arrive, the Copper Lotus had no reaction, while the Fifth Room girl held fresh flowers, her expression somewhat nervous.

Li Li Banfeng pulled up a chair and sat by the wall: "There's one thing I've always wanted to ask you. You are the ancestor of the Food Cultivators; how have you managed to hold out for so long without eating?"

The Fifth Girl shook her head and said: "I am in our home, with the warmth of our family; I have never felt hungry."

"..."

Li Li Banfeng looked at the Copper Lotus: "Listen to that, how well she speaks!"

The Copper Lotus laughed: "Some things, you actually knew long ago; you're doing this to test her on purpose. Which meal in this house could ever be without her? You always say I take kickbacks, but do you know how much she has eaten of yours over these years?"

"She speaks human words to humans and ghost words to ghosts. She also knows you're testing her and is just using ambiguous words to circle around you. What's so strange about this little skill? Do you think I can't do it?"

The Fifth Girl shook her head vigorously, her slightly red eyes, combined with her student attire, appearing exceptionally sincere and pure: "Seventh Brother, every word I said to you was sincere."

Hearing her say this, the Red Lotus shuddered.

Li Li Banfeng looked at the Copper Lotus and said: "Are you convinced this time?"

"It's not being convinced, it's being disgusted!" The Copper Lotus slowly lifted off the ground and flew toward the Sixth Room: "You two chat slowly; I'll change places to refine pills. Hearing her say such disgusting things is liable to ruin the medicinal properties."

Only Li Li Banfeng and the Fifth Girl were left in the room. Li Li Banfeng asked: "On Blood Tooth Mountain, one doesn't tell lies. What exactly is your relationship with the Blood Tooth Monster?"

The Fifth Girl replied: "I do know her."

"To what extent do you know her?"

"To the extent that we talk about everything."

"Let me be more blunt: are you two the same person?"

"No!" the Fifth Room girl answered very crisply.

Li Li Banfeng picked up a feather duster from the empty table; the Fifth Girl didn't know where this feather duster came from either.

Li Li Banfeng smiled and said: "I am a loyal and honest person; I don't like to take advantage of others' loopholes when I speak."

"For example, you and she were once the same person, but now you aren't. Playing with such word games, I find it very meaningless."

The Fifth Room girl saw the feather duster and put her hands behind her back, her expression somewhat nervous: "I really didn't lie to you; she and I aren't the same person. Why do you think I lied to you?"

Li Li Banfeng straightened the feathers on the duster: "Because you have similar methods; she can also eat certain things and then use a certain way to manufacture pills. This is too similar to your 'Hundred Flowers Kill' technique."

The Fifth Room girl nodded slightly: "Some of her methods are indeed similar to mine, because we have similar talents."

Li Li Banfeng said: "This makes me a bit curious; why would you have similar talents?"

The Fifth Room girl sat on the grass, inserted the fresh flowers beside her, tucked the short hair on her cheek behind her ear, and suddenly asked Li Li Banfeng: "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Li Li Banfeng thought for a moment, nodded, and said: "I suppose I do."

"What are their names?"

"Why ask that?"

"Rest assured, I won't harm them. If I really wanted to do that, I could find out information from other places."

Li Li Banfeng said: "My brothers and sisters are named Banluan, Li Banling, Bangang—"

The Fifth Girl asked: "Why do your names all have the character 'Ban'?"

Li Li Banfeng said: "This is a naming habit; sharing a character among people of the same generation is a very traditional way of naming."

The Fifth Girl smiled: "We have the same habit where I come from; my sisters and I also use the same character. Do you and your brothers and sisters have similar physical talents?"

"No," Li Li Banfeng answered very definitely, "My relationship with them is not quite the same as normal brothers and sisters." The Fifth Room girl blinked her large eyes, nodded, and said: "My relationship with her is also not quite the same; we are a pair of special sisters, much closer than ordinary sisters."

"Actually, you have seen sisters like us; they were born in the same place as us, have the same traditions, and also use the same character."

Li Li Banfeng was thinking about who these special sisters were, when he saw the scene on the wall suddenly turn gloomy.

The warm tones of the sunset disappeared, and the gray wilderness mixed with the coarse black lines of old film, looking very desolate.

The Fifth Room girl's hair and long gown, blown by the wind, were depicting her current mood.

"Every time I think of her, I feel uncomfortable," the Fifth Room girl squatted down and pulled up the fresh flowers on the ground, "There are some questions I can't answer for you, because I can't mention her name, nor can I mention her identity."

"You can't even mention it?"

"Mm." The Fifth Room girl nodded vigorously, and the scene on the wall disappeared accordingly.

Li Li Banfeng rested for a whole day, and his wife returned with Xiang Xiang Hongying and Hua Jiuer: "Young Master, all the money that needed to be paid has been paid. Here are today's newspapers."

