Chapter 219: The Ruthless Combat Methods of the Upright Daoist Path

Just as Li Banfeng was placing a record in a gramophone to play some music, the Threaded Earring shouted, "Watch out!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Banfeng used Traceless Quick Steps and moved away. A beautiful woman lunged at him from behind with a saberrr, missing his back by only a few inches.

Li Banfeng flicked his wrist and hurled the sickle at the woman, striking her accurately.

However, a crisp metallic sound rang out.

Clang!

The sickle bounced off the woman, leaving only faint scratches.

She's a stone puppet!

Li Banfeng ceased his offensive and swiftly retreated using Traceless Quick Steps. He was very familiar with this combat style.

Golden House of Hidden Beauty!

This was a level-four ability of a Homebound Cultivator. The stone maiden could both fight and endure blows. It would be pointless for Li Banfeng to take her head-on. He would just be leaving himself open for an ambush.

An ambush set by the Homebound Cultivator himself!

Steward He was a Homebound Cultivator of at least the fifth level. His level was higher than Li Banfeng's, which explained why Li Banfeng's Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity hadn't detected his malicious intent.

Old He is very familiar with this building. Is this his dwelling? Probably not.

I came to steal vinyl records a few days ago, but he didn't notice. If this were truly his residence, his dwelling spirit would have sensed me. Regardless, even if it's not his dwelling, he's still very familiar with the building. Fighting here would definitely put me at a disadvantage.

Li Banfeng pushed open the window, intending to leave the building immediately. Steward He suddenly hung down from above the window and thrust a long saber straight toward Li Banfeng's face.

This old bastard is viciously underhanded!

He's making full use of the fact that Homebound Cultivators are easily overlooked to ambush others!

This is clearly MY trick for ambushing others, and he's actually using it against me. Just look at this guy's poor character!

With the window blocked, Li Banfeng turned and bolted for the door.

Just as he reached the doorway, another stone maiden appeared and slashed at his face.

Li Banfeng barely dodged it in time. He chided loudly, "That's fucking shameless! You've even got someone camping at the door. If you've got the guts, fight me fair and square!"

Most Homebound Cultivators were honest people, but their combat methods were anything but honest. The most simple-minded Homebound Cultivators used the most ruthless tactics.

Shaking off the stone maiden, Li Banfeng dashed toward the staircase. He ran all the way to the end of the corridor, but there was no staircase in sight.

What's going on? Where did the stairs go? The stairs were there when I came in.

Ah, whatever. Why look for stairs? There are windows in the corridor. I'll just jump out!

However, Li Banfeng turned around and found that all the corridor windows had disappeared.

They were clearly there when I entered the building. How did they vanish in the blink of an eye? What kind of ability is this?

The corridor suddenly became much quieter. The stone maiden was gone, and the other doors had vanished as well.

A single door opened at the end of the corridor, seemingly the only way out. Li Banfeng stood near that door and sensed no danger at all.

However, would he walk in?

Of course not! This is such an obvious trap, and you think I'm just going to walk right into it? Do you think I've lost my mind?

If I step into your house, you'll shut the door and unleash your dwelling spirit. Will I still have any chance of surviving?

Only a Homebound Cultivator truly understood how vicious another Homebound Cultivator could be.

Li Banfeng aimed at the wall and executed Traceless Quick Steps, smashing straight through it.

This was Path of Unhindered Steps, a level-four ability of Wanderlust Cultivators.

Li Banfeng had long wanted to break through the wall, but he'd only learned it recently. He had been worried something might go wrong, so he hadn't wanted to use it unless absolutely necessary.

With that move, he smashed straight through the wall to the outside of the building. He dropped down from the fifth floor, staggering as he crashed to the ground.

Fortunately, Wanderlust Cultivators were nimble, so Li Banfeng wasn't injured. He turned back to observe the layout of the residence, pondering Steward He's intentions.

Judging from the position of that door in the corridor, he had tried to lure me to the eastern annex. That's likely Old He's dwelling.

If I enter his dwelling, I'll have to face his dwelling spirit. That's the last outcome I want.

I can't enter the annex, and I shouldn't stay in this courtyard either. As a Wanderlust Cultivator, the first thing I have to do when fighting a Homebound Cultivator is force them out of a familiar environment, make them fight in an unfamiliar battleground.

Just as Li Banfeng tried to leave the courtyard, a large pile of stones rose into the air and blocked his path.

