A Gold Cultivator cost one hundred yuan, while a Deception Cultivator cost three hundred thousand. The price gap was so wide it almost felt like a joke. It was simply a bit too outrageous.

Sui Donglan gave Li Banfeng a long look, then narrowed her eyes. "Are you really the Peddler?"

Li Banfeng let out a cold snort and said nothing. He pushed his cart forward, rattled his drum, and walked on as if she didn't exist.

Sui Donglan hurried after him and blocked his path. She raised a hand to stop him, unwilling to let him leave just like that.

"Hold on," she said. "Before you go, tell me this. What kind of Daoist Path is a Gold Cultivator?"

"A fine Daoist Path!" Li Banfeng said as he pulled out a chamber pot and a toilet brush. "Carry this on your back. It's for collecting golden juice.

"And this," he said as he lifted the brush, "is for stirring it."

As for the ladle used to scoop the golden juice, he hadn't managed to find one. That sort of thing wasn't easy to come by.

Sui Donglan shuddered and shoved the bucket away, quickly covering her nose. "What kind of Daoist Path is that? Isn't that just cleaning dung?"

"Young lady, watch your words. That's not pleasant to hear," Li Banfeng said. "If you don't want it, then forget it. Wait for next time."

He put the chamber pot and brush away and pushed his cart forward.

Sui Donglan rushed after him. "I want to become a Deception Cultivator."

"You are a pretty girl, right in the prime of your youth, and you still want to learn Deception Cultivation?" Li Banfeng said as he shook his head. "I won't sell it to you. Come back next time and pick a better Daoist Path."

Sui Donglan stepped forward and blocked his way. "I want to be a Deception Cultivator!"

"What a temper," Li Banfeng said. "So what if you want to be a Deception Cultivator? I just won't sell it to you!"

Li Banfeng pushed his cart and left.

Sui Donglan stood there for a moment, then hurried after him again. The rumors she had heard were starting to make sense.

The reason she hadn't seen the Peddler the last two times wasn't bad luck. He had been avoiding her on purpose.

There was no doubt now. The man in front of her was the real Peddler.

Back in Greenwater City, someone had once told her that the Peddler didn't sell his powder for money. He only gave it to the right people.

Maybe he thinks I am not suitable to become a Deception Cultivator, Sui Donglan thought

"I really want to be a Deception Cultivator! Just sell it to me!"

The more Li Banfeng refused, the more certain Sui Donglan became that he was the real Peddler. She kept pleading until he finally relented.

"The powder costs three hundred thousand. Not a single coin less."

Sui Donglan looked wronged. "How could I possibly have that much money?"

"No money, and you're still trying to haggle?"

Sui Donglan grabbed Li Banfeng by the arm. "Can you lower the price? Can you do two hundred thousand?"

This girl really knows how to act

, Li Banfeng thought.

Her pitiful expression really makes people feel bad for her.

Li Banfeng gritted his teeth. "Fine. Since you are so sincere, if you choose Gold Cultivation, I will throw in an extra chamber pot."

"I'm not choosing Gold Cultivation…"

"For Deception Cultivation, there's no bargaining. Three hundred thousand."

Seeing that the Peddler wouldn't budge, Sui Donglan clenched her teeth and agreed.

Does Sui Donglan have three hundred thousand? She did!

Money came easily when dealing with Homebound Cultivators. Over time, she had swindled more than five hundred thousand in Iron Gate Fort.

Now she had to hand over more than half of it. It hurt, but if she could truly step onto a Daoist path, she would earn it back soon enough.

She returned home, took out the cash she had hidden away, and handed it to Li Banfeng.

After counting the money and confirming the amount, Li Banfeng reached into a jar, grabbed a handful of "powder," and beckoned to her. "Come here. Bring your face closer."

Sui Donglan froze. "Why does it have to go on my face?"

Li Banfeng frowned. "Then where do you want to apply this?"

Sui Donglan rubbed her butt. "Isn't it supposed to be applied where the flesh is thickest?"

She seemed quite knowledgeable.

"Have you no shame?" Li Banfeng scolded. "You're a young lady, and you dare show me your butt!"

Sui Donglan didn't even blush. "You are an otherworldly master. What does it matter if you see? It's not like you will take advantage of me anyway."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "That's how other Daoist paths work. You apply it where the flesh is thick. However, Deception Cultivation is different. It has to go where the skin is thickest. And as everyone knows, that's the face."

Sui Donglan still didn't quite believe him. She had never heard of anything like it.

Li Banfeng maintained the same attitude. "If you don't want it, forget it. I will give you back your money."

Sui Donglan quickly stopped him. "I will buy it. I will do as you say…"

For some reason, a thousand thoughts ran through her mind, leaving her conflicted and hesitant. Yet the more she wavered, the more she felt the Peddler could be trusted.

Li Banfeng took out a brush from his cart, mixed the powder with water, and said, "Stand still. Don't move."

Sui Donglan didn't dare budge.

Holding the brush, Li Banfeng painted a word on each side of her face. On her left cheek, he wrote "Deception." On her right, "Cultivation."

"You have already entered the path of Deception Cultivation!"

