Raise the Sedan Poles Three Times

Li Banfeng walked along the bluestone path into the alley. The lair of the Boundless Camp of the Chasing Light Group was located in a courtyard deep in the alley.

This alley is not flat; it's a steep slope with a series of steps leading uphill, making it quite strenuous for ordinary people to walk through.

In Ye Song Bridge, such sloping roads are everywhere, and you can see sedan chair Carriage Driver. There is a local saying that the sedan chair carriers always say, "Carry the sedan chair three times, and good fortune will roll in."

A sedan chair bearer approached and asked, "Want a ride?"

Li Banfeng shook his head slightly.

The sedan bearers frowned and said, "Are you going to sit or not? Give me an answer. What, are you looking down on me?"

Li Banfeng glanced at the sedan bearers and said with a smile, "I won't sit."

The sedan bearers continued to pester him, and Li Banfeng's eyes flashed with a cold light.

Seeing this, the sedan chair carriers didn't ask any more questions and lowered their heads to solicit business elsewhere.

Li Banfeng glanced back at the sedan chair carrier, becoming more wary, not because the carrier was rude, but because the carrier had seen him.

Li Banfeng has a talent for being unnoticed, and normally, the House Cultivator carrier should overlook him, but there are exceptions.

There were no other pedestrians in the alley at the moment. It's possible that the sedan chair carrier was so eager to do business that he kept his eyes on the alley and greeted everyone he saw.

Being ignored doesn't mean you're invisible. When someone is highly focused, there's a certain chance they'll notice Li Banfeng.

Of course, we cannot rule out another possibility: this sedan chair carrier is quite powerful, and he is here to keep watch for the Boundless Camp.

Logically speaking, a lookout shouldn't speak so bluntly or so blatantly, but it's always good to be extra careful.

When they were still a hundred meters or so away from the house, Li Banfeng touched the Thread-Pulling Earring on his ears.

After waiting for more than ten seconds, the earring responded, "Sir, there's no response."

How could there be no movement?

Could it be that no one is left in the Boundless Camp's lair during the day?

Perhaps the Thread-Pulling Earring wasn't noticed.

Mosonov said that the Chasing Light Group's Boundless Camp is full of elites, so it's reasonable that there are experts among them who can dodge the Thread-Pulling Earring.

Li Banfeng returned to Portable Abode, took out a painting, and used the technique of "Golden House Hides Beauty" to create a beautiful woman.

Li Banfeng put a lot of effort into this Beauty Picture, integrating the Western Painting Skills taught by Zhong Bai with the ink painting techniques taught by Hong Ying. The painting is realistic and artistic, and the woman is lifelike and full of Spiritual Qi.

The only drawback is that Li Banfeng only drew half a face; the other half had to be covered with hair.

When I look at this half-face beauty at home, it's quite pretty, but if I suddenly take it out on the street, it's a little scary.

It's alright. As long as there's no wind and my hair isn't blown up, no one should be able to spot the flaw.

Li Banfeng stood on the street, watching the half-faced beauty quietly sneak into the mansion, and then released his control over the beauty.

He still remembered the characteristics of the Sleep Cultivator technique, which had the ability to counter force transmission techniques. There might be Sleep Cultivator in the Boundless Camp as well, so it was best to be cautious.

Five minutes later, the half-faced beauty returned, pressed down on the hair on her left cheek, and shook her head at Li Banfeng.

There was indeed no one in the house.

Based on the current situation, there should be three possibilities.

The first possibility is that the information is incorrect, and the Boundless Camp's lair is not here.

Li Banfeng was unfamiliar with Ye Song Bridge. Many of the clues he obtained came from Luo ZhengNan's subordinates. However, Luo ZhengNan did not know much about the Chasing Light Group, so it was normal for the information to be inaccurate. This place was likely just an empty house with no one living there.

The half-faced beauty reached out her hand to Li Banfeng, her fair palm clean.

This was to tell Li Banfeng that she had not found any dust in the house.

This isn't an empty house; someone has been living here recently, but where have they all gone?

