Appointment

Li Banfeng revealed his true identity, and An Zongding guessed that this person was Li Qi.

Li Banfeng asked again, "Why are you investigating me?"

An Zongding shook his head repeatedly, saying, "We've never investigated you—"

Egg~

A pot of water was poured from the Old Teapot, An Zongding so much that he rolled on the ground in agony.

Having followed Li Banfeng for so long, there are some things that Old Teapot will do himself without Li Banfeng having to tell him.

Looking at An Zongding's wolf-fox-like appearance, Old Teapot sighed, "Even in the clouds, demonic cultivators' physiques are really not that great."

Li Banfeng smiled at An Zongding, "Aren't you going to tell the truth?"

"I said," An Zongding said after catching his breath, "This is Lord Feng's order."

"Which Lord Feng?"

"Lord Feng Chongli has a higher status than me in Snowflake Port, so I must obey his orders."

Li Banfeng's heart tightened. Why was Feng Chongli investigating him?

His only connection with Feng Chongli was that he bought a pair of Iron Ruler from Feng Chongli; those Iron Ruler were actually the railway tracks that Portable Abode.

Could it be that Feng Chongli knew the purpose of the Iron Ruler, and that's why he targeted me?

Thinking about it this way, this becomes a scary thing.

To date, Portable Abode and everything within Portable Abode have been the foundation of Li Banfeng's livelihood. If anyone sets their sights on Portable Abode, that person must be eliminated; if an organization sets its sights on Portable Abode, that organization must be eliminated.

Li Banfeng An Zongding, "Where is Feng Chongli?"

An Zongding answered truthfully, "At the residence of Green Water Bow."

Why did he go to Green Water's residence?

"The message that Mu Yuejuan, the Hundred Flowers Danqing, sent to him was for the purpose of digging up the contract for the Green Water Bow."

Hong Ying chimed in, "I know Hundred Flowers Danqing. She's the vixen who ruined my second brother. Seventh Son, bring this slut home. I want to see just how popular she is."

Li Banfeng really did have this plan.

What sect Feng Chongli belong to, and what level of cultivation does he possess?

An Zongding honestly replied, "Feng Chongli is a merchant, and his cultivation is no longer above the clouds."

Where is Mu Yuejuan?

"Also Above the Clouds."

This is not a good solution.

Considering Feng Chongli's age, he should be under sixty. For Above the Clouds, he must be quite remarkable.

"What are they going to do at Green Flower's place?"

"Find Green Flower's deed and seize Green Water Bay's territory."

"What do you want the land in Green Water Bay for?"

An Zongding, "Green Water Bay is the most prosperous place in Pro State. For so many years, it has been a waste of time and resources to keep Green Water Bow. It is like burning a crane and a zither, casting pearls before swine, and squandering precious resources. It is a great misfortune for Pro State."

Li Banfeng kicked An Zongding: "Don't use coded language!"

An Zongding translated for him. "Giving such a wonderful place as Green Water Bay to Green Flower is like putting a beautiful flower on cow dung."

We want to give Green Water Bay a better future, and we also want to give Pro State a better future, so we want to save Green Water Bay from Green Water Bow.

"Nonsense!" Li Banfeng kicked An Zongding again.

Green Water Bay was never a place for flowers; it was a gathering place for beggars.

It's true that Green Water Bow is Li Banfeng's enemy, but Li Banfeng has never questioned Green Water Bow's abilities.

"So, you seized Green Water Bay just for money?"

An Zongding shook his head and said, "We are not short of money. Snowflake Port has never been short of money."

"Then why did you sell the souls you kidnapped from Pro State to Outer State?"

An Zongding sighed and said, "These souls know things they shouldn't know. They shouldn't be left in the world, but they have committed no great crimes. It would be too painful to let them vanish into nothingness. Sending them to Outer State is to give them a way to live. This is called swift and decisive action with a compassionate heart."

Li Banfeng said to the teapot, "I've burned his heart!"

The teapot boils water, and a sickle comes forward to cut open the intestines.

An Zongding shouted, "I'm telling the truth!"

