What Are We Supposed to Do Now?

The Iron Gate Fort group of House Cultivator wiped out Dick Chen's men completely.

Wu Yongchao stared at a large crater in the ground, frowning, and asked, "Who made this?"

A House Cultivator remarked, "Isn't it that guy called... something like Weixin? He's pretty strong."

Another House Cultivator, "It's that guy Chen Weixin. I saw this huge pit appear beneath his feet with my own eyes."

Li Zhijuan walked over and said to the crowd, "Stop talking nonsense. This wasn't done by Chen Weixin; it was done by the Lord of the Fortress."

The crowd exclaimed in surprise, "The Lord of the Fortress has been here?"

"Someone flashed in front of Chen Weixin. Judging from his figure, it was our lord."

At that time, Li Banfeng paused a little longer in front of Chen Weixin in order to use the Fool Cultivation Skill, which was seen by Li Zhijuan.

Wu Yongchao recalled something, "During the war, who was the one who banged the gong?"

Everyone shook their heads. Hu Fangyuan, "You led the fight, so if anyone's going to beat the gong, it'll definitely be you."

Wu Yongchao knew very well that he was not the one who struck the gong.

The others in the fort were also well aware that when this man Chen Weixin stormed into the fort, they were almost overwhelmed, but someone helped them hold him off and drove Chen Weixin away.

But the person moved too fast, and no one could see what he looked like.

"The lord of the fortress has been here." Wu Yongchao looked at the large iron gate at the entrance of the valley.

Iron Gate Fort has only one lord, and his name is Lord Fortress.

No one in Iron Gate Fort knew his real name; they knew almost nothing about the fortress lord.

But he came; he came when the fort was in trouble.

Wu Yongchao said, "No matter what, he will always be our fortress lord."

Li Zhijuan asked from the side, "Where has the lord gone now?"

At the market entrance, Li Banfeng pulled out a stack of Huan Country Notes and asked, "Are you providing transportation?"

The Carriage Driver stubbed out his pipe and asked with a chuckle, "Where to?"

"Go to Dick Chen's lair."

The Carriage Driver nodded and said, "I'll just take you to your destination; you'll have to handle the fighting yourself."

Li Banfeng asked, "What if I pay more?"

"Adding money won't help. I'm just a rickshaw puller, not someone who risks their life. But I reckon that person doesn't need you to risk your life either." The Carriage Driver wiped the seat and gestured for Li Banfeng to get in. The two chatted as they drove.

"Seventh Brother, how did you know to come to the market to find me?"

Li Banfeng didn't actually know the Carriage Driver was at the market; he just wanted to try his luck in a crowded place, and unexpectedly, he actually found the Carriage Driver.

Of course, this cannot be simply attributed to luck, as that would make Li Banfeng seem incompetent.

"I was able to find you by studying the art of Auspiciousness and Avoiding Calamity and seeking good fortune. You were the one who taught me this technique. So why did you send me a message and lead me to Iron Gate Fort?"

Li Banfeng received a carriage bell in front of Carefree Dock Gate with the words "Look at Iron Gate Fort" written on it. It was obviously a message delivered to him by the Carriage Driver.

But why did the Carriage Driver remind Li Banfeng to come to Iron Gate Fort? Did he know that Li Banfeng was the fort's lord?

The Carriage Driver replied, "Back then, this guy surnamed Chen came to me, saying he wanted to join forces with me to get rid of you, and that if I killed you, I could get my territory back."

Li Banfeng nodded. "This deal sounds good, didn't you agree?"

The Carriage Driver chuckled, "Don't talk nonsense. We've known each other since you first came to Pro State. You managed to stay awake even in the early morning light."

From the time you were White Lamb to where you are today, I've seen clearly how tough your life is. That guy surnamed Chen has no chance of killing you.

Regarding the Yellow Earth Bridge incident, I left first. I had my reasons, but looking back, I truly feel I've let you down. I absolutely must give you an explanation for this.

I was planning to tell you about Chen's whereabouts, but that guy is elusive and his whereabouts are unpredictable. Since he's staying at Iron Gate Fort for a while longer, I've sent the message to you. Rather than waiting for him to come looking for you, it's better for you to strike first.