Let's consider the second possibility: the Boundless Camp is mobilized to carry out a certain mission.

The chances of this happening are slim. No matter how urgent the task, there's always a way to spare someone to stay behind.

The third possibility is that Boundless Camp some kind of information and went into hiding.

Is this person deliberately avoiding me?

It's normal that Li Qi hiding from the Light Chaser Regiment after wiping out an entire battalion of the Chasing Light Group at the Conqueror Restaurant.

The problem is, how did they know Li Qi had come to Ye Song Bridge?

Li Banfeng thought about the people who came with him. There were members of the Lu Family and He Family. Their backgrounds were a bit complicated. Could there be someone among them who was a mole?

It's hard to say.

Li Banfeng and Wu Yongchao were unaware that there were followers of the Chasing Light Group in Iron Gate Fort.

Two members of the Lu Family had joined the Chasing Light Group, a fact that even Duan Shaoxia was unaware of. The Chasing Light Group Cult had an extremely wide reach and was very secretive, which was also their most troublesome characteristic.

If there really is a mole among those around you, who would it be?

Li Banfeng returned to He Yuxiu's residence and, taking advantage of the fact that the House Cultivator inconspicuously, carefully observed each of the accompanying personnel.

As dusk approached, Zheng Siyi Guanfang Envoy of Ye Song Bridge, arrived at the residence and invited Li Banfeng to dinner. He Yuxiu laughed and said, "You only invited the Seventh Brother? Are you disrespecting me?"

Zheng Siyi waved his hands repeatedly. "Miss He, don't misunderstand. I invited Mr. Li over because there are some private matters between men that we need to discuss."

"Can't I even listen to what men say about their business?"

"It's not that I can't listen, it's just that I feel embarrassed if you hear it. Let's discuss this after we've finished."

"I'll host a private banquet for Miss He, and I hope she'll grace me with her presence." Zheng Siyi spoke wittily and gave her plenty of face, so He Yuxiu didn't hold it against him and relayed the message to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng did not know Zheng Siyi. Although the other party was sincere, he still took precautions before attending the banquet.

The restaurant we chose was Smoke Cloud Tower, the most famous restaurant in Ye Song Bridge. It is right next to Smoke Cloud Lake. Every night, when you look out from the building towards the lake, the rising mist looks like wisps of smoke, which connects to the clouds in the sky. It is a great spectacle in Ye Song Bridge.

Upon arriving at the private room, Zheng Siyi stood respectfully at the door without going in. He wasn't the one who wanted to invite Li Qi to dinner; Liao Zihui was waiting inside.

"General Envoy Liao?" Li Banfeng smiled. "When did you arrive at Ye Song Bridge? You didn't come here specifically to see me, did you?"

Liao Zihui laughed and said, "I had other things to do, but now it's just your business left. Brother Li, please sit down, let's eat and chat."

The signature dishes of Smoke Cloud Tower are all local specialties of Smoke Cloud Lake, including fish, crab, shrimp, and turtle, all of which are available on the table, making for a very lavish meal.

After a few pleasantries, Liao Zihui got down to business. "Brother Li, you've come to Ye Song Bridge this time because of the Chasing Light Group, right?"

Old Liao's information network is really good.

What does he want to do?

Seeing that Li Qi remained silent, Liao Zihui continued, "In Green Water City, you wiped out an entire battalion of the Chasing Light Group. Brother, you were truly ruthless."

Li Qi smiled, "Is this making things difficult for you?"

Liao Zihui raised his glass. "We've had our share of disagreements in the past, and it's inevitable that we'll have our share of bumps along the way. Let's put everything else aside for now. This glass is for you, and I thank you for this."

Li Qi blinked, not quite understanding what Liao Zihui meant. "What are you thanking me for?"

"These bastards are a thorn in my side, and a major threat to Pro State. Pro State absolutely cannot fall into their hands. You did what I couldn't do, so I must thank you." After saying this...

Liao Zihui raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Li Banfeng also drank the wine; it was rare for the two of them to reach a consensus on one thing.

