Chapter 39: Raising a Gale on Level Ground

Li Banfeng dreamed sweet dreams all night. Throughout all of them, there was always a goose feather teasing his ear.

When he stepped out of the Pocket Dwelling, Li Banfeng realized he had emerged in the afternoon again instead of during the morning. It dawned on him that he needed some way to tell the time from inside the Pocket Dwelling.

Nevertheless, once he returned to Yuezhou, problems like this would be insignificant, easily resolved just by having a cell phone.

I woke up late. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a ticket.

Li Banfeng strode out of the Pocket Dwelling and walked a few hundred meters down the street. Then he suddenly felt a strange sensation run through his body.

He couldn't quite describe what it was.

Li Banfeng scanned the street for a vehicle. It could be a horse-drawn carriage or a rickshaw; he just needed a vehicle to transport him to the train station.

As he swept his gaze about, he noticed the other pedestrians occasionally glancing his way.

Why are they looking at me?

I'm wearing a suit and a fedora. I'm dressed pretty darn well today!

But well, they mean no harm. They're just curious.

Strange... How do I know they mean no harm?

Why am I having so many strange feelings today?

Indeed, the pedestrians bore Li Banfeng no ill will. However, the thing that caught their eyes wasn't his attire but his extraordinary speed.

Li Banfeng wasn't running; he was just walking. He had his hands in his pockets as he ambled casually down the street.

Yet, his feet took him on an unusual route that ordinary people found incomprehensible, propelling him forward at great speed. By the time he noticed something was off, he had already reached the end of the street.

I didn't mean to walk this fast...

Noticing how the houses on both sides of the streets flashed past his vision in a blur, Li Banfeng made a huge conscious effort to slow down his steps.

He truly hadn't been exerting any effort, nor did he feel the least bit tired.

It was as if his legs had motors installed. If he did not step on the brakes, his legs would simply keep going.

However, even when he stepped on the brakes, it was hard to control. Li Banfeng could stand still without issue, but the moment he took a step forward, it was as though he was moving at a speed of twenty miles an hour.

This isn't good. Why is it that I can't even walk normally anymore?

Did the toxic fog on Mount Bitterfog cause this?

Is this a temporary side effect or permanent damage?

Even as he did his best to restrain himself, Li Banfeng ultimately reached the edge of the Inner Gully in no time at all.

He had intended to find a quiet place and spend a bit of time focusing on controlling his steps. However, as he passed under a large banyan tree, he noticed there was a rickshaw parked beneath it.

A new plan emerged in his mind. He could take the rickshaw to the train station, buy a ticket, and board the train. Once he was inside, he could go into the Pocket Dwelling to practice controlling his legs.

As Li Banfeng considered that, his legs kept moving, carrying him several dozen meters forward. He went so fast that he had to backtrack, finally stopping in front of the rickshaw driver with much difficulty.

Li Banfeng asked, "How much to the train station?"

The rickshaw driver took a puff of his pipe, looked up at Li Banfeng, and grinned. "Do you even need a ride to get to the train station?"

Li Banfeng stared at the rickshaw driver for a moment.

He recognized the rickshaw driver. Monkey Qiu had hired him; he was the rickshaw driver with fire wheels.

He had taken Li Banfeng from the train station to where the Peddler had set up shop. The trip had cost Monkey Qiu a large sum of five hundred yuan.

The rickshaw driver's comment about Li Banfeng was right. The train station wasn't far from the Inner Gully, and at Li Banfeng's current speed, he could get there in the blink of an eye.

However, Li Banfeng didn't know the way.

The rickshaw driver stood up and pointed to the dirt road up ahead. "Follow this road north for 1.75 kilometers, then continue eastward for 1 kilometer. After that, head north again. Less than five hundred meters later, you should see an intersection. Keep walking for another kilometer, and you'll arrive at the train station."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "That's too troublesome. I'll just take the rickshaw there."

With the cigarette still in his mouth, the driver said, "What's troublesome about that? You've already become a level-one Wanderlust Cultivator. How could you not find the way?"

Of course. That's what it is,

Li Banfeng realized.

