Friends Who Had Been Through Life and Death Together

Li Banfeng held the remote control and watched it over and over again.

It wasn't that he didn't have the courage to try; it was that he simply couldn't see what changes Portable Abode had made.

The key question is whether the modified functions are what Li Banfeng wanted.

"Do you know what this is for?"

Portable Abode replied, "For use on the way."

"Do you know which road I need to take?"

"How could I not know? I'll follow you wherever you go."

"Can this thing be used to open the border?"

"Half a minute each time, once a day."

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment and said, "You mean this mechanism, right?"

"What else could it be? This thing is ingeniously Work Method. With the current equipment, we can only modify it to this extent. Go and give it a try. Whether it works or not is another matter."

Li Banfeng took a paper figure, sprinkled some blood on it, left Portable Abode, stood near the border line, and pulled the lever.

He guided the paper figure across the border without harming it.

It was a success!

Portable Abode is quite an achievement!

As a train, it actually has such impressive Work Method!

With only thirty seconds to spare, and the paper figure taking twenty, Li Banfeng didn't hesitate any longer and immediately rushed across the border. Ten seconds later, the mechanism clicked, and the lever returned to its original position. Li Banfeng tried to pull it again, but he couldn't.

Li Banfeng could hardly believe that the insurmountable border of Pro State had been opened.

As long as the remote control is not damaged, Li Banfeng will be able to travel freely in most parts of Pro State without having to worry about the issue of Travel Permit.

Behind us is Black Stone Slope.

Ahead is Soda Kiln adjacent to Black Stone Slope.

Li Banfeng carefully put away the remote control, pulled his hat brim down, and disappeared into the night.

Soda Kiln is a town about the same size as Medicine King Gully.

The place has a very unique name. When Li Banfeng was at the newspaper office, he asked about the origin of the name "Soda Kiln". Little Chuanzi explained that the soda here is particularly delicious.

At daybreak, Li Banfeng arrived in town, where a rich fragrance wafted towards him.

This is the smell of soda. Early in the morning, many soda stalls have already opened for business.

Li Banfeng found a stall and sat down. The proprietress asked him what flavor of soda he wanted.

Oranges, grapes, cantaloupe—the soft drinks here are made with pure artificial flavorings and contain 100% no natural fruit juice.

I don't know what tricks they used, but the soda they made was really delicious.

Li Banfeng ordered two bottles of grape soda, and also the stall's signature set meal: two authentic Ingrid sausages, a plate of authentic Green Water City pig's head meat, a dish of Soda Kiln- style spicy cabbage, and a bowl of the stall's secret-recipe white porridge.

Is this a suitable way to eat?

Li Banfeng thought it was quite suitable; the portion was large and filling, the flavor was satisfying, and it wasn't greasy at all.

During the meal, Li Banfeng chatted with the proprietress and talked about the origin of the Soda Kiln.

The name originally had nothing to do with beverages.

"Our Soda Kiln produced the first batch of boilers in Pro State. Inside the boiler, water turned into steam, and then steam turned back into water. This steam-water cycle is the essence of the steam engine."

Every household in our Soda Kiln has access to steam, earlier than those in Black Stone Slope. If it weren't for the fact that the people in Black Stone Slope are good at business, we in Soda Kiln would be living a better life than them!

Later, the Soda Kiln gained some fame, and some people started selling soda Soda Kiln, making up stories that the origin of Soda Kiln originated there.

As a result, the steam engine at the Soda Kiln didn't improve much, but the soda got better and better. Locals loved it, and tourists loved it too. Soda stalls were everywhere in town, and everyone said that our place name came from soda. Isn't that just a rumor?

The proprietress looked to be only about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. She talked about the history of the Soda Kiln and couldn't stop. Seeing that Li Banfeng was almost finished eating, she gave him another bottle of soda, just so she could chat with Li Banfeng a little longer.

After dinner, Li Banfeng went back to his Portable Abode for a nap. At dusk, he bought a map and strolled around the streets.

At this time of day, there were even more soft drink stalls. Li Banfeng was just thinking about finding a place to have dinner when he soon saw the same stall where he had eaten breakfast.

When the proprietress saw Li Banfeng, she quickly invited him to sit down. Suddenly, she heard someone say from the side, "Friend, don't be in such a hurry to leave. Let me say a word."

Li Banfeng turned his head and saw a man on the roadside wearing a black cloth long gown, Small Round Hat, a goatee, and holding a mahogany Folding Fan.

In front of him was a square table, and next to the table hung a sign with two lines of large characters. "Knowing the past and understanding the future, one can transform endlessly; good fortune and misfortune are known in advance."

This is a fortune teller.

The proprietress coughed a few times, signaling Li Banfeng not to chime in.

Li Banfeng walked up to the fortune teller and asked, "You wanted to see me?"

The fortune teller nodded and said, "Is this your first time at the Soda Kiln?"

Li Banfeng honestly replied, "This really is my first time."

The fortune teller counted on his fingers for a moment, then suddenly frowned. "You shouldn't have come."

