Chapter 92: Fate

At Greenwater Bay, in the Lu Family residence.

Lu Xiaolan was released from the underground cell and sent back to her bedroom.

To be honest, she wasn't sure if this was a good sign.

That night, Lu Dongliang came to see her. Since her return to the Lu Family residence, it was the first time she had seen her father.

When she bowed properly to her father, he gave her a gentle, fatherly smile and said, "Sit down. You're home now. There's no need to be so tense."

He continued, "Xiaolan, you've suffered these past few days, but I had no choice. Some things had to be done for the He Family to see."

"I've heard what your mother said about He Jiaqing, and I believe you. However, there's still some questions I must ask you about Li Banfeng. I have already hired someone to investigate this.

"It is true that Li Banfeng arrived in Puluo Province. He got off the train at Medicine King Gully and proceeded to disappear without a trace. I believed you when you said that he was at the He Family's old residence. But I received news from people at the Outer Provinces that he is a bleater. He has no cultivation power. Even if he did meet the Peddler after he got off the train, he should just be some scumbag who hasn't even reached the level one of cultivation. So how did he escape from the He Family's old residence?"

Lu Xiaolan shook her head. "I already told Mother and Second Uncle. I really don't know how he got out."

Lu Dongliang fell silent for a moment, his brows knitting slightly. "Xiaolan, we all know there's a dwelling spirit in the He Family's old residence. Qiu Zhiheng told me it isn't an ordinary one either. If you couldn't get out, how could Li Banfeng have escaped? Even if I believe you, do you think the He Family will?"

"Dad, I don't care whether the He Family believes me or not. Do you not believe me? Do you know how much I've suffered just to get the Arcane Crimson Lotus? Do you have any idea what I've been through these past few days? How could I possibly lie to you?"

Lu Xiaolan's voice rose slightly.

Lu Dongliang blinked and furrowed his brows even more.

"Xiaolan, let me ask you again. When Li Banfeng arrived at the He Family's old residence, did you kill him?"

"He didn't die! He ran away!"

"Is the Arcane Crimson Lotus in your hands?" Lu Dongliang's voice grew tense.

"It's not with me! I don't even know what the Arcane Crimson Lotus is for. Why would I keep it?"

Lu Xiaolan's voice trembled as it rose, sharp with frustration. At this point, Lu Dongliang stopped questioning her.

Silence settled over the room once more and Lu Xiaolan began to cry. She felt truly wronged.

Suddenly, Lu Dongliang stood up and walked out of Lu Xiaolan's room.

He didn't believe her. Not only did he not believe her, but even the sight of her tears and screams filled him with disgust.

***

It was late at night when Li Banfeng arrived at the Memorial Arch Street and saw that a gramophone was set up again outside of the Feng's General Store.

Am I finally getting news on the travel permit?

Li Banfeng wondered and scurried inside the general store. At this time, Shopkeeper Feng was still awake. When he saw Li Banfeng, the first thing he did was to lead him into the back room.

"Trader Li, the pills have been sold, but there's something strange about it."

"What do you mean?"

"A customer came in and bought twenty Speckled-Snake Pills, paying in full right away. Then he asked for twenty Mystic Blazing Pills. Each one costs two hundred fifty thousand, so twenty would be five million. It was his first time doing business here, yet he wanted to make such a large purchase. I've been a merchant for years, but I've never seen a customer like that."

Li Banfeng paused to think for a moment before asking, "Shopkeeper Feng, do you have any dry rations?"

"Yes."

"What about canned meat?"

"Yes, we have got canned beef from Ingris. How much do you need?"

"Give me two cases of canned beef and thirty jin of dry rations."

Shopkeeper Feng immediately understood what Li Banfeng was planning, though he didn't say it out loud. "Trader Li, I've also got compressed biscuits. Do you want some?"

"Bring me two boxes. Do you have any maps?"

"I have maps of Puluo Province and Medicine King Gully. There are also maps of Greenwater Bay, Girdle-Slipping Hollow, the Ridge of Bottomless Stomachs, and the Three-Headed Fork. It's just that new lands appear in Puluo Province every year, so some of these maps are not accurate."

"As long as they show me the general directions, that's good enough. I'll take one of each."

Li Banfeng was getting ready to leave, as the Lu Family had already found a clue that led to him.

According to Yu Nan, Daboinsky's cultivation was far above her own. He definitely wasn't someone at the third level. He couldn't stay in Medicine King Gully any longer.

Shopkeeper Feng immediately told Chun Sheng to prepare the supplies. Then he took out two fedoras and two fake beards from the counter.

