Orange Garden

Fueled by guilt, Li Banfeng took advantage of her and slept with her for a night. The next morning, Li Banfeng went to the Orange Garden again.

Li Banfeng wandered around the Orange Garden for half a day, but still hadn't made a single harvest by noon.

He was hungry, but didn't want to eat canned food, so he simply climbed the tree, picked two oranges, and ate them right there under the tree.

A 50-centimeter-long orange is bigger than a grapefruit, yet its peel is soft and thin.

Peeling back the orange, each large, plump segment exudes a unique fragrance. Li Banfeng, with his keen sense of smell, couldn't resist the temptation, picked up an orange segment, and took a bite.

The sweet and slightly sour orange juice flooded my mouth, and whether it was 90% sweet or 10% sour, it stimulated every taste bud.

The originally refreshing aroma wafted down his throat and into his nasal cavity. Once he took a bite, Li Banfeng couldn't stop eating.

In Outer State, he was a poor man who had never eaten anything good in his life.

But in Blue Poplar Village, he lived a very comfortable life and had tasted many delicacies, none of which could compare to these oranges.

Why do these oranges smell so good?

Grease!

It contains grease!

It's not the greasy fat from animals, but the semi-solidified fat that's dissolved in the orange juice.

The fat flows through the mouth along with the orange juice, and the tongue can capture the delicate texture. However, the orange juice does not linger for long, sliding down the esophagus along with the solidified fat and into the stomach.

No, I haven't had enough yet.

Li Banfeng picked up another orange segment and slurped it down.

Two large oranges were devoured in the blink of an eye, leaving Li Banfeng with a round, full belly.

He collected the orange peels.

He didn't really want the orange peels; he wasn't short of money. Besides, orange peels were very thin, and the peels from two oranges wouldn't even weigh a pound.

But Li Banfeng remembered the old hunter's instructions: try not to waste anything in this Orange Garden.

Such good oranges really shouldn't be wasted. Li Banfeng even carefully buried the orange seeds in the soil.

The aroma of oranges from the tree whetted Li Banfeng's appetite once again.

I can't eat anymore, or my stomach will burst.

He was having a fierce internal struggle when he suddenly smelled a hint of cooking amidst the scent of oranges.

Where is this smoke smell coming from?

On the east side of the orange grove, an elderly man in his Huajia was tied to an orange tree, while two young men waved torches in front of him.

"You old codger, you're practically a coffin inside, what are you doing causing trouble?"

The old man gritted his teeth and said, "Aren't you afraid of retribution for doing such things?"

"What did we do? We didn't cut down any trees, nor did we ruin any oranges. What rule did we break?"

Li Banfeng was also curious, so he stood behind the two young men and listened quietly.

Yes, what rule did they break?

The old man gritted his teeth and said, "You burned the trees! You burned all those trees to death!"

A young man grinned and said, "What does it matter to you if we burn trees? Why don't we burn you instead?"

Another young man smiled and waved the torch at the old man's face again.

Li Banfeng asked, "Why are you burning the trees?"

The two young men were startled, realizing that someone was behind them.

A young man drew a dagger and shouted, "Who are you?"

Li Banfeng frowned and said, "I asked first, why are you burning trees?"

Without saying a word, the two young men, wielding short knives, charged at Li Banfeng from the left and right.

They have a good understanding; you can tell they've been working together for a while.

He wielded the short sword with exceptional skill, suggesting he was a martial arts practitioner, at least at the first or second level of cultivation.

It must have been quite an achievement for those two to get to the Orange Garden; they must have consulted someone beforehand for directions.

But how did they cross the Iron Wire River? This made Li Banfeng quite curious.

Li Banfeng took a step to the left, swung his sickle and slashed one of the men's necks. Then he took a step to the right, came to another young man, and hooked the sickle into his chest.

"Don't move, or I'll rip your heart out!"

The knife tip was almost touching his heart, but the young man didn't move.

Li Banfeng said expressionlessly, "I'll ask you one more time, why did you burn the trees?"

The young man, panting heavily, said, "We're here to catch weevils. They're all inside the tree trunks, so they're hard to catch. We'll use fire to force them out."

Li Banfeng looked around and saw that more than a dozen orange trees were charred and burned. The old man said with tears in his eyes, "They have ruined these trees."

The oranges on the tree are still there, and Li Banfeng can still smell their fragrance.

Such a beautiful orange tree, and it's dead.

Li Banfeng looked at the young man, frowned, and asked, "These oranges are so good, and you're just wasting them like this?"

"We're here to catch weevils! These bugs are so slippery. The two of us brothers can catch thirty to fifty a day, and by setting fire to the trees, we can catch over a hundred a day! We went through so much trouble to get here, we just want to catch as many as possible to take back, so we can make our money back!"

Li Banfeng said, "If you're slow to catch them, we can catch them for a few more days. Anyway, we'll have oranges to eat. If you keep ruining them like this, this Orange Garden will be extinct in just a few days."

The young man, gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, said, "Side by side, step wider, don't cut off the path. Don't you know which line I skate on? I'm from Blue Poplar Village, and the Fifth Young Master of the Ma family is my head manager. You dare touch me? Have you thought about the consequences?"

"You're from Blue Poplar Village?" Li Banfeng asked in surprise. "I knew it! We're all brothers here. Come on, let's find somewhere else to chat."

The man whose throat had been slit wasn't quite dead yet, so Li Banfeng took him along and went to a distance, making sure to avoid the old man's sight. He then threw both of them into Portable Abode.

This time, the Wife didn't hold back; before Li Banfeng could close the door, she had already started eating.

Returning to the old man's side, Li Banfeng untied the ropes.

The old man stood up, stretched his limbs, and asked, "Where are those two young men?"

