Chapter 159: The End of a Golden Time

Crunch.

Li Banfeng had just crushed a small stone.

That was strange. Very strange,

he thought.

Was that Treading Through Ten Thousand Rivers? The Wanderlust Cultivator's most nightmarishly difficult technique? Did I really learn how to do it? But how?

There was no time to ponder such mysteries, because the millipede had had quite enough pondering of its own. It flattened itself against the ground like an enormous, furious carpet and came charging straight at him.

Well, that's convenient

, Li Banfeng thought.

If you are coming at me from the ground, I don't even need to jump to hit you!

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

He summoned the Tang saber and held it up, ready to meet the charge head-on. The liquor gourd acted first, spraying a cloud of liquor mist over the millipede's head.

The creature barreled forward, then stopped so abruptly it was almost comical. Its body began to shudder and wobble.

Perfect timing!

Li Banfeng raised the Tang saber, fully prepared to chop the millipede's head clean in half.

"Hold it!" the liquor gourd shouted. "Little bro, don't be reckless. That saber won't cut through its shell even if you swing it till tomorrow. I have never seen this insect before, but it's absurdly tough. Even the two of us together might not be its match."

That matched Li Banfeng's own judgment. This millipede was no weaker than Madam Bagworm Moth. Yet if he couldn't cut it down, then what was he supposed to do instead?

The liquor gourd studied the millipede, which was still wobbling drunkenly, and spoke again. "A creature's drinking manners reveal its nature. This bug has decent drinking manners, which means it's probably not the evil sort."

You can tell that from this?

Li Banfeng thought.

As it turned out, the liquor gourd wasn't wrong.

The millipede waved its antennae, made a valiant attempt to stand, then promptly wobbled and flopped back onto the ground.

Is this thousand-legged thing drunk?

Li Banfeng wondered.

It didn't quite look drunk. Its two antennae were spinning lazily, and its whole body radiated a sort of blissful satisfaction, as though it had just discovered the greatest liquor it had ever tasted.

The liquor gourd spoke again. "Little bro, step aside and give it some space. Let it go."

Li Banfeng moved out of the way. Yet, the thousand-legged bug refused to leave. It stretched one of its antennae toward Li Banfeng and swayed back and forth right in front of his face.

Why did it suddenly become so docile?

The truth was that the millipede had never been particularly fierce to begin with. It had merely been jumpy around strangers. Then Li Banfeng went and pulled one stunt after another, and of course it lost its temper.

Does this thing have spirit essence?

Li Banfeng used Perceiving the Spirit's Melody and listened for quite a while before catching a faint, muddled murmur.

"It's good... I want more... more..."

If it wanted more, he could always give it another sip of liquor.

Wait! Why is this millipede moving so smoothly inside the cave?

Li Banfeng suddenly remembered something and unfolded the map Old Mister Yao had given him.

After giving it a good look, he couldn't help but smile.

This cave didn't have any branching paths at all.

He glanced at the millipede. "You want more, right? Carry me for a bit, and I'll give you another mouthful of good liquor."

Just like that, Li Banfeng began negotiating terms with the millipede. It was hard to tell whether the millipede actually understood him, but it lay flat on the ground without moving.

Li Banfeng cautiously climbed onto its back. The millipede's antennae twitched. It wriggled awkwardly, promptly flung Li Banfeng onto the ground, and then scuttled away at top speed.

"You won't carry me?" Li Banfeng snapped as he scrambled up. "Fine. Then you don't get any liquor either!"

The millipede was absurdly long. Its head had already crawled far away from Li Banfeng, yet its tail was still hanging outside the cave.

Li Banfeng had the liquor gourd spray out another mouthful of liquor. The rich, fragrant liquor splashed across the millipede's body.

The millipede shuddered again, froze for a moment, and then every single leg began moving in reverse. It came back and muttered, "Taste good... I want more..."

"So you agree to carry me?" Li Banfeng asked.

The antennae bobbed up and down, trembling slightly, as if the millipede were nodding.

Li Banfeng climbed onto the millipede's back for the second time.