As his words fell, Sui Donglan felt a surge of joy.

As his words fell, a surge of joy rose in Sui Donglan's chest. Then came unbearable pain. She clutched her face and cried out.

This was normal. Those cultivators had said before that even when the initiation powder was applied to the chest, it hurt terribly, let alone on the face.

After a while, Sui Donglan felt as if her entire face had been peeled off with a knife. The pain blurred her vision, made her body tremble, and left her gasping for air.

This is normal.. I just need to endure a little more.

She endured a little longer, but the terrifying pain spread from her flesh into her skull. This time, Sui Donglan could not bear it anymore. She collapsed and rolled on the ground.

Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Li Banfeng. "It hurts too much. Do you have any medicine to stop the pain? It really hurts too much…"

Li Banfeng sat on the cart, smiling. "So you know what pain is? Did you ever ask those honest people you swindled if they were in pain?"

"You…" Only then did Sui Donglan realize she had been deceived. She lunged at Li Banfeng, ready to fight him with her life.

Li Banfeng slipped aside in a flash. Sui Donglan crashed headfirst into the cart, not even catching a glimpse of him.

Why is he so fast? Even the bandits on Flying Eagle Mountain aren't this skilled. Old Liu said the peddler is a master… He really is the Peddler. But why would he deceive me?

Seeing that it was impossible to win by force, Sui Donglan quickly tried to explain herself, "Peddler sir, I did not swindle them. I am just someone who sell flowers and they bought my flowers willingly.

Li Banfeng smiled. "Listen to yourself. Wasn't it your own willing choice to buy my medicine?"

"I… I…" Sui Donglan stammered. After a long pause, she said, "I did choose this willingly. Peddler sir, I know I was wrong. I won't dare do it again!"

Li Banfeng sighed. "Fine. I'll be generous. Go back to Iron Gate Fort and return every coin you swindled, one household at a time. After that, kowtow three times to each of them. Then I'll give you the antidote. Go."

With a thud, Sui Donglan dropped to her knees. "Sir, I will do it right away. Please ease the pain first. I really can't endure it."

The pain made her whole body convulse. Li Banfeng took out a liquor gourd, poured a cup of wine, and handed it to her.

Sui Donglan lifted the cup and drained it in one gulp. Before long, the pain began to ease.

"Thank you, sir!" Sui Donglan kowtowed twice, then got up and left.

Was Sui Donglan really going to return the money? She was not going to return it.

The "Peddler" had swindled her out of three hundred thousand, and the loss gnawed at her like a wound that wouldn't heal. Her heart still felt like it was bleeding.

How could she possibly bring herself to pay out even more?

Seeing that she was about to leave, Li Banfeng tossed her a mirror. "Wait. Take a look at your face first."

Sui Donglan looked into the mirror. The word "Deception" was written on her left cheek, and "Cultivation" on her right. She rubbed at her face frantically, but the two words would not come off.

"Sir…"

Li Banfeng's smile faded. "Didn't you want to become a Deception Cultivator? I have granted your wish. You will never be able to wash these two words off for the rest of your life. No matter where you go, everyone will know that you are a Deception Cultivator."

"Sir, please spare me this once! I really know I was wrong!" Sui Donglan rushed back to him and continued kowtowing.

Li Banfeng frowned. "Why are you kowtowing to me? Go back to Iron Gate Fort."

"Sir, how can I face anyone looking like this!"

"If you don't want to face people, then wait to die. By this time tomorrow, once the liquor wears off, the pain will return. You will be in agony until you die. And even in death, those two words will still be on your face."

After saying that, Li Banfeng pushed his cart and shook his rattle, turning to leave. Sui Donglan grabbed his pant leg and cried, "Sir, I will go return the money right away, but… but I already gave you everything. I don't have any left…"

Li Banfeng turned back with a smile. "Everything? You didn't keep anything for yourself?"

"I kept a little…" Sui Donglan didn't dare lie.

"Take it all out!"

Sui Donglan returned to her home and brought out the remaining two hundred thousand.

Li Banfeng said, "You should first give back the money you have on hand. As for the remaining three hundred thousand, that's what you owe me. You can repay it with your own body."

Sui Donglan blushed and said, "In that case, can you make it official between us?"

"Yes, I will give you an official status. From now on, you will be the one pulling the cart!"

Pulling the cart?

Sui Donglan thought.

What kind of official status is that?

Li Banfeng handed the cart over to Sui Donglan and walked toward Iron Gate Fort, shaking his rattle.

Sui Donglan followed behind, dragging the cart along. As they walked, Li Banfeng casually questioned her about Iron Gate Fort.

"How many Homebound Cultivators are there in Iron Gate Fort?"

Sui Donglan replied, "About two to three hundred households. The fort is quite large. From the entrance all the way in, it stretches over five kilometers."

"Is there another way out at the end of the ravine?"

"No. Iron Gate Fort is a dead end. There's only one way in and out."

"Did these Homebound Cultivators enter their Daoist Paths here in Iron Gate Fort?"

Sui Donglan shook her head. "I haven't been here long, but I've never seen anyone enter a Daoist Path here. The ones I know all moved in from outside."

