Li Banfeng laughed in anger, the kind of laugh that scraped the throat on its way out.

"Old Pan," he said, "if I hand over the formula today, can you promise that you'll actually put an end to this mosquito plague?"

Pan Dehai let out a long sigh. "How this prescription should be used, and where it should be used are matters that require careful, long-term consideration."

"No!" Li Banfeng snapped. He knew it. He had known it all along. This old fox was still plotting something. "There's no time for dragging things out. Find the ingredients, prepare the insecticide, kill the mosquitos. As fast as it can possibly be done."

"Currently, the First Ridge is in chaos right now. Disputes everywhere. Mobilizing ingredients will be… inconvenient. We must wait until the turmoil dies down before we can talk about this again."

The First Ridge was the transportation hub of the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs. Under normal circumstances, any transfer of ingredients had to pass through it. That much made sense. However, Pan Dehai was no ordinary man. He had special methods. So why was he not using them?

"Why not allocate the ingredients for the insecticide in the new lands?" Li Banfeng asked. "Each region has its own land deity. They should be able to help you."

Pan Dehai shook his head at once. "This is an internal matter of the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs. We should not trouble outsiders."

What kind of nonsense is that?

Li Banfeng thought and said, "Didn't you just talk about standing united against a common enemy? Didn't you even suggest diverting the mosquito plague somewhere else before? And now you're suddenly unwilling to trouble anyone?"

Pan Dehai still shook his head. "At the time, it was unavoidable. We had to force every region to act together. Now that there's a way to respond, of course this has to go through a long-term, careful consideration."

In actuality, Pan Dehai's reasoning was perfectly clear. There was nothing contradictory about it at all.

He had been more than willing to spread the insect plague and drag everyone down with him. What he was unwilling to do was allow other local land deities to meddle in affairs within the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs.

The plague had to be dealt with, yes. But only on the condition that his position remained untouched.

Li Banfeng understood his thinking. "If you're that concerned with protecting yourself, then I can't give you the formula."

Pan Dehai's expression darkened at once. "Young man, what was that? I didn't hear you clearly."

Li Banfeng repeated himself. "I am not giving you the formula."

"If you don't give me the formula, then what do you plan to use to deal with the plague?"

"I'll go find the Peddler. The Peddler definitely has a way to transport ingredients. If you're unwilling to deal with the mosquito plague, I will find someone else to help you deal with it."

Pan Dehai stared at Li Banfeng and said slowly, "Trust me. I can make sure you can't leave the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs. In fact, I can keep you in Flatbread Village."

Li Banfeng showed no expression. "I believe it. Go ahead."

"You are extremely arrogant," Pan Dehai said angrily.

The liquor gourd was also very tense as she thought,

Has my little bro gone mad? Why is he provoking the local land deity again and again?

She kept rubbing herself against Li Banfeng, but Li Banfeng ignored her. He had truly gone mad.

Standing across from him was the strongest person in the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs. If Li Banfeng said even one word that made him seem weak, he would be dead for sure.

Pan Dehai was the best at one thing. He took people's kindness, guilt, and fear, and used them against them.

It was at this moment that the liquor gourd realized this. Understanding that this was the right way to interact with Pan Dehai, she stopped rubbing against Li Banfeng.

The kid might be crazy, but he didn't do anything wrong

, the liquor gourd thought.

Pan Dehai also gradually calmed down. Although he was angry, he hadn't lost all sense of reason.

It was impossible to determine Li Banfeng's cultivation level, so Pan Deha really had no idea what level this young man was at.

He could have tested him. In actuality, he could make Li Banfeng lose consciousness with just a glance, but he didn't do so.

The reason was because this man had been sent by Old Yao, and from the way he talked about the Peddler, he seemed to be on good terms with the Peddler. It wasn't worth it offending Old Yao and even less worth it to offend the Peddler over this.

After thinking it over again and again, Pan Dehai finally nodded.

"Fine," he said. "I'll move the medicinal ingredients from the new lands and start dealing with the mosquitos right away."

"Put it in writing," Li Banfeng said, already taking out paper and a brush.

Old Pan's eyes dropped to the clean white sheet on the table. The sight of it made something snap inside him as he roared, "That's contract paper!"

"It is," Li Banfeng said with a nod. "What, are you planning to go back on your word?"

This contract paper had been refined from Liu Liangyi's original contract. Although the Crimson Lotus had crafted it, its level might not be high enough to truly bind Pan Dehai.

Still, whether it was enough or not didn't matter right now. Li Banfeng planned to use it first and deal with the rest later.

Pan Dehai had nothing left to say. He wrote up the contract, pressed his handprint onto it, then turned to Li Banfeng and said, "It wasn't easy for you to come all this way. I'll give you an enchanted artifact as thanks."

Li Banfeng didn't want any enchanted artifact. But before he could refuse, Pan Dehai had already taken it out.

