Chapter 35: Where Did the Corpses Go?

Chubby Qin glanced at the bald man's corpse. His skull cup had been ripped off, and his brain matter was spilling everywhere. Chubby Qin felt sick looking at it.

"Brother Li, why are you always so ruthless, striking at the skull every time?" Chubby Qin asked.

Li Banfeng explained, "I'm softhearted. I can't bring myself to hit their vital spots. The skull is tough and can take a hit. If I strike anywhere else, I'm afraid it'll hurt them."

Isn't the skull a vital spot? What kind of twisted logic is that?

Chubby Qin thought.

Chubby Qin felt his comprehension ability was lacking and he couldn't understand Li Qi's reasoning. He turned his gaze to the two women lying in the forest.

Leafy was crying. He couldn't tell how bad Nectarine was doing, but she was definitely still alive.

Leafy fed Nectarine two pills, and she gradually regained the ability to move.

When Nectarine woke up, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Bai Sha and Chubby Qin had taken out four people, the bald man and his three underlings, that easily...? Just how high are the cultivation levels of these two young men?

Nectarine asked Leafy what happened, but Leafy had no idea too. She had been so terrified earlier that she did not see the fight clearly.

However, Chubby Qin didn't understand how it had happened either, even though he had been involved in the fight.

The entire fight happened so quickly. The man in gold-rimmed glasses had a total of six people in his group, but in the blink of an eye, they were all gone. Chubby Qin hadn't even had time to process what had happened.

Which Daoist paths did those six belong to? What techniques did they have?

One of them had armored skin, so he was obviously a Physique Cultivator. However, Chubby Qin had no impression of what kind of cultivators the others were because Li Banfeng simply hadn't given them any chance to act.

Chubby Qin had thought that the man in gold-rimmed glasses was the most cunning and ruthless person he had ever seen.

However, looking at Li Banfeng now, Chubby Qin wasn't so sure whether the man in gold-rimmed glasses truly counted as cunning and ruthless.

The bald man and his three underlings had stolen many speckled-snake chrysanthemums, totaling 176 stalks. Among them were Nectarine's 38 stalks and Leafy's 61 stalks.

Nectarine and Leafy were deeply grateful that they were even able to make it out alive. They didn't expect to get their flowers back either, but Li Banfeng returned the flowers to them.

The remaining 77 stalks and Old Smoke Cannon's 91 stalks were split evenly between Li Banfeng and Chubby Qin.

Chubby Qin stared blankly at Old Smoke Cannon's corpse.

If it weren't for Old Smoke Cannon, Chubby Qin would have surely died at Tiger Lamb's hands. Regardless of what Old Smoke Cannon's intention might have been at the time, it could not be denied that he had saved Chubby Qin's life. Chubby Qin didn't want to just leave his body out in the open like this, left to be torn apart by wild animals and rot under the elements.

Li Banfeng handed a spade to Chubby Qin. "Be quick. We need to head down the mountain."

While Chubby Qin dug a pit, Li Banfeng carefully searched the corpses of the bald man and his underlings.

The bald man had over a thousand yuan on him, while the underlings carried three to five hundred each. Altogether, it came to more than two thousand two hundred yuan.

Since both Nectarine and Leafy had suffered losses, Li Banfeng gave each of them three hundred yuan as consolation. He split the remaining money with Chubby Qin; they each got eight hundred yuan.

The bald man's machete was a pretty good weapon, so Li Banfeng kept it for himself. The weapons of the three underlings were ordinary, so he let the others pick from them freely.

As for whatever he might be able to loot from the man in gold-rimmed glasses and Tiger Lamb, he would have to wait until he was back in the Pocket Dwelling to find out. In any case, since Li Banfeng had taken those two down by himself, he decided to keep all of their belongings for himself.

After burying Old Smoke Cannon, Chubby Qin carried Nectarine on his back, and the four of them descended the mountain together.

As they walked along the mountain path, Nectarine was bleeding very badly. The intense metallic stench of her blood made Chubby Qin's nose twitch in displeasure.

"You don't seem like a Physique Cultivator," Chubby Qin commented, suspecting Nectarine had lied about her Daoist path. "Physique Cultivators can endure a beating. How did you end up this badly injured?"

Leafy knew the truth but said nothing. After all, a cultivator's Daoist path was a private matter.

