Chapter 841: Not Very Brave!

Li Banfeng was dressed neatly, ready to go out.

Zhao Xiaojuan gently advised, “Husband, Cui Ti’s algorithm works well—let the servant run it a couple more days, it’ll surely find the optimal solution.”

“No need,” Li Banfeng shook his head repeatedly. “The battlefield has too many variables—you know that better than I do. One miscalculation, and we lose everything.”

Zhao Xiaojuan nodded slightly; Li Banfeng’s words were indeed correct.

Li Banfeng walked over to the Heavenly Maiden: “Just make one boundary line—this time, no problems, right?”

The Heavenly Maiden nodded slightly: “No problems.”

Li Banfeng said: “Once the boundary line is done, wait for my command, then contract it to the designated position in a specific order.”

The Heavenly Maiden paused, then shook her head: “That won’t work.”

Li Banfeng frowned: “Why won’t it work?”

The Heavenly Maiden shook her head: “I can’t do it.”

Li Banfeng froze.

Hong Ying spoke up: “What kind of talk is that? Even Qi Lang can do it—how can your ancestor Zhaixiu not?”

Li Banfeng couldn’t understand: “I’ve told you the essentials—it’s so simple, how can you say you can’t?”

The Heavenly Maiden looked ashamed: “I think it’s simple too, but I’ve tried several times—I can’t move the boundary line as freely as you can.”

“I can move the boundary line, but I need extensive preparation—some preparations take days, some take months, even years!”

Li Banfeng didn’t have that kind of time for her to prepare.

Hong Ying thought the Heavenly Maiden wasn’t trying hard enough: “I’ve seen Zhaixiu—none of them can’t make three or five boundary lines?”

Jiu’er also felt something was off: “Even Meng Yuchun made several rings of boundary lines around her own home—I saw her demonstrate it myself!”

The Heavenly Maiden was helpless: “You said it yourself—that’s around her own home. How far is San Tou Cha from my estate? If it were around my estate, I’d do anything you asked!”

Li Banfeng stopped pressing. He looked at the Heavenly Maiden: “Just make one boundary line—even if it doesn’t move, make it solid. No one inside should be able to get out easily.”

The Heavenly Maiden nodded vigorously.

Li Banfeng stepped out of the room. The Heavenly Maiden looked at Zhao Xiaojuan: “He was terrifying just now.”

Zhao Xiaojuan smiled: “The head of the household must command respect!”

He Yuxiu sat by the bed, silently watching Shen Rongqing.

The ropes binding her had been removed, but she refused to eat.

Shen Rongqing urged: “Sister Xiu, eat something. You’ve endured so much in battle—rest these two days. Don’t harm your own body.”

He Yuxiu looked at Shen Rongqing and suddenly laughed: “Over the years in Pu Luo Province, many have argued over this—whether you or Zhang Xiuling is the top talent of Pu Luo Province.”

“I say there’s no need to argue—you’re not a talent at all—you’re a blind fool!”

Shen Rongqing bit her lip, lowering her head in silence.

“Do you not hear me calling you a blind fool?” He Yuxiu pinched Shen Rongqing’s cheek. “Don’t be resentful—just follow He Jiaqing. He sold even me—do you think he’ll keep you? One day you won’t even know how you died!”

Duan Shuqun beside her said: “Sister Xiu, let me speak—Jiaqing has been fighting the Neizhou forces to the death these past days—you truly don’t know how many they’ve sent!”

Duan Shuqun lowered his voice: “I heard Jiaqing say they hold the Imperial Seal—they’ve linked our territory to Neizhou.”

“They’re sending people here daily—who can withstand that?”

“Jiaqing couldn’t hold out anymore—that’s why he took this step. What else could he do? If he keeps resisting, he loses both land and life.”

“What else could he do?”

“No matter what, he won’t become a dog to Neizhou!” He Yuxiu glared at Duan Shuqun. “Old Duan, I still think you’re a man—get out. Go to Heishipo, find a factory to work at. With your skills, you’ll always have a meal in Pu Luo Province. Don’t follow He Jiaqing like a beggar!”