His bizarrely fast speed hadn't been a side effect caused by Mount Bitterfog's toxic fog. It was the result of becoming a level-one Wanderlust Cultivator.

As for why he had advanced a level in his Wanderlust Cultivation... well, that was because Li Banfeng had spent a whole day in a region of peril.

Back on Mount Bitterfog, the toxic fog had left him in such a confused daze that he had forgotten the Peddler's warning.

If he were to spend an entire day in a region of peril, he would advance a level in his Wanderlust Cultivation.

Mount Bitterfog was a region of peril, so that meant Li Banfeng had passed the Wanderlust Cultivator's trial and become a level-one Wanderlust Cultivator.

That was, of course, a good thing.

However, Li Banfeng couldn't advance too quickly. Otherwise, he would get backlash as a Homebound Cultivator.

Nevertheless, there was nothing he could do about that. The Pocket Dwelling couldn't produce a dwelling spirit, and without it, he wouldn't be able to advance his Homebound Cultivation. In the meantime, it was inevitable that his Homebound Cultivation would be suppressed by his Wanderlust Cultivation. The only thing Li Banfeng could do was try to narrow the gap between the two.

"Why didn't I sense it yesterday?" Li Banfeng muttered to himself.

The rickshaw driver asked, "When did you cross the threshold for the first level?"

"The day before yesterday, on Mount Bitterfog," Li Banfeng answered honestly.

The rickshaw driver chuckled. "You crossed the threshold the day before yesterday and advanced to the first level today. That's quick. Most people have to wait three to five days. Brother, you've got good fortune. Better hurry on to the train station."

Li Banfeng said to him, "I don't feel like walking. Since you've got your rickshaw here, why not take the business?"

The rickshaw driver froze for a moment. "You really want to ride my rickshaw? Do you know how much it costs? Others charge eight yuan, but I'll be taking two hundred from you."

"Two hundred? I'll pay it!" Li Banfeng pulled out two hundred yuan in notes and handed them over to the rickshaw driver.

He felt a certain kinship with this rickshaw driver, and he was certain that paying the two hundred yuan was the right choice.

The rickshaw driver rubbed the paper between his thumb and finger, then he grinned. "All right, but let me warn you. My rickshaw will get you there in the blink of an eye."

Li Banfeng made what seemed like a very unreasonable request. "Could you go a little slower?"

The rickshaw driver understood what he meant. "I can slow down, sure. But the slower I go, the higher the price. Five hundred for two marks on the dial. How's that?"

He was referring to the hour markings on a clock, which meant he would slow down his speed to make the trip last for around ten minutes.

Li Banfeng nodded. "Sounds good."

The rickshaw driver sighed. "With the meat delivered straight to my mouth, how could I not eat it? Get in."

Li Banfeng climbed into the rickshaw, and the driver began pulling it northward at a casual pace.

Li Banfeng asked, "What level of Wanderlust Cultivation are you?"

He could tell the rickshaw driver was a Wanderlust Cultivator. The first time he had been the rickshaw driver's passenger, the rickshaw driver had already revealed his abilities, which were unique to Wanderlust Cultivators. However, back then, Li Banfeng hadn't known what a Wanderlust Cultivator was.

The rickshaw driver didn't answer. "You think five hundred is enough to buy information about my cultivation? Two marks will pass quickly. Best ask me something else."

"Do Wanderlust Cultivators always walk so fast?"

"Do I look like I'm walking fast to you?" the rickshaw driver replied. He strode forward step by step at a pace that was no different from that of an ordinary man.

"Then why was I walking so fast?"

The rickshaw driver explained, "The walking method you were using earlier is called Raising a Gale on Level Ground. It's the ability of a level-one Wanderlust Cultivator. When a Wanderlust Cultivator first advances to level one, they can't control the force in their steps. It takes days of practice before you can exert and restrain that force at will."

"How should I practice?"

The rickshaw driver pointed at a hand pump by the roadside. "Ever used one of those? Before you advanced to level one, walking was like pumping water. Each pump with your arm would bring up a gush of water. Now, you have to hold that force back, let the stream that comes out be narrower than a hemp cord. Only then can you walk like an ordinary person."