This time, it didn't struggle. It simply carried him forward.

Li Banfeng had the liquor gourd spray out another mouthful of liquor, and the millipede clearly enjoyed it.

"Drink this first. Consider it a down payment. When we get there, there'll be more."

The millipede carried him for more than two and a half kilometers before coming to a stop.

That's it?

Li Banfeng thought.

I asked it to carry me, and this is all I get? Isn't that a bit short?

Just as Li Banfeng was about to ask, he faintly heard the millipede say, "Rest for a while."

So that was why.

Even for the millipede, moving through this cave wasn't easy. It relied entirely on its powerful body to push through longer than Li Banfeng could on foot.

A short break was fine. Even with the rest, this was still faster than walking on his own.

***

Inside the Pocket Dwelling, his wife had already sobered up and was quietly washing Li Banfeng's clothes. In the outer room, the Crimson Lotus suddenly spoke. "Don't you think there's something strange about that woman?"

She meant the liquor gourd.

Pop... crackle... pop~

The gramophone replied, "Something is indeed off. She shows no fear. That means she has seen quite a lot of the world."

"You noticed it too," the Crimson Lotus said. "When that madman first brought her here, she only looked around. She didn't ask a single question.

"Later, when she saw me, she still didn't ask much. And now that she's seen you, she still hasn't asked anything at all. Someone like that must be hiding something."

"There's no need to worry too much," the gramophone said calmly, folding the freshly steamed trousers and placing them into the wardrobe. "Just stay a little on guard around her."

***

At the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs, First Ridge, inside Lu Dongjun's residence, Ma Chunting was in the middle of a long discussion with his host.

"Dongjun, we are old friends," Ma Chunting said. "I have been bringing up the tannery for two days now. You should at least give me an answer."

Lu Dongjun cradled his teacup and blew on it leisurely, as if the steam were a far more pressing concern. "Brother Ma, didn't I already tell you? For business matters, just go to Old Wan. I am busy with disaster relief. I don't really have time for these small things."

"I have already spoken to Steward Wan several times," Ma Chunting replied. "There hasn't been any response at all. That's why I had no choice but to come to you."

"Is that so?" Lu Dongjun said, faking surprise. "That doesn't sound right. Could it be that the price isn't suitable?"

Ma Chunting spread his hands. "I followed the price you set. I didn't even haggle over a single coin."

Lu Dongjun smacked his lips thoughtfully. "That really shouldn't have happened. Old Wan is just too stingy. Leave it to me. I'll talk to him."

Ma Chunting stood up at once. "Then I'll trouble you with it."

Lu Dongjun didn't bother to stand. "I'm busy, so I won't keep you."

Ma Chunting let out a dry, humorless laugh and left the Lu family residence.

The tannery he had been talking about had once belonged to the Ma family.

When famine swept through the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs, the tannery shut its doors and was left to rot. That was when Wan Jinxian appeared and bought it for a price so low it was practically a joke.

Now the mosquito plague had been dealt with, the tannery was running again, and Ma Chunting wanted to buy it back. However, he was told that he could only buy shares and at triple the original price.

Ma Chunting refused to accept this and thought he could take a harder stance with Lu Dongjun. However, the major and minor gangs of the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs all backed Lu Dongjun, causing the Ma family to suffer a heavy loss.

Left with no better option, Ma Chunting backed down and brought up the matter of buying shares again. That was when Wan Jinxian raised the price from the original three times straight to five.

Ma Chunting clenched his teeth and agreed. Even so, up to now, Wan Jinxian still hadn't given him a single reply.

"Damn it!" Back at his residence, Ma Chunting ground his teeth in fury. "I'm the one handing Lu Dongjun money, and I still have to watch his mood while doing it!"

Ma Junjiang chimed in from the side, "You are right. Lu Dongjun is far too arrogant."

Ma Chunting stuffed tobacco into his pipe and clenched it between his teeth. "Lu Dongjun has always been like that. Fine. I can tolerate his arrogance. But what about Wan Jinxian? What

is

he, exactly, that he dares to bare his teeth at me?"