“Sister Xiu, just look at his injuries—”

“Get out!”

Duan Shuqun said: “Sister Xiu, there are real reasons behind this.”

“Get out!”

He Yuxiu kicked Duan Shuqun out of the wooden hut.

He wandered alone through the forest for two laps. A breeze blew—perhaps sand got in his eyes—and Old Duan wept: “What the hell is this?”

Chu Shaohong stared at Chu Er, face grim: “You said you were injured—I brought medicine. Are you lying to me?”

Chu Er lowered his head: “Qi Lang said to find you.”

Chu Shaohong exploded: “Is Li Qi your father? Were you born from him? How many times has he tricked me—”

Li Banfeng appeared slowly beside Chu Shaohong: “You’re a General, officially appointed by the imperial court. Serving me is your duty, isn’t it?”

Chu Shaohong flinched, then smiled bitterly: “Your Highness, the court and Pu Luo Province have reached this point—do we still speak of past appointments? Isn’t that absurd?”

Li Banfeng shook his head: “I don’t find it absurd. After the war, I still plan to visit Shang State. If you end up unwanted by both sides, this will end badly.”

Chu Shaohong fell silent for a long while, then shook his head: “I don’t want to refuse you, but I can’t do this—I can’t move Dao Guiling underground.”

Li Banfeng said: “That makes no sense. Who moved Dao Guiling from San Tou Cha to Jian Ren Gang? You did it then—why can’t you do it now?”

Chu Shaohong said: “I had the Tianxin Stone then—I don’t have it now!”

Li Banfeng straightened his chest: “I have the Tianxin Stone!”

Thinking of this, Chu Shaohong still seethed—Li Banfeng’s Tianxin Stone had been taken from him!

Chu Shaohong still refused: “The circumstances were different then. It was peaceful—no one noticed San Tou Cha or Jian Ren Gang.”

“Now San Tou Cha is at war—Pu Luo and Neizhou both have eyes fixed on it. How can I move it? You’re making this too hard—I simply can’t.”

Chu Huaiyuan said: “Father, you’re the head of the Chu family—how can you casually say you can’t?”

“I can’t—I just can’t!” Chu Shaohong grew angry. “Even if I could move Dao Guiling, how could I fit it underground? How tall is the underground city? How tall is Dao Guiling! Can it even fit?”

Chu Shaohong was right—the ceiling of the underground city couldn’t even hold a tall building—how could Dao Guiling be stuffed inside?

Li Banfeng thought he might have pushed Chu Shaohong too far—but Chu Er didn’t think so.

“Father, you must have a way—you just don’t want to get involved, right?”

“What way could I possibly have?”

Chu Huaiyuan’s gaze was firm: “When we dealt with the Green Flowerers, you found solutions for impossible tasks. Now it’s just one mountain—you’ve made so many excuses and still won’t give Qi Lang a plan—is this acceptable?”

Chu Shaohong’s cheek twitched—he wanted to beat Chu Huaiyuan.

But seeing Li Banfeng’s sincere eyes, Chu Shaohong finally softened his tone.

“I can move only half the mountain—but even half won’t fit underground. I’d have to cut a hole in the ceiling.”

Chu Er thought this was inappropriate: “Cutting a hole in the ceiling—such a huge disturbance, who wouldn’t notice? You clearly don’t want to help Qi Lang properly!”

“Even if they notice, what can they do?” Chu Shaohong glared at Chu Er, then turned to Li Qi. “Your Highness, that’s all I can do. To conceal such a massive operation, you’ll need another master.”

Where else could they find a master?

“A Ji, can you do it?” Li Banfeng returned to his personal chamber and asked the projector.

The projector’s lens flickered: “Qi Dao, this scale of art exceeds my capabilities.”

A Ji couldn’t do it. Li Banfeng went to Yuan Miaoping.

