Ten Li Territory

"My lord, have just one more bite!"

Li Banfeng opened his mouth with difficulty.

A piece of beef was inserted into the needle and fed into Li Banfeng's mouth.

After lying in his Portable Abode for two days, Li Banfeng was able to get out of bed and walk around with difficulty.

This is the advantage of House Cultivator; once you return to your own home, the recovery ability of House Cultivator far surpasses that of other Daoist sects.

The record player was in even better condition than Li Banfeng; after two days, it was almost back to normal.

"My lord, don't move, Little Slave me wipe your body."

"My lord, bear the pain, Little Slave will clean your wound."

"My lord, don't be in a hurry. I will go and wash Little Slave in a moment. I will serve you warmly and wash you thoroughly."

"My lord, just one more bite, just one more bite, Little Slave 'll sing you a song."

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "I don't want to listen to music, I want to get Machine Oil."

"My lord, you haven't fully recovered yet, how can you apply the Machine Oil?"

"Oil brush".

"What's the point of an oil brush? Once you're better, you can use whatever you want. Little Slave 'll do whatever you want. Come on, have another bite."

Li Banfeng glanced at Red Lotus on the ground, frowned slightly, and said, "I want to send her to the Fifth Chamber."

"Why send Fifth Chamber?"

"Looking at her makes me feel uncomfortable."

Clang clang~

The record player chuckled and said, "Why bother with her, husband? I think it's fine to leave her here. Let this wretched woman watch over us. Husband, come on, have another bite."

Copper Lotus really wanted to spit on them.

But considering the condition of the record player, I decided to put up with it.

The record player is in excellent condition; she's been in better condition than ever since she entered the Portable Abode!

After resting for another half day, Li Banfeng was about to go out.

The record player protested, "Husband, your injury hasn't healed yet, what are you doing going out?"

I want to go out for some fresh air.

The record player playfully complained, "Honestly, a proper House Cultivator can stay at home for a year or two, and you can't even stand it for two days?"

Li Banfeng scratched at the computer case, saying, "I'm an unconventional House Cultivator. I'm with my Wife every day, so I can't be serious!"

The Wife laughed so hard she trembled, Li Banfeng took the opportunity to slip out of the room.

Watching Li Banfeng's retreating figure, Red Lotus spat.

Whew~

A wave of steam swept in, turning the Copper Lotus red-hot.

Red Lotus looked at the record player and angrily said, "You Wicked Woman, don't repay kindness with enmity!"

The record player laughed, "You wretch, our feud has only grown stronger. Now that your husband's gone, let's have a good chat."

Li Banfeng took a deep breath in the wilderness.

He was Travel Cultivator, and he had enough time to spare, but he couldn't change his traveler's nature.

Of course, there are even more important things.

He lost two magical artifacts in the valley: the Judge's Brush and the Calendar Tablet.

The chances of finding them are slim, but we should still go and take a look. These two magical treasures made great contributions in the battle against the Qiu Luoye. As long as they haven't been picked up by others, there is still hope of finding them with the help of the Thread-Pulling Earring.

Before that, he had to go to the Land Block.

There is something even more important than the magic weapon.

Ma Wu is still looking for Li Banfeng; he's going crazy with worry.

From the canyon to the Land Block, it's just this short stretch of road. He has to search for it seven or eight times a day. Shui Yongquan has told Ma Wu many times that Li Banfeng is not here, but Ma Wu just doesn't believe it.

That evening, Shui Yongquan arrived at Ma Wu's residence and discussed the matter of the Ten Li Territory with Ma Wu.

"I made a contract with Li Qi back then, saying that if we won the war, I would give you a territory of ten square miles. Now Li Qi is nowhere to be found, so you can take this territory for him for now."

Ma Wu shook his head and said, "This matter is not urgent. Let's wait for Seventh Brother to come back before we talk about it."

"You're not in a hurry, but I am. What's stipulated in the contract is the most important thing to me. You should hurry up and choose the Land Block."

"I can't make that decision myself; we'll have to wait for Seventh Brother to come back."

"Brother Ma Wu, let me remind you, when I signed the contract with Li Qi, I made it clear that if he didn't choose Land Block within two days, I would choose one for him. I'm only asking you out because I'm giving you face."

