[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-the-proles":3,"chapter-lord-of-the-proles-lord-of-the-proles-chapter-838":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Lord of the Proles",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2291136,4478,"Chapter 838: Mountain God","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-838",838,"\u003Cp>“You’re doing all this for what reason? You scared me half to death!” Li Banfeng was still shaking the medicine jar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peddler looked disgusted: “Stop shaking it. What am I even doing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re clearly alive, yet you put on this whole act to scare people!” Li Banfeng clapped his hands together, and the jar vanished from his grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no intention of actually preparing these herbs—they were all illusions created by the Technique of All Things As Desired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peddler sighed: “Surviving is just luck granted by heaven. I was this badly wounded, and I even used blood sacrifice as a covenant—by all rights, my life should’ve ended.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks to a lucky coincidence and the protection of the Mist Prison Valley, I barely managed to claw back my life—do you think I’d just throw it away?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean ‘throw it away’?” Li Banfeng blinked. “You faked your death to save your life?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peddler gave a bitter laugh: “What do you think? Do you believe my old friends would let me live?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng didn’t understand: “Could they even kill you? Who in this world has that kind of power?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They couldn’t normally—but right now, it’s hard to say!” The peddler tried moving his body, but failed. “I can’t even move now. Even if I could protect myself, I can’t afford to act. If I went full force against my old friends, who’d fight the next war?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng supported the peddler: “Let me take you somewhere else to rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack! Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peddler’s bones cracked loudly: “Brother, don’t move me. Just let me sit here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was stunned: “I thought you were just unable to move yourself—so even I can’t help you? You’re this badly hurt?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peddler shook his head: “It’s not just the injury—there’s a covenant involved. I signed a life covenant; some debts are destined to be repaid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What debt?” Li Banfeng had just heard Old Train Fire explain the mechanics of life covenants. “‘Together in life and death’—isn’t that the essence of a life covenant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Train Fire said that?” The peddler chuckled. “He’s too impulsive—he only half-understands things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Think of the Mist Prison Valley as a person. Why would it risk its life for you after surviving peacefully on this mountain for hundreds of thousands of years?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who comes here makes no difference to it. Why should it help you? Is that not a debt unpaid?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I signed the life covenant so the Mist Prison Valley would fight for me. When the war ends, I must repay that debt—I’ll have to stay on this mountain for a while. Some call it being the Mountain God.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng asked: “How long will you be Mountain God?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peddler thought: “Maybe thirty or fifty years. Maybe a hundred or two. Right now, Qunying Mountain doesn’t trust me—it won’t let me move freely. When it slowly learns to trust me, I’ll be allowed to walk the mountain. Only when mutual suspicion vanishes will I be allowed to leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If Qunying Mountain suffers a major disaster and I save it, the debt is paid. But if it remains peaceful forever, I may have to stay here for all eternity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng pondered a moment, then said: “Tomorrow I’ll go find A Yi and blow this mountain up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peddler looked helpless: “Can’t you see? Qunying Mountain is sentient. If you repay kindness with betrayal, just see how this mountain deals with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve got guts—actually releasing the Sky Maiden. You nearly exposed me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng shook his head: “How could there be an exposure? Even I couldn’t tell!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peddler snorted: “You think it’s that easy? I nearly cried. If your wife cried like that, wouldn’t you feel heartbroken?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng recalled the scene: “So if your eyes stayed closed, it didn’t count as meeting?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peddler shook his head: “Closing your eyes isn’t enough. I could feel it—my old covenant with her almost activated. I had to fake it. Sun Tiecheng used techniques to cover for me, and the Mist Prison Valley helped shield me—we barely tricked the covenant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can trick a covenant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes—but tricking a covenant I signed myself? Extremely hard. The covenant will keep pursuing this. One day, it might bring up the old debt and drag me back in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, the peddler sighed: “Seeing her cry like that… I truly hurt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng said: “I’ll tell her the truth when I go back. I won’t let her suffer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peddler snapped: “Do you want to kill me? If this gets out, I’ll be dead soon—do you believe me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng shook his head: “I won’t let anyone harm you. I’ll arrange guards to watch over you in shifts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Useless!” The peddler had thought of this countless times. “There’s no such thing as guarding against thieves for a thousand days—you know that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If they learn I’m alive, they’ll plot relentlessly to kill me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng agreed: “Next, we must retake Santoucha. How should we fight this battle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peddler looked at Li Banfeng: “What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think we wait a few days. Qiao Yi is dead. The Suppression Camp has no commander—they won’t want to fight. Shang’s national strength is damaged and needs time to recover. Wait a few more days, and maybe Santoucha will come back on its own.