Where Did the Corpse Go?

Qin Xiaopang looked at the Bald Head's corpse. The top of his skull was gone, and his brains were splattered everywhere. It was a bit nauseating. "Brother Li, why are you so ruthless? You always aim for the skull?"

Li Banfeng explained, "I'm soft-hearted. I can't bear to hit their vital points. The skull is hard, it can take a hit. If I hit them elsewhere, I'm afraid they'd be in pain."

Isn't the skull a vital point?

What kind of twisted logic is this?

Qin Xiaopang felt his comprehension wasn't high enough to understand Li Qi's thoughts. He looked at the two women lying in the woods. Cao Ye was crying, and You Tao's condition was unknown.

You Tao was still alive.

Cao Ye gave You Tao two pills, and You Tao gradually regained her ability to move.

She couldn't believe the scene before her eyes was real.

The Bald Head and his three subordinates, a total of four people, were taken care of by Bai Sha and the little fatty just like that?

How high was the cultivation of these two young men?

You Tao asked Cao Ye, but Cao Ye couldn't explain clearly. She was terrified and hadn't seen the fight between the two sides at all.

Not only could they not figure it out, but the little fatty also couldn't.

The entire battle lasted too short a time. The Gold Rimmed Glasses group had a total of six people, and they were gone in the blink of an eye. The little fatty didn't even have time to think about what had happened.

What Dao Gate were these six people from? What methods did they have?

Except for one Body Cultivator who had his own armor, the little fatty had no impression of the others' methods, because Li Banfeng hadn't given them a chance to strike.

The little fatty had always thought the Gold Rimmed Glasses man was the most sinister person he had ever met.

Looking at Li Banfeng, the little fatty was a little unsure if Gold Rimmed Glasses was truly sinister.

The Bald Head and his three followers had robbed many people of their Snake Spot Chrysanthemums, totaling one hundred and seventy-six plants. This included You Tao's thirty-eight plants and Cao Ye's sixty-one plants.

Both You Tao and Cao Ye were very grateful to have survived. They didn't expect to get their flowers back, but Li Banfeng returned them.

The remaining seventy-seven plants, plus Old Smoke Cannon's ninety-one plants, were split equally between Li Banfeng and the little fatty.

Qin Xiaopang stared blankly at Old Smoke Cannon's corpse.

Old Smoke Cannon had saved his life; otherwise, the little fatty would have died at Hu Gaozi's hands. Regardless of Old Smoke Cannon's intentions at the time, the life-saving grace was real. The little fatty didn't want him to be left exposed in the wilderness.

Li Banfeng handed the shovel to the little fatty. "Hurry up, we should head down the mountain."

While the little fatty dug the grave, Li Banfeng carefully searched the corpses of the Bald Head and his followers.

The Bald Head had over a thousand yuan on him, and the followers each had three to five hundred yuan, totaling over two thousand two hundred yuan.

You Tao and Cao Ye had suffered losses, so Li Banfeng gave each of them three hundred yuan as compensation. The remaining money was split between Li Banfeng and the little fatty, eight hundred each.

The Bald Head's knife was a good weapon, which Li Banfeng kept for himself. The weapons of the three followers were all ordinary, and Li Banfeng let the others choose for themselves.

As for what else was on Gold Rimmed Glasses and Hu Gaozi, that would have to wait until they returned to the Portable Abode. These two were taken down entirely by Li Banfeng himself, so Li Banfeng decided to keep everything on them.

The little fatty buried Old Smoke Cannon, carried You Tao on his back, and the four of them went down the mountain together.

Walking along the mountain path, You Tao's body emitted waves of bloody stench, making Qin Xiaopang constantly twitch his nose.

"You don't seem like a Body Cultivator," Qin Xiaopang expressed deep doubt about You Tao's Dao Gate, "Body Cultivators can withstand beatings, so how did they injure you like this?"

Cao Ye knew the inside story and didn't speak. The Dao Gate was a secret of cultivators.

But unexpectedly, You Tao didn't hide it and said with a smile, "I'm a Joy Cultivator. We just met by chance, so I didn't tell you the truth at first."