His wife had bought newspapers from several publishing houses. Li Li Banfeng took one out; the front-page headline was about two great experts fighting at the Moxiang Shop, with the cause, result, and identities of the experts unknown.

This news was within Li Li Banfeng's expectations; the battle between him and Shan Chengjun had spanned the entire Moxiang Shop, so it was inevitable that it would be in the newspapers.

The reason this report was written so vaguely was that from the perspective of the onlookers, this was all the information they had gathered from the fierce battle.

But the second newspaper made Li Li Banfeng somewhat surprised.

This newspaper was called "Mowen Express," and the headline was "High-Level Martial Cultivator Dies Tragically at Moxiang Shop; What Is the Grudge Behind It?"

At first glance, the headline of this newspaper and the previous one didn't seem to be talking about the same thing.

The news didn't directly mention Shan Chengjun's name, but it repeatedly emphasized that the deceased had an extraordinary status and position among martial cultivators, and it analyzed and speculated on his purpose for coming to the Moxiang Shop.

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan said: "Young Master, when Xiaonu saw this newspaper, I also felt it was a bit different."

"It's alright, the speculation isn't too deep," Li Li Banfeng read the headline news carefully, "He only speculated that the martial expert came to the Moxiang Shop to compete for benefits, and also pointed out the important status of the Moxiang Shop in Puluo Continent."

"The incident caused by this news isn't too big, but I don't understand: how did the person who wrote this news know that the deceased was a high-level martial cultivator? Did he know Shan Chengjun?"

The other newspapers were much the same; none of the headlines revealed any valuable information. Zhao Zhao Xiaowan took out another newspaper, "Moxiang Weekly," and the headline here had some deeper meaning.

The headline of "Moxiang Weekly" didn't introduce the fierce battle, but focused on the special situation of the Moxiang Shop. The article implicitly pointed out that the Moxiang Shop currently had no Earth Deity and would sooner or later become a target for competition among various factions.

Among the various factions, the newspaper focused on the local hero Li Qi and Shan Chengjun, who was attached to the Inner Continent. The entire article didn't mention the fierce battle, but wrote out the cause and effect clearly.

Li Li Banfeng put "Mowen Express" and "Moxiang Weekly" together; these two newspapers didn't come from the same publishing house, and the contributors were also different.

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan said: "Young Master, the book and newspaper industry in the Moxiang Shop is no less inferior to Black Stone Slope. Although these two publishing houses have different names,"

"there might not be no connection behind them."

Li Li Banfeng left the Leaving Suishenju and called Ma Wu, asking him to investigate the origins of these two publishing houses.

Ma Wu replied quickly: "Old Seven, I've also kept an eye on these two publishing houses; on the surface, they are two different signboards, but in reality, they have one boss."

"This boss is named Shao Shao Yingzhen, in his thirties, and is a figure who has just gained momentum this year. In the Moxiang Shop and Black Stone Slope,"

"he has quite a deep foundation."

Shao Shao Yingzhen.

Li Li Banfeng hadn't heard of this person.

Ma Wu introduced this person's situation in detail: Shao Shao Yingzhen started his business in Black Stone Slope relying on paper manufacturing and stationery, and only reached into the book and newspaper industry in the last few months.

Li Li Banfeng returned to the Leaving Suishenju and stared at the two newspapers for a long time.

Xiang Xiang Hongying learned the details and couldn't help but be furious: "What kind of thing is this Shao Shao Yingzhen? What does he dare not meddle in?"

"Find out where he is, and let's finish him today!"

Li Li Banfeng shook his head slightly: "Every few years, powerful figures appear in Puluo Continent. When Ma Wu and I started out, we also put a lot of effort into publishing houses."

"Even if we block Shao Shao Yingzhen's mouth now, it won't be of much use; the Moxiang Shop is about to become lively."

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan said: "Young Master, Xiaonu will go around the Moxiang Shop well these two days to see if I can meet any acquaintances. You rest and recover from your injuries for now; don't show your face for the time being."

Li Li Banfeng recuperated in the Leaving Suishenju for three days. During these three days, Zhao Zhao Xiaowan saw many acquaintances: "Demon Cultivator Ancestor Chang Chang Jiuhai, Charm Cultivator Ancestor Sui Sui Chanxin, Glue Cultivator Ancestor Qi Qi Wujian, Clothing Cultivator Grandmaster Feng Feng Xuanzhen, Wine Cultivator Ancestor Liu Liu Hutian—these figures have all come."

Looking at the list Zhao Zhao Xiaowan had compiled, Li Li Banfeng was very surprised: "So many old fellows are still alive? Are they all in Puluo Continent?"