Ma Wu grew impatient. "Asking me about this is useless. It's Seventh Brother's land, and he has to make the Seventh Brother himself. Chuanzi, see the guest out!"

Shui Yongquan laughed, and his figure disappeared.

Ma Wu sat in the wooden house, drinking his sorrows away.

He didn't care about the location; he just wanted to find Li Qi.

After finishing one glass of wine, Li Banfeng poured him another.

Ma Wu took a sip, put down his glass, and stared at Li Banfeng for a long time.

Li Banfeng was still wearing a black suit and a top hat, the brim pulled down high because his face was covered in bandages.

Tears welled up in Ma Wu's eyes. "Where the hell have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you!"

Li Banfeng pointed to his bandages. "I'm going to recuperate."

"Didn't I bring you back to recover from your injuries? Why are you running away!"

Li Banfeng smiled and said, "It's not that I ran away. A master doctor rescued me halfway through. If it weren't for his superb medical skills, I wouldn't have recovered so quickly."

"Who is this expert?"

Li Banfeng shook his head. "That expert is unwilling to reveal his name, and I cannot mention it casually."

Since Li Qi had said that, Ma Wu wouldn't ask any more questions; this was an unspoken understanding between the two.

After drinking a cup of wine, Ma Wu's emotions calmed down a bit. Li Banfeng said, "I have two magic treasures that I dropped in the valley. I'll ask a few brothers to come with me to look for them."

"No need to look anymore," Ma Wu said, taking out the Judge's Brush and the calendar. "Shui Yongquan found them for you, and he even moved the Water Falling Gate over. I'll have someone deliver them to your Land Block in a bit."

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "Although he is cunning, Shui Yongquan is a man of his word."

Ma Wu agreed with this, "He just came to see me to discuss the ten-mile Land Block of land. I told him to wait until you come back before we talk about it."

Upon hearing Ma Wu bring it up, Li Banfeng suddenly remembered the matter. "We can't talk about it anymore! Why didn't you choose it?"

Ma Wu shrugged. "Your land isn't suitable for me."

"Why are you fussing over this? Won't it cause problems? I made an agreement with him that we'd have two days to choose Land Block. If I don't choose, he'll choose one for me."

Li Banfeng quickly instructed Chuanzi to prepare an offering table. Once the incense, candles, and offerings were placed on it, the figure of Shui Yongquan reappeared.

"Brother Li Qi, you're back."

Li Banfeng nodded. "I'm back. I came back specifically to choose Land Block."

Shui Yongquan laughed and said, "No need to choose, I've chosen for you."

Li Banfeng glared at Ma Wu, took a deep breath, and chuckled dryly, saying, "You didn't choose the swamp for me, did you?"

Shui Yongquan frowned. "Am I that kind of person? I've chosen a prime Land Block for you, come with me."

Li Banfeng turned to Ma Wu and said, "This land belongs to you, half of it. Come with me."

Ma Wu shook his head repeatedly. "This is not appropriate."

"Stop talking nonsense, come on over."

The two followed the Shui Yongquan all the way to the canyon. Li Banfeng said, "You didn't give me this ten-mile canyon, did you? This doesn't even cover ten miles."

"Don't rush, it's still early."

After passing through the canyon, Li Banfeng said, "We've reached the Qiu Luoye's Territory."

Shui Yongquan laughed and said, "This used to be the Qiu Luoye's Territory, but now it belongs to me."

After leaving the canyon and walking twenty miles, Shui Yongquan stopped and said to Li Banfeng, "From this place, ten miles to the east and ten miles to the south, this will all be your territory."

Li Banfeng walked around and thought this place was really nice.

There are flat lands, woods, a not-too-high hill, and a lake about three miles in circumference.

"The lake water is undrinkable, it's poisonous, but the fish and shrimp in the lake are edible," Shui Yongquan said, looking at Li Banfeng. "Brother Li Qi, isn't the place I picked for you good?"

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "It's not bad, but is all of this your territory?"

Shui Yongquan curled his lip and said, "Of course it's my territory. Would I lie to you about this? Look at the fish in this lake. One net can catch more than ten pounds. You can eat as much as you want."