Li Banfeng was startled. "Why shouldn't you have come?"

"You are destined to have a curse in your life, and that curse is in the Soda Kiln. Once you get to the Soda Kiln, you will have already encountered the curse and will definitely suffer a bloody disaster."

"What is this 'inauspicious number'? It sounds really scary." Li Banfeng put his hands together and squatted down on the ground obediently.

The fortune teller asked, "Have you come here to visit relatives or friends?"

"I'm here to visit a friend."

Are you close to this friend?

"It's a deep friendship, a life-or-death bond, we've been through thick and thin together!"

The fortune teller closed his paper fan and asked sternly, "Are you here to collect a debt?"

Li Banfeng was taken aback and said, "I'm not here to collect a debt, I'm here to repay a debt of gratitude."

"You're wrong! You're here to collect a debt!" The fortune teller took the paper and pen and said to Li Banfeng, "Write a word first."

This is for character analysis.

Li Banfeng asked cautiously, "How much does it cost to do character divination?"

"I won't take a penny!" the fortune teller waved his hand and said, "I'm not doing this to make money off you. I see you're a loyal and righteous person, and I want to help you avert this disaster."

"No money, that's fine." Li Banfeng nodded repeatedly and wrote the word "phase" on the paper.

After examining the fortune teller, his expression grew even more grave. "This is an ominous sign. I can smell the blood even through the paper."

"What's that smell? I can't smell it!" Li Banfeng nervously.

"If you look closely at this character, you can see the bloody light right in front of your eyes."

Li Banfeng asked in bewilderment, "How can the character 'wood' equate to bloodshed?"

"If there are thorns on the wood, will your hand bleed if it pricks you?"

"There must be blood."

"A wooden stick got stuck in my eye. Is this going to kill me?"

"That would definitely be fatal!"

The fortune teller nodded and said, "That's why I said you're here to collect a debt. Now that you've come to the Soda Kiln, your friend's life is over."

Li Banfeng was terrified. He wiped the sweat from his face, stood up, and said, "Then I'll leave."

"Too late!" the fortune teller sighed repeatedly. "You've arrived, but the curse has already struck. Your friend is doomed."

"That won't do!" Li Banfeng clasped his hands together, squatted down on the ground again, his voice trembling as if he were about to cry, "I came here to repay a debt of gratitude, how could I let my friend die!"

"What a sincere man! In this day and age, it's rare to see such a kind and loyal person as you," the fortune teller nodded. "Meeting you today is quite an opportunity. I'll use all my life's experience to come up with a solution for you. First, tell me, what is your friend's name, and where does he live?"

"I don't know his name."

The fortune teller was taken aback. "What do you mean by that? Didn't you say you had a life-or-death bond with someone?"

"We have a life-or-death bond. He risked his life to help me fulfill a wish."

To Definite Statement bluntly, Li Banfeng's statement just now was indeed true.

The fortune teller was even more puzzled. "Since we have such a deep friendship, how come I don't know his name?"

Li Banfeng wiped away his tears and said, "He wouldn't say. He just said he was the prime minister of the martial arts world and lived in Soda Kiln, so I wrote the character 'Prime Minister'."

Upon hearing this, the fortune teller remained silent for a short while.

"Jianghu Prime Minister" is a self-proclaimed title used by the disciples of the Jiang Xiang Gang.

The fortune teller asked, "What is your friend's age and appearance?"

Li Banfeng said, "He is in his fifties, quite thin, and a bit dark-skinned. He is very kind in his speech and actions."

The fortune teller fell into deep thought.

According to his description, there does seem to be such a person in the helm, but it's impossible to be sure which one it is.

It's normal to be uncertain, because Li Banfeng didn't describe any distinctive features. Based on his description, you could find plenty of them if you just walked around the street.

The fortune teller was conflicted. Was the person he was talking about actually a fellow student?

After hesitating for a while, looking at Li Banfeng's honest and simple appearance, the fortune teller decided to do the business.

"I'll consult the oracle to see if I can help you find that friend. Once you meet him, how do you plan to repay his kindness?"

Li Banfeng then told the truth, "I brought a lot of good things, but I can't tell you. When I meet my friend, I'll give all these good things to him, and I'll share some with you too."

"Good people are always pitied by Heaven. I'm determined to help you with this." The fortune teller took out his counting rods and first asked Li Banfeng for his birth date and time.

Li Banfeng didn't know when he was born, so he made up a complete story.

After calculating, the fortune teller immediately packed up and said, "Come with me. I've already figured out where your friend is. Whether you can save him depends on your fate."

Seeing that Li Banfeng was about to follow the fortune teller, the owner of the soda stall was frantic. She wanted to stop him, but dared not utter a sound.

The fortune teller led Li Banfeng through the streets and alleys, chatting with Li Banfeng constantly and praising his Li Banfeng and righteousness.

This is Jiang Xiang Gang's method of using Kunma, which emphasizes examination, persuasion, and manipulation, as well as deception, extortion, and selling.