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan nodded and said: "Those who defected to the Inner Continent are ultimately a minority, and those who have always followed the Peddler are also a minority; the majority are those who are neither too close nor too far from the Peddler."

"These ancestors and grandmasters of the sects usually don't ask about worldly affairs and live in seclusion in various parts of Puluo Continent to get by. I thought they had really retired, but I didn't expect that this incident would summon them all."

Xiang Xiang Hongying exclaimed: "Zhao Xiaowan, you know all these figures?"

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan shook her head: "I don't know them all, but Sound Cultivator Grandmaster Shang Song Yuwei also came, and I gathered quite a bit of information from her. Besides these figures, there's also Ku Ku Po Po, Da Huan Da Huan Wuchang, He He Jiaqing, Sao Tizi—Young Master, these people are all aiming for the Moxiang Shop."

Li Li Banfeng's eye corners twitched, revealing a hint of chill: "With this status, they still want to come and snatch territory?"

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan gently rubbed Li Li Banfeng's forehead: "I gathered some information from Shang Song Yuwei; the reason they came here is because they received news that the Moxiang Shop has no Earth Deity at all, and the Moxiang Shop concerns the cultural vein of Puluo Continent, so they couldn't rest easy and all wanted to come over and take a look."

Li Li Banfeng said: "Wife, what does 'couldn't rest easy' mean? I don't quite understand."

"To put it bluntly, it means they want to take it for themselves."

Li Li Banfeng looked toward the Second Room, his brows furrowing.

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan gently stroked Li Li Banfeng's cheek: "My precious Young Master, don't be anxious; they won't dare to make a move for the time being."

Xiang Xiang Hongying was already prepared for battle: "So many ancestors and grandmasters have come, and they still won't make a move? Could it be they came here to eat New Year's Eve dinner?"

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan shook her head: "It's precisely because so many people have come that no one dares to act rashly, because there is only one Moxiang Shop, and no one wants to be the first to stick their neck out and make a wedding dress for someone else."

"Moreover, they also received news that Shan Chengjun just died at the Moxiang Shop. Mentioning Shan Chengjun, ask these people who isn't terrified? As long as Young Master is still at the Moxiang Shop, they probably won't be able to stir up too much trouble."

Xiang Xiang Hongying was somewhat worried: "I'm just afraid that after a long time, these people will twist into a rope; by then, even if our whole family goes up together, I'm afraid we won't be able to fight them."

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan smiled: "I don't think this rope will twist together; the people of Puluo Continent don't have the nature to twist together."

Just as they were speaking, the Copper Lotus shouted from the Sixth Room: "The pills are refined!"

Li Li Banfeng took the lotus seeds and popped out a black and white pill.

"What pill is this? Snake Spot Pill?"

The Copper Lotus laughed: "What kind of figure is Shan Chengjun? How could I refine a Snake Spot Pill using him? This is called the 'Yin-Yang Boundary-Breaking Two-Turn Pill'."

"This pill is highly toxic; if a living person eats it, it will severely injure their body, and nine times out of ten, they will lose their life. If a wandering soul eats this pill, it can reverse Yin and Yang, and nine times out of ten, they can be brought back to life."

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan held the pill and said: "Nine times out of ten is a bit lacking; if it can't save the person, would you say it's because of that one percent, or that the pill itself is just not good enough?"

The Copper Lotus sighed: "Where in the world are there so many perfect things?"

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan pinched the lotus leaf: "Why not make a more practical pill to help Young Master increase his cultivation? Wouldn't that be better than anything else?"

The Copper Lotus pulled back the lotus leaf and touched Li Li Banfeng's face: "What level is he at now? What difference is there between a pill that increases his cultivation and this Yin-Yang Pill?"

"How can you say there's no difference?" Xiang Xiang Hongying thought about what the Copper Lotus had just said, "Can't this Yin-Yang Pill be eaten by living people?"

"They are all the same," the Copper Lotus sighed, "The pills in this world are all the same; it's just that the quality is different."

Xiang Xiang Hongying didn't understand what the Copper Lotus meant. She suggested giving the pill to Hua Jiuer: "Hua Jiuer has had her great revenge, and if she eats a pill to come back to life and returns to the Fool's City to continue being a wealthy young lady, wouldn't that be perfect?"

Hua Jiuer shook her head: "I'm not in a hurry; this pill should be eaten by Xue Yingying."

Xiang Xiang Hongying waved her hand: "It's useless for me to eat this; my body is almost fully grown, and there's no difference from being alive. Moreover, if I were resurrected, who would be the house spirit for Seventh Brother in the future?"

"Me!" Hua Jiuer blushed and looked at Li Li Banfeng, "I am willing to stay in this house and guard the Young Master for a lifetime."