Setting down his wine glass, Liao Zihui asked, "Brother, did you gain anything from this trip to Ye Song Bridge?"

Li Qi shook his head and said, "I came up empty-handed."

Liao Zihui poured himself another glass of wine. "To tell you the truth, brother, that's why I came. I also came to Ye Song Bridge and found nothing."

There's a reason why we both came up empty-handed. You did things for me that were inconvenient for me, and now I have to do things for you that are inconvenient for you.

Li Qi was truly puzzled. "I really don't understand what you're saying."

Liao Zihui shook his head and said, "You definitely won't understand, because even I can't explain it clearly. Just wait for my news. This happened to me, and I have to give an explanation."

The two drank another cup, and Liao Zihui asked, "Brother, did you know that the Boundless Camp is the elite of the Chasing Light Group?"

"I know that."

"Do you know why this group of elites came to Ye Song Bridge?"

Li Banfeng really didn't know about this, and even Mosonov didn't know the reason.

Liao Zihui said, "I've put a lot of effort into investigating this matter. Ye Song Bridge is no ordinary place. Do you have business here?"

Li Qi shook his head.

Liao Zihui said, "Not only you, but the Lu Family and the Chu family have no business here. The Ma family has some business here, but it's never really taken off. More than 90% of Ye Song Bridge's business is in the hands of the He Family."

The He Family had quite a few businesses in Ye Song Bridge, covering everything from clothing, food, housing, and transportation to entertainment and leisure. He Yuxiu had to oversee all the big and small businesses in Ye Song Bridge.

Why did all the businesses in this area end up with the He Family? Was it because others looked down on them?

From a purely business perspective, it's really not something to be proud of.

Liao Zihui gave an example. "Ye Song Bridge is rich in timber, but the timber here is not cheap. After deducting the transportation cost, how much profit is left?"

I've calculated it; with less than a 50% chance of anything changing, this deal would be a loss.

There are plenty of timber-producing areas in Pro State, and profits from other places are at least 30%, so why is the He Family so fixated on Ye Song?

Li Qi asked, "Is it because the timber from Ye Song Bridge is of good quality?"

Liao Zihui said, "Ye Song Bridge's pine wood is indeed of good quality, but it's not irreplaceable. Besides, Ye Song Bridge's timber business is all in the hands of the He Family."

The He Family has never tried to lower prices; they monopolize the business here, yet they haven't manipulated the profits. Is there some hidden reason behind this?

Ye Song Bridge's situation is indeed special; He Yuxiu has already lost interest in doing business here.

Why did the He Family operate here for so long? Do He Family have a special attachment to this land?

Li Banfeng asked, "Has Ye Song Bridge always been in this condition?"

Liao Zihui shook his head. "I've investigated this matter. Twenty years ago, the price of timber in Ye Song Bridge was much lower than it is now. Doing timber business here would have yielded at least a 30% profit."

However, after He Haiqin got involved in Ye Song Bridge's business, the market changed. He drove up the local timber prices by purchasing timber at high prices.

With his costs inflated, he immediately started selling at a low price, squeezing out his own profits and driving other Lineage's businesses out of business.

In other words, He Haiqin invested heavily and created this unprofitable business. What was his purpose in doing so?

After a moment's thought, Li Qi said, "So that no one will compete with him."

Liao Zihui nodded. "That's right. Since there's no profit to be made, most people are indeed unwilling to compete with him, but Lu Dongliang has come to compete."

Lu Dongliang and He Haiqin fought for three whole years at Ye Song Bridge. At that time, Lu Dongliang was not as well-off as He Haiqin, and he lost a lot of his family fortune. In the end, he could not defeat He Haiqin, and the feud between the two was thus formed.

Why are these two fighting tooth and nail over such a poorly run business?

Li Qi stroked his chin and said, "Because there are good things here."

Liao Zihui said, "To be precise, it's because there's a good opportunity here. Brother Li, have you ever heard the saying, 'When the sedan chair is carried three times, good fortune rolls in'?"