The interrogation involved observing Li Banfeng's furtive glances as he walked, he deduced that Li was from out of town.

"Knocking" is a way of subtly probing and extracting information. The two were complete strangers, but the fortune teller managed to glean quite a bit of information from Li Banfeng.

Hitting someone is a form of intimidation, emphasizing that disaster is inevitable. Once these three things are done, the prelude is complete.

After the foreplay, the real event begins. Qian is a fraud, involving unrelated things together. Having Li Banfeng perform word divination is a fraudulent method.

Long is a flatterer; he gained Li Banfeng's trust through flattery.

Selling is self-promotion; once you reach this stage, the deal is done.

Throughout the journey, Li Banfeng nodded frequently, believing every word the fortune teller said. In the fortune teller's view, the deal was already done.

The only thing the fortune teller needed to confirm was whether this person was a friend of one of the fellow disciples in the rudder.

If they are truly friends of the same sect, then let them handle it; we cannot let a fat sheep ruin our harmony.

If no one at the helm recognizes him, then there's no point in being polite; leaving him with even a single copper coin would be considered a sign of the fortune teller's lack of skill.

Upon reaching a small alley, the fortune teller calculated with his fingers and said to Li Banfeng, "Wait here for a while. The calamity is not far ahead. Let me see if your friend is in the midst of it."

Li Banfeng stood with his hands clasped together, waiting obediently in the alley.

The fortune teller left the alley, turned into another alley, and entered a private residence.

This house is their headquarters. The Sub-Gang Leader is disciplining two female disciples. The Jiang Xiang Gang has a business called "releasing white doves," which involves using women to swindle men out of money. The predecessor of the Thread-Pulling Earring, Zhou Yujuan, the manager of the Xianle Dance Hall, started out in this business.

These two female disciples were incompetent and hadn't made a single sale in half a month, so they were punished by the family rules and were lying on the bench being whipped.

The fortune teller stepped forward and reported, "Sub-Gang Leader, someone has come to visit a friend at our helm, saying he is a friend with whom we have a life-or-death bond, and is someone we can help."

"Visiting friends with us? A life-or-death friendship?" The Sub-Gang Leader found it all intriguing. "You're fucking talking nonsense!"

Just as the fortune teller was about to explain, Li Banfeng said from the side, "Sub-Gang Leader, I'm not lying to you. It's truly a life-or-death friendship. They've entrusted their lives to me."

I brought you a lot of good things this time. Don't rush, we're all friends, everyone will get some.

Li Banfeng drew his sickle.

The Tang Blade flew up.

The gourd is on the left, and the pendulum is on the right.

The gloves arrived at the front door and closed it.

Ten minutes later, Li Banfeng came out, still holding the fortune teller he had been with.

"Don't cry, I'm telling you the truth. I have a life-or-death bond with them."

I wanted to wipe out your entire gang. They all risked their lives for my wish; isn't that a deep bond?

As he passed a soda stand, Li Banfeng greeted the owner.

The proprietress had no idea what was going on; she hadn't expected the two to be chatting so enthusiastically.

Li Banfeng continued to comfort the fortune teller, "You're incredibly accurate at fortune telling. I'm not just flattering you, I genuinely admire you. Those people in the cabin just now were all my good friends; they entrusted their lives to me."

You must have many good friends in your branch. Show me around and introduce me. You saw I brought a lot of good things; these are all for you. I even saved a special portion for you.

Didn't I tell you not to cry? It's not good for you to cry like this; people will think I've done something wrong.

Quickly wipe away your tears and the blood on your face.

After knocking off the two steering knuckles, Li Banfeng arrived at Jiang Xiang Gang's headquarters.

He didn't just barge into the brothel; he waited until late at night to arrive.

The fortune teller told Li Banfeng that there was a senior engineer in this temple who was most skilled at making traps and mechanisms. The fortune teller drew a picture for Li Banfeng and marked a safe route. Li Banfeng didn't know if what he said was true or false.

He certainly couldn't take the risk himself. He used the Music Box to knock out a few guards, then took out two paper figures from his Portable Abode Li Banfeng walked along the route.

The fortune teller was right; this route is indeed safe.

Li Banfeng entered the courtyard of the hall. It was late autumn and early winter, and the weather was very cold. Li Banfeng was worried that the Hall Master and the others would catch a cold, so he prepared to set a fire at the hall first.

Just as they were searching for a place to set a fire, they suddenly heard the Thread-Pulling Earring whisper, "Master, there's movement."

Clang, clang!

The sound of metal clashing.

The sound seemed to be coming from underground.

In the dungeon, He Yuxiu, covered in wounds, was tightly bound by chains.

The chains were made of a special material, He Yuxiu couldn't break free. She desperately rammed her body against the iron gate.

"You sons of bitches!" He Yuxiu gritted her teeth and said, "Even if I have only one breath left, I'll fight you to the bitter end!"

PS: Shen Jingye previously said he would use Jiang Xiang Gang kill He Yuxiu, and he actually did it.