The fedoras had wide brims, perfect for hiding one's face.

As for the moustaches, it was easy to tell what they were for.

"Trader Li, take these with you. You might need them on the road. And don't forget the pills you left here," Shopkeeper Feng said.

Li Banfeng took the fedora and moustache and replied, "Keep the pills for now. Sell as many as you can. If I can't make it back, consider the pills as a gift to you."

Shopkeeper Feng's eyes trembled slightly. After so many years in business, he could tell that the man before him was someone who truly valued loyalty and friendship.

Li Banfeng genuinely meant to give the pills to him. It wasn't for any special reason, other than the fact that Shopkeeper Feng could have sold him out to Daboinsky, a man who had been generous with money, at any time but didn't. Such loyalty deserved to be repaid.

Just as Chun Sheng finished preparing the goods, a noise came from the front of the shop.

"Good evening, Shopkeeper Feng. Have the pills I ordered managed to arrive yet?"

The moment he heard that voice, the hairs on Li Banfeng's head stood on end.

It was the private investigator, Daboinsky!

Shopkeeper Feng motioned for Li Banfeng to stay in the back room and not come out. With a polite smile, he went to the front to greet the visitor.

"Good evening, sir. What brings you here so late?"

Daboinsky smiled pleasantly. "Ah, Shopkeeper Feng. I happened to be passing by and thought I might inquire about the pills. Perhaps we could have a quiet word in the back room?"

Shopkeeper Feng shook his head. "There's no need. The goods you ordered haven't arrived yet. Come back in a couple of days."

Daboinsky raised a brow. "Still no word? How unfortunate. My friend is in rather urgent need of that medicine. Surely you must have a few left in stock? Let's step into the back and talk about the price."

"You're out of luck tonight. I've sold out my entire stock," Shopkeeper Feng said as he shook his head.

"What an unfortunate coincidence! No Mystic Blazing Pills left? Surely you still have some Speckled-Snake Pills, do you not? Why don't we step into the back room to discuss that business instead?"

Shopkeeper Feng glanced at Chun Sheng and asked, "Do we still have any Speckled-Snake Pills left?"

Chun Sheng scratched his head. "Boss, we ran out of Speckled-Snake Pills yesterday."

"No Speckled-Snake Pills either?" Daboinsky looked even more surprised. "Then what pills do you have left? Let's have a proper talk about it in the back room."

Every sentence he spoke mentioned the back room. It was clear he already knew Li Banfeng was hiding there.

At this rate, Shopkeeper Feng wouldn't be able to hold out much longer.

In the back room, Li Banfeng heard everything clearly through the Threaded Earring.

He stored all the canned food, rations, and biscuits into his Pocket Dwelling, then tossed the key out the window.

At the front of the shop, Shopkeeper Feng's expression darkened and his smile faded. "Sir, we are out of pills. Please come back another day."

"You don't have any pills? Shopkeeper Feng, surely you haven't given them all away?"

Shopkeeper Feng replied with a faint smile. "That's not something you should be asking as It's none of your business."

Daboinsky shook his head. "Now, that hardly sounds sincere, does it? I think I'll have a look in the back myself, just to see whether there truly aren't any pills left."

As Daboinsky spoke, he stepped around the counter and started toward the back room.

Chun Sheng moved to block his way. "What do you think you are doing? Did anyone invite you into the back room? Do you think you can just barge through?"

Daboinsky chuckled. "Easy there, little brother. Are you trying to pick a fight with me?"

"So what if I am? You think I'm afraid of you, you fake foreign devil?!" Chun Sheng shouted, glaring as he grabbed the feather duster beside him.

Anyone else would have laughed and mocked that Chun Sheng was biting off more than he could chew. However, Daboinsky didn't laugh. Even though Chun Sheng had only picked up a feather duster, Daboinsky saw that the way he moved was far from ordinary.

Daboinsky immediately figured it out and remarked, "So, you're a Martial Cultivator."

Chun Sheng was indeed a Martial Cultivator. All Martial Cultivators could skillfully wield any weapon and could make the most out of even something as simple as a feather duster.

A feather duster's main striking power lay in its wooden handle, which could thrust, sweep, or lash out. However, that didn't mean the feathers were without use.

The colorful feathers could throw off an opponent's sight. And if the duster had been used for years, the dust gathered in its feathers could sting an enemy's eyes once scattered through the air.

Standing nearby, Shopkeeper Feng said evenly, "As the saying goes, business may fail, but goodwill remains. I'll keep an eye out for your pills, so there's no need to spoil our harmony over something so small."

There was nothing special with what Shopkeeper Feng said. They were mere simple words, yet Daboinsky found them rather persuasive.