Li Banfeng turned to look at Sui Donglan, suspecting she was not telling the truth. "How could Homebound Cultivators move so easily? What about their houses and dwelling spirits? Would they just abandon them?"

"I don't know about that. I'm just a Bleater. I don't understand much about cultivation. I only heard from one uncle that he carried his dwelling spirit here on his back."

Carried his dwelling spirit while moving?

Li Banfeng thought.

For Homebound Cultivators, everything depended on the balance between the house, the dwelling spirit, and the cultivator. If a dwelling spirit left the house, it would become a vengeful spirit. How much risk had that man taken to carry his dwelling spirit with him when moving to Iron Gate Fort?

"Why did he move to Iron Gate Fort?"

"He said Iron Gate Fort is a good place, and the Fort Lord is a good person."

"Is the Fort Lord also a Homebound Cultivator?"

"I heard he is a level-eight Homebound Cultivator, but I have never seen him. That uncle only saw him once. It was when bandits from Flying Eagle Mountain stormed the fort. It was the Fort Lord who personally took action and drove them all away."

So Homebound Cultivators came to Iron Gate Fort seeking protection,

Li Banfeng thought.

The Fort Lord is a level-eight expert. It seems I'll be able to learn quite a lot this time. But what way can I use to get close to the Fort Lord?

"I have a friend who wants to settle in Iron Gate Fort. Does he need the Fort Lord's approval?"

Sui Donglan nodded. "You first need the Fort Lord's approval. Then you buy a piece of land from him, build a house according to his rules, sign the contracts, and pay rent every month. Only then can you settle in Iron Gate Fort."

"Why do I have to pay rent if I have already bought the house?"

"That's the rule of Iron Gate Fort. It's not just the people who live here that have to pay rent. Anyone doing business here has to pay rent to the Fort Lord."

By the time they finished talking, they had already reached Iron Gate Fort.

Sui Donglan's eyes were red. Tears clung to her lashes as she looked at Li Banfeng. "Sir… please, give me another dose of medicine. And… remove the words on my face first."

Li Banfeng gave her a gentle smile. "That won't do. Return the money first."

Sui Donglan let out a soft sob. She found a headscarf, wrapped it tightly around her face, and began going from house to house, returning the money she had taken.

The words "Deception Cultivation" were written boldly across her face. No matter how she adjusted the scarf, they still showed through.

The Homebound Cultivators she had tricked reacted in all sorts of ways when they saw her come to apologize, return the money, and kowtow.

Some chose to forgive her. Some not only forgave her, but even pitied her a little. Some were furious. But after taking their money back, they let the matter drop.

The young man who had given Li Banfeng directions was one of them. He was still angry and annoyed with Sui Donglan, but very grateful to Li Banfeng. He was so grateful that he stepped forward and introduced himself, even stating his cultivation level without being asked.

"My name is Wu Yongchao. I'm a level-four Homebound Cultivator." That was the kind of person he was. Treat him well, and he would give you his whole heart in return.

Li Banfeng was just as straightforward and honest. He replied, "I am the Peddler."

Wu Yongchao looked Li Banfeng up and down, then shook his head. "I have seen the Peddler before. You don't look like him…"

Homebound Cultivators took life very seriously. They wouldn't normally forget a person's appearance, and the Peddler Wu Yongchao remembered did not look like this.

Li Banfeng said, "The Peddler you met is my junior brother."

"You walk the same path as him, so your cultivation must be similar to his…" Wu Yongchao replied. From what he remembered, the Peddler's cultivation was extremely high.

Li Banfeng answered tactfully, "I'm not quite the same as him."

Watching Sui Donglan go from house to house, apologizing again and again, Wu Yongchao nodded in firm agreement. "If it were that Peddler, he wouldn't bother with something like this. You are a better man than him."

Li Banfeng let out a soft sigh. "In any case, we are not the same…"

Sui Donglan went from house to house, apologizing as she went. She returned what she could. As for the rest, there was nothing she could do. Some of the money had already been spent and she simply couldn't pay back.

"I have to pay rent to the Fort Lord to do business here, so I didn't have much choice. I had to charge the Homebound Cultivators a little more."

Li Banfeng frowned. "Even scammers have to pay rent?"

"Yes! And we pay even more!" she said quickly. "The Fort Lord says people like me shouldn't even be allowed into the fort, so I have to pay double."

Li Banfeng frowned.

If the Fort Lord knew she was a scammer, why let her in at all?

"Peddler sir, I have returned every cent I could. Please give me the antidote."

"No rush. I still have a few more questions. Do you know where the Fort Lord lives?"

Sui Donglan shook her head. "I have never seen the Fort Lord. I have only seen two of his subordinates…"

Before she could finish, a loud whistle cut through the air.

"Wooo—aaah! Wooo—aaah!"

Wu Yongchao jumped in alarm. "Oh no! The great iron gate is about to close!"

Sui Donglan cried out, "Peddler sir, hurry! If you don't leave now, you won't be able to get out!"

Author's Note:

PS: Why is the gate suddenly closing? Because bandits are coming! What kind of methods does a level-eight Homebound Cultivator have? I am really excited to see!