Ma Wu thought for a moment and asked, "I remember you said you'd give Qiu Luoye thirty square miles of land as compensation, you were referring to this land, weren't you?"

"It's here," Shui Yongquan pointed to the lake and continued, "There are not only fish here, but also shrimp. These shrimp are really fresh. I've eaten them a few times, and just thinking about the taste makes them so delicious."

Ma Wu then asked, "Where is the boundary between you and the Qiu Luoye?"

"It's over there! Let me tell you, not only are the shrimp delicious, but there are also crabs here. The lake water is salty, and the lake crabs taste even fresher than sea crabs!"

Li Banfeng said, "Manager Shui, you didn't actually place our Land Block on the border between your two households, did you?"

This topic can't be avoided.

It takes about 20 miles to walk out of the canyon to reach the 10-mile Land Block near Li Banfeng.

If you walk another ten miles, it will be thirty miles, and you will reach the boundary between the Shui Yongquan and the Qiu Luoye!

Shui Yongquan had no choice but to say frankly, "It's on the border between our two families, but it's all my territory. What I did didn't violate the contract."

Li Banfeng said, "The Land Block is on the border. Wouldn't we become your gatekeepers? If you start fighting with Qiu Luoye again, wouldn't we be the first to go to war?"

Shui Yongquan pressed his palm down and said, "Brother Li Qi, don't be anxious, don't get angry. Qiu Daxiang and I have already discussed it, and we won't fight anymore."

Li Banfeng said, "If you're not going to fight anymore, why are you still making us guard the gate?"

Looking at the calm lake Shui Yongquan said, "This place is my place, and it's a good place. I haven't broken the contract, nor have I violated our friendship. Brother Li Qi, you shouldn't be so picky about this."

What he said makes perfect sense.

Li Banfeng walked along the lake for a while, then realized the problem. "Are you afraid that someone else will come to clear land on the border between our two families?"

The Shui Yongquan without making a sound.

Ma Wu understood Li Qi's meaning. "Boss Shui, you and Manager Qiu have discussed things and agreed to no longer have conflicts."

But you know Manager Qiu's temper, and you're afraid that if someone provokes you on the border, Manager Qiu will cause trouble again. So you deliberately chose the Seventh Brother's Land Block on the border.

Li Banfeng sneered, "In the end, we're still just guarding the gate."

Shui Yongquan didn't argue further. He looked at Li Banfeng and said, "So, it seems you don't want this land?"

Don't want it?

Can you replace the Shui Yongquan with a new one?

Of course not.

If Li Banfeng says he doesn't want it, it means he's giving up the land.

"I'll reluctantly take this land, but since you've asked us to guard the gate, shouldn't we at least get some compensation?"

Shui Yongquan rubbed his chin, knowing Li Banfeng wasn't so easily dealt with. "Tell me, what's the reward?"

Can a piece of land have two owners?

Shui Yongquan looked at Ma Wu, and he understood what Li Qi meant.

Having another owner on a piece of land is not just a matter of name; it means that whether Li Banfeng sheds blood or Ma Wu sheds blood, the Local Earth God must step in to protect them.

Li Banfeng said, "Actually, you're not at a loss. We help you guard the gate, and you help us settle things. It's only fair."

"Of course," Shui Yongquan scoffed. "If a hundred people suddenly appeared to own this Land Block, wouldn't I have to be at their beck and call every time? What do you take me for?"

Li Banfeng said, "There aren't a hundred people, just the two of us."

"Alright, let's draw up a contract and shed blood!" Shui Yongquan agreed.

Whatever you do, a deed must be drawn up at the Shui Yongquan for it to be valid.

The three men drew up a contract, and Li Banfeng and Ma Wu shed blood, thus settling the matter of the Land Block.

Ma Wu always felt he had taken advantage of Li Banfeng and felt very guilty.

Li Banfeng didn't think Ma Wu had gotten the better deal.

Without Ma Wu's assistance, Li Banfeng wouldn't have been able to hold out in the valley until the end.

Without Ma Wu managing it, this land will be useless in Li Banfeng's hands.

This is truly a wonderful place, with lush forests ensuring a supply of timber, expansive flat land providing space, and a salt lake offering food resources.

This is an excellent base. Ma Wu can recruit hunters to hunt nearby, collect the goods directly, and then transport them out in bulk.