He couldn't help but wonder,

Did this shopkeeper just use the Lotus-Spitting Technique?

"Shopkeeper," Daboinsky asked, "are you, by chance, a literary cultivator?"

Shopkeeper Feng smiled. "Let's just say I am."

Unable to determine Shopkeeper Feng's Daoist path, Daboinsky gave a nod and praised. "A humble shop indeed, yet full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers."

The tension between them was on the verge of breaking into a fight when Daboinsky's eyes flickered. A moment later, he changed his mind. "My sincerest apologies. My friend is in rather urgent need of the medicine, and I may have spoken rashly. Do forgive my impatience. I shall take my leave for now..."

With that, Daboinsky backed out of the shop. As soon as he was gone, Shopkeeper Feng told Chun Sheng to lock up and check the back room for Li Banfeng.

However, Li Banfeng was already gone. The window in the back room was open, as if he had escaped through there. Yet the window had iron bars, and Shopkeeper Feng had no idea how Li Banfeng had managed to get out.

***

Li Banfeng tossed the key out the window and slipped into his Pocket Dwelling. The next moment, he emerged in a narrow alley and took off running, intent on getting out of the Inner Gully as fast as possible.

Just as he reached the end of Memorial Arch Street, a strange sensation crept over him.

It was faint but unmistakable. Something was following him. It felt like a thread drifting in the air, trailing close behind.

Could it be...

It's spider silk!

Alarm shot through Li Banfeng. He spun around and tore at the strand, but it was already too late.

A faint harmonica tune sounded by his ear. Daboinsky had caught up.

He had already set up spider silk traps around Feng's General Store. He only left the store because he sensed the vibration. If not, he would have chosen to barge into the back room. Even if Shopkeeper Feng and Chun Sheng had fought him together, they would never have stood a chance.

"I found it rather odd that a mere general store should carry so many high-grade pills," Daboinsky said. "Then I heard that someone from the Outer Provinces often came by to make purchases, and you were the first person who came to mind. I waited near the shop for two days, and at last, you appeared. That, my friend, is what I call the art of detection.

"Li Banfeng, my friend, I know your name now. We have crossed paths before, though I daresay you might not recall it. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am the private investigator Daboinsky.

"I once told you that the thread of fate binding us would not so easily be severed. We could have met properly at the new lands of Mount River Moon, though I hardly expected you to lure Madam Bagworm in my direction.

"That day, I suffered greatly. I assure you. You cannot imagine the suffering I endured. But do not trouble yourself, for every agony I faced that night, you shall soon come to know yourself."

"Why don't you tell me what happened that night? I'm very curious," said Li Banfeng, looking for an opening to escape. But suddenly, he sensed danger closing in from all sides.

Daboinsky gave a soft chuckle. "Ah, a Wanderlust Cultivator, are you? You can sense danger, can't you? Excellent. Do run along, then. The place is quite overrun with spider webs. If you should entangle yourself in one, that would save me a good deal of effort."

As soon as Daboinsky finished speaking, he flicked his wrist, and two strands of silk shot out from his sleeves like lightning.

Li Banfeng moved on instinct, twisting aside to evade one strand, only for another to follow immediately. Within moments, he was forced back into a corner.

The sheer difference in strength left him struggling to breathe.

Though Daboinsky's cultivation remained hidden, he made no effort to restrain the malice seeping from him. Li Banfeng could feel it in the air, heavy and suffocating. He realized that he didn't stand a chance.

Daboinsky's lips curved faintly as he bared two sharp fangs. He stepped closer and said, "Do stop this futile struggle. Every thread has been drawn tight. There is, quite simply, nowhere left to run."

What should I do? Should I lure him into the Pocket Dwelling? But can Wifey defeat him? Even if she can, what if he refused to go in?

Daboinsky was not an opponent Li Banfeng could control or outwit. If he failed to lure him inside and Daboinsky seized the key instead, Li Banfeng would be trapped forever within his own Pocket Dwelling.

Li Banfeng brushed his fingers against the Tang saber at his waist. He took a steadying breath and readied himself to gamble everything on whether his blade could sever the spider silk.

Just then, a man's voice came from nearby.

"Sir, you told me to visit Andetang Trading House. I went there, but their physician was completely useless. He couldn't cure my herpes at all."

Daboinsky froze and turned around to see the foreigner from earlier, the one covered in rashes.

The foreigner's name was Cedric.

With a faint, courteous smile, Cedric said, "You gave me the wrong directions, and I have suffered rather dearly for it. As compensation, perhaps you will hand this man over to me."