"So you're a Joy Cultivator," Qin Xiaopang sighed, "It seems those scoundrels got off easy."

According to Qin Xiaopang's guess, You Tao falling into the hands of Bald Head and his group was definitely not as simple as just getting beaten up.

"They didn't get off easy. They wanted to keep me for their boss," You Tao said with a bitter smile, "It would have been better if they dared to touch me. If we fought standing up, I couldn't beat them, but if we fought lying down, none of them would survive."

Li Banfeng scoffed, "You're injured like this, and you're still talking tough."

"You think I'm bragging? My skills aren't just talk. Aren't you a Joy Cultivator too? How about we have a little competition?" You Tao looked at Li Banfeng with ambiguous eyes.

Li Banfeng looked at Qin Xiaopang, "I have a partner."

Qin Xiaopang looked at Cao Ye, "I'm a Food Cultivator. I can eat a lot."

You Tao sighed and looked at Li Banfeng, saying, "You've been picking chrysanthemums all the way. Don't you want to try a different flavor? I think flat is better than round."

Cao Ye's face turned red from her cheeks to the base of her neck.

Just as Li Banfeng was about to speak, he saw Qin Xiaopang explaining to Cao Ye, "I'm a Food Cultivator, really a Food Cultivator. I can eat a lot. I'll treat you to a meal later, and then I'll eat it for you to see."

The four walked all the way to the foot of the mountain. You Tao took out his pocket watch and looked at it. It was already eight o'clock.

The round trip on the mountain was already over twenty li. Li Banfeng had sensed it long ago. His basic cultivation as a Travel Cultivator was already sufficient, not only sufficient but with plenty to spare.

Bitter Mist Mountain was a dangerous place. According to Li Banfeng's senses, walking one li here was equivalent to walking three to five li in Inner Valley Town. Not only was his basic cultivation sufficient, but he should have also accumulated an extra two days of time.

In Li Banfeng's impression, dangerous places seemed to have a special meaning for him.

What meaning was it?

Li Banfeng was dizzy from the poisonous mist and couldn't remember for a while.

He slept in the house last night, and his homework as a Shut-in Cultivator was also sufficient.

If he couldn't remember, then he wouldn't think about it. What he needed to do now was to quickly exchange the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums for money and buy a train ticket back to Yue Province.

As for how to exchange them specifically, Li Banfeng was still thinking.

It definitely wasn't selling the flowers directly. What Li Banfeng wanted to sell was pills.

This depended on the strength of the Copper Lotus.

Crossing the No Regrets Bridge and walking out of the range of the poisonous mist, the four desperately breathed in the fresh air.

You Tao vomited twice. Qin Xiaopang sat by the bridge, panting repeatedly, sweat dripping from his pale face.

Cao Ye took out all the Cooling Powder and distributed it to everyone to eat. After resting for more than half an hour, You Tao stood up and could barely walk on his own.

The physical quality of cultivators was indeed good, but fast healing of external injuries didn't mean that the poisonous mist in the body could be cleared so quickly.

Everyone stumbled along, walking with great difficulty. Even Li Banfeng, who had just come out of the house not long ago, felt a little weak in his legs.

Cao Ye instructed everyone, "Brothers and sisters, when you get home, be sure to rest well for a while. This poisonous mist is very harmful to the body, so don't be careless."

Li Banfeng sighed, "Is it worth it for these few thousand yuan?"

You Tao snorted, "If you were rich, you wouldn't need to risk your life with us. We're all cheap lives, yet you're talking about useless things."

Qin Xiaopang looked at You Tao, "We risk our lives because we don't have capital. With your looks and figure, do you still need to risk your life? There are plenty of men willing to support you for a lifetime."

"This old lady doesn't need anyone to support her!" You Tao snorted coldly, "Not only can this old lady support herself, but she can also earn money to support my partner."

Li Banfeng frowned and said, "Your partner needs you to support them?"