The stones varied in size. Some were as large as fists, and others were slightly smaller than eggs. They shot toward him like bullets from a machine gun.

This scene feels kinda familiar...

Relying on his agile footwork, Li Banfeng darted behind a large tree for cover.

However, the tree's branches twisted and coiled tightly around him. Then, with a spin, the branches flung him right back toward the storm of stones.

First, the layout of the building changed. Then, the stones in the courtyard turned into weapons. Now, even the trees are under his control?

Is this how Steward He fights? Is this an ability or some kind of enchanted artifact?

Li Banfeng broke free from the tree's branches and dodged miserably through the barrage of stones. For a moment, he almost wanted to retreat into the Pocket Dwelling.

No, I can't.

I can't unlock it here. If I fail to deal with Old He, I'll might end up revealing too much.

Li Banfeng ran toward the front gates, but the stones pelted him fiercely.

He tried going to the back gates instead, but the stones kept coming.

He dashed toward the wall, and still the stones came after him.

Only one direction remained untouched—the one leading to the eastern annex.

Steward He wanted Li Banfeng inside that annex. He had used every trick up his sleeve just to force Li Banfeng into his dwelling.

I can't go in. I just can't, no matter what!

Li Banfeng kept dodging desperately, trying to find a way out. Then, all of a sudden, the stones stopped coming at him.

What's going on? Did Old He run out of strength? Or is he showing mercy?

It was neither one of those options.

A bird man dove straight at him.

It wasn't an insult. The man really looked like a bird; he had wings, tail feathers, and even a beak.

The Homebound Cultivators had cornered and questioned Ma Dingfu. In his panic, he had transformed into a bird and flown out.

He was the fort lord, so Steward He couldn't harm him. That's why the stones in the courtyard had stopped.

If Ma Dingfu had fled immediately, it would've been fine. But in his anger, he chose to launch a sneak attack on Li Banfeng instead.

That was his mistake. He overestimated himself.

Li Banfeng neither dodged nor hid. He simply stood there, waiting.

As the distance between them reduced, Li Banfeng swiftly drew his sickle and hurled it at Ma Dingfu. The tip of the sickle blade pierced straight into Ma Dingfu's forehead.

As long as the target was within five meters, Li Banfeng never missed.

Once the deed was done, Li Banfeng hurried away. He had already guessed that Old He would try a sneak attack at this opportune moment.

That judgment came from his understanding of Homebound Cultivators.

Just as Li Banfeng expected, a stone maiden appeared behind him, intending to stab his back. Nevertheless, she was just a step too slow.

Li Banfeng grabbed Ma Dingfu off the ground. He wasn't dead yet and was still struggling.

Leaning in, Li Banfeng said by his ear, "You took five hundred from me. Time to pay it back. You'll make a good shield."

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

He held Ma Dingfu casually in front of him, limiting Steward He's options for attacking Li Banfeng.

The flying stones could no longer be used, and a sneak attack would require precise timing to work.

A stone maiden lunged out from behind a rock formation, swinging her saber at Li Banfeng. He raised Ma Dingfu as a shield, and the blade struck squarely into Ma Dingfu's chest.

Ma Dingfu let out a scream, and Steward He flinched.

The stone maidens could no longer be used.

Golden House of Hidden Beauty was a specialty of Homebound Cultivators, and Steward He was indeed skilled at using it, but the stone maidens had limited intelligence. If he wanted to subdue Li Banfeng, he had to rely on his own abilities.

One by one, the stone maidens retreated, and silence returned to the courtyard.

Li Banfeng tapped the Liquor Gourd. Understanding his intent, she quietly opened the gourd's mouth.

A group of Homebound Cultivators rushed out of the hall, intending to settle accounts with Ma Dingfu.

Li Banfeng shouted, "All of you, get out now!"

This place was too dangerous. They had to leave immediately. If they were one step too slow, Steward He might wipe them all out in one sweep.

Wu Yongchao heeded the words of the "Peddler" and urged everyone to leave at once.

Amid the chaotic crowd heading out, Steward He quietly appeared in the courtyard, preparing to attack Li Banfeng personally.

His aims were clear: kill Li Banfeng, rescue Ma Dingfu, take control of all the remaining Homebound Cultivators, and lastly, await Ma Dingfu's further orders.

Yet, just as he approached Li Banfeng, a sharp burning pain struck his eyes.

This was exactly the moment Li Banfeng had been waiting for.