But like I said, I'll deliver the message, but you'll have to handle the dangerous tasks yourself. I'm really not cut out for risking my life.

The Carriage Driver was telling the truth; he genuinely didn't know what connection Li Banfeng had with Iron Gate Fort and simply wanted to give Li Banfeng a chance to make the first move.

As they spoke, the two arrived at the house that Dick Chen was renting. The Carriage Driver said, "There's a Spider-Man here, one of Chen's men. He's a private detective, quite famous. You should know him."

Dabo Ensi, Li Banfeng knew him very well.

Li Banfeng met Dabo Ensi in Xindi, and not long after, Dabo Ensi came looking for him.

They blocked the entrance to Yu Nan.

Later, Li Banfeng introduced Bagworm Moth Madam to Dabo Ensi, hoping that a marriage could resolve their grievances. However, the conflict between the two deepened.

Dabo Ensi firmly believed that Li Qi was Li Banfeng, and that Red Lotus was in Li Qi's hands, based on this inference.

Dick Chen was convinced that Li Qi was Li Banfeng, and that the information must have come from Dabo Ensi's.

Upon entering the courtyard, Li Banfeng carefully guarded against the spider webs and searched around, but did not see Dabo Ensi.

Spider Detective escaped.

The Carriage Driver said, "They said they were going to inspect a weapon at Iron Gate Fort, but that weapon was probably taken away by that spider."

Weapon?

Zha Hu Long Spear?

This spear has caused quite a bit of bloodshed!

Other matters are not important, but this spear has been a constant threat to Iron Gate Fort, and we must take precautions against it.

"Brother Che, do you know the Local Earth God?"

The Carriage Driver said, "We've met a few times, but we're not really friends. If you'd like to get to know me, I can make an introduction."

But this Local Earth God has a rather peculiar temperament, so we can't rush things. You should stay at Iron Gate Fort for the night, and once I've said my piece, I'll take you to meet him tomorrow."

Li Banfeng agreed and quietly entered the fort that night to observe everyone's reactions.

The fortress won a victory, Li Banfeng would definitely hold a celebration banquet while he was still alive.

Wu Yongchao also held a banquet, buying wine and meat, hiring a chef, and preparing dozens of tables of food and drink.

But that's the problem with House Cultivator; when evening comes, they make all sorts of excuses not to come.

Helpless, Wu Yongchao distributed the food and wine to each household. Most of the House Cultivator lived alone, and they found it quite pleasant to have a drink with their own Home Spirit.

Back at his Portable Abode, Li Banfeng checked on the progress of Red Lotus's Pill Refining. Since Li Banfeng had advanced to the Ninth Layer of Travel Cultivator, all the pills produced by Red Lotus had Golden Essence Pill. Including Xiao Zhengong's share, a total of fifty-three pills had been produced.

"Ah Lian, what do you mean by this?" Li Banfeng gently stroked the Lotus Heart of the Copper Lotus.

Red Lotus retorted, "You said it yourself! You wanted the Golden Essence Pill, and now that we've refined it for you, you're still not satisfied!"

"I've already leveled up to Ninth Layer, what use is this to me?"

"Going from the Ninth Layer to the Tenth Layer, the Golden Essence Pill is also useful."

"I don't want to go up Tenth Layer; I want to jump straight to the clouds."

"We'll have to wait until we get to the edge of the Tenth Layer. If we eat our fill on the Ninth Layer, then jump to the Cloud Above First Layer, we'll have a better chance of success!"

That makes sense!

Li Banfeng carefully put away the pills. Dick Chen's flesh and blood hadn't been refined yet. Li Banfeng asked, "Is this another Golden Essence Pill?"

"That's hard to say, I don't know this person's cultivation level."

Li Banfeng was taken aback. Although the cultivation level was invisible, it had already been eaten. Red Lotus could taste the general flavor based on her experience.

"Ah Lian, what tricks are you playing on me now?" Li Banfeng continued to stroke Lotus Heart.

Red Lotus said anxiously, "I really can't tell the difference this time. My soul was eaten by that Wicked Woman. Go and ask her what the quality is."

