Fire and Water at Odds

The campfirelight shone on Li Banfeng's face as he slowly opened his eyes.

The Peddler's face suddenly appeared close by. With a deeply concerned smile, he gazed at Li Banfeng.

"You're awake? Come, have a bowl of Fruit Dew to lift your spirits."

Fruit Dew was a kind of old-fashioned beverage. It looked like fruit juice, but in truth had nothing to do with fruit juice—it was a drink mixed from coloring and saccharin.

This bowl was orange-flavored.

Li Banfeng's mouth was dry and bitter. Having a bowl of something to drink was not bad at all.

Li Banfeng drained the Fruit Dew. When he asked about entering the Dao, the Peddler's smile brimmed with sincerity. "Congratulations, young man. You have escaped the threat of heavenly light and become a cultivator—what Outer State people call a Dark Energy User."

Why did the Peddler sound so strange?

His tone carried an official formality, while the streetwise air from before had vanished.

Li Banfeng asked again, "Which Dao path did I enter?"

"Didn't you want to become a Travel Cultivator? That wish has come true!" The Peddler poured Li Banfeng another bowl of Fruit Dew.

"That's good." Li Banfeng lifted the Fruit Dew and took a large gulp. This bowl was pineapple-flavored, the golden drink carrying pineapple's distinctive rich aroma.

At the sight of that golden color, Li Banfeng recalled what he had seen before passing out. He had seen golden medicinal powder mixed with faint cyan-blue halos.

"Only a Travel Cultivator?" Li Banfeng scrutinized the Peddler again.

The Peddler's smile remained sincere. "You just asked another customer whether it was possible to cultivate two Dao paths at once. Let me answer that for him—it is possible to cultivate two Dao paths concurrently!"

Sure enough!

Something really had gone wrong!

Li Banfeng asked, "Which two Dao paths am I cultivating?"

After pondering for a long while, the Peddler said, "Travel Cultivator and House Cultivator."

The blue powder was for Travel Cultivators.

The golden powder was for House Cultivators.

Li Banfeng stood blankly for a long time before asking, "How am I supposed to cultivate House Cultivator and Travel Cultivator at the same time?"

The contradiction between these two Dao paths was clearly as irreconcilable as fire and water.

The Peddler patiently explained, "That customer just said cultivating two Dao paths would make it difficult to achieve anything. I believe that idea is incorrect.

"If one person cultivates two Dao paths, then at the same level, his combat strength should be greater than that of a cultivator with only one Dao path.

"Even if he is a level below his opponent, he can still contend with that opponent through the methods of two Dao paths.

"Isn't that an advantage? Isn't that potential? I believe the future of dual cultivators is bright!"

Li Banfeng nodded. "I think it's bright too. So, how exactly do House Cultivator and Travel Cultivator cultivate together?"

"Let's discuss House Cultivators first," the Peddler patiently explained. "Because of their special nature, House Cultivators can cultivate alongside many Dao paths, such as Watcher Cultivators.

"Watcher Cultivators excel at observation and tracking. If a House Cultivator also cultivates as a Watcher Cultivator, he can sit at home and investigate someone's whereabouts. Even if the matter is exposed, he remains very safe under the protection of the Home Spirit.

"Moreover, the Home Spirit can enhance a Watcher Cultivator's abilities, allowing him to pursue enemies from a thousand miles away, even ten thousand miles away, and even break through barriers.

"Therefore, House Cultivators are extremely suited for dual cultivation."

Li Banfeng nodded. "Extremely suited. So, how exactly do House Cultivators dual cultivate with Travel Cultivators?"

The Peddler continued, "Now let's look at Travel Cultivators. Travel Cultivators are also very suited for dual cultivation. Let's not go too far afield—take Manager Han of Hundred Life Medicine Shop in Medicine King Gully.

"Everyone in Medicine King Gully knows she is a Medicine Cultivator, but very few know Manager Han also cultivates as a Traveler.

"Crossing a thousand mountains and ten thousand waters, gathering countless rare treasures—only then did she build Hundred Life Medicine Shop into what it is today.

"Would you say Travelers are not suited for dual cultivation?"

"Suited, very suited," Li Banfeng agreed wholeheartedly. "So, how exactly do House Cultivators dual cultivate with Travel Cultivators?"

"House Cultivators and Travel Cultivators are both very suited for dual cultivation. Putting these two Dao paths together, wouldn't that be quite good as well..." The Peddler's voice grew softer and softer.

Li Banfeng asked very seriously, "What is good about it?"

"Listen while I make something up..." The Peddler wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Fine, I'm listening. Make it up." Li Banfeng remained perfectly serious.

After several minutes of silence, a cold gust of wind blew over, and sweat appeared on the Peddler's forehead. "I can't make anything up."