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It won’t come back!” The peddler shook his head. “Qiao Yi had many hardliners under him. They were fiercely loyal. Once they learn of his death, they’ll immediately try to take his place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shang won’t give up a prize like this—especially Santoucha. It connects Pulu Province, Waizhou, and Wansheng Province. Through Bai Feng County, it even reaches Nei Aminkan and the Sleeping Lands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shang will spare no effort to hold Santoucha. Before Qiao Yi’s successor emerges, we must retake the underground city quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng thought: “Retaking it shouldn’t be too hard. This time, only the Suppression Camp was involved. We won’t face another opponent as tough as Qiao Yi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The peddler remained uneasy: “Xu Han and Zhang Wanlong are both ruthless. Santoucha also has the Innocent Army. This battle has gone far beyond just the Suppression Camp.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Santoucha is too critical for Qiao Yi to ignore. I can’t guess how many troops he stationed there. Compared to Jianren Gang, I can’t tell where he invested more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if it’s only one camp, don’t underestimate it. They were still training when you surprised them before. Now, the situation is different—and so is the camp’s combat strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qiao Yi was rare, but Shang isn’t short of talent. Someone might be even better at warfare—just waiting for their chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for national strength—so long as the Great Totem remains, Shang can quickly muster heavy forces again. The Great Totem controls life itself—that’s the hardest thing to fight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And the Jade Seal. Qiao Yi knew how to use it—he might have taught others. As long as Shang holds it, it remains a deadly threat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, the peddler heard footsteps: “Someone’s coming to see me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng listened carefully with Insightful Spirit Sound, determined the direction, then used the Hundred Flavors Luminous to identify the visitor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air carried a faint scent of powder, thick with seductive charm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sui Chanxin had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng pretended ignorance and sat quietly beside the peddler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Sui Chanxin reached the cart and smiled at Li Banfeng: “Little Brother Li Qi, you’re here too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng nodded slightly: “Elder, you haven’t slept?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sui Chanxin shook her head: “Couldn’t sleep. Came to see my good brother. The peddler treated me well—he gave me much support back then. Without his approval, I could never have founded my Dao sect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I keep saying he did wrong, but really I’m just bitter. I’ve always had feelings for him—he either can’t see it or pretends not to. He’s never shown me any interest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thinking about it, who’s around him? The Sky Maiden—undoubtedly the most beautiful woman in the world. Lu Qianjiao is equally stunning. Compared to them, I’m sure he won’t even glance my way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng smiled: “You keep badmouthing him because love turned to hate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sui Chanxin laughed: “Do you think I’m pathetic?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng gave no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sui Chanxin continued: “Little Seven, I support you taking charge in Pulu Province. All that talk about seniority and status before? Just surface words. Don’t take it to heart. If you trust me, I’ll follow you from now on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng smiled: “Thank you, Elder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This woman changes fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wonder what Zhen Luoming and Bing Suling think now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sui Chanxin wanted to say more to Li Banfeng, but Lu Qianjiao walked over from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you doing here?” Lu Qianjiao’s tone showed clear disdain for Sui Chanxin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sui Chanxin raised her eyebrows, stood, and said to Li Banfeng: “Little Seven, I’ll go. Miss Lu doesn’t like me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qianjiao sat beside the peddler and said to Li Banfeng: “Little Seven, I won’t go with you to retake Santoucha. I’ll stay here and keep your brother company.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qianjiao looked at Li Banfeng: “You always call him ‘brother,’ and he always calls you ‘younger brother.’ Who’s your master? When did you even meet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng opened his mouth, but couldn’t speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Qianjiao asked again: “He also said, ‘It wasn’t supposed to be him—it was an accident.’ What did he mean by that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng gave two bitter laughs. He didn’t know where to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Forget it, I won’t ask,” Lu Qianjiao smiled. “Go rest. Tomorrow you’ll be fighting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was still uneasy: “Sister-in-law, can you really stay here in this wilderness?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Lu Qianjiao couldn’t stay, Li Banfeng planned to find someone else to guard the peddler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can stay. I lived alone in Jiaoqi River for years—never got bored,” Lu Qianjiao touched the peddler’s cheek. “He loved this mountain. Once, you came looking for him and couldn’t find him—you kept complaining to the radio.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Later, I found him on Qunying Mountain. He told me he came here to meet his lover. I believed him—I turned the whole mountain upside down, determined to find his lover and tear her to pieces.