Yuan Miaoping, upon hearing the request, was stunned: “A mountain that big? How could I hide it? Boss, you’re overestimating me!”

If Yuan Miaoping couldn’t do it—who could?

The Heavenly Maiden spoke: “One person might manage it—she’s a Thief Cultivation Grandmaster.”

Hong Ying sat beside the Heavenly Maiden: “How would a Thief Cultivation Grandmaster do it? Steal the mountain?”

Li Banfeng could guess: “The Thief Cultivation Grandmaster you mean—is she your Zhaixiu?”

The Heavenly Maiden nodded: “Yes, one of my Zhaixiu. According to my memories, you’ve met her.”

Li Banfeng nodded: “I’ve met her—I know her well. For a while, I even called her sister-in-law.”

The Heavenly Maiden stood up, eyebrows raised: “You called her sister-in-law? Did she agree?”

Li Banfeng nodded: “She agreed—very readily. Several times, she even invited me inside for tea.”

The Heavenly Maiden gritted her teeth: “That bitch—she’s been beaten too little! Has the Peddler ever so much as looked at her? How dare she pretend? Her skin is thicker than her brother’s!”

After cursing the Thief Cultivation Grandmaster, the Heavenly Maiden turned angrily to Li Banfeng: “Why did you call her sister-in-law? Is ‘sister-in-law’ a title you just throw around?”

Li Banfeng said: “I didn’t know what else to call her.”

The Heavenly Maiden sat back on the bed, silent for a long moment: “Her name is Dan Bu Da.”

“Good name!” Li Banfeng praised. “Is she related to Lian Bu Da?”

“What do you think?” The Heavenly Maiden looked disgusted. “My body was split in two—one half with A Yu, the other half with Dan Bu Da. Who do you think did that?”

Was it Lian Bu Da?

Li Banfeng now viewed Lian Bu Da with new respect—he had used the sawing technique on two major figures of Pu Luo Province.

The Heavenly Maiden continued: “Dan Bu Da is Lian Bu Da’s younger sister. In Thief Cultivation, Dan Bu Da is equal to Xiao Qianshou—but their methods are completely different.”

“Xiao Qianshou values speed and steadiness; Dan Bu Da studies greed and strangeness.”

Li Banfeng thought Xiao Qianshou was greedy enough: “You mean Dan Bu Da is greedier than Xiao Qianshou?”

“She’s far greedier!” On this point, the Heavenly Maiden acknowledged Dan Bu Da’s nature. “Xiao Qianshou’s theft is like a pickpocket snatching a purse on the street.”

“Dan Bu Da’s theft? She’d want to steal the entire house.”

“She actually stole a house—once, from a wealthy family. Over a hundred people slept inside. The next morning, everyone woke up naked on the street—house, belongings, everything gone. Not even a single garment remained!”

Li Banfeng was stunned, then praised repeatedly: “What an incredible person.”

“She’s talented—but hard to deal with!” The Heavenly Maiden looked helplessly at Li Banfeng. “Getting her to help is extremely difficult.”

Li Banfeng looked at the Heavenly Maiden: “You ask her—she’s your Zhaixiu, you must be close.”

“Close? Hmph!” The Heavenly Maiden sneered. “She split my body like that—do you think we’re close?”

“Split it how?”

Li Banfeng thought for a long time, then shook his head: “I’ve only seen your body at Yu’s place—I haven’t seen it anywhere else.”

The Heavenly Maiden tilted her head at Li Banfeng: “Back then, you were too popular—you nearly got killed. You forgot that?”

Li Banfeng widened his eyes: “Wasn’t that your statue?”

The Heavenly Maiden’s eyes turned icy. “That bitch stole your qi by turning half my body into a statue. Do you think I could ever be on good terms with her?”

“The qi on the statue was stolen?” Li Banfeng had been burned twice—he’d always wondered where the statue’s qi came from.

“What did you think?” The Heavenly Maiden propped her chin on her hand, staring at Li Banfeng. “Do you think I could generate qi myself?”