Li Banfeng returned to the main room and asked his Wife.

The Wife was worried about this. "Oh, my husband, Little Slave am so pampered by you. Zhenyu must have eaten too much. Her sense of taste has become dulled. Little Slave can't taste anything anymore."

"My dear Wife, can't you even taste the difference between the clouds and the earth?"

Ta-da-da~!

After pondering for a long time, the Wife sang in a slow tempo:

"The soul carries a sense of vicissitude, somewhat like something from the clouds."

It also has an earthy smell, which could be due to the soil.

In terms of chewiness, it's probably Ninth Layer.

To be honest, it's a layer of crispness.

Li Banfeng frowned and said, "Wife, are you kidding me? If the difference were only a tiny bit, it would be one thing to not be able to tell the difference, but how big is the difference between the first and Ninth Layer? You can't even tell the difference?"

The record player also felt ashamed. "My dear husband, Little Slave love you and spoil you. How could I dare to lie to you? This time, the Little Slave was too evil. I really couldn't tell the difference."

My Wife would never lie to me about this.

Moreover, not only could the Wife not tell the difference, but neither could Red Lotus. This is not a matter of discernment. Is it possible that this Dick Chen has no discernment at all?

What kind of person has cultivation but lacks social standing?

The next morning at dawn, Li Banfeng found the Carriage Driver at the market entrance. "Did you find the Local Earth God?"

The Carriage Driver shook his head and said, "This is strange. The Local Earth God isn't home. I asked some old friends in the surrounding area, and they said that the Local Earth God seems to have been away from Iron Gate Fort for some time, and they don't know where he went."

Seeing that the Carriage Driver didn't want to leave, Li Banfeng asked in a low voice, "Are you trying to rob me outright?"

The Carriage Driver shook his head and said, "I'm not that kind of person, but if something happens to the Local Earth God, such a good place shouldn't be wasted."

Li Banfeng understood what the Carriage Driver meant.

You can't steal it, but you could consider picking one up.

"Brother Che, please wait here for a while. I'm going back to Green Water City first."

"Brother, let me give you a word of advice. This guy surnamed Chen hired me as an accomplice, but he might have hired more than one. His other accomplices might have malicious intentions towards you. When you return to Green Water City, be extremely careful."

Remember my words. " On your Travel Cultivator of self-cultivation, traversing thousands of mountains and rivers, you must consider the consequences of every step you take."

Li Banfeng left Iron Gate Fort, but he was still worried. He couldn't rely on the Local Earth God, so he had to rely on his own people. Li Banfeng asked Luo ZhengNan to arrange for people to keep watch around the fort and report any problems immediately.

Green Water City, the outer residence of the Lu Family.

Lu Chunying was tidying up the accounts in the living room, Xiao Yeci was reading in the study, You Tao was looking at a Black Stone Slope magazine.

A rickshaw stopped in front of the mansion, and a woman in her thirties got out.

The woman was dressed in a dark red tight-fitting top, paired with a dark red long skirt, a dark red hat with a veil under the brim, red gloves, and a small Folding Fan. She was dressed very stylishly.

Upon arriving at the gate of the house, the woman said to the gatekeeper, "My name is Xiao Manli, and I'm here to see Miss Chunying and Madam Yeci."

After sending someone in to announce her arrival, Lu Chunying invited Xiao Manli into the house. The two looked at each other for a moment, then Lu Chunying, somewhat surprised, "Ms. Xiao, do I know you?"

Xiao Manli smiled and said, "We know each other, but we don't have many opportunities to meet. You'll understand when Ye Ci arrives."

A short while later, Xiao Yeci came out of the study. Upon seeing Xiao Manli for the first time, the book in Xiao Yeci's hand fell to the ground.

Xiao Manli smiled and said, "Ye Ci, how many years has it been since we last met?"

"Yes, it's been about ten years," Xiao Yeci stammered.

"It's been more than ten years. Chunying has grown up so much. Ye Ci, I came to see you to catch up. Shall we talk here, or find somewhere else?"

Lu Chunying said, "Say what you have to say here."

Xiao Yeci said, "NanNan, you finish your meal at home first. I'll go out for a while and come back soon."