It was a folding fan. The ribs were red, the surface white, a little over thirty centimeters long, with a faint scent of ink lingering around it.

"This fan has been with me for many years," Pan Dehai said. "It's been infused with the aura of someone with sacred virtue. You can hold it in your hand at all times and it will be a good weapon for both attack and defense.

He paused, then added, "Within three exchanges, it can crush the enemy with that aura and sharply weaken their fighting strength."

To put it plainly, it was one of the most common tricks used by Moralism Cultivators. It made opponents feel ashamed and guilty, causing them to hesitate at the crucial moment.

It was, in its own way, a rather interesting enchanted artifact.

"How much does it weaken them?" Li Banfeng asked. "What does 'sharply weaken' mean?"

"That depends on the enemy's level and on your own cultivation," Pan Dehai replied. "Most of all, it depends on how strong your moral virtue is. It's not something that can be explained in a few words. You'll have to figure it out yourself."

The so-called depth of moral virtue really just meant how high a moral ground a person could stand on.

"And what's the price for using it?" Li Banfeng asked. He hadn't forgotten about that part.

Meditate? Just sitting there with a fan for three hours a day? That doesn't sound like a huge price to pay, and it doesn't clash with my Homebound Cultivation either.

Li Banfeng thought it over and found it acceptable. Still, something about it made him uncomfortable. That feeling lingered, but it wasn't the main issue.

After handing over the enchanted artifact, Pan Dehai stood up to leave.

"Go back and tell Old Yao," he said, "that I accept this favor."

Li Banfeng didn't leave the Ridges of Bottomless Stomachs. He still didn't trust Pan Dehai.

He returned to his portable abode and took out ten packets of insecticide.

Sensing an unfamiliar presence, the gramophone asked, "Heyaaaa! Husband dear~ What did you bring back?"

The folding fan snapped open and gave a polite bow toward the gramophone. "Greetings, madam. I have long served one who walks the path of sacred virtue.[1]

Judging by the voice, it was a young man. The gramophone gave a cold snort. "You seem to know proper manners, but your voice sounds a little off."

The folding fan was startled and quickly cleared its throat. "These past days have been bitterly cold. It seems I have been touched by a chill."

"A chill?" the gramophone wifey said with a smile. "That does sound like one. Your voice is very nasal."

The gramophone was subtly reminding Li Banfeng that the folding fan's voice carried an echo.

Why would there be an echo? Because there was something else hidden within the ribs of the fan.

Just as Old Mister Yao had said, Pan Dehai's enchanted artifact likely had a recording function. Something else was embedded within this folding fan. Li Banfeng couldn't tell what it was, but it couldn't escape his wife's ears.

The fan was very nervous and hurriedly changed the subject. "My lord, your residence is filled with wonders layered upon wonders."

"Not bad, right?" Li Banfeng said with a smile. "I'll take you to have a look elsewhere."

"Excellent," the fan replied at once. He was eager to gather more information.

The gramophone chided, "Husband dear~ You are still taking him to look around?"

She was worried that Li Banfeng didn't understand her hint and Li Banfeng seemed to truly not understand.

He took the fan to the outer room and asked, "What do you think?"

"Marvelous beyond words. Such careful order and design. May this one know the name of my lord's residence?"

"Don't ask about the name," Li Banfeng said. "Hurry up and pay your respects to the Second Madam."

He brought the folding fan up before Crimson Lotus. Slowly, she unfurled her petals, one by one.

The fan was stunned. "What level of enchanted artifact is this?" He stared at her in awe, wishing he could record every last detail.

Li Banfeng smiled. "You will find out soon enough. Crimson Lotus, refine him."

Refine me?

the fan thought and before it could understand what Li Banfeng meant, a whirlwind had already risen within the lotus core.

To refine meant to melt down and remake. By the time the fan understood what that really meant, it was far too late.

"My lord, why are you doing this to me?" he cried. "I only wanted to serve you. Why are you doing this?"

The fan was sucked straight into the lotus core, and the wailing cut off mid-breath.

A layer of white mist seeped out of the gourd, thicker than the steam before, curling lazily into the air.

This madman. A genuine, unquestionable madman.

Pop… crackle… pop…

The gramophone laughed softly. "Sister, don't be scared. This is just how our man is. Sometimes, even I can't quite figure him out."

Li Banfeng patted the gourd, wiped away her sweat, gathered up the packets of insecticide, and stepped out of the Pocket Dwelling.

He handed a packet of insecticide powder to Niu Fuzhi, who thanked him again and again, almost bowing himself in half.

"Benefactor, what do you want? As long as we have it, just say the word!"

Li Banfeng said, "There actually is something I want to ask for your help with. You mentioned before that Rice Soup Village is still selling wine. I would like to go take a look."

He wasn't interested in buying wine. He had more than enough of that. What he wanted to know was whether that village was still able to survive.

If Old Pan refused to deal with the plague, then Li Banfeng would find a way to handle it himself. And if Lu Dongjun managed to put an end to it first, even better.