Li Banfeng shook his head. “I never thought you could generate it—I was just wondering how qi gets stolen—”

“I can generate it! Don’t say that aloud—your senior brother might hear you, and I’d have no way to explain!” The Heavenly Maiden snapped. “I mean, qi can’t be generated—it must come from people’s devotion.”

“You’ve seen how qi is stolen. He Jiaqing is proof—he stole plenty of qi in Waizhou, and you even brought back his tools for stealing qi.”

“That method was taught to him by Dan Buda. He Jiaqing’s current cultivation base? Dan Buda helped him a lot.”

Li Banfeng had indeed seen He Jiaqing’s tools: headphones, antennas, circuit boards, and a fox tail—

“He Jiaqing didn’t seem to use statues.”

The Heavenly Maiden shook her head. “He Jiaqing hasn’t mastered the craft yet. Some of Dan Buda’s methods are beyond him.”

“Who taught Dan Buda this method?”

Recalling the past, the Heavenly Maiden remembered vividly: “She figured it out herself. At first, Dan Buda used my body directly to steal qi, but my body couldn’t hold much—my intake was limited. So she hired a Master of Workmanship to turn me into a stone statue.”

No one fully understood. Hong Ying asked directly: “Can a statue collect more qi? I’d think a living person works better.”

The Heavenly Maiden looked at Hong Ying, thinking how to explain: “If I were a star in Waizhou, maybe I’d earn tons of qi. But if I’m just some unknown woman—even if I’m beautiful—when you see me on TV, how much qi would you give me?”

Hong Ying still didn’t get it. Before meeting Yuan Miaoping, she’d rarely watched TV.

Li Banfeng was more familiar with TV. He asked the Heavenly Maiden: “You’ve been on TV?”

The Heavenly Maiden nodded. “I have. You’ve seen me.”

“I’ve seen you?” Li Banfeng didn’t believe it.

The Heavenly Maiden was certain: “Everyone who watches TV has seen me—in some program. Those statues: beautiful, imposing, but with no clear origin.”

“They appear in dramas, documentaries, ads—even random clips. When people see such statues, they think they’ve seen a deity. They feel reverence, however faint.”

“Each person gives little reverence, so little qi. But Waizhou has billions. They see similar statues almost every day.”

“With that massive base, and high exposure frequency, the qi collected is beyond ordinary imagination.”

Li Banfeng strained to recall TV scenes—he’d seen some unknown statues.

He tried to picture the Heavenly Maiden’s statue—but couldn’t recall any matching her appearance.

Precisely speaking, he couldn’t remember what those statues even looked like.

The Heavenly Maiden shook her head. “Stop thinking. You can’t remember their faces. We’re both Zhai Xiu. Even if you felt a flicker of reverence when you saw them, you’d ignore it afterward.”

“Dan Buda used this method to steal countless qi from Waizhou. You looked at one statue and nearly died. Look again—you still can’t withstand it. Even if you had ten lives, the statue’s qi would be enough for ten looks.”

Li Banfeng touched Yuan Miaoping’s antenna and asked the Heavenly Maiden: “Why can you appear so often on TV?”

Yuan Miaoping blew a bubblegum bubble, lowering her head. “Boss, I’m utterly loyal to you!”

The Heavenly Maiden glanced at Yuan Miaoping, then at Li Banfeng. “You already know the truth—no need to ask me. Song Shu is Yuan Miaoping’s disciple. She’s so young, yet so powerful. Where do you think her qi comes from?”

“Yuan Miaoping has more disciples than just her. She has many powerful subordinates in Waizhou. Where did their cultivation bases come from?”

Li Banfeng patted Yuan Miaoping’s back panel. “You have many disciples in Waizhou?”

Yuan Miaoping gazed at Li Banfeng with pitiful eyes. “Boss, don’t listen to that crazy woman. Her husband’s gone—her mind’s broken. She’s just babbling!”

“She’s talking nonsense!”

The Heavenly Maiden flew into rage. “Who said her husband’s gone?”

