Chapter 185: The Land Deity's Horn

Eight bagworm moths chased after Li Banfeng. Six lost interest, but the remaining two kept pursuing him all the way to his plot of land.

After entering the plot, Li Banfeng immediately sprinkled his blood on the land and requested the local land deity's protection.

However, the local land deity did not come.

What's going on? Is the land deity no longer watching over me? Is he still holding a grudge over what happened before? Even if you hold a grudge, you still have to honor the agreement!

The two bagworm moths entered the plot and said to Li Banfeng with giggles, "Little brother, we've chased you all day. You have to reward us no matter what, don't you think?"

Li Banfeng held his house key tightly in his hand. He had wanted to go into the Pocket Dwelling numerous times, but in the end, he never did.

Because if he did, Madam Bagworm Moth might break in. The Gramophone's condition was unstable. Something disastrous could happen if Madam Bagworm Moth were to break in now.

If I stall them a little longer, the land deity will surely arrive.

Just as Li Banfeng thought that, Ma Wu appeared, riding on Swallowie's back. Swallowie shielded Li Banfeng from the two bagworm moths.

"You two wretches, who let you come here and run wild?" Swallowie shouted angrily.

The two bagworm moths froze. One said, "Who is this woman, and why is she carrying a man?"

"Serving as a mount for a man, she's a disgrace to our kind."

Swallowie became angry and said to Ma Wu, "Handsome little fella, I haven't been able to satisfy you these past days. I'll take in these two wretches for you so you can enjoy yourself properly."

As soon as she finished speaking, Swallowie charged toward the two bagworm moths.

Seeing Swallowie up against two bagworm moths, it certainly seemed like a disadvantage in Li Banfeng's eyes. He had always believed all bagworm moths in Puluo were equally formidable.

But he had not expected that there were differences in strength among the Madam Bagworm Moths.

These two Madam Bagworm Moths lived near Bitter Greens Manor. They had only recently taken form, and their cultivation levels were far apart from Swallowie's. They were no match for her.

There were several exchanges of blows, and the three massive bagworm moths tumbled together, making the ground shake incessantly.

Swallowie spat out silk threads and easily bound one bagworm moth. She then bared her venomous fangs and bit into the other. The venom seeped in, and that bagworm moth soon stopped moving as well.

"Handsome little fella, just enjoy yourself," Swallowie said, gazing at Ma Wu tenderly. "Even if you kill them, it doesn't matter. I'll find you new ones!"

Ma Wu's expression turned cold as he walked up to the two bagworm moths.

The two bagworm moths trembled in fear, unsure of what Ma Wu intended to do to them.

Ma Wu spoke to the one bound in silk first. He asked, "What's your name?"

The bagworm moth bound in silk answered obediently, "My name is Xianxian[1]."

Li Banfeng drew in a deep breath.

Ma Wu then turned to the one that had been bitten. He asked, "And what's your name?"

"My name is Qiaocui[2]."

Li Banfeng nodded several times. These bagworm moths really knew how to pick names, and such delicate ones at that.

Ma Wu looked at Xianxian. "We'll start with you."

He began his activities.

Li Banfeng knew Ma Wu had come to save him. There were things that could not be said aloud.

But this matter...

"Um... Old Wu, this is my plot of land. Why don't we wait a moment first...

"Old Wu, don't make too much noise. There are quite a few people around...

"Chuanzi, tell the brothers to go back. There's nothing worth watching here.

"Miss Centipede, are you looking for Mr. Wu? Go wait at his place. He'll be finished soon."

***

After taking in the two bagworm moths, Ma Wu asked about what had happened over the past two days.

"Old Qi, where did you go? You scared me to death!"

"I'm fine. I wandered through the New Land a few times and found a few interesting spots."

Li Banfeng did not mention anything about Bitter Greens Manor.

Would Miss Chu tell Ma Wu about it later? No.

That's one of her better qualities. She keeps her mouth shut.

Even if Chu Huaiyuan were beaten to death, she would not speak Li Banfeng's name, much less details about other matters.

Li Banfeng asked about the development of the New Land.

Ma Wu said, "Housing is easy enough. Timber isn't hard to find. The key problem now is food. The master of the orange grove is generous, but we've got more people now. We can't keep freeloading off him. I've been negotiating prices with him these past two days, but he simply refuses to take payment no matter what."

Li Banfeng had never been in the habit of taking things for free. He said, "Even if he won't accept it, we still have to give it. We can't take advantage of him like that."

Ma Wu's cultivation had improved considerably. He told Li Banfeng that he had advanced to level two.

Li Banfeng nodded. "I can tell. You're much braver and fiercer than before."

"I plan to stay in the New Land for three years. Reaching level three won't be a problem. I might even have a shot at level four!"

Li Banfeng remarked inwardly,

What astonishing speed!

For a Hedonism Cultivator, finding the right Dao partner was like strapping oneself onto a rocket. It was just that this particular rocket was rather... robust. Everything else was normal. The only abnormal matter was the local land deity.