It didn't matter who solved it. This disaster had to end, and it had to end quickly.

***

Lu Dongjun arrived at Jiangyuan Tannery. This tannery had originally belonged to the Ma Family, but it had gone bankrupt during the insect plague and now belonged to Lu Dongjun.

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Still disguised as a support hook, he stepped into the tannery manager's office.

The manager sat stiffly behind his desk. A clockwork gramophone played nearby, its tinny voice piping out a lively tune.

「 The night is bright, as bright as day,

The new moon hangs there, curved like a hook.

Cheers ring out across the four seas,

Their echoes carried far and wide… ♪」

It was a festive tune, yet not the faintest trace of joy showed on the manager's face.

The tannery had been open for only two days. Now, with the insect plague returning in force, he was already considering whether to suspend operations again.

Seeing someone push the door open and walk in, the manager's face darkened at once.

"Who are you?" he snapped. "What do you think you're doing here? Where are your manners?"

Lu Dongjun stepped closer to the desk. "I work for the Second Master. He sent me to collect payment."

"Collect payment?" The manager froze, staring at him as though the words needed time to sink in.

Lu Dongjun had come prepared. He knew words alone wouldn't loosen a single coin.

He took out a document and placed it on the desk. "This is an order handwritten by our Second Master."

It was, in fact, written by Lu Dongjun himself.

The manager picked it up, skimmed it lazily, then slid it back across the desk.

"I don't know where you got this," he said, "but I don't believe the Lu Family's Second Master would write something like this."

Lu Dongjun's gaze hardened. "Are you saying my order is fake?"

The manager smiled faintly. "And even if it's real? This factory already belongs to the Shen family. You're holding Lu Dongjun's order, so what payment do you think you're here to collect?"

"Belongs to the Shen family?" Lu Dongjun asked. "Which Shen family?"

The manager frowned. "Is that really something you should be asking? If you are here to swindle money, you should at least check your sources first. You could have done the bare minimum and read the newspapers."

After saying that, the manager casually tossed a newspaper to Lu Dongjun.

On the second page was a news article announcing that Jiangyuan Tannery had been resold by Lu Dongjun to Shen Rongqing, complete with a photograph of the two shaking hands.

Shen Rongqing was a woman in her early twenties. She was quite good looking, but Lu Dongjun had never seen her before.

Where did this photograph come from? When did I ever shake hands with this woman?

Lu Dongjun muttered inwardly.

When did I ever sell the factory to her? I clearly ordered the sale of shares, not the entire tannery.

"Where's the contract?" Lu Dongjun demanded, glaring at the tannery manager. "Where's the contract for buying the factory?"

The manager's face darkened. "If you're trying to make a living out here, you should know your limits," he snapped. "You've already been exposed. What are you still making a fuss for? I haven't even called anyone to beat you yet. Get lost while you still can—"

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Dongjun stepped forward and seized the manager by the throat. "I asked where the contract is."

The manager couldn't speak. He was someone without cultivation.

Lu Dongjun tried with all his strength to control himself, yet he still exerted too much force and strangled the manager to death.

「 Thousands of mountains compete in beauty,

Hundreds of rivers rush and flow.

Colored candles burn high and bright,

A peaceful melody drifts below… ♪」

The gramophone kept playing.

Lu Dongjun tossed the manager aside and began to consider where the contract might be hidden, but it wasn't in the factory at all.

Inside the manager's office, there was a concealed compartment. Lu Dongjun found more than one hundred and sixty silver dollars tucked inside.

That was the entirety of his gains from this trip.

Lu Dongjun flung the silver dollars onto the floor, sending them clattering and scattering in every direction.

After a moment, he lowered his head and picked them up again.

He did not bring much cash with him, and the bank checks couldn't be cashed. Lu Dongjun totally did not expect that there would come a day that he would be in need of money.

He gathered up the silver dollars and left Jiangyuan Tannery.

***

Half an hour later, He Jiaqing, lying on his hospital bed, received the news that the manager of Jiangyuan Tannery was dead.

The sounds from the scene had already reached his ears. He heard the fighting sounds and immediately figured out who had killed the manager.

The caregiver sat by the bed, watching him the whole time. It made He Jiaqing feel a little awkward.

Why does this aunt keep staring at me today?

He Jiaqing thought.

Right. I forgot. She is supposed to wipe me down later. And she seemed… a bit too enthusiastic about it.

He Jiaqing's eyes snapped open and the caregiver suddenly slumped over and fainted.

He sat up and spoke softly, as if talking to something far away. "Tell my father. We have found Lu Dongjun."

"What about the people from the other families?"

"Don't bother with them. The only one who truly wants Lu Dongjun dead is my father."

Author's Note:

PS: Banfeng is just like this. There are even times that I can't figure him out.

1. Similar wording and tone as the Tang saber so likely an artifact from ancient times ☜