Li Banfeng kicked him in the face. "What you've done is no different from human slave trading. And you're talking to me about having the heart of a bodhisattva."

"Since you are from Snowflake Port, and since you are in charge of minting coins, why are you still selling soul money to Outer State? Can you understand my question?"

An Zongding pondered for a moment and said, "Snowflake Port is not short of money, but we sometimes are, and we also need to find ways to supplement our own income."

According to him, he worked for Snowflake Port.

The organization Snowflake Port is not short of money, but they need to earn some extra income, which is a reasonable reason.

"Is Chu Zikai also from Snowflake Port?"

An Zongding surprise. "Who is Chu Zikai?"

Li Banfeng frowned and said, "Believe me or not, I'll turn you into a flatbread?"

"You mean that voice cultivator from Outer State?" An Zongding remembered. "He's also from Snowflake Port. We have quite a few people in Outer State too."

An Zongding also wanted to use Snowflake Port's power to intimidate Li Qi, but Li Qi was not concerned about Snowflake Port's power; he was concerned about Chu Zikai's condition.

As a member of a secret organization, he shouldn't be so high-profile as a singer.

Judging from his personal involvement in Black Market transactions, what he lacks is not just a little extra money.

Is the pay really that bad for working in Snowflake Port?

Li Qi looked at An Zongding and asked, "Are you telling me the truth?"

An Zongding nodded repeatedly. "Everything I said is true, and there is absolutely no deception."

Li Banfeng took out a piece of white paper and a pen and handed them to An Zongding: "Tell An Zongding what you know about the members of Snowflake Port."

It's all written on this piece of paper.

An Zongding glanced at the paper and pen, then silently nodded.

He picked up his pen and glanced at Li Banfeng secretly.

Young people often act without thinking things through. Can you just casually repair things like paper and pens?

An Zongding his brush with lightning speed, writing rapidly on the white paper. It appeared he was writing a list, but in reality, he was writing talismans.

A talisman was created in an instant. Before Li Banfeng could examine it closely, An Zongding suddenly performed a magic trick, conjuring a ball of flame between his fingertips and setting the white paper ablaze.

Flames rose, An Zongding blew a breath, sending the ashes toward Hong Ying.

From the two kicks he had just received, An Zongding clearly judged that this unnamed ghost possessed immeasurable fighting power. As long as he controlled it, he could definitely defeat Li Qi.

Of course, this level of spirit is extremely difficult to control, but it can An Zongding's current situation, which is his only chance to survive.

The ashes of the paper landed on Hong Ying, and An Zongding's spell had succeeded.

However, the talisman failed to control Hong Ying; it only burned a section of her hair.

The record player breathed a sigh of relief, "I thought something serious could have happened, it's just a burnt hair. Yingying, it's nothing serious. Yingying, sit down first. Yingying, be good, I'll comb your hair. Yingying, don't kill him!"

An Zongding never imagined that a single strand of hair would be so important to Hong Ying.

Because he really didn't know that, apart from Li Qi, only Hong Ying in the whole house had real hair.

Enraged, Hong Ying stepped forward and punched and kicked An Zongding him lying on the ground barely alive.

Li Banfeng brought out another sheet of white paper and shoved a pen into An Zongding's hand. "Stop trying to play tricks, write down the whole list!"

An Zongding dared not try any tricks again and carefully wrote down a name: "Feng Chongli".

After writing it, An Zongding's right hand exploded into a bloody mess.

Li Banfeng was shocked. An Zongding's reaction just now was exactly the same as when he was caught in Ride a Horse and Admire Flowers.

The explosion of his hand wasn't the end of it; his wrist continued to explode upwards, inch by inch, towards his arm.

Looking again, An Zongding was no longer able to speak; his face was bluish-purple, as if he had already suffocated.

"My Wife, let's have our meal."

An Zongding couldn't hold on any longer.

He triggered some kind of magic and is about to die.

The Wife quickly devoured An Zongding's soul, and the whole family waited with chopsticks in hand.

The last time Li Banfeng brought back the Centipede Workshop, he only brought back its soul, not its people. In the end, it all benefited the record player.