"Old Qi, you really sprinkled blood earlier?"

"I did."

Ma Wu did not understand the local land deity's odd behavior. "Then why didn't the land deity come?"

The two of them made many guesses, but none could be verified. Ma Wu could only think of one solution. "Tomorrow, we'll hold a sacrificial rite and see what the land deity's intentions are. If he truly refuses to protect us from now on, we'll change locations while the losses are still manageable."

Li Banfeng and Ma Wu came to an agreement. Just as Ma Wu was about to prepare the offerings, a buzzing sound suddenly rose from outside the house.

Wuuu~weng!

What's that sound?

The low, droning rumble lasted for more than two minutes.

Li Banfeng's hearing was sharp, yet he could not determine where the sound came from.

Ma Wu had never encountered such a situation either and assumed some aberrant creature had arrived.

"Old Wu, go back to your plot and hold the line. Tell the brothers to stay on guard."

Ma Wu worried about Li Banfeng. "Come back with me."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be there shortly."

In a New Land, their greatest ally was the local land deity.

If the local land deity refused to intervene and protect them, it would be no different from living in a dragon's lair or a tiger's den.

Now, something unusual had appeared. If the local land deity still failed to show up, they would have to be decisive and abandon this plot.

After Ma Wu left, Li Banfeng opened the door of the Pocket Dwelling and told the Gramophone, "There was a sudden noise in the New Land.

Wuuu-weng, wuuu-weng

. I've got no idea what has arrived."

"Heyaa~ husband dear, what kind of sound is

wuuu-weng

?" the Gramophone asked, unable to grasp it.

How am I supposed to describe it?

Li Banfeng imitated it awkwardly. "

Wuuu-wuuu-wuuu~

"

"Is it the wind?"

"It's not the wind. It was extremely loud. The vibration from the sound was so intense that it made my chest ache."

"How long did it last?"

"About two minutes."

Huff... huff...

The Gramophone pondered for a moment. Her stylus trembled, and the large central horn emitted a low drone. "Wuuu~weng~"

"Heyaa, husband dear, was it this sound?"

"That's right, wifey. That's the sound."

Clang, clang, clang~

"Husband dear, that's the land deity's horn. How did you manage to hear it? Did you activate land in the New Land?"

Since the Gramophone had already guessed it, Li Banfeng did not deny it. "I did open up a plot of wasteland in the New Land."

"Ordinary beings cannot hear the land deity's horn. Only subordinates of the land deity can. This means the land deity is about to wage war. Such events are extremely rare. They may not happen even once in decades. My dear, do you wish to join the battle?"

Join the battle?

Fight on behalf of the land deity?

"Can I choose not to?"

"Of course you can. You are not like the aberrant creatures born and raised in the New Land. At worst, you can simply abandon the plot."

"What if I still want this plot?"

"My dear, anything you earn with your own hands is something you find hard to give up. If you cannot bear to part with this plot, then you must join the battle.

You can choose only to defend your plot and not go on campaign. Simply send people to guard your own plot. According to the contract, as long as your land deity wins, the plot will remain yours."

"And if he loses?"

"If he loses, you must flee for your life at once. All contracts will be void, and this plot will no longer be yours."

Would the land deity lose?

Earlier, when I sprinkled blood, he did not respond. Could he be in a bad situation?

"My dear, if the land deity asks you to go on campaign, you must not agree. He may promise you many benefits, but those benefits are not so easily taken. Once you reach the battlefield, life will no longer be life. My dear, you must listen to me. You absolutely must not go."

On this matter, I truly ought to listen to my wife.

It was not worth wagering my life for a plot of land that has a diameter of only five hundred meters.

Participating in the campaign is out of the question.

But defending my plot... is something I can consider.

Ma Wu has three bagworm moths under his control. It should not be difficult for him to guard a plot of land that has a

diameter

of only five hundred meters.

As for me, I still have quite a few enchanted artifacts. When the time comes, I can also call over that large support hook Zuo Wugang. It shouldn't be hard for me to guard my plot of land either.

If the land deity were to lose, then they would just move. With Li Banfeng's and Ma Wu's abilities, it would not be hard for them to activate more plots of New Land.

After settling on this plan, the Gramophone spoke again. "My dear, that wretched Crimson Lotus has been acting strangely these past two days. The Insect Overlord's far too robust. It seems like she won't hold on for much longer. I fear she won't be able to make the pills this time. Find some time to check on that wretch. I'm extremely tired, so I'll go to sleep before you."

Huff... huff...

The Gramophone fell asleep.

So much time had passed, yet the Arcane Crimson Lotus still had yet to fully digest the Insect Overlord's head. That worried Li Banfeng a little, so he went to the outer room to check on the Arcane Crimson Lotus. To his surprise, the Arcane Crimson Lotus's petals were trembling.

She has something to say to me, and it's for my ears alone.