"Why should it be your turn? How long have I waited to get to today?" Xiang Xiang Hongying sat in front of the dressing table and sulked; she felt that Hua Jiuer had been too close to Li Qi these past few days.

Hua Jiuer went up to comb Xiang Xiang Hongying's hair: "Why are you still haggling with me? I wanted you to eat the pill because I truly wanted you to be well. You always carry a spear tip on your head; what does that look like?"

Xiang Xiang Hongying also felt it was strange: "My body is fully grown, so why can't I get rid of this spear tip? If I had known, I should have eaten Shan Chengjun's flesh and blood!"

Hua Jiuer shook her head repeatedly: "You definitely shouldn't eat that. Back then, when the Young Master touched some bone marrow, he was harmed into such a state. This old thief's flesh and blood can only be eaten by the Copper Lotus. If you ask me, you should still eat the Yin-Yang Pill."

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan looked at Li Qi; how to dispose of such a precious pill would definitely depend on the Young Master.

Li Li Banfeng's mind wasn't on the pill; he repeatedly looked at the list his wife had written down, thinking about how to deal with these old fellows.

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan still suggested that Li Li Banfeng shouldn't show his face: "Young Master, let them hang for a few more days, and they should start to panic on their own."

Li Li Banfeng waited for another two days. He had several houses in the Moxiang Shop, and his wife received an invitation at one of the mansions.

Wine Cultivator Ancestor Liu Liu Hutian, along with more than thirty others who had arrived at the Moxiang Shop, invited Li Li Banfeng to Yansha Zhai to talk. "Young Master, shall we go?"

Li Li Banfeng looked at the invitation; the time was set for three days later.

Inviting him three days in advance was both a gesture of courtesy and gave Li Li Banfeng sufficient time to prepare. If he didn't go at this time, it would be considered admitting defeat.

Once Li Li Banfeng admitted defeat, these people would make a move to snatch the Moxiang Shop.

"Let's go and see!" Li Li Banfeng checked his injuries; they weren't completely recovered, but he at least had sixty or seventy percent of his combat strength.

The Leaving Suishenju's condition was worse, with less than half of its combat strength.

Xiang Xiang Hongying took out a whetstone and prepared to sharpen her weapon: "Seventh Brother, just go; when it's time to fight, just give me a shout."

Zhao Zhao Xiaowan was worried about this: "Young Master, listen to me; you can go, but you must not make a move."

Chaoge City, Lan Qiao Mansion.

Nian Nian Shangyou handed a letter to Lan Qiao Yi: "Master, Li Qi has agreed to the appointment."

Lan Qiao Yi read the letter and sighed: "Given Li Qi's temperament, I'm afraid he won't be able to swallow this evil fire."

Nian Nian Shangyou said: "It is rumored that he killed Shan Chengjun. If he truly has such ability, the heroes of the Moxiang Shop might not necessarily be able to control him."

Lan Qiao Yi smiled: "The outcome of this matter doesn't matter; it's enough to see Li Qi's true colors."

Nian Nian Shangyou didn't dare to ask, but he really couldn't understand in his heart: what exactly was Lan Qiao Yi trying to achieve by laying out so many plans in the Moxiang Shop?

Every time he asked, it was "it doesn't matter"; he didn't seem to care about the Moxiang Shop at all.

Could it be the same as before, just to stir up chaos in Puluo Continent?

Nian Nian Shangyou submitted another list: "Master, this is the loss reported from Bozhou. Since the arrival of the Imperial Envoy,"

"more than two hundred thousand people have died throughout Bozhou."

"I know." Lan Qiao Yi read the list and casually set it aside.

He didn't care about the Moxiang Shop, nor did he care about Bozhou City; what exactly did he care about?

Nian Nian Shangyou submitted another document: "Master, your subordinate has already found the whereabouts of the Craft Cultivator Ancestor. He promised your subordinate that"

"he will definitely be able to repair the Great Melting Furnace within three months."

Lan Qiao Yi looked at the document, which contained the labor and materials and specific methods for repairing the Great Melting Furnace.

It was clear that the Craft Cultivator Ancestor had put effort into this matter, but Lan Qiao Yi still set the document aside.

"Since he defected from the Earth Square Kingdom, he cannot be easily employed. Let's wait and see for a few more days."

1

Nian Nian Shangyou exited the study, walking and pondering Lan Qiao Yi's thoughts along the way.

He didn't even care about the Great Melting Furnace now, so what exactly did he care about?

In the study, Lan Qiao Yi picked up the list sent from Bozhou, looking at the number of people who had died from the epidemic, and nodded repeatedly.

"Twenty thousand, that's enough."

PS: Thanks to Alliance Leader Sha La Gu Si You Pressed My Hair, thanks for the great support for "Lord of Puluo"!!