This time they did bring back a complete cloud, but this person was under some kind of evil spell, and his flesh and blood kept exploding.

If they're fried too finely, these magical treasures won't be edible, and in the end, they'll all benefit that bitch Red Lotus.

The explosion stopped immediately after the record player consumed An Zongding's soul.

The family went to eat, and Li Banfeng asked his Wife, "Why doesn't this person explode after eating the soul?"

The Wife replied, "Because this person is under Curse Art. Curse Art usually disappear when the person dies, but there are a few curses that can continue to take effect after the person dies."

Li Banfeng recalled the Qiu Luoye; back then, he had defied the wishes of the Inner State and was subsequently harmed by Curse Art: "Which sect's methods are these Curse Art?"

"It's the Dao Gate of Curse Cultivators. The cultivators of this sect are the most insidious among Hundred Sects Under Heaven. In a hundred days, they fought against others and seemed to have no skills. Some people could even treat fifth or sixth level curse cultivators White Lamb, beating and manipulating them at will."

But the man himself was unaware that he had been Curse Art. Hours, days, or even months later, when the Curse Art would take effect, he would be unable to find the caster. Unless aided by a highly skilled individual, he would undoubtedly die.

Li Banfeng considered the process and felt that it seemed impossible for a curse cultivator to defend against it, "Wife, when a curse cultivator casts a spell, does the cursed person feel nothing at all?"

Hong Ying said from the side, "We can sense our Auspiciousness and Avoiding Calamity, but this also depends on the methods of the person who cast the curse. Some people who cast curses don't cast death curses, but only small curses. These small curses seem to have little harm or malice, so it's hard for us Travel Cultivator to detect them. But if these small curses erupt at a critical moment, we will suffer a lot."

Hong Ying was worried that Li Banfeng wouldn't understand, so she gave a special example. "Back on the battlefield, I encountered a spellcaster. When we first exchanged blows, I felt something was wrong; it felt like something had pricked my wrist."

But the person I was fighting was quite skilled in martial arts, so I didn't dare to be careless. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but actually, I had already been hit by one of his minor curses.

This minor spell isn't very harmful. When the Curse Art is unleashed, the body will sway slightly, like a sudden, intense shiver.

Li Banfeng asked, "Then what is the use of this Curse Art?"

Hong Ying said, "It depends on the timing. The next day during the battle, the opponent used this Curse Art. I shuddered, which startled Xiao Wan's warhorse. Xiao Wan charged into the enemy formation alone."

Li Banfeng hugged the record player. "And then?"

Hong Ying said with a wronged expression, "Later, she fought her way back from the enemy lines, and when she came back, she gave me a hundred Military Rods. Thinking about it still makes me feel bad!"

The record player roared in fury, "You bitch! I was almost hacked to death by the enemy, and you're still upset!"

Hong Ying sobbed, "I was under Curse Art, I didn't mean to hurt you!"

The record player said angrily, "You were under Curse Art without realizing it, so you deserve to be beaten, and it wouldn't be unjust for you!"

Li Banfeng still felt that curse cultivators were too difficult to deal with, "Besides the Travel Cultivator's techniques for Auspiciousness and Avoiding Calamity and seeking good fortune, are there no other ways to restrain curse cultivators?"

"Yes, my lord," the record player said, not finding the curse cultivators particularly troublesome. "There are all sorts of arts, each with its own strengths. House Cultivator aren't too afraid of curse cultivators. If they're Curse Art, as long as they get home early, they can rely on the house and its Home Spirit to get through it."

Virtuous cultivators also have a restraint when it comes to curse cultivators. In the midst of a battle, if they sense that the situation is not going well, Virtuous cultivators will force the curse cultivators to tell the truth, revealing the methods used to cast the curses and how to break them.

Peeping cultivators are the best counter to curse cultivators. They can see the root and origin of Curse Art, eradicate Curse Art completely, and find the caster. Curse cultivators are not good at face-to-face combat; once they are found, they are basically doomed.

Of course, this is also related to the level of cultivation. A lower-level cultivator certainly cannot see the Curse Art of a higher-level cultivator. Only when the levels of both sides are not too different can they restrain each other.