Steward He's cultivation level was higher than Li Banfeng's. If he got close, Li Banfeng might not even notice. In fact, even the Tang Saber, the Blood-Drinking Pendulum, the Liquor Gourd, and even the Threaded Earring wouldn't detect him.

Nonetheless, that didn't matter.

Li Banfeng had the Liquor Gourd create a layer of liquor mist around him, starting around thirty centimeters from his body and extending out to a meter.

Within the concentrated mist of liqour vapor, Steward He's eyes burned painfully, and his breathing turned ragged.

That was when Li Banfeng finally detected his presence.

"You old ghost! Let's play outside!"

Li Banfeng grabbed Steward He and dashed toward the courtyard gate.

Blood streamed from Steward He's eyes as he rasped, "No... no..."

He suddenly activated An Arrow Bound for Home, his strength surging drastically.

He just needed one more second, and he could have broken free from Li Banfeng's grip.

However, the courtyard wasn't large, and Li Banfeng was a level-four Wanderlust Cultivator. He pulled them out of the courtyard in the blink of an eye.

Steward He had a high cultivation level and plenty of combat experience, yet Zhou Anju had never brought him outside.

That proved Steward He couldn't simply leave. Outside the residence, his combat strength would drop significantly.

Based on that, Li Banfeng's strategy was simple. He just needed to drag Steward He out of the residence. However, once they were outside, how should he deal with Steward He?

If the other Homebound Cultivators came to their senses and helped, they could surround and finish him. If they didn't, Li Banfeng would have to keep dragging the fight out, leading Steward He into dangerous terrain and using his mobility as a Wanderlust Cultivator to kill him.

While Li Banfeng was still thinking through his options, a woman suddenly shrieked from within the residence, "Where are you going? You don't want me anymore? Don't leave!"

The moment Steward He heard her, he broke free from Li Banfeng's grip at once and tried to rush back into the residence, but it was already too late.

His skin ruptured, splitting apart layer by layer with blood spraying in every direction. His skeleton collapsed in an instant, his organs spilling across the ground.

It turned out that Steward He truly had not been able to leave the residence, but it wasn't for fear of losing strength but of dying.

Amid his shock, Li Banfeng activated Keen-Eyed Perception. Within the scattered bloody mess of flesh and organs, he saw a ball of light rise and drift about.

That was Steward He's soul. His soul was trying to escape Iron Gate Fort.

From within the eastern annex of the fort lord's residence, countless vine-like strands of light shot out and wrapped tightly around his soul.

"Don't go... Don't go... You can't abandon me... You can't..."

Whoosh~

A cold wind swept past, and both the bindings and the soul vanished into the annex.

Keen-Eyed Perception was a special ability that the Gramophone had granted to Li Banfeng. The other Homebound Cultivators did not have it, so all they saw was Steward He suddenly dying a gruesome death.

Li Banfeng shouted to the crowd, "Without my permission, no one is to step into this courtyard!"

The Homebound Cultivators exchanged glances, and a few nodded at him.

Steward He was dead. Who else was there to question?

There was only Ma Dingfu, of course. Even with a sickle lodged in his forehead, he was still alive.

Ma Dingfu kept his eyes shut; he was playing dead. Li Banfeng bent down, yanked him up, and pulled the sickle out of his head.

The moment it came out, Ma Dingfu shuddered in pain, unable to keep up the act any longer.

Li Banfeng smiled. "You owe me five hundred. You're paying that back."

Ma Dingfu struggled to speak. "Earlier... didn't being your shield count as payment?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "You think taking one hit for me means we're even? Not a chance. What are you all standing around for? Come help me tie him up!"

Wu Yongchao was the first to move, pinning Ma Dingfu down. The others brought ropes and bound him tightly.

Li Banfeng drew a line across Ma Dingfu's face with his sickle and warned kindly, "My blade's poisoned. You've already taken two hits, so you'd better talk fast. Start with this. What exactly is your relationship with Flying Eagle Mountain? Don't tell me there's none, or you'll take another cut."

Ma Dingfu answered truthfully, "I was originally an undercover agent for Flying Eagle Mountain, responsible for scouting the foot of the mountain, keeping watch, and gathering intel. Aside from our chief, not many on the mountain knew about me."

Li Banfeng seemed satisfied and asked his next question. "What's Zhou Anju's rank in Flying Eagle Mountain?"

Ma Dingfu shook his head. "I can't say for sure. Only our chief knows that."