"This old lady is willing, this old lady has the ability!" You Tao rolled her eyes at Li Banfeng, "If you could support your partner, would you still let them come out and risk their life with you?"

Sweat broke out on Qin Xiaopang's head, "I'm a Food Cultivator, how can I explain it to you..."

"I know you're a Food Cultivator, it's nothing to be ashamed of," You Tao smiled, "My partner isn't a Joy Cultivator either, they're a Shut-in Cultivator."

Cao Ye suddenly understood, "No wonder sister asked me about Shut-in Cultivators. It's really difficult for sister, Shut-in Cultivators aren't convenient for going out to earn money."

"Earning money is secondary," You Tao shook her head, "She's a young lady, I don't want her to show her face."

Li Banfeng suddenly understood, "So your partner is a young lady."

Everyone nodded, "So it's a young lady."

After walking a few more steps, Li Banfeng turned his face and looked at You Tao, "Your partner is a young lady!"

"Is that not allowed? What's wrong with a young lady?" You Tao frowned slightly, "You think round is better than flat, I think flat is better than long, is there anything wrong with that?"

Li Banfeng nodded, "There's nothing wrong with that."

You Tao turned her face and pinched Cao Ye's cheek, "Do you think what sister said is right?"

"Sister, well, yes..." Cao Ye distanced herself from You Tao.

Qin Xiaopang looked a little dazed, "Well, I'm a Food Cultivator."

There were gradually more pedestrians on the road, and Li Banfeng became more vigilant, worried that someone would come to snatch the flowers.

He suspected this was a place with absolutely no legal constraints.

You Tao's face was quite relaxed, "Don't worry, when we get to the foot of the mountain, everyone has to follow the rules, at least not openly, otherwise they won't be able to gain a foothold in Medicine King Gully in the future!"

In the thick fog, flags of various colors fluttered.

The major pharmacies were right in front of them, it was time to make money.

Qin Xiaopang and You Tao's eyes were shining, and even the shy Cao Ye couldn't hide her excitement.

The shopkeepers of each pharmacy had set up their stalls to collect flowers, but when they got closer to the stalls, Li Banfeng heard bursts of arguments.

"Twenty-five yuan? Do you think you're buying cabbage?"

What was twenty-five yuan?

Cao Ye looked at the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums in her bag, unable to believe it was true.

Qin Xiaopang went forward to inquire about the news, and after a short while, he walked back, gnashing his teeth.

"Let's go, let's leave! We're not selling!"

The people around also shouted, "We're not selling! We'd rather let them rot than sell!"

"This is too much bullying, we absolutely cannot sell!"

The shopkeeper of Liu Family Pharmacy, with a mouthful of yellow teeth, smiled and said, "If you're not selling, so be it. If you think I'm offering too little, go check other places."

It was the same at other pharmacies. The proprietress of Chu Family Pharmacy, while touching up her makeup, said, "Twenty-five yuan per plant, that's the price this year. If you want to sell, do it early, otherwise I'm closing up shop."

Why did it become twenty-five yuan per plant?

Wasn't it eighty-five yuan per plant?

Here's what happened.

Several major pharmacies sent people up the mountain and found a cliff where Snake Spot Chrysanthemums grew in large patches.

They collected these Snake Spot Chrysanthemums and each family got over a thousand plants.

With over a thousand plants as a base, the pharmacies weren't worried and discussed together, pushing the price down.

But they pushed it down too hard.

Twenty-five yuan per plant, four plants to refine one Snake Spot Pill, a cost of one hundred, selling for ten thousand, a hundredfold profit.

You Tao sat on the ground, silent for a long time.

Cao Ye lowered her head, tears streaming down uncontrollably.

Qin Xiaopang stomped his feet in anger, "I'm not selling, I'm absolutely not selling! I don't believe I can't find other buyers."

"Don't say such angry words!" You Tao gritted her teeth and said, "If you don't sell to them, who else can you sell to? All the major pharmacies in Medicine King Gully are here!"

Qin Xiaopang widened his eyes and said, "Then we won't sell in Medicine King Gully, we'll go somewhere far away!"