Li Banfeng touched the earring. "Eat more and grow well. You'll have to help me if you encounter a curse cultivator in the future."

+

"Don't worry, sir!" The earring was very moved and crawled into An Zongding's body, devouring him.

Li Banfeng wanted to discuss something with his Wife: "I want to go to Green Flower's residence again, lure Feng Chongli and Mu Yuejuan into the house, and then hand them over to Wife to deal with them."

The record player asked, "My dear husband, how would you like to get it?"

Li Banfeng said, "The simplest way is to place them door to door. I added a lock to the Green Flower door, so those two shouldn't be able to get out for the time being."

"I'll go unlock this door in a bit, then open the Portable Abode, and wait for those two to rush in Portable Abode."

The door-to-door tactic is nothing new; Li Banfeng has used it several times and is quite adept at it.

Hong Ying chimed in, "Seventh Son, that's a great idea. I'll just stand guard at the door and kill them one by one. That'll save us a lot of trouble."

The record player pondered for a while but did not agree, "My lord, if it's an opponent on the ground, you can do whatever you want. But if it's an opponent in the clouds, you can barely handle it with this door-to-door method."

These two are Above the Clouds; if my husband makes even the slightest mistake, he will fall into their trap. This method must never be used under any circumstances.

Above the Clouds, the techniques and methods they can use are beyond what you, sir, can predict. We have already won a battle today; you mustn't squander this excellent situation due to underestimating the enemy.

Li Banfeng listened to his Wife's words and did not go to find Feng Chongli and Mu Yuejuan.

He didn't go, and those two are really suffering.

They tried every possible way to leave the Dark Dimension Space, but Feng Chongli couldn't unlock it. The only solution they could think of was Mu Yuejuan's painting.

Mu Yuejuan can travel back and forth within her own paintings. Moreover, she is a famous painter with many collectors. As long as there is a connection between the paintings, Mu Yuejuan can invade another painting.

However, Mu Yuejuan was reluctant to use this method.

This wasn't because the technique was so demanding, but because she disliked having others walk through the painting, as this would expose many of her secrets.

With no other ideas at the moment, Mu Yuejuan immediately painted a traditional Chinese ink painting. With just a few strokes, a landscape painting appeared before the two of them.

Mu Yuejuan led Feng Chongli into the landscape painting, and they rowed a small boat downstream.

This walk took an hour.

Feng Chongli had been rowing for an hour and was getting impatient. "Isn't this just a painting? Are you really going to take it seriously? Do you really expect me to just sit here and row like this?"

Mu Yuejuan frowned and said, "What? Don't I need to find a place to dock?"

The place she referred to as the shore wasn't one that could be found within this painting, but rather a passageway connecting to other paintings.

This passage might be in the cave ahead, or it might be in the woods on the shore; it all depends on which painting Mu Yuejuan can sense.

There is a clear barrier between the unnamed place and the normal space. Normally, it would take less than a minute to find the passage, but today it took an hour and I still couldn't find it.

A gentle breeze caressed my face, and a light rain began to fall; this was a sign of something.

Mu Yuejuan was overjoyed and quickly urged Feng Chongli to row faster. The two rowed into a lotus pond.

This lotus pond is a house painted by Mu Yuejuan. The painting was later bought by He Jiaqing, and it was the painting that the two used to communicate with each other.

Just as Mu Yuejuan was about to get ashore, she discovered a scene of scorched earth on the screen.

What is the reason for this?

Because Mu Yuejuan's painting was burned by He Jiaqing.

The painting was burned, and naturally the house was burned as well, rendering the passageway useless.

Mu Yuejuan led Feng Chongli in search of the next passage. After walking for more than eight hours, the small boat entered a lake.

Mu Yuejuan was pleasantly surprised again.

But when it was time to get ashore, Mu Yuejuan's eyes lost their light again.

This painting was also burned; it was a portrait she Ling Miaoying, an oil painting of her lost in thought by the lake.

He Jiaqing did not know that the painting was by Mu Yuejuan, otherwise he would not have kept it until today.