Ma Junjiang nodded at once. "You are right. Wan Jinxian is nothing more than a servant of the Lu family. What right does he have to put on airs in front of us?"

The more Ma Chunting thought about it, the angrier he became. "I don't even know what that man does all day. I can't see him even once! This is beyond disrespectful."

Ma Junjiang nodded repeatedly. "You are right..."

"Damn it all!" Ma Chunting snapped and slammed the pipe onto the ground. "Every time you open your mouth, it's just 'you are right, you are right.'

"All this time, that's all you have said. You are right. The tannery was originally our family's business, and now look at it. Don't you find this embarrassing? If Ma Wu were here, do you think I would have suffered such a loss?"

After taking a loss in business, Ma Chunting found himself missing Ma Wu. This was how things worked in a powerful family. Practicality was all that mattered to them.

Meanwhile, Wan Jinxian really had been busy. So busy, in fact, that even Lu Dongjun had trouble tracking him down.

After sending people to look for him several times, Wan Jinxian finally appeared at the residence that evening.

Lu Dongjun frowned the moment he saw him. "Where did you disappear to? You have been gone all day."

Wan Jinxian explained, "There's just too much business to handle."

"Well, I was just about to talk business with you," Lu Dongjun said. "The Ma family wants to buy shares in the tannery. You know about this?"

Wan Jinxian nodded. "Ma Chunting has mentioned it to me several times. I ignored him. I offered him three times the price before. He refused and even sent people to stir up trouble. Now he's offering five times. I was planning to keep him waiting for a couple more days."

Lu Dongjun nodded. "Letting him wait a little is fine. Just don't push it too far. The Ma family still has its foundation."

"I'll do as you say, sir," Wan Jinxian replied with a smile and a nod.

"You should pay closer attention to business matters," Lu Dongjun said. "The insect issue can't be dragged out any longer. It's time to make a move at the Second Ridge."

"Rest assured," Wan Jinxian said smoothly. "Everything is prepared. We'll act the day after tomorrow."

"Good." Lu Dongjun nodded. "Go get some rest. You have been working hard these past few days. Don't wear yourself out."

Wan Jinxian left the Lu family residence on foot. He took a slow circuit around First Ridge, carefully making sure no one was following him, before heading to the Hall of Celestial Feasts. Nearby stood a foreign-style house, and that was where he slipped inside.

Inside, Ling Miaoying, the third of the Ling family's three brothers, had been waiting for quite some time.

"Brother Wan, everything on my end is ready."

"I will have to trouble Third Master."

Ling Miaoying brought a man forward.

Wan Jinxian studied him carefully, then gave a slight nod. "I don't see any flaws. Let's do it tonight."

***

At daybreak, inside a private residence on Steamroll Street in Wonton Alley at the First Ridge, the lady of the house rose early and lit the stove, setting the porridge to cook.

Ever since the mosquito plague struck the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs, no household had dared to open their rice sacks. Any rice they managed to save was locked away in chests, yet even with such precautions, the mosquitoes still found their way in.

Now there was nothing to fear. Second Master Lu of the Lu family had already brought the insects under control. The rice sacks could finally be opened without worry, the grains rinsed and poured into the pot.

This rice had been given by Second Master Lu himself. In the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs, there was no one who did not remember his kindness.

"The drifting clouds scatter, the bright moon lights the way.

Reunion and good fortune, let us drink and sway tonight."

The lady of the house hummed as she rinsed the rice. Suddenly, a sharp buzz brushed past her ear.

Buzz~~

With a clatter, the woman's hand jerked, and the basin she was using to rinse the rice fell to the ground.

That sound was the nightmare of the entire Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs. Anyone who lived there would feel their whole body go numb the moment they heard it.

Was it a mosquito? No, definitely not... Second Master Lu killed off all the mosquitoes in the First Ridge. Then what was that sound? Did I hear wrong? I must have...

The woman lowered her head and saw rice grains scattered across the floor. She hurriedly began picking them up.

Buzz~

A mosquito appeared before her and landed on a grain of rice.

Author's Note:

PS: Things are about to be bad for Lu Dongjun!