Li Qi nodded and said, "I've heard that. The sedan chair carriers often say that."

Liao Zihui said, "At first, I also thought it was just a lucky saying from the sedan chair carriers, but after investigating for a long time, I realized that there was a secret hidden in this saying."

Hidden within Ye Song Bridge lies a special opportunity: if a person is favored by the Local Earth God, they will encounter three such opportunities, thus elevating their strength three times—a phenomenon known as being carried in a sedan chair three times.

The first time someone carried a sedan chair, it was to elevate one's cultivation level. One year of cultivation at Ye Song Bridge was equivalent to three years.

The second instance of being carried in a sedan chair is to elevate one's level. A cultivator at the fifth level, upon encountering an opportunity, can directly advance to the sixth level, or even the seventh level, saving twenty years of time.

The third time the sedan chair is carried, it's to elevate one's status; it's said to be able to lift the Earth Skin Cultivator to the clouds.

Brother Li, now you should understand why He Haiqin is so determined to take control of Ye Song Bridge's territory, right?

That's understandable, of course.

This temptation is too great; it's even comparable to the Mystic Life Crimson Lotus.

After piecing together the events, Li Qi wondered, "Was the struggle between Lu Dongliang and He Haiqin also for this opportunity?"

Liao Zihui nodded and said, "I've compiled all of Lu Dongliang's experiences in Ye Song Bridge back then. He fought He Haiqin to the point of bloodshed, and he also had numerous affairs with local socialites."

Lu Chunying was the Lu Dongliang kept around that time. Lu Dongliang was a lustful man, but he didn't just go after just anyone. He specifically sought out established and long-standing Lineage to gather information and search for the whereabouts of Local Earth God.

As they spoke, Liao Zihui handed a document to Li Banfeng: "Brother, this is the Lineage that Lu Dongliang came into contact with back in Ye Song Bridge."

He Yuxiu probably doesn't know Ye Song Bridge's secret yet. Since you're close, she likely won't be too wary of you.

This great opportunity is yours, brother. Consider this my thank-you gift for the Chasing Light Group, and my apology for our past grievances.

Brother, you're still young. Whether you want Ye Song Bridge's opportunity or not is up to you, but please stay with Ye Song Bridge for a couple more days. I need to give you an explanation regarding the Boundless Camp."

Li Banfeng asked, "What exactly is the explanation?"

"You found the right place— the Boundless Camp's lair. They came to Ye Song Bridge also looking for an opportunity. But since the location and timing are right, why couldn't either of us find these bastards?"

Li Banfeng said, "Because someone leaked the news."

"So I need to give you an explanation, and I also need to give myself an explanation. Keep an eye on the newspapers tomorrow," Liao Zihui, taking a Travel Permit from his pocket and handing it to Li Qi.

"This is a Travel Permit that can be used anytime without limit. In Pro State, you can count the number of people who can get this kind of Travel Permit on one hand. I'm giving it to you."

Li Banfeng took the Travel Permit and glanced at it. "General Envoy Liao, what's wrong with you today? Why are you giving me so many nice things? Are you really retiring?"

"Retirement is still a long way off," Liao Zihui poured another glass of wine. "I'm just showing my sincerity, my sincerity in cooperating with you, Brother Li. We must cooperate on the Chasing Light Group, otherwise Pro State will be finished. After we clean up these bastards, we'll continue our feud."

Back at Portable Abode, Li Banfeng carefully reviewed the information Liao Zihui had given him.

During his three years in Ye Song Bridge, Lu Dongliang accumulated quite a few romantic entanglements. The Lineage he had contact with did indeed have some information about the Local Earth God, much of which was recorded by Liao Zihui in his files.

What is Liao Zihui doing organizing these things?

According to the information Li Banfeng had, Liao Zihui was not Dark Energy User; he had no cultivation.

However, cultivation level itself is invisible, so if Liao Zihui really wanted to hide his strength, it would be difficult for ordinary people to detect it.

According to the Light Bulb, Liao Zihui's biggest wish is to retire successfully in Pro State.