Feng Chongli asked, "Are there any other methods?"

"If you have a solution, then think of one!" Mu Yuejuan said impatiently. "If you can't figure it out, then stay here and row quietly!"

Portable Abode finished eating, the rest of the meal was left to Red Lotus to clean up.

An Zongding possessed three magical treasures. Red Lotus, who did not eat raw food, handed these three treasures over to the record player.

The record player first examined the first magical artifact, which was an incense burner. The record player tapped the incense burner twice with the stylus, and the incense burner immediately understood and demonstrated its technique.

He first lit the incense, and as the smoke drifted, it transformed into a long sword, which danced in mid-air. The wind whistled along with the movement of the sword's edge. Li Banfeng could sense that the sword had a physical form and was extremely sharp.

The longsword can last for about ten seconds, and it can be used for both slashing and stabbing. It is a proper weapon. Once the magic wears off, the longsword turns into smoke and dissipates with the wind. On the other side of the incense burner, another longsword is made, which can continue the fight.

This incense burner is An Zongding's long-range combat weapon. As long as the incense burns continuously, the smoke can be transformed into weapons to restrain the enemy.

The second magical item was a small ceramic medicine bottle.

The medicine bottle contains about a dozen pills, all of which are highly poisonous. When fighting an enemy, as long as the distance is close enough, this medicine bottle can inject the pills into the enemy's body, causing them to be poisoned. It is An Zongding's close combat weapon.

The third magic weapon was a golden bead. Li Banfeng had already witnessed the power of this magic weapon; it could make An Zongding run as fast as an eighth-level Travel Cultivator.

The three magical treasures were placed on the tray of the record player. Jin Zhuzi spoke first, "Master is Travel Cultivator, and this servant is your fellow disciple. If Master gets tired of walking, this servant can take over. If Master dislikes this servant, you can give this servant away."

This bead was of little use to Li Banfeng, and he was well aware of this, so he was the first to ask to be taken in.

The medicine bottle felt it had a good chance of being taken in, and said unhurriedly, "Master, this servant has fought for many years. I dare not say that my martial arts skills are particularly high, but whenever this servant goes into battle, I have never lost."

From now on, Master, you don't need to worry. Just put me in your pocket or sleeve, and when it's time for this servant to act, this servant can take care of the enemy on his own.

This was nothing new to Li Banfeng; all the magical treasures in his room could kill enemies on their own.

Incense Burner felt it was also very useful. "Master, this servant dares not claim to have killed countless enemies, but I have certainly been through many battles. As long as you allow me to make some preparations on the battlefield beforehand, the enemy will not be able to get close to you. A hundred of them will come, and a hundred of them will die!"

All three magical artifacts referred to themselves as servants, Li Banfeng found extremely grating.

The record player not only sounded jarring, but it also revealed other things. "My dear husband, these three people are echoing."

The meaning of "echo" is that these three things can record audio.

These three magical treasures were likely given to An Zongding by Snowflake Port, and they probably also had Snowflake Port's backup plan on them.

Such things naturally cannot be left behind. Li Banfeng raised his eyebrows, and his Wife directly absorbed their spiritual essence.

But these three items were still useful, so Li Banfeng handed them over to Lianhua.

Lotus looked at everyone and said, "Who wants to come and try something new?"

Trying something new at Lotus's place is no joke; you might end up ruining yourself.

Besides, the example of the gloves is right there; his abilities have indeed improved a lot, but now he's covered in black spots, which is unpleasant to look at.

The pendulum spoke first, "Master, I'll give it a try!"

Among the magical artifacts beside Li Banfeng, the pendulum is considered senior, but its origin is not high. It is only slightly better than the earring. Originally, blood-draining was a good technique, but now that the opponents are too strong in battle, the pendulum has almost no chance to use its power.

Currently, Zhongbai has become Li Banfeng's painter and makeup artist. This is not because Zhongbai is not hardworking; her starting point was simply too low.

The pendulum chose the golden bead from the Travel Cultivator: "Refine me and this one together, at least it'll be faster."

The Copper Lotus agreed, and rolled the pendulum and beads into its Lotus Heart.