Zhao Xiao quickly changed the subject. “Dan Buda collected so much qi—just to win over Yuan Miaoping?”

The Heavenly Maiden shook her head vigorously. “People swarm for profit. This is big business. Could it be just for Yuan Miaoping?”

“How many local gods have lived their whole lives without climbing to Cloud Level Two?”

“Over the years, Dan Buda has profited immensely from qi. Her little house up in the clouds is so full of treasures, they’re spilling out.”

The Lady sighed. “Dan Buda’s name is wrong. She’s not timid at all—she’s greedy. I’ve never met a thief this avaricious. Even Xiao Qianshou is less shameless.”

“How can you compare?” The Heavenly Maiden recalled Xiao Qianshou’s skills. “Face to face, ten Dan Budas wouldn’t stand a chance against Xiao Qianshou. But this kind of business? Xiao Qianshou could never touch it—he wouldn’t even dare dream of it.”

Jiu’er sensed something odd: “Such a powerful way to earn qi—why did Dan Buda teach it to He Jiaqing?”

“I forced her!” The Heavenly Maiden sounded proud. “She made so much off me—I had to get something back.”

“Though I’m trapped in Waizhou, that cloud house is mine—mine and his. When we were inside, we were so tender with each other...”

Here, the Heavenly Maiden suddenly burst into sobs. Li Banfeng quickly handed her a handkerchief. “Cry later—first, tell the truth.”

The Heavenly Maiden wiped her tears. “She’s my Zhai Ling. I could control her through the house. I forced her to teach He Jiaqing her craft!”

Jiu’er asked: “Why help He Jiaqing so much? You think he can free you?”

The Heavenly Maiden sighed. “If you’d been locked up that long, wouldn’t you try to escape? Didn’t you once rush to leave here, and team up with me to trick them?”

Jiu’er lowered her head. “Past matters—no need to mention them.”

The Heavenly Maiden bowed her head, her expression bleak. “I wanted out too. The Old Witch set conditions—I had to agree. I even spent years crafting a fake Red Lotus. Who knows how much effort that took?”

Wu Niang clenched her teeth. “I won’t say how much effort you put in—but the flesh on that fake Red Lotus was mine!”

The Heavenly Maiden frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean? Wasn’t the real Red Lotus’s flesh yours too?”

Wu Niang thought a moment, then nodded. “That... makes sense.”

Instantly, Wu Niang leapt forward and bit the Heavenly Maiden’s face, muffled curses spilling from her mouth: “I’ll kill you!”

Zhao Xiao grabbed Wu Niang. “You’re a girl student—you’re cultured! Let go of her mouth first!”

Hong Ying and Jiu’er rushed to help. All three pulled for a long time before separating them.

The Heavenly Maiden’s face bore a bloody tooth mark—but she didn’t feel pain. “The real Red Lotus? I made it with him. Every time I think of it, I think of him—he and I—”

Zhao Xiao handed her another handkerchief. “Stop crying—tell the truth! How did you end up in the Master’s hands?”

The Heavenly Maiden calmed herself. “I lied to Song Shu—I told her I’d give the Red Lotus to He Jiaqing. She believed me. She used connections, gathered people, even teamed up with Yuan Miaoping to get the fake Red Lotus out of Anxing Bureau.”

“But none of them knew—I’d embedded my soul inside the fake Red Lotus. This time, I truly escaped.”

“But to leave Anxing Bureau, I gave up all my combat power. I couldn’t do anything—I stayed by He Jiaqing’s side, helping him refine elixirs.”

“He Jiaqing doesn’t seem smart. While refining, I stole back a lot of his supplies. I planned to recover my strength, then return to Puluozhou. But I underestimated that bird-thief.”

Zhao Xiao guessed the rest: “He Jiaqing stole back your stolen supplies.”

The Heavenly Maiden looked at Zhao Xiao. “You’re too clever. I didn’t just lose my stolen supplies—he stole my refining skills too.”

Wu Niang growled: “Those were my skills!”