Xiao Yeci followed Xiao Manli as they left the mansion.

Lu Chunying frowned slightly, You Tao called over a few assistants to follow Xiao Yeci.

On Dongping Road, in a coffee shop, Xiao Manli and Xiao Yeci sat facing each other in a private room.

Xiao Manli said, "The moment I saw Chunying, I knew she was my child. She looks like me, she's like me in every way."

Xiao Yeci picked up her coffee, took a sip, and said, "Did you come here this time to take Tun'nan back as your father?"

Xiao Manli sighed, "I know I did some things wrong, but I am, after all, her mother."

Xiao Yeci frowned and said, "Do you even remember you're her mother? All these years, have you ever asked her that once?"

"You know, I had my reasons back then."

"Now you have no excuses?"

Xiao Manli remained silent for a long time before raising her head and saying, "What happened before, no matter how many mistakes were made, is all in the past. Lu Chunying is my flesh and blood, and no one can change that."

Xiao Yeci put down her coffee cup and said, "I didn't say I wanted to change anything. Go find Chunying and tell her the truth!"

"I'm going to tell her the truth: how can you possibly stand in the Lu Family? Even if Chunying can tolerate you, can the Lu Family really?"

Xiao Yeci gritted her teeth and said, "If they can't tolerate me, so be it. I can live anywhere!"

Xiao Manli sighed and said, "Ye Ci, don't say such hurtful things. Seeing you become Lu Family, I'm truly envious. But which woman wouldn't be envious?"

In Pro State, few can compare to your wealth and status. Are you willing to give up such a wonderful life?

Xiao Yeci shook her head and said, "You don't need to tell me these things, I don't care!"

"It would be a lie to say you don't care. You've suffered before," Xiao Manli said, taking Xiao Yeci's hand. "I was wrong to you back then. I also want to see you live a good life. Promise me one thing. Once you do it, I'll leave immediately and never interfere in your relationship with Chunying again."

"What's the matter?" Xiao Yeci couldn't figure out Xiao Manli's intentions.

Xiao Manli said, "I'd like you to help me arrange a meeting with someone. I really want to see him."

"Who is it?"

"Li Qi".

Xiao Yeci smiled and asked, "You know him?"

Xiao Manli nodded and said, "I recognize him. He lied to me, he took advantage of me, he toyed with me, he hurt me deeply. I want to get an explanation from him."

"Please ask him to meet me. Don't say I'm the one who asked him; just let me see him once. That's all I'm asking you for, can you agree?"

Xiao Yeci asked, "What exactly happened between you and Li Qi?"

"Don't ask any more questions, just tell me, will you help me or not?"

"You'd better tell him about this yourself—"

"He won't see me. He doesn't want to, and he wouldn't dare! Ye Ci, will you help me or not?"

"I."

Xiao Manli stood up. "If you don't help me, I'll make a scene at the newspaper tomorrow. If word gets out, Duan Shaoxia definitely won't tolerate you, the Lu Family definitely won't tolerate you, and you won't find a way to survive anywhere."

You're a liar, a liar who kidnapped someone's daughter. Everyone thinks you're a liar. Just you wait and see, the whole of Pro State won't tolerate you!

Xiao Yeci remained silent for a long time.

Xiao Manli calmed down a bit. "Ye Ci, I don't want things to escalate to that point. I'll give you a day to think it over..."

Xiao Yeci shook her head and said, "If you have something going on with Li Qi, just tell him directly. Why are you dragging me into this?"

Xiao Manli suddenly started sobbing. "I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to see that heartless man, I just wanted to explain things to him."

I've made it clear to him that I'll leave immediately. I won't bother you, and I absolutely won't bother him either. That's all I ask for. Why can't you agree to that?

Think it over carefully yourself. I'll come find you again at this time tomorrow.

After leaving the café, Xiao Manli got into a carriage. Dabo Ensi's sat inside and asked, "

"How did things go?"

"She didn't agree, but she will definitely agree. I know her too well." Xiao Manli lifted the curtain of the carriage and glanced inside.

She saw Xiao Yeci leave the coffee shop, followed at a distance by several henchmen.