"And then?" Sweat appeared on Li Banfeng's forehead too.

Something enormous had gone wrong.

The Peddler forced out a smile, seemingly trying to comfort Li Banfeng. "House Cultivators and Travel Cultivators cannot dual cultivate. These two Dao paths are mortal enemies, but you can look on the bright side."

"What bright side?"

"The bright side is that you're still alive." The Peddler put away his smile. From this moment on, every word he said concerned Li Banfeng's life.

"House Cultivators and Travel Cultivators have nothing in common. Their traits severely counter one another. Logically, after using the medicinal powders of both paths, you should have died on the spot.

"But you have lived until now, proving that your constitution is somewhat special. Of course, this is mainly related to your exposure to heavenly light."

"What exactly is heavenly light?"

The Peddler shook his head. "This matter is too profound. I can't make you understand it."

"Take it slowly. Maybe I'll understand!" Li Banfeng had to figure out what had happened to him.

After thinking for a moment, the Peddler asked, "Do you know what dark matter is?"

"Of course I do."

Actually, Li Banfeng did not know. At humanity's current technological level, no one knew what kind of thing dark matter truly was.

But Li Banfeng had received higher education. At the very least, he had heard the term dark matter.

"You really know?" The Peddler confirmed once more.

Li Banfeng nodded. "I do. I received higher education."

"But I don't!" The Peddler puffed out his chest. "I don't know what dark matter is, so I can't explain this matter!"

Li Banfeng scratched the back of his head, feeling there was nothing wrong with that logic. "Then let's not talk about dark matter yet."

The Peddler continued, "What is called exposure to heavenly light is, in your Outer State terms, a dark-matter radiation stream.

"Dark matter is everywhere, but some dark matter is rather special. In Inner Nine Provinces terms, this is called an eruption of Dao Affinity.

"If Dao Affinity is absorbed by the correct method, it will not harm the body too severely. But when a Dao path erupts too violently, it is not something ordinary people can withstand.

"Once struck by an eruption, the body will quickly burst apart. The remaining Dao Affinity may continue harming others.

"So if you want to survive, you must enter the Dao as quickly as possible, using the medicinal catalyst for entering the Dao to channel the Dao Affinity in your body in a certain direction..."

The Peddler explained the workings of heavenly light in language as plain as possible, and Li Banfeng quickly grasped the essential point.

Dark Energy Users—the cultivators of this place—were actually superhumans who had mutated after special dark matter invaded their bodies.

Mutation was disorderly, and most likely fatal.

The Peddler's medicine could guide disorderly mutations into orderly ones.

For those who absorbed small, regular amounts of dark matter, like Ma Wu and Qin Xiaopang, the corrosion from mutation was relatively slow. Only when their mutation reached a certain degree could they use the Peddler's medicine and be guided into becoming Dark Energy Users.

But Li Banfeng had encountered a dark-matter radiation stream. Massive quantities of dark matter had corroded his body in a short time, putting him at direct risk of exploding where he stood, so it had to be guided immediately.

There were many types of medicine, guiding people in different directions and onto different paths, thus granting different supernatural abilities.

There was enough dark matter in Li Banfeng's body that he could choose any path. He could even barely manage to choose two similar paths at once.

But he had chosen two opposing paths.

But Li Banfeng had not chosen them!

Li Banfeng's eyes widened. "Where's Qiao Yuesheng—the bird-brained bastard who crashed into me just now? This was all his—"

The Peddler pointed to a straw mat beside him. "You mean him?"

Li Banfeng had never noticed the straw mat beside the Peddler. He had assumed it was wrapped around some miscellaneous items.

Now that the Peddler pointed at it, it seemed there was a person wrapped inside.

Li Banfeng said in astonishment, "That's Qiao Yuesheng?"

The Peddler nodded. "This matter began because of him. He has already given me sufficient compensation.

"And since you suffered an accident at my stall, I bear responsibility too, so I must also give you compensation. That is my duty in business.

"From your condition, you seem to have endured the initial threshold of entering the Dao. But your cultivation from here onward will be extremely difficult.

"By the traits of a Travel Cultivator, even if you seek no advancement in cultivation, you must walk at least twenty li every day.

"And by the traits of a House Cultivator, you must return home at least once every day and stay there for at least two hours."

Li Banfeng calculated the time. "That doesn't sound difficult!"

It truly did not sound difficult.

Go out for a walk when there was nothing to do. Twenty li was just a ten-kilometer jog.

Go home and sleep, or read novels and watch shows. Two hours could not be easier.

Looking at it that way, these two Dao paths did not conflict quite so severely.

The Peddler shook his head. "That is only the early stage of cultivation. Once you rise in level, the distance a Travel Cultivator must travel grows farther and farther, while the time a House Cultivator must remain at home grows longer and longer. Before long, the two will become incompatible.