Even the earrings couldn't sit still any longer; she chose the incense burner. "Sir, I've been unable to fight, so please give me this one."

Li Banfeng agreed, and the earrings and incense burner were also placed into the lotus flower.

With only one medicine bottle left unchosen, the Music Box, being the slowest to move, came to the lotus flower.

She could record, but couldn't speak. Li Banfeng understood what she meant and put her and the medicine bottle into the lotus flower.

Lotus closed its leaves and began to refine the magic weapon anew.

Li Banfeng took the keys and went to one of his teahouses, leaving the projector outside the Portable Abode.

Then I slept soundly.

The next morning, as Li Banfeng went out, the projector reminded him, "Seventh Director, someone is trying to contact you through that Simple Phone."

The Simple Phone refers to the telephone that Luo ZhengNan gave to Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng called Luo ZhengNan back, and Luo ZhengNan connected directly with Ma Wu.

"Seventh Brother, Luo Lijun is back. She brought her terms and said she wants you to come and discuss them in person."

Li Banfeng went to a new place, visited the Soda Kiln, went to the factory, and met Luo Lijun.

Compared to their first meeting, Luo Lijun's attitude had softened considerably. "I've discussed it with my people, and it's not necessary to start a war this time. As long as Pro State can vouch for us and ensure that Outer State don't offend the Inner State in the future, this matter can be dropped."

Li Banfeng rubbed his chin and said, "You mean by having Pro State act as a guarantor? Pro State doesn't have a leader, so how can they act as a guarantor for you?"

Luo Lijun was also prepared. "I've had someone investigate you. You're considered the most powerful person in Pro State. As long as you sign a contract guaranteeing that Outer State will not offend the Inner State again, this matter will be settled. If you offend again, we will target Pro State first."

Li Banfeng laughed, "What are you and your people thinking? Are you looking for an excuse to start a war with Pro State? What does your war with Outer State have to do with Pro State? Why should Pro State guarantee your war?"

"Because Pro State is sandwiched between the Inner State and Outer State, only by ensuring harmony Inner State and Outer State can the survival of Pro State people on this land be guaranteed. This is the benefit Pro State gains from this guarantee!"

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "I don't think so. People from Pro State have always had the right to live on this land. This is not something granted by Outer State or Inner State, and it's not a benefit."

Luo Lijun said, "Then you should state your opinion."

Li Banfeng said, "My position is to address the issue at hand. I can guarantee the safety of this entrance. Within the territory of Soda Kiln, I can guarantee that Outer State people will not use this entrance to invade the Inner State. However, this guarantee is not free."

The Inner State will pay the price for this.

The Snail Girl's antennae kept twitching. "Just to guarantee an entrance, you want us to pay a price?"

Li Banfeng nodded and said, "Yes, I only guarantee this one entrance. You can refuse my guarantee."

But if Outer State invade the Inner State through this gateway, Pro State might remain indifferent, or it might join the Inner State Outer State. In that case, you'll lose more than just a gatekeeper.

After a long silence, the Snail Girl asked, "What price do you mean by the price you need us to pay?"

Li Banfeng said, "I want a new piece of land."

The Snail Girl pondered for a moment and said, "This is easy. Tell me the location you've chosen, and I'll inform the local Local Earth God so he can follow your instructions."

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "You didn't understand what I meant. What I want is not a new piece of land with Local Earth God, but a new piece of land that is unclaimed."

The Snail Girl didn't quite understand. "What's the point? Even if we give you the new land, the Local Earth God will still be dispatched by us in the end."

Li Banfeng said solemnly, "This is the crux of the matter. The Local Earth God of this land is not to be appointed by you. You must hand over both complete deeds to me."

"This is impossible!" the Snail Girl roared. "We will not accept such conditions, nor will we tolerate such provocation."

"Look at you, so impatient," Li Banfeng laughed. "Go and discuss this properly with your tribesmen. Find some less impulsive tribesmen and discuss it slowly. I believe you will have reasonable tribesmen who will agree to my conditions."

P. S.: The power to appoint Local Earth God is extremely important.