However, Nectarine unexpectedly revealed it herself. She smiled and said, "I'm a Hedonism Cultivator. We were just strangers who had gathered together by chance, so I lied when we introduced ourselves."

"So you're a Hedonism Cultivator." Chubby Qin sighed. "Looks like those assholes took advantage of you."

Chubby Qin realized that Nectarine had likely suffered much more than just a beating in the hands of the bald man's underlings.

"No, they didn't take advantage of me. They wanted to keep me for their boss," Nectarine said with a bitter laugh. "It would have been better if they had. I can't defeat them on my feet, but if we had fought lying down, not one of them would have survived."

Li Banfeng gave a derisive snort. "You're this badly injured, but you're still so sharp-tongued."

Nectarine's eyes gleamed with a suggestive look as she turned to Li Banfeng. "You think I'm bluffing? My abilities aren't just talk. Aren't you also a Hedonism Cultivator? Why don't we compete with each other on our skills?"

Li Banfeng turned to Chubby Qin. "I already have a partner."

Chubby Qin looked at Leafy. "I'm a Gourmandism Cultivator. I can eat a lot."

Nectarine let out a sigh, then she looked at Li Banfeng. "You've been picking chrysanthemums[1] all along this time. Don't you want to try something different? Personally, I think flat is better than round."

Leafy flushed bright red, the color spreading from her cheeks down to her neck.

Li Banfeng was about to speak, but then he saw Chubby Qin explaining to Leafy, "I'm a Gourmandism Cultivator. I'm really a Gourmandism Cultivator. I can eat a lot. Later, I'll treat you all to a meal, and I'll eat it in front of you so you can see."

The four of them made their way to the foot of the mountain. Nectarine took out a pocket watch and saw that it was already eight o'clock.

They had already traversed the mountain for more than ten kilometers. Li Banfeng had sensed long ago that he had already met his daily foundational cultivation requirement as a Wanderlust Cultivator. In fact, he had met it in excess.

Mount Bitterfog was a region of peril. According to Li Banfeng's senses as a Wanderlust Cultivator, walking a half a kilometer here was equivalent to walking 1.5 to 2.5 kilometers in the Inner Gully. That meant he had accumulated enough to cover his cultivation requirement for the next two days as well.

Li Banfeng found that regions of peril seemed to be quite important for his cultivation.

Why is that?

Li Banfeng was dizzy from inhaling the toxic fog, and he could not remember the reason for its importance.

After sleeping in the Pocket Dwelling last night, he had also completed his homework as a Homebound Cultivator.

If I can't remember the reason, then so be it. For now, I just need to exchange the speckled-snake chrysanthemums for money and buy a train ticket to get back to Yuezhou.

As for how exactly he should make the exchange, Li Banfeng was still thinking about it.

He definitely didn't want to sell the flowers just as they were; he wanted to sell them as pills.

That will all depend on the bronze lotus flower's capabilities.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Crossing the Bridge of No Regrets, Li Banfeng's group left the toxic fog behind, and the four of them gulped down the fresh air desperately.

Nectarine vomited twice, while Chubby Qin sat by the bridge gasping for breath, sweat streaming down his deathly pale face.

Leafy took out all her Cooling Powder and distributed it to the group. After resting for a little over half an hour, Nectarine managed to stand up and walk on her own, albeit with difficulty.

It was proof that cultivators had superior bodies; injuries healed quickly. However, they would not be able to purge the toxic fog they had inhaled that swiftly.

They hobbled along, finding it extremely difficult to keep walking. Li Banfeng had only recently left the Pocket Dwelling, but even he felt his legs going weak beneath him.

Leafy reminded everyone, "Big Bros and Big Sis, when you get home, make sure to rest well for a while. The toxic fog is very harmful to the body, and you mustn't take it lightly."

Li Banfeng sighed. "Is all this really worth it just for a few thousand yuan?"

Nectarine snorted. "If you were rich, you wouldn't have risked your life with us. We've all got cheap lives, so why bother thinking such nonsense?"

Chubby Qin glanced at her. "We risked our lives because we've got nothing else. But with your looks and figure, do you really need to do the same? Plenty of men would be willing to provide for you for life."

"I don't need anyone to provide for me!" Nectarine gave a cold snort. "This old woman can support herself! And I can earn money to provide for my partner too!"

Li Banfeng frowned. "Your partner needs you to provide for them?"