Xiao Manli asked, "These people didn't go into the coffee shop, did they?"

"No," Dabo Ensi saw very clearly, "These people didn't go upstairs. I made sure to take precautions in your private room beforehand so no one could hear your conversation. I was just worried that Xiao Yeci would tell Lu Chunying what happened when she got home."

"She won't," Xiao Manli shook her head. "She's the kind of person who would swallow her pride even if she lost a tooth. How could she let Lu Chunying know about this? I'm more worried that she won't be able to lure Li Qi out at all."

"She can," Dabo Ensi said confidently. "It will be difficult for Duan Shaoxia to get Li Qi to come out, and even if she does, Li Qi will definitely be on guard."

But Xiao Yeci was different. She was someone Li Qi. If she asked Li Qi to meet her, Li Qi wouldn't even bring any supplies.

Xiao Manli sighed softly and said, "If you had known it would be like this, you wouldn't have needed to ask Duan Shaoxia for help."

"If you come directly to me, things will be much easier."

Dabo Ensi said, "Dick probably has his reasons; after all, he's a cautious man."

"What does this have to do with being cautious?" Xiao Manli sneered. "It's simply because you don't trust me!"

Dabo Ensi frowned and said, "To gain someone's trust, you need to take some concrete actions, especially when your reputation is so bad."

Xiao Yeci returned to the residence, Lu Chunying quickly greeted her, "Who exactly is that person? What does she want with you?"

Xiao Yeci laughed and said, "She's a relative from our hometown. She heard we've become successful and wants to borrow some money."

"Who do we think she is?" Lu Chunying snorted. "When my daughter and I were suffering, why didn't any relatives come knocking? Now she's here to borrow money, you shouldn't bother with her!"

Xiao Yeci smiled and said, "It's nothing, don't worry about it. My NanNan, Mommy is tired and wants to go to bed early. Don't stay up too late either."

Lu Chunying said, "Going to bed so early? Have you eaten yet?"

"I've already eaten, I've already eaten!" Xiao Yeci returned to her room, sat silently on the bed for a while, then went to her desk, picked up a fountain pen, and wrote a letter.

She didn't believe there could be much entanglement between Li Qi and Xiao Manli. Xiao Manli was a married woman and her looks were decent, but Li Qi was never short of women. Putting aside others, just look at Jiang Mengting and Chu Huaiyuan, aren't they both a hundred times better Xiao Manli?

Something's up here; I need to give Li Qi a heads-up.

After writing down what had happened, Xiao Yeci packed her bags, preparing to secretly leave Green Water City.

There are some things she can't change; Xiao Manli is Lu Chunying's biological mother.

There are some things she can't bear. People will say she's a liar, a child abductor. Just thinking about these things is enough to break her down.

Leaving like this is the right choice for both himself and Lu Chunying.

It was past 1 a. m., and the whole family was asleep.

Xiao Yeci quietly left the room, and the gatekeeper asked, "Madam, where are you going?"

"I have some personal matters to attend to; you don't need to worry about it."

Xiao Yeci didn't want to say more, and the others didn't dare to ask any more questions.

Reaching the gate of the courtyard, she glanced back at the mansion, then bit her lip, picked up her suitcase, and left.

At the Train Station, Xiao Yeci bought a ticket to the Ink Fragrance Shop and sat alone in the waiting room.

There weren't many people rushing to catch the train at night. Strangers came and went in the waiting room, but no one recognized Xiao Yeci, nor did anyone notice him.

Xiao Yeci murmured to herself, "That's how it should be, just like a dream, just like..."

Tears streamed down her face, and Xiao Yeci let out a sob.

You Tao took out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears.

"Thank you—..." Xiao Yeci was startled when she saw the You Tao!

"What brings you here!"

You Tao said, "I noticed you were in a bad mood, so I tried to cheer you up tonight, but you weren't in the house. That's when I found out you ran off! Where did you run off to?"

"I... I just wanted to go out for a walk to clear my head."

"Going out for a walk is a good idea, but you should tell your daughter. If she finds you're missing, she'll turn Pro State upside down!"

Xiao Yeci sighed and said, "There are some things you don't understand. I'm not her biological mother."