You Tao scoffed, "What nonsense are you talking about? Where else can you go? Have you ever left Medicine King Gully?"

Qin Xiaopang sat down on the ground, "Then I'll wait for the peddler to come!"

"Wait for the peddler?" You Tao gave a bitter smile, "That person with the glasses said that the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums, once picked, will rot in less than a day. If we don't sell them today, they won't be worth a single cent tomorrow."

Qin Xiaopang snorted, "That person with the glasses isn't a good person either."

Cao Ye sobbed, "What he said is true, these flowers will really rot tomorrow, they'll be useless."

You Tao sighed, "Forget it, let's sell them. Whatever we earn is something. I have thirty-eight plants, which can sell for nearly a thousand yuan. It's better than nothing, we just have this cheap life!"

"Anyway, I'm not selling!" Qin Xiaopang threw his pouch on the ground, getting angrier the more he thought about it.

After thinking for a moment, he suddenly looked at Li Banfeng.

He leaned closer to Li Banfeng and whispered, "Brother Li, is that pill still there?"

Li Banfeng nodded and handed a Snake Spot Pill to Qin Xiaopang.

Qin Xiaopang looked around, led everyone to a secluded spot, and gave the Snake Spot Pill to Cao Ye, "Sister, take a look, is this real?"

Cao Ye was a Medicine Cultivator, she couldn't refine Snake Spot Pills, but she could tell if they were real or fake.

After watching for a moment, Cao Ye's eyes widened. "Fatty, this is really a Snake Spot Pill! Where did you get it?"

Xiaopang looked at Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng said, "I saw an old woman on the mountain. She said she'd trade me pills for chrysanthemums. One pill for ten plants."

"Ten plants?" Cao Ye didn't believe it was true, and neither did You Tao.

Ten plants could only refine two pills. This old woman was only making a double profit?

The pharmacies here were making a hundred times the profit!

"This pill must be fake..." Cao Ye started to doubt her own eyesight.

Xiaopang said angrily, "Didn't you just say it was real?"

"I'm afraid I saw wrong. How could there be such a price in the world? I think I should still..." Cao Ye looked at the pharmacy's flag.

"I believe you!" You Tao gave the bag to Li Banfeng. "My life was given by you, and the flowers were given by you. Whether it's real or fake, I believe you! I'll accept it even if I lose everything!"

Xiaopang also gave his bag to Li Banfeng.

Cao Ye hesitated for a moment, then also handed her bag to Li Banfeng.

Xiaopang looked back at Bitter Mist Mountain. "I wonder if that old woman is still on the mountain, Brother Li. Can you help us..."

Asking Li Banfeng to go back to Bitter Mist Mountain again, Xiaopang also felt bad. "Brother Li, I'll go with you."

Li Banfeng shrugged his eyebrows. "I'll go try my luck. Don't come along and cause trouble."

Li Banfeng returned the way he came and opened his Portable Abode deep within the thick fog.

He knew doing this was risky and might attract unnecessary suspicion.

But if he kept holding onto the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums without selling them, he would also be suspected.

When it came time to sell the Snake Spot Pills later, Li Banfeng had no connections and no helpers, which would likely lead to more trouble.

Looking at the faces of the people in the pharmacy, it was hard to say what they would do. Li Banfeng genuinely didn't want to sell the Snake Spot Pills to the pharmacy.

He would help Xiaopang and the others and see if he could find another way.

Anyway, after this business is done, I'll go back to Yue Province and never come to this place again, and never meet these people again.

Entering the Portable Abode, Li Banfeng held the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums and was about to see how to open the Copper Lotus, but found that the Copper Lotus was already open.

Above the seven-holed lotus heart, there were three lotus seeds.

Where did these three lotus seeds come from?

Li Banfeng was stunned.

He held up the candle and looked around, finding that something seemed to be missing from the room.

What was missing?

Where did Gold Rimmed Glasses and Hu Gaozi's corpses go?

PS: Two updates today, nine thousand words. Salad doesn't want to split chapters too much, as it affects the reading experience.