"I want to do it, and I've got the ability!" Nectarine shot Li Banfeng a glare. "If you could provide for your partner, would you still have him out here risking his life with you?"

Chubby Qin broke out in a sweat. "I'm a Gourmandism Cultivator... How can I convince you..."

"I know you're a Gourmandism Cultivator. That's nothing to be ashamed of," Nectarine said with a smile. "My partner isn't a Hedonism Cultivator either. She's a Homebound Cultivator."

Leafy suddenly understood. "No wonder you asked me about Homebound Cultivators earlier, Big Sis. That must be really tough on you. It's inconvenient for Homebound Cultivators to get a job since they would have to leave home."

Nectarine shook her head. "That's not the main reason why I want to provide for my partner. She's a young lady. I don't want her exposed to the public eye."

Li Banfeng finally understood why Nectarine was so protective of her partner. "So, your partner is a young lady."

Chubby Qin and Leafy nodded in understanding. "So, it's a young lady."

A few steps later, Li Banfeng turned his face toward Nectarine, the revelation finally sinking in. "Your partner is a woman!"

"So what if she is? What's wrong with that?" Nectarine frowned slightly. "You think round is better than flat. I think flat is better than long. What's wrong with that?"

Li Banfeng nodded. "Nothing wrong with that."

Nectarine turned and pinched Leafy's cheek gently. "Tell me, little sister, am I right?"

"Big Sis, that... uh... Yes, you're right..." Leafy muttered, edging away from her.

Chubby Qin was in a confused daze. "Well... I'm a Gourmandism Cultivator."

As they continued walking, the number of people they saw on the road increased gradually. Li Banfeng grew more alert, worried that someone might try to snatch their flowers.

He suspected that no real laws or restrictions were being enforced in this place.

Nectarine, on the other hand, was rather at ease. "Relax. Once you're at the foot of the mountain, everyone has to follow the rules. At the very least, they can't make a move openly. Otherwise, they'll never be able to set foot in Medicine King Gully again!"

Amid the thick fog, banners of all colors fluttered.

The major medicinal trading houses were right before them. It was finally time for them to make some money.

Chubby Qin's and Nectarine's eyes lit up in joy. Even the normally shy Leafy couldn't hide her excitement.

The managers of the trading houses had already set up stalls to purchase flowers. However, when they approached, Li Banfeng heard a heated argument.

"Twenty-five yuan? Do you think you're buying cabbages?"

What's being bought for twenty-five yuan?

Li Banfeng wondered.

Leafy looked at the bag of speckled-snake chrysanthemums, unable to believe it was real.

Chubby Qin went up and asked around. He returned soon after, grinding his teeth in anger.

"Let's go. We're not selling!"

The people nearby shouted along with him. "We're not selling! We'd rather let them rot in our hands than sell!"

"This is daylight robbery! We absolutely won't sell!"

The manager of the Liu Family's medicinal trading house bared his yellow teeth in a grin. "Don't sell if you don't want to. If you think I'm offering too little, then go try the others."

It was the same with the other trading houses.

The proprietress of the Chu Family's medicinal trading house touched up her makeup as she spoke. "Twenty-five yuan per stalk. That's the price this year. If you want to sell them to me, do it now. If not, I'll be closing up my stall."

Why has it dropped to twenty-five yuan per stalk? Wasn't it eighty-five before?

Li Banfeng wondered.

The situation was like this.

The employees of the major trading houses who had gone up the mountain had discovered a cliff covered in patches of speckled-snake chrysanthemums.

They harvested the flowers and went down the mountain, dividing the harvest among the trading houses. Each trading house obtained over a thousand stalks.

With over a thousand stalks in their inventory, none of the trading houses were desperate to buy more stock. Instead, the trading houses conspired together and pushed the buying price down.

However, they had pushed it far too low.

Four stalks made one Speckled-Snake Pill. At twenty-five yuan per stalk, the total cost for one pill would be one hundred yuan. However, the pill sold for ten thousand; the profit was a hundred times the cost.

Nectarine sat on the ground in silence for a long while.

Leafy lowered her head. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Chubby Qin stomped the ground in a rage. "I won't. I won't fucking sell to them! I don't believe there aren't any other buyers out there."

"Don't be an idiot!" Nectarine said through gritted teeth. "If you don't sell to them, who else can you sell to? All the major trading houses of Medicine King Gully are here!"

Chubby Qin glared at her. "Then we won't sell the flowers in Medicine King Gully. We'll go further away!"