You Tao laughed, "How could I not understand? You blush easily when I tease you, you've obviously never been with a man, how could you possibly have given birth? That woman today was Chunying's biological mother, wasn't she?"

Xiao Yeci nodded.

You Tao said, "This is easy to handle. It just depends on whether Chunying acknowledges her or not. If she does, we can take her with us. If she doesn't, we can just pretend she never existed."

Xiao Yeci shook her head and said, "Peach Girl, you don't understand. Things in wealthy families aren't that simple."

You Tao shrugged and said, "I don't know. Then discuss it with Chunying. Anyway, you should go home first."

"I can't go home."

"You have to go back whether you want to or not. Don't force me to tie you up and take you back." You Tao's eyes flashed coldly.

Xiao Yeci was furious. "What are you doing? Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

You Tao is a second-level Joy Cultivator, Xiao Yeci is a second-level cultivator of literature.

The two were evenly matched in cultivation and began to fight.

After more than ten rounds, the two were beaten out of the waiting room by station staff with sticks.

You Tao laughed and said, "You can't leave this time, can you?"

Xiao Yeci gritted her teeth and said, "You're such a vicious person!"

When Xiao Yeci and You Tao returned home, Lu Chunying was nearly frantic. She first sent everyone else away, then yelled at Xiao Yeci, "Why did you abandon me? I've never abandoned you!"

Xiao Yeci lowered her head and said, "But there's nothing I can do about it!"

"Why can't we find a way? We've come this far, mother and son, and we've figured out solutions little by little. If we really can't think of anything, aren't there other people who can help us?"

"This can't be told to anyone else!"

"If you can't trust others, you still have Seventh Brother, right?"

"He absolutely cannot know, there are still his affairs involved here!"

Lu Chunying took out the letter left by Xiao Yeci and said, "You can actually believe this? With Xiao Manli's character..."

"Which of Seventh Brother's eyes would even look at her?"

Xiao Yeci said, "That's not a good way to talk. That's your own mother."

"I only have one mother!" Lu Chunying gritted her teeth. "I'll have someone take care of her tomorrow, and that'll be the end of it!"

Xiao Yeci gasped and said, "You can't do anything reckless!"

"This is the proper way, listen to me!"

The next morning, just as Lu Chunying was about to have someone invite Tan Fucheng and Lu Yuanxin over, two servants from the Lu Family came to the door. "Miss Chunying, Madam would like to meet you."

At this critical juncture, Duan Shaoxia arranged to meet Lu Chunying.

Lu Chunying's heart tightened. Had things already been exposed?

At dusk, Xiao Manli arrived at Xiao Yeci's residence again. After leaving the house, the two went to the same café they had visited before. Xiao Manli asked, "Yeci, have you thought about what I told you yesterday?"

Xiao Yeci nodded and said, "I've thought it through. I promise you, I'll go and ask Li Qi to come out."

"Okay, as long as you make the appointment, I'll leave Green Water City immediately after tonight." Xiao Manli patted Xiao Yeci on the back.

Xiao Yeci sensed something was wrong. "What did you just do?"

Xiao Manli asked, "What's wrong? Can't I even touch it?"

Xiao Manli placed something on Xiao Yeci, but Xiao Yeci didn't know what it was or how to remove it.

Li Banfeng returned to Carefree Dock and instructed Luo ZhengNan to intensify his investigation into the Chasing Light Group.

This organization is truly mysterious. Luo ZhengNan is so well-informed, yet he has never heard of the Chasing Light Group.

The Guanfang Hall may have their information.

Just as Li Banfeng was about to contact the light Light Bulb, Xiao Yeci suddenly arrived at Carefree Dock.

"Seventh Brother, can I treat you to dinner tonight?" Xiao Yeci asked cautiously.

Li Banfeng was taken aback, then nodded and said, "Okay, who did you invite?"

Xiao Yeci said, "Just the two of us, is that alright, Seventh Brother?"

Li Banfeng tilted his head and looked at Xiao Yeci. Xiao Yeci blushed and asked, "Is it going to work or not, Seventh Brother?"

The way she called him "Seventh Brother" was so strange.

PS: What should it be called?