Li Banfeng went to the fifth room, took out the liquor gourd, the pendulum, the Tang saber, the earring, and the teapot, and placed them all on the table. Then he returned to the outer room.

Now that they were alone, the Arcane Crimson Lotus quietly spread open its petals.

Did she just finish making the pills? Did she finish the moment I arrived? Could it really be that coincidental? It was unlikely to be that simple.

It seems Crimson Lotus already made the pills a long time ago, yet she did not take them out. Why? Was she afraid I would lose control and swallow them all? You're overthinking it, Crimson Lotus. I'm not that kind of person.

That insect head should have yielded quite a number of pills. Conservatively speaking, at least a hundred Golden Essence Pills, right?

Wouldn't that push me straight to the tenth level?! Reaching the tenth level would mean triple the lifespan, wouldn't it?

Hohohohohoh!

Li Banfeng's lips spread into a wicked grin, and he waited quietly for the lotus seed to burst.

Crack.

The lotus seed popped open and produced a pill.

One pill. Just one?

Li Banfeng's smile froze.

"Crimson Lotus, did you secretly swallow something good?

Such a massive insect head. It called itself an Insect Overlord and claimed to be stronger than a land deity, yet you made this one pill for me?"

Crimson Lotus was covered in dewdrops. They were not drops of saliva but tears from being wronged.

The pill was a supreme-grade Golden Essence Pill. An intense medicinal scent quickly spread from it, filling the entire outer room with a penetrating fragrance.

Upon smelling that fragrance, Li Banfeng realized the pill in his hand was extraordinary. The Arcane Crimson Lotus stirred up a small whirlwind and swiftly sucked the escaping fragrance back into her lotus core.

Her petals trembled repeatedly, urging Li Banfeng to put the pill away at once.

Li Banfeng found a cloth pouch and placed the pill inside, but the fragrance still seeped outward. He then put the pill into a wooden box, yet even that could not contain the fragrance.

The lotus core sent out a blast of wind that blew over several sheets of white paper. Li Banfeng wrapped the box in multiple layers of the paper, and this time the fragrance was finally sealed in.

The Arcane Crimson Lotus' petals curled up and unfurled repeatedly, signaling Li Banfeng to leave the Pocket Dwelling quickly.

Why the urgency?

The petals just kept repeating the same motion, and after a long while, Li Banfeng finally understood what the Arcane Crimson Lotus meant.

The Arcane Crimson Lotus had already made the pill a long time ago, but she'd been waiting for an opportunity to give it to him. And that opportunity was when the Gramophone was asleep.

She waited for my wife to fall asleep before giving me this excellent pill... so that I can take it out of the Pocket Dwelling in secret. If my wife never sees the pill, she obviously won't ask where it went. Then once I consume it, she won't suspect a thing.

"But if she asks where the insect head went, how do I explain it?" Li Banfeng asks the Arcane Crimson Lotus.

Another lotus seed emerged from Arcane Crimson Lotus's core and burst apart inside it, dissolving into nothingness.

What does that mean? A failed refinement?

Would that explanation be a little too far-fetched? Well, no. It's a perfectly reasonable explanation. Earlier, Crimson Lotus had created the illusion that something was wrong with her, specifically to make my wife send me to check on her. If her condition seemed unstable, a failed refinement would be entirely plausible.

Li Banfeng gently touched the Arcane Crimson Lotus, and she shyly curled her petals.

How thoughtful of you, Crimson Lotus. You are truly beautiful.

Doing things behind my wife's back... How thrilling!

After taking this pill, I might advance a level in my Wanderlust Cultivation. Then it will match my Homebound Cultivation, and I won't need to worry about cultivation backlash any longer.

Moreover, the poison from a single Golden Essence Pill was easy to endure. He could withstand it even without taking a Blue Poplar Pill.

The more Li Banfeng thought about it, the more excited he became. Carrying the pill, he left the outer room and entered the main room.

As he passed the Gramophone, her breaths quickened, as if she was about to awaken.

Li Banfeng hurried to the door and was about to open it. Then the Judge's Brush fell from his waist to the floor with a clang.

Didn't I put all the enchanted artifacts in the fifth room earlier?

How did I forget this one? And why did this blasted thing have to fall out at this moment?

The Judge's Brush did not know why it fell out either. It simply cried out in fright, "

Ah!

"

The two sounds in succession woke the Gramophone.

Clatter, clatter, clatter~

"Heyaa, husband dear, where are you going? Heyaa, heyaa~ what is this smell, why is it so fragrant?"

***

At Bitter Greens Manor, Granny Bitter was picking bitter greens when one of the leaves fell to the ground.

Granny Bitter bent down, picked up the leaf, and glanced at it. "That brat used up his first stroke of luck so quickly? What did he run into?"

Granny Bitter continued plucking the bitter greens.

Well, it doesn't matter when he uses it. He will have to repay the debt for that luck sooner or later anyway.

1. It means delicate/slender. ☜

2. It means delicate/exquisite green jade. ☜