"Moreover, after Travel Cultivators rise in level, they cannot keep staying in one place, while a house is fixed. House Cultivators cannot roam everywhere, so these two Dao paths are mortal enemies.

"Of course, that is a matter for later. We can think of a solution later. Right now, there is another difficult matter. To pass a trial and advance one level, a Travel Cultivator must spend a full day and night in a perilous place.

"That is troublesome. House Cultivators must return home every day. If they fail to return home for one day, they may die suddenly. How can you stay outside for an entire day and night?"

Li Banfeng blinked. "What counts as a perilous place?"

The Peddler stared at him in astonishment. "Didn't you go to school? You don't understand what a perilous place is? It is somewhere that can take your life at any moment."

"How is that defined? Sleeping in the middle of the road could get you run over by a car at any moment!"

The Peddler nodded. "That is actually quite a good idea. You can try going into the middle of the road. If your cultivation acknowledges it, you really can advance a level!"

"Cultivation can acknowledge things?"

"Why wouldn't it? Cultivation is now a part of you. You have perception, so naturally your cultivation has perception too. Have you decided to sleep in the road?"

"I was only saying..." Li Banfeng fell into thought.

House Cultivators had to return home every day.

But what about someone like me, someone with no home?

I never had a home to begin with. Which home am I supposed to return to?

Thinking of this, Li Banfeng asked directly, "I don't have a house right now. I had no home to return to in the first place. So even if I sleep rough outside now, that would not count as violating the House Cultivator's rules, right?"

The Peddler nodded. "That is true."

Li Banfeng smiled when he heard this. "Then isn't it easy? I'll first go to a dangerous place and endure one day and night. After becoming a Level One Travel Cultivator, I'll buy a house. Wouldn't that resolve the problem?"

The Peddler shook his head. "That won't work."

"Why not?"

"That would amount to abandoning House Cultivator. Dual cultivation means cultivating both paths. If you abandon one of them, you will lose your life."

Li Banfeng hurriedly said, "I haven't abandoned it. I'll cultivate Travel Cultivator first, then cultivate—"

"What use is saying it with your mouth?" The Peddler directly cut Li Banfeng off. "Cultivation is part of your body. Your actions represent your intentions.

"You cultivate Travel Cultivator to Level One, and your cultivation has already achieved modest success. Yet you do not even have a suitable house, and your House Cultivator path has not even gotten on the right track. Doesn't that amount to abandoning House Cultivator?"

"Isn't that a bit of a stretch? That isn't my intention!"

The Peddler shrugged. "There is no use telling me. If you don't believe it, you can try."

"Try... I can't try that." Li Banfeng sank into thought again, then gritted his teeth. "Then I just won't advance. I'll hold on like this until I think of a solution!"

"Like him?" The Peddler lifted the straw mat, revealing Qiao Yuesheng's mangled corpse.

Calling it mangled was already putting it mildly. It was just a lump of minced flesh.

If the Peddler had not said earlier that this was Qiao Yuesheng, Li Banfeng would never have recognized him.

"How did he become like this?"

The Peddler covered the corpse with the straw mat again. "He was a Dark Energy User, a Glutton—namely, a Food Cultivator.

"Compared to Travel Cultivators, Food Cultivators are not particularly fast runners. But as long as they are full, they are far faster than ordinary people.

"By Outer State rules, Dark Energy Users cannot participate in sports competitions. That counts as cheating. But this kid threw caution to the wind for fame and profit.

"Dark matter cannot be observed, so no one could discover his cultivation. But he was afraid someone would notice his abnormality.

"Food Cultivators must eat five jin of food every day. He feared exposing himself, so he did not dare eat, much less gain levels.

"He kept using his body's innate gifts, yet refused to cultivate through the proper methods. Just as you said, he held on like that. In the end, he held on until he became this.

"You cannot keep holding on forever. At least one of House Cultivator and Travel Cultivator must be cultivated to a level. If you delay too long, your fate is destined to be the same as his."

"Can I stop after cultivating to Level One?"

"No. Even if you have no ambition to improve, your daily foundational cultivation still cannot be neglected."

Li Banfeng looked at the straw mat wrapped around the corpse. "When does cultivation end?"

"There is no end." The Peddler shook his head. "From the moment you chose this road, you were destined to walk it for a lifetime."

Li Banfeng looked up at the Peddler. "Then tell me, how do I get through this trial?"

The Peddler looked back at Li Banfeng. "There are two paths. Choose one. The first is to settle down in a perilous place. I will provide you with a house."

PS: Thanks to Holding a Lamp to Birth and Slay Constellations!

Two updates today. There will be another at 5 PM.

(End of chapter)