If he has cultivation but has been keeping it hidden, is it possible that after retiring, he will try to compete for the highest realm?

He handed these documents to me. If I can successfully navigate the process of carrying the sedan chair, I should be able to help him again in the future.

To be honest, Ye Song Bridge's three opportunities were indeed very tempting, especially the third one, which directly raised the bar, allowing Li Banfeng's plan to ascend to the clouds to be put into practice.

But is this information true?

Based on the information compiled by Liao Zihui, most of it consists of legends, and there are many contradictions between the various legends. Li Banfeng has serious doubts about the credibility and value of this information.

"My Wife, have you ever heard of the Local Earth God of Ye Song Bridge?"

Breath~

"My dear husband, Little Slave 've heard of Ye Song Bridge. It's said to have beautiful scenery, but I really don't know anything about Little Slave Local Earth God."

The Wife didn't know, Hong Ying knew even less; she had never even heard of a place called Ye Song Bridge.

The Wine Gourd seemed to have some recollection. "I think I heard Yao Lao mention it once, but I forgot exactly what he said. I only remember something about lifting it three times."

Li Banfeng said, "If the sedan chair is lifted three times, good fortune will roll in."

The Wine Gourd thought for a moment, then swayed his body. "It seems to be this sentence."

Yao Lao also mentioned this proverb, so it seems the rumor is true.

We need to find this Local Earth God.

Early the next morning, Li Banfeng went to Smoke Cloud Lake. According to the information provided by Liao Zihui, there were more than a dozen theories about the dwelling place of the Local Earth God. The most widely accepted theory was that it was at the Smoke Cloud Lake.

How do we find the Smoke Cloud Lake?

Dodging headfirst into the water, searching around the bottom of the lake?

With Ji Banfeng's current cultivation level, he could certainly do it.

Is the dwelling place of the Local Earth God openly displayed, or hidden in some special place?

After a moment's thought, Li Banfeng gave up the idea of going down to the lake.

Because He Haiqin has been to this lake, Lu Dongliang has been to it, and Liao Zihui has most likely been to it as well.

How did he know these people had been to the lake?

The saying that the Local Earth God is at the bottom of the lake is so widely circulated that not only Lu Dongliang knows it, but He Haiqin must also know it. They would definitely go to look for him, but neither of them has found this Local Earth God. If they had really found him, he should be on the clouds above Ye Song Bridge.

Why do so many people say that the Local Earth God lives at the Smoke Cloud Lake?

Actually, this is not hard to understand; you can see the clues just by looking at it from a distance.

The Smoke Cloud Lake is shrouded in mist all year round, and from the outside it looks like a fairyland. If you ask a few people on the street where the Local Earth God are, probably eight out of ten will think of this lake. That's probably where the legend comes from.

Looking back at this document more closely, are the other dozen or so locations genuine?

If any of these locations were real, Liao Zihui should have been able to find them by virtue of his position.

This information essentially allows for a process of elimination for Li Banfeng; the points mentioned above can basically be disregarded.

If Liao Zihui's investigation results are unusable, whose results are usable?

He Haiqin also failed. It seems that the only one that can make real progress is the Boundless Camp of the Chasing Light Group.

Where did the Boundless Camp go again?

After spending the day wandering around Ye Song Bridge, Li Banfeng passed by an alleyway in the evening and met a newsboy, from whom he bought a newspaper.

Ye Song Bridge's newspaper was one of the few businesses not monopolized by the He Family; it was owned by the Ling family.

Li Banfeng glanced at the news and found a message in the lower right corner of the front page.

An accident occurred at Ye Song Bridge Station, where a train conductor and two station staff members were killed by a train.

This news is a bit strange.

Li Banfeng hadn't had much interaction with station staff, but he knew the train conductor's strength. It would take a single blow to shove Li Banfeng off the train; how could he have been hit and killed by the train? He couldn't stop the train.

At least we managed to avoid it.

The news report was very concise, barely mentioning the cause of the accident, only briefly introducing the aftermath.

Li Banfeng put away the newspaper and remembered something Liao Zihui had said.