Some special prey can be raised in this area.

If we hire someone to Farming Cultivator, we can grow many good things on this plot.

Ma Wu left his mark in various places, preparing for a big undertaking.

"Seventh Brother, from now on, the income from this land will be split 30/70, you get 70% and I get 30%."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "Splitting it in half! Stop with the nonsense!"

Give three parts of the benefit, and you'll put in three parts of the effort.

If you have five parts benefit, exert ten parts effort.

This place contains not only friendship, but also human nature.

Without hesitation, Ma Wu acted quickly, and the next day he had Chuanzi gather people, and the first batch of wooden houses was built in three days.

The largest wooden hut serves as the council hall, where guests can be received and important matters can be discussed.

Knowing that Li Banfeng loved listening to music, Ma Wu specially bought a new record player from Ling Miaosheng's record player shop.

This is also a windmill phonograph, almost identical to the one in Blue Poplar Village.

Li Banfeng picked up a record to test the sound quality. The record player was of excellent quality, but to Li Banfeng, it always sounded far inferior to his Wife's.

Ma Wu brought up the matter of the Water Falling Gate: "That Spiritual Object is still with me. Should I move it to this plot of land, or to your original Land Block?"

"Keep it, it's a gift."

Ma Wu waved his hands repeatedly, "No, I can't take advantage of you anymore!"

"I told you, don't hold it against me anymore, just keep it."

The Water Falling Gate is a good thing, but for Li Banfeng, it is too bulky and cannot be carried into his Portable Abode. It is unsuitable for both House Cultivator and Travel Cultivator.

It was quite suitable for Ma Wu, as he had three Bagworm Moth Madam who were excellent helpers at the gate.

The two listened to music and chatted idly when Chuanzi walked into the hall and said, "Someone has come to clear the land."

Li Banfeng put down his wine glass and said, "To cultivate our territory?"

"It's not our territory, but it's very close by."

Ma Wu frowned and said, "Someone's really here to cause trouble? Seventh Brother, you rest first, I'll go take a look."

Li Banfeng and Ma Wu are both skilled at investigation, but their methods are different.

Li Banfeng habitually used his talent for House Cultivator to subtly approach the other party and observe them in secret.

Ma Wu is used to directly talking to the other party, using his experience and knowledge to probe openly.

Walking along the lake and out of the woods, Ma Wu saw two people setting up an offering table.

The other party did not set up the offering table on the border line; the offering table was located on the ground where Qiu Luoye.

This reduces a lot of disputes.

Ma Wu breathed a slight sigh of relief and walked directly to the offering table.

There was only one bottle of wine on the table, which meant it was about a mile away.

Smelling the aroma of aged wine and observing the placement of the offering table, this arrangement is most likely to attract the attention of the Local Earth God.

Ma Wu exclaimed in admiration, "A true expert!"

One of them looked up and laughed, "This is our first time here too. We asked the experts for advice beforehand, but we don't know if this method will work."

The other person kept his head down and remained silent.

Ma Wu glanced at the man. He was wearing a gray short jacket and a felt hat, so he couldn't see the face clearly, but the figure seemed familiar.

He took another sniff; the person had a unique fragrance.

It has a powdery smell.

The other party had washed it many times, but Ma Wu could still smell the lingering odor.

This smell was very appealing to Joy Cultivator.

After a few casual words, Ma Wu returned to the wooden house.

Li Banfeng asked, "Have you found out where it came from?"

Ma Wu shook his head. "I didn't check their origins. They cleared land in Qiu Luoye's territory, but it's really close to us."

"It's fine if it's close by, as long as it's not on the border."

Ma Wu shook his head slightly. "But it's like I'm seeing an old friend."

"Which old friend?"

"Speaking of this old friend, you know him too."

Li Banfeng was very curious about what kind of old friends he and Ma Wu knew.

He took a sip of his drink and waited for Ma Wu to say the man's name.

Ma Wu looked up at Li Banfeng and said, "That person looks like Lu Xiaolan!"

Glug!

Li Banfeng swallowed the wine and coughed several times in succession.

PS: Does Lu Xiaolan dare to come looking for Li Banfeng?

Does she not want to live anymore?