Narrower than a hemp cord

? Li Banfeng thought, considering it. Then he said, "That sounds hard to control."

"There's a trick to it. First, rein in the force at your hips, moving forward slowly step by step. Then rein it in at your knees, pushing forward along with the hips. Next, your ankles, then your toes. Restrain that force one step at a time, in a downward cycle through your body. If you've got a good level of perception, you can get the hang of it in a day."

Li Banfeng put on a bitter smile. "So after advancing, I have to learn how to walk all over again?"

"Don't treat it as a hassle. At first, you'll stumble plenty. But once you master this method of walking, it will be no problem for you to cover a distance of thirty to thirty-five kilometers in an hour."

At that speed, Li Banfeng would be able to complete his daily foundational cultivation requirement of ten kilometers in less than half an hour.

However, there was a problem...

"For a level-one Wanderlust Cultivator, is it enough to walk ten kilometers a day?"

"It's not enough!" The rickshaw driver shook his head firmly. "If you're walking in ordinary places, you need at least twenty-five kilometers a day."

Twenty-five kilometers?

That's not too big of a problem.

"What do you mean by ordinary places?" Li Banfeng asked.

"Major streets and small lanes. Those are ordinary places."

"And what places aren't counted as ordinary?"

"Go climb mountains. The steeper, the better. Bodies of water work too. The deeper, the better. At Orchid-Green Village, there's a swamp of muck. If you can walk two li through it, your daily cultivation is considered complete. At Sheep Fork Mountain, there's a ridge called Ghostblade Ridge. Walk just half a kilometer there, and you'll complete a day's worth of cultivation and even accumulate enough for an extra day. The essence of Wanderlust Cultivation lies in danger. The more perilous the terrain, the faster you'll advance in your cultivation."

Li Banfeng said eagerly, "I would advance very quickly in my cultivation on Mount Bitterfog too, wouldn't I?"

The rickshaw driver shook his head. "I advise you not to go there. You have no idea how many people have lost their lives on that mountain—climbing up and down, and getting scattered in the toxic fog. The fact that you managed to get down alive means you're blessed, truly blessed. Moreover, you were able to endure the rays of Heavenly Light. Since you're blessed, you should cherish your life. Why throw your life away for a bit of money? It's not worth it."

"I'd be able to make progress with my cultivation and earn money at the same time if I climb Mount Bitterfog. After all, it isn't easy to earn money," Li Banfeng said. It was a statement that he knew all too well was true.

The rickshaw driver shook his head with a laugh. "There are plenty of easier ways to make money. Pulling rickshaws brings in pretty good money. Last time, when you were urgently in need of a ride to the Peddler's, I earned five hundred from that one trip. Today, I've earned another five hundred from you.

"I heard the major medicinal trading houses bought speckled-snake chrysanthemums at only twenty-five coins a stalk this year. You tell me, is it easier to earn money doing that or being a rickshaw driver?"

By his reasoning, it was indeed easier to earn money as a rickshaw driver.

The rickshaw driver laughed. "You people look down on this line of work, thinking pulling a rickshaw is disgraceful. But I look down on you lot who gamble with your lives. Seems to me you treat your lives as disposable."

Li Banfeng stopped arguing with the rickshaw driver about the two lines of work. Instead, he asked, "How do I find the right places to cultivate? Places with some peril but not too much?"

The rickshaw driver gave a brief reply. "Know your own capabilities and only go to regions of peril that are within your means, and keep a respectable distance from perilous people. Mount Bitterfog is a region of peril, and it's crawling with perilous people. That's exactly the sort of place you shouldn't go!"

"How do I distinguish a region of peril and a perilous person from ordinary ones?"

"Wanderlust Cultivators can sense danger. It's called Seeking Luck and Avoiding Calamity. That's also an ability unique to level-one Wanderlust Cultivators. It lets you discern not just regions of peril but perilous people as well."

Li Banfeng's eyes lit up. "So, at the first level of Wanderlust Cultivation, there are two abilities?"