Why did I arrive at Ye Song Bridge only to find it empty?

He needs to give me an explanation.

Li Banfeng raised an eyebrow, understanding the purpose behind this.

The mole wasn't on my end, it was at the Train Station.

Li Qi always used anonymous Travel Permit and tickets when taking the train, but station staff and train conductors still managed to find out his itinerary and report the information to Li Qi Boundless Camp.

The Conqueror Restaurant incident had just passed, Boundless Camp knew that Li Qi was targeting the Chasing Light Group. Upon learning that Li Qi had arrived at Ye Song Bridge, they chose to relocate immediately.

This left Li Qi and Liao Zihui empty-handed. There was a mole at the Train Station, and these moles were likely members of the Chasing Light Group. This was something Liao Zihui could not tolerate under any circumstances. As he said, he needed to give himself an explanation, and also to give Li Qi an explanation.

The three people who died in the accident were Liao Zihui's way of explaining himself; he wanted to cooperate more with Li Qi in eliminating the Chasing Light Group.

Li Qi had never had a good impression of Liao Zihui, but this collaboration seemed acceptable.

After putting away the newspaper, Li Banfeng was about to return to his residence when a sedan chair bearer asked, "Sir, would you like a sedan chair ride?"

Li Banfeng glanced back and saw that the sedan chair bearers weren't talking to him, but to another man.

This kind of thing happens often. Li Banfeng is House Cultivator and is often overlooked.

But one sedan chair carrier seemed not to have ignored him.

"Lift the sedan chair three times, and good fortune will roll in." Another sedan chair bearer helped the man into the sedan chair, and the two of them carried the man up the steps into the alley.

Sedan chair bearers always come in pairs; one person cannot carry a sedan chair alone.

But the sedan chair carrier we encountered that day was just one person.

Is it possible that he is the Local Earth God of Ye Song Bridge?

What a coincidence! I just happened to run into him like this?

Thinking about it carefully, this isn't really a coincidence.

Li Banfeng was looking for the Boundless Camp, while the Boundless Camp came to Ye Song Bridge in search of an opportunity to carry a sedan chair.

That is, to find the Local Earth God of Ye Song Bridge.

Their lair was certainly not chosen randomly; it must have been investigated beforehand. The location was likely very close to the dwelling place of the Local Earth God.

In addition, thanks to the auspicious foundation of avoiding misfortune, I met that sedan chair carrier at the right time. That sedan chair carrier was the source of my destiny, and he was the Local Earth God of Ye Song Bridge.

Thinking of this, Li Banfeng quickly went to the alley he had passed through yesterday. He felt that he was unlikely to be so lucky as to run into the sedan chair carrier again, but he might be able to find some clues.

Unexpectedly, when he reached the alley entrance, he actually encountered the sedan chair carrier.

The sedan bearers sat listlessly beside the sedan chair. Li Banfeng went up to them and greeted them, "Waiting for work?"

The sedan chair carrier glanced at Li Banfeng: "What do you think? Are we waiting to die instead of living?"

Li Banfeng pointed to the slope. "How much will it cost to carry me up?"

The sedan chair carrier laughed and said, "How much do you want? I'll ask you for 100,000 silver dollars. Can you afford that?"

Li Banfeng asked, "You're carrying it all by yourself?"

The sedan chair carriers frowned and said, "What kind of talk is that? One person is called carrying, two people are called lifting. Can't you count?"

Li Banfeng maintained his smile, but a surge of anger welled up uncontrollably within him.

As anger surged, Li Banfeng suddenly sensed danger approaching.

The sedan chair bearers smiled at Li Banfeng, "Lift the sedan chair three times, and good fortune will roll in. You've come to see me."

Li Banfeng asked, "Are you a sedan chair carrier?"

The sedan chair carrier stood up and said, "I'm here to carry the load."

P. S.: On our first meeting, the sedan chair carriers only lifted it once.

Salad went to the hospital and was diagnosed with pneumonia.

But Salad still insists on updating, because Salad's favorite thing is her readers.