Li Banfeng said, "They went home. I told them to reflect on their actions and promise not to do it again."

The old man sighed, seemingly understanding Li Banfeng's meaning, and walked to the burned orange trees, touching the charred bark.

"These beasts, what a terrible thing they've done! You're from Beggar Bay too?"

Beggar Bay?

What place is that?

"I come from Green Water Bay."

The old man smiled upon hearing this, "Green Water Bay is what you call it. When I was young, it was Beggar Bay, and there were beggars everywhere there."

"Old man, you must have the wrong place," Li Banfeng blinked. "Green Water Bay is full of rich people."

The old man gently stroked the tree bark, seemingly recalling past events. "When I was young, there was a beggar in Beggar Bay who contracted a strange disease from somewhere. He developed boils all over his body, which first oozed white pus, then red pus, and finally the pus turned green."

At that time, apart from beggars, the rest of the people in Beggar Bay were all poor. Being able to get a full meal was considered lucky, and if they fell ill, they certainly wouldn't have the money for treatment.

The beggar's illness was terrifying; his entire body was covered in green pus, and no one dared to get too close to him. No one would give him food, and even if he scavenged for scraps in the gutter, people would still throw stones at him.

Even at this point, he still can't die; he just keeps living like a ghost, neither human nor spirit.

A beggar oozing green pus!

Li Banfeng had seen this person before.

He heard that person's voice again. "Have pity on me."

"Young man, what are you thinking about?"

Taken aback, Li Banfeng replied, "He's still alive? He's got a pretty tough life."

"Hard! Really hard! Because his cultivation level is high enough."

"What sect does he belong to, and what level of cultivation is he at?"

"His Daoist school was created by himself, and no one else can explain it clearly, nor does anyone know how many levels it has. It's a pity that he fell ill and can't use any of his skills."

One day, it was snowing heavily, and he was starving. He begged for food along the street, but no one gave him any.

He starved to death. On the day he died, many people in Beggar Bay contracted a strange illness. They first developed rashes, which then broke open and turned into pustules. The pustules began to ooze white pus, which turned greenish pus after a few days.

The green pus oozing out for several days caused the disease and death among those infected. Those around them also began to develop rashes, which soon returned to oozing green pus.

People died one after another, until almost everyone in Beggar Bay was wiped out. From then on, Beggar Bay became Green Water Bay.

Li Banfeng grew increasingly frightened as he listened. He carefully examined the old man before him and cautiously asked, "When did this happen?"

The old man shook his head and said, "Many years ago, but I don't remember exactly how many years ago."

"Have you been to Beggar Bay?"

The old man smiled and said, "How can you say I've been there? I'm from Beggar Bay. I came to this new place to escape that great disaster."

Green Water Bay was originally Beggar Bay.

It all started with a beggar who was oozing green pus.

The name Medicine King Gully comes from the Medicine King.

The name Green Water Bay comes from beggars.

So this beggar is the owner of Green Water Bay?

Li Banfeng had never heard anyone mention this before.

The person in front of me, the old man, and the beggar oozing green pus are from the same generation.

How old is he?

Anyone who comes to the Tangerine Forest and damages the orange trees will die.

Is it related to this old man?

Is this old man the owner of the Orange Garden?

"Old man, have you always lived in this Orange Garden? And never returned to Green Water Bay?" Li Banfeng opened his Golden Eyes Autumn Down, wanting to know whether this old man was a human or a ghost.

There was no ghostly fire on the old man; he must be a human.

The old man nodded and said, "I dare not go back. Although that beggar is dead, I heard that his spirit is still alive. Every now and then, he comes out with a bowl and begs for food."

If three people give him alms, the matter will be over; if no three people give him alms, he will bring down calamity, the same calamity that befell him at the end of his life.

Li Banfeng felt a chill run down his spine. He had given the beggar a few steamed buns, which could be considered charity.

Little Chuanzi gave the beggar two eggs, which could be considered charity.

Has anyone else given him alms?

In Blue Poplar Village, where the people are so honest and kind, would anyone give alms to a beggar? Especially a beggar covered in green pus!

Green Water Bay is this beggar's territory, so why did he choose to beg in Blue Poplar Village?

Did he deliberately want to bring disaster upon us?

Did he deliberately destroy his own territory?

Is a plague about to break out in Blue Poplar Village?

So much time has passed, and there seems to be no further development...

As his thoughts raced, the old man suddenly asked, "Young man, were you burying seeds in the soil just now?"

Li Banfeng was taken aback, but he didn't lie and answered truthfully, "Yes."

The old man nodded and asked, "What brings you to the Orange Garden? Do you want orange peels, Tangerine Maggot, or something else?"

Li Banfeng replied, "I wanted to eat oranges."

The old man shook his head and smiled, "Young man, tell the truth. You must tell the truth in front of me."

Li Banfeng answered truthfully, "If I come here again next time, it will definitely be to eat oranges, because the oranges here are just too delicious."

The old man nodded, trusting Li Banfeng: "So, what brings you here this time?"

"I came here to find Blue Leaf Poplar."

"What do you want with Blue Leaf Poplar? To forge weapons?"

"No, that's not it. I want Blue Leaf Poplar medicine." Li Banfeng simply told the truth, because he felt that any lie he told would be seen through by the old man.

The old man pondered for a while before saying, "You want to use the Blue Leaf Poplar to neutralize the Pill Poison, right?"

Li Banfeng nodded.

The old man sighed, "Don't even think about it. The toxicity of the Blue Leaf Poplar can indeed counteract the Pill Poison, but over the years, no one has successfully refined it, not even the Medicine Royal Capital of Medicine King Gully."

You're a fine young man, but never risk your life for this. If Blue Leaf Poplar ingests it, you'll surely die.

P. S.: I think in this situation, we should listen to Copper Lotus.