Nectarine sneered. "What nonsense. Where else could you go? Have you ever even left Medicine King Gully?"

Chubby Qin plopped down on the ground. "Then I'll just wait for the Peddler to come!"

"The Peddler?" Nectarine let out a bitter laugh. "That man with the gold-rimmed glasses said it already. Once the speckled-snake chrysanthemums are picked, they rot within a day. We can't not sell them today; they'll be worthless tomorrow."

Chubby Qin snorted. "It's not like he was a good person. Who knows if he was telling the truth?"

Leafy sobbed. "But he really was telling the truth. Tomorrow, these flowers will be rotten, and they'll be useless."

Nectarine sighed. "Forget it. Let's just sell to them. A small profit is better than nothing. I've got thirty-eight stalks here. I can sell them for nearly a thousand yuan. Better than going away empty-handed. Our lives are cheap, after all!"

"Whatever! I'm still not selling to them!" Chubby Qin threw his bag on the ground, growing angrier the more he thought about it.

After a moment of thought, he suddenly turned to Li Banfeng.

He leaned close to Li Banfeng and asked quietly, "Brother Li, do you still have that pill?"

Li Banfeng nodded and handed him a Speckled-Snake Pill.

Chubby Qin glanced around. Then he led the group to a secluded spot. He held out the Speckled-Snake Pill to Leafy. "Little Sister, take a look. Is this real?"

Leafy was a Medicine Cultivator. She couldn't make Speckled-Snake Pills herself, but she could distinguish real Speckled-Snake Pills from fakes.

After examining it for a while, her eyes widened in shock. "Big Bro Fatty, this is indeed a Speckled-Snake Pill. Where did this come from?"

Chubby Qin shifted his gaze to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng said, "I ran into an old woman on the mountain. She said she'd trade pills for chrysanthemums. One pill for ten stalks."

"Ten stalks?" Leafy uttered, finding it hard to believe.

Nectarine felt the same way.

Ten stalks could only make two pills. That old woman would barely be breaking even with that trade.

However, the trading houses were raking in a hundredfold profit!

Leafy began to doubt her own judgment. "This pill must be fake..."

Chubby Qin snapped, "Didn't you just say it was real?"

"I'm afraid I misjudged. Who would ever trade it off for such a low price? Maybe I should just..." Leafy glanced toward the banners of the trading houses.

"I believe you!" Nectarine handed her bag to Li Banfeng. "You saved my life, and you returned my flowers. Whether it's real or fake, I trust you. Even if it's all a loss, I'll accept it!"

Chubby Qin also handed his bag to Li Banfeng.

Leafy hesitated for a moment, then she gave her bag to Li Banfeng as well.

Chubby Qin looked back at Mount Bitterfog. "I wonder if that old woman's still up there. Brother Li, could you help us..."

Chubby Qin didn't feel right asking Li Banfeng alone to make another trip up Mount Bitterfog. "Brother Li, I'll go with you."

Li Banfeng raised his brows. "I'm just going there to try my luck. You'll just add to my troubles if you come along."

Retracing his steps, Li Banfeng returned into the dense fog and opened the Pocket Dwelling.

He knew this was risky and could draw unnecessary suspicion to him.

But if he held on to the speckled-snake chrysanthemums without making a move, that would raise suspicion as well.

Furthermore, Li Banfeng had no connections or helpers, so there would only be more trouble in the future if he tried to sell the Speckled-Snake Pills alone.

Judging from the faces of the people running the trading houses, there was no telling what they might do. Li Banfeng truly didn't want to sell the Speckled-Snake Pills to the trading houses.

He would help Chubby Qin and the others and see if they could come up with a good alternative.

In any case, once he was done with this, he would return to Yuezhou. He would never come to this place again and would never encounter these people again.

Li Banfeng entered the Pocket Dwelling with the bags of speckled-snake chrysanthemums in his hands. He intended to figure out how to open the Arcane Crimson Lotus, but to his surprise, it was already open.

There were three lotus seeds on top of the seven-hole lotus core.

Where did these three lotus seeds come from?

Li Banfeng froze in shock.

He lifted a candle and looked around, noticing that something seemed to be missing from the room.

What's missing?

Where did the corpses of the man in gold-rimmed glasses and Tiger Lamb go?

1. So... "chrysanthemum" is a euphemism for anus, so she's talking about gay sex. ☜