“Yes, they were yours—we’ll settle that later,” Zhao Xiao asked the Heavenly Maiden. “How did He Jiaqing steal your supplies? You didn’t notice?”

The Heavenly Maiden’s expression turned grim. “Don’t underestimate him. I never spoke to him, never made extra moves. Even when I muttered to myself, I avoided him. I thought I left no openings—but he was always watching me.”

“When he stole my supplies, I had zero guard. He’s a genius thief. No wonder he mastered both Xiao Qianshou and Dan Buda’s arts!”

“He stole my accumulated supplies. I was planning how to get them back—when he found a White Lamb and sent me to Puluozhou.”

“Returning to Puluozhou was good—I was happy. But that White Lamb was clueless. As soon as we arrived, he headed straight for the Peddler—and nearly got me killed.”

“Then he locked me in a little train for years. At first, life was hell—I had to beg for food, eat only scraps left by that wicked woman.”

“Later, it got worse—you all ate leftovers and gave me what remained! I was once the boss of Puluozhou—and you treated me like this? Just thinking of it makes me feel wronged—”

Hong Ying slapped a handkerchief against the Heavenly Maiden’s face. “Didn’t I tell you? Don’t cry—tell the truth!”

The Heavenly Maiden dried her tears. “I’ve told you all the truth. Dan Buda is capable. Whether you find her or not—it’s your decision.”

Li Banfeng stood. “I’ll find her. With her and Chu Shaoqiang together, this will succeed.”

The Heavenly Maiden blinked. “What if she refuses to help?”

Hong Ying stood, rolled up her sleeves. “Easy. I’ll drag her out and beat her half-dead—will she still refuse?”

The Heavenly Maiden looked at Hong Ying. “You might not beat her.”

Hong Ying laughed, turned, and grabbed her spear. “Joking? Didn’t you say she can’t beat Xiao Qianshou? Xiao Qianshou’s already dead in our hands—what’s she?”

The Heavenly Maiden sighed. “You’re too impulsive. I just told you—she has a whole room of treasures. Many of them are combat artifacts. Not easy to handle.”

“And she still holds my statue. Li Qi has been burned twice. Do you think you can withstand that much qi?”

Li Banfeng was prepared. “I’ll handle the statue. What other treasures does she have? Tell me roughly.”

The Heavenly Maiden shook her head. “Over the years, many tried to steal or seize her qi. The Peddler can’t guard the house every day.”

“Yet over all these years, few who entered the house survived. This isn’t as simple as you think.”

“If you go alone, she won’t help. Even if you fight to the death and force her out, she’ll just go through the motions and cause trouble—nothing gets done.”

“Listen to me—take three more people with you. She’ll help.”

“Who are the three?”

The Heavenly Maiden stood. “First: me. I’m a Zhai Xiu. She’s a Zhai Ling. Without my permission, she can’t leave the house.”

Li Banfeng nodded. “Then take you along.”

“Think carefully—if I return to that house, I’ll see my other half. After that, what I become—I won’t even know myself.”

The Heavenly Maiden was a bit mad—but madness meant honesty.

Puluozhou was already in dire straits. Haishi kept sending reinforcements. Li Banfeng weighed his options, then agreed: “I’ll take you. Who are the other two?”

“The second: her brother. These siblings are close. If Lian Buda speaks to her, she’ll listen.”

Li Banfeng nodded. “I’ll find Lian Buda—he’ll agree.”

“The third: Dan Buda’s close friend. She has few friends—she’s one of them.” The Heavenly Maiden looked at Yuan Miaoping.

Yuan Miaoping cut her bangs, shed her jeans, put on sportswear, wiped off her makeup, raised her head, eyes glistening: “Boss, I’m a good, obedient girl. I barely know Dan Buda. Taking me won’t help.”

Li Banfeng lifted Yuan Miaoping onto his shoulder. “Pack up. We leave.”

PS: Thank you, Ally Jidebao, for your tremendous support of “Lord of Puluozhou.”