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only later did I learn—he called this mountain his lover. He’s deeply fond of Qunying Mountain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From here, you can see all of Pulu Province. He loved watching it. From now on, I’ll stay here and watch it with him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng looked at the peddler—the man sat motionless beside the cart, eyes closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After the war, I’ll come back to see it properly,” Li Banfeng brushed snow off his hat and stood to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At dawn the next day, everyone boarded Old Train Fire. Li Banfeng led the driver toward Santoucha.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way, Che Wushang asked Li Banfeng: “Have you decided how to fight this battle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng said: “I’ll first check the situation at Tushi and Haishi. If there’s a chance for a surprise attack, I’ll take it. If not, I’ll think of another plan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The driver disagreed: “Little Seven, don’t rush to Tushi. Go to Ren Shi first—ask Old Xu how things stand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Times are different now. If you’re harmed, this group might scatter—or even turn on each other tomorrow. Listen to me: be cautious. It’s always better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Santoucha, Li Banfeng followed the driver’s advice and went to Ren Shi first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ren Shi was far more crowded than before. Xu Han and Zhang Wanlong had evacuated civilians from Tushi and Haishi and brought them here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Ren Shi had many abandoned factories and homes—the civilians had temporary shelter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng found Xu Han and Zhang Fanglong in Ren Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing of the peddler’s condition, Xu Han burst into tears: “I failed him. I couldn’t hold Santoucha. Now I can’t even speak to him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Wanlong was searching for soil—he needed land to farm for his combat techniques. There was almost no arable land in Ren Shi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I have to, I’ll farm on the surface!” Zhang Wanlong had picked several patches outside the underground city—but Santoucha was different. Fertile-looking soil wasn’t necessarily usable. Most crops needed daily exposure to sunlight—most couldn’t survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Wanlong was also anxious: “The farmers we brought from Tushi are few now. Tushi keeps getting raided—we can only hold on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng asked: “Were there any raids today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Han said: “No one has come today—perhaps because Qiao Yi is dead, they’ve calmed down a bit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was still asking about the matter when Bai Wusong delivered news: the enemy army was advancing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bai Wusong followed Ayi to the underground city, where he normally led the White Crane Gang on patrols. Thanks to their ability to fly and their numbers, the White Crane Gang’s patrols were highly effective, having repelled several enemy raids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This raid was larger than usual, and Bai Wusong couldn’t handle it alone—he immediately sent word to Xu Han. Xu Han and Zhang Fanglong led the “Farmers” to the battlefield with Bai Wusong, and Li Banfeng brought the various heroes along too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battlefield lay in the eastern district of the human market, amid a coal yard. Over two thousand attackers had come to ambush them. Along the way, Li Banfeng kept imagining how to prevent these men from forming the Thousand-Man Force Array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they reached the eastern district, Li Banfeng noticed the soldiers weren’t rushing to form ranks—they were launching their ambush in a relatively loose formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One soldier held a brush in his left hand, writing on the ground, while his right hand held a shield made of ice to block aerial attacks. In the center, a head roared, using Sound Cultivation techniques to strike the White Crane Gang members in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are these Totem Troops?” Li Banfeng stared at Xu Han in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some truths are impossible to find unless you stand on the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Han had only fought Totem Troops once before—at Wuyou Ping. After that clash, he immediately came to Santou Cha. He had no clear concept of the term “Totem Troops.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, since Totem Troops themselves used the Thousand-Man Force Array, Xu Han had mistaken them for Dangkou Troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Li Banfeng hadn’t come to the battlefield himself, he’d never have known what Santou Cha had faced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Luoming said: “Old Xu, you really can take it—Totem Troops are worlds apart from ordinary Dangkou Troops!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Han had no time for such talk. When bandits came, you fought. That was Xu Han’s mindset. He led the Farmers forward first; Li Banfeng and the various heroes engaged the Totem Troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After so many battles these past days, the heroes were somewhat familiar with Totem Troops. Less than half an hour later, the two thousand-plus Totem Troops were driven back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two thousand men still had a commander. Beneath the banner sat a man—not tall, his stature matching the three-headed figures of Santou Cha, yet with only one head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhen Luoming stared for a long while, then suddenly shouted: “That’s Qiao Yi, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sui Chanxin beside him said: “That can’t be—Qiao Yi was killed by Old Seven, wasn’t he?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, we all saw it with our own eyes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qiao Yi’s head was cut off—ironclad proof. Ashes fell to the ground. His soul was utterly scattered!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Han was also stunned: “I’ve never seen this man before. He’s appearing for the first time today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng stared at the man’s back, utterly bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his Golden Eyes of Autumn Clarity, he saw clearly—this wasn’t Zhen Luoming making trouble. The man beneath the banner was Qiao Yi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then who did we kill two days ago?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng remained silent for a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at the Sui Shen Ju, Li Banfeng discussed strategy with his wife. Everyone was shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Qiao Yi’s head fell, his wife had seen it with her own eyes. Now this Qiao Yi had appeared—she was certain it wasn’t real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Husband, in past wars, when a commander suffered misfortune, they sometimes used decoys to take the blame. It’s not a new trick—it’s mainly to stabilize morale.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ying nodded: “I’ve seen this too. Many commanders keep decoys on hand, just in case. Your side does the same, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, Hong Ying glanced at Tian Nü.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü looked at Hong Ying and answered seriously: “He was just a peddler going door to door. He’s shameless—he thought I’d find him appealing. Even though I was fallen, I was still a princess back then. Why would I ever look at him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ying said to Li Banfeng: “Seven, even Tian Nü’s side has decoys.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiao raised his wooden board: “How did you figure that out? Did she just say something about decoys?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng rubbed his chin: “Whether it’s a decoy or not, we’ll know soon enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sent the two best shadows from the Earthly Branches to investigate Tushi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, Banfengzi returned first. According to his findings, Tushi housed a Quhuo Camp, plus fifty thousand Totem Troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifty thousand!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could that be!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could there still be fifty thousand!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng refused to believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Banfengzi had seen it with his own eyes—he’d even drawn the location of the Totem Troops’ encampment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifty thousand Totem Troops were scattered across Tushi. Their camp layout was distinctive—his wife would need to study it carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Husband, don’t rush. These fifty thousand Totem Troops may not have all appeared at once. The entrance from Tuidao to Neizhou still exists. Neizhou must be continuously reinforcing Santou Cha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the peddler had said: hard to say who’s betting more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng stared blankly for a long while: “No wonder Xu Han kept losing. He didn’t use the wrong tactics or the wrong men—he just faced an opponent he couldn’t beat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ying was confident: “We can win! Fifty thousand isn’t scary! Last time we fought, the enemy had seventy thousand—and we still won!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you compare them?” Jiu’er rolled her eyes. “That was because of the Peddler—he wore half the enemy down in the valley. Where are we going to find the Peddler now? The valley’s gone too!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiao’s expression grew grim. The current situation was indeed hard to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Late at night, Banfengyin returned: “The commander in Tushi is indeed Qiao Yi.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng refused to believe it: “You didn’t make a mistake?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Banfengyin shook his head: “I hid inside the shadow of Xi Zhao Fu and stayed in Chaoge for a long time. Back then, I saw Qiao Yi every day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I knew him intimately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The man in Tushi behaves exactly the same—this isn’t something you can imitate. Some things are innate. Xi Zhao Fu couldn’t learn them back then. This man is definitely Qiao Yi!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng was utterly bewildered. Qiao Yi was alive. Totem Troops had surged again. How could such a thing happen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ying didn’t care: “So Qiao Yi’s alive? So what? Does that mean we don’t fight him? We’ll gather our troops and attack him directly—let’s see how he handles it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiao asked: “Have you ever been to Tushi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ying shook her head: “No, I haven’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiao said: “Tushi is a field of crops. Do you think it’s a valley? If the Totem Troops truly deploy, what do we have to fight them with?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xu Han has held on this long because he’s raised so many men—and because Jin Xiu is more effective in battle than other Dao sects.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To truly defeat the enemy, we need another plan—at least we must trap them somewhere where they can’t move.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiao took the map Banfengzi brought back and began marking and sketching on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng looked at Tian Nü, staring for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü looked back at Li Banfeng and whispered: “That peddler passed by my window every day, always glancing inside. He often left me hairpins, dangling hairpins, things like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They weren’t valuable at all—I shouldn’t have worn them. How did I fall for him? How did I ever like him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng said: “When fate arrives and affection blooms, you can’t stop it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really can’t stop it,” Tian Nü lowered her head. “One day he jumped into my courtyard. I wanted to call for help, but my mouth wouldn’t open. I pushed him away, but he wouldn’t leave!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ying adjusted her breathing, nervously asking: “And then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü’s cheeks flushed crimson: “He didn’t leave—he came into my room.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ying wiped sweat from her face: “What did he do in your room?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü lowered her head: “He said he’d gotten new rouge and wanted to give it to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ying leaned closer: “Did you take it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü bit her lip: “I wanted to take it, but I didn’t say yes. I told him I didn’t know how to apply rouge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Ying laughed: “So he applied it for you, didn’t he? No wonder you were once a princess—your mind works so cleverly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü’s face turned even redder: “I lived deep in a grand courtyard, never stepping outside the inner gate. I knew nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You knew nothing?” Hong Ying’s eyes sparkled. “After he applied the rouge, didn’t you do something else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü didn’t want to talk anymore: “I wanted to drive him away—but he just wouldn’t leave—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng said: “You used the wrong method. If you’d drawn a boundary line back then, you could’ve driven him off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü looked at Li Banfeng: “Would a boundary line work?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It would—greatly!” Li Banfeng picked up the map. “Santou Cha isn’t an unknown land. Adding a boundary line here shouldn’t be hard, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü studied the map: “You want to use a boundary line to encircle all of Tushi?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng nodded: “First encircle Tushi, then slowly shrink the boundary, forcing the enemy into a suitable position—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then annihilate them in one strike.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü slowly nodded: “That’s how we defeated the Dangkou Camp back then. You think the same as he did—but you’re not him. Why should I help you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Xiao looked at Li Banfeng: “Husband, maybe you should lay a little more groundwork?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng said: “Killing these bastards from Neizhou is avenging the Peddler. If you were the Peddler’s woman, you wouldn’t refuse this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü suddenly lifted her head. The blush vanished from her face, replaced by icy frost: “Yes. We must avenge him. You’re right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll draw the boundary line for you. I’ll encircle Santou Cha and kill every last bird from Neizhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I don’t know if Tushi has any paths. If it does, our boundary line won’t matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng asked Tian Nü: “By ‘paths,’ you don’t mean ordinary roads, do you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü waved her hand, and a map appeared in the room: “My body isn’t skilled in the Ten Thousand Wishes Technique—I can only give you a simple demonstration.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Like the path from Neizhou to Jianren Gang, or from Shengxian Peak to Qunying Mountain—these paths once existed, but were never opened for some reason.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the language of Waizhou, these are ‘caves within caves’ left by wormholes. There’s a professor in Waizhou named Zhao Zhihong—do you know him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng nodded: “I know him. He loves balloons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü waved again, and a balloon shaped like the character “ Yu ” appeared in the room. She took a pump and began inflating it: “Zhao Zhihong’s balloon theory perfectly explains the nature of Puluo Zhou.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Puluo Zhou is essentially a wormhole connecting Neizhou and Waizhou. The wormhole is like this balloon—each stroke connects to others. When I inflate one point, the whole balloon expands. These connections are the Xuanyuan Paths of Puluo Zhou—the most primitive roads.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I cannot restrict these Xuanyuan Paths with boundary lines. But most of them are impassable—some due to different physical laws, some because the environment is too harsh, some because Xuanyuan life has mutated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When you were in Anxing Bureau, you encountered a mutated Xuanyuan life once. They formed the Anxing Special Operations Team. They encountered a spherical creature in a new tracking device and were nearly wiped out—they had accidentally entered a Xuanyuan Path and met a mutated Xuanyuan silkworm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng remembered this well. At the time, Guan Zhengyang had personally formed the Special Operations Team to replace Anxing Bureau. After that mission, he lost most of his team members—and even suffered serious injuries himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed Tian Nü hadn’t been asleep the whole time in Anxing Bureau—she remembered some things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Nü gathered the map and shaped her hand into an object resembling a seal: “Only the Imperial Jade Seal can open the Xuanyuan Paths—and only the Imperial Jade Seal can find them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Qiao Yi still holds the Imperial Seal, you must find out whether Tushi has a route to the outside world; otherwise, everything we’ve done is in vain—he can escape at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Banfeng rubbed his forehead, preparing to go see for himself—perhaps he could find the entrance to the Xuanyuan Road by avoiding ill omens and seeking good ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had he left the Suishenju than Li Banfeng encountered Shiba Lun; the two locked eyes for a moment, both stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shiba Lun asked first: “Old Seven, you went to the battlefield today—was that really Qiao Yi you saw?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Huochē hadn’t gone to the battlefield, but Li Banfeng could tell he cared deeply about this matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something else Li Banfeng cared about too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It must be Qiao Yi,” Li Banfeng turned and asked Shiba Lun, “Brother, how did you split one person into two?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Huochē was also troubled by this: “I don’t like Gong Xiu, but I love Lv Xiu too much—Face Didn’t Help Me Much split me apart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: In Chapter 740, Qiao Yi went blind and was forced to become a Watcher; he originally wanted to become a Wen Xiu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Face Didn’t Help Me Much despised Neizhou with a deep hatred—how could he possibly help Qiao Yi?\u003C\u002Fp>",4332,"2026-06-20T03:43:18.603Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2ca1c473a156b4cb163952ddb2d47b4c8687c9fb12b3bbbfd4d7e18e74ee2b57","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-839","lord-of-the-proles-chapter-